SAN FRANCISCO, California (The Adobo Chronicles) – The soon-to-leave The View host Rosie O’Donnell was a poster child (or adult) for marriage equality, having married her spouse Kelli Carpenter at San Francisco’s City Hall in 2004.
That marriage didn’t last long. In 2012, she married another girlfriend, Michelle Rounds.
O’Donnel, 52, has confirmed that she and Rounds have been living apart for at least three months and have finally decided to divorce.
The problem is, while same-sex marriage is now allowed in 36 U.S. states, same-sex divorce has yet to be legalized.
Many same-sex couples who are married or in civil unions or registered domestic partnerships may not be able to get divorced. All states have some residency requirement for divorce: at least one spouse must be a resident of a state that recognizes their union in order to dissolve it. Same-sex couples who live in states that do not recognize their relationships may not be able to divorce.
Because of the increasing number of married gay couples deciding to part ways, LGBT organizations and advocacy groups are now scrambling to advocate for state legislation that would legalize same-sex divorce.
Same-sex divorce may be the next big battle in the U.S. Supreme Court, which is expected to rule this year on what could be a federally-mandated gay marriage in the next few months.
In San Francisco’s gay Castro Street last night, members of Equality California blocked entrances to the Muni station, shouting: “What do we want? Divorce Equality! Whe do we want it? Now!”
The Adobo Chronicles 
Reblogged this on Essence of Pride and commented:
This is what I meant about the LGBT community taking 5 steps forward and two steps backward. I would think that steps or laws would have been put in place for divorces. Although in the beginning of any relationship, one feels that they will always be together, that just does always happen.
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Reblogged this on Essence of Pride and commented:
This is very interesting,, for the likes of me I do not understand how it is that the government didn’t think ahead on this one. I would to say that our relationships (LGBT) last longer than heterosexual relationships, but that would not be quite accurate. Being human, which both groups are, should had been a key for the government to set standards and be prepare for divorces among the LGBT married couples as well. Still seems like they are not taking our unions very seriously.
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