2012

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USA: Marriage Equality Not An Issue for Voters in 2012 Election

Wednesday, April 18th, 2012

Marriage Equality and 2012 ElectionNew data from the Pew Research Center shows marriage equality ranks last among the top concerns of voters ahead of the 2012 elections. Support for LGBT equality is increasing and issues pertaining to the LGBT community are no longer a “wedge” for voters, representing a remarkable turnaround in the last 8 years.

The Pew poll is just the latest piece of evidence pointing to Americans’ broad support for equality. A 2011 Gallup poll found 53 percent of Americans support marriage equality; while a Greenberg Quinlan Rosner poll recently found that an astounding 85 percent of people of faith say their religious beliefs lead them to the conclusion that LGBT people should be treated equally under the law.

“Americans care about job creation and providing for their families. This latest data reinforces the fact that supporting LGBT equality is not a divisive wedge issue, but rather just common sense,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Fair-minded people are increasingly aware that extending rights, benefits, and protections to their LGBT neighbors strengthens the communities they live and work in. To suggest otherwise is a strategy that will fail with voters.”

Full Story from Windy City

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USA: Soulforce Equality Ride Travels the Country

Friday, April 6th, 2012

Soulforce 2012 Equality RideShe wasn’t pleased. The administrators at the Moody Bible Institute were hearing her, but she saw they weren’t listening, nor did they seem to care. “As we asked questions, they refused to answer, but smiled the whole time,” Crystal Cheatham said. “The whole idea of the Bible is to be authentic, and they were completely inauthentic.”

Cheatham is a community developer with Soulforce’s 2012 Equality Ride, whose purpose is laid out simply enough on the national event’s site. “We aim to visit the hundreds of schools in the United States that openly discriminate against [the LGBTQA community] through their policies and practices,” the site reads. “On these campuses, LGBTQA students and faculty are forced to suffer in silence.”

As community developer, Cheatham helps add cities to the route between those that the “riders” choose, among other duties. Each of the 18 riders on this year’s journey get to pick a school, which the group tries to visit several times in a two or three day stop. Over the span of two months, Equality Ride will hit 12 cities and visit between 15 and 20 schools.

Full Story from Edge Boston

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Denmark to Legalize Marriage Equality by Summer

Tuesday, March 13th, 2012

Denmark Marriage EqualityGay couples can look forward to a church wedding this summer. At her weekly press conference, Tuesday, Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt said the government is putting the finishing touches to a bill that will come into force on June 15th, allowing homosexuals and lesbians to walk down the aisle in the church of their choice – if they can find a priest who’s willing to conduct the ceremony.

“It will always be up to the individual priest as to whether he or she is prepared to bless gay couples but this legislation provides homosexuals with the same rights as heterosexuals,” said the PM.

A number of priests have already voiced their displeasure at the prospect of the church hosting gay weddings, but Ms Thorning Schmidt said it’s been a ‘hard, but good’ debate and the government’s managed to come up with a solution that respects both points of view.

Full Story from b.dk

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NH: Republican Warns GOP That Marriage Equality Repeal Could Hurt Party Chances in 2012

Thursday, March 1st, 2012

New Hampshire Marriage Equality RepealRepublicans lawmakers in New Hampshire may soon vote on a measure to repeal the state’s same-sex marriage law, but at least one GOP lawmaker is calling on his party to drop the issue. State Rep. Seth Cohn, who the New York Times describes as a “libertarian Republican” says the push “would in fact harm the Republicans’ chance of staying in power after 2012, whether or not it succeeds.”

“They want this as an election issue,” he said of the Democrats. “I think it’s going to backlash against the Republicans who, in the face of the polls, are choosing not to believe the average person is O.K. with this situation.”

Full Story from Think Progress

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CA: Love Honor Cherish Gives Up On 2012 Prop 8 Repeal Effort

Monday, February 13th, 2012

Prop 8 Repeal EffortThe efforts to collect signatures to qualify an initiative to repeal California’s Proposition 8 law, which bans same-sex marriage, have ceased.

Eric Harrison, interim executive director of Love Honor Cherish, which was leading the efforts, said via email today that the signature-gathering would cease.

“Following last week’s victory in the 9th Circuit, we are now hopeful that weddings of gay and lesbian couples will resume by the end of this year, or even, at the end of this month,” Harrison wrote. “And what an incredible day that will be when gays and lesbians are able to marry again in California!”

Full Story from SDGLN

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Will 2012 Be a Banner Year for Marriage Equality?

Friday, January 20th, 2012

Marriage Equality in 2012This could be a landmark year in the marriage equality movement, as several states appear close to enacting marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples.

Advocates are working to legalize marriage rights for gay couples in Washington State, Maryland and New Jersey; efforts are also underway to pursue civil unions in Colorado. Meanwhile, opponents are hoping to repeal same-sex marriage in New Hampshire.

Washington State could be in the strongest position among other states where advocates are undertaking efforts to legalize marriage equality. The legislation was introduced last week by request from Gov. Chris Gregoire (D), who announced her support in a news conference Jan. 4.

Full Story from The Washington Blade

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Gay Rights Predictions for 2012

Friday, January 6th, 2012

2012 Marriage Equality Predictions2011 will go down as a huge year in the fight for LGBT rights, but that certainly wasn’t a guarantee last January, when the ink was barely dry on a complex process to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell; marriage equality in New York seemed like a football likely to be pulled from in front of our community again, and LGBT youth were in the headlines as victims of bullying and suicide. Fortunately, President Obama and Gov. Cuomo came through, and many in the nation have rallied against bullying.

As 2012 opens, there are similar opportunities and dangers. Below are the Politically Aware predictions for 2012, mixing the broad and the specific, based on information and aspiration.

There will be little legislative progress. As long as the current Republicans control the House of Representatives, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) will not pass, and the Defense of Marriage Act will not be repealed. Republicans also did very well in state legislatures in the 2010 elections, meaning there will be little progress at that level. Sadly, that may include California this year, given that EQCA still appears to lack an executive or political director. The lone bright spot may be Maryland, where Gov. O’Malley appears ready to put marriage equality before the legislature again.

Full Story from LGBT Weekly

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Australia: Marriage Equality Legislation Next Month May Split Labor

Sunday, January 1st, 2012

Australia Marriage EqualityTHE stage is set for a new internal brawl in the Gillard government over same-sex marriage, with a Labor powerbroker predicting that a private member’s bill to amend the Marriage Act will further undermine the Prime Minister’s leadership.

Labor backbencher and Left faction member Stephen Jones will introduce legislation aimed at legalising same-sex marriage when Federal Parliament resumes next month. His move comes after last month’s ALP national conference voted to reverse the party’s long-standing opposition to same-sex marriage.

But with Labor MPs allowed a conscience vote on the issue, Mr Jones’ bill is doomed to be voted down by the combined forces of its Labor opponents – including Prime Minister Julia Gillard – and the Coalition.

Full Story from WA Today

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Now or Never for Marriage Equality Push in Maryland?

Friday, December 30th, 2011

Marriage Equality in MarylandMaryland’s governor won’t be on the ballot, and the state is highly unlikely to play much of a role in the presidential election. But 2012 is nonetheless shaping up to be a riveting year in Maryland politics. Here are four major stories to watch in the year to come.

A bill to legalize gay marriage cleared the Maryland Senate relatively quickly in 2011, only to stall in the House of Delegates. Advocates will have some formidable advantages this time around. Building on the experience of lawmakers in New York, which legalized gay marriage a few months after the legislation failed here, advocates have developed a smart, coordinated campaign to win over a few more supporters. But their biggest coup was getting Gov. Martin O’Malley to agree to sponsor the legislation and make it a priority for this General Assembly session.

The key voting bloc is likely to be in the black caucus. Large, predominantly African-American churches, particularly in Prince George’s County, helped scuttle the bill last year, and advocates are clearly targeting their pitch to black voters.

Full Story from the Baltimore Sun

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After Loss, Maryland Marriage Equality Activists Soldier On

Saturday, December 24th, 2011

Maryland Marriage Equality EffortClose, but no cigar. Despite large socially conservative Catholic and African-American populations, heavily Democratic Maryland was seen by many at the start of 2011 as primed for marriage equality.

But the bill to legalize same-sex marriage died without a vote in the House of Delegates in March, despite passing what many believed to be its biggest hurdle – the more conservative-leaning Maryland Senate – in February 2011.

Since the defeat of the marriage bill, advocates, including the state’s LGBT civil rights group Equality Maryland, have vowed they will fight to pass a marriage-equality bill during the 2012 legislative session. Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) has since come out in support of such a bill.

Full Story from Metro Weekly

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