Documentary on California Gay Marriage Fight To Open West Hollywood Film Festival

A documentary on California's gay marriage fight is set to open the West Hollywood International Film Festival (WHIFF) Wednesday. Annul Victory officially debuted in May at the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival but next week's screening is certain to feel like a homecoming for producer and viewers alike. The documentary centers on Robin Tyler and Diane Olson, one of the 14 original gay couples involved in the landmark California Supreme Court lawsuit that opened gay marriage in the state for a brief five months in 2008. Filmmakers follow the couple as they ride a rollercoaster of feelings. First their joy as they legally marry, followed by agony as voters approve a gay marriage ban that places the legality of their new marriage in question. Full Story from On Top Magazine

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Maine Gay Marriage Supporters Collect 60K Pledges to Vote Against Repeal

Supporters of gay marriage have gathered more than 60,000 signatures from people pledging to vote against a repeal of Maine's new law allowing same sex marriage. The group that now calls themselves No On One/Protect Maine Equality says the signatures were gathered mostly by volunteers and are from people from Fort Kent to Kittery and everywhere in between. Organizers hope to get 150-thousand pledges by election day. Opponents of gay marriage remain focused on gathering their own signatures for a petition to put a repeal vote on the November ballot. Stand For Marriage Maine will submit their signatures to the Secretary of State on Friday. They will not say how many they've gathered, only that it is well in excess of of the 55,000 required. Full Story from WCSH6

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House Subcommittee: Extend Some Benefits to G/L Partners of Federal Employees

Reflecting changing national views on gay and lesbian relationships, a House subcommittee voted Thursday to extend employee benefits to the same-sex partners of federal workers. The debate that preceded the 5 to 3 vote along party lines quickly moved beyond the federal workplace and into such fundamental cultural issues as religion, morality and the state of marriage -- heady stuff for a House Oversight and Government Reform panel that more typically deals with the arcane details of government employment. The action by the Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia would grant same-sex partners of federal workers the same benefits provided to spouses of workers, including health insurance and retirement and disability benefits. It would also subject partners to the same obligations of spouses, including abiding by anti-nepotism rules and financial disclosure requirements. Full Story from the Washington Post

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Washington State Anti Gay Marriage Group Turns in Fewer Signatures Than Claimed

Social conservatives who organized the Referendum 71 challenge to domestic-partnership rights for same-sex couples turned in fewer signatures than initially thought. David Ammons of the Office of the Secretary of State said the actual number is 137,689, about 800 fewer than the 138,500 estimated at Saturday’s turn-in of signatures by the Protect Marriage Washington campaign, which is led by Christian faith groups. The signature total is 14 percent more than the 120,577 valid signatures needed for the issue to qualify for the Nov. 3 ballot. That is below the typical 18 percent invalidation rate, raising questions about the measure's viability. Full Story from McClatchy DC

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Quakers in the United Kingdom Accept Gay Marriage

Quakers in the United Kingdom voted to approve same-sex marriage on Friday and called on the government to provide full and equal marriage rights to same-sex couples, reports The Times. The approval represents a first for a mainstream religious group in Britain, where same-sex civil partnerships, but not same-sex marriages, are allowed. More than 1,600 Quakers voted at their annual meeting in York "to treat same sex committed relationships in the same way as opposite sex marriages.” However, the Quakers also agreed that the question of legal recognition by the government is “secondary,” and declined to require Quaker registrars to disobey the law by marrying same-sex couples. Quaker meetings will be urged to petition the government to change relevant laws to recognize same-sex couples. In the immediate future, the Quakers plan to rewrite their prayer book to give same-sex couples the same status as married heterosexual couples. Full Story from the Advocate

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Tacoma Judge Blocks Release of Names of Washington Anti Gay Marriage Petition Signers

A federal judge in Tacoma has temporarily blocked release of the names and addresses of those who signed petitions for Referendum 71, which would repeal a recent law giving gay couples new marriagelike benefits. U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle on Wednesday afternoon granted a temporary restraining order requested by Protect Washington Families to stop the Secretary of State's Office from making the signers' names public. The order will remain in place until a hearing set for Sept. 3. Full Story from Seattle Times

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Anti Gay Marriage Group in Maine to Turn in Signatures Friday

A group fighting to overturn a new law legalizing same-sex marriage in Maine is planning to turn in an undisclosed number of petition signatures to the Secretary of State on Friday, demanding that the issue go before voters in November. Meanwhile, a group that supports gay marriage, Maine Freedom to Marry, held an open house Wednesday night at the group's new campaign headquarters on Forest Avenue in Portland. Full Story from My Fox Maine

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Albania's Prime Minister Plans to Legalize Gay Marriage

ALBANIA'S recently re-elected Prime Minister Sali Berisha held out the possibility on Thursday of legalising gay marriages despite hostility in the Balkan country. 'A law that could provoke debates and reactions aims to put an end to discrimination and will allow civil unions between same-sex persons,' he said in a government statement. Mr Berisha said there was 'a certain hostility towards minorities' in Albania and called on citizens to respect 'the standards of other European countries.' Full Story from Straits Times

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New Study: Support for Gay Marriage Rising Steadily, But Politicians Don't Follow Suit

According to a comprehensive new analysis of public opinion surveys conducted over the last 15 years, support for the legalization of same-sex marriage has grown substantially in the United States. Among other conclusions, two political science professors at Columbia University found reluctance among state and local policymakers to expand equal rights laws and protections even where majorities of voters support them. The state-by-state analysis of polling data, titled "Gay Rights in the States: Public Opinion and Policy Responsiveness," tracks trends over time on eight policies affecting gay and lesbian rights: same-sex marriage, civil unions, employment non-discrimination, housing non-discrimination, hate crimes, second-parent adoption, health benefits for same-sex partners and sodomy laws. Full Story from PhysOrg

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Australian Parliament Extends Some Rights to Gay/Lesbian Couplres - But Not Marriage

The Rudd government has finished its one-year anniversary by honouring an election commitment to remove discrimination against same-sex couples from a wide range of federal laws. The federal parliament on Monday approved changes to superannuation laws that allow same-sex couples to leave entitlements to their partner or children upon death. The Senate also agreed to a bill to extend the meaning of de facto to include same-sex relationships. The legislation brings long-awaited equality to same sex-couples in areas including tax, social security, health, aged care and employment. Full Story from Live News

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Current Miss Universe Supports Gay Marriage

It’s beauty queen versus beauty queen in the gay marriage debate at the moment. Current Miss Universe, Dayana Mendoza, recently told US radio show host Howard Stern that she supports gay marriage. With only four weeks until she’s stripped of her crown anyway, the 23-year-old Venezuelan beauty queen was subjected to similar questioning to that of Miss California Carrie Prejean, but came to a very different conclusion. “Why not?” said Mendoza, when Stern asked if gay marriage should be made legal. “I have gay friends very close and I love to see them happy…you do with your life whatever you want…why not?” Although, Mendoza did say that Miss California was entitled to her opinion. Full Story from Same Same

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Supporters, Opponents Attend 5 Hour Guam Meeting on Domestic Partnership, Gay Marriage

One by one, supporters and opponents of Bill 185 filed into the Legislature's Public Hearing Room for a five-hour public hearing. Emotional at times, members of the community took turns making their arguments both for and against the bill. One such female proponent would say, "Ultimately, the domestic partnership is a piece of paper, a piece of paper that says that the person I chose to spend my life with who happens to be a woman would be the person to decide my fate should I be plugged into life support system." Representing the opposing view, the current president of the Guam Ministerial Association said, "It is also important to understand that measures of this type are demands for lifestyle preferences. It should be separated from any notion of a civil right. As a Guam resident of African-American descent, I am sickened by such comparisons." Heated emotional rhetoric poured in as community members articulated their views on this personal matter. Some opponents questioned the purpose of marriage, as housewife Julie Blas said, "The reason of marriage is the procreation of the human race. You are to have family to bear children. That is the sole purpose of marriage." Full Story from KUAM.com

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UK Company Launches Gay Wedding TV Channel

Pink Weddings, a UK company that specializes in wedding/civil union planning services for same-sex couples, contacted [itvt] Tuesday to let us know that it is planning to launch a channel called TogetherTV that will be devoted to gay and lesbian weddings, on September 1st. The company says that the channel will be launched as a "sub-channel" on TV Polari, which is billed as the first UK-launched and globally broadcast lifestyle IPTV channel for a gay and lesbian audience. TV Polari, which launched in 2007, is available both online and--via IP set-top boxes connected to the Global Digital Broadcast platform--on living-room TV sets. Full Story from itvt.com

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New Study: More Catholics = Gay Marriage?

Want to predict which state might move next to legalize same-sex marriage? You might count Catholics. The higher their percentage of the population, the more likely the state is to... support gay rights. This counter-intuitive finding is brought to you with a tip of two hats -- mine to Mark Silk at Spiritual Politics and his to Robbie Jones who led Silk to a new study soon by be published by two Columbia University political scientists. Jeffrey Lax and Justin Phillips examined public support and resulting political policy on eight issues including marriage, housing, adoption and hate crimes. Full Story from USA Today

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Gay Marriage Legislation to Be Introduced Soon to Repeal DOMA

The effort to repeal the federal ban against same-sex marriages will not include extending rights to LGBT couples in domestic partnerships or civil unions, the Bay Area Reporter has learned. But it will include a "certainty provision" requiring states to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-New York), in an exclusive interview with the B.A.R. while attending the annual Human Rights Campaign gala in San Francisco Saturday, July 25, ruled out including anything other than legally recognized marriages in the legislation he plans to introduce either this week or once Congress returns from its August recess. "No, it will not include domestic partnerships or civil unions. It is going to be just marriage," said Nadler, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, and therefore, will be the lead sponsor of legislation aimed at repealing the federal Defense of Marriage Act. Full Story from Edge Boston

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Rick Santorum Joins National Organization for Marriage

Former US Senator, Rick "Man on Dog" Santorum [R-PA] is lending his name to National Organization for Marriage. Who's next? Joe the Dumber Plumber? Santorum's pitch against marriage equality is that same-sex marriage is a "nightmare." He is also conforming with the NOM meme that judges who rule in favor of marriage equality are "anti-marriage." Yet, I am still waiting for one of these theocrats to explain how any couple's same-sex marriage affects any other couple's "traditional" marriage. Overall, this is a pretty standard send us some money. There is a Palinesque framing of progressives as "elite" and DOMA is described as defense of children. This was probably written by one of NOM's high-priced political consultants. NOM uses the same PR firm that the swift boaters used and they have also hired a brigade of bigots as spin doctors. Full Story from Tips-Q.com

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Christian Right Trying to Derail Marriage Debate in Australia

Australian Marriage Equality (AME) has issued an urgent call to supporters of marriage equality to contact delegates to this week’s ALP National Conference. AME spokesperson Alex Greenwich said far-right Christian groups are conducting a concerted delegate lobbying campaign that may see marriage equality knocked off the Conference agenda. “Unless LGBT people and our families and supporters raise their voices now, opponents of equality may succeed in sidelining marriage equality at this week’s conference,” Greenwich said. Full Story from SSO

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Amnesty International Leader Calls Irish Civil Partnership Bill "Cowardly"

Civil partnership legislation planned for the Republic is cowardly, rooted in bigotry and treats gay people as second-class citizens, an Amnesty International leader has said. The organisation's executive director in the south, Colm O'Gorman, attacked the proposed legislation as he prepared to address a Gay Pride event on the subject in Belfast. Mr O'Gorman will use the annual Amnesty Belfast Pride lecture to repeat his claims that the legislation unveiled by Justice Minister Dermot Ahern last month does not go far enough. The minister has said the Civil Partnership Bill gives people in long-term and same-sex relationships many of the rights of married couples, but could not go further without breaching the Irish constitution. But Mr O'Gorman said: "At a time when countries around the world are moving forward, ending inequalities, we are enshrining discrimination in Irish law." Full Story from the AP

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Australian Prime Minister: No to Gay Marriage, No to Civil Unions

KEVIN Rudd has guaranteed he will resist any attempt at this week's Australian Labor Party conference to allow gay marriage or civil unions that mimic marriage. After the party's Tasmanian branch narrowly backed a motion endorsing gay marriage at the weekend, the Prime Minister said through a spokesman yesterday that marriage was a commitment between a man and a woman. "We support the removal of discrimination from same-sex couples and from de facto heterosexual couples when it comes to basic arrangements in terms of tax, superannuation and the rest, and also a nationally consistent relationships register," the spokesman said. "But when it comes to civil unions, as it is described, civil unions mean the effective amendment of the Marriage Act, and that is something we don't support." Full Story from The Australian

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Wisconsin Domestic Partner Registry Opens Next Week

Starting August 3 Wisconsinites can register for domestic partnerships in the county where they live. In fact, it makes Wisconsin the first state with a constitutional ban on gay marriage make domestic partnerships legal. Bayfield County Clerk Scott Fibert says that the fee will be $60 in Bayfield County. The fee changes from county to county. He says people should be prepared to bring a couple forms of ID. “But you will need a birth certificate, a proof of residence because if you’re getting it in Bayfield County, we have to make sure that one of them or both of them live in Bayfield County.” Full Story from Business North

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Gay Couples Still Being Registered as "Partners" in Sweden After Gay Marriage Legalized

Gay marriage has been permitted in Sweden since May, but the country's bureaucrats are proving slow to catch on. Same-sex couples who tie the knot are still being registered by the tax office as domestic partners. The error concerns most paperwork concerning same-sex married couples, although couples ordering personal ID papers (personbevis) from the office should find they are accorded the correct status. The Swedish Tax Agency blames the problem on the fact that the law came into effect with little warning. Officials said the necessary changes to their computer systems would not be in place until November. Full Story from The Local

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Fight Over Guam Domestic Partner Bill Continues

Last November, on their fifth anniversary, Peter and Eric San Nicolas took a trip to San Fransisco, California and joined the thousands of other same-sex couples who traveled to the state for a marriage license or domestic partnership certificate. "This is my ring. It's my Tiffany. Yes, we are normal people," said Peter. "We shop at Tiffany," Eric added. In California, the Domestic Partnership Rights and Responsibilities Act of 2003 says couples who registered with the state of California have the same rights and responsibilities as those granted to opposite-sex couples registered with the state. Basic rights like health care, insurance benefits, protections upon death of a partner and tax benefits are rights that married couples enjoy and in states like California, New Jersey, Nevada, and Colorado, these same benefits are recognized for individuals who have a domestic partnership. The fight for equal rights in Guam has spilled over into a secular battle where the Catholic Church and the words of Archbishop Anthony Apuron have set a tone that many devoted Catholics believe is God's will. "The Archdiocese of Agana's position to Bill 138 has not changed," his Excellency said in an earlier interview with KUAM News. "[The] newly amended Bill 138 remains an affront to the institution of marriage. It incorporates new phrases, but has the same intent of the original bill." Full Story from KUAM.com

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120 March Thru Salinas, California for Gay Marriage in Last Pride

As she waved a large rainbow-colored flag, Salinas Valley Pride President Lisa Fortes-Schramm led about 120 people in a chant. "What do we want? Equal rights! When do we want Úem? Now!" Several passing cars honked in support as the group marched Sunday in Oldtown Salinas calling for gay-marriage rights. The event also marked the last day for the group after three years in operation. The Salinas group's two remaining board members are moving away and it remains to be seen who will now organize the annual gay rights parade and march. Full Story from The Californian

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Attorney Olson Calls Gay Marriage a "Conservative Value"

Ted Olson, the conservative half of the team arguing for gay marriage in a federal court in California, told the Los Angeles Times that gay marriage is a “conservative value,” among other things, over the weekend. Along with David Boies, Olson has been hired by the newly-minted American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) to represent a gay couple and a lesbian couple who would like to marry but cannot because of Proposition 8, California's voter-approved gay marriage ban upheld as constitutional by the state Supreme Court in May. Olson-Boies' argument is simple: Marriage is a constitutional right regardless of sexual orientation. Full Story from On Top Magazine

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Gay Marriage Watch: July 19th-25th

Here's our Sunday weekly recap of the latest news on gay marriage from around the world. Our favorite thing of the week? This unintentionally hillarious letter by Jane H. Mullin to the Maine Kennebec Journal: Many highly intelligent and scholared people are living the gay lifestyle. Why then have they not taken the time to come up with their own symbols and term for marriage? In doing so, I believe they would quickly convince the naysayers on the subject of gay marriage. For example, two men joined could be "yang-joined" and two women joined could be "yin-joined." When little Johnny says, "Mommy why are those two men holding hands?" Mommy can say, "Because they are 'yang joined.'" Ok, admit it - you got the same picture in your head that I did when she said "they are yang-joined." Yeah, conservatives are funny. :) Hero of the Week: To N. E. Francis, for this: "In June 2009, I decided to do something bold, something I had never seen another heterosexual reporter do. I would write one article a day for the month of June exclusively on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender artists" Why? "I heard the news about the California Supreme Court's decision regarding Proposition 8, in which same-sex marriage was once again illegal in California (although the 18,000 same-sex marriages that had already occurred would still be binding). I immediately thought of my dear friend, Marie Cartier, who was one of the 18,000 same-sex couples who legally married in 2008... Needless to say, my heart was broken. I couldn't understand why there was still such fear over lesbians and gays. And that’s when the idea hit me—I would spend the month of June (which was Gay Pride month) covering the LGBT arts and entertainment community. Maybe I could change at least one person’s mind, open up one individual’s heart or make a difference in one person’s life." Go, N.E., go! Woody Award: Our woody award this week goes to George Shook, a letter writer from Oskaloosa, Iowa, for this lovely screed: Is anybody else upset with the way America is going? "Let me give a few examples of what we are losing while you sit on your chair and hope it goes away! 1. The sanctity of marriage was destroyed by gay-oriented judges and gay-loving politicians. 2. The family is being torn apart by the gays with kids.... 3. Christianity is under attack by gay politicians. Even freedom of speech was taken away while you slept! The Mathew Shepherd hate crime bill has put a muzzle on all churches who are right that homosexuality is a sin to God. 4. We used to teach morals and patriotism in schools. Now it is gays ... in classes to teach our children that being gay is OK." OK, I'll give Mister Shook most of his events here, even though I don't agree with his conclusions about them. But you gotta love the irony of a man using his freedom of speech to claim that his freedom of speech has been taken away. "5. They have taken “In God We Trust” from the Pledge of Allegiance. 6. We used to enforce legal citizenship. Politicians ruined that. 7. The gays want to take do not ask do not tell away from our military. Our military is number one in the world. Gays and politicians will change that." OK, number 5? That never happened. And $7? Used to be, until Bush spread it out too thin in a war we didn't need in a country that never attacked us. "8. We used to have cheap gas and food prices. Politicians changed that, too. Look at the disaster of socialism in other countries. Obama health care will bring America to its knees." OK, how, exactly, do 8 years of ruinous Bush policies that shot the prices of commodities through the roof relate to Obama's health care plan? And there they go, throwing around the S word again... "The gays and politicians have ripped the moral fabric of this state. It is time to stand up and say enough is enough! May God show mercy on Iowa and America. We must get Gov. Culver, Pat Murphy, Mike Gronstal, Eric Palmer, Tom Rielly, Tom Harkin and all other gay supporters out of office!" Hmmm... Gov. Culver is hardly a big gay supporter... in fact, he tried to get gay marriage banned in Iowa last year. I guess because he follows the law and the state constitution that says the Governor can't overturn a Supreme Court decision, that automatically makes him a commie pinko, huh? Mostly, though, it's just sad that Mister Shook rails and rants about things with which he has no personal experience, and mixes up the misdeeds of the Bush administration with the efforts of the curent one when it tries to do something for average Americans like himself. Enjoy youe woody, Mister Shook! 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 gay marriage 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 updates daily, 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: --australia gay marriage news--> 7/21: Marriage equality has at least one union boss on its side ahead of this month’s ALP national conference. Source 7/26: Federal Labor is under increased pressure to endorse same-sex marriage after the party's Tasmanian state conference passed a motion supporting it, gay rights activists say. Source --upcoming australia gay marriage events--> Sydney: 8/1: The organisers of a huge protest for gay marriage in New South Wales hope over 400 same-sex couples set a world record by sharing vows on Saturday 1 August, as Australia's LGBT community continues to fight for gay marriage. More Info Melbourne: 8/1: Another protest is planned for Melbourne on the same day as the Sydney protest. More Info --australia gay marriage articles--> Gay Aussies Seek Marriage Equality, by Killian Melloy Source ---------------------------------------------- CANADA: --canada gay marriage news--> 7/23: A Saskatchewan Court of Queen’s Bench ruling, publicly released Thursday, upheld a decision by a human rights tribunal that found Regina marriage commissioner Orville Nichols had discriminated against a same-sex couple by declining to marry them. Source ---------------------------------------------- GUAM: --guam gay marriage news--> 7/21: Arguments continue over Guam domestic partnership bill. Source ---------------------------------------------- HONDURAS: --honduras gay marriage news--> 7/23: The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission on July 17 condemned “the recent murder and arbitrary arrests of ... LGBT activists in Honduras.” “IGLHRC has learned that these human rights abuses have occurred as a direct result of the military coup on June 28 ... which ousted that country’s democratically elected government,” the group said. Source ---------------------------------------------- INDIA: --india gay marriage news--> 7/20: The Supreme Court on Monday declined to pass an interim order to stay the Delhi High Court verdict legalising gay sex among consenting adults. Source --articles--> ---------------------------------------------- IRELAND: --ireland gay marriage news--> Ireland's "Harvey Milk" says marriage equality fight must go on, by Carla Marinucci Source Is same-sex marriage just a bridge too far in Ireland? by TP O'Mahony Source ---------------------------------------------- LUXEMBORG: --luxemborg gay marriage news--> 7/22: New discussions on gay marriage as part of the agenda of the coalition delighted associations. Source ---------------------------------------------- LITHUANIA: --lithuania gay marriage news--> 7/23: The Lithuanian Parliament on July 14 overrode a presidential veto of a bill that bans from schools and public places any information that “agitate(s) for homosexual, bisexual and polygamous relations.” The vote was 87-6. Source ---------------------------------------------- NETHERLANDS: --upcoming netherlands gay marriage 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 ---------------------------------------------- POLAND: --poland gay marriage news--> 7/21: A survey by GfK Polonia reveals that Seventy-five percent of Poles oppose legalisation of same-sex marriage and 87% say gay couples shouldn't be allowed to adopt children. Source --poland gay marriage articles--> Polish Law and Justice Party confirms it's still homophobic despite joining forces with the Tories in Europe, by Jessica Geen Source ---------------------------------------------- ROMANIA: --romania gay marriage articles--> 7/22: Arizona's Alliance Defense Fund claims credit for changes to Romanian law to prevent gay marriage. Source ---------------------------------------------- RUSSIA: --russia gay marriage articles--> 7/22: Lesbian couple travelling to Canada to marry, will return home and ask Russia to recognize their marrriage. Source 7/24: Russia’s human rights ombudsman, V.P. Lukin, met with members of the Russian LGBT Network on July 15 and received a “discrimination monitoring report” prepared by the network and the Moscow Helsinki Group. Source ---------------------------------------------- SPAIN: --spain gay marriage articles--> Holding hands in public, by Cristina Mateo-Yanguas Source ---------------------------------------------- SWEDEN: --sweden gay marriage articles--> Lesbians In Sweden More Likely To Tie The Knot, from Lez Get Real Source ---------------------------------------------- UNITED KINGDOM: --united kingdom gay marriage news--> 7/20: THE Isle of Lewis is set to see its first gay wedding today when children's TV presenter Andrew Robertson ties the knot with long-term partner Craig Atkins. Source --upcoming united kingdom gay marriage 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: --usa gay marriage news--> 7/22: Gay rights activist, author and artist Charles Merrill was denied joint filing status by the United States Tax Court. The court's holding requires Merrill pay the federal government nearly a million dollars for not paying taxes in 2004 and 2005, a time during which he and his partner were publicly committed and residing in North Carolina. Source 7/23: The annual meeting of Quakers is to consider whether to request legal authority to register civil partnerships in the same way as marriages. Source 7/25: New Marc Jacobs T-Shirts: "I pay my taxes, I want my RIGHTS!" Source --upcoming usa gay marriage events--> 8/15: The Great Nationwide Kiss-In, on Saturday, August 15, 2009, at 2 p.m., EDT (or 11 a.m., PDT). More Info --usa gay marriage articles--> Obama & the New Gay Civility, by Susie Day Source That darn gay thing, by Max Lindenman Source Olson & Boies Scare the Hell Out of NOM, by David Hart Source ---------------------------------------------- USA, CALIFORNIA: --california gay marriage news--> 7/22: --Ten billboard advertisements against what activist Terry Kemple called the separation "lie" are being put up across Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. Source --Some of California's top political consultants are advising the gay community to wait until 2012 before trying to overturn Prop 8. Source 7/23: --Rev. Eric Lee and supporters in the L.A. chapter are fighting back against the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's attempts to fire him over his support for gay marriage, essentially arguing that the national board does not have the authority to remove him. Lee is also thought to be seeking support from other SCLC chapters around the country. Source --Porterville city council votes by slim margin to allow drafting of resolution against bill to recognize marriages performed outside the state. Source 7/24: --The city of San Francisco asked a federal judge today for the right to become an official party in a lawsuit challenging California's ban on same-sex marriage. Source --Kathy Griffin canvasses for gay marriage on The D List. Source 7/25: A straw poll of same sex marraige leaders gathered in San Bernardino Saturday just came in: The majority want to return to the ballot in 2010 to try to overturn Proposition 8. Final count of the nonbinding measure: 93 people voted to go in 2010, 49 in 2012 and 20 undecided. Source --upcoming california gay marriage events--> Fullerton: 8/9: Canvassing for Marriage Equality with Team Courage OC- Fullerton, 12 PM. More Info Hayward: --8/20: Tabling in Hayward for Marriage Equality! Alameda County. 5:30-8:30 PM. More Info --9/17: Tabling in Hayward for Marriage Equality! Alameda County. :530-8:30 PM. More Info Los Angeles: --8/1: Los Angeles Equality Awards. More Info --Every Monday: LA Equal Roots Meeting. More Info Merced: --7/30: Merced Equality Team get acquainted (Social). 6-7 PM. More Info --8/22: Merced County Equality Team introduction, 6 PM. More Info Mountain View/Sunnyvale: 8/22: Canvassing event, 11 AM. More Info Palm Springs: --10/17: Palm Springs Equality Awards More Info --11/7-11/8: Palm Springs Pride More Info Riverside: 7/22: Get engaged tour event. 7-9 PM. More Info Sacramento: --7/26: Neighborhood Walk/Canvass in the Pocket Area with the Sacramento Equality Team. 5-8 PM. More Info --7/31: Volunteer Potluck For the Sacramento Equality Team! (Houseparty). 7-9 PM. More Info Santa Clara, CA: 7/26: A coalition of local grass-roots organizations, including Marriage Equality Silicon Valley and the Santa Clara County Equality Team of the Courage Campaign, are coming together to support the efforts of EqualityMaine to ensure that the No on 1: Protect Maine Equality Campaign wins in the fall.  The first phonebanking event is Sunday, July 26th, 1pm-5pm. Please RSVP directly to greg@belaus.com. Sunnyvale: 8/22: Canvassing in Mountain View/Sunnyvale with the Santa Clara Equality Team (Equality Team Event), 11 AM-4 PM. More Info Tarzana: 8/20: SFV Equality Team Kickoff Meeting, 7-9 PM. More Info Victorville: 8/8: High Desert Courage Team Mixer (Houseparty). 6 PM-2 AM. More Info --california gay marriage articles--> Gay marriage and the Constitution: Attorney David Boies previews argument for Prop 8 SCOTUS case, by Sarah Estrella Source Why I wrote 30-plus days of articles on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender artists, by NE Francis Source History Is on My Side, Says Calif. Justice Who Voted Against Gay-Marriage Ban, by Mike McKee Source ---------------------------------------------- USA, ILLINOIS: --illinois gay marriage articles--> Gay Rights Equal Civil Rights: Illinois Needs To Say So, by Carol Martin Source ---------------------------------------------- USA, IOWA: --iowa gay marriage news--> 7/22: State Rep. Rod Roberts said he is exploring a possible run for Iowa governor and that if elected he will push for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in Iowa. Source ---------------------------------------------- USA, MAINE: --maine gay marriage news--> 7/20: A group of men from Pennsylvania is in Maine this week supporting the concept that marriage is between a man and woman. Source 7/25: The campaign finance report for the effort to overturn gay marriage in Maine shows a total of $340,000 donated to date, including $100k from the Catholic Church, $50KKnights of Columbus, $31K from Focus on the Family, and $160K from NOM. Of the $340,000 raised, Maine residents (4 people) donated a total of $400. Source --upcoming gay marriage events--> Santa Clara, CA: 7/26: A coalition of local grass-roots organizations, including Marriage Equality Silicon Valley and the Santa Clara County Equality Team of the Courage Campaign, are coming together to support the efforts of EqualityMaine to ensure that the No on 1: Protect Maine Equality Campaign wins in the fall.  The first phonebanking event is Sunday, July 26th, 1pm-5pm. Please RSVP directly to greg@belaus.com. --------------------------------------------- USA, MASSACHUSETTS: --massachusetts gay marriage news--> 7/20: Google is accused of pulling MassResistance.org, the Massachusetts straight-marriage only advocacy site, from its search engine. Source --------------------------------------------- USA, MINNESOTA: --minnesota gay marriage news--> 7/22: The St. Paul City Council is set to pass an ordinance today that will create a registry for domestic partners in the city. Source --------------------------------------------- USA, NEW HAMPSHIRE: --new hampshire gay marriage news--> 7/22: A new poll shows that by a margin of 49-41 percent, New Hampshire likely voters disapprove of the law that made the state the sixth nationwide to legalize "marriage" for gay couples. Source --------------------------------------------- USA, NEW JERSEY: --upcoming new jersey gay marriage events--> Maple Shade: 8/4: Fight for rights (Social), a time for all gays/bisexuals to express their problems and differances without judgement. 4-6 PM. More Info ----------------------------------------------- USA, NEW YORK: --new york gay marriage news--> 7/21: Anti gay marriage professor chosen to teach human rights course at NYU. Source --upcoming new york gay marriage events--> 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 ----------------------------------------------- USA, TEXAS: --texas gay marriage news--> 7/23: Texas town sign: "Gay Rights Are Not Civil Rights." Source ----------------------------------------------- USA, WASHINGTON: --washington gay marriage articles--> 7/21: A political fight over the rights of same-sex couples is drawing nearer in Washington. Source 7/24: As part of an effort to broaden its political identity, the Vancouver-based YWCA of Clark County has become the most prominent local voice against Referendum 71, a proposed ballot issue whose backers are still rushing to gather more than 120,577 signatures by Saturday afternoon. Source 7/25: --Gay man in Washington State tapes domestic partner signature collection fraud. Source --If the campaign to overturn Washington State's new domestic partner law has enough valid signatures, the law would not take effect unless approved by voters in the November election. It was scheduled to begin today. Source --Sponsors of a campaign to overturn Washington state's domestic partnership law turned in 138,000 petition signatures Saturday and said they believe they have enough to force a public vote. 120,577 valid signatures are needed. Source ----------------------------------------------- USA, WEST VIRGINIA: --west virginia gay marriage articles--> Little middle ground in W.Va. gay marriage debate, by Lawrence Messina Source ----------------------------------------------- USA, WISCONSIN: --wisconsin gay marriage articles--> 7/23: Members of a social conservative group asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Thursday to invalidate the state’s new domestic partnership law. Source --wisconsin gay marriage articles--> Wisconsin group: Domestic partnership rhymes with marriage, by Madison Conservative Source Courts unlikely to strike down new domestic partner registry until after it begins, from the Hudson Star Observer Source Area same-sex couples prepare to file for domestic partnership, from the AP Source Our View: Leave domestic partner registry alone, from the Wasau Daily Herald Source ----------------------------------------------- fini

Gay Marriage Groups Gatherd in San Bernardino Support Gay Marriage Ban Overturn Effort in 2010

A straw poll of same sex marraige leaders gathered in San Bernardino Saturday just came in: The majority want to return to the ballot in 2010 to try to overturn Proposition 8. Final count of the nonbinding measure: 93 people voted to go in 2010, 49 in 2012 and 20 undecided. The next step: Leaders will return to their organizations and then a final decision will be made in a couple of weeks. If they're going to go for it in 2010, they'd better hurry. Ballot language is due to the Attorney General by Sept. 25. Oh, yeah. And they still need a leader. And a leadership structure. And a decision-making process. Full Story from SFGate

Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage resources in California.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com with "subscribe blog" as the subject. Or 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.

Anti Gay Group Turns in 138K Signatures in Washington; 120K Valid Signatures Needed

Sponsors of a campaign to overturn Washington state's domestic partnership law turned in their petition signatures Saturday and said they believe they have enough to force a public vote. The expanded "everything but marriage" domestic partnership law was scheduled to take effect Sunday, but is now delayed until the signatures can be counted, a process that could take up to a month. To qualify for the November ballot, supporters of Referendum 71 must have 120,577 voter signatures. Supporters say they have about 138,000 signatures. Full Story from Victoria Advocate

Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage resources in Washington.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com with "subscribe blog" as the subject. Or 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.

Federal Labor's Tasmania Conference in Australia Supports Gay Marriage

Federal Labor is under increased pressure to endorse same-sex marriage after the party's Tasmanian state conference passed a motion supporting it, gay rights activists say. The Tasmanian motion passed on Sunday calls on the federal government to remove discrimination against gay and lesbian couples by changing the Marriage Act to include same-sex couples. Labor's current policy supports state-based relationship registers for same-sex couples. Full Story from the Brisbane Times

Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage resources in Australia.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com with "subscribe blog" as the subject. Or 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.