Board discusses same-sex consorts

The SCA Board of Directors, at its quarterly meeting Oct. 15 in Seattle, discussed the issue of same-gender consorts in the SCA, and according to several people who attended, the Board seems to want to address the issue, but has some concerns about it.

According to SCA by-laws, when a person fights for a kingdom crown, he or she must fight for "a person of the opposite gender." The Inspirational Equality movement in the society, which first began on a serious basis in An Tir (which includes Seattle) has been pushing for a change in that law.

At the most recent An Tir crown tournament, three peers asked to fight for consorts of the same gender. The king and queen, who strongly support the movement, said they wished they could allow it, but said it was against SCA law.

The board also approved a ruling by the Society Seneschal, confirming that there are no restrictions on same-gender baronages. The specific case involved two of the other leaders of the same-gender consort movement, Baron Giles Hill and  Messire Giuseppe Francesco da Borgia of the Barony of Gyldenholt, in the Kingdom of Caid, mundanely Orange County, Calif. The future barons are married to each other. They are currently the reeves of the barony and will step up in June.

There is a very thorough post by Ariel de Courtenay, who was at the meeting up at http://www.scatoday.net/node/21565