Marriage in the News: The Good & The Bad

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

10 Jan 2007 09:28 AM

When it comes down to news articles about marriage of late, you can hardly scan a new search without seeing dozens of articles focusing on the issue of gay marriage and the legal battles that continue to draw their lines in the sand from coast to coast, including the current challenges to the law in the only state that recognizes gay marriage.

While this issue continues to vex and frustrate supporters on both sides of the issue. It doesn't help the cause when gay couples, which have apparently fought long and hard for the right to be recognized as married, file for divorce a little over a year and a half after making that union legal.

New York Finds Gay Marriage Void

In New York, a judge ruled on a marriage between two gentlemen who'd been married in Massachusetts. He declared their marriage null and void because New York does not recognize the marriage of same-sex couples and according to the Massachusetts law, that state does not recognize the marriages made by out of state residents when their state does not also recognize same-sex marriage.

So why is this an issue? Apparently the couple in question has been together for several years and there have been large monetary sums and real estate exchanged between the two gentlemen. They also signed a legal contract governing their separation should their marriage end when they made their marriage in 2005. As it turns out, their relationship did end and during the process of their 'divorce' one partner wanted the marriage declared null in hopes that it would invalidate their legal agreement because if they had never been married it should negate the spousal support clause, right?

Unfortunately, this is where the legal and civil process do get involved. Whether their marriage was ever legal in the state of New York is not the issue. It wasn't. It wasn't even valid under Massachusetts's law; but the legality of their marriage did not govern their legal agreement that made for provisions of the separation of their relationship.

It makes me sad, because if you are going to fight hard for the right to make a union such as a marriage, to end it and then to want to take advantage of the opportunity to invalidate it's existence altogether - it's just sad.

In Other News: Paul Newman Still Loves His Wife

In an effort to cheer myself up after that sad story above, I was infinitely cheered up reading about Paul Newman and his wife of nearly 50 years, Joanne Woodward. Did you know they were married in 1958. In their 80s now, Newman expresses his deep affection and appreciation for his wife in a myriad of ways. On the set of a film he was making recently with Liev Schreiber, Newman was quoted as saying "Will you look at the a** on her" about his wife when she visited the set.

Schreiber enthusiastically admired Newman's obvious passion and affection for his wife. I share his admiration, because after 50 years of marriage, it's inspirational to see the deep affection and passion to be so amply demonstrated. So yes, marriages can last, they can remain deeply loving, intensely passionate and utterly inspirational.

I want my husband to be as admiring after 50 years and I want to feel the same way. That really is the ideal we all want, isn't it?

Related Articles:

In the News: Women Have Choices, Men Apparently Don't

Marriage in the News: Traditional Social Structures

Marriage in the News: I Now Pronounce You Ex-Wife & Ex-Husband

Is it news? Trailblazers Separate in Massachusetts

Is One of the First Gay Marriages Ending Already?

Religious Marriage versus Civil Marriage

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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