【英语生活】明尼苏达州通过同性婚姻法案

Minnesota is set to become the 12th state to allow same-sex marriage after the state Senate voted Monday to legalize it -- marking a swift reversal in a Midwestern state that less than a year ago was weighing a constitutional ban on such unions.

The measure now goes to the desk of Gov. Mark Dayton, of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, who has said he would sign it.

The state Senate vote of 37 to 30 follows passage by the state House last week. Mr. Dayton's signature, expected as early as Tuesday, would make Minnesota the third state in the past month to enact such legislation, after Rhode Island and Delaware. The next move could come in Illinois, where the Senate has approved same-sex marriage, but the bill faces uncertainty in the House.

As gay-marriage supporters celebrate a string of victories, they face challenges outside the Northeast and Midwest. Some 30 states have constitutional bans on same-sex marriage that can require a statewide vote to overturn. Such bans haven't been reversed before, but groups in states including Oregon are pushing for referendums.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court next month is expected to rule on challenges to California's ban on same-sex marriage and to the federal Defense of Marriage Act -- decisions that could have broad implications for the marriage debate.

Minnesota's legislature -- controlled by Republicans at the time -- two years ago backed a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, setting the stage for a statewide vote on the legislation. The measure failed last fall, garnering 47% of the vote. Mr. Dayton told the legislature -- by then controlled by the DFL party, the state affiliate of the Democratic Party -- that he would sign a bill legalizing same-sex marriage if lawmakers could pass one.

Votes in the Minnesota House and Senate were largely along party lines, with most Republicans opposing the legislation.

Lawmakers supporting the new bill said the issue has been divisive, but that gay residents in Minnesota deserve the same rights as others. 'Democracy reflects the changing viewpoints of our constituents. People's views change, much of it from personal experience,' said state Sen. Ron Latz, a DFL member who supported the bill.

Opponents argued that gay marriage runs counter to biblical teachings and threatens religious liberties. They expressed concerns that churches, schools and businesses in the future could be accused of discrimination because of their opposition to homosexuality. 'There is a lot of celebrating going on today, but there is also a lot of grieving going on today,' said state Sen. Dan Hall, a Republican who opposed the legislation.

明尼苏达州将成为全美第12个允许同性婚姻的州。该州参议院周一投票令同性婚姻合法化。这标志着这一中西部州对同性婚姻的态度迅速发生逆转。不到一年前，该州还考虑从宪法上禁止同性婚姻。

这项法案有待该州州长戴顿(Mark Dayton)签署。戴顿此前表示他会签署该法案。戴顿是明尼苏达民主-农民-劳工党(Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party)成员。

该州参议院以37票赞成、30票反对表决通过同性婚姻法案，上周该州众议院也已表决通过。戴顿预计最快将于本周二签署这项法案。法案签署后，明尼苏达州将成为过去一个月中第三个通过同性婚姻法案的州，另外两个是罗得岛州和特拉华州。下一个可能通过此类法案的州是伊利诺伊州。该州参议院已经批准同性婚姻法案，但法案在众议院仍面临不确定性。

就在同性婚姻支持者庆祝一连串胜利的同时，他们在美国东北部和中西部地区以外仍面临种种挑战。全美大约有30个州在宪法中禁止同性婚姻，必须进行全州投票才可能推翻禁令。这样的禁令此前还不曾被推翻过，但包括俄勒冈州在内的多个州的维权团体正在推动公投。

与此同时，预计美国最高法院将在下个月对加州禁止同性婚姻法案以及联邦《婚姻保护法》(Defense of Marriage Act)受到的质疑作出裁决。最高法院的裁决对围绕同性婚姻的辩论可能产生广泛影响。

两年前，明尼苏达州议会（在当时由共和党控制）曾支持一项反对同性婚姻的宪法禁令。若要推翻同性婚姻禁令，必须举行全州投票。投票在去年秋天举行，只赢得了47%的选票，禁令没有被推翻。戴顿当时告诉立法机关（那时已经由民主-农民-劳工党控制，该党是民主党在明尼苏达州的附属党派），如果议员能够通过一项使同性婚姻合法化的法案，那么他将签署这项法案。

明尼苏达州参众两院的投票基本遵循各自政党的路线，大多数共和党议员反对这项法案。

支持新法案的议员说，各方对这一问题的看法存在严重分歧，但明尼苏达州的同性恋居民应该拥有和他人一样的权利。支持该法案的该州参议员、民主-农民-劳工党成员拉茨(Ron Latz)说，民主的做法反映出我们选民不断变化的观点。民众的看法在发生变化，其中大部分源自其个人经历。

反对者则认为，同性婚姻与圣经教义背道而驰，并可能威胁宗教自由。他们担心，教会、学校和企业在未来可能会因为反对同性恋而被指歧视。该州共和党参议员、反对该法案的霍尔(Dan Hall)说，今天有很多人在庆祝，但也有很多人感到伤心。