maybe less gay marriage is a good thing

Got your attention, right?

So the Supreme Court of Massachussetts, land of the "activist judges," ruled today that same-sex couples who are permanent residents of states that ban same-sex marriage cannot get married in MA. First of all, I say as someone not currently in a same-sex relationship that it seems a little futile to get married without corresponding health and legal benefits in your home state, even though it may be symbolically important (I'm thinking of Dan Savage and his husband Terry going to British Columbia in The Kid)

Much as the law seems punitive,especially with statements like "out of state couples are trying to evade the laws of their own states" and "we don't want to be the Las Vegas of same-sex marriages," (way to play to your '08 base, Romney) I can't help but think it will only increase the pressure to make same-sex marriage legal nationwide. Having Massachusetts as this isolated oasis of queer-friendly law kind of makes it acceptable to make gay rights something that only matters "over there," that only applies to those far-away freaks and radicals. Better to say, justice is achieved in one place, for a certain number of people, but the rest of the country needs to catch up. Not, Mass. can be the refugee camp for all the rejected GLBT folk.

Even Chief Justice Margaret Marshall (Brandeis Commencement speaker last year, and total badass) agrees with me. Her opinion says "It is rational for the legislature to take steps to ensure that marriages performed here will hold up elsewhere, and that they will not be ignored by other states." Yeah, homophobe states, it's YOUR problem. Ohio- don't say I didn't warn you.