September, 2011

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Australia: Twitter Forum for Marriage Equality Thursday

Tuesday, September 27th, 2011

Former NSW premier Kristina Keneally will be one of a panel of special guest contributors in a live Twitter forum on marriage equality, taking place from 8-9pm this Thursday, September 29.

Keneally recently outlined her support for same-sex marriage on ABC TV’s Q and A and in an article in Eureka Street magazine.

“If we accept that heterosexual people who are physically unable to have children are able to express themselves in physical acts, why then aren’t people who God created with a homosexual orientation able to do the same?” Keneally wrote in Eureka Street in response to religious disapproval of same-sex relationships.

Full Story from the Star Observer

Click here for gay wedding resources in Australia.

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Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Response »
Tags: australia, forum, marriage equality, twitter

What Gay Activists Can Teach The Left

Monday, September 26th, 2011

Remember when you believed that if we just elected enough Democrats to Congress and took the White House, we could take this country back? We could stop giving tax breaks to people who didn’t need them so that we would have a shot at creating jobs, providing for those in need, and still break even. We could end government-inspired discrimination against people because of the way they look, who they love, or where they were born. And we could actualize “the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal,” to quote Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

That was 2008.

As Keith Harrington, an environmental activist, wrote last month:

Three years ago, I spent a number of weekends going door to door in Virginia urging people to vote for our president. In that campaign I found a sense of pride, a sense of excitement, a sense of energizing virtue.

This weekend, I spent a good chunk of time training to do civil disobedience at President Obama’s door in the desperate hope that he’ll fulfill the promise that drove me onto the streets for him in 2008. And in so doing I’ve found the same sense of pride, the same excitement, and the same energizing sense of virtue that I did three years back.

Full Story from The Atlantic

Click here for gay wedding resources.

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Tags: gay activists, left, progressives

Marriage Equality Will Happen in Australia

Monday, September 26th, 2011

Last week Tasmania made history as the first state in Australia to pass a motion in favour of marriage equality for same-sex couples. It is testament to the power of social change that the last state to decriminalise homosexuality is now leading the way on positive law reform.

In 1997 Tasmania finally moved to amend the law so that homosexuality was no longer criminalised in that state. In just under 15 years, it seems the debate in Tasmania has moved full circle – from whether homosexuality is illegal to how we can give same-sex relationships the same legal and social status as other relationships. This is something that opponents of marriage reform should keep in mind.

We know that social views on a range of issues have changed dramatically in the past few decades. It’s hard to believe that just over 40 years ago, the beautiful film Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner was considered taboo for featuring a relationship between a black man and a white woman.

Full Story from the Sydney Morning Herald

Click here for gay wedding resources in Australia.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Response »
Tags: australia, Gay Marriage, marriage equality

Dems Take Boehner to Task Over DOMA Defense

Monday, September 26th, 2011

John Boehner has made it clear that he does not want to abandon the defense of the Defense of Marriage Act even if it means relying upon the most horrific of “harmful and unreasonable arguments”. Boehner’s pet lawyer, Paul Clement, has been relying upon a lot of discredited and biased research regarding marriage equality and using it in legal briefs in court.

Clement has, so far, argued that DOMA is Constitutional because lesbians and gays are inferior parents, being gay is a choice, and that LGBT Americans are not regularly victims of discrimination and, thus, should not be granted protected status as a class. That last one flies in the face of Supreme Court precedent.

Always budget conscious, the House Republicans decided to pay Clement millions that could go to disaster relief because President Barack Obama decided to no longer waste money defending a law that is so obviously unconstitutional.

Full Story from Lez Get Real

Click here for gay wedding resources.

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Tags: democrats, DOMA defense, john boehner

RI: ACLU Calls Civil Unions Law a Fiasco

Monday, September 26th, 2011

The Rhode Island chapter of the ACLU says since civil unions were made legal for gay and lesbian couples about two months ago, extremely few couples have taken advantage of the ruling. That, says the ACLU, proves the law is a fiasco — compared to giving those couples the right to marry.

According to census figures reported by The Providence Journal, Rhode Island had just over 3,600 same-sex households in 2010. But the Rhode Island chapter of the ACLU said just 14 gay or lesbian couples have gotten civil unions since they became legal.

The ACLU released a report Monday, “Two Months of Civil Unions in Rhode Island: Already Time for a Divorce?” It details how the civil unions law has had a lackluster response, and it cites three major reasons why couples aren’t getting united:

Full Story from WPRI

Click here for gay wedding resources in Rhode Island.

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Tags: aclu, civil unions, fiasco, rhode island

Free Tickets to the Chicago Wedding Salon For The First Five Couples…

Monday, September 26th, 2011

…who post their names and email in the comments to this article. The details:

We are thrilled to announce that The Wedding Salon is returning to Chicago in just a few weeks, on October 3 at The W City Center.

We have some incredible names lined up, including Jenny Yoo!

The event will feature a Couture Fashion Show where Jenny Yoo will give brides a sneak peek into their 2012 collection, Beauty Makeovers by Saks Fifth Avenue with Laura Mercier and Giorgio Armani, Cocktails, Cake Tastings & fabulous goodie bags. Brides will additionally have a chance to win honeymoon giveaways, engagement photo shoots and much more.

We’ll contact the first five responders below with the details on how to get your free tickets.

–Scott & Mark, Gay Marriage Watch

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Tags: chicago, free tickets, wedding show

Featured Gay Friendly Wedding Vendor: ADH Weddings and Events, Chicago

Monday, September 26th, 2011

Periodically we’ll feature one of our vendors here to let our readers know about some great people who can help you plan the perfect wedding.

Gay Friendly Location Wedding Vendors

ADH Meetings & Events will make your special occasion flawless! Just leave the details to us.

The time spent planning a gay or lesbian wedding is just as involved as planning a conventional wedding, but for gay and lesbian couples there are a few important details to consider.

With constant changes in rules and regulations in cities, states and countries around the globe, and depending in which part of the globe you are planning to commit to your life partner, the terms run from commitment ceremonies, civil unions and/or weddings, we at ADH Meetings & Events are here to help you find the perfect location to make this day a very special one.

Even in less progressive parts of the country and world, we can assist in finding the appropriate venue, create a beautiful setting and finding an ordained servant to preside over your ceremony.

See the ADH Meetings and Events Expanded Listing on Purple Unions Here

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Tags: adh meetings and events, chicago, gay weddings, lesbian weddings

Marriage Equality Events Today/Tomorrow: Melbourne, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, DC, Chicago, Saint Paul, Poughkeepsie, Eugene, Portland

Monday, September 26th, 2011

Gay Marriage Events Here’s our list of events today and tomorrow around the world relating to marriage equality, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and other LGBT equality issues. If you know of any other events – rallies, meetings, phonebanking, etc – please use the link below to add your event to our list!

–Australia, VIC, Melbourne: 09/28, Protest PM Gillard’s Anti Marriage Equality Policies, Park Hyatt, 11:30 AM.
–USA, CA, Beverly Hills: 09/26, LA Equal Roots Meeting, 8106 Santa Monica Blvd, 7:30-9:30 PM.
–USA, CA, West Hollywood: 09/27, Love Honor Cherish Meeting, Nat’l Council Of Jewish Women, 7:30 PM.
–USA, DC, Washington: 09/27, Gay & Lesbian Activists Alliance Meeting, Sumner School Museum, 7 PM.
–USA, IL, Chicago: 09/27, Dining Out for Equality – Equality IL Benefit, Various Restaurants, 5-10 PM.
–USA, MN, Saint Paul: 09/27, Volunteer Training w/MN United for All Families, TBD, 6-8 PM.
–USA, NY, Poughkeepsie: 09/26, A Panel Discussion on Family & Marriage, The Bardavon, 6-7 PM.
–USA, OR, Eugene: 09/26, Phone Bank for Marriage Equality w/Basic Rights Oregon, TBD, 6-9 PM.
–USA, OR, Eugene: 09/27, Phone Bank for Marriage Equality w/Basic Rights Oregon, TBD, 6-9 PM.
–USA, OR, Portland: 09/26, Phone Bank for Marriage Equality w/Basic Rights Oregon, Basic Rights Oregon Office, 6-9 PM.
–USA, OR, Portland: 09/27, Phone Bank for Marriage Equality w/Basic Rights Oregon, Basic Rights Oregon Office, 6-9 PM.

Full Events List/Add Your Own Event: http://www.purpleunions.com/mn/gay-marriage-events-list.html

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Tags: events, Gay Marriage, marriage equality

MN: Marriage Equality Ban Already Dividing Churches, Parishioners

Monday, September 26th, 2011

Although 14 months remain before Minnesota voters decide the fate of a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between a man and a woman, division over the issue of gay marriage has already taken root in many faith communities, including the United Methodist Church (UMC) community in Richfield.

Division over what does or should constitute marriage are confronting the UMC’s clergy and parishioners in and around Richfield, and the divide is reflective of larger conflicts within the United Methodist Church in Minnesota.

Headed by the Rev. Elizabeth Macauley, Richfield United Methodist Church (RUMC) is currently confronting gay marriage and other issues related to diversity. Although technically situated in Minneapolis, the church retains its namesake from before the property was annexed from Richfield. A number of Richfield residents continue to attend services there.

Full Story from Patch.com

Click here for gay wedding resources in Minnesota.

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Tags: churches, gay marriage ban, minnesota

New Poll Shows Support by Religion for Marriage Equality in US

Monday, September 26th, 2011

Baylor University’s annual survey on religion reports the above levels of support for marriage equality. Unsurprisingly, the “unchurched” are far and away our best allies.