TX: El Paso Group Trying to Overturn Same Sex Partner Benefits

Barney Field has been active in El Paso's religious community since 1992, when he founded the citywide ministry El Paso for Jesus. But he has been making headlines in recent months as leader of a loose group of businessmen, ministers, churchgoers and others opposed to giving health benefits to the domestic partners of city employees.

In August, the City Council voted 7-1, with Rep. Carl L. Robinson dissenting, to give health benefits to the gay and unmarried heterosexual partners of city employees. Ever since, a group calling itself El Pasoans for Traditional Family Values has been trying to overturn that decision. The group is now circulating a petition that seeks to force a citywide vote on the issue on Nov. 2.

The group needs about 1,500 signatures to be successful. Field, 69, sat down for a interview with the El Paso Times.

Full Story from the El Paso Times
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Mexico: Federal Prosecutors Try to Overturn Gay Marriage Law

Federal prosecutors in Mexico City announced yesterday they would seek to overturn the city's new gay marriage law on the grounds that it is unconstitutional. A statement from the federal Attorney General's Office said the law "violates the principle of legality, because it strays from the constitutional principle of protecting the family".

The law is due to come into effect in March, after being approved in December. It also includes specific rights for gays to adopt and is the first such law in Latin America. Mexico City previously allowed civil unions but did not allow gay couples to adopt.

Mayor Marcelo Ebrard of the progressive Democratic Revolution Party refused to veto it, despite calls for him to do so from the Mexican Catholic Church and the conservative National Action Party, which said it would appeal to Mexico's Supreme Court.

Full Story from Pink News
Click here for gay marriage resources in Mexico.
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Australia: Rudd to Break Campaign Promise Again, Overturn ACT Civil Unions

KEVIN Rudd will move to overturn legislation passed by the ACT government allowing gay couples to hold public, legally binding ceremonies as they form civil unions. In the latest run-in between the commonwealth and the ACT's Labor government on the divisive issue, Chief Minister Jon Stanhope said Attorney-General Robert McClelland had indicated during a recent meeting that the Rudd government would quash the amended legislation. "They are prepared to intervene to overturn the recent amendments to the civil union legislation in the ACT," Mr Stanhope said of his Monday meeting with Mr McClelland. "I indicated bluntly that this was unacceptable." Full Story from The Australian: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/rudd-will-intervene-to-overturn-gay-civil-unions-in-the-act/story-e6frg6n6-1225803463250

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, 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.