December, 2009

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Signature Gathering for Gay Marriage in California This Weekend

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

Just in from Love Honor Cherish:

Help Us Get Signatures in the New Year!

Go to SignForEquality.com, where you can download a petition form and learn how to get signatures. If you’re in the Los Angeles area, join us for signature gathering on these dates:

Friday, Jan. 1
5 a.m. – 9 a.m.
Rose Parade (Pasadena)
Meet at Pasadena City College (SE corner of Hill and Colorado). If arriving later than 5:00 a.m., call Aaron at (310) 995-0436. Public transportation recommended.

Friday, Jan. 1
6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
First Fridays on Abbot Kinney (Venice)
Meet outside Roosterfish Bar, 1302 Abbot Kinney Boulevard (park on street)

Saturday, Jan. 2
8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Santa Monica Farmers Market (S.M. Promenade)
Meet at corner of 2nd St. and Arizone Ave. (park on street)

Sunday, Jan 3
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Studio City Farmers Market
Meet at main gate of CBS Studios, 4024 Radford (free parking at CBS)

Sunday, Jan 3
9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Santa Monica Farmers Market (Ocean Park)
Meet at corner of Main St. and Ocean Park (park on street)

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
3. $10 donation for our Sign For Equality volunteer t-shirt

For more information about this or other team signature gathering events, contact Andy at andy@wlaequality.org

We need 1 million signatures in the next 15 weeks. Let’s get thousands this weekend!

Posted in ca, caliufornia, marriage equality, prop 8, proposition 8, repeal, signature gathering, this weekend | No Responses »

OR: Coquille Indian Gay Marriage Law Starts

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

A Coquille Indian Tribe law allowing same-sex marriage took effect this week, and two women plan to marry Sunday on the tribe’s Coos Bay reservation.  Tribal member Kitzen Branting, 26, and her partner, Jeni Branting, 28, who now live in Edmonds, Wash., will become the first same-sex couple to legally marry in Oregon, though their marriage will be recognized only by the tribe.

Neither Washington nor Oregon have legalized same-sex marriage, but as a federally recognized sovereign nation, the tribe is not bound by the Oregon Constitution.

“My tribe recognizes the marriage, so that is really important to me,” said Kitzen Branting. “Anytime we come to a tribal function, I know my marriage is just as valid as anyone else’s marriage.”

Full Story from Oregon Live: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/05/coquille_samesex_marriage_law.html

Click here for gay marriage resources in Oregon.

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.

Posted in coquille indian tribe, Gay Marriage, new law | No Responses »

NJ: No Sign of Gay Marriage on the Agenda

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

The push to legalize gay marriage in New Jersey could fail without a vote being cast in the Legislature. While the likelihood of a vote has yet to be determined, opponents of gay marriage are preparing to declare the measure dead while advocates insist there’s still time to pass a law before the governor switch next month.

Gov. Jon Corzine, a Democrat, says he’d sign the bill if lawmakers can get it to his desk while he’s still in office. At noon Jan. 19, he’ll be replaced by Republican Chris Christie, who says he would veto the bill.

Gay marriage is recognized in four states: Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts and Vermont. A law to legalize it in New Hampshire takes effect Friday. The Washington, D.C., City Council voted last month to legalize gay marriage, but that law is still subject to congressional approval.

Full Story from the Courier Post Online: http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20091231/NEWS01/912310331/1006

Click here for gay marriage resources in New Jersey.

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.

Posted in Gay Marriage, governor jon corzine, legislature, new jersey, nj | No Responses »

NH: Gay Couples to Marry at Midnight

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

A handful of gay couples plan to celebrate the New Year and New Hampshire’s law legalizing gay marriage by exchanging their vows in front of the Statehouse just after midnight.

Mo Baxley of New Hampshire Freedom to Marry said Wednesday that a few couples plan to get married while others who got married in other states will celebrate with them.

Two years ago, about three dozen gay couples celebrated the state’s new civil union law by entering into unions at the Statehouse. The new marriage law grants no new rights to gays, but eliminates the separate status for civil unions.

Full Story from the Nashua Telegraph: http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/statenewengland/508717-227/nh-gay-couples-plan-midnight-statehouse-weddings.html

Click here for gay marriage resources in New Hampshire.

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.

Posted in gay couples, Gay Marriage, january 1st, midnight, new hampshire, nh, statehouse, weddings | No Responses »

NJ: Dissolving a Civil Union Takes Longer, Costs More Than Divorce

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

For same-sex couples unhappy in their civil unions, breaking up is hard to do. For starters, ending a civil union is called “dissolution,” not “divorce,” and legal experts say the difference between those two words has created confusion over which laws and cases apply to civil unions.

“You end up with one set of rules for one thing and another set of rules for another thing,” said Stephen Hyland, 56, a family practice lawyer in Cherry Hill who represents gay clients.

Lawyers familiar with the issue also say it’s harder to divvy up assets or assign alimony because there’s virtually no case precedent for ending civil unions and divorce precedents are not always applied to dissolutions. Sorting out the unions then can take longer and cost clients more than it would if they were ending a traditional marriage.

Full Story from NJ.com: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/12/nj_gay_couples_looking_for_a_c.html

Click here for gay marriage resources in New Jersey.

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.

Posted in civil union, dissolution, divorce, Gay Marriage, new jersey, nj | No Responses »

CA: 9th Circuit Affirms Campaign Document Ruling

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

A federal appeals court reaffirmed its ruling Wednesday that allowed sponsors of California’s ban on same-sex marriage to withhold campaign strategy documents from gay rights advocates who are seeking to overturn the ballot measure.

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco on Dec. 11 had overturned a judge’s order to produce the documents, ruling 3-0 that their disclosure might discourage participation in future campaigns and inhibit strategists from speaking candidly. An appellate judge then sought a rehearing before an 11-judge panel, but the court said Wednesday that the request failed to gain majority support from its members. No vote total was announced.

The November 2008 initiative, Proposition 8, amended the California Constitution to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman, overturning a May 2008 state Supreme Court ruling that allowed gay and lesbian couples to marry.

Full Story from SF Gate: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/12/31/BAGA1BBNTC.DTL&feed=rss.gay

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.

Posted in 9th circuit, affirms, ca, california, campaign documents, ninth circuit court of appeals, prop 8, proposition 8, ruling | No Responses »

NY: Possible Ousting of Anti Gay Marriage Queens Senator

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

A special New York Senate committee is likely to recommend that his fellow Senators consider ousting state Sen. Hiram Monserrate for beating up his domestic partner.

You may remember, Monserrate, a Queens Democrat, was convicted in October of misdemeanor assault, and was sentenced to 3 years probation, ordered to serve 250 hours of community service and undergo a year’s worth of counseling for jealousy and anger issues, for slashing his live in girlfriend, Karla Giraldo, in the face with a broken glass last year after dragging her across the lobby of his apartment building.

You may also remember Monserrate joined Republican senators last month to “defend traditional marriage” and vote against marriage equality legislation for New York State.

Full Story from Lez Get Real: http://lezgetreal.com/?p=24354

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.

Posted in anti gay marriage, hiram monserrate, new york, ny, ousting, Queens, Senator | No Responses »

Just In: Marriage Equality USA Lake and Mendocino County Chapter New Years Eve dance at the Edgewater

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

Just received this:

Marriage Equality USA Lake and Mendocino County Chapter New Years Eve dance at the Edgewater Resort (http://www.edgewaterresort.net) at 6420 SODA BAY RD., KELSEYVILLE, CA 95451.  Call for room reservations and dance tickets 707-279-0208.

A few of our “core” folks have reported that they didn’t get this New Year’s Eve retreat invite so I’m sending it again to our leadership list of people we’d love to spend New Year’s Eve with. This will be a bit rustic – but affordable and fun! If you can still make it – we’d love to see you there. Just call Laura and reserve your cabin and call the restaurant and add your additional names to the reservation that is under my name (we are up to 11 and counting)

We will spend the night dancing and chatting about the accomplishments of 2009 and in the morning – if you are interested – we will have a short visioning exercise to contemplate and set our intentions for 2010. We will share our collective visions on the January leadership call – so if you can’t make it – we’d still love to hear your thoughts.

And, if you can make it, would love to see you there. Molly, Davina, Dave and Jeff Janis-Kitsmiller, Sonoma, Lake, Mendocino Chapter leaders and members and Terry and I will be there.

–Carole Scagnetti

Posted in edgewater resort, event, marriage equality, mendocino county, new years eve dance | No Responses »

Malawi: Gay Marriage Was Actually an Engagement – Local Reporting

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

That “gay wedding” in Malawi, that featured two men (one dressed as a woman) who were promptly arrested on public indecency charges, was not a marriage ceremony at all. A reader wiser than we (and, apparently, Reuters) points out that guests actually attended a chinkhoswe, or a traditional engagement ceremony. At such an event, “usually, the couple is presented to the community, gifts are presented, and so forth,” writes reader John, an American living in Malawi.

His location helps, as he was able to offer these scans of the front page of Monday’s The Nation newspaper, which reported on Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjez’s engagement on its frontpage.

Notes John: “The Nation, one of two daily papers in Malawi, published a front-page article on Monday (the chinkhoswe was on Saturday) with the headline ‘GAYS ENGAGE.’ I’ve attached the whole article, which includes a photo. The first thing one notices, looking at the accompanying picture: one of the two men, Tiwonge, is clearly dressed as a woman, makeup included. Although the masculine “he” is used throughout the article, Tiwonge is consistently referred to as the bride, while Steven is the bridegroom. This is not simply ignorant reporting; Tiwonge, according to the article, self-identifies as a woman.

Full Story from Qyeerty: http://www.queerty.com/that-married-couple-from-malawi-was-actually-just-celebrating-an-engagement-still-illegal-though-20091230/

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.

Posted in engagement, Gay Marriage, local reporting, malawi | No Responses »

Caribbean: Bonaire, St. Eustatius & Saba Islands to Recognize Gay Marriage

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

Married and registered gay couples will obtain legal protection against discrimination by government agencies in the BES islands Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba after the islands have obtained their new status as public entities in the Dutch Kingdom.

Articles will be included in the Civil Code for the BES islands stipulating that marriages or registered partnerships contracted in Holland will have the legal rights afforded them by Dutch Civil Law, State Secretary for Internal Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ank Bijleveld-Schouten said in a letter to the Dutch Parliament’s Second Chamber in answer to Labour PvdA party questions.

“Following Article 40 of the Statute, it is determined in Article 5 of the draft BES Public Entities Implementation Law that authenticated copies of contracts can be implemented anywhere in the Kingdom of Netherlands,” she stated. “This means that a marriage between persons of the same gender and a registered partnership should also be registered at the civil registries or census offices of the BES islands.”

Full Story from The Daily Herald: http://www.thedailyherald.com/news/daily/m189/gaym189.html

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.

Posted in BES Islands, bonaire, civil partnerships, civil unions, Gay Marriage, netherlands, netherlands antilles, saba, st. eustatius | No Responses »

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