December, 2011

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Featured Gay Friendly Wedding Vendor: F.E.A.S.T. at Round Hill, Washingtonville, NY

Tuesday, December 27th, 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 Wedding Vendors in Eastern New York

FEAST brings many years of catering experience in the glorious Hudson Valley and Metropolitan New York region to the table. We are passionate about food and committed to making your event the one you envision.

Whether it’s an elegant wedding held at Round Hill or an intimate cocktail reception at the location of your choice, the professionally trained FEAST team will choreograph every detail to allow you the freedom to relax and enjoy your celebration.

Our goal at FEAST is to help you realize your unique and personal vision for your event. We cater only one event a day at Round Hill so that you are never on the heels of another event. You can begin at whatever time you choose–you have our undivided attention for the day.

Menus are flexible. We incorporate styles, tastes and cuisines from your own background, culture and heritage.

See the F.E.A.S.T. at Round Hill Expanded Listing on Purple Unions Here

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Tags: F.E.A.S.T. at Round Hill, gay weddings, lesbian weddings, ny, Washingtonville, wedding venue

Marriage Equality Events Today/Tomorrow: Minneapolis, Concord NH, Seattle

Tuesday, December 27th, 2011

Gay Marriage Events Here’s our list of events today and tomorrow around the world relating to marriage equality 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!

–USA, MN, Minneapolis: 2011-12-28, Skills Training for LGBT & Allies , Twin Cities Men’s Center , 7-9 PM. http://bit.ly/sgWuqM
–USA, NH, Concord: 2011-12-28, Phone Bank to Defend Marriage Equality, America Votes, 6 PM. http://bit.ly/vGMhv6
–USA, WA, Seattle: 2011-12-27, Phonebanking for Marriage Equality with Equal Rights Washington, Equal Rights WA Office, 5:30 PM. http://bit.ly/t6TxA5
–USA, WA, Seattle: 2011-12-28, Phonebanking for Marriage Equality with Equal Rights Washington, Equal Rights WA Office, 5:30 PM. http://bit.ly/t6TxA5

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

Australia: The Gay Rights Year in Review

Tuesday, December 27th, 2011

Growing activism and a shift in public mood towards marriage equality, culminating in the ALP adopting same-sex marriage as part of its policy platform, was the big news this year. But plenty of other good and not so good things have also gone down. Alex Dunkin gives an overview.

January

The year began with ACSA saying goodbye to its home of 20 years in Darling House with a move to Eton Road, Keswick. Gay Men’s Health and the Community Library both made the jump with ACSA to the new location.

Tosca winner Vonni got together some friends to host Queens for Queensland, a fundraiser to assist in the recovery efforts following the floods in Queensland. The night raised close to $1,500 for the Flood Victims. Vonnie said, “the night was amazing, with live acts, dance acts, drag acts – and all in the stifling heat.”

Full Story from GNN

Click here for gay wedding resources in Australia.

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Tags: 2011, australia, gay rights, year in review

NC: Pastor Calls for “Civil” Debate As He Works to Take Away Gay Rights

Tuesday, December 27th, 2011

On the day he was elected to lead the state’s Baptist convention, the Rev. Mark Harris fielded a threatening voice mail that gave him a quick glimpse of the approaching battle over same-sex marriage in North Carolina.

Harris didn’t want to describe the entire message, only the essence: He needed to stop “spewing hatred” toward homosexuals and their families.

In November, Harris, senior minister at uptown Charlotte’s First Baptist Church, was elected to a yearlong term as president of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, representing 4,300 N.C. Baptist churches and their 1.3 million members.

Full Story from the Charlotte Observer

Click here for gay wedding resources in North Carolina.

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Tags: ban, baptist pastor, Gay Marriage, north carolina

VA: 59% Support Civil Unions, But Only 34% Support Marriage Equality

Monday, December 26th, 2011

A majority of Virginia voters continue to oppose the idea of same-sex marriage, but are open to civil unions, according to a new survey.

Public Policy Polling’s most recent survey of Virginia’s electorate found that 53 percent of those questioned opposed legalization of same-sex marriage, while 34 percent supported it.

But 59 percent of respondents said they would be willing to accept civil unions for gay couples. Democrats (70 percent) and independents (66 percent) were more likely than Republicans (39 percent) to be in favor.

Full Story from the Sun Gazette

Click here for gay wedding resources in Virginia.

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Tags: civil unions, Gay Marriage, marriage equality, poll, Virginia

Spain: Outgoing PM Proudest of Marriage Equality Passage

Monday, December 26th, 2011

Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Spain’s former prime minister, says passing a gay marriage law is his proudest achievement.

Mariano Rajoy and his conservative Popular Party (PP) won control of Parliament in a landslide victory last month as Spain shifted hard to the right while struggling under piles of debt and sky-high unemployment.

The power shift could be the undoing of the nation’s gay marriage law, which was approved during the tenure of the Socialist Zapatero. Rajoy has suggested he would “change” the law and his party has filed a legal challenge based on technical grounds.

Full Story from On Top Magazine

Click here for gay wedding resources in Spain.

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Tags: marriage equality, prime minister, spain, zapatero

MN: Marriage Equality Ban Tears Apart Families

Monday, December 26th, 2011

In the 16 years since Eileen Scallen called to say she was bringing a girlfriend home for a school reunion, her five brothers and sisters — all lifelong Catholics — have grown used to having a gay sibling.

Scallen had made a comfortable life for herself in San Francisco, and at 36 was a law professor. On a trip home to Minnesota, she met and fell in love with Marianne Norris, a former nun and the mother of two grown daughters and then a high school principal. She later moved back to Minneapolis to live with Norris, who her siblings now consider one of the family.

But Scallen worries that their loyalty to her may only go so far. She fears they won’t understand her opposition to proposed constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between one man and one woman. With the archbishop strongly in support the amendment, the family is in a difficult spot. Accepting a gay sibling and her partner is one thing, but agreeing that they should have the right to marry — an idea Scallen said goes to the heart of her most important relationship — is a much bigger step.

Full Story from the Austin Daily Herald

Click here for gay wedding resources in Minnesota.

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Tags: ban, families, Gay Marriage, minnesota

NH: What Happens Next if The Legislature Repeals Marriage Equality?

Monday, December 26th, 2011

It is likely that a proposed repeal of same-sex marriage in New Hampshire will go down in flames as Governor John Lynch has already threatened to veto it. The state senate has already stated that they may not have the votes to override the veto, and even if they do, it will cost the state millions of dollars in legal costs as it goes to the courts. Money that the state can ill afford at this juncture.

Of course, hoping to avoid shoving this issue into the Republican Primary, the vote will not happen until somewhere after 11 January or 18 January. The Republicans will be having their primary on 10 January. Most of the Republican candidates are anti-marriage equality.

According to House Republican Leader D.J. Bettencourt “The presidential candidates have a hard enough time getting their message out. This is the time for them to shine. We want them to get all the attention possible.” The Assembly will take up a few vetoed bills from last year to try and override them. After the primary, the Assembly will push laws which will legalize casino gambling in the state and try for a constitutional amendment banning the state’s income tax, thus further starving the state for money.

Full Story from Lez Get Real

Click here for gay wedding resources in New Hampshire.

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Tags: legislature, marriage equality, new hampshire, repeal

HI: First Civil Unions January 1st

Monday, December 26th, 2011

Four same sex couples will enter into civil unions shortly after the clock strikes midnight on January 1, 2012. A private ceremony is planned at an undisclosed home in East Oahu to mark the historic event.

Tambry Young and Suzanne King, two women who were married in Massachusetts in 2009, are helping the couples coordinate the event as members of the CU in Hawaii 2012 Planning Committee.

“They had fittings that they had to go to (and) they’ve got family flying in,” said King. “It’s really exciting.”

Full Story from KHON2

Click here for gay wedding resources in Hawaii.

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Tags: civil unions, hawaii, january 1st

Nigeria: We Won’t Be Intimidated By The West

Monday, December 26th, 2011

NO amount of threats from Western countries over same-sex law would pressure Nigeria to discard its customs and tradition, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, has said.

Since the Senate passed the the bill recommending stiff punishment for same-sex marriage, Nigeria has come under various threats of sanction from Britain and America which have voiced their opposition to the move.

However, Ashiru said in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune in Abuja that Nigeria would not be moved, as the country would do all that was necessary to defend its national interest, adding that if the National Assembly’s move was not in the interest of Nigerians, there would have been internal opposition to it.

Full Story from The Nigerian Tribune

Click here for gay wedding resources.

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Tags: Gay Marriage, intimidation, nigeria, western world