Gay Marriage Watch: February 8th-14th
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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--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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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USA, KANSAS:
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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
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USA, KENTUCKY:
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2/12: Gay couples across Kentucky walked into county clerks' offices to request marriage licenses. Source
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USA, MAINE:
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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USA, NORTH CAROLINA:
--articles-->
State has no grounds to deny gay marriages, by Susan Parler Source
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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
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USA, OHIO:
--news-->
2/11: In the year since Toledo started offering a domestic partner registry, 89 couples have signed up. Source
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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:
--news-->
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
--upcoming events-->
5/3: National Equality Rally at Independence Hall, Philadelphia More Info
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USA, TENNESSEE:
--news-->
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:
--news-->
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
--upcoming events-->
3/2: Marriage Lobby Day, 8 AM-4 PM More Info
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USA, UTAH:
--news-->
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
--articles-->
Straight couples rooting for gay-rights bill, too, by Rosemary Winters Source
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USA, WYOMING:
--news-->
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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fini
posted by Mark & Scott at
2/14/2009 09:52:00 PM
1 Comments:
Just so you'll know, this is the first posting that popped up in the RSS feed in several months.
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