A Tale Of Two Politicians

Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle hasn't made up her mind on civil unions but described the bill passed by the state Legislature as the equivalent of same-sex marriage. Which, oddly enough, is the exact same language used by religious wingnuts, er, conservatives who oppose civil unions, and identical in tone to a resolution approved by state Republicans who want her to veto the bill.

"It does appear to me on reading it, that it really is same-sex marriage, but by a different name," Lingle told reporters during a break at the state GOP convention. "But I want to wait and hear people out."

She has said she would consider some form of domestic partnership legislation, i.e. not-really-marriage-and-not-a-civil-union, but she has opposed marriage equality. In fact, she is quite clear that her idea of domestic partners is vastly different from the civil unions described in the bill.

The bill would give same-sex and heterosexual couples who enter into civil unions the same rights, benefits and responsibilities as in marriage under state law, though, of course, their unions would not be recognized under federal law.

Hawaii can be paradise.
If you're heterosexual.


And yet, over in Portugal, their conservative--you read that right--president, Anibal Cavaco Silva, announced that he will ratify a law to allow marriage equality in the heavily Catholic country, making Portugal the sixth in Europe to let same-sex couples wed.

However, he said he was doing so only because the majority liberal lawmakers would overturn his decision, and that he would rather focus on Portugal's economic crisis that has increased unemployment and deepened poverty.

"Given that fact, I feel I should not contribute to a pointless extension of this debate, which would only serve to deepen the divisions between the Portuguese and divert the attention of politicians away from the grave problems affecting us," Cavaco Silva said.

Maybe he doesn't want marriage equality, but President Cavaco Silva does seem to understand that, in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter much.

Too bad his message doesn't translate to America.