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European Parliament Issues Condemnation of Nigeria’s Anti Marriage Equality Bill

Saturday, March 17th, 2012

The European Parliament this week adopted a resolution calling on Nigerian lawmakers to withdraw a bill that would punish those in a same-sex unions with 14 years in prison.

Says the Resolution:

[Parliament] Calls for the abolition of current legislation criminalising homosexuality, in some cases making it punishable by stoning; calls on the Nigerian Parliament to reject the ‘Same Gender Marriage Prohibition Bill’ which, if passed, would put LGBT people – both Nigerian nationals and foreigners – at serious risk of violence and arrest;

The bill, known as the Same Gender Marriage Prohibition Bill, would also criminalize ‘aiding or abetting’ such unions with 10 years in prison. It would also leave open to prosecution tourists or humanitarian aid workers who are in a same-sex marriages or civil partnerships.The legislation also appears to make people who work in embassies but do so without diplomatic protections — such as technical staff -vulnerable.

Full Story from Care2

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Australia: MP to Offer Bill to Provide Civil Unions for All

Thursday, March 15th, 2012

Australia Civil Unions BillQueensland federal Coalition Party MP Warren Entsch will introduce a bill legalising civil unions for all Australian couples – but not before a vote has been had on same-sex marriage in the parliament.

Entsch told ABC’s the 7.30 report on Tuesday night he did not believe there were the numbers to pass a same-sex marriage bill in the current parliament and that civil unions would be helpful to same-sex couples, and opposite sex couples who wished to register their relationships but did not want to marry.

“I don’t believe it will [pass],” Entsch said, referring to same-sex marriage, “I really don’t, and this is from talking to members from all sides of politics.”

Full Story from Star Observer

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ME: House Kills Marriage Equality Bill, Wants Voters to Decide

Wednesday, March 14th, 2012

Maine Marriage Equality VoteA proposal to allow same-sex couples to marry in Maine is a step closer to a referendum.

Without debate, the House today voted to kill the citizen-initiated bill, a clear sign that representatives want the state’s voters to decide whether to authorize gay marriages. The matter now goes to the Senate.

In 2009, Maine voters repealed a legislatively passed gay marriage law 53 percent to 47 percent.

Full Story from MPBN

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MD: Governor O’Malley Signs Marriage Equality Bill

Friday, March 2nd, 2012

Maryland Marriage Equality Bill SigningGov. Martin O’Malley signed a new law today, and now happily Maryland has joined seven other States in the US as well as D.C. to legalize same-gender marriage. In fitting ceremony a crowd of supporters joined the Governor in Annapolis at 5 p.m. today at the State House and cheered continuously hailing the historic signing by the Governor.

“In one of the grandest stagings for any bill signing in recent memory, O’Malley, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D- Calvert) and House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) sat at a table erected at the bottom of a marble staircase leading to the second floor of the State House and O’Malley’s office. More than 50 gay rights leaders and clergy members lined the ascending staircase. Hundreds of onlookers, lawmakers and 15 television cameras crowded in the hallway to watch.” ( via WAPO)

Both houses of Maryland’s General Assembly narrowly approved the measure last month, ending a long battle for the new law and openly gay supporters such Sen. Richard Madaleno (D-Montgomery), Rep. Maggie McIntosh (D-Baltimore City), and Rep. Heather Mizeur (D-Montgomery), were exposed, as was the entire LGBT community of Maryland and the Nation to attacks from Republicans as well as black Baltimore Democrats who had formed the Maryland Marriage Alliance (MMA) who took on the anti- same-gender marriage cause.

Full Story from Gay USA

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MD: Governor O’Malley to Sign Marriage Equality Bill Today

Thursday, March 1st, 2012

Maryland Marriage Equality Bill SigningMaryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, a longtime supporter of the state’s push for marriage equality, is expected to sign the bill into law this Thursday, making Maryland the eighth state in the country to legalize marriage for gay and lesbian couples. Pushes for and against similar laws continue in other states in New England and across the nation.

***

While Gov. Martin O’Malley is expected to sign Maryland’s bill legalizing same-sex marriage into law this week, opponents are readying their response, promising a voter referendum on the issue this November. Opponents of same-sex marriage have to collect 55,736 valid signatures for the issue to reach the ballot.

Same-sex marriage supporters have vowed to uphold the law.

Full Story from Edge Boston

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NH: Marriage Equality Opponents to Water Down Bill to Win Votes

Sunday, February 26th, 2012

New Hampshire Marriage Equality RepealThe sponsor of a measure to repeal the state’s same-sex marriage law says he plans to propose a floor amendment to try to win over opponents — one that may remove its “religious liberty” clause if that’s what it takes to pass it.

In an interview Friday, Rep. David Bates, R-Windham, said that language in the current form of the bill is “at the very least going to be changed, if not eliminated. I’m going to strip out some of the language in here that is causing angst for some people,” he said.

HB 437, as amended and passed by the House Judiciary Committee in November, would define marriage as “the legally recognized union of one man and one woman.”

Full Story from The Union Leader

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MD: Governor O’Malley to Sign Marriage Equality Bill Thursday

Saturday, February 25th, 2012

Maryland Marriage Equality Bill SigningThe passage of Maryland’s historic same-sex marriage bill will be capped off this week when it is signed by Governor Martin O’Malley.

O’Malley announced that he would sign the legislation Thursday, making Maryland the eighth state to legalize same-sex marriage, along with the District of Columbia

The law won’t take effect until January 2013, but it could face one final hurdle before then.

Full Story from NBC Washington

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Anti Gay Bill in St. Petersburg, Russia Advances

Friday, February 24th, 2012

The St. Petersburg parliament in Russia held public hearings about the so-called anti-gay propaganda bill today, that supporters claim would ban “propaganda of sodomy, lesbianism, bisexualism and transgenderism” to minors.

The measure has already passed two readings and is expected to received a third and final vote on February 29th. Governor Georgiy Poltavchenko will have 10 days to sign the bill.

Anti-gay proponents packed the hearing in their favor, Russian LGBT groups report, as organizers publicized the event only yesterday, and filled the audience with clerical and Russian nationalist organizations.

Full Story from Think Progress

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MD: Repeal Effort of Marriage Equality Law Already Underway

Friday, February 24th, 2012

Maryland Marriage Equality RepealSame-sex marriage opponents filed paperwork for a voter referendum petition with the state Board of Elections today to undo marriage equality legislation passed this week, the AP reports:

Delegate Neil Parrott said he filed draft language for a referendum petition with the state board of elections Friday, a day after the Senate joined the House in approving a bill to allow same-sex marriages. Gov. Martin O’Malley endorses the measure and plans to sign it next week.

Full Story from Towleroad.com

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NE: Anti Gay Rights Bill Put on Hold in Senate

Thursday, February 23rd, 2012

A Nebraska Senate panel won’t act on a bill outlawing local municipalities from enacting gay protections laws, the Omaha World-Herald reported.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Brad Ashford said Wednesday that the panel was unlikely to act on Senator Beau McCoy’s measure which seeks to block cities and counties from enacting anti-discrimination rules beyond those which the state has approved.

Introduction of the bill coincided with a proposal before the Omaha City Council which would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the areas of employment and service providers such as restaurants, hotels and bars. The proposal would exempt religious organizations.

Full Story from On Top Magazine

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