In Cleveland, a judge reduced a charge of felony domestic violence against Frederick Burk to a misdemeanor assault charge because Burk is not married to his girlfriend, whom he attacked. The assault charge results in a lesser sentence for Burk and means that his girlfriend will have a more difficult time getting a protective order. The reason for the judge's ruling is Ohio's recently passed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage and civil unions. According to the judge, the amendment denies unmarried couples any rights associated with marriage, which includes the protections of Ohio's domestic violence law. (Full Story)
I hope that those who supported the amendment will ask themselves whether it was worth it. Is gay marriage really so bad that we are willing to risk the safety of unmarried women? What other problems might we face in the future because of this amendment?
It's probably too much to hope that this case will result in a repeal of the amendment, but maybe it can be a first step.