Gay Marriage Watch: Gay Marriage Events List 2/28/10

Gay Marriage Watch Events List:

We now publish a weekly recap of all the upcoming gay marriage events we can find. Know about something that's not on this list? Email us the information at info@purpleunions.com.

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

Upcoming Gay Marriage Events (in Country, State, City Order)

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN AUSTRALIA

Australia, NSW, Sydney: 3/3: NMG’s Dinner at the Zoo, to raise money for Australian Marriage Equality (AME). http://tinyurl.com/yjcc8ks
Australia, NSW, Sydney: 3/20: National Year of Action Launch, Town Hall, 1 PM. http://bit.ly/mnINL
Australia, QLD, Brisbane: 3/20: Marriage Equality Rally, Queens Park, 1 PM. http://bit.ly/aAQSYv
Australia, VIC, Melbourne: 3/5: Marriage Equality Speakout, Crnr Bourke & Swanson, 5:30 PM. http://bit.ly/cT0LVn
Australia, VIC, Melbourne: 3/13: Marriage Equality Rally, State Libarary, 1 PM. http://bit.ly/cT0LVn
Australia, VIC, Melbourne: 5/15: National Day of Action, State Libarary, 1 PM. http://bit.ly/cT0LVn

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN ITALY

Italy, Rome: 3/23: Constitutional Court Gay Marriage Ruling Due. http://bit.ly/bm2MSE

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN MEXICO

Mexico, Merida: 2/28: Gay Kiss In, Plaza Grande, 2 PM. http://bit.ly/b1OC6B

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN MUMBAI

India, Mumbai: 4/22-4/25: Queer Film Festival. http://bit.ly/6kcDhP

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

UK, England, Brighton: 11/14: Gay wedding show, The Corn Exchange, 12-4:30 PM. http://bit.ly/rMWTT
UK, England, London: 3/7: Gay wedding show, St. James Hotel, 12-4:30 PM. http://bit.ly/rMWTT
UK, England, Manchester: 10/10: Gay wedding show, Ramada Piccadilly, 12-4:30 PM. http://bit.ly/rMWTT
UK, Wales, Cardiff: 10/3: Gay wedding show, Cardiff City Hall, 12-4:30 PM. http://bit.ly/rMWTT

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN ALABAMA

AL, Huntsville: 3/15: Soulforce 2010 Equality Ride Stop, Oakwood University. http://bit.ly/chHIjx

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN CALIFORNIA

CA, Hollywood: 2/28: Prop 8 Signature Gathering, Farm Mkt, 8 AM-1 PM. http://bit.ly/9jhBO0
CA, Hollywood: 3/3-3/7: ManifestEquality Art & Music Supporting Equality, 1341 Vine St. http://bit.ly/765A20
CA, Santa Monica: 2/28: Prop 8 Signature Gathering, Farm Mkt, 9:30 AM-1:30 PM. http://bit.ly/9jhBO0
CA, Studio City: 2/28: Prop 8 Signature Gathering, Farm Mkt, 10 AM-2 PM. http://bit.ly/9jhBO0
CA, Long Beach: 2/28: Courage Academy Workshop, TBD. http://bit.ly/aEAXJp
CA, Los Angeles: Every Monday: LA Equal Roots Meeting. http://tinyurl.com/ntkal4
CA, Los Angeles: Every Thursday: Voter canvass training, at The Village, 6:30-9:30 PM. http://tinyurl.com/yzl5bh3
CA, Los Angeles: 3/3: Proposition 8 & Marriage Equality, USC Law Scl, Rm 3, 4-6:30 PM. http://bit.ly/9gihNI
CA, Los Angeles: 3/4: Celebration of Marriage Equality in Mexico City, El Paseo Inn, 5-7 PM. http://bit.ly/dpmUB5
CA, Los Angeles: 3/3-3/7: Manifest Equality Art Show, 1341 Vine St. http://bit.ly/8XAZ7E
CA, Los Angeles: 3/24: Los Angeles Awards Kickoff, East West Lounge, 6:30-8 PM. http://bit.ly/aPa1EY
CA, Los Feliz: 3/14: EQCA Fundraiser at Sowden House, 5-7 PM. http://bit.ly/94zZhB
CA, Palm Springs: Every Saturday: Equality Happy Hour, Hamburger Mary's, 4-7 PM. http://bit.ly/bKvO8V
CA, Rancho Mirage: 2/28: Faith & Marriage Forum, Tolerance Ctr, 3-5 PM. jorge@eqca.org
CA, Rancho Mirage: 3/29-4/4: Buy tkts to Kraft Nabisco Golf Championship Thru EQCA, Fundraiser. http://bit.ly/dbl9Sx
CA, Sacramento: 4/26: Queer Youth Advocacy Day. http://bit.ly/9sleYK
CA, Sacramento: 5/11: Harvey Milk Day Org Meeting, Hamburger Patties, 6 PM. http://bit.ly/aon6jX
CA, Sacramento: 5/22: Harvey Milk Day Rally, State Capitol, 11-3 PM. http://bit.ly/aon6jX
CA, San Francisco: Every Thursday: One Struggle One Fight Meeting, 7 PM. http://bit.ly/7HQ8D4
CA, West Hollywood: Every Tuesday: Love Honor Cherish Meeting. 7:30 PM. http://tinyurl.com/r2kruq
CA, West Hollywood: Every Wednesday: Equal Network Meet, Plummer Pk Comm Ctr Bldg. 7-9:30 PM. http://tinyurl.com/nlt3la

CA, West Hollywood: 3/7-3/8: CPK Fundraiser - 20% Goes to Equal Roots (bring flier), CPK Beverly Ctr. http://bit.ly/b0Ktxr
CA, West Hollywood: 3/24: LA Awards Kickoff, East West, 6:30-8 PM. http://bit.ly/aPa1EY

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN DC

Washington DC: 3/20: 400 Couples to Marry, Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium. http://bit.ly/dv99LH
Washington DC: 4/28: Supreme Court Hearing in WA State Petition Signer Case. http://bit.ly/ccJGKW
Washington, DC: 5/2: Same Love Same Rights Wedding Expo, Dupont Circle Hotel. http://bit.ly/8XR7Rm

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN FLORIDA

FL, Daytona Beach: 3/22: Soulforce 2010 Equality Ride Stop, Bethune Cookman University. http://bit.ly/chHIjx
FL, Gainesville: 5/22: Harvey Milk Day Equality Protest, Bo Diddley Plaza, 12-5 PM. http://bit.ly/iHHwf

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN GEORGIA

GA, Atlanta: 3/25: Soulforce 2010 Equality Ride Stop, Morehouse College. http://bit.ly/chHIjx
GA, Atlanta: 4/11: Same Love Same Rights Wedding Expo, Hotel Palomar. http://tinyurl.com/ybpxxy6
GA, Atlanta: 5/17: Int'l Day Against Homophobia, VA Highlands Church, 6-11 PM. http://bit.ly/iHHwf

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN ILLINOIS

IL, Chicago: 3/12-3/14: Unite+Fight LGBT Equality Conference, Columbia College. http://bit.ly/9lhmeS
IL, Chicago: 4/18: Same Love Same Rights Wedding Expo, Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza, 1-4 PM. http://tinyurl.com/ybwrvjj

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN INDIANA


IN, Mishawaka: 4/16: Soulforce 2010 Equality Ride Stop, Bethel College. http://bit.ly/chHIjx

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN IOWA

IA, Cedar Rapids: 3/29: Charity Bingo for One Iowa, Hamburger Mary's, 8-10 PM PM. http://bit.ly/4qRStd
IA, Des Moines: 4/3: Marriage Equality Anniversary Party, Temple for Performing Arts, 6:30-11 PM. http://bit.ly/bTTCkV
IA, Iowa City: 2/25-2/26: Race, Gender, and Class Symposium, U of I. http://bit.ly/5bYy1J
IA, Iowa City: 3/26: Sweet Equality, Hotel Vetro, 5:30-8 PM. http://bit.ly/bbDKLH

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN MAINE

ME, Augusta: 5/28-5/30: LGBT Civil Rights March, Ends at Capitol Park. http://bit.ly/iHHwf

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN MARYLAND

MD, Annapolis: 3/3: Senate Hearing on Marriage Equality Bill, 1 PM. http://bit.ly/blCzeq
MD, Annapolis: 3/4: House Hearing on Marriage Equality Bill, 1 PM. http://bit.ly/blCzeq

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN MINNESOTA

MN, Minneapolis: 3/26: Beyond the Boxes Therapist Convention, Univ of MN. http://bit.ly/duvWTg

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN MISSISSIPPI

MS, Clinton: 3/31: Soulforce 2010 Equality Ride Stop, Mississippi College. http://bit.ly/chHIjx
MS, Jackson: 3/29: Soulforce 2010 Equality Ride Stop, Belhaven University. http://bit.ly/chHIjx

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN MISSOURI

MO, Saint Louis: 2/28: Rally at St. Francis Xavier "College" Church, 9 PM. http://bit.ly/9xnACB
MO, Bolivar: 4/14: Soulforce 2010 Equality Ride Stop, SW Baptist University. http://bit.ly/chHIjx

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN NEBRASKA

NE, Lincoln: 4/21: Soulforce 2010 Equality Ride Stop, Union College. http://bit.ly/chHIjx
NE, Omaha: 3/12-14: Building Bridges to the Future Pride Conference, Magnolia Hotel. http://bit.ly/9qtuXz

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN NEVADA

NV, Summerlin: 11/14: Same Love Same Rights Wedding Expo, JW Marriott, 12:30-3:30 PM. http://bit.ly/9cB2Us

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

NH, Portsmouth: 10/17: Same Love Same Rights Wedding Expo, Sheraton Harborside, 12:30-3:30 PM. http://bit.ly/9XPmfR

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN NEW MEXICO

NM, Albuquerque: 5/22: Harvey Milk Day Equality Protest, TBD. http://bit.ly/iHHwf

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN NEW YORK

NY, Houghton: 3/9: Soulforce 2010 Equality Ride Stop, Houghton College. http://bit.ly/chHIjx
NY, New York: 3/20-3/21: Same Love Same Rights Wedding Expo, Javits Center. http://tinyurl.com/ybpxxy6

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN NORTH CAROLINA

NC, Lillington: 3/18: Soulforce 2010 Equality Ride Stop, Campbell University. http://bit.ly/chHIjx
NC, Wake Forest: 3/17: Soulforce 2010 Equality Ride Stop, SE Baptist Theological Seminary. http://bit.ly/chHIjx

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN OHIO

OH, Canton: 4/23: Soulforce 2010 Equality Ride Stop, Malone University. http://bit.ly/chHIjx

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN OKLAHOMA

OH, Oklahoma City: 3/31: LGBT Lobby Day, State Capitol, 9 AM-2 PM. http://bit.ly/9YPxB7

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN OREGON

OR, Statewide: 6/24: Bites for Rights Benefit for Basic Rights OR. http://bit.ly/4rN6UC
OR, Portland: Every Tuesday: Portland Equal Rights Coalition Meeting, Catholic Workers House. http://tinyurl.com/yfqd2pz
OR, Portland: 4/21: Oregonians Against Discrimination Business Leaders Luncheon, OR Conv Ctr. http://bit.ly/4XUsp6
OR, Portland: 10/2: Basic Rights OR Annual Dinner/Auction, OR Conv Ctr. http://bit.ly/4rN6UC

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN PENNSYLVANIA

PA, Langhorne: 3/7: Same Love Same Rights Wedding Expo, Sheraton Bucks Co. Hotel. http://tinyurl.com/ybpxxy6
PA, Phoenixville: 3/5: Soulforce 2010 Equality Ride Stop, Valley Forge Christian College. http://bit.ly/chHIjx

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN RHODE ISLAND

RI, Providence: 3/2: Love Across Borders: Queer Immigrant Rights Forum, 669 Elmwood Av, 6 PM. http://bit.ly/aUW3vQ
RI, Providence: 3/3: Marriage Equality Rally, State House, 4 PM. http://bit.ly/cSrjHh

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN TENNESSEE

TN, Ooltewah: 3/6: Find the Courage Meeting, Jill & Lorie's House, 7-9 PM. http://bit.ly/8xb0YJ
TN, Knoxville: 3/11: Soulforce 2010 Equality Ride Stop. http://bit.ly/chHIjx

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>>GAY MARRIAGE EVENTS IN TEXAS

TX, Abilene: 4/7-8: Soulforce 2010 Equality Ride Stop, Hardin Simmons University. http://bit.ly/chHIjx
TX, Abilene: 4/9: Soulforce 2010 Equality Ride Stop, Abilene Christian University. http://bit.ly/chHIjx
TX, Austin: 3/4: Soulforce 2010 Equality Ride Begins. http://bit.ly/chHIjx
TX, Waco: 4/6: Soulforce 2010 Equality Ride Stop, Baylor University. http://bit.ly/chHIjx

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fini

India: Being Gay and Indian

I am 33. For the last few years, all my friends, colleagues and acquaintances have been asking just one thing, when am I going to get married. I tell them I was married, well almost, before my girlfriend dumped me and went to the US. I could never forget her. Such a sad love story! It's not true. It's not a lie either. It's fiction. I have constructed this heterosexual love story meticulously, bit by bit, to the last detail - the day I met her, the day we first kissed, the day she dumped me, everything.

No, I'm not in denial; I’m not in closet either. However, I see no point in confusing those who won't understand. On the other hand, people who are important to me, they know about me. The pictures on the walls of my flat are good tell-tale signs.

Yet, at 33, I’m terrified being a gay man, and knowing that this is my life. I live alone, far away from home. I have chosen a profession which gives me enough excuses not to visit home often. Whenever I do, my parents, relatives broach that inevitable subject: Marriage. I tell them, not yet, not yet. I need to settle down first. I have consciously avoided being 'successful,' so as to avoid the marriage business. But, as I keep adding numbers to my age, I know, I'm running short of excuses. I cannot tell my parents I’m gay. I cannot get married either.

Full Story from the Deccan Herald
Click here for gay marriage resources.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. 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.

CA: Both Sides File Written Arguments in Prop 8 Trial

Opposing sides in the legal battle over same-sex marriage in California have laid out their cases in writing to a federal judge, disputing the status of gays and lesbians in society, the nature of marriage, and the motives behind the ballot measure that defined marriage as the union of a man and a woman. "Californians voted for Proposition 8 because they thought it would strengthen the institution of marriage (and) ... because they thought it would benefit children," sponsors of Prop. 8 said Friday night in papers filed in federal court in San Francisco.

Their opponents, representing two same-sex couples and the city of San Francisco, said those purported goals of Prop. 8 were contradicted by overwhelming evidence at a 12-day trial in January that allowing same-sex couples to wed would benefit their children and the institution of marriage. Regardless of the intentions of individual voters, they argued, the Prop. 8 campaign was designed to appeal to fear and deep-seated prejudice.

"The evidence demonstrates that Proposition 8's actual motivation was moral disapproval of gay and lesbian individuals," said the measure's opponents, plaintiffs in the federal court case. They said the ballot measure "sends a message to gay and lesbian individuals that they are not welcome in California."

Full Story from SFGate
Click here for gay marriage resources in California.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. 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.

Cyprus: Government to Consider Legalizing Gay Marriage

THE GOVERNMENT will soon examine the issue of making same-sex marriages legal in Cyprus, Interior Ministry Permanent Secretary Lazaros Savvides has told the Sunday Mail. Savvides said that the intention is to hold a meeting next month involving the Attorney-general's office, Law Commissioner Leda Koursoumba, Ombudswoman Eliana Nicolaou - who also heads the Authority against Racism and Discrimination - as well as senior representatives of the relevant government ministries.

The move was prompted by a letter sent to the Interior Ministry by a man who lives permanently in Cyprus, asking for the law governing civil marriages to be amended to allow same-sex marriages. Savvides said that the Ministry did not think it should take a decision on such a matter on its own, and so decided to convene the meeting.

According to one press report, the Interior Ministry simply turned down the request, prompting the man to complain in writing to the House of Representatives. The complaint is said to have then been passed on by the House administrative services to members of the House committees for legal affairs and human rights.

Full Story from the Cyprus Mail
Click here for gay marriage resources.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. 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.

NY: Senate Passes Family Health Care Decisions Bill

After being stalled in the Legislature for 17 years, the New York State Senate has finally joined the Assembly in passing the Family Health Care Decisions Act that enables a loved one to made health care decisions when the patient is not able to do so. The bill places a same-sex or opposite-sex domestic partner, just like a spouse, ahead of a surviving child or parent in making these decisions. Governor Paterson has said he will sign the bill into law when it is sent to him.

New York has been one of just two states where without a health care proxy, no one-not a domestic partner, spouse, or family member-could make health care decisions when the patient lacked the ability to do so. This gap in state law has sometimes forced loved ones to seek medical decision-making authority from a judge at the very time they should be focusing all their attention on caring for their partner.

The enactment of this legislation will allow loved ones including same-sex spouses who were married out-of-state or fit the domestic partnership definition to have the ability to make these decisions.

Full Story from Outcome
Click here for gay marriage resources.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. 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.

CA: Prop 8 Trial Re-Enactment Halfway Done, Available on YouTube

Most Californians know of Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the trial currently questioning the constitutional validity of Proposition 8. They also know that on Jan. 13, the U.S. Supreme Court put a stop to the proposed broadcasting of the associated court proceedings on YouTube. What most people do not know, is that within a few hours of that decision, a film production team in L.A. was readying a script from court transcripts, securing a courtroom set and casting actors in an effort to bring the landmark trial to the people - by way of re-enactment.

In the seven weeks since the trial began, John Ainsworth and John Ireland, the two men behind the production, have scripted over 3,000 pages, working diligently on the massive production undertaking.

After placing several calls to their network of friends in the entertainment industry, Ainsworth and Ireland signed a media agreement with the Screen Actors Guild (actors/actresses are donating their time) on Friday, Jan. 15. On Saturday, they held auditions, and on Sunday, before the eighth day of litigation began, they were shooting.

Full Story from SDGLN
Click here for gay marriage resources in California.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. 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.

CA: Court Proposes Televising Prop 8 Closing Arguments

The U.S. district court in San Francisco has proposed that closing arguments in the trial over the anti-gay-marriage measure Proposition 8 be televised, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. An attempt to televise the entire trial failed after the U.S. Supreme Court intervened, saying the pro-Prop. 8 side feared its witnesses would be subject to intimidation. The anti-Prop. 8 side had supported televising the proceedings.

The proposal to televise the closing arguments was posted on the court's website, and the court has taken public comments on it. The plan to televise the full trial had received overwhelmingly positive comments from the public before the Supreme Court quashed it.

No date has been set for closing arguments; Judge Vaughn Walker had postponed them until after he received a final round of briefs, due Friday.

Full Story from the Advocate
Click here for gay marriage resources.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. 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.

FL: Kissimmee to Discuss Domestic Partner Coverage for City Employees

Kissimmee commissioners have a difficult road ahead when they consider whether to allow city employees to buy health insurance for their domestic partners, whether those partners are the same or opposite sex. The policy, if approved, would allow employees with domestic partners the same benefits their married counterparts already receive.

Commissioner Cheryl Grieb said the proposal is a health care and an equal rights issue, not one on whether gay people living together is right or wrong. We believe Grieb has the best interests of city employees at heart in this matter.

If such benefits were extended to employees' domestic partners, there likely would be some added administrative costs - though minimal, we believe - as the city would have more paperwork to process. Plus, if the financial payout for claims were to rise dramatically due to the poor health of additional health plan members, costs for premiums could go up significantly for all involved. However, such a scenario is impossible to predict.

Full Story from Around Osceola
Click here for gay marriage resources.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. 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.

Lithuania: Anti Gay Law Takes Effect March 1st

Amnesty International has called on the authorities of Lithuania to remove all restrictions on the distribution of public information relating to the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people decreed in a new law. The controversial "Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information" enters into force next Monday, 1 March.

"This law will violate the freedom of expression and will directly discriminate against people on account of their sexual orientation or gender identity," said John Dalhuisen, expert on discrimination at Amnesty International.

"It will stigmatize gay and lesbian people and exposes advocates for their rights to the risk of censorship and financial penalties. This law is an anachronism in the European Union."

Full Story from Amnesty International
Click here for gay marriage resources.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. 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.

How the US Military Has Evolved on Gay Rights

JOINT CHIEFS of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen proved that his recent support for openly gay and lesbian soldiers was no fluke. Earlier this month he said that ending the "don't ask, don't tell" policy was the "right thing to do." Mullen said he was "troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie."

Last week, Mullen reiterated his views to a soldier at a military town hall who asked about the policy. He intimated that soldiers no longer fret about this issue, saying it was the fourth town hall he has done and the first time that anybody asked him about it. Mullen reasserted that he has served with gay soldiers since 1968. He said the feedback he has received from countries where openly gay and lesbian soldiers serve is that "there just wasn't that much impact after the policy got changed."

This continues the reversal of 17 years ago, when President Clinton said letting openly gay and lesbian soldiers serve was the right thing to do, but was shouted down by the military, including then-Joint Chiefs Chairman Colin Powell. More than 14,000 gay and lesbian soldiers were discharged after they were outed or admitted their sexual orientation.

Full Story from Boston.com
Click here for gay marriage resources.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. 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.

CA: Gather Signatures to Repeal Prop 8 This Weekend

Just got this from Love Honor Cherish:

Help get signatures this weekend

This weekend volunteers throughout the state will gather to collect signatures to put a new initiative on the ballot in November 2010 that would repeal Proposition 8 and restore equal marriage rights for same-sex couples. In the Los Angeles area join us at these events:

Saturday:

Saturday, Feb 27
8 a.m. to 12 noon
Burbank Farmers Market
Meet at corner of 3rd and Orange Grove in Burbank (park at City Hall, same corner)

Saturday, Feb 27
9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Torrance Farmer's Market
2400 Jefferson St. (park in parking lot)
Meet at 8:50 a.m. for a brief training

Saturday, Feb 27
10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Whole Foods Market - Redondo Beach
405 N. Pacific Coast Hwy (park in parking lot)
Meet at 9:45 a.m. for a brief training

Sunday:


Sunday, Feb 28
8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Hollywood Farmers Market
Meet at Cinerama Dome, 6360 Sunset Blvd (park on street or at lot at Ivar & Delongpre - $2 for first 2 hrs w/validation at market)

Sunday, Feb 28
9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Santa Monica Farmers Market (Ocean Park)
Meet at grassy area near SW corner of Main St. and Ocean Park (park on street)

Sunday, Feb 28
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Studio City Farmers Market
Meet at main gate of CBS Studios, 4024 Radford (free parking at CBS)

THINGS TO REMEMBER:


Please come on time, but if you're late, look for the volunteers in the yellow SignForEquality T-shirts. And, be sure to bring:

1. A couple of clipboards and a few pens (if you can).
2. Plenty of quarters for parking meters (City of Los Angeles meters now operate on Sundays!)
3. $10 donation for our Sign For Equality volunteer t-shirt

To find out more about signature gathering, or to learn how you can help, go to SignForEquality.com, the first-ever social networking site for volunteer signature gatherers. Download a petition, print it, get signatures and then send it in. You can also:
- Get trained using online videos.
- Join or create a signature gathering team and set goals for yourself and your team.
- Share tips and learn about events where signature gathering is taking place.

P.S. Join us for our next weekly meeting Tuesday, March 2 at 7:30 p.m. at Crescent Heights United Methodist Church, 1296 N Fairfax Ave.

WV: NOM Leads Small Rally Demanding Gay Marriage Vote

Frustrated by what they see as legislative indifference, about 150 people rallied at the state Capitol Thursday to a demand a statewide referendum aimed at reserving marriage for heterosexual couples. The Family Policy Council of West Virginia, which organized the rally, has set its hopes on a measure in the Senate that would allow a referendum to amend the state constitution defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

A similar measure has been bottled up in a House of Delegates committee, and Republicans there failed this week in an attempt to use a parliamentary procedure to force a vote on it. Jeremy Dys, executive director of the council, opposed the Republicans' effort, saying the maneuvering makes a partisan issue of something that has broad support among West Virginians.

Such wrangling was far from the minds of many who turned up to hear speakers from national groups warn of the dangers to traditional marriage, as snow fell and temperatures hovered in the 20s.

Full Story from the Charleston Daily Mail
Click here for gay marriage resources.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. 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.

Gay Marriage Opponents Tell Supreme Court: Release Names, Gays Will Attack

Backers of a failed referendum aimed at reversing the state's domestic partnership law have filed their arguments with the U.S. Supreme Court, setting the stage for proceedings scheduled for the spring on whether anti-gay rights petitioners names must be made public.

Writing the high court Thursday, proponents of Referendum 71 - which appeared on the ballot in an effort to overturn the state's "everything but marriage" domestic partnership law - said petition signers' names should not be released. Doing so, they asserted, could see those who wanted the landmark gay rights law repealed subjected to harassment or violence.

The move puts opponents of the gay rights law at odds with Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed and state Attorney General Rob McKenna. Both officials, the highest-ranking Republicans serving in state government, have held that state law requires the release of petitioners' names.

Full Story from Seattle PI
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MD: Comptroller Trying to Square AG Gay Marriage Opinion, Federal Law

Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot and his staff are trying to work same-sex couples into the state's tax equation without violating federal law. The comptroller's office began crunching numbers Thursday after Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler said state agencies must begin recognizing same-sex unions performed outside the state.

"We're looking at how [Gansler's opinion] could change how same-sex couples file their tax returns," said Franchot spokesman Joseph Shapiro. Eligibility and rates for more than 1,000 federal benefits depend on marital status, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Shapiro said he does not know what economic effect recognizing same-sex marriages would have on Maryland. He expects the office to provide that answer within the next month, with a report on whether same-sex couples can file jointly benefits without violating federal law. If Franchot's office finds the federal Defense of Marriage Act prevents the state from giving those benefits, lawmakers or the Court of Appeals would have to change state law.

Full Story from the Washington Examiner
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MD: Democrats Afraid Gay Marriage Decision Will Make Their Reelections Harder

A long-awaited attorney general's opinion on same-sex marriage thrust the polarizing issue into an election year spotlight that had Democrats cringing as they braced for an expected onslaught of Republican campaign rhetoric.

"In my opinion, it couldn't have been worse timing," Del. Galen R. Clagett said of the opinion, released Wednesday, in which Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler (D) found that Maryland courts could recognize same-sex marriages performed out-of-state. "You know they say in politics, timing is everything."

Clagett said he does not expect issues raised by Gansler to come up for a floor vote in the House of Delegates, but that the opinion could complicate re-election chances for Democrats in more conservative parts of the state.

Full Story from Gazette.net
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Austria: Gay Couple Says Austria Discriminates

A gay couple accused Austria before Europe's top rights court yesterday of discriminating against homosexuals in adoption and other matters despite a new law allowing same-sex unions. Horst Michael Schalk and Johann Franz Kopf, 48 and 50 respectively, claim they were denied the right to wed after Vienna authorities declined to marry them in 2002.

Austria's constitutional court also ruled it justified to limit the definition of marriage to the traditional union between woman and man.

The couple, who filed their petition before the European Court of Human Rights in 2004, claim "that the notion of marriage had evolved over time thus having to be understood nowadays as a permanent union encompassing all aspects of life", the Strasbourg-based court said in a statement.

Full Story from the Jamaica Observer
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DC: Gay Marriage Licenses Likely Available March 3rd

The projected start date of gay marriages in Washington has slipped by a day. The city now says March 3, a Wednesday, will likely be the first day same-sex couples can apply for a marriage license in the city.

The D.C. City Council passed a law in December that allows the unions, but because the city is under Congress' control the bill doesn't take effect until it has undergone a 30-day Congressional review period. Congress could act to stop the bill from taking effect, though that doesn't appear likely.

Congress wasn't in session on one day, Feb. 12, that district officials thought it would be, lengthening by a day the time until same-sex couples can marry.

Full Story from the Washington Examiner
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Peru: Political Parties Discussing Legalization of Gay Marriage

The possibility of legalizing the so-called "gay marriage" in Peru is creating a public debate that has passed to the media headlines. While some people say that this is a revindication of sexual minorities civil rights, others estimate that this would lead to human degradation.

Lawmaker Carlos Bruce is requesting its politic party, Peru Posible, to include a statement in favor of gay unions in its government plan. Lawyer Susel Paredes, representative of LGTB Legal (a sexual minorities collective) said that this would be an important step in favor of civil rights of all Peruvians.

In order to grant legal recognition to homosexual unions, Peru would have to modify both the Constitution and the Civil Code.

Full Story from Living in Peru
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DC: Marriage Equality Opponents Appeal Board Decision, Again

Opponents of same-sex marriage in Washington DC appealed a court order today that upheld a DC Board of Elections ruling against holding a referendum on the issue.

Stand4MarriageDC and the Alliance Defense Fund, two conservative groups active in the nation's capital, lodged the appeal on Wednesday. Attorneys for the two organizations placed the appeal in the hopes of allowing the issue of same-sex marriage to be decided by a popular vote.

"We are appealing because the District's marriage redefinition law shouldn't go into effect until voters have the opportunity to vote on a critical matter that affects everyone in the District," senior legal counsel Austin R. Nimocks said in a news release picked up by the Washington Post.

Full Story from Examiner.com
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Australia: Senate Votes 45-5 Against Gay Marriage, 26 Absent

The Australian Senate today rejected a bill to give equal marriage rights to gay citizens. The bill was introduced by the Greens but was defeated 45-5, just days before the world’s biggest gay celebration, Sydney Mardi Gras. Twenty-six senators were absent from the vote, with some of these choosing to abstain because they disagreed with their parties’ official stances against same-sex marriage.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who introduced the bill, said: ”There may have been a group of senators voting to keep discrimination against same-sex couples being able to marry the one they love, but well over one-third of all senators were absent for the final vote, presumably the only form of protest open to them.”

Marriage equality campaigners claim that 60 per cent of Australian citizens support the right of gay couples to marry. Alex Greenwich of Australian Marriage Equality, said it was “arrogant” of Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd to “ignore” the public.

Full Story from Pink News
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