Vik-Thor's Journal

 today's anniversary is Henry Arthur Lannom, who was born 13 May 1907. He was the husband of one of my grandaunts, Ella Agnes Moore. They had one son, who died at about 1 year old, in 1938. Ella died in 1940, so no direct relatives in that line. Henry remarried shortly after, to a Lyla (Fleming) Shadowens, it was her 2nd marriage also. Not sure if they had any children together, she had a son from her former marriage. (I wonder if they are related to the Shadowens who ended up buying the house on Casper Lane from mom? would be neat if so...)

Well, yesterday was obviously a big day here in the USofA, with the Supreme Court invalidating a major part of the Defense of Marriage Act, and stating that the private group that pushed through California's Prop8 doesn't have the standing to defend it, if the state doesn't want to.

Obviously, both are good, but the one that will be having the most effect on us will be the DOMA decision. We do have a Civil Union in Vermont (just looked at certificate, this year will be our 9th anniversary!) I am able to have Seph on my insurance at work thanks to that. However, the amount of his insurance is counted as income on my check, and I have to pay taxes on that amount. The biggest effect I'm hoping this will have will be that our insurance gets treated the same as straight couples.
I m VERY thankful that I have been able to have him on my insurance through CBS pretty much since I started with them full time (as opposed to a temp worker). He contracted MRSA the first year he was covered, and was in the hospital for a couple weeks I think. I think all we had to pay out of pocket was $200.


I am one of the people who are satisfied with Civil Union status. Like (some of) the Christians say so vocally, Marriage is mostly inextricably linked in the general public mind as a religious ceremony. Since I'm pagan, I wouldn't have really felt all that comfortable in a true Christian ceremony. We may be lucky, but I can't think of anything offhand where we've been worse off with a civil union rather than marriage certificate.

The ConChristians go on about how Marriage is a Sacred Tradition, handed down by THEIR GOD, and us GAYZ are totally ruining it. However, even their ceremony has changed over time, and the current American ceremony does incorporate the civil aspect. Every time the Priest says "by the power vested in my by the State of Wherever, I now pronounce you Man and Wife"  they are performing the civil part of the marriage.