What happens in Vegas no longer has to stay in Vegas. Well, almost anything. Starting today, same-sex couples can pre-register for domestic partnerships in Nevada for a period of one month, announced Secretary of State Ross Miller.
Registered domestic partnered same-sex couples are granted limited rights such as hospital visitation rights, estate planning and shared responsibility for debt. However, employers are not required to offer health care benefits to same-sex partners.
Nevada's domestic partnership law was approved in June and official registrations begin October 1. The law, sponsored by openly gay Senator David Parks, was vetoed by Gov. Jim Gibbons earlier this summer and later overturned by the legislation. The governor argued that the the bill was redundant since the state already offers domestic partnership registrations. Gov. Gibbons also claimed the bill is contrary to the wishes of Nevada voters who banned same-sex marriage in 2002.
The move, however, is more symbolic than legally necessary, furthering notions that the frontier of equal protections for LGBT people will inevitably be chartered despite discriminatory pitfalls.
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I am a pool teacher from Michigan. My partner and I are getting married in NV next week. We will be stroking our balls toward the pockets all night. We registered and were approved. Thanks to LV.
It is with a bit of amusement that I read about
Nevada’s gay partnerships. Living in CT. it seems
a bit outdated at best. Why not just come to New England and get married like any other gay guy?