Remember the florist who turned away her long-term gay clients because they wanted flowers for their wedding day? Now she’s suing the state. LGBTQ Nation reports:
Attorneys for Alliance Defending Freedom, a legal ministry, filed suit on behalf of Stutzman Thursday in Benton County Superior Court, the Tri-City Herald reported. “Everyone knows that plenty of florists are willing to assist in same-sex ceremonies, so the state has no reason to force Barronelle to violate her deeply held beliefs,” Senior Legal Counsel Dale Schowengerdt said in a statement.
Whenever there’s a lawsuit like this, scratch the surface and you’ll find the odious Alliance Defending Freedom (formerly the Alliance Defense Fund) behind it. One more thing to thank Arizona for.
As Delaware gets ready to celebrate the weddings of gay and lesbian couples across the state, one couple, Douglas and Corey Marshall-Steele, reflects on the fight. Delaware State News reports:
In 2004, Douglas created his website as a resource and outlet for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy. It features information on how to lobby effectively, how to write a letter to the editor (with email addresses for 27 newspapers), how to contact Delaware’s elected officials and more. It has drawn inquiries from across the country.
He and Corey were at the state’s first marriage equality rally in 2008 in front of Dover’s City Hall. For the most part, people reacted positively, waving, honking their horns. Some people pulled over to say they supported the cause.
The couple, members of All Saints’ Church in Rehoboth Beach, has volunteered at Pride festivals and held fundraisers for political campaigns. And they’ve lived their lives, taking everyday moments as opportunities to teach people, from friends to strangers.
Read the whole thing at the link above. We’re thrilled for the Marshall-Steeles, and for all of Delaware’s gay and lesbian couples.
There’s a new Bravo reality show called “Newlyweds: The First Year” and the first episode focuses on Blair and Jeff. SDGLN reports:
Jeff and I met at a gay pride pool party on a hot summer night. For me it was one of those moments where time stood still and all that mattered was this hysterical, sarcastic hunk of a man standing in front of me.
Unlike me, Jeff, who is 16 years my senior, had experienced many levels of love throughout his life, something I think made him the man he is today. He had seen it all, as they say. I was a bit more of a dreamer and was still holding out for my Prince Charming.
Ten minutes after meeting Jeff, I had already asked him to dinner. I just had a feeling and went with it. I ended up taking him to Mr. Chow in Beverly Hills, but not before I stopped by the Rite Aid to give him nail polish remover and a new clean outfit from my closet.
In a despicable turn of events, the sister of a man with Alzheimer’s has gotten a court order appointing her as the legal guardian for her brother, and subsequently threw his partner of 34 years out the door and sold their house. Queerty reports:
My partner Jim (left) and I (Lon) shared 34 Years together!! The past 6 years he has suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease. He was hospitalized last year. His estranged sister filed for guardianship of him and won. We gave each other Power of Attorney, which she never revealed in court as I was never mentioned nor considered nor notified.
She put him in a Nursing Home and had criminal trespass orders against me to keep me away from him. I’LL NEVER BE ABLE TO SEE HIM AGAIN! She got his bank account from Social Security Disability and sold his house out from under me. I had 2 weeks to vacate uur [sic] home of 12 years.
If we were EQUAL in the eyes of the law we would be together till the end. But as it stands in Texas, a money hungry greedy relative was able to steal our life and toss me out as trash to pad her pocketbook. I pray God has mercy on her soul for her evil deeds. I am content knowing the world is coming around to acknowledge that ALL HUMANS ARE CREATED EQUAL and SHOULD HAVE EQUAL RIGHTS.
The fact that this couple had given each other power of attorney, and that it was swept aside without even a thought, underscores the need for marriage equality and full equal rights for gay and lesbian couples. My husband Mark and I have been together for 21 years, and I can’t imagine being pulled away from his bedside, or vice versa, at a time when we both need each other the most.
A new video out of the UK – a gay man invites his partner to lunch at his office – and a flash-mob erupts, culminating in a surprise wedding proposal. Towleroad.com reports:
He had no idea I would be asking him to marry me. Or that hundreds of people were in on it. We are a binational couple, separated for the last two years, on and off, without the ability to sponsor Michael for citizenship in the United States because of the Defense of Marriage Act. I flew to London for one of our regular trips and secretly to propose to Michael, in hopes that he’ll be able to finally join me permanently in the US after the Supreme Court decision.
The moment when his partner realizes what’s happening is priceless. If you don’t cry watching this one, you’re made of stone. This couple should not be kept apart.
A winery in Paarl, South Africa turned a gay couple away when the couple asked if the Estate would host their wedding. Gay Star News reports:
The owners of Diemerskraal wine estate in Paarl, South Africa, say ‘it didn’t feel right’ to host the wedding and reception of Emile Butler and his fiance Gareth O’Brien. Though Butler told South African newspaper the Weekend Argus they just wanted an apology from owners Daan and Jeanette Morkel, he has also filed a discrimination complaint with the Human Rights Commission. ‘Why is my money not good enough for Diemerskraal?’ Butler asked in his interview.
In a country that so recently came to terms with its discrimination against its black citizens, is it okay to discriminate against its gay lesbian ones?
As the Parliament gets ready to hold its final vote on the marriage equality bill, a gay couple is planning a public, symbolic wedding in Montpelier. Pink News reports:
Ahead of the French Parliament’s final vote on equal marriage, a couple are planning to wed in the southern city of Montpellier, in a ceremony which is set to prove to be symbolic, in the face of strong opposition to equal marriage… Vincent Autin, a 40-year-old PR firm head, and his partner Bruno, a 29-year-old government worker, who declined to give his surname, told the AFP that they were aware of the potential public impact of the ceremony they have planned. “We will make this wedding an occasion for everyone. It will be public, open to all activists, to heads of French and international [gay lobby] groups, to the press,” Vincent said.
We hope the happy couple has a wonderful wedding day.
On the heels of a lawsuit filed by the state Attorney General, a gay couple is also suing Arlene’s Flowers after the florist turned them away because they are gay. Edge Boston reports:
The lawsuit is in response to a March 1 incident in which Barronelle Stutzman refused to provide flowers for Robert Ingersoll and Curt Freed’s wedding, despite the two men being longtime patrons of her shop – Arlene’s Flowers and Gifts in Richland, about 200 miles southeast of Seattle… “The refusal to sell flowers to the couple is a disturbing reminder of the unequal treatment that gay men and women have experienced over the years,” said ACLU of Washington legal director Sarah Dunne in a statement. “When a business serves the general public, the business owner’s religious beliefs may not be used to justify discrimination.”
What would you say if your partner does to you like this? Towleroad reports:
Dave from Toronto made an amazing video proposal for his boyfriend Mike, which has been appended with Mike’s response. What better way to propose to your man than including all your family and friends and dog?
Yesterday, we reported on a man who was taken to jail after his partner’s family tried to take over his care. Today Zack Ford at Think Progress has the details of what happened, and it’s worse than we’d thought. Some of the details:
There has been a lot of speculation as to what actually transpired when Roger Gorley was arrested away from his husband Allen’s bedside in a Missouri hospital earlier this week. Despite the fact Roger and Allen have granted each other power of attorney for medical decisions, the Research Medical Center claimed that Roger was “disruptive and belligerent,” arguing that is why the police arrested him and removed him from the facility. Now, Roger’s daughter Amanda has shared a detailed account of what transpired that paints a picture even more offensive than many may have imagined. The full account can be read here as well as some additional details she shared in an interview with blogger John Aravosis.
What happened when the family arrived?
Lee [Allen's brother] asserted that he was not going to allow Roger to make decisions for Allen and that he would instead. This enraged Roger, who replied, “No you won’t! This is my husband. I know what he wants and needs. You are never around. You need to leave.” The nurse informed Roger that because of his agitated state, he needed to leave. When he explained that he intended to stay with his husband, she replied, “I know who you two are. You need to leave.” Refusing to acknowledge their legal relationship, she called the police to have Roger forcibly removed. Allen, who was in and out of consciousness, objected as he was able, saying, “I want him here.” A follow-up story from Fox 4 suggests that Roger and Lee were having a loud fight, but doesn’t otherwise contradict this account.
He also has more details about why Allen was in the hospital in the first place, and his explicit desire to block his family from making medical decisions for him:
Allen suffers from severe depression and is currently undergoing electro-shock treatment (ECT) twice a month because his medications are no longer allowing him to function normally. Allen has specifically excluded his family from having any say over his medical decisions because they have not been understanding of the impact of his depression. Not only have Roger and Allen granted each other power of attorney, but they are known throughout the hospital as a proud gay couple because they are regularly there for Allen’s treatments. Allen’s family has not been supportive of his relationship with Roger.
Read the whole thing here. It’s sickening that this couple was treated this way.
Remember the florist who turned away her long-term gay clients because they wanted flowers for their wedding day? Now she’s suing the state. LGBTQ Nation reports:
