Jan 03, 2008Quickie Link: No Civil Unions, Only Civil Protests
By vanrozenheim
(USA) - Hundreds crammed into a Portland community center and spilled onto the rainy street Wednesday evening for a candlelight vigil to lament a court ruling that blocks Oregon's civil unions law. Among them were Bev Balliett and Ruth Szilagyi, both 58 and of Portland, who have been in a committed relationship for more than 30 years. They had hoped to make their relationship official Wednesday through the law, which gives same-sex couples most of the state benefits of marriage. "After 30 years, it just seems so ludicrous that we can't be acknowledged," Balliett said during the vigil at the Q Center, a Gay community center in Southeast Portland.
