Weber Tierney Family profiled in NY Times

Gay Couples Say Civil Unions Aren’t Enough

Eager to celebrate their partnership, Tracy and Katy Weber Tierney were among the first in line when Connecticut created civil unions three years ago as a way to formalize same-sex relationships without using the word “marriage.”

But when Tracy was giving birth to their son, Jake, five months ago, a hospital employee inquired whether she was “married, single, divorced or widowed.”

“I’m in a civil union,” she replied. When the employee checked “single,” Tracy protested. “I’m actually more married than single,” she said, leaving the employee flustered about how to proceed.

That conundrum is at the core of a case on which the Connecticut Supreme Court is expected to rule soon. It presents a new constitutional challenge to the political compromise that several states have made in recent years to grant rights to gay and lesbian couples while preserving the traditional definition of marriage as between a man and woman. At the same time, the state legislature’s joint Judiciary Committee has scheduled a public hearing in Hartford on Monday to consider amending the civil union law in light of complaints from same-sex couples that the measure had not delivered the equal rights it had promised. The committee passed a bill that would have legalized same-sex marriage, 27-15, last year, but it was never put to a full vote of the legislature.

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Wedding of Pamela Gigliotti

Pamela Gigliotti was married this past August. Jennie Riley, '99, and Andrea Reece, '98, were both in attendance.

Photo left to right: Andrea Reece, Pam Gigliotti, and Jennie Riley.

A Boy for Emily Warren

Emily Warren and her husband Ray welcomed their son Jonah Samuel Yang on October 29th, 2007. Jonah measured in at 8 pounds, 11 oz. and 20.25 inches.

Congrats Emily and Ray!

Mini-Reunion in Minnesota

This past summer, Heather (Cricket) Sawick got together with Lisa Meier, Geneva Johnson, and Maggie Vecchio-Smith (all ’99) for a little mini-reunion in Minneapolis, MN.

Left to Right: Geneva Johnson, Lisa Meier, Cricket Sawick, Maggie Vecchio-Smith.

When Worse Than a Woman Who Voted was One Who Smoked

This funny little Wall Street Journal article about attitudes towards women smokers in the early 20th century. I normally would not post, but they reference the rules around smoking at Smith in the early 1900's... plus there are some choice quotes from a NY alderman. Enjoy!

"Several women's colleges banned smoking. At Smith College, students seen smoking, even off campus, received a demerit. Three demerits meant expulsion. Bryn Mawr students were prohibited from smoking within 25 miles of the college except in private homes."

If this had been the rule when we were at school, I think half my house would have been gone in the first week.

This quote has to be the best. Who knew that simply seeing a woman smoke could cause such havoc.

In 1922, a New York alderman, Peter McGuinness, proposed a city ordinance that would prohibit women from smoking in hotels, restaurants or other public places. "Young fellows go into our restaurants to find women folks sucking cigarettes," the alderman argued. "What happens? The young fellows lose all respect for the women, and the next thing you know the young fellows, vampired by these smoking women, desert their homes, their wives and children, rob their employers and even commit murder so that they can get money to lavish on these smoking women."