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USA: GOPer Tom Ridge Says GOP Needs to Stop Discrimination Against Gay Community

Wednesday, April 18th, 2012

GOP and GaysNow a businessman, consultant and philanthropist, former DHS Secretary Tom Ridge tells the WSJ that the Republican party needs to stop discriminating against gays:

“I think, as a party, we sometimes come across as very judgmental and very self-righteous, and that doesn’t play well to a lot of people,” he said. “Not just on political grounds, but in terms of the culture. We accept diversity in many different ways, and we need to be more clear about that and careful to express that.”

In particular, Ridge urged a more expansive approach to what he termed “the gay community,” noting that increased familiarity with gay people tends to lead to less judgmental politics.

Full Story from Towleroad.com

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GOP & Marriage Equality – Silence Does Not Equal Change

Saturday, March 31st, 2012

GOP and Marriage EqualityPolitico may want to try considering the reality on the ground before making too many claims about the Republican Party and marriage equality. Just because they are silent or are backing down does not mean that they are not virulently opposed to same-sex marriage.

After all, they are virulently, as a whole, opposed to contraception and abortion, but are finding that to be a difficult position to maintain. So, they remain silent about it.

Or tried to.

Politico notes in a recent article that:

Just a few years ago, House Republicans were trying to etch their opposition of gay marriage into the Constitution. Now? They’re almost silent.

Full Story from Lez Get Real

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USA: Is the GOP Backing Off on Marriage Equality Opposition?

Friday, March 30th, 2012

GOP and Marriage EqualityJust a few years ago, House Republicans were trying to etch their opposition of gay marriage into the Constitution. Now? They’re almost silent.

It’s been one of the swiftest shifts in ideology and strategy for Republicans, as they’ve come nearly full circle on same-sex politics. What was once a front-and-center issue for rank-and-file Republicans — the subject of many hotly worded House and Senate floor speeches — is virtually a dead issue, as Republicans in Congress don’t care to have gay marriage litigated in the Capitol.

Even more than that, Republican leadership has evolved, too. It has quietly worked behind the scenes to kill amendments that reaffirm opposition to same-sex unions, several sources told POLITICO.

Full Story from Politico

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USA: Freedom to Marry Asks GOP Presidential Candidates to Renounce Anti Marriage Equality Pledge

Thursday, March 29th, 2012

Freedom to MarryFollowing the release of internal strategy memos of the so-called National Organization for Marriage (NOM), which call for the use of race as a means of impeding the freedom to marry for same-sex couples, Freedom to Marry joined AMERICAblog’s call on GOP candidates, all of whom took a NOM pledge to push for a Federal Marriage Amendment, nominate anti-marriage judges to the Supreme Court and appoint an anti-marriage Attorney General, among other anti-freedom to marry actions to renounce their pledge.

“Now that NOM’s race-baiting strategy of pitting American against American, minority against minority, and family members against family members is out in the open, we call on GOP candidates to renounce their NOM pledges,” said Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry, the campaign to win marriage nationwide.

“A president’s job is to lead and unite the nation, not take part in a politics of division and cruelty. Anyone seeking the nation’s highest office should not be affiliated with a group seeking to discredit the strong and clear voice of those African-American civil rights champions, such as John Lewis, Julian Bond, and Coretta Scott King, who have stood up for the freedom to marry and the equal civil rights of all people, including gay people of color.”

Full Story from Freedom to Marry

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CO: 56% of Denver Republicans Voted for Civil Unions at County Assembly

Friday, March 16th, 2012

Colorado Civil Unions VoteDenver County Republicans voted during County Assembly on March 10 in favor of marijuana rights and same-sex civil unions. Support for Amendment 64, the Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol measure, reached 56 percent, ten points below the two-thirds majority needed to be adopted as a platform plank, but still a majority.

Support for civil unions was also at 56 percent. Poll after poll has shown broad support for civil unions in Colorado. Polling has also shown broad support for marijuana rights in Colorado.

“Support for civil unions is emerging as a mainstream position in the Republican Party. More and more, conservative leaders are recognizing that relationship recognition for gay and lesbian couples adheres to a core conservative principle: the less intrusion into personal liberty the better,” said Jess Woodrum, deputy executive director of GLBT advocacy group ONE Colorado.

Full Story from the Colorado Independent

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DC: Boehner to Intervene in Troops’ DOMA Lawsuit?

Saturday, March 10th, 2012

DOMA Lawsuit and John BoehnerA Republican-led House panel may intervene as soon as next week against litigation that aims to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act on the grounds that it unfairly prohibits gay troops from obtaining benefits for their same-sex spouses.

The litigation, known as McLaughlin v. Panetta, was filed on behalf of gay troops and veterans by Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and Chadbourne & Parke LLC. It’s pending before the District Court of Massachusetts.

Christopher Man, counsel at Chadbourne & Parke LLC, told the Blade via email on Saturday he believes the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group, led by House Speaker John Boehner, is “likely to intervene soon, possibly as soon as next week” and plaintiffs will oppose the intervention.

Full Story from The Washington Blade

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CO: GOP Lawmaker Says Republicans Split on Civil Unions

Tuesday, March 6th, 2012

According to an article in the Denver Post, the GOP is evenly split in the House on the civil unions bill, with a third for it, a third undecided, and a third against it.

Note: we do not post stories from this newspaper or link to it because of their part in a scheme to sue bloggers who excerpt their articles.

NH: GOP Has Until March 29th to Pass Marriage Equality Repeal Bill

Sunday, March 4th, 2012

New Hampshire Marriage Equality RepealAs same-sex marriage supporters celebrate victories in Washington and Maryland this month, they are keeping a wary eye on New Hampshire, where lawmakers may soon vote to repeal the state’s two-year-old law allowing gay couples to wed.

A repeal bill appears to have a good chance of passing in the State House and Senate, which are both controlled by Republicans. The bigger question is whether they can muster enough votes to overcome a promised veto from Gov. John Lynch, a Democrat.

A House vote would need to take place by March 29, the deadline for the House to send its legislation to the Senate. Mr. Bates said Monday that he was working on ways to broaden the bill’s support in both chambers, like changing or removing a sentence that states, “Children can only be conceived naturally through copulation by heterosexual couples.”

Full Story from The New York Times

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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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NY: Conservative Party Drops Endorsement for GOP Senator Who Voted for Marriage Equality

Monday, February 27th, 2012

New York Senator Mark Grisanti and Marriage EqualityA New York Republican senator is losing the backing of his local Conservative Party because he voted in favor of marriage equality last year.

In New York, a state that allows candidates to run on tickets for more than one political party, the Conservative Party largely backs Republican candidates. Instead of endorsing incumbent state senator Mark Grisanti, party chairman Ralph C. Lorigo said Grisanti no longer had the trust of the party after initially saying he was against marriage equality before voting for the bill in 2011.

Full Story From The Advocate

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