CARNAL NATION

In just about two hours from now, same-sex marriage will officially become legal in the State of Vermont. The Vermont Senate passed legislation legalizing same-sex marriages in April by overriding the veto of the governor. At midnight tonight, that bill becomes law, and same-sex couples will be able to marry in Vermont. The AP profiled one couple, Bill Slimback and Bob Sullivan, who intend to do the deed right at the stroke of midnight, after being a couple for 17 years. They seem to be the exception, though. The AP did a survey of town clerks and found that there isn't a great rush for marriage licenses so far. Willie Docto, head of the Vermont Gay Tourism Association, said that part of the reason probably has a lot to do with the fact that it falls on a Tuesday, rather than a weekend. In addition, several other states in New England, such as Massachussetts, have legalized gay marriage, making Vermont less unique. In other words, gay marriage is on its way to becoming as banal and ordinary as the heterosexual kind.

There will be some excitement from those who are just outright hostile to the new law. Predictably enough, everyone's favorite gang of rabid homophobes, the Westboro Baptist Church, has already announced their plans to show up and try to ruin everyone's day. According to their press release, the WBC is planning to show up at "the fag-infested, pervert-run Montpelier High School," and then proceed from there to the Statehouse and then demonstrate at three "Christ-rejecting" synagogues in Burlington. If you're going to bash the gays, why not throw in the Jews for good measure, right? In other words, it's going to be a long day for Fred Phelps and his gang as they spread the word of God's Eternal Hate. The kids at Montpelier High School seem to be handling it well, though. They've formed a group on Facebook called "Westboro Baptist Church Hates, Montpelier High School Donates" which intends to get people to donate $1 for every minute that WBC is in front of their school to Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD). They estimate that this will come out to about $20 per person.