Just when I was about to let horrendous weather kill my good mood, news from Vermont and the D.C. Council brightened my day. Significant strides were made yesterday in the effort to gain equality for people of the LGBT community when a fourth U.S. state legalized gay marriage and the D.C. Council preliminarily approved a law to recognize established same-sex marriages of other states. Vermont's House passed legislature legalizing gay marriage with the minimum number of votes required, while the Senate passed it easily with a 23-5 vote, even after a veto by Gov. Jim Douglas of Vermont. Concurrently, the D.C. Council voted 12-0 in its initial vote to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. Debate over same-sex marriage, gay rights, and related topics are seen often in the news and in the court system. Syracuse University students and faculty have made large strides in supporting policies that embrace members of the LGBT community. According to SU News, SU was one of just eight schools in the nation to be given a perfect, five-star rating by Campus Pride, the top national organization promoting the unity of LGBT students and campus organizations. This is an incredible achievement for any school, especially a school of our size. The on-campus LGBT Resource Center, located at 750 Ostrom Ave., was established in 2001 to serve as a support center and a place for education and advocacy. The LGBT Studies Program, established in 2006, provides the opportunity to minor in LGBT studies by taking classes such as QSX 111: Queer Histories, Communities and Politics, and QSX 112: Sexualities, Genders, Bodies. We must continue to maintain that effort, as it has become apparent a broadening American population has come to accept equal rights. Vermont became the fourth state to legalize gay marriage, after Massachusetts in May 2004, Connecticut in November 2008, and Iowa just last week. Vermont, however, is the first state to pass legislation and create a law rather than legalizing gay marriage by a court decision. California allowed same-sex marriages for a few months before the passage of Proposition 8 last November. New Hampshire and New Jersey permit the existence of same-sex civil unions that have the same legal rights and privileges as marriages. New Hampshire residents are waiting on a Senate vote for the passage of same-sex marriage, while Gov. Jon Corzine of New Jersey has stated he will sign a same-sex marriage bill that has been introduced to legislature. New York recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere. Changes and challenges at the state level have come at an increased rate over the last few years, but work has been done in much smaller communities for decades. Work at Syracuse University to become LGBT friendly has been tremendously effective. Of course, there is always work to be done. As reported by The Daily Orange last week, LGBT couples here are still taxed on their SU benefits, tuition costs and healthcare, unlike their heterosexual colleagues, due to a lack of recognition of their marital status by federal laws. The most important issue that still needs to be addressed is the lack of education and distorted perception of the LGBT community of many Americans, including alumni of SU, that restrict them from being compassionate. Discriminatory comments follow most articles regarding LGBT rights, going as far as to describe a Newhouse professor as "unfit" to teach.
It is past time to let go of old discrimination and get with the program, folks. Times are tough enough as it is - we hardly need to be debating who should love whom. Go ahead and strike up another debate about the economy instead.
Janae DeRusso is a sophomore public relations major. Her column appears every Wednesday. She can be reached at jcderuss@syr.edu.
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