How gay marriage contributed to Vermont’s iconoclastic brand

[William769]

The idea that Vermont is exceptional has long influenced its self-image. The landscape is certainly extraordinary and, in historical terms, there is some basis for the claim. After all, it was an Independent Republic for almost 15 years and the first state to ban slavery.

Once anti-slavery activism opened the door for the Republican Party, Vermont stayed solidly Republican for a century. Its population was small and predominantly white, but its political system has featured the direct democracy of Town Meeting Day, short terms for officials, strong environmental laws, and, as of April 2009, same-sex marriage.

Vermont’s Legislature was the first in the nation to legalize gay marriage, another in a series of breaks with conventional political thinking that contribute to the state’s iconoclastic brand. Here is a brief look at how it happened, and the role played by Gov. Howard Dean.

Although there had been debate for years, the first legal turning point came on Dec. 10, 1999, when the Vermont Supreme Court ruled in Baker v. Vermont that gay couples had a right to the same benefits provided to straight couples and told the legislature to come up with the appropriate implementation.

http://vtdigger.org/2011/11/24/how-gay-marriage-contributed-to-vermont%E2%80%99s-iconoclastic-brand/