April, 2010
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Saturday, April 24th, 2010
Supporters of an initiative campaign to tax the earnings of couples making more than $400,000 annually want to make sure the state’s domestic partners are taxed at the same rate as married couples.
An updated draft of Initiative 1077 was filed with the secretary of state on Friday. The initiative was announced Wednesday by Bill Gates Sr. and others. In addition to making some technical changes, it adds language to ensure that it is consistent with the state’s latest expansion to domestic partnerships.
I-1077 would tax couples with adjusted gross incomes greater than $400,000 annually, or incomes of more than $200,000 for individuals. Supporters said that represents the top 3 percent of earners in Washington. It also would cut the state property tax by 20 percent and increase the business-and-occupation tax credit to $4,800.
Full Story from Seattle PI
Click here for gay marriage resources in Washington State.
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.
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Tags: domestic partners, gay couples, income tax, initiative, lesbian couples, washington
Friday, April 23rd, 2010
Full Events List: http://www.purpleunions.com/mn/gay-marriage-events-list.html
–India, Mumbai: 04/22-04/25, Queer Film Fest. http://bit.ly/6kcDhP
–USA, CA, Palm Springs: 04/24, Equality Happy Hour, Hamburger Mary’s, 4-7 PM. http://bit.ly/bKvO8V
–USA, IA, Ames: 04/23, Marriage Equality Anniv Celebration, UU Fellowship, 6:30-7:30 PM. http://bit.ly/atOYCs
–USA, IA, Newton: 04/24, Marriage Equality Anniv Celebration, Fore Seasons Golf Practice, 7:30-9:30 PM. http://bit.ly/9Wlox0
–USA, IA, Waterloo: 04/24, Marriage Equality Anniv Celebration, Center for the Arts, 7-10 PM. http://bit.ly/9KSCQJ
–USA, NY, New York: 04/24, “Decadent Acts” Play & Talkback w/MENY, American Theater of Actors, 2-4:30 PM. http://bit.ly/aUQ9fI
–USA, OH, Canton: 04/23, Soulforce 2010 Equality Ride Stop, Malone Univ. http://bit.ly/chHIjx
–USA, OR, Portland: 04/24, Elton John Tribute Night Concert $10, Jupiter Hotel, 8:30 PM. http://bit.ly/dqHN34
–USA, WA, Seattle: 04/24-04/25, Equality Across America Conference, Seattle Univ. http://bit.ly/9YHegU
Posted in Uncategorized | No Responses »
Tags: concerts, conferences, events, film festival, fundraisers, Gay Marriage, marriage equality, same sex marriage
Friday, April 23rd, 2010
A protest march will take place in Pretoria on Freedom Day, April 27, to demand equality for lesbians and gays in both the U.S. and Uganda. Organized by Up & Out, the University of Pretoria’s gay organization, the protesters will march from the Ugandan Embassy to the U.S. Embassy.
The U.S. has been slammed by the organization for its continued refusal to grant same-sex couples federal marriage rights and benefits. “How can a supposed first world nation decide to do such things?” asked Up & Out in a statement.
Uganda is also under immense international pressure over its proposed Anti Homosexuality Bill which, if passed by the country’s parliament, would impose the death penalty on people found guilty of repeated “homosexual offenses”.
Full Story from Lez Get Real
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 Uncategorized | No Responses »
Tags: Gay Marriage, gay rights, march, marriage equality, pretoria, rally, same sex marriage, south africa, uganda, united states, usa
Friday, April 23rd, 2010
A Spanish-language tabloid claims that Martin used to secretly date Eduardo Verastegui, a Latin model and actor. Verastegui is no stranger to gay rumors. But he was also the face of California’s “Yes on 8″ campaign against gay marriage.
The tabloid TV y Novelasclaims the two were a couple when they were both in the closet. Like Martin, Verastegui also started out in a boy band, but he went on to star in Spanish-language TV shows and lots of shirtless photoshoots.
According to this report he went right-wing around 2006 and made an anti-abortion message movie and even palled around with John McCain. It culminated in this commercial supporting California’s Proposition 8, which eventually passed and robbed gay folks in the state of legally tying the knot.
Full Story from Gawker
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 Uncategorized | No Responses »
Tags: Eduardo Verastegui, gay, Gay Marriage, marriage equality, prop 8, proposition 8, ricky martin, same sex marriage, tabloids
Friday, April 23rd, 2010
For the first time in the history of the United States Congress, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, otherwise known as the ethics panel, was going to have elected officials and senior staffers in same-sex marriages, who received marriage certificates in states where it is legal, disclose their spousal financial information the same way heterosexual married staffers do. That was until both sides of the gay marriage camp started complaining.
The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, also know as the ethics panel, had released draft rules a week ago that made extensive revisions to the old instruction manual for filling out financial disclosure forms.
The draft rules included a paragraph declaring that “In 2009, there were a total of four states which issued marriage licenses to same-sex couples: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa and Vermont. (New Hampshire and the District of Columbia began issuing such licenses effective in 2010.)”
Full Story from Queerty
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 Uncategorized | No Responses »
Tags: congress, financial disclosure, Gay Marriage, marriage equality, rules, same sex marriage
Friday, April 23rd, 2010
Regardless of the outcome of next year’s Finnish parliamentary elections, the governing majority is expected to implement a motion in support of gender-neutral marriage and adoption. A new survey by Helsingin Sanomat revealed that there is little political opposition to the notion of allowing same-sex couples to adopt.
The newspaper study found that the larger political parties held few objections to gay couples adopting, with only the True Finns and Christian League opposing a change in the law. All candidates for the leadership of the governing Centre Party, except for Paavo Vayrynen, were in favour of the idea, and the Social Democrats and the conservative National Coalition were also positive about the concept.
Taru Tujunen, the National Coalition Party secretary, said an initiative would be put forward at the next party congress which would call for gender-neutral marriage. The SDP will also make similar calls for adoption rights for same-sex couples during their May party congress.
Full Story from IceNews
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 Uncategorized | No Responses »
Tags: 2011, finland, gay adoption, Gay Marriage, marriage equality, parliament, same sex marriage
Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
Full Events List: http://www.purpleunions.com/mn/gay-marriage-events-list.html
–India, Mumbai: 04/22-04/25, Queer Film Fest. http://bit.ly/6kcDhP
–USA, CA, Los Angeles: 04/22, Voter Canvass Training, The Village, 6:30-9:30 PM. http://bit.ly/cqeLcp
–USA, CA, San Francisco: 04/22, SF Team Progress Party!, Shelba Piano Lounge, 7-9 PM. http://bit.ly/dhncvR
–USA, CA, San Francisco: 04/22, One Struggle One Fight Meeting, 209 Golden Gate Ave, 7 PM. http://bit.ly/7HQ8D4
–USA, DC, Washington: 04/22, LGBT Leadership Town Hall, Sirius XM Studios, 2-4 PM. http://bit.ly/dvSHxT
–USA, IA, Ames: 04/23, Marriage Equality Anniv Celebration, UU Fellowship, 6:30-7:30 PM. http://bit.ly/atOYCs
–USA, IL, Springfield: 04/22, Civil Union Lobby Day, State House, 7 AM-5:30 PM. http://bit.ly/94QeMa
–USA, OH, Canton: 04/23, Soulforce 2010 Equality Ride Stop, Malone Univ. http://bit.ly/chHIjx
Posted in Uncategorized | No Responses »
Tags: events, film festival, Gay Marriage, lobby day, marriage equality, meetings, party, same sex marriage, town hall, training
Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
Dan and Josh Smithman stopped in Iowa today to kick off their “Marriage Tour.” The couple plans to get married in every state that has legalzied same-sex marriage.
Wednesday afternoon, the couple had a recommitment ceremony in downtown Des Moines. The state already recognizes the Smithmans as a married couple because they were wed in California in June 2008. The were married before the state overturned its same-sex marriage law via Proposition 8, in November 2008.
The couple will travel to five states and the District of Columbia, all of which have legalized same-sex marriage, in the next two weeks with the hopes of getting married in each state, they said.
Full Story from KCCI
Click here for gay marriage resources in Iowa.
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 Uncategorized | No Responses »
Tags: Gay Marriage, gay marriage tour, iowa, marriage equality, nevada couple, same sex marriage
Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
A man seeking to end his same-sex marriage in Dallas County is arguing an ironic point in a state that doesn’t recognize his nuptials: Grant the divorce and there will be one less gay marriage in Texas.
“My client is a married man and he needs a divorce,” said the man’s attorney, Jody Scheske, who argued that granting the divorce promotes the state’s policy against gay marriage. “But for the actions of the attorney general, there would already be one less same-sex marriage in Texas.”
That argument came Wednesday before a three-judge panel in the Fifth District Court of Appeals in Dallas that is hearing arguments after Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott appealed a state district judge’s ruling in October to grant the divorce. In her decision, Judge Tena Callahan also ruled that the state’s ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional.
Full Story from Dallas News
Click here for gay marriage resources in Texas.
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 Uncategorized | No Responses »
Tags: ag, appeal, attorney general, court, dallas, gay divorce, Gay Marriage, Greg Abbott, marriage equality, same sex marriage, texas, tx
Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
Two women who want to marry? It is an issue many people on the Dutch Caribbean island of St Eustatius are horrified by. Not to mention euthanasia and abortion. St Eustatius is threatening to go to the United Nations in protest against some aspects of Dutch legislation being imposed on them.
St Eustatius, Bonaire and Saba are to become ‘special municipalities’ of the Netherlands as a result of the formal dismantlement of the Dutch Antilles, which will take place later this year. When this happens Dutch law will be in force on the islands, which are former colonies of the Netherlands. They became semi-autonomous in 1954, when the Dutch Antilles got the status of a separate country within the kingdom of the Netherlands. The treaty underlying this status will end in October 2010.
The Island Council of St Eustatius has unanimously approved a motion against the ‘anti-social laws’ of the Netherlands, as Clyde van Putten, who tabled it, calls them. The document which was sent to the Dutch parliament on Tuesday, speaks of ‘big cultural and emotional shocks’
Full Story from Radio Netherlands
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 Uncategorized | No Responses »
Tags: dutch antilles, Gay Marriage, marriage equality, netherlands, netherlands antilles, same sex marriage, st. eustatius
