Gay Marriage Watch: May 10th-16th

Here's our Sunday weekly recap of the latest news on gay marriage from around the world. BTW, today is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia! Our favorite thing this week? The huge statewide gathering planned for Fresno the Saturday after the California Supreme Court decision on Prop 8. Called Meet in the Middle, it's the first step in taking our fight for hearts and minds to the Central Valley, and we're thrilled to see Charlize Theron helping us promote this rally for marriage equality. We hope to see you there! Take Action: From EarthTimes.com: Interactive Male, North America's largest chatline for gay and bisexual men, today announced the launch of the Big Gay Kiss Contest, a fun equal rights promotion with a serious message. From now until October 31, 2009, gay men across North America are encouraged to submit their biggest, sexiest, most original and fun Big Gay Kiss video for their chance to win the $10,000 grand prize. Four runners-up for best video will receive $1,000 each, and every month the best Big Gay Kiss photo entry will receive a webcam. Full contest information, including official rules, is at http://www.BigGayKiss.com. While gay men kissing is certainly a focus, there's more to this contest than lip service. For every approved video entry Interactive Male receives, they will donate $5.00 to Marriage Equality USA, and for every approved photo entry, they'll give $1.00. Give it a try and spark a little romance with your partner while helping the cause!! Hero of the Week: Third Grader Ethan in Denver, who organized a marriage equality rally after finding out his neighbors couldn't get married: Ethan was inspired by his neighbors, who have a child his age but are unable to officially get married in Colorado. He decided that marriage equality is a civil rights issue and that all people, regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, color or race, should have this right. He made phone calls to elected officials. He got the necessary permits to hold the rally. He created a line-up of speakers. He hung up fliers in coffee shops, restaurants and churches around Denver. The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Colorado is supporting Ethan's efforts in notifying the public about his rally at the Capitol on Saturday, May 16, at noon. Go, Ethan, go! Runner-up goes to pundit Leonard Pitts, who lambastes Marion Barry for his vote against gay marriage in DC: The Washington Post quotes Barry as saying he voted as he did because "I am representing my constituents." He reminded reporters that "98 percent of my constituents are black, and we don't have but a handful of openly gay residents." That's a lot of words to say what he could have said in three: "I punked out." There's something to be said for representing one's constituents. But there is more to be said for leading them. Barry's failure to understand the difference is galling in light of the fact that he was once a leader in the civil rights movement. Read it all here. Woody Award: Our woody award this week goes to letter writer John Cole, who offers these pearls of wisdom: "Same-sex 'marriage' was the invention of the Emperor Nero in the first-century A.D. "Suetonius, a second-century Roman historian, began 'to list his follies and crimes,' which included at least three same-sex 'marriages.' Nero's first same-sex 'marriage' was preceded by a transgendering operation on his intended bride that was thought to be successful: Having tried to turn the boy Sporus into a girl by castration, he went through a wedding ceremony with him -- dowry, bridal veil and all -- which the whole Court attended; then brought him home, and treated him as a wife." He took him to every Greek assize and fair and through the Street of Images at Rome, "kissing him amorously now and then." Oh, come on. I thought this one was dead and buried years ago - gays as the cause of the decline of the Roman Empire. Leaving aside the fact that we'll likely rebound just fine as a country, what about the rampant greed of Wall Street? How about the polarizing of our politics by, ahem, the religious right? Or the raping of our resources by both corporations and the republican party, with no regard for the long-term? Mister Cole also mentions "Getting back to sexual perversion and mutilation, Peterson claims that gay "intellectuals" like Andrew Sullivan are wrong to ignore or deny the connection between perverted sexual practices, gay "marriage" and a society's decline." Exactly what mutilation is he referring to in 21st century America? Neither I nor my partner is "mutilated", nor is anyone else I know in the GLBT community. This rant is homophobia, plain and simple. Mister Cole has let his imagination run amok, and his musings bear no at all similarity to real gay marriage, where two adults who are in love ask their friends and families to witness their lifetime commitments to each other. If an ything, allowing gay marriage may reinvigorate this old and venerable tradition, and stability in gay and lesbian families can only help the country as a whole. Enjoy your woody, Mister Cole! 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 now publish a daily blog, and a weekly recap on Sundays. You can also now find us on Facebook - just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you'll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We're also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc Enjoy the rest of the Watch! --Scott ---------------------------------------------- AUSTRALIA: --news--> 5/12: The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) plans to release data on same-sex couples who tick the ‘married’ box on the 2011 national census. Source ---------------------------------------------- CANADA: --upcoming events--> Vancouver: Day of Decision: Gather at 6pm at Morton Park (corner of Davie Street and Denman Street). More Info ---------------------------------------------- COLOMBIA: --news--> 5/15: For the first time in Colombia, the partner of a gay policeman was granted access to health benefits, Police announced Thursday. Source ---------------------------------------------- COSTA RICA: --news--> 5/12: The Catholic Church is trying to block passage of a civil unions bill. Source 5/13: Last Sunday at various parishes in the capital of Costa Rica, volunteers began collecting signatures demanding that a referendum be held in the country on the issue of gay unions. Source ---------------------------------------------- HUNGARY: --articles--> Homophobia in Hungary, by Alice Walton Source ---------------------------------------------- NETHERLANDS: --upcoming events--> Amsterdam: 7/31-8/2: Organizers of Amsterdam Gay Pride have announced that during the celebration in August, Mayor Marius Job Cohen will marry five same-sex couples compromised of one American and one Dutch national. The action commemorates the 400 years of links between the Dutch and the American city they called New Amsterdam, with the hope it will inspire progress toward full marriage equality in the United States. More Info ---------------------------------------------- NIGERIA: --news--> 5/17: Two non-governmental organisations in Lagos urged the three tiers of government to stop discriminating against homosexuals, lesbians and gay people. Source ---------------------------------------------- ROMANIA: --news--> 5/15: A lawmaker says Romania's Parliament will vote on a law that would specify that marriage is a union between a man and a woman, and refuse to recognize same-sex marriages or civil partnerships from other countries. Source ---------------------------------------------- RUSSIA: --news--> 5/12: Two women have been denied a marriage license in what they say is the first effort in Russia by two lesbians to wed. Source 5/13: Russian gay rights activists are planning a major demonstration in Moscow on Saturday. Source 5/14: Gay rights activists have warned there could be violence on the streets of the Russian capital Moscow on Saturday as the city stages the Eurovision Song Contest final. Source 5/16: Dozens of Russian riot police broke up a gay rights demonstration on Saturday before the Eurovision Song Contest final in Moscow, grabbing protesters and throwing them into police cars and waiting vans. Source --news--> Special report: Gay campaigners prepare for Slavic Pride, by Andy Thayer Source ---------------------------------------------- SLOVENIA: --news--> 5/10: Interior Minister Katarina Kresal this week reopened the debate on gay marriage in Slovenia by saying that the family law act should be amended to include same-sex unions. Source ---------------------------------------------- SWEDEN: --articles--> Same-Sex Marriages Begin In Sweden, by Rex Wockner Source ---------------------------------------------- UNITED KINGDOM: --news--> 5/12: Additional topless photos of Miss California surfaced that were taken just last year. Source --upcoming events--> Cardiff: 10/4: Gay wedding show. More Info Manchester: 10/18: Gay wedding show. More Info Brighton: 11/15: Gay wedding show. More Info ---------------------------------------------- USA: --news--> 5/10: Obama pokes fun at gay marriage at the White House Correspondents Dinner: talking about his friend and adviser David Axelrod, he said: "David and I have been together a long time," Obama said, explaining that many years ago he called Axelrod and said, "you and I could do wonderful things together. He said what partners all over America are saying to me right now. Let's go to Iowa and make it official." Source 5/11: --Openly gay head of ACLU says gay marriage is second only to national security issues as a priority for the ACLU. Source --Miss California Carrie Prajean's voice is now being used on robocalls to urge voters to sign a pettiion against gay marriage. Source --Uniting American Families bill to allow gay and lesbian Americans to sponsor same sex partners from other countries making its way thru congress. Source 5/12: --Seth MacFarlane on gay marriage: ''Despite what 'Family Guy' would have you believe, I'm not gay.... This is one where it's okay for the people who have made that leap to kind of yank the rest of the nation forward. While you have people who are deliberating as their watching Dr. Phil, 'Gee, am I okay with this or not?' -- you have couples who are waiting to get on with their fucking lives, and why should they have to wait for these people.'' Source --Donald Trump has decided Carrie Prejean's racy photos shouldn't force her to give up the title of Miss California. Source 5/13: Former beauty queen-turned-reality TV star Shanna Moakler has resigned as a director of the Miss USA California pageant a day after Carrie Prajean reclaimed her crown as Miss CA. Source 5/15: --Hallmark Cards continues to pursue a business plan to make greeting cards available for those "non-traditional" families on your list, supplying its stock of wedding and civil unions-themed greeting cards to all 500 corporate-owed stores, plus a number of the 3,000-plus independently owned outlets. Source --Gay Representatives Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Barney Frank of Massachusetts and Jared Polis of Colorado along with 48 other Congressional members sent a letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director Peter Orszag asking that the 2010 Census count same-sex married couples rather than altering their status. Source 5/16: Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele says gay marriage would place a financial burden on small businesses. Source --upcoming events--> --5/17: International Day Against Homophobia. More Info --6/28: Million Gay March: Annual event on the 40th anniversary of Stonewall in all 50 states. More Info --Day of Decision: Rallies country-wide on the day of the CA Supreme Court decision on Prop 8. More Info --articles--> Move for marriage? As gay marriage expands in the Northeast, Ga. and the rest of the region lag behind, by Matt Schafer Source Trend toward allowing same-sex marriage is undeniable, by Mike Nichols Source ---------------------------------------------- USA, ARIZONA: --upcoming events--> Phoenix: Day of Decision : Gather at 6pm at the southwest corner of Camelback at 7th Avenue for a rally and then march. More Info ---------------------------------------------- USA, CALIFORNIA: --news--> 5/10: A new lawsuit has been filed against Prop 8, claiming the measure violates the Federal Constitution. Source 5/11: --Equality California (EQCA), the advocacy group fighting to win back gay marriage in California, is seeking to enlist 1,000 clergy members to help change attitudes in the state. Source --Cybill Shepherd on who's to blame for passage of Prop 8: "The Mormons and Catholics. Most of the money came from Utah, it’s very unfortunate." Source 5/14: --Recent moves by both Equality California and the progressive Courage Campaign point to the increasing likelihood that some sort of ballot measure to repeal Proposition 8 will go before voters in 2010 if the state Supreme Court upholds the measure. Source --Web site thedirty.com--which posted a photo of a topless Carrie Prejean, "Miss California"--has followed up that bombshell with a claim that they have in their possession a "sex tape" featuring Ms. Prejean. Source 5/15: The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, announced today a new strategic partnership with California Faith for Equality (CFE), a statewide group established to educate, support and mobilize California's faith communities on LGBT equality. --upcoming events: northern california--> Auburn: Day of Decision: Gather at 5:30pm at the Placer County Courthouse (101 Maple Street). More Info Davis: Day of Decision: Gathering at Central Park at the new stage south of the carousel from 6-7:30pm. More Info Eureka: Day of Decision: Gather at Arcata plaza and County Courthouse in Eureka.  6PM. More Info Palo Alto: Day of Decision: Gather at Corner of El Camino Real and Embarcadero (across from Stanford University entrance at Galvez/El Camino).  11AM. More Info Sacramento: --5/18: EQCA Equality Awards at the Sheraton Grand, VOP Reception 5 PM, General Reception 5:30 PM-7 PM. Source --5/30: Statewide Rally at Capitol Building to Kick off Pride More Info --Day of Decision: Gather at 5:30pm at the Sacramento Gay & Lesbian Center (1927 L Street, Midtown). More Info San Francisco: --6/27-6/28: San Francisco: Pride More Info --Day of Decision: Rally on the day of the California Supreme Court decision on Prop 8. More Info San Jose: Day of Decision: Gathering at 5:30pm at the Billy de Frank LGBT Center at 938 The Alameda. For more information, contact Gloria Nieto at glorianieto@comcast.net or 6 PM, gather at Plaza de César Chávez  at S. Market St. and Park Ave. We will march to SJ City Hall at 200 E. Santa Clara St. for a rally. More Info Santa Rosa: Day of Decision: Gathering on the steps of the Santa Rosa City Hall (100 Santa Rosa Avenue and corner of 1st Street) at 6pm. More Info Ukiah: Day of Decision: Gather at 6pm at Alex Thomas Plaza (State Street). More Info --upcoming events: central california--> Bakersfield: Day of Decision: Gathering in three locations at 5pm. Rally location #1 - Mall View & Mt Vernon; Rally location #2 - Outback Steakhouse on Stocdale Hwy; or Rally location #3 at Rosedale and Coffee. More Info Delano: Day of Decision: Gather at Delano Cecil Park at 5:30pm. More Info Fresno: --5/17: Equality Team Second Canvassing Event with Courage Campaign, 3:15 PM. More Info --5/18: Meet in the Middle Planning Meeting, 6 PM, Westley UMC. More Info --5/25: Meet in the Middle Planning Meeting, 6 PM, Westley UMC. More Info --6/1: Meet in the Middle Planning Meeting, 6 PM, Westley UMC. More Info --Day of Decision: Rally on the day of the California Supreme Court decision on Prop 8. Source --Saturday after Day of Decision: Meet in the Middle - statewide gathering in Fresno with Charlize Theron attending. More Info --Every Monday: Meet in the Middle 4 Equality Planning Meeting, 6 PM, at the Wesley United Methodist Church. More Info Modesto: Day of Decision: Community gathering at 5:30 pm at Graceada Park, 401 Needham St. downtown Modesto. More Info Monterey: Day of Decision: Gather at 5pm at Colton Hall at 580 Pacific Street.  Event is co-sponsored by the Monterey County Chapter of Marriage Equality and Salinas Valley Equality.  More Info Salinas: Day of Decision: Gather at 4:30pm at the Monterey County  Courthouse at the corner of W. Alisal Street & Church Street.  Event is co-sponsored by Salinas Valley Equality and the Monterey County Chapter of Marriage Equality USA. More Info Visalia: Day of Decision: Gather at 6pm at the Tulare County Courthouse (221 S. Mooney Blvd). More Info --upcoming events: southern california--> Costa Mesa: Day of Decision: Gather at the Fairview Community Church, 2525 Fairveiw Road from 5:30 to 7 p.m. More Info Long Beach: Day of Decision: Rally on the day of the California Supreme Court decision on Prop 8. More Info Los Angeles: --6/12-6/14: Los Angeles Pride More Info --7/9-7/19: Outfest is the oldest continuous film festival in Southern California. Since its founding in 1982, Outfest has presented more than 4,500 films and videos for audiences of over half a million people. More Info --8/1: Los Angeles Equality Awards. More Info --Day of Decision: Two Locations: Gathering in two locations at 6pm: Rally location #1 in Hollywood at 647 N San Vincente Boulevard (Santa Monica and San Vincente); Rally location #2 in Santa Monica Courthouse (1725 Main Street). More Info --Every Monday: LA Equal Roots Meeting. More Info Orange: 5/23: Team Courage OC Canvass for Equality in Orange/Santa Ana, 12:00 PM. More Info Palm Springs: --10/17: Palm Springs Equality Awards More Info --11/7-11/8: Palm Springs Pride More Info Rancho Cucamonga: Day of Decision: Gathering at the corner of Day Creek and Foothill Boulevard at 7pm.  More Info San Diego: --5/17: Canvass! Mama Bear Alliance Equality Team in San Diego. 2 PM. --7/18-7/19: San Diego Pride More Info --Day of Decision: Two Locations: Gather at 6pm at the Escondido City Hall (201 North Broadway) in Escondido; Gather at 5pm at Balboa Park (6th Ave & Laurel Street) in San Diego. Rally on the day of the California Supreme Court decision on Prop 8. More Info San Luis Obispo: Day of Decision: Gather at 5:30pm at the City Hall Steps (990 Palm). More Info Santa Ana: Day of Decision: Gather at 6pm at the Old Orange County Courthouse (211 W. Santa Ana Blvd, Santa Ana). More Info Ventura: Day of Decision: ather at 5:30pm at the Ventura County Government Center on the corner of Telephone Road and Victoria Avenue.  More Info West Hollywood: Day of Decision: Rally on the day of the California Supreme Court decision on Prop 8. Source --upcoming events: statewide--> --5/22: Harvey Milk Day. More Info --5/31-6/6: AIDS Life Cycle - Team Marriage Equality. Contact Email ---------------------------------------------- USA, COLORADO: --news--> 5/16: Third grader holds rally for marriage equality in Denver. Source --upcoming events--> Denver: --Day of Decision: Gather at the Wellington Webb Building (intersection of Colfax and 15th). More Info; --articles--> Colorado sidles up to civil unions, by Jessica Fender Source ---------------------------------------------- USA, FLORIDA: --news--> 5/11: At a meeting with the Democratic Party Chairman in Ft. Lauderdale, gay activists asked the Obama administration to do more on gay marriage, Don't Ask Don't Tell. Source 5/14: A small, radical Midwestern church that has made headlines for picketing Iraq War veterans' funerals plans to protest an America it believes has gone pro-gay and anti-God with demonstrations in South Florida beginning this weekend. Source --upcoming events--> Tampa: Day of Decision Gather at 6:30pm at the Joe Chillura Courthouse (corners of Morgan, Kennedy, Pierce & Madison). More Info ---------------------------------------------- USA, GEORGIA: --upcoming events--> Atlanta: Day of Decision: Gathering is being planned. More Info ---------------------------------------------- USA, HAWAII: --upcoming events--> Honolulu: 5/21-5/24: Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival. More Info Hilo: 5/29-5/30: Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival showings on the Big Island. More Info --------------------------------------------- USA, ILLINOIS: --upcoming events--> Chicago: Day of Decision: Rally on the day of the California Supreme Court decision on Prop 8. More Info Springfield: Day of Decision: Gather at 5:30pm at the Illinois Supreme Court Building (202 E Capitol). More Info --------------------------------------------- USA, INDIANA: --upcoming events--> Indianapolis: Day of Decision: Gather at City County Building - Corner of Washington and Delaware St. 2PM until nightfall. If you can't make it at 2PM, We will be there ALL DAY. Please join us as soon as you are done with Work or School. We need EVERYONE out in FORCE to make this a success!!! More Info --------------------------------------------- USA, IOWA: --news--> 5/12: --Crawford County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution addressing the Iowa Supreme Court’s ruling that the Iowa statute allowing civil marriage between one man and one woman was unconstitutional, claiming it conflicts with DOMA. Source --Magistrates in at least seven Iowa counties have implemented a no-marriage policy this year, rather than marry gay/lesbian couples. Source --The Senate Ethics Committee has unanimously rejected a complaint filed against a state senator who had urged county recorders to refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Source 5/15: --upcoming events--> --5/28: Gay-rights group One Iowa will host a fundraiser to "protect the freedom to marry in Iowa," the invitation says. Howard Dean will be the lead guest at "History in the Heartland" on May 28. Tickets for the event, to be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the home of One Iowa Executive Director Carolyn Jenison, cost $100 for individuals, $250 for "friends," $500 for "supporters," $1,000 for "sponsors" and $2,500 for "hosts." More Info --articles--> The Fragile State of Gayer Iowa, by Betsy Rubiner Source --------------------------------------------- USA, KENTUCKY: --upcoming events--> Cincinnatti: 6/20: Equality - Don't Stop Believin', Kentucky Equality Federation's first major fundraiser will take place at Adonis in Cincinnati, with after party events taking place at Yadda Club in Covington, KY. More Info --------------------------------------------- USA, MAINE: --news--> 5/11: Archbishop Raymond Burke said that Catholic voters should not support politicians who espouse views or support laws contrary to church teachings, even if the politician in question supports many other important policies. Source 5/15: The number of groups seeking to overturn the state's same-sex marriage law has climbed to three in the week since Gov. John Baldacci signed the bill. Source --------------------------------------------- USA, MARYLAND: --news--> 5/15: Efforts in D.C. to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere have inspired gay Marylanders to try new tactics to win benefits for same-sex couples. Among those calling for action is the Baltimore Sun, which on May 10 opined that Gov. Martin O’Malley should “demonstrate more than the casual interest he has shown in legalizing civil unions, let alone gay marriage.” Source --------------------------------------------- USA, MASSACHUSETTS: --news--> 5/12: According to MassEquality survey results, 62 percent of 600 Massachusetts voters support same-sex marriage. However, a poll set to be released today by the National Organization of Marriage says that only 43 percent are in favor. Source --upcoming events--> Boston: Day of Decision: Gather at 7pm at Copley Plaza. More Info --articles--> ‘54 years together, 5 years married’, by Marie Szaniszlo Source --------------------------------------------- USA, MINNESOTA: --news--> 5/12: The city of Duluth will begin offering domestic partnership certificates after a 5-to-3 City Council vote Monday night. Source --------------------------------------------- USA, NEW HAMPSHIRE: --news--> 5/11: --It's been five days since it passed the legislature, but a bill legalizing "gay marriage" in New Hampshire still hasn't officially made it to the desk of Gov. John Lynch, whose office phone reportedly is still ringing nearly non-stop. Source --Gov. Lynch has three choices with the bill, which legalizes civil marriage between two men or two women but exempts religious institutions from having to perform marriages between same-sex couples: He could sign the bill into law, he could veto it, or he could let it become law without his signature. Source 5/14: --Gov. John Lynch says he will sign a bill to make his state the sixth to legalize gay marriage, but only if it strengthens protections for churches opposed to gay marriage. Source --Legislative leaders agrees to make changes to the gay marriage bill as requested by Gov Lynch. Source 5/15: State lawmakers said a bill with Gov Lynch's requested protections could reach Lynch's desk within weeks, thus making New Hampshire the sixth state -- and the fourth in the past two months -- to allow gay marriage. Source --------------------------------------------- USA, NEW JERSEY: --news--> 5/14: Waving umbrellas and posters, around 30 Princeton students danced and cheered in front of the National Organization for Marriage’s (NOM) Nassau Street offices Wednesday to voice disapproval of the group’s opposition to same-sex marriage. Source --------------------------------------------- USA, NEW YORK: --news--> 5/11: A group of Hispanic religious leaders is planning to hold an anti-gay marriage rally Sunday outside of Gov. David Paterson's Manhattan office. Source 5/12: The gay marriage bill was passed by the Assembloy on a 89 to 52 vote, which included the approval of five Republicans. Source 5/13: --Both sides of the gay marriage debate are gearing up for battle, as the closely-divided State Senate takes up today the measure passed by the State Assembly. Source -- Gay rights groups took their campaign to legalize same-sex marriage in New York State to the airwaves Wednesday. Source --Half of Latinos in New York State are for gay marriage or civil unions, according to a newly established poll by the University at Albany’s New York Latino Research and Resources Network (NYLARNet) consortium, while only 18 percent of the state’s Latino’s self-identify as "liberal." Source 5/14: --New Quinnipac poll finds 46% of New Yorkers for gay marriage and 46% against. 65% support civil unions. Source More Poll Details --Sen. Tom Duane claims one of his Republican colleagues is on the cusp of publicly announcing his or her support for same-sex marriage, the DN's Frank Lombardi reports. Source --upcoming events--> Albany: Day of Decision: Rally on the day of the California Supreme Court decision on Prop 8. Source Brooklyn: 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. More Info New York: --5/17: Broadway Impact, a rally in support of love, peace, and marriage equality for all people, will be held from 5 pm-7 pm on Sunday, May 17 at Sixth Avenue and 44th Street. More Info --Day of Decision: Gathering planned the day of decision. More Info --articles--> California Republicans Should Fear Prop 8, by Scott Olin Schmidt Source Being Malcolm Smith, by Nathan Riley Source ----------------------------------------------- USA, NEVADA: --news--> 5/13: Domestic partner bill approved by Judiciary Committee, now goes to the Assembly floor where a vote will likely occur later this week. Source 5/15: The Nevada Assembly voted 26-14 Friday to approve a bill that gives domestic partners, whether gay or straight, many of the rights and benefits that Nevada offers to married couples. Source ----------------------------------------------- USA, NORTH CAROLINA: --news--> 5/14: An attempt in the state legislature to get a gay marriage ban on the North Carolina ballot was derailed. Source --upcoming events--> Charlottesville: Day of Decision: Gathering planned at 6pm. More Info ----------------------------------------------- USA, PENNSYLVANIA: --upcoming events--> Philadelphia: 6/14: Philadelphia Pride More Info ----------------------------------------------- USA, RHODE ISLAND: --news--> 5/13: Lawmakers held a heated debate, but no vote, on gay marriage. Source ----------------------------------------------- USA, TENNESSEE: 5/12: State says couple's marriage is invalid after it's revealed wife is transgender - TN does not recognize gender changes. Source ----------------------------------------------- USA, TEXAS: --upcoming events--> Dallas: --Day of Decision: Queer Liberaction, a local direct action group organized in the wake of Prop 8's passage last November, is already planning to hold a rally at 7 p.m. at the intersection of Cedar Springs Road and Oak Lawn Avenue on the Day of Decision, when the CA Supreme Court announces their decision. More Info --Ongoing: Dallas: Queer Liberaction meetings, 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month at Buli Cafe, located at 3908 Cedar Springs. Meetings start at 7 pm. More Info Houston: Day of Decision: Gathering planned at 5:30pm on the day of decision. For more information, contact Meghan Baker: More Info San Antonio: Day of Decision: Rally on the day of the California Supreme Court decision on Prop 8. More Info ----------------------------------------------- USA, WASHINGTON --upcoming events--> Seattle: Day of Decision: Gather at 5pm at Westlake Corner Park, 400 Pine Street. More Info ----------------------------------------------- USA, WASHINGTON DC --articles--> Leonard Pitts Jr.: Marion Barry draws a blank on leadership, by Leonard Pitts Source Blacks and gays in D.C.: It’s complicated, by Jonetta Rose Barras Source ----------------------------------------------- USA, WISCONSIN --news--> 5/13: Governor Jim Doyle’s 2009-2011 budget proposal includes a domestic partner registry, which would grant gay and lesbian couples some of the legal rights offered to married couples. Source 5/14: The State Supreme Court has agreed to review a challenge to a constitutional amendment that bans gay marriage. Source 5/15: An analysis prepared for lawmakers says Gov. Jim Doyle's plan to give same-sex couples some legal protections likely does not violate the state ban on gay marriage. Source --articles--> Domestic partner protections gain support, but not from all, by Robert Mentzer Source ----------------------------------------------- fini