Gay marriage ruling makes few happy

Rule on domestic-partner benefits unclear

Reaction to last week’s Georgia Supreme Court decision upholding a constitutional ban on gay marriage was a study in ambivalence for politically minded observers, regardless of where they stood on the issue.

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“Democrats are probably much happier about it than Republicans because the last thing they wanted is for this to be an issue in the fall elections,” says Alan Abramowitz, a political science professor at Emory University. “Getting it off the table was the best thing that could have happened for them.”

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The most immediate outcome of the high court’s surprise unanimous ruling is that Gov. Sonny Perdue won’t be able to stir the political pot by making good on a threat to call the General Assembly back into session this summer.

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Beth Littrell, associate legal director of the ACLU of Georgia, which brought the court challenge, described the Supreme Court ruling as disappointingly narrow.

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“This was an opportunity for the judges to be clear about whether same-sex couples could receive certain protections, such as domestic-partner benefits, inheritance rights and hospital visitation rights,” she says.

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“This decision doesn’t end the struggle for equality for same-sex couples, but it does end our case,” she says.

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On the other hand, Abramowitz says, the ruling could embolden the religious right to try to impose further restrictions on gays, such as going after adoption rights.

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Possibly the biggest loser to emerge from last week’s ruling, however, is Democratic candidate for governor Cathy Cox, who caused a flap when she quickly endorsed Perdue’s call for a special session.

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“Her initial response alienated many of her supporters,” Abramowitz says. And now that the issue won’t be on the fall ballot, Cox can’t expect any boost at the polls.