ARIZONA: Tucson Approves Civil Unions

Last night the Tucson City Council unanimously approved civil unions for same-sex couples.

No state law should be violated as long as the city does not include rights that are reserved for married couples, said City Attorney Mike Rankin. Since 2003, when the city established a domestic-partnership registry, it has had an increased number of domestic partnership applications. Councilman Paul Cunningham said that the ordinance is only a small success on the larger battle for complete marriage equality. “This is so important for the youth that are just finding out that they are gay or lesbian,” said Cunningham. “We’re only half way there.”

RELATED: In April the small Arizona town of Bisbee also approved civil unions, prompting warning letters from anti-gay state Attorney General Tom Horne and the right wing Center for Arizona Policy, the latter of which threatened to bankrupt Bisbee with a lawsuit.