Gay Today: World

Religious Fanatics Furious
about Signed California Bill AB 25

Compiled by GayToday

Natalie Williams is the executive director of Capital Resource Institute, a "pro-family" group opposed to the new California domestic partner law

Sacramento, California- California Governor Gray Davis' signing of a bill giving increased standing to domestic partners and including many rights and privileges hitherto granted only to opposite-sexed married couples, has infuriated most fundamentalist religious front groups such as the Capitol Resource Institute and the Family Research Council.

"This is the first time in California's history that our state legislature and governor have passed legislation granting domestic partnerships equal status with marriage in certain instances," complains Natalie Williams, executive director for Capitol Resource Institute (CRI), an aspiring "pro-family" organization based in Sacramento.

"The bill totally undermines the intent of Proposition 22, which passed by almost 62% of the vote and stated that California's voters believe marriage is between one man and one woman. An overwhelming number of Californians issued a strong statement that the legislators who passed AB 25 and the governor have chosen to ignore."

Benefits and rights granted by the 68-page bill include: allowing domestic partners to adopt each other's children, recover damages for emotional distress, file wrongful death lawsuits, and file for numerous tax and employment benefits.

Also included among these benefits is the right to collect unemployment insurance if one partner leaves his or her employment to join his or her domestic partner at a remote location to which it would impractical to commute or transfer.

"AB 25 affects a wide-variety of existing laws," laments Karen Holgate, director of policy for CRI:

"It adds to, or amends, family, civil, government, health and safety, probate, labor, and insurance codes. This bill has far-reaching implications and is just the first step toward passing next year's same-sex marriage bill, which has already been written."

Holgate was particularly infuriated by Governor Davis' commentary as he signed AB 25, saying the bill is about 'responsibility, respect and most of all about family',

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She characterized the Governor's words as "nothing more than 'spin."

The fundamentalist zealot-bigot further highlighted her complaint, saying:

"The governor and our state legislature have undermined marriage and done the families of this state a grave disservice."

"Yes, yes, Karen Holgate, you are so right," giggled a performance artist calling herself Perfect Person:

"My own marriage was totally undermined by those homos in our God fearing neighborhood, running loose and doing whatever it is these Satan worshippers do, God knows. They must have done it with my husband. More than once. That's what I think, anyway. He's moved to Chelsea."