MO: Gay Trooper's Partner May Not Receive Benefits After His Death

When Highway Patrol Cpl. Dennis Engelhard was killed in a Christmas Day traffic accident near Eureka, the agency described him as single with no children. Gov. Jay Nixon called on Missourians to pray for Engelhard's family, who "lost a beloved son and brother." Neither statement tells the whole story.

Engelhard, hit by a car that lost control in the snow, was gay. He left behind a partner of nearly 15 years who was not mentioned in his obituary or official information released by the Highway Patrol, although members of the agency knew about his sexual orientation.

If Engelhard had been married, his spouse would be entitled to lifetime survivor's benefits from the state pension system — more than $28,000 a year.

Full Story from STL Today
Click here for gay marriage resources in Missouri.
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MO: Hundreds Protest Catholic Church Diocese's Contribution to Defeat Gay Marriage in Maine

Grey skies framed the Neo-Byzantine dome of St. Louis' Cathedral Basilica on Nov. 29 as hundreds of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender (GLBT) and allied supporters protested the archdiocese's donation of $10,000 to the successful effort to reverse marriage equality in Maine. The protest, which took place on the public portion of sidewalk in front of the New Cathedral, was organized by St. Louis based GLBT rights organization, Show Me No Hate. A smaller contngent of protesters was on hand for morning mass and the organization plans to rally outside the iconic edifice each Sunday throughout Advent — the period of preparation and waiting for Christmas. In response to the protest, St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson issued a statement saying that the donation came from a "special needs fund" endowed from "private gifts." According to Carlson, the fund is not used for formal church operations and can be used at the archbishop's discretion. Full Story from VitalVoice: http://thevitalvoice.com/node/5916

Click here for gay marriage resources in Missouri.

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.

St. Louis Gay Marriage Bus to Trek to DC for Equality March

Back in April, just a few days after the Iowa Supreme Court legalized gay marriage in the Hawkeye State, a group of same-sex couples from Missouri, led by Show Me No Hate blogger Ed Reggi, chartered "a rock and roll style tour bus" and headed up to Iowa city to get hitched. Now, five months later, Reggi and Co. are ready to make like Spike Lee and get (back) on the bus. On Friday October 2, a bus leaves for Iowa City for another group wedding trip. A third bus trip, this one to the National Equality March on October 10-11 in Washington D.C., is also in the works. Full Story from RFT: http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2009/10/st_louis_gay_marriage_bus_keep.php

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

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.