A Stitch in Haste

There’s more separating Ohio and Illinois than just Indiana:

Ohio --

A state lawmaker from northeast Ohio says he'll introduce a bill this week to close a perceived loophole in the domestic-violence law created by the constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. Democratic state Representative William Healy of Canton says his bill would define domestic violence as an act committed when [heterosexual] individuals reside together, regardless of marital status.

State judges have issued differing rulings recently on whether the amendment bars prosecutors from charging unmarried [heterosexual] people with domestic violence. Two Ohio judges have issued differing rulings in the past week on that issue.

Supporters of Ohio's constitutional amendment banning gay marriage said the state's domestic violence law should be revised to make it clear that it applies to unmarried [heterosexual] couples. "These (domestic-violence) crimes should have the same penalty whether you're married or not," said Phil Burress, president of Citizens for Community Values and chairman of the Ohio Campaign to Protect Marriage, a group that was key in pushing for the amendment's passage.

However, the change in the law will only affect heterosexuals in non married relationships. The domestic abuse law will not apply to same-sex couples because of the constitutional amendment.

MY TAKE: One of the elements of the “counter-backlash” against the states that enacted bigot laws has been the exposure of the bait-and-switch deceptions so often used by their proponents. How many times did voters hear “It’s only about marriage – we promise nothing else will change.” Then, presto, it’s also about beating people up. And by the way, if the bigot laws are truly about “defending marriage,” then why is the “Campaign to Protect Marriage” interested in unmarried couples one way or the other? But of course it’s not about marriage at all -- it’s about sanctioning and codifying bigotry.

Illinois --
With Gay Games VII coming to Chicago in July 2006, the state is launching its first targeted push for gay and lesbian travelers, broadening its efforts to sell Illinois to niche markets.

"We will have our first-ever media-familiarization trip focusing on the affluent gay and lesbian market," Jan Kostner, deputy director of the Illinois Bureau of Tourism, told 600 travel professionals gathered Wednesday at the 18th annual Illinois Governor's Conference on Tourism.
...
In August, the state and city will host members of the gay press, showing them the charms of Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. "We will promote the Gay Games, and Chicago and Illinois, as gay-friendly destinations," Kostner said in an interview. "We want to get the city on the radar screen."
...
The Gay Games, with 23 sports competitions, are expected to draw 12,000 participants and to generate more than $25 million in spending in the city.

MY TAKE: Obviously no gay enters into a relationship expecting to be the victim of domestic violence. And there’s more to lifestyle decisions than whether you get to see a sports festival every so often or where you go on vacation. But, in general, where do you think gays (and straights of goodwill) are more likely to live, or party, or sightsee, or whatever – Ohio or Illinois?

When it comes to anti-gay activism: Be careful what you campaign for -- you may get it.

POST SCRIPT: The story of why it’s called “Gay Games” rather than “Gay Olympics” is an old and sad one, and was one of many embarassments for the Supreme Court on the broad topic of gay rights. See San Francisco Arts & Athletics v. US Olympic Committee, 483 U.S. 522 (1987), or, generally, “Courting Justice: Gay Men and Lesbians v. the Supreme Court."