Saturday, May 03, 2008

SATURDAY, IN WHICH I CELEBRATE THE END OF THE SPRING SEMESTER BY FLAGRANTLY INFRINGING UPON ALLEGEDLY COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL

For the past few weeks, BoingBoing has run occasional articles about the Oregon legislature and its firmly held belief that the state's laws are copyrighted.

While I like the wacky, pioneering spirit behind all that--can't you just see them in their prospector duds, hopping around and shouting, Them's our laws, dagnabbit!?--the claim is totally bogus. And because of that, and because I'm the kind of person who hates to be told "no", I was going to post a chunk of Oregon's legal code today. Yeah, I'm a badass.

Then I remembered that Oregon is one of the few states that offers domestic partnership to GLBT couples, which is, duh, really cool. So what to do: stick it to the Oregonian Man, or celebrate forward-thinking legislators who've acknowledged "lifestyle diversity"? I chose both. Enjoy this excerpt from the bill that went into effect as law two months ago:

...(3) Many gay and lesbian Oregonians have formed lasting, committed, caring and faithful relationships with individuals of the same sex, despite long-standing social and economic discrimination. These couples live together, participate in their communities together and often raise children and care for family members together, just as do couples who are married under Oregon law. Without the ability to obtain some form of legal status for their relationships, same-sex couples face numerous obstacles and hardships in attempting to secure rights, benefits and responsibilities for themselves and their children. Many of the rights, benefits and responsibilities that the families of married couples take for granted cannot be obtained in any way other than through state recognition of committed same-sex partnerships.

(4) This state has a strong interest in promoting stable and lasting families, including the families of same-sex couples and their children. All Oregon families should be provided with the opportunity to obtain necessary legal protections and status and the ability to achieve their fullest potential.

(5) Sections 1 to 9 of this 2007 Act are intended to better align Oregon law with the values embodied in the Constitution and public policy of this state, and to further the state's interest in the promotion of stable and lasting families, by extending benefits, protections and responsibilities to committed same-sex partners and their children that are comparable to those provided to married individuals and their children by the laws of this state....

--full, deadly boring text here

Take that, Oregon state legislature! We love you, kinda!

ARCHIVES

May 2000   June 2000   July 2000   August 2000   September 2000   October 2000   November 2000   December 2000   January 2001   February 2001   March 2001   April 2001   May 2001   June 2001   July 2001   August 2001   September 2001   October 2001   November 2001   December 2001   January 2002   February 2002   March 2002   April 2002   May 2002   June 2002   July 2002   August 2002   September 2002   October 2002   November 2002   December 2002   January 2003   February 2003   March 2003   April 2003   May 2003   June 2003   July 2003   August 2003   September 2003   October 2003   November 2003   December 2003   January 2004   February 2004   March 2004   April 2004   May 2004   June 2004   July 2004   August 2004   September 2004   October 2004   November 2004   December 2004   January 2005   February 2005   March 2005   April 2005   May 2005   June 2005   July 2005   August 2005   September 2005   October 2005   November 2005   December 2005   January 2006   February 2006   March 2006   April 2006   May 2006   June 2006   July 2006   August 2006   September 2006   October 2006   November 2006   December 2006   January 2007   February 2007   March 2007   April 2007   May 2007   June 2007   July 2007   August 2007   September 2007   October 2007   November 2007   December 2007   January 2008   February 2008   March 2008   April 2008   May 2008