That might as well be the headline. In fact what has happened is that the Massachusetts Senate has voted to strike down a 1913 law that was being used to prevent out of state gay couples from marrying in the state. The House of Representatives is expected to follow suit later today and governor Deval Patrick has said he will sign the bill.

Which, considering that New York’s governor already ordered the state to recognize out of state gay marriages, means that thousands of New York couples now can marry in both California and Massachusetts.

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Mind out of the gutter everyone. As it turns out, giving 10% of the population the right to marry means that they might actually take you up on it, and spend a whole lot of money in the process:

Gay couples are projected to spend $684 million on flowers, cakes, hotels, photographers and other wedding services over the next three years – so long as voters don’t put a halt to the same-sex marriage spree, according to a study by the Williams Institute at University of California, Los Angeles School of Law.

After the bump to the marriage industry, I guess we’ll also be able to see a sizable bump in the money from marriage counselors and divorce lawyers. With any luck within the next decade or two, gay people will be downright boring.

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In a poll that bodes ill for those who wish to ban gay marriage but great for thousands of gay couples and families accross the Golden State, a majority of Californians, for the first time ever, support the California Supreme Court’s decision that allows for gay marriage. For the first time in California, more people approve of gay marriage than disapprove.

The margin is slight, but it’s great news for gay marriage advocates, and here’s why.

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Mark at Publius Endures wrote a couple of keen posts about the gay marriage decision in California and the role of the judiciary in controlling the law.  In the first, Mark defends judicial activism by quoting extensively from Alexander Hamilton’s writings in the Federalist Papers.  Interesting reading.

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Pope Benedict, while not explicitly referring to the recent decision to overturn the California ban on Gay marriage, went out of his way to remind his faithful that there’s only one good way to make a family.  So Stephen and Roger can love each other, be faithful to one another and bring up children together as much as they like, they will still be in a sinful non-relationship as far as the Catholic Church is concerned. Other people living in sin?

• John McCain (remarried divorcee)
• Nicholas Sarkozy (remarried divorcee)
• Kofi Annan (remarried divorcee)
• Rudolph Giuliani (serial divorcee)
• My parents (married at city hall)

and a veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery loooooooooooooooooooong etc.

The California Supreme Court’s 4-3 decision in favor of allowing same-sex couples to marry is an unfortunate rejection of Christian morality.  Glen Greenwald points out that it’s hardly unexpected given the state’s precedents before going on to say that the democratic process in California legitimizes the ruling, a claim of dubious accuracy, as demonstrated by his source material.  All that said, I think it’s the correct ruling for the same reason as John McCain as does.

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The California Supreme Court has overturn the state’s ban on same-sex marriage, opening the door to official recognition of same-sex relationships.  Conservative groups are already spinning up, setting Constitutional amendments as their goal.

Its time to end this debate.  (more…)

Obama expressed his support of a repeal of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy in the military, though he has said that he wouldn’t make opposition to the policy a litmus test for apointees in the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The policy has been widely criticised, notably by many within the military. It has also lead to the discharge of many honorable servicemembers, including up to 50 Arabic language experts. Sure we can’t understand the Al Quaeda communications, but at least I know the translator isn’t checking me out! Ugh.

Obama also supports giving federal benefits to members of civil unions, though he stops short of supporting gay marriage outright.