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UK: Profile of Lesbian Couple Planning Gay Marriage Action

Thursday, October 28th, 2010

A LESBIAN minister and her partner are to apply for a civil marriage, and say that they will take legal action if it is rejected. Their action is part of a campaign to allow same-sex couples to be married, and heterosexual couples to enter into civil partner ships.

The Revd Sharon Ferguson, the chief executive of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (LGCM), and pastor at the Metropolitan Community Church of North London, and her partner, Franka Strietzel, will make an application on 2 November to be married at the register office at Greenwich.

By 14 December, a total of eight couples — four same-sex, four hetero sexual — will file applications for civil marriages and civil partnerships at their local register office. Under the Civil Partnerships Act 2004, only same-sex couples may enter into a civil partnership. The action is being co-ordinated by the “Equal Love” campaign run by Peter Tatchell, the human-rights activist.

Full Story from The Church Times

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.

UK: Gay Israeli MP Talks Gay Marriage in London

Thursday, October 21st, 2010

Nitzan HorowitzNitzan Horowitz, the first openly gay politician to be elected to the Israeli Knesset (Parliament), is a man on a mission. Representing the left of centre, pro-peace New Movement-Meretz party, he has called for Israel to introduce secular marriages for gay and straight couples as well as campaigning for help for LGBT people from neighboring Arab countries who risk death if returned home.

Speaking last week at a London meeting of young members of the Zionist Federation as well as a separate audience of LGBT Jews, Mr Horowitz spoke of his experiences as a gay politician and how they have informed his campaigning for human and gay rights across the middle east.

“If you solve the issues about separating religion from the state you can solve a lot of the issues relating to LGBT rights,” he told both groups.

Full Story from Pink News

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.

Gay Marriage Events Today/Tomorrow

Sunday, October 10th, 2010

(Full Events List & Details: http://www.purpleunions.com/mn/gay-marriage-events-list.html):

–UK, England, Manchester: 10/10, Gay Wedding Show, Ramada Piccadilly, 12-4:30 PM.
–USA, CA, Beverly Hills: 10/11, LA Equal Roots Meeting, 8106 Santa Monica Blvd, 7:30-9:30 PM.
–USA, MN, Edina: 10/11, Court Decision May Change Marriage Debate, Good Samaritan UMC, 7 PM.
–USA, NY, Rochester: 10/10, Civil Rights Front Rochester, Equal Grounds, 5 PM.

Gay Marriage Events Today/Tomorrow

Saturday, October 9th, 2010

(Full Events List & Details: http://www.purpleunions.com/mn/gay-marriage-events-list.html):

–UK, England, Manchester: 10/10, Gay Wedding Show, Ramada Piccadilly, 12-4:30 PM.
–USA, CA, Palm Springs: 10/09, Equality Happy Hour, Hamburger Mary’s, 4-7 PM.
–USA, NY, New York: 10/09, Comedy Burlesque Cabaret for Equality, Laurie Beechman Theatre, 4-6 PM.
–USA, NY, Rochester: 10/10, Civil Rights Front Rochester, Equal Grounds, 5 PM.
–USA, UT, Salt Lake City: 10/09, Equality Utah Walk Day, TBD, 9:30 AM-1:30 PM.
–USA, UT, Salt Lake City: 10/09, Candlelight Vigil & march to LDS Temple, St. George’s Main St., TBD.

UK Equality Minister Featherstone: We Have a Plan for Gay Rights

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

Liberal Democrat junior equality minister Lynne Featherstone said today that the coalition government has a “long-term” strategy for equal rights.

Speaking at the Liberal Democrat conference in Liverpool today, she said was “proud” of yesterday’s successful motion calling for marriage equality and promised that the government would tackle homophobic bullying, protect gay parents and use Britain’s influence abroad to encourage an end to homophobic laws.

She added that the government would get its policies “in order” on gay and lesbian asylum seekers fleeing persecution. Ms Featherstone also attacked Labour’s record, saying the party which legalised civil partnerships had turned equalities into a “burden”.

Full Story from Pink News

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.

UK: Catholic Official: Gay Equality Turned Britain Into “Selfish, Hedonistic Wasteland”

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

A leading Catholic figure has blamed Britain’s gay rights movement for the UK’s social, religious and political problems, this week.

Edmund Adamus, a leading adviser to the Archbishop of Westminster, blamed abortion and gay equality for turning Britain into a “selfish, hedonistic wasteland” which has become “the geopolitical epicentre of the culture of death”.

He also suggested pro-gay legislation had turned Britain into a country which persecutes Catholics in the same way Saudi Arabia, China and Pakistan persecute Christians.

Full Story from the Pink Paper

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.

England: Gay Vicar Will Not Remain Celibate After Civil Partnership

Friday, August 20th, 2010

The Rev Colin Coward, director of the liberal Changing Attitude church group, plans to tie the knot with his fiance in a civil partnership in October. Rev Coward, 65, a priest at St John the Baptist church in Devizes, Wiltshire, hopes to have a civil partnership with his boyfriend of three years, 25-year-old Bobby Egbele.

The pair plan to have a “carefully-worded” blessing in church, which to keep in line with Church of England laws, must not actually mention them as a gay couple.

Instead, the couple will have a Communion Eucharist service which blesses “friendship”.

Full Story from Pink News

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.

UK: Gay Activist Meets With Equalities Minister on Marriage Equality

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

Gay rights legend Peter Tatchell has met with Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone MP to urge the government to review its ban on gay marriage.

He and other queer campaigners convened with Featherstone yesterday at the House of Commons to discuss the possibility of granting civil partnerships a religious content.

“The coalition government should undertake a public consultation to determine whether the ban on gay marriage ought to be lifted,” Tatchell argued.

Full Story from the Pink Paper

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.

UK: Peter Tatchell to Call for Marriage Equality During Government Meeting

Monday, June 14th, 2010

When David Cameron hosts gay community leaders at Downing Street tomorrow night, the elephant in the room will be the ban on same-sex civil marriage. It is the last homophobic law in the UK. The coalition government, despite its professed support for gay equality, is refusing to repeal it.

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg supports same-sex marriage, but he’s sacrificed it as part of his deal with the Conservatives. So we are left with a Prime Minister and a Deputy who talk gay rights but who are unwilling to abolish the one remaining law that discriminates against lesbian and gay people – even when the abolition of this law has strong public support.

A Populus poll commissioned by The Times newspaper last June found that 61 per cent of the public believe same-sex couples should be able to get married in a register office on exactly the same basis as heterosexual couples. The Government is clearly lagging behind public opinion. It’s time David Cameron and Nick Clegg caught up.

Full Story from the Independent

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.

UK: Tories Fail to Increase Support in Gay Community Before Election

Monday, May 3rd, 2010

With only a couple of days to go until the general election, it’s clear that David Cameron has almost completely failed in his attempt to get gay and lesbian voters under his big umbrella.

In fact, support for the Conservatives under David Cameron has almost melted away in recent months. A properly conducted poll at the beginning of the campaign by Pink News showed gay support for the Conservatives at only 9%. That is actually worse than the 17% shown in a comparable poll at the 2005 election.

And yet Cameron has made some serious efforts to speak to the gay community, giving interviews to the gay media, and making a lot of the right noises. He has created an environment in which, clearly, gay MPs of his party are comfortable about being open. He has committed a Conservative government to preserving the equality rights established in the last ten years. What has gone wrong?

Full Story from The Independent

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.