Gay People: Are You Sure You Want to Get Married?

How is everybody doing this day after bigotry was dealt a setback? Based on an Above the Law reader poll, about 80 percent of you think that Chief Judge Vaughn Walker (N.D. Cal.) did the right thing when he struck down California’s Proposition 8.

So gay people in California may soon be able to engage in the lovely “sh** or get off the pot” conversation that dominates the life of every guy who has been dating the same girl for more than a couple of years. Yay, congratulations!

But are gays and lesbians really sure they want marriage equality? After the cake, the reception, and the honeymoon, there are a bunch of… obligations that attach to marriage. Just look at New York. We don’t even have gay marriage here, and yet same-sex partners will find themselves on the hook for all sorts of things…

Lost in shuffle of Judge Vaughn Walker Day, a New York court also handed down a very interesting decision regarding gay rights — or, at least, gay responsibilities. The WSJ Law Blog reports:

A New York state appellate court on Tuesday became the first in the state to rule that a same-sex partner may be liable for child support.

The case of H.M. v. E.T involved a one-time lesbian couple who allegedly agreed to conceive a child through artificial insemination.

But after the baby was born, E.T. — the non-biological parent — ended the relationship. H.M. argued that she relied on her former partner’s promise of support when she decided to give birth to the child.

H.M. has stated a viable cause action for child support, a New York appellate court ruled. In prior ruling in the state, the court noted, fathers who have denied paternity have still been required to pay child support if they had developed a relationship with a child and had promised to support the child.

That sound you hear is a bunch of single lesbian women all collectively taking a deep breath. Wait, you can be forced to pay for a baby — your ex-girlfriend’s baby — that you didn’t even want, and you certainly didn’t contribute any genes to? Welcome to the club. Guys have support groups for this sort of thing. We call them “sports bars.”

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Oh, I kid, gays and lesbians. Marriage is really wonderful. Really. You all are going to love it. What other institution allows you to have less sex, more responsibilities, and the opportunity to lose half your stuff if you make an honest mistake?

Progress baby, one taxable penalty at a time!

Same-Sex Partners In New York Can Be Liable for Child Support [WSJ Law Blog]

Earlier: Breaking: Proposition 8 Ruled Unconstitutional!!!

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