Baltimore man wins gravesite battle

[William769]

A gay Baltimore man has won a courtroom battle to keep his late partner buried in the Tennessee grave the two men chose.

But the victory is not absolute. Kevin-Douglas Olive said the parents of Russell Groff have indicated they plan to appeal the Nov. 2 ruling that Olive received Thursday.


“This is awesome,” Olive said. “It may not be over if they appeal, but I feel so good.”


Baltimore City Orphans’ Court Judge Karen Friedman ruled against Lowell and Carolyn Groff, who sought to overturn their son’s will and move his body to a family cemetery.


Groff’s parents argued in court Sept. 25 and 26 that their 26-year-old son didn’t know what he was doing when he completed his will and burial instructions shortly before his death on Nov. 23, 2004.

http://www.washblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=10021

Now are there still any question that some people have saying the GLBT community have the same rights as straights without marriage?

[no_hypocrisy]

1. As an attorney, I can only recommend that any who anticipates

a Will contest (challenge) should have the execution videotaped to prove capacity to sign the Will and a voluntary willingness to do so. Witnesses on the Will are fine, except they can only always be challenged or move away. And have handwritten documents definitely stating your intent to bolster the Will.

[William769]

2. I am still in probate hell from the loss of my partner in February of this year.

[Coexist]

5. so sorry to hear that

best of luck.

[William769]

6. Thank you.

[TechBear_Seattle]

4. A $55 marriage license would have made all that prep unnecessary

It is an outrage that same-sex couples have to put in so much effort, time and money to end up with far fewer legal rights than legal marriage would provide.

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. Had the two men been legally married...

The parents' suit would never have been accepted by the court in the first place, as they would have absolutely no standing against their son's husband.

Just one of many, MANY possible examples of rights being denied to same-sex couples because of bigotry.

[William769]

7. And it really burns my ass when people say otherwise.

I am reminded of a meeting I had back in 1993 with then Rep Porter Goss in D.C. at the March on Washington. He said that we have the same rights as Heterosexuals, they are just not enforced equally. I wonder what he meant by that? :eyes:

[TechBear_Seattle]

8. My response to that would have been.

"Who'se f-ing fault is THAT, Congressman?"