Official recognition of same-sex couples isn’t limited to the big cities these days.
Shoreview, a suburb north of St. Paul with a population of 25,000, this week is the latest to pass an ordinance that will create a domestic partner registry in the city. It will give all unmarried, committed couples living in Shoreview a way to document their relationship, says the Shoreview Post.
Minneapolis, St. Paul and Duluth already have municipal domestic-partner registration ordinances; so do Edina, Falcon Heights, Golden Valley, Maplewood, Richfield, Robbinsdale, Rochester and St. Louis Park, says the story.
The story says in Shoreview:
The ordinance will be highly symbolic in nature and will not create any specific rights, privileges or responsibilities that apply to married couples under state or federal law. The registry is created to recognize unmarried, domestic couples who live in Shoreview and share a life together and to document their relationship. Although same sex couples are the focus of much of the debate this ordinance also applies to unmarried couples consisting of one man and one woman.
The ordinance passed on a 3-2 vote. Those voting against the ordinance said:
“I don’t know that this ordinance does anything more than symbolically say we support this frame of mind so for that reason I’ll be voting against it,” said Councilmember Blake Huffman.
And:
”I think Shoreview’s mission and goals have created a broad and welcoming climate for all of the residents here. I think that’s been pretty well established by a number of factors and having been in the city for over 40 years, and involved, my employer was in the city, my church is in the city, I’ve been through all the schools, civic, educational, social organizations, public safety, and not for profits. All of these organizations were very receptive, totally receptive to all groups, that I have experienced and I don’t think anyone can deny that. So for that reason I can’t support adding a domestic partner registry to our ordinances,” said Councilmember Terry Quigley.
