Terra Incognita

On the heels of the people of New Jersey voting to not legalize same-sex couples, this map was posted on True/Slant and a few other places.  It’s one of those things that makes you wonder how people can look at inconsistencies and be okay with them.  Or try to rationalize  away something like cousin marriage while condemning same-sex marriage.  Or ignoring it all-together.

Take a look below.  New Jersey is one of the states highlighted in the bottom map

Now here’s another map that’s really a more detailed version of the map on top

Here’s the key:

Purple states have same-sex marriage

Green states have unions similar to marriage

Turquoise recognize same-sex marriages from elsewhere

Gray has no specific prohibition or recognition of same-sex couples

Yellow states ban gay marriage by statute

Orange states ban gay marriage in their constitution

Red states ban gay marriage and some/all other kinds of same-sex unions in their constitution

So.  Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina Tennessee, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin all ban same-sex marriage in their constitution – but its okay to marry your first cousin.

Just as its about to be voted down in the New York state senate.  Senator Diane Savino says what all this is really about.  Incidentally, one of the eight Democrats who voted against legalizing same-sex marriage was recently caught on tape assaulting his girlfriend.

The Delhi High Court just repealed article 377 of the Indian Penal Code which criminalized homosexuality.  Today’s a good day.

The event was well covered by journalists.  The Hindu, Deccan Chronicle and the Times all had stories on it.  Anand Grafti has pictures in his photostream.  The DC also had a counterpoint article written by a correspondent (Indian newspapers have this annoying habit of printing articles with no author).

Chennai Daily Photo has more.

Yesterday was the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, and its when most Gay pride events take place around the U. S. and the world.  Chennai held its first Gay pride march yesterday and I was there.  Unfortunately my camera’s battery ran out near the beginning, so I’ll link to whatever else I find, but here are the pictures I took (they may appear in the NIE in the next few days, but we’ll see):