Residents deny gay couples any rights...

This is a must-read. Hat tip to Andrew Sullivan for posting a link to this site. The residents of Atwood, Kansas have just voted to deny any rights or protection to gay couples. The editor of the town newspaper, who is gay, published this letter to the citizens of Atwood. Here's an excerpt:

Example 1:

* A guy and girl meet at a party. They decide to get married 1 day later. The guy is in an car accident on the way to work the next morning and is in a coma at the hospital. The girl he has known for 48 hours has the legal right to make decisions for his care. She decides to pull the plug. He dies. Everything he owns becomes property of the girl he knew for 2 days.

Example 2:

* Two guys have been in a committed relationship for 75 years. Their home, the cars, everything is listed in both of their names. Their bank accounts are joint accounts, everything is shared. One of the guys gets sick and goes into a coma in the hospital. The other guy cannot visit him in the hospital because he is not family. The hospital contact family that has not spoken to the guy in the coma for 20 years because he is gay. They decide to pull the plug. The Government says the Estate must be sold, the cars must be sold, the bank accounts liquidated, everything that had the guys name on it becomes part of the Estate and is taxed at 60%! Of which, the family that has not spoken to him for 20 years will get ½, leaving the partner of 75 years with very little of the estate that they built and paid for together for 75 years. The remaining partner now becomes a burden to tax payers who will have to pay for his medical expenses, his housing subsidies, etc.

Fortunately, this couldn't happen in Canada...but still, gay couples deserve all the recognition and protection that straight couples have.