The bill passed 222-205 on Wednesday. According to the Human Rights Campaign, Republican representative Judy Biggert wanted to add an amendment to increase specific protections for LGBT victims of domestic violence, but House leadership blocked her from introducing the amendment.

Earlier this month, the Senate passed VAWA with a bipartisan 68-31 vote. The law organizes federal funding to enhance investigation and prosecution of domestic violence and sexual assault while also supporting victim service programs. The Senate version was the first to have LGBT-inclusive provisions. Senators defeated an amendment 36-63 that would have rewritten the bill and excluded coverage for LGBT violence victims.

The Anti-Violence Project reports that LGBT domestic violence victims have fewer supportive services, and they often face discrimination when seeking help. The Senate bill would ensure that all people are able to access services regardless of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.

READ MORE ON THE ADVOCATE

Dee Coram the openly gay son of Republican representative from the 58th district Don Coram, in Colorado, pitched his father for a yes vote, but to no avail.  “Yesterday was the first and only time I ever called him and said, “Can you do this?” said 44-year-old Dee Coram. “He said, ‘I love you, but absolutely not.’ ”

The Denver Post reports that “Civil unions for same-sex couples seemed destined for success toward the end of the Colorado legislative session, which closed last week. It had cleared three Republican-controlled House committees and appeared to have a majority of votes on the House floor.”

But House Speaker Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, refused to let lawmakers cast their votes. Gov. John Hickenlooper countered by calling a special session. The reincarnated civil unions bill on Monday landed in McNulty’s so-called “kill committee,” where he expected the bill to die.

He also outlined goals he hopes to accomplish under a second term, including the repeal of the Defense Of Marriage Act, which the administration has already stopped defending.

This is the first time Obama has said that he will actively work to repeal the law.

At the fundraiser, hosted by openly gay pop star Ricky Martin, Obama called same-sex marriage the “right thing to do.” He also said that contrary to what many right wing pundits have alleged, marriage equality will help families.

I want everyone treated fairly in this country. We have never gone wrong when we’ve extended rights and responsibilities to everybody. That doesn’t weaken families, that strengthens families.

The President also touched on his freshly out same-sex marriage stance on The View. The segment, which he taped today, will air on ABC tomorrow.

According to some White House officials, Obama had intended to speak out in favor of marriage equality on the talk show, but he was spurred forward by Joe Biden’s early endorsement.

READ MORE at GAWKER

“Black leaders of faith should not use the Bible to suppress the rights of LGBT community just like the Bible was used to suppress the rights of Black Americans,” said Dyson.
If Black pastors tried to “take all the [gay people] out of the Black church, there wouldn’t be a Black church,” he added. “And I never heard of any pastors refusing tithes from gay people.”

Dyson joins numerous of Black pastors who have spoken out in support of the President’s freedom to marry stance.

READ MORE NBJC BLOG  

Read NBJC’s statement commending President Obama for his courageous leadership

For years the anti- same-sex marriage lobby has taken the form of extreme right wing fundamentalists such as Tony Perkins and others who I am loathe to name.  At every turn and opportunity LGBT bloggers have fought their rhetoric and we have never considered them as ‘the experts’ worthy of the title of legitimate opposition to equality.   Yet they have been given a voice on mainstream TV as the opposing experts and have barely been challenged. Let us hope that with recent discredits we have seen the final round.

Now since President Obama has come out openly in support of same-sex marriage, main stream media has had the opportunity to call its ‘experts’ on the other side of the debate  and unfortunately all they can find, by virtue of years of an insidious overt presence on the issue, are the likes of Tony Perkins, who, together with his cronies, have yet to put forth a legitimate argument against marriage equality.

This time the deconstruction of their warped views are being elucidated with realistic force and vigor. It is akin to a boxing match. If a fighter keeps kicking below the belt he must be disqualified.  While Tony Perkins was recently caught doing just that, he was allowed to fight on – but was knocked out cold, in the ring!

Their views are just that – mere views – with no truth -neither based in science nor reality. They have re-written history and spewed their lies.

Perkins was on CNN with Piers Morgan, stating that his own kids are not likely to be gay, because “we are teaching them the right ways that they are to interact as human beings,” and “we are not allowing them to be indoctrinated by the education system.”

Chris Matthews invited Tony Perkins on to his CNN show Hardball, with Congressman Barney Frank and took Perkins to task on this statement.

To my wild eye it played out like a boxing match with the referee Mathews so incensed by the below the belt tactics of Perkins, he could all but take sides.  Perkins did not get away with a single old rhetorical trick.  When caught, Perkins tried to sidetrack, but Referee Mathews was not having any of that.

Mathews replayed what Perkins had said and Frank went in for the kill. The discussion was a round one knock out for Frank.  Perkins lay unconscious on the ground as referee Mathews instead of blowing the whistle and calling it a win, went for a stomp in the stomach.  Perkins lay writhing on the ground.   Now that should end Perkins’ career once and for all!

Well after the knock out Lawrence O’Donnell last night on the Last Word, had his go at it; notable Perkins and his lies not there – perhaps relegated to a different league now,no longer worthy of another main stream match, as O’Donnell recalled five thousand years of history on traditional marriage and finally someone on mainstream sets the record straight (ahem amen!) Not quite the right wing version fed to Americans by so called experts given voice by our mainstream Television media.

While I am one who usually prefers to not lend voice to these fringe lunatics, I came to realize I could applaud this one last round – a final knock out – rendering them unconscious in the hope that Chris Mathews Piers Morgan and others will now realize that Perkins and his type, with lies and misinformation, fully discredited.  They have lost and are banished to the lower leagues never to be seen or heard of in the center ring again!

So I suggest next time Chris Mathews, Piers Morgan or any mainstream and cable TV show wants an expert – find an expert who makes sense, who can truly put forth a counter argument, one based not on lies made up by divisive hate and hurtful rhetoric. I know that you will have to go a long way to find such – because there is no logical or fact based argument against equality – the only opposition, albeit illegitimate, is hate! I also suggest Barney Frank, Joe Solmonese, Andrew Sullivan et al, all refuse invitations to enter the ring with those unworthy of center ring.

Let this be the last we hear of these types as having any legitimacy forged by mainstream’s fever for ratings; they have been discredited loudly and clearly and any further voice by the likes of Mathews and Morgan will render these show nothing g more than Jerry Springer version 2.

Here is the Match : Barney Franks v. Tony Perkins Round 1- Knock out, Ref, Chris Mathews

SEE VIDEO   on GAY U.S.A.

 Lawrence O’Donnell has the Last Word

SEE VIDEO on GAY U.S.A.

By MELANIE NATHAN
nathan@privatecourts.com
twitter, melanienathan1

]]> http://purpleunions.com/blog/2012/05/tony-perkins-marriage-equality-foe-knocked-out-2.html/feed 0 http://purpleunions.com/blog/2012/05/romney-denounces-marriage-equality-at-anti-gay-universitys-commencement.html http://purpleunions.com/blog/2012/05/romney-denounces-marriage-equality-at-anti-gay-universitys-commencement.html#comments Sun, 13 May 2012 20:58:22 +0000 melnathan http://purpleunions.com/blog/?p=28390 WASHINGTON — Mitt Romney reiterated his opposition to marriage equality for same-sex couples again Saturday morning while delivering commencement remarks at Liberty University, an anti-gay school that bans openly LGBT students from attending.

Romney, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, made his remarks at the private Christian university located in Lynchburg, Va., just days after President Barack Obama announced his historic support for marriage equality.

“The American culture promotes personal responsibility, the dignity of work, the value of education, the merit of service, devotion to a purpose greater than self, and, at the foundation, the pre-eminence of the family.

[...]

“As fundamental as these principles are, they may become topics of democratic debate. So it is today with the enduring institution of marriage. Marriage is a relationship between one man and one woman. The protection of religious freedom has also become a matter of debate.

“It strikes me as odd that the free exercise of religious faith is sometimes treated as a problem, something America is stuck with instead of blessed with. Perhaps religious conscience upsets the designs of those who feel that the highest wisdom and authority comes from government.”

Among those honored at Liberty’s commencement this morning was S. Truett Cathy, founder of the fast-food chain Chick-fil-A, which has made significant financial contributions to anti-LGBT organizations.

Romney made his remarks hours after Rick Santorum called on the GOP nominee to use marriage equality as a “potent weapon” in his campaign.

READ the Article at LGBTQ Nation

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) defended President Barack Obama on Sunday from Republican charges that he has “flip-flopped” by speaking out in favor of marriage equality rights for same-sex couples.

When asked whether Obama had made a political calculation in endorsing gay marriage, Feinstein rejected the idea.

“I don’t think it is a flip flop and there is no political calculus in this, because it is not smart from a political point of view. It doesn’t make sense,” Feinstein said.

“From a personal point of view, I can tell you what happened because it happened to me,” she continued. “You get to know more and more gay couples and you see the happiness. You see the economic security that marriage brings. And even more fundamentally, you can see children who otherwise would not have an adopted home being able to have that home. And so same-sex couples raise children, they do a fine job. And I think when you see this — and it has happened in California — more and more people say, ‘What is wrong with people being happy?’”

READ MORE at GAY VOICES on Huffington Post

A lesbian who sought a North Carolina marriage license with her partner and was rejected under a state law banning same-sex marriage was arrested with another person Thursday after they refused to leave a government office where several gay and lesbian couples were turned away.

The civil disobedience followed a day after President Barack Obama publicly endorsed same-sex marriage, and two days after North Carolina voters overwhelmingly passed a constitutional amendment that defines marriage as solely between a man and a woman.

Mary Jamis, 52, of Mocksville, and a heterosexual friend who joined the protest, Mary Lea Bradford of Winston-Salem, were arrested after they blocked the entrance to the marriage license office and refused to leave more than 30 minutes after closing time.

The protest came amid attempts by a gay rights group, Campaign for Southern Equality, to broaden public support to allow same-sex marriage and more protests are planned in coming days at other county offices in North Carolina that issue marriage licenses.

Nine gay and lesbian couples each presented completed forms and identification to a clerk at the local Register of Deeds office in Winston-Salem, but were refused because state law recognizes only heterosexual couples.

On Tuesday, North Carolina became the 30th state to pass a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. The state already has laws that prohibit gay marriage, but adding the prohibition to the state constitution will make that much harder to change.

Read more at Huffington Post

BOSTON – Following President Obama’s announcement to support same sex marriage, Senator John Kerry, along with 16 of his Senate colleagues, today renewed their call for the Obama Administration to protect married gay and lesbian couples facing possible deportation.

In a letter sent to the U.S. Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kerry renewed his request to hold green card applications in abeyance for bi-national gay couples while the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is being challenged in the courts and legislation is pending in Congress to overturn it.

“We write to you to reiterate our request that the Administration provide relief for lesbian and gay families in which one spouse is not a U.S. citizen during this time of legal uncertainty,” Kerry wrote along with Senators Patrick Leahy, Ron Wyden, Bernard Sanders, Jeff Merkley, Daniel Akaka, Al Franken, Charles Schumer, Frank Lautenberg, Barbara Mikulski, Jeanne Shaheen, Richard Blumenthal, Sheldon Whitehouse, Barbara Boxer, Patty Murray, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Chris Coons.

“Holding green card applications in abeyance while the legality of the Defense of Marriage Act is challenged in the courts does not constitute non-enforcement and is the humane thing to do,” the members added.

It is important to note that many same-sex couples are suffering reprehensible circumstances which are not covered by the criteria outlined in this letter. Accordingly the request in the letter, if followed by the DOJ and DHS, does not help all couples. For example it does not bring exiled couples home and it does not help reunite separated couples. What is needed is urgent legislation to repeal DOMA and special VISAS/ Executive Order to help reunite couples.

The full text of the letter is below:

May 10, 2012

The Honorable Eric Holder The Honorable Janet Napolitano

Attorney General Secretary

Department of Justice Department of Homeland Security

Washington, DC 20520 Washington, DC 20393

Dear Mr. Attorney General and Madam Secretary:

We write to you to reiterate our request that the Administration provide relief for lesbian and gay families in which one spouse is not a U.S. citizen during this time of legal uncertainty. Holding green card applications (I-130s and I-485s) in abeyance while the legality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is challenged in the courts does not constitute non-enforcement and is the humane thing to do. We also ask that you do everything you can to ensure that those tasked with making these decisions are given clear and documented directives on what parameters to consider for these applications. Too often families are unnecessarily being forced into limbo and broken apart due to a lack of clear direction.

As you know, several of us sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) on April 6, 2011 regarding same same-sex partners in which one spouse is not a U.S. citizen. Assistant Secretary Peacock and Assistant Attorney General Weich replied to our letter on May 17, 2011. Since that time, marriage equality rights have been extended to same-sex couples in the states of New York, Washington, and Maryland. Moreover, since the last letter that we wrote, two more courts have found DOMA unconstitutional.

With marriage equality rights being extended to more and more citizens of this country, and with the Department of Justice’s repudiation of DOMA, we are concerned with the toll the continued denial of I-130 applications for same-sex immigrant spouses is exacting on families in this country. Denials of these applications have caused extreme hardship for many legally married couples, forcing them to choose between leaving the country or breaking the law.

We are appreciative that in the response to our letter, the Departments agreed to look at cases affected by DOMA on a case-by-case basis based on the individual circumstances. We are concerned that this policy is not currently being exercised at all levels of DHS and DOJ based on anecdotal reports. We are unaware of any application being held in abeyance following a case-by-case review.

We are particularly troubled that some field offices are apparently following a blanket policy to deny green card applications for all gay spouses. We are concerned they are not considering LGBT family ties in their consideration to exercise discretion. This is not in keeping with the Departments’ responses to our letter. We respectfully request that you provide any current or future written guidance given to field offices by the Departments. If written guidance has not been given we request that clear and direct guidance be given so that all offices are consistent based on the Departments’ intent to protect families.

We remain committed to ensuring that family unity continues to be protected in American immigration law and we look forward to your response. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

John Kerry
Patrick Leahy
Ron Wyden
Bernard Sanders
Jeff Merkley
Daniel Akaka
Al Franken
Charles Schumer
Frank Lautenberg
Barbara Mikulski
Jeanne Shaheen
Richard Blumenthal
Sheldon Whitehouse
Barbara Boxer
Patty Murray
Kirsten Gillibrand
Chris Coons

CC: President Barack Obama

Source –

http://oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/letter-to-eric-holder-as-senators-urge-protections-for-same-sex-binational-couples-facing-deportation/

Melanie Nathan,
melanie@gayusathemovie.com

As a native son, I soaked up the homophobic culture in which I lived just as I soaked up a love of college football, the smell of fresh mown grass and cut wild onions on Sunday afternoons and July thunderstorms beheld on the back porch with iced cold sweet tea.

But I know now what I did not then. I know that I had friends who were gay, lesbian and bisexual, and I know that those friends overheard hate speech, cloaked in piety, fall from of my mouth as if it were righteousness. They heard me use the word “gay” as a pejorative. They heard me speak with confidence of how God condemned homosexuality. They heard me joke that God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. They heard from me what they heard from everyone else in the South and what they heard tonight in North Carolina.

Full Story from LGBT Nation

Find more articles and gay wedding resources in North Carolina.

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