OCR Text |
Show HERALD DAILY A10 Sunday, January New California lawg ives gay couples many of the rights, re sponsibilities of marriage LisaLeff THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Like SAN FRANCISCO many gay couples, Brian Cornell and Alberto Rulloda long ago established a legal framework for their relationship to match their commitment to each other. They drew up wills naming the other as beneficiary, property agreements and powers of attorney, among other documents. The couple of 27 years wanted to spell out the specifics that would have been presumed if they were married. Come Saturday, such improvised arrangements will be less necessary for them and nearly 29,000 other California couples ; the majority same-se- x partners. A law taking effect with the new year gives gay couples who register as domestic partners nearly the same responsibilities and benefits as married spouses. Heterosexual elderly couples also are eligible. Same-se- x couples in California for the first time will have access to divorce court for dividing their assets, seeking alimony and securing child support. They also will Have automatic parental status over children born during the relationship and responsibility for each other's debts. It guarantees domestic partners a say over what happens to their' loved one's remains at death and means they cannot be forced to testify against each other in state courts. "It won't be as good as marriage because we are talking about a thousand-plu- s federal benefits that won't be covered," Cornell said. "But a start's a start- Progress is progress." Many gay rights advocates say the domestic partner law heralds a hopeful new era of legal recognition and participation for gay men and lesbians. They hope that is particularly true for those raising children or without the money to pay . lawyers to prepare the previously recommended paper work. One indication of the grow ?' vw,. m i: ing acceptance comes from the California Department of Health Services, which is updating its birth certificates to replace the lines for "mother" and "father"" with the gender-neutr"parent" and "parent." d Until now, hospitals have the forms, and couples have needed a court order for the changes to be approved. Two groups opposed to mar- riage rights for gay couples have challenged the law, claiming it violates the intent of a 2000 ballot initiative approved by voters that holds only unions between a man and a woman as valid in the state. The California Court of Appeal has agreed to hear the case early in the year. VBTs XT it i al hand-altere- - t , r 4 1 2005 Brian Cornel, left, hugs his partner, Alberto Rulloda, at their home in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday: A law taking effect with the new year gives gay and elderly couples who register as domestic partners nearly the same and benefits as married spouses. BEN M ARGOT Associated Press iifll v r arm m w m - t V " Mi 4 i. r 0 . " , , - i f , . " - v. ' t "vy ? I - . - !,- , ' - , - " i - , . & " j ':'-- f . . sr , , - , ' s - " ' . liliSiiiisiiil ;tOOV via' ' Li |