Maryland’s first lady Katie O’Malley is behind her husband’s push for the legalization of same-sex marriages in the state and she’s not afraid to let everyone know how she feels.
Speaking Thursday at the 24th annual Conference on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equality, the first lady threw some mud at the lawmakers that prevented a legalization of same-sex marriage bill from getting passed last year in the Maryland House of Delegates.
“There were some cowards that prevented it from passing,” she said at the conference.
If you know of any other events – rallies, meetings, phonebanking, etc – please use the link below to add your event to our list!
USA, CA, Concord: Day of Decision, Gathering on Ninth Circuit Day of Decision, Rainbow Community Ctr, 6-7 PM. mailto:newsletter@marriageequality.org
USA, CA, Fresno: Day of Decision, Gathering on Ninth Circuit Day of Decision, Cnr N. Blackstone & E. Shaw, 5-7 PM. mailto:newsletter@marriageequality.org
USA, CA, Los Angeles: Day of Decision, Gathering on Ninth Circuit Day of Decision, W. Hollywood Park, 6 PM. mailto:newsletter@marriageequality.org
USA, CA, Palm Springs: Jan 28, Equality Happy Hour, Hamburger Mary’s, 4-7 PM. http://bit.ly/bKvO8V
USA, CA, Sacramento: Day of Decision, Gathering on Ninth Circuit Day of Decision, Cornerstone at Headhunters, 9:30 AM. mailto:newsletter@marriageequality.org
USA, CA, San Francisco: Day of Decision, Rally After Ninth Circuit Prop 8 Decision, Market & 17th (at Castro), 5 PM. http://bit.ly/wiXhrC
USA, CA, San Francisco: Day of Decision, Gather for Ninth Circuit Decision on Prop 8, 9th Circuit Courthiouse, 95 7th St., 9:45 AM. http://bit.ly/wiXhrC
USA, MN, St. Paul: Jan 27, Phone Bank with Minnesotans United For All Families, 1821 University Ave West, 6:30-9:30 PM. http://bit.ly/vCRR1M
184 MEPs, including the President of the European Parliament came together this week to sign a pledge in support of LGBT rights, following a two-day long awareness event.
Martin Schulz MEP, president of the European Parliament, along with dozens of MEPs gathered over Tuesday and Wednesday to show support for LGBT rights, at an event to mark the halfway point of the current mandate, organised by IGLA-Europe and the LGBT Intergroup of the European Parliament.
At the event, Schulz said: “As the President of the European Parliament, you can count on me to join the fight for the goals of equality laid out in the Be Bothered Pledge.”
Along with a lengthening list of smaller companies, two of Washington state’s largest corporations have come out in support of marriage equality. But there are still some very big fish to land, most notable among them, perhaps, is Amazon.
The marriage equality bill in Washington State moved one step closer to becoming law Thursday when a Senate committee advanced the measure to the floor for a vote.
According to the Associated Press, “The Government Operations, Tribal Relations & Elections Committee approved the measure with a 4-3 voice vote split on party lines. The bill is expected to head to a floor vote next, though a date has not yet been determined.”
The committee rejected several Republican amendments, according to the AP, including a proposal that would have required the marriage equality bill be sent to the ballot in November. Opponents have pledged to challenge any law passed by the legislature and signed by Gov. Christine Gregoire, but without a referendum requirement, they would need to collect 120,577 valid signatures by July 6 to put the issue on the ballot.
Marriage equality advocates in Maine have collected the 100,000 signatures necessary to bring the issue back to the ballot in November and announced their decision to do so Thursday, the Associated Press reports.
State lawmakers had passed a marriage bill signed into law by Gov. John Baldacci in June of 2009, but voters narrowly overturned the law a few months later.
Via AP:
EqualityMaine, Maine Civil Liberties Union and the Maine Women’s Lobby will announce Thursday whether they plan to deliver the petitions and carry through with a referendum. National gay-rights leaders, for their part, anticipate that a gay marriage campaign will be launched.
With nine months before Minnesota voters weigh in on a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, LGBT leaders and equality-minded politicians are preparing a defense.
The St. Paul City Council passed a resolution Wednesday opposing the ballot initiative. Six of the seven council members sponsored the resolution, leading to easy passage. One member abstained from voting, saying, “It’s not my issue.”
Meanwhile, a recent court decision will allow a marriage equality lawsuit to move forward. The case, brought by three LGBT couples wanting to marry in the state, may embolden conservatives pushing for a voter-approved ban.
Minnesota senator Al Franken is the latest lawmaker adding his voice to HRC’s “Americans for Marriage Equality” campaign.
“I think everybody should be able to marry the person they love, and I think our government should help people make those loving, lifelong commitments,” Franken said. Watch the full ad below.
Following his work to help pass the marriage equality law in New York, former Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman is taking his conservative argument for same-sex marriage to New Hampshire, where lawmakers are considering a bill that would repeal the marriage equality law.
In an op-ed published Thursday in the Union Leader, Mehlman made the case for marriage equality based on the core Republican principles of individual liberty and the pursuit of happiness. He said that marriage equality is consistent with “family values” and the New Hampshire state motto of “Live Free or Die.”
“The party of Lincoln and Reagan should stand first and foremost for freedom,” he wrote. “It’s part of our heritage and ought to be part of our DNA. Freedom for Americans of all races is why our party was founded. And our greatest moments — from the unbelievable economic recovery unleashed by lower taxes and less regulation to the fall of the Berlin Wall — resulted when we promoted freedom.
If you know of any other events – rallies, meetings, phonebanking, etc – please use the link below to add your event to our list!
USA, CA, Concord: Day of Decision, Gathering on Ninth Circuit Day of Decision, Rainbow Community Ctr, 6-7 PM. newsletter@marriageequality.org
USA, CA, Fresno: Day of Decision, Gathering on Ninth Circuit Day of Decision, Cnr N. Blackstone & E. Shaw, 5-7 PM. newsletter@marriageequality.org
USA, CA, Los Angeles: Day of Decision, Gathering on Ninth Circuit Day of Decision, W. Hollywood Park, 6 PM. newsletter@marriageequality.org
USA, CA, Sacramento: Day of Decision, Gathering on Ninth Circuit Day of Decision, Cornerstone at Headhunters, 9:30 AM. newsletter@marriageequality.org
USA, CA, San Francisco: Day of Decision, Rally After Ninth Circuit Prop 8 Decision, Market & 17th (at Castro), 5 PM. http://bit.ly/wiXhrC
USA, CA, San Francisco: Day of Decision, Gather for Ninth Circuit Decision on Prop 8, 9th Circuit Courthiouse, 95 7th St., 9:45 AM. http://bit.ly/wiXhrC
USA, MD, Baltimore: Jan 26, Phonebanking for Marriage Equality, Gay and Lesbian Comm Ctr, 6-8 PM. http://bit.ly/vmtc4H
USA, MD, Silver Spring: Jan 26, Phonebanking for Marriage Equality, Office of Delegate Heather Mizeur, 6-8:30 PM. http://bit.ly/vmtc4H
USA, MN, St. Paul: Jan 26, Phone Bank with Minnesotans United For All Families, 1821 University Ave West, 6:30-9:30 PM. http://bit.ly/vCRR1M
USA, MN, St. Paul: Jan 27, Phone Bank with Minnesotans United For All Families, 1821 University Ave West, 6:30-9:30 PM. http://bit.ly/vCRR1M
USA, NY, East Elmhurst: Jan 26, Gay Friendly Wedding Expo, LaGuardia Plaza Hotel, 6:30-9:30 PM. http://bit.ly/sgg1J9
USA, WA, Seattle: Jan 26, Drop in Data Entry with Equal Rights Washington, Equal Rights WA Office, 10 AM. http://bit.ly/t6TxA5
USA, WA, Seattle: Jan 26, Phonebanking for Marriage Equality with Equal Rights Washington, Equal Rights WA Office, 5:30 PM. http://bit.ly/t6TxA5
If you know of any other events – rallies, meetings, phonebanking, etc – please use the link below to add your event to our list!
