A national organization headed by an Ossining woman that has pledged to spend more than $1 million to defeat a gay marriage bill in New York is defending itself in California against allegations that it was organized by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to defeat similar bills nationwide.

The National Organization for Marriage said last week that it would spend $500,000 to help mount primary challenges against Republican state senators in New York who vote for a gay marriage bill proposed by Gov. David Paterson. It has passed the Assembly but stalled in the Senate, as Democrats and Republicans fight for control of that chamber.

The spending would come atop $600,000 the group says it has spent on media campaigns and telephone calls to sway senators in 25 Senate districts, including those represented by Sens. Vincent Leibell, R-Patterson, and Thomas Morahan, R-New City.

Full Story from LoHud.com

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A survey company dedicated to market research recently found that most teens are quite supportive of gay rights. Pangea media conducted a survey of teens and tweens, with nearly 3500 respondents and discovered that most kids seem to take a fairly libertarian view of gay issues, while also acknowledging that gay students are discriminated against in their own schools.

Some 75% of those surveyed supported gay marriage, while a slightly higher 78% supported the right of gay students to bring a same-sex date to the prom. (Approval ratings are similar in the 16-24 age group in Australia.) And yet, 57% said gay students were discriminated against in their schools.

I found that interesting in light of the new research on bullying that looks to the silent majority of non-bullies and non-victims as a potential force to end bullying.

Full Story from Babble Australia

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

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It appears the government is giving us everything but gay marriage, and as July 1 approaches there may be some very real disadvantages to relationship recognition.

Issues ranging from drops in government allowances, to being ‘outed’ on Government databases, are some of the issues being reported as Australia prepares to recognise same-sex relationships and de facto couples.

Director of the Welfare Rights Centre, Maree O’Halloran, told the Brisbane Times that she receives at least 10 calls a day from same-sex couples worried about losing money and calls from elderly couples fearful of being ‘outed’ on government databases. “There’s a lot of fear that is taking away from the beneficial changes,” said O’Halloran.

Full Story from SameSame.com

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seek cabinet approval for a civil partnerships bill which could be enacted by the end of the year.

He told the Sunday Business Post that the commitment give state recognition and protection to civil partnerships will be ‘‘implemented in full through the forthcoming Civil Partnership Bill, which I will publish within weeks’’.

According to the newspaper, the bill is expected to go second stage debate in the Dáil in the autumn, and will be enacted by December.

Full Story from Pink News

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

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The Temple Sholom synagogue in Pompano Beach, Florida, has placed adverts in a local Jewish newspaper offering ‘Jewish Covenant of Love” ceremonies to gay couples.

The synagogue plans to be the first of its kind in the county to offer the ceremonies after the Conservative Movement’s Committee of Jewish Law and Standards voted in 2006 to give rabbis the freedom to conduct them.

“Even though Florida does not recognise gay marriage, I feel that gay people are entitled,” Rabbi Mark David of Temple Sholom told the Sun Sentinel. “People fall in love and they should be able to express that love in a public setting.”

Full Story from Pink News

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

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New York Gov. David Paterson pledged in an interview with The New York Times on Sunday to make sure the state senate votes on marriage equality before it breaks for the summer, after his commitment sounded tentative during an earlier news conference.

As the state senate marked its official last day of session on Monday with mounds of business unfinished due to a two-week leadership crisis, Paterson vowed to call legislators to a special session beginning on Tuesday if they could not resolve the dispute by the end of the day. In such extraordinary circumstances, the governor would set the senate’s agenda, although exactly how and when he could compel senators to hold a vote on specific legislation remained unclear.

Earlier on Sunday, Paterson said during a news conference that the prospective special session would focus on urgent legislation of importance to local governments, such as bills on sales tax and education. He refused to say whether marriage equality would be a priority.

Full Story from The Advocate

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

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While we are domestic partners under Oregon law, and so can legally file a joint Oregon tax return, it is illegal for us to file joint Federal taxes. So, we must pay extra tax consultant fees to have an artificial, “as if”, joint Federal return prepared, from which our joint Oregon taxes are calculated. Then we must throw it away and file our Federal taxes “as if” we were single. As a result, we know exactly how much tax we would have paid were we allowed to file a joint Federal tax return, and therefore exactly how much more we were forced to pay for being gay, despite our longer than heterosexual average relationship. And, all of this due to the so-called “Defense” of Marriage Act (DOMA).

$4,799.00 we’d still have in the bank if we were straight has been taken away, because some Americans are worried their marriages must be “defended” against people like us. Which makes me laugh. As a recovering divorce lawyer, I know first hand just how short and sordid many so-called “traditional” marriages can be ( Jason Alexander and Britney Spears: 55 hours ).

Straights need no help degrading the institution of marriage. Matthew 7:3 is so very apt, for those who read the Bible, instead of selectively beat people with it.

Full Story from Blue Oregon

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

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A record number of supporters of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community gathered Saturday for the fifth annual Human Rights Campaign Gala and Silent Auction, held this year at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City.

For four years, Bruce Bastian, co-founder of Word Perfect and HRC board of directors member, held the event at his home in Orem. However, the Utah Steering Committee and Bastian decided to move the gala to Salt Lake City to make it more accessible and allow for a larger crowd.

The gala saw record attendance with more than 800 people attending the dinner and party.

Full Story from the Deseret News

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Gov. Corzine has made “marriage equality” for gays and lesbians a prominent piece of his reelection campaign, taking another step in his conversion on the issue and encouraging gay-rights advocates who hope to see same-sex marriage approved in New Jersey this year.

In public speeches and private appearances, Corzine, who as recently as 2006 said he believed marriage should be between a man and a woman, has touted his support of same-sex marriage.

In raising the issue, he has tried to draw a bright-line divide with his Republican opponent, Christopher J. Christie, who has said he would veto a bill allowing gay and lesbian couples to wed.

Full Story from Philly.com

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The New York State Bar Association now backs gay marriage.

Delegates for the association adopted a resolution Saturday asking state legislators to give full marriage rights to same-sex couples.

The Association said New York’s Domestic Relations law should also be changed to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.

Full Story from WCBS TV

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

To subscribe to this blog, just email us at info@purpleunions.com with “subscribe blog” as the subject. 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.