Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for October 21, 2023

In what jurisdiction would this “marriage” be legal, even if it was an opposite sex couple?

Looking forward to a new story arc, as soon as possible, please.

can we finally be done with this?

I look at them and I think those 5 would absolutely kill it on a stage! Congratulations, Mark and Chase! It may not have been the PERFECT marriage, but you two are perfect for each other. Here’s to many happy years together!

There’s a line in one of the Travis McGee adventures. He owns a houseboat and has a little plaque that says “All marriages performed by the captain of this ship are null and void upon docking.”

And in the end Trudeau will have these two break up in the most bitter fashion possible. That’s Gary Trudeau for you – always the anti-romantic.

As long as they don’t try to open the door this is a trip.

Would it be legal if a clergyperson did it over the radio from within a country’s borders? Kind of referencing the old Cary Grant film “Father Goose,” where he and the bride were out at sea in a small motorboat.

The US Constitution has a “full faith and credit” clause that says that each state has to respect legal arrangements made in other states. This was problematic in the days when some states permitted slavery, but the 13th Amendment put a halt to that. It became interesting once again when some states started permitting gay marriage but others hadn’t. The Obergefell decision replaced that mishmash with a national standard. Now we’re seeing the effects of some states prohibiting abortions while others permit it, so can a Texas resident be prosecuted in Texas for traveling to California to have an abortion? Or can the travel agent who sold her the plane ticket be prosecuted for aiding and abetting a felony under Texas law? The current batch of Catholic wackos on the US Supreme Court have opened a gigantic can of worms with their Dobbs decision. Maybe they view it as long-term job security, because the cases based on all those worms are just gonna keep on coming!

“You are… on fire, water… desired….”

I believe this is only a “civil union” not a legal marriage. It would only become a legal marriage when proof of ceremony with two witnesses is presented to a city hall in application for a cerificate of marriage. You used to need blood tests, but not anymore, at least in the US.

Back in those days marriage was not an option.

and the fires just keep burning