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DC: Marriage Equality Opponents Appeal Board Decision, Again

scott — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:23:00 +0000

Opponents of same-sex marriage in Washington DC appealed a court order today that upheld a DC Board of Elections ruling against holding a referendum on the issue.

Stand4MarriageDC and the Alliance Defense Fund, two conservative groups active in the nation’s capital, lodged the appeal on Wednesday. Attorneys for the two organizations placed the appeal in the hopes of allowing the issue of same-sex marriage to be decided by a popular vote.

“We are appealing because the District’s marriage redefinition law shouldn’t go into effect until voters have the opportunity to vote on a critical matter that affects everyone in the District,” senior legal counsel Austin R. Nimocks said in a news release picked up by the Washington Post.

Full Story from Examiner.com
Click here for gay marriage resources in Washington, DC.
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India: 16 Groups Petitioning Supreme Court to Reinstate Anti Gay Law

scott — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 15:35:00 +0000

Using fresh arguments that range from imperiling India’s defence to making its people delusional, 14 new organisations have joined the final legal battle against the decriminalisation of homosexuality. On Saturday, the number of petitioners in the Supreme Court – challenging the July 2009 decision of the Delhi High Court to strike down an anti-sodomy law – stood at 16 from the original two.

Two Christian church coalitions, three Muslim NGOs, two Hindu astrologers, a disciple of yoga guru Baba Ramdev, an NGO run by a former Delhi police officer, and an environmentalist, will be among those in the Supreme Court when it hears an appeal next month against the overturning of the Indian Penal Code’ section 377.

Only one person, film director and Rajya Sabha MP Shyam Benegal, has quietly joined the original petitioner, Delhi NGO Naz Foundation, in support of gay rights in the Supreme Court. With the government saying it will not oppose the Delhi High Court judgement, which experts consider legally strong, the new opponents are readying a range of fresh arguments:

· “Medical opinion” that only the vagina has the muscles required for sex, not the anus (Utkal Christian Foundation, Cuttack)

· Expanding the constitutional right to non-discrimination to include sexual orientation could lead to demands for job reservations (Apostolic Churches Alliance, Thiruvananthapuram)

Full Story from the Hindustan Times
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CA: Defense May Need Imperial County Involvement to Appeal Possible Prop 8 Court Loss

scott — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:59:00 +0000

Last December 15, local marriage equality activist Fernando Lopez found himself involved in the marriage equality issue in an unexpected way when the Board of Supervisors in Imperial County voted 3-2 to intervene in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the federal court challenge to California’s Proposition 8.

According to Lopez, the Alliance Defense Fund, one of the organizations involved first in passing Proposition 8 and then defending it in court, sought out Imperial County Board of Supervisors chair Wally Leimgruber and asked him to get the county involved in the case. Lopez said that the Alliance Defense Fund offered to pay all costs for the county if it agreed to intervene in the case on the side of upholding Proposition 8. Leimgruber told the ivpressonline.com Web site that the Board was acting in the interest of the more than 69% of country voters who supported Proposition 8, to “uphold what they voted on.”

“Wally’s up for re-election, and so with the conservative base there he took it up and brought it to the board,” Lopez recalled. “It actually wouldn’t have passed, but one of the seats there was just vacated by a progressive Democrat, and Governor Schwarzenegger appointed a Republican to fill his seat. So it passed on a 3-2 vote.”

Full Story from Indybay.org
Click here for gay marriage resources in California.
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UK: Registrar Loses Appeal in Gay Marriage Case

scott — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:15:00 +0000

A Christian registrar who was threatened with the sack after refusing to carry out gay weddings “as a matter of religious conscience” has lost an appeal against discrimination. Lillian Ladele, who became a registrar in 2002, claims she was bullied and harassed by Islington council in north London as a result of her stance.

She was backed by Christian groups but opposed by gay rights campaigners.

In July last year, an employment tribunal found that the council had unlawfully discriminated against her, but the ruling was overturned by the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) which said there was no basis for concluding that any discrimination had been established.

Full Story from Reuters: http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5BE20420091215

Click here for gay marriage resources in England.

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.

Philippines: Gay Group to Appeal Election Commission Decision

scott — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:22:00 +0000

A Philippine gay rights group is waging a legal battle to be allowed to run in next year’s polls after the Elections Commission ruled it cannot register as a political party on grounds that it advocates immorality.

The decision last week against Ang Ladlad (Out of the Closet), a group representing lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders, sent shock waves through the gay community.

In issuing its decision, the commission said the group “tolerates immorality which offends religious beliefs” and exposes young people to “an environment that does not conform to the teachings of our faith.” The ruling cited passages from the Bible and the Quran condemning homosexuality.

Full Story from 365Gay: http://www.365gay.com/news/philippine-gay-group-fights-to-contest-elections/

Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage resources.

UK Christian Registrar Who Refused to Conduct Gay Partnerships Goes to Court of Appeal

scott — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:07:00 +0000

A Christian registrar disciplined by her north London council after she refused to conduct same-sex civil partnerships took her discrimination claim to the Court of Appeal.

Lillian Ladele says she cannot carry out same-sex ceremonies “as a matter of religious conscience”. An employment tribunal found that Islington Council unlawfully discriminated against her but this was overturned by an employment appeal tribunal.

James Dingemans QC, representing her, told a panel of three appeal judges that Ms Ladele had never wanted to undermine the human rights or respect due to members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender communities.

Full Story from The Press Association: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iuYL459Gnmg08mxy2KTbH5IuVOtw

Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage resources in England.