June, 2010

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Send a Letter to Hawaiian Governor Linda Lingle

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

Hawaiian activists are asking for your help in a snail mail campaign to convince Gov. Linda Lingle not to veto the state’s pending civil unions bill. Lingle has deluged with letters from our enemies, so let’s send her some positive messages of our own.

Two suggested lines for your letter: “We are from _____ and we would sure love to have our civil union in Hawaii,” and “We recently got a civil union in _____ but would much rather have had it in Hawaii.”

Letters should be mailed to:
The Honorable Linda Lingle
Governor, State of Hawaii
Executive Chambers
State Capitol
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

You’ll need to send your message this week for it to arrive on time.

Full Story from Joe.My.God

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.

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Gays in the Military Quote of the Week

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

From Jay Bookman’s Blog:

“As one former member of a special missions unit put it to me recently, “It’s really about competence. If you’re competent, it doesn’t matter who you are.” And then, switching instantly from an analytical posture to a machismo mode, he said, “If a guy saves my ass, he sure as hell can look at it.”

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Analysis of the Supreme Court Decision on Petition Signer Disclosure

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

In a ruling hailed by gay activists, the U.S. Supreme Court on June 24 upheld a law that requires public disclosure of the names of people who signed a petition to put an anti-gay referendum on the ballot in Washington State. But litigation over the domestic partnership battle may not yet be finished and may be back before the court in a year or so.

The 8 to 1 decision, with only Justice Clarence Thomas in dissent, said a state law requiring the names and addresses of petition signers be available to the public does not violate the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the decision – a bit of a surprise given that his questions during oral argument seemed to indicate he would be inclined to rule in favor of the plaintiffs. However, in the opinion, Roberts suggested plaintiffs could do better by limiting their challenge to the state law’s impact in the Referendum 71.

Full Story from Keen News Service

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.

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WA: Supreme Court Votes 8-1 to Allow Disclosure of Petition Signer Names

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

Public disclosure of the names and addresses of signers of referendum petitions does not violate the First Amendment, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Thursday. The justices, voting 8-1, rejected a broad challenge to the state of Washington’s Public Records Act in a case stemming from a referendum on a state law that extended benefits to same-sex couples.

Writing for the majority in Doe v. Reed, Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. said public disclosure of referendum petitions in general is “substantially related to the important interest of preserving the integrity of the electoral process.”

However, while rejecting the broad First Amendment challenge, the majority held open the possibility that the groups seeking anonymity in this particular case could press a narrower challenge. They could try to show, Roberts said, that the state law is unconstitutional as applied to their particular situation in which they claim that disclosure would subject them to harassment, threats or reprisals.

Full Story from Law.com

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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Gay Marriage Events Today/Tomorrow

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

(Full Events List & Details: http://www.purpleunions.com/mn/gay-marriage-events-list.html):

–USA, CA, Los Angeles: 06/24, Voter Canvass Training, The Village, 6:30-9:30 PM.
–USA, NY, New York: 06/24, Real Housewives Host My Big Gay Italian Wedding – MEUSA Fundraiser $200, St. Luke’s Theater.
–USA, OR, : 06/24, Bites for Rights Benefit for Basic Rights OR, Statewide.

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Roxy & Susanne: A 40 Year Love Story

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

Roxy & SusanneThis is a love story about Roxy and Susanne. And it also includes Dorothy Kilgallen’s nephew Robbie, who was Susanne’s pseudo-husband in Hollywood, who later ran the Candle Shop on Christopher St., and even later was one of my trysts, but that was before I accidentally knocked down Roxy and Susanne’s wall.

Back in the ’50s and ’60s, young actresses and actors in the postwar world of Method Acting, Technicolor and television and broadcast advertising crossed the country on trains and planes from Hollywood to Broadway and back. Those who were lesbian and gay were even more in the know, and had welcoming doors secretly opened to them.

Such was the case of my dear friends Susanne Wasson of Searcy, Arkansas, and Roxy Horen of Ohio and Ontario. Susanne appeared in films and television starting in the late ’50s, including as Elizabeth Taylor’s stand-in for “Butterfield 8″ and a onetime role on “Star Trek” for which she’s still notoriously known. Roxy began her career at Circle in the Square right after Jose Quintaro opened it. She performed along side Geraldine Page and others before becoming an agent and personal manager.

Full Story from The Villager

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.

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MD: Annapolis Extends Benefits to Partners of Gay/Lesbian City Employees

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

Mayor Josh Cohen has extended employment benefits to the same-sex partners of Annapolis’ workers, giving them access to medical plans. Under the new city rules taking effect July 1, the same-sex partners of city employees can enroll in city-offered medical, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits. Those benefits do not extend to unmarried heterosexual couples.

Only same-sex partners are eligible for the domestic partnership benefit option because they don’t have the ability to marry in Maryland. The city’s policy comes months after state employees and retirees and their same-sex domestic partners were allowed to enroll in benefit programs.

“This is very exciting and it’s a move in the right direction towards equality in Maryland. And it’s appropriate because it’s the seat of our government,” said Morgan Meneses-Sheets, executive director for Equality Maryland, an advocacy group for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Marylanders.

Full Story from the SF Examiner

Click here for gay marriage resources in Maryland.

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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Australia: New PM Holds Same Anti Gay Marriage Views As the Last One

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

PM Julia GillardJulia Gillard will become Australia’s first female prime minister after Kevin Rudd decided not to take part in a leadership ballot this morning.

The change in leadership was decided shortly after 9am this morning after Rudd stood aside to avoid defeat rather than face off with Gillard in the leadership ballot.

…

In an interview with Sky News political editor David Speers in July last year, Gillard made her feelings on same-sex marriage clear. “The Government’s position is very clear that marriage is marriage between a man and a woman,” Gillard told Speers at the time. Further questioning from Speers prompted Gillard to reveal her personal view on same-sex marriage was the same as the government’s standpoint.

Full Story from SX

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.

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HI: Business Roundtable Backtracks on Opposition to Civil Unions

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

The Hawaii Business Roundtable clarified yesterday that it has not taken a position on a civil unions bill, responding to internal dissent and under pressure from gay rights advocates for urging Gov. Linda Lingle to veto the measure.

Gary K. Kai, the Roundtable’s executive director, sent a letter to Lingle explaining that an initial June 4 message urging a veto was only to express concerns regarding the administrative challenges of implementing civil unions.

Kai said the Roundtable opposes any form of discrimination, including any based on sexual orientation. “Unfortunately, the use of the word veto has become equivalent to some, as a position against civil unions,” he wrote.

Full Story from the Star Advertiser

Click here for gay marriage resources in Hawaii.

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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Gay Marriage Bans Backfire, Teach Children Marriage Isn’t Necessary

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

Parenting took center stage in the closing arguments of the Prop 8 case on June 16. Attorney Ted Olson, by most accounts, made a superb argument for marriage equality. There was one point he left out, however, that is worth exploring here.

Attorney Charles Cooper, speaking for the defenders of the same-sex marriage ban, argued that marriage should be limited to opposite-sex couples in order to “channel naturally procreative sexual conduct into stable and enduring unions,” and “to minimize what I would call irresponsible procreation.”

He was unclear, however, as to how allowing same-sex couples to marry would dissuade opposite-sex couples from doing the same. He spoke only of the “very important and very negative social implications” when children “are born into the world without this stable, enduring marital union, raised and responsibility taken for the offspring by both of the parents that brought them into the world.”

Full Story from Bay Windows

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.

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