Leave it to Wyoming to take a giant leap backward in guaranteeing equal rights for gays and lesbians. The House of Representatives in the self-professed “Equality State” (which curiously has no hate crimes law on its books) passed House Bill 74, forbidding Wyoming from recognizing legal same-sex marriages and civil unions performed outside the state, on Monday by a vote of 32-27.
Currently, Wyoming’s marriage statute reads that “marriage is a civil contract between a male and a female person,” but also that “all marriage contracts which are valid by the laws of the country in which contracted are valid in this state.” The proposed bill declares legal marriages and civil unions between same-sex couples void in Wyoming.
During debate on the House floor, many lawmakers spoke out against HB 74, according to the Laramie Boomerang.
“There’s a vast difference in how, I believe, this bill is being presented and what we’re actually doing now with the bill. It’s no longer a bill that’s about upholding the term ‘marriage.’ It’s about being discriminatory to gays and lesbians,” said Rep. Dan Zwonitzer, R-Cheyenne.
Rep. Pat Childers, R-Cody, agreed, “If a church wants to deny somebody the right to be married, fine. We have a separation of church and state. But, when it comes to the laws of this state … we need to provide equal rights to all people. With this bill, we aren’t.”
“Rep. Stan Blake, D-Green River, said that Wyoming should look into putting an asterisk by the words ‘equal rights’ that adorn the state seal,” the Boomerang reported.
The bill now heads to the Wyoming Senate where Republicans outnumber Democrats 26-4.
