Gay Marriage Watch is Now on Facebook!

We're now on facebook too:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=52673932437&ref=mf

Check it out, and join our facebook group!

:)

--Scott

Gay Marriage Watch: February 15th-21st

Here's the latest news on gay marriage from around the world. We're adding more and more gay marriage events, so if you know about an upcoming rally, symposium, or other same sex marriage related event on either side, please let us know.

Woody Award:

Our woody award this week goes to Linda Lou Taylor, a woman in Indiana who is considering her 24th marriage. She makes a mockery of the so-called "sanctity of marriage", and the idea that someone who can marry gives the concept so little value while there are so many of us who can't is downright insulting. Enjoy your woody, Miss Taylor.

Gay Marriage Watch:

Now on to this week's Gay Marriage Watch. The blog is now organized almost entirely by area, with news of the week, upcoming marriage equality events, and great recent articles and columns. For a longer history of past news stories, just click on one of the older Gay Marriage Watch blogs from our archives.

To subscribe to this blog, or if you have any thoughts about how we can make this feature better or easier to use or any updates on the issues covered here, let me know at info@purpleunions.com.

We had a problem with our RSS feed, so if you're subscribed that way to this blog, you may have noticed a bunch of postings after long silence. Sorry about that!

Enjoy the rest of the Watch!

--Scott

----------------------------------------------

AUSTRALIA:

--articles-->

2/16: 54% of Queenslanders support same-sex marriage, 60% support civil unions, and 67% believe that same-sex parents should be recognised in law, according to a new Galaxy Research poll. Source

----------------------------------------------

BOLIVIA:

--news-->

2/18: Bolivia’s new constitution, approved by 61 percent of voters last month, bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The constitution took effect Feb. 7. Source

----------------------------------------------

CANADA:

--news-->

2/18: A gay NDP member of BC's legislature is concerned that a minister from a church openly opposing same-sex marriage was chosen to deliver the prayer for the Feb 12 Throne Speech. Source

----------------------------------------------

CHILE:

--news-->

2/14: Santiago’s Plaza de Armas was the setting of something never before seen in Chile: a mass wedding for the country’s sexual minorities. Source

----------------------------------------------

CHINA:

--news-->

2/18: A gay couple have been jailed over a wedding scam set up to allow a Malaysian man to live permanently in Hong Kong, the city's immigration department said. Source

----------------------------------------------

COLUMBIA:

--articles-->

Gay Life in Colombia: An Interview with Marcela Sánchez of Colombia Diversa Source

----------------------------------------------

FRANCE:

--news-->

2/15: Ninety per cent of "solidarity pacts" a year are now being made between people of the opposite sex, despite them being specifically designed for gays and lesbians, who are not formally allowed to marry in France. Source

----------------------------------------------

ISRAEL:

--news-->

2/17: Incoming Meretz MK Nitzan Horowitz on Monday announced plans to bring to the Knesset as early as next week a bill that would allow marriages or civil unions between two partners regardless of their religion, ethnic background, or gender. Source

----------------------------------------------

NIGERIA:

--news-->

2/16: The Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs has told a UN review of human rights in the African nation that there is no gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans community in his country. Source

----------------------------------------------

UNITED KINGDOM:

--news-->

2/18: David Cameron, leader of the Conservative party, said: “I stood up… and said that marriage was important, and as far as I was concerned it didn’t matter whether it was between a man and a woman, a man and a man or a woman and a woman” Source

----------------------------------------------

VENEZUELA:

--news-->

Venezuela Lagging on Reform, by Lyndon Barnett Source

----------------------------------------------

USA:

--news-->

2/16: ABC's "All My Children" featured daytime's first lesbian wedding. Source

--articles-->

Is Gay Divorce a Reason Not to Have Gay Marriage? by Lez Get Real Source

Same-sex marriage movement looks to 'Obamify', by Joe Garofoli Source

Overcoming the 'ick' factor by Diane Silver Source

America must change its views on homosexuality by Andy Source

Abby: Couples separate church, state in marriage, by Dear Abby Source

----------------------------------------------

USA, CALIFORNIA:

--news-->

2/15: Bill Clinton took a six figure fee to undermine a boycott of Doug Manchester’s San Diego Hyatt on Sunday. Source

2/16: Protesters gathered at California's State Capitol on Feb. 16, 2009 and rallied against Proposition 8 that banned gay marriage in the November 2008 general election. Source

2/18:

--700 gay rights advocates journeyed to Sacramento to lobby for a pair of resolutions saying that Proposition 8, the ban on same-sex marriage in California approved by voters in November, was an illegal revision of the state Constitution and should be overturned. Source

--The Assembly Judiciary Committee managed to get its meeting in and passed HR5, by rookie Assemblyman Tom Ammiano of San Francisco, on a 7-3 vote. Source

--Floor sessions forced the state Senate's Judiciary Committee to cancel a hearing on SR7, the anti-Prop. 8 resolution by San Francisco's Mark Leno. Source

--In an effort to build public support for marriage equality, the "I Do" education campaign was launched last weekend to start conversations among family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors about why same-sex couples should have equal rights. Source

--upcoming events-->

2/25: Family Law Conference, San Francisco, CA, February 2009 co-sponsored by: Legal Aid Association of California & Administrative Office of the Courts, San Francisco More Info

2/25-2/29: One Struggle One Fight's march from San Francisco to Sacramento More Info

2/26: 6:30-9 PM, A Town Hall-style meeting addressing what went wrong with Prop 8, at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco. More Info

3/3: Laguna Beach's anti-gay marriage supporters are planning a rally outside the city council to protest the city's support of the lawsuit against Prop 8, Laguna Beach. More Info

3/4: March Forth on March 4th - A Candlelight Vigil for True Equality, Sacramento More Info

3/4: March Forth on March 4th - Gather at Olvera Street in Downtown from 5-7pm for vigil program, recommittment ceremoney and speakers, walk to CA Supreme Court (Ronald Reagan Building 300 South Spring Street Los Angeles, CA 90013) at 8:00pm for moment of silence, Los Angeles More Info

3/4: March Forth on March 4th - 7:00 p.m. at 1010 10th Street in Downtown Modesto. Walk to the CourtHouse. Walk kicks off at 7:15ish. Rally at the Courthouse at 7:30 p.m, Modesto More Info

3/4: March Forth on March 4th - San Diego will have a community rally with speakers and singing converging on the Hall of Justice at 330 W Broadway, San Diego CA 92101 from 4-6pm .  A candle light vigil will then line the streets of Downtown San Diego Starting at 6pm, San Diego More Info

3/4: March Forth on March 4th - Gather at Market and Castro from 5-6pm for pre-march rally, step off at 6pm, arrive at CA Supreme Court (Civic Center) at 6:30pm for short program. San Francisco More Info

3/4: March Forth on March 4th - 6:00pm meet at First Unitarian Universalist Church, 2737 Pacific Ave Stockton, CA 95204 (209) 466-7743, Stockton More Info

3/5: The state Supreme Court has scheduled a March 5 hearing date for oral arguments in a series of lawsuits seeking to overturn Proposition 8, San Francisco. More Info

3/13: Movie for Equality, Los Angeles More Info

3/15: Dining Out for Equality, West Hollywood More Info

4/20: Queer Youth Advocacy Day, State Capitol, Sacramento More Info

5/16-5/17: Long Beach Pride More Info

5/30: Statewide Rally at Capitol Building to Kick off Pride, Sacramento, More Info

6/12-6/14: Los Angeles Pride More Info

6/27-6/28: San Francisco Pride More Info

7/18-7/19: San Diego Pride More Info

11/7-11/8: Palm Springs Pride More Info

--articles-->

How Constitutional is Proposition 8? by Mengfei Chen Source

----------------------------------------------

USA, COLORADO:

--news-->

2/17: A House committee yesterday backed legislation that would make it easier for unmarried couples to make end-of-life and estate planning decisions for each other. Source

----------------------------------------------

USA, DELAWARE:

--news-->

2/19: A Delaware City Councilmember came out as bisexual and discussed his boyfriend in an interview published in a local newspaper earlier this month. Source

----------------------------------------------

USA, FLORIDA:

--news-->

2/20: The School Board of Nassau County has come under fire for prohibiting gay-straight alliances at Yulee High School and Yulee Middle School. Source

--upcoming events-->

3/16: Rally in Tally: 11 am-2 pm, Tallahassee More Info

---------------------------------------------

USA, GEORGIA:

--news-->

2/20:

--A judge’s order to a gay father telling him not to allow "his children to [be exposed to] his homosexual partners and friends" is being challenged in Georgia by Lambda Legal. Source

--Three Republicans running for lieutenant governor in 2006 made strong opening pitches to religious conservatives during the Christian Coalition of Georgia’s annual gathering on Feb. 19, with all three taking a swipe at same-sex unions. Source

---------------------------------------------

USA, HAWAII:

--news-->

2/18: House lawmakers voted 33 to 17 on the measure that could put Hawaii alongside just three other states that allow the legal unions. Source

--articles-->

The hate debate, by Adrienne LaFrance Source

Ex-judge proud of stance on gays, by Ken Kobayashi Source

---------------------------------------------

USA, ILLINOIS:

--news-->

2/14: Over 300 Chicago activists for lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual (LGBT) civil rights celebrated Valentine's Day this year with a loud, spirited picket of the Cook County Marriage License Bureau in protest of the state's same-sex marriage ban. Source

2/20: An openly gay Illinois state representative, Greg Harris (D-Chicago), has authored and introduced legislation that would allow same-sex couples to marry in that state. Source

---------------------------------------------

USA, INDIANA:

--news-->

2/18: Indiana’s Senate Republican Caucus voted this week not to consider a resolution that would have proposed amending the state constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman. Source

---------------------------------------------

USA, KENTUCKY:

--news-->

Bigotry on parade, Courier-Journal Editorial Board Source

---------------------------------------------

USA, MAINE:

--news-->

2/15: An estimated 1,000 people gathered Sunday for the Stand for Marriage Rally, an anti gay marriage rally, at the Augusta Civic Center. Source

---------------------------------------------

USA, MASSACHUSETTS:

--news-->

2/15: The anti-gay group Mass Resistance is attempting to pass several bills, including one that would require parental notification for school discussions of ’sexual orientation issues, and one that would abolish the Massachusetts Commission on GLBT Youth, which provides recommendations to the state on LGBT youth-related policy and programs. Source

2/19: Senator Benjamin B. Downing is spearheading an effort to protect transgender residents under the state's hate crime statutes. Source

--upcoming events-->

3/8: 4-7 PM, GLAD Winter Party - Join us to hear about the next chapter in our fight for marriage equality! More Info

3/13: Beyond (Straight and Gay) Marriage: Valuing All Families Under the Law, with Nancy Polikoff, Boston More Info

-----------------------------------------------

USA, MICHIGAN

--news-->

2/20: Michigan courts can oversee a custody dispute between lesbian parents who adopted in Illinois even though Michigan doesn't formally recognize gay relationships, the state Court of Appeals said Friday. Source

-----------------------------------------------

USA, MINNESOTA

--news-->

2/19: The office of state Sen. Paul Koering, a gay Republican, responded to criticisms over his decision not to vote for a bill that would make gay marriage legal in Minnesota, saying legislators can’t “waste their time” with “pointless legislation.” Source

-----------------------------------------------

USA, NEW JERSEY

--news-->

2/19: A new poll of registered voters in New Jersey finds there is a 10 point spread in favor of same-sex marriage. The survey, by Monmouth University for Gannett newspapers, found 50 percent of voters support marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples, while 40 percent said they were opposed. Source

--upcoming events-->

2/28: Garden State Equality's 2009 Legends Dinner will include Andrea McArdle, the original Annie who has done sold-out concerts across the world, Fran Drescher, Ugly Betty's Judith Light, Star Trek's George Takei, Queer As Folk's Michelle Clunie, Hairspray's Marc Shaiman, Movin' Out's Miche Braden, public service legends Jeannine LaRue, Steve Rothman and Christine Quinn in an evening you'll never forget. Source

-----------------------------------------------

USA, NEW MEXICO:

--news-->

2/20: State senators in New Mexico are likely to vote on a bill that would create gay and straight domestic partnerships in the state next week. Source

-----------------------------------------------

USA, NEW YORK:

--news-->

2/17: The Ulster County Legislature last week rejected by a vote of 24-5 a proposal to extend county health insurance to the unmarried partners of heterosexual county employees. Source

--upcoming events-->

2/24: Weddings, Civil Unions, Love and Politics: The LGBTQ Community and Marriage Rights? A diversity, dialogue, and desserts event at Hofstra University, Long Island, More Info

5/9: 7:30pm, Off Center will present “Are We Tying the Knot Too Tight?: Gains and Losses in the Rush to Normalcy.” This moderated panel will address some of the issues the LGBT community faces when dealing with whether and how to support the movement for same-sex marriage, New York More Info

9/9: Family Law Day, In Conjunction with Lavender Law 2009, Brooklyn, NY, Co-sponsored by the National Lesbian & Gay Law Association and the National Family Law Advisory Council of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Brooklyn More Info

-----------------------------------------------

USA, NORTH CAROLINA:

--news-->

2/17: Officials in Rowan County, North Carolina, unanimously passed an anti-gay resolution targeting gay and lesbian families. Source

2/19: Two state senators are asking local county commissioners to support a resolution that would let North Carolina voters decide if the state constitution should be amended to define marriage as being between a man and a woman. Source

2/21: Sen. Kay Hagan is speaking tonight before the Carolinas chapter of the Human Rights Campaign. Source

-----------------------------------------------

USA, OHIO:

--news-->

2/18: Presbyterian church leaders from central and southern Ohio have approved the idea of clergy members who are in same-sex relationships. Source

2/19: After failing in their effort to abort a gay partner registry from taking effect, a group of ministers in Cleveland say they are resolved to ending it. Source

-----------------------------------------------

USA, PENNSYLVANIA:

--upcoming events-->

5/3: National Equality Rally at Independence Hall, Philadelphia More Info

-----------------------------------------------

USA, RHODE ISLAND:

--news-->

2/20: Rhode Island legislators to take up annual gay marriage debate. Source

--news-->

2/26: The Rhode Island Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on this year’s version of a same-sex marriage bill. More Info

-----------------------------------------------

USA, TENNESSEE:

--news-->

2/20: A controversial ad is calling on West Virginia lawmakers to take immediate action and amend the Constitution to rule out same-sex marriage. Source

--upcoming events-->

3/1: Anti-gay marriage groups are organizing churches for a rally. More Info

-----------------------------------------------

USA, TEXAS:

--upcoming events-->

3/2: Marriage Lobby Day, 8 AM-4 PM More Info

----------------------------------------------

USA, UTAH:

--news-->

2/17:

--Utahns opening their Sunday editions of The Salt Lake Tribune or the Deseret Morning News were shocked to discover a full-page ad, created by the group America Forever, imploring them to "Stand Up & Stop the Homosexual Movement". Source

--Salt Lake County will again take up the issue of benefits for domestic partners with a proposal that would grant health benefits to domestic partners and live-in adults. Source

2/18:

--A bill that would have offered unmarried couples - straight or gay - inheritance rights and the power to make medical decisions when the other partner is incapacitated, Wednesday in the legislature. It was the fifth defeat for a group of bills called the Common Ground Initiative that would have expanded LGBT civil rights in Utah. Source

--Defending his wife's $100,000 gift for California's anti-gay marriage Prop. 8, Robert Garff, of the Ken Garff car dealerships, said: "We do believe in the proposition of marriage as being between a man and a female. ... But we reserve the rights of others to believe and act as they wish. … We want our friends who are gay to know that we respect them." Source

2/20: Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, was kicked off a judicial committee he chaired after he drew criticism for comparing gay activists to radical Muslims in an interview aired this week. Source

--articles-->

What’s Up, Utah? by Marty Davis Source

Regarding Queer Issues by Jennifer Henke Source

-----------------------------------------------

USA, WASHINGTON DC:

--news-->

2/20: Dozens of students at George Washington University were "married" in mock ceremonies performed in University Yard to show their support for marriage equality. Source

-----------------------------------------------

USA, WEST VIRGINIA:

--articles-->

Straight hysteria hits Atlanta, by James Withers Source

-----------------------------------------------

USA, WISCONSIN:

--news-->

2/19: Same-sex couples could form domestic partnerships and receive dozens of the same legal benefits as married people under a proposal by Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle. Source

-----------------------------------------------

fini

Gay Marriage Watch: February 8th-14th

Here's the latest news on gay marriage from around the world. Our favorite thing of the week - the new video "Fidelity" from the Courage Campaign - some of the 18,000 couples married last year in California, asking that the state not divorce them and their families.

Take Action:

This week, attend the big rally in Sacramento on Monday from 12-3 at the Capitol Building if you can - we'll have a table there!!!

And sign this petition to overturn Prop 8.

Gay Marriage Watch:

Now on to this week's Gay Marriage Watch. The blog is now organized almost entirely by area, with news of the week, upcoming marriage equality events, and great recent articles and columns. For a longer history of past news stories, just click on one of the older Gay Marriage Watch blogs from our archives.

To subscribe to this blog, or if you have any thoughts about how we can make this feature better or easier to use or any updates on the issues covered here, let me know at info@purpleunions.com.

Enjoy the rest of the Watch, everyone else!

--Scott

----------------------------------------------

AUSTRALIA:

--articles-->

Crusaders Spreading Gay Fear, by Harley Dennett Source

----------------------------------------------

CAMBODIA:

--news-->

2/13: New rules on foreign adoption in Cambodia will ban a range of foreigners from the process, including gay people, single people, those on a "low income" and those who already have two children will not be able to adopt. Source

----------------------------------------------

CHINA:

--news-->

2/14: Thirty Chinese gay and lesbian activists gathered near Tiananmen Square in Beijing to stage a mock wedding photo session Saturday, hoping to win support for same sex marriage in the conservative society. Source

----------------------------------------------

FRANCE:

--news-->

2/13: A growing number of straight French couples are choosing civil unions, halfway between living together and marriage, helping change the way France organizes its families. Source

----------------------------------------------

IRELAND:

--news-->

2/10: The Irish Human Rights Commission has welcomed the proposed introduction of civil partnerships. The Commission said that in the context of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, the core principle of equivalence of human rights on both sides of the border suggests that civil partnership in the Republic "should, at a minimum, be akin to the principles within the Civil Partnership Act 2004 in Northern Ireland." Source

2/14: A group advocating full marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples in Ireland held a 'love carnival for equality' in Dublin. Source

--articles-->

A birthday to have pride in, by Stephen Gately Source

----------------------------------------------

PORTUGAL:

--news-->

2/13: The leaders of the Catholic Church in Portugal have been accused of interfering in the political process after the country's bishops said they would fight proposals to introduce gay marriage. Source

----------------------------------------------

UNITED KINGDOM:

--news-->

2/13: Rev Fred Phelps, notorious for picketing funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq have said his "church" plans to protest in England, including at a performance of The Laramie Project in Basingstoke next week. Source

----------------------------------------------

USA:

--news-->

2/10:

--A 2007 bill that would offer binational same-sex relationships the same recognition and treatment afforded to binational married couples will come back before the US House of Representatives on 2/12. Source

--Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) President Neil Giuliano says he is optimistic about passage of gay legislation under an Obama administration. Source

2/11: The Presbyterian Church (USA) has tapped a 13-member committee to investigate the place same-sex unions should have in Christianity and wider society and issue a report in 2010. Source

2/12: Same-sex couples seeking to wed showed up at marriage license counters nationwide Thursday to highlight a right they don't have in 48 states, part of an annual protest that took on renewed urgency given recent election setbacks. Source

2/13:

--The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) announced today that it was the recipient of a $33,000 contribution from AT&T. Source

--On May 9, lesbian comedian Wanda Sykes will be the entertainer at the 2009 White House Correspondents' Assn. dinner in Washington. Source

--articles-->

Lincoln, Darwin and Gay Marriage, by Brad Hirschfield Source

Obama Needs to Pick a Side on LGBTQ Issues, by Tamara Gorzalka Source

----------------------------------------------

USA, ARIZONA:

--news-->

2/9: The city of Phoenix opened up a registry for domestic partners, defined as unmarried same-sex or opposite-sex partners who live together, conferring hospital visitation rights. Source

2/12: A lesbian couple who decided to take part in a 22-state rally supporting same-sex marriage shocked participants Thursday when they obtained a marriage license from the Pima County Clerk of the Court's Office. Source

----------------------------------------------

USA, CALIFORNIA:

--news-->

2/10:

--Ion Theatre, a small but well-regarded young theater company, has vacated its performance space to protest property owner Terrence R. Caster's $700,000 donation to pass Proposition 8. Source

--Kenneth Starr said Feb. 10 that the constitutionality of Proposition 8 turns less on the issue of "gay marriage" and more on the issue of whether the state's citizens have the power to overturn even controversial court rulings. Source

2/12:

--Couragecampaign.org asked the 18,000 couples who married during California’s window of opportunity to send in photographs, which were put to music by Regina Spektor in the video "Fidelity". Source

--Wanda Sykes on fighting for gay marriage with EQCA: "I am a resident of California, I live here, I got married here," she said as for why she choose to work with EQCA. "Equality California, they have passed so much legislation in the past 10 years, like the domestic partners bill, and the marriage bill twice now, I just really wanted to be a part of what they were doing." Source

--Meg Whitman, former CEO of E-Bay who's running for Governor on the Republican ticket, supported Proposition 8 because she believes civil unions "provide all the rights and remedies that gay and lesbian couples deserve and need." She believes the 18,000 gay and lesbian couples who married before voters approved the ban, while gay marriage was legal, should be able to stay married: "They should not be penalized because the state can't get its act together on this issue." Source

2/13:

--Data released last week by the California secretary of state’s office show Focus on the Family donated $657,000 in money and services to ProtectMarriage.com, a California coalition that supported Proposition 8. Source

--Gay-rights and labor leaders Thursday called on former President Clinton to cancel his speech Sunday at a San Diego hotel developed by a major supporter of Proposition 8, the measure to ban gay marriage endorsed by voters in November. Source

--The original plaintiffs in a 2004 lawsuit challenging the same-sex marriage ban renewed their wedding vows. Source

--upcoming events-->

2/15: Inaugural Event for CreateEquality.org, 6-9 PM, Los Angeles More Info

2/16: Huge Statewide Rally at State Capitol Building, Sacramento More Info

2/17: 2009 Marriage Lobby Day in Sacramento More Info

2/19: Financial and Legal Planning Seminar for Same-Sex Couples, Sacramento More Info

2/25-2/29: One Struggle One Fight's march from San Francisco to Sacramento More Info

3/5: The state Supreme Court has scheduled a March 5 hearing date for oral arguments in a series of lawsuits seeking to overturn Proposition 8. Source

3/13: Movie for Equality, Los Angeles More Info

3/15: Dining Out for Equality, West Hollywood More Info

4/20: Queer Youth Advocacy Day, State Capitol, Sacramento More Info

5/16-5/17: Long Beach Pride More Info

5/30: Statewide Rally at Capitol Building to Kick off Pride, Sacramento, More Info

6/12-6/14: Los Angeles Pride More Info

6/27-6/28: San Francisco Pride More Info

7/18-7/19: San Diego Pride More Info

11/7-11/8: Palm Springs Pride More Info

--articles-->

Local gay couples cope with legal uncertainty, by Jackie Palochko Source

Naming names, by Kel Munger Source

We are family, too: Vietnamese gays and lesbians join San Jose's Tet parade, by Jessie Mangaliman Source

----------------------------------------------

USA, COLORADO:

--news-->

2/10: A 23-year-old Lakewood man who plans to meet with legislative staff Tuesday to review his proposed ballot measure to allow gay marriage in Colorado says he was inspired by 20-year-old Kristi Burton, who sponsored the controversial “personhood amendment” on last year’s ballot. Source

----------------------------------------------

USA, CONNECTICUT:

--news-->

2/11: The Senate just reconfirmed three justices of the Connecticut Supreme Court, all of whom were among the five-member majority in Kerrigan v. Department of Public Health, which ruled the state’s ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. Source

----------------------------------------------

USA, FLORIDA:

--news-->

2/12: Gay and lesbian couples from across Central Florida went to the Orange County Courthouse to ask for something they know they can't have: marriage licenses. Source

2/14: A gay woman not allowed to visit her dying partner at Jackson Memorial Hospital in 2007 hopes a federal judge will allow her claims of emotional distress and negligence to go to trial. Source

--events-->

3/16: Rally in Tally: 11 am-2 pm, Tallahassee More Info

---------------------------------------------

USA, HAWAII:

--news-->

2/12: A measure that would make civil unions for same-sex couples equivalent to traditional marriages cleared a major hurdle in the state Legislature yesterday. Source

--articles-->

Honor civil unions of gay couples, by the Star Bulliten Editorial Board Source

---------------------------------------------

USA, ILLINOIS:

--news-->

2/12: Gay rights activists gathered in Chicago to demand full marriage rights. Source

--articles-->

Politics clouds same-sex marriage issue in Illinois, by Dante Mozie Source

---------------------------------------------

USA, KANSAS:

--news-->

2/12:

--A Kansas Senate committee held a hearing on adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the state’s nondiscrimination statute. Source

--The Department of Student Housing at the University of Kansas sponsored a lecture on gay marriage. Source

---------------------------------------------

USA, KENTUCKY:

--news-->

2/12: Gay couples across Kentucky walked into county clerks' offices to request marriage licenses. Source

---------------------------------------------

USA, MAINE:

--news-->

2/10:

--The Scarborough Community Chamber of Commerce will be discussing the potential economic effects of gay marriage Tuesday. Source

--The Maine Marriage Initiative launched a new website devoted to opposing a newly introduced gay marriage bill in the Maine Legislature. Source

--The opposing sides in the gay-marriage fight worked Thursday to shore up support from legislators who ultimately will decide whether to expand marriage rights in Maine. Source

2/12: Dozens of proponents of gay marriage gathered outside the Maine House and Senate to distribute Valentine's Day cards while urging support for a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in the state. Source

--upcoming events-->

2/15: The Family Research Council, based in Washington, D.C., has organized a Stand for Marriage Rally from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Augusta Civic Center. Source

--articles-->

Some Business Owners See Benefits to Gay Marriage, by Josie Huang Source

-----------------------------------------------

USA, MICHIGAN

--news-->

2/13: Some Grand Rapids-area clergy joined a national effort today that calls for marital equality for gay and lesbian citizens. Source

-----------------------------------------------

USA, MINNESOTA

--news-->

2/11: The Anoka-Hennepin school board has revised a controversial policy concerning how the district addresses gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues. The new policy states that district staff must remain neutral on issues concerning sexual orientation. A previous version of the policy stated homosexuality was not to be taught as a "normal, valid lifestyle." Source

2/12:

--Minnesotans who support same-sex marriage have rallied at the state Capitol as part of national Freedom to Marry Week. Source

--A proposal, crafted by a group called Project 515, recommends a multiyear plan to eliminate each of the 515 statutes that discriminate against Minnesota’s thousands of same-sex couples. Source

--A bold forward attack against GLBT Americans has been launched by an anti-gay group that claims in a video that equality for gays and lesbians harms families and curtails religious freedom. Source

--Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, hopes his gay marriage bill will at least win the approval of the Senate Judiciary Committee after a hearing later this month. Source

-----------------------------------------------

USA, NEBRASKA:

--news-->

2/13: A group of same-sex couples applied for marriage licenses on the eve of Valentine's Day at the Douglas County Clerk's office. Source

-----------------------------------------------

USA, NEVADA:

--news-->

2/12: Same-sex couples are protesting Nevada's ban on gay marriage by seeking marriage licenses. Source

-----------------------------------------------

USA, NEW HAMPSHIRE

--news-->

2/12: The U.S. Episcopal Church’s first openly gay bishop is supporting a bill to allow same-sex marriage in New Hampshire. Source

--articles-->

Do you support state oppression of your friends and family? by Pauline Tarr Source

-----------------------------------------------

USA, NEW JERSEY

--news-->

2/9: New Jersey Superior Court Judge Mary C. Jacobson ruled Feb. 6 that a lesbian couple who obtained a marriage license in Canada could receive a legal divorce in New Jersey. Source

2/11: New Jersey could add $248 million to the state's economy just by fostering equality, according to a new study. Source

--upcoming events-->

2/28: Garden State Equality's 2009 Legends Dinner will include Andrea McArdle, the original Annie who has done sold-out concerts across the world, Fran Drescher, Ugly Betty's Judith Light, Star Trek's George Takei, Queer As Folk's Michelle Clunie, Hairspray's Marc Shaiman, Movin' Out's Miche Braden, public service legends Jeannine LaRue, Steve Rothman and Christine Quinn in an evening you'll never forget. Source

-----------------------------------------------

USA, NEW YORK:

--news-->

2/8: For the first time New York Senate Majority Leader Malcolm A. Smith has admitted he does not have the votes to pass gay marriage in the Senate this year. Source

2/12: When Reed Davis and Fred Anguera visited the brand new city Marriage Bureau in Lower Manhattan to apply for a license, they were turned away, but by a civil servant who assured them that she "understood our cause." Source

--upcoming events-->

3/21: GLBT Expo, New York More Info

-----------------------------------------------

USA, NORTH CAROLINA:

--articles-->

State has no grounds to deny gay marriages, by Susan Parler Source

-----------------------------------------------

USA, NORTH DAKOTA:

--news-->

2/13: The North Dakota Legislature is about to vote SB 2278, which would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, including gender identity, in areas such as employment and housing. Source

-----------------------------------------------

USA, OHIO:

--news-->

2/11: In the year since Toledo started offering a domestic partner registry, 89 couples have signed up. Source

-----------------------------------------------

USA, OKLAHOMA:

--news-->

2/12:

--One-fifth of the Oklahoma House voted Feb. 11 to strike from the record a prayer offered on the chamber floor by the Rev. Scott H. Jones, an openly gay MCC minister. Source

--Several other same sex couples came to the Tulsa County Courthouse is hopes of getting married. Source

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USA, PENNSYLVANIA:

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2/12: Honking horns and revving engines rang out at the corner of Front and Market streets in Harrisburg as more than 100 people gathered in support of gay marriage rights. Source

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5/3: National Equality Rally at Independence Hall, Philadelphia More Info

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USA, TENNESSEE:

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2/13: State Sen. Dewayne Bunch, R-Cleveland Bunch and Rep. Stacey Campfield (R-Knoxville) have filed a bill in the Tennessee senate and house that would prohibit the discussion of gay or bisexual matters in any public or elementary school. Source

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USA, TEXAS:

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2/12:

--The son of T.D. Jakes — the Dallas megachurch pastor who’s called homosexuality a “brokenness” and declared that he would never hire a sexually active gay person — was arrested in a gay sex sting in Kiest Park in January, according to Dallas police reports. Source

--A dozen peaceful protestors lined up at the Travis County Clerk’s Office ready to test state law. They asked for a same-sex marriage license, fully knowing they would be turned away but hoping to spark a battle for change. Source

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3/2: Marriage Lobby Day, 8 AM-4 PM More Info

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USA, UTAH:

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2/11:

--An anti-Prop 8 group on Wednesday announced it has targeted the Salt Lake City-based Ken Garff automotive dealerships in retaliation for $100,000 donated by the CEO's wife to supporters of a California ballot proposition eliminating same-sex couples' right to marry. Source

--Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman revealed Tuesday that he supports civil unions for gay couples, baffling many political pundits and prompting some to speculate he is planning a presidential run in 2012. Source

--The head of a gay rights group on Wednesday said he plans to file a second campaign finance complaint about the Mormon church's activities in the November ballot initiative that banned same-sex marriage in California. Source

2/12:

--The Salt Lake County Clerk's Office on Thursday denied the request of five gay and lesbian couples to be issued Utah marriage licenses. Source

--A candlelight vigil was held at the governor’s mansion on Wednesday night after his view on civil unions was made public, organized by the All For One Initiativeas a “thank you” to the governor for supporting gay people. Source

2/14: Three gay-rights bills (on gay adoption, employment rights, and medical and inheritance rights), all sponsored by Salt Lake City Democrats, cleared legislative hurdles Friday. Source

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Straight couples rooting for gay-rights bill, too, by Rosemary Winters Source

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USA, VERMONT:

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2/11: A bill that would allow same-sex unions was introduced in the Legislature, causing a crowd of about several hundred supporters to gather at the Statehouse in celebration. Source

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USA, VIRGINIA:

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2/12: Nearly 50 people arrived at the Charlottesville Circuit Court yesterday to protest the Federal Defense of Marriage Act and Virginia’s ban on gay marriage as part of a national effort. Source

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USA, WYOMING:

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2/10: The state legislature in the US state of Wyoming has rejected a bill that would have cleared the way for a statewide ballot to ban recognition of any out of state gay marriage. Source

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