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New York Mayoral Candidate Christine Quinn Marries Partner

Monday, May 21st, 2012

Out Lesbian Christine Quinn Marries Partner Kim Catullo

Christine Quinn, a leading mayoral candidate for 2013, and Catullo, an attorney, married in an evening ceremony at the Highline Stages in Chelsea attended by family members, friends and the city and state’s political elite.

The roster of elected officials among the nearly 300 invited guests included Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, Representatives Carolyn Maloney, Nydia Velazquez, Joseph Crowley, and Charles Rangel, State Senator Tom Duane, Assemblymember Daniel O’Donnell, and a dozen City Council members. Other political figures in attendance according to various reports included Sally Susman, Quinn’s finance chairwoman and a major Obama campaign bundler, labor leader Randi Weingarten and the lobbyist Emily Giske, who introduced Quinn to Catullo in 2001.

The evening ceremony was closed to the press, but journalists outside the venue offered Twitter updates about the comings and goings. Gay City News reports that shortly after 7 p.m., a spokesman emerged to announce that Quinn and Catullo, who are both 45, were officially married. Former Chief Judge Judith Kaye, who wrote the dissent in a 2006 court ruling that found same-sex couples had no right to marry in New York, officiated. Audra McDonald sang “She Loves” by George and Ira Gershwin before heading uptown to Broadway, where she is appearing in Porgy and Bess.

Gay City News offers more details about what the brides wore and their walk down the aisle.

“Quinn, dressed in a full-length, cream gown designed by Carolina Herrera, was walked down the aisle by her father, Lawrence. Catullo, wearing a cream silk evening suit from Ralph Lauren, was accompanied by her father, Anthony. The couple exchanged rings designed by Doyle & Doyle.

 READ More from The Advocate Article

United Kingdom Publishes New Annual Human Rights Report

Monday, April 30th, 2012

By Melanie Nathan, April 30, 2012.

While the United States has yet to publish its annual (2011)  Human Rights Report, the United Kingdom’s Foreign Office issued its  392 page report on human rights today and  the LGBT section can be found at page 68 as follows:-

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights

The Government is committed to the promotion and protection of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people as an integral part of its wider international human rights work.

It is our view that to render consenting same-sex relations illegal is incompatible with international human rights law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Despite this, same-sex relations continue to be criminalised in over 70 countries, and discrimination and violence against LGBT people because of their sexual orientation and gender identity continues, including in countries where legislation exists to protect LGBT people.

The UK believes that human rights should apply equally to all, and in this regard we oppose all forms of violence and discrimination against LGBT people. We promote and protect the rights of LGBT people through international institutions including the UN, EU, Council of Europe and the Commonwealth. Through these institutions and through our embassies and high commissions we take action on individual cases where persecution or discrimination has occurred and lobby for changes in discriminatory practices and laws.

READ Article at O-Blog-Dee-O-Blog-Da  CLICK HERE

NC, USA: Lesbian Comes Out, Says Amendment One Sponsor “Slapped” Every Gay Person in the State

Monday, April 30th, 2012

Andrew posted this video last week in a round-up, but I just wanted to post it again since there are only 8 days until the heinous Amendment One appears on North Carolina’s ballot and this clip is one of the most powerful I’ve seen in recent weeks and I think more people should see it.

In addition to a lesbian’s public coming out and her powerful speech, the clip also reveals Amendment One’s sponsor Rep. Jim Crawford, revealing that he doesn’t support the version that’s on the ballot.

Says the woman angrily:

“If this Amendment One passes and becomes part of our state constitution I won’t have the right in this state to visit my partner of 38 years were she laying dying in the hospital. I wouldn’t have the right to arrange her funeral were she to die because I wasn’t a direct member of her family.”

Full Story from Towleroad.com

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USA: Same Sex Military Spouses Getting Short Shrift

Monday, April 23rd, 2012

Let’s all celebrate! Not so fast.

Military Spouse Day has been observed since May 23, 1984, when a proclamation by President Ronald Reagan recognized the profound importance of spouse commitment to the readiness and well-being of military members. The US Secretary of Defense standardized the date by declaring the Friday preceding Mother’s Day as Military Spouse Day.

With the repeal of DADT, after all the celebrations stopped and the business of getting back to work started there was a new cry from the newest group of military spouses. What about us? It has long been proven that behind every successful military member is a family and families come in many forms.

The sacrifices of this new group are no different than their counterparts.

“We get up when the alarm goes off at 5AM; we make breakfast and send our military member off just like they do”. They also endure long deployments, weeks in the field, days out to sea. However the support for the newest group of military dependents is just not there.

Full Story from SDGLN

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Australia: Opposition Leader Supports Lesbian Sister, Still Opposes Marriage Equality

Sunday, April 8th, 2012

Australia: Opposition Leader Supports Lesbian Sister, Still Opposes Marriage EqualityOpposition Leader Tony Abbott is still opposed to same-sex marriage despite his sister coming out publicly as a lesbian. Tony Abbott’s sister, Christine Forster, 47, has revealed she is in a relationship with Virginia Edwards.

“I have decided to publicly confirm that I am gay and am in a committed, live-in relationship with Virginia,” Ms Forster told The Weekend Australian. Ms Forster has been previously married and has four children.

Gay marriage advocates were hopeful Ms Forster’s story would soften Mr Abbott’s stance. She has tried to convince Mr Abbott to change his mind about same sex marriage. Mr Abbott has hailed his sister’s bravery for coming out but says it won’t shift his view

Full Story from the Sydney Morning Herald

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Australia: Opposition Leader’s Sister Comes Out for Marriage Equality

Saturday, April 7th, 2012

Australia: Opposition Leader's Sister Comes Out for Marriage EqualityAustralian marriage equality advocates have welcomed news Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s sister has come out in favour of same-sex marriage.

In an interview with The Australian newspaper, Abbott’s sister, Christine Forster, revealed she has a same-sex partner and supports a change in the Marriage Act to allow for same-sex marriage.

“I have decided to publicly confirm that I am gay and am in a committed, live-in relationship,” Forster told the newspaper.

Full Story from the Star Observer

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USA: Lesbian Who Helped Write DOMA Now Working to Repeal It

Thursday, March 29th, 2012

DOMA RepealIt has been 16 years since Kathryn Lehman was a Republican Hill staffer working on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the federal law that defines marriage as between one man and one woman.

Now Lehman’s back on Capitol Hill, in a new capacity: as a lesbian GOP lobbyist trying to repeal the law she helped write.

Things were pretty different in Lehman’s world in 1996. She was engaged to a man. Same-sex marriage wasn’t legal anywhere. And the public perception of what it meant to be gay wasn’t anything like it is now, she says.

Full Story from the Huffinton Post

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USA: 73% Support LGBT Workplace Protections

Thursday, March 29th, 2012

New York Gay Marriage PollA new poll commissioned by the Human Rights Campaign finds that 73 percent of 2012 likely voters support President Obama signing an Executive Order that would ban anti-LGBT discrimination by federal contractors.

Support for the protective order remained strong across various demographics, including age, race, education, and political ideology (see word cloud below). As a candidate, Obama committed to signing such an order, but the administration is mum about whether he is currently committed to advancing the issue.

Full Story from Think Progress

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TX: Lesbian Dallas Judge Refuses to Perform Weddings Until Everyone Can Marry

Friday, February 24th, 2012

Dallas Judge and Marriage EqualityDallas County Judge Tonya Parker says she won’t perform marriage ceremonies until gay couples can wed.

During a Feb. 21 meeting, Parker told the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas that while she has the power to perform legal marriage ceremonies in her court, she will not.

“I use it as my opportunity to give them a lesson about marriage inequality in this state because I feel like I have to tell them why I’m turning them away,” Parker said. “So I usually will offer them something along the lines of, ‘I’m sorry. I don’t perform marriage ceremonies because we are in a state that does not have marriage equality, and until it does, I am not going to partially apply the law to one group of people that doesn’t apply to another group of people.’ And it’s kind of oxymoronic for me to perform ceremonies that can’t be performed for me, so I’m not going to do it.”

Full Story from NBC 5

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SC: Couple Applies for Marriage License

Wednesday, February 15th, 2012

South Carolina Marriage LicensesOne Myrtle Beach couple spent their Valentine’s Day afternoon in tears. The same sex couple went to apply for a marriage license in protest of state law that outlaws same sex marriage. Lora Talbot is a lesbian. Her partner Benji Herndon, [is] transgender. The two have been in a relationship for three years and have a child together.

Tuesday afternoon, the couple waited in the probate office where marriage licenses are issued to see if they could apply for one.

“Today’s the day of love. Everybody should be celebrating today. Everybody’s got something to celebrate. We want to have our own celebration. I want to go home and be able to tell our kids, “hey, we’re married.” Ya know?,” Talbot said.

Full Story from Carolina Live

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