Gay Marriage Is Starting To Get Freaky...

[Lee]

http://www.365gay.com/newscon04/04/041304prisonMarr.htm

(Montgomery, Alabama) Two gay inmates at Fountain prison are suing the state of Alabama for the right to marry.

Daruis Chambers and Jonathan Jones are acting as their own attorneys. In legal papers filed with the court Monday they argue that the state law banning same-sex marriages violates their constitutional rights of due process and free speech.

"This court must not allow the alleged sexual morals of a society filled with bias to be the scales of balance," they wrote in their five-page suit.

It is believed to be the first time that two same-sex inmates have launched legal proceedings to marry.

Chambers, 34, is serving a 10-year sentence for theft and a 15-year sentence for possession of a forged instrument. Jones, 27, is serving 20-year sentences for robbery and kidnapping.

Both men are eligible to be considered for parole or early release in 2005 but until then, they are separated in the prison and authorities will not allow them conjugal visits, even though heterosexual prisoners are allowed such visits by non incarcerated partners.

In the state's response to the suit, Attorney General Troy King's staff argues that nothing in the federal constitution requires states to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

"The law of our state protects and preserves the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman, and this law is consistent with the U.S. Constitution and with rulings of courts throughout the nation," King told reporters Monday.

King said prison inmates do retain some constitutional rights, but other rights, including sex between inmates, may be restricted for safety and other legitimate concerns.

King has asked Montgomery Circuit Judge Truman Hobbs Jr. to dismiss the suit. Hobbs has scheduled a hearing Wednesday.

I can see it now, the court system agrees that these guys are right and in the process, they get released from prison because their constitutional rights have been abused :eek:

Regards,

Lee

[Kath]

Yup... pretty scary.

One thing that they don't talk about enough in this - they just touched upon it briefly - no conjugals when both parties are inmates PERIOD. Doesn't matter if it's male/female, female/female or male/male... talk about your security risk!

Not only is there the potential for problems BIG TIME but also, the state is responsible for the well-being and safety of the inmates when they are in their custody. Parents of inmates sue the state CONSTANTLY over what they call "neglect", etc. when their kids get into oh... I dunno... gang or drug fights in prison. I can see if it was true neglect but like everything else in this crazy sue-happy world, this gets abused.

Child molesters, rapists, etc... are all under extra protective custody to protect them from other inmates. There are other cases where inmates go under extra protection - it's all about liability for the state. Imagine 2 inmates, get married, have sex on state prison grounds and *something* goes wrong... the state is responsible.

I think it's stories like this that hurt the campaign of legalizing gay marriage across the country... the guys are hurting things more than they are helping.