The Michigan Supreme Court has ruled that local governments and state universities can no longer provide health insurance to the partners of gay employees. Such benefits are now unconstitutional because Michigan’s 2004 anti-gay marriage amendment. Remember when the supporters of these amendments told us that they were merely aimed at preserving the traditional definition of marriage, that the amendments were not supposed to hurt gay couples? This ruling shows how spurious those arguments were.
It is kind of funny though, the rule of unintended consequences and all. Many universities in Michigan have altered their benefit policies to cover basically any person living with a state employee. Marriage used to have a special place in these University policies, now it isn’t even mentioned. In efforts to “protect” marriage by keeping gays out, this case shows that our opponents only undermine their supposed cause.
