tagged w/ same sex marriage
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Is it me or are kids a lot more well spoken these day?
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Jenime
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6 days ago
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That would make me proud. New York Governor David Paterson (D) is pushing lawmakers to approve a law legalizing same-sex marriage. AP's Ted Shaffrey reports.That would make me proud. New York Governor David Paterson (D) is pushing lawmakers to... more
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Jenime
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added this
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7 days ago
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Though the Maine Legislature passed legislation to allow same-sex marriage, residents voted against the bill in a ballot measure on election day by a margin of 53 to 47 percent. The Catholic church was a major funder of the forces opposed to same-sex marriage, and as MPR’s Tom Scheck notes, Minnesota Catholic were among those funding the opposition.
The Diocese of Crookston gave $5,000; the Dioceses of Winona and La Crosse, Wis., each donated $500; and New Ulm’s bishop personally gave $250.
Catholic dioceses around the country spent nearly $560,000 to repeal the same-sex marriage law (total fundraising by opponents of same-sex marriage was over $4 million), but not all Catholics opposed same-sex marriage.
Some 500 Catholics signed a letter stating in part, “We are Catholics who are concerned that the current political campaign to repeal Maine’s civil marriage equality law is at odds with fundamental principles of truth and charity, and with vital American traditions of separation of church and state.”Though the Maine Legislature passed legislation to allow same-sex marriage, residents... more
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National gay rights leaders are blaming scare-mongering ads – and President Barack Obama’s lack of engagement – for a bitter election setback in Maine that could alter the dynamics for both sides in the gay-marriage debate.National gay rights leaders are blaming scare-mongering ads – and President Barack... more
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Today 52.8% of voters in Maine rejected a law legalizing gay marriage. Arguments on both sides of the debate are often highly emotional, and "information" campaigns have at times targeted people's fears more than discussing relevant policy dimensions and welfare concerns (e.g. the right to be included in a partner's health care plan). One far too often stated opposition to gay marriage is the idea that allowing homosexual couples to marry would change what it means to be married (by introducing something "diffreent") and thereby erode the institution of marriage. But how different are homosexual marriages from heterosexual marriages really? The 2008 American Community Survey (ACS) provides us with some valuable information on the topic. One finding that sticks out is the fact that married same-sex couples are very similar to different sex-married couples on the most important demographic dimensions. For example, same-sex married couples are similarly educated, earn the same amount of income, and even raise almost the same amount of children. It is especially this last finding that strikes most people as surprising, and hopefully surprise can lead to information-seeking and reconsideration of overhauled attitudes for some. Other interesting facts from the American Community Survey include:
* "More than 1 in 4 (nearly 150,000) same-sex couples designated themselves as spouses.
* Many same-sex couples considered themselves to be spouses even though they may not be legally married or in a legally recognized partnership.
* By the end of 2008, approximately 32,000 same-sex couples had been married in the US and more than 80,000 same-sex couples registered as reciprocal beneficiaries or domestic partners or were united in civil unions.
* Same-sex spouses were identified in every state. However, they were more common in states that permit marriage for same-sex couples or offer other forms of partnership recognition.
* Same-sex couples were more likely to call themselves spouses in states that recognize marriages of same-sex couples - 31% of same-sex couples in states with marriage recognition identified themselves as spouses.In states with no form of recognition, only 26% identified as spouses.
* Massachusetts, the first state to permit marriage for same-sex couples in 2004, had an estimated 3.63 same-sex spousal couples per 1,000 households in 2008, ranking first among all states. Vermont, which has offered civil unions since 2000, ranked second at 2.71. The remaining top five states ranked by same-sex spouse prevalence were Hawaii (2.43), Utah (2.32), and Wyoming (2.28).
* The District of Columbia had the highest prevalence of same-sex unmarried partners per 1,000 households (13.22), followed by Maine (6.81), Washington (5.84), Oregon (5.73), and New York (5.15).
* Same-sex couples, both married and unmarried were more prevalent in states that had some form of legal recognition for same-sex couples than in states that had no recognition.
* Same-sex couples who identified themselves as spouses differed from same-sex couples who identified themselves as unmarried partners. "
You can find the entire survey report at UCLA-based Williams Institute's web site. There's also this short interview with Williams Distinguished Scholar Gary Gates.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolved-primate/200911/how-different-are-same-sex-couples-different-sex-couplesToday 52.8% of voters in Maine rejected a law legalizing gay marriage. Arguments on... more
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Two recent police raids of gay bars in Atlanta, Georgia and Fort Worth, Texas have sparked mass protests in the two cities and have raised questions regarding the state of equality for persons of all sexual orientations.Two recent police raids of gay bars in Atlanta, Georgia and Fort Worth, Texas have... more
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Reporting from Portland, Maine - Opponents of Maine's law allowing same-sex marriage claimed victory Tuesday night in their repeal effort, after a heated campaign that polarized the state and drew national attention.
With 87% of the 605 precincts reporting, the Associated Press said, opponents of same-sex marriage led with 53% of the vote, while those seeking to uphold the law had 47%.
The battle was the latest in whether to let gay couples marry. A year ago, Californians passed a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. If the law is repealed, Maine will join more than 30 other states that have rejected gay and lesbian marriage at the ballot box.
Same-sex unions are recognized in five states -- Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont -- as a result of judicial rulings or legislative action. Voters in Washington on Tuesday approved a measure extending the same legal rights to registered domestic partners that married couples enjoy.
Marc Mutty, chairman of Stand for Marriage Maine, which sought to overturn the state law, said the vote appeared to signal a "victory for traditional marriage."
"This has never been about gay rights," he said. "It's about marriage, and this is reaffirmation by the people of Maine that marriage between men and women is special and unique."
Earlier, gay rights supporters were hopeful of victory when state officials reported that voter turnout appeared unusually heavy. Officials had to print extra ballots to meet the demand.
"That's great for us," said Mark Sullivan, spokesman for No on 1/Protect Maine Equality, the coalition that is seeking to allow same-sex couples to marry. "It means we succeeded in reaching younger people and others who don't always vote."
The optimism was palpable several hours later, when more than 1,500 gay rights supporters packed a hotel ballroom in downtown Portland.
Across town, a few dozen supporters of the repeal movement sat quietly at mostly empty tables in another ballroom. The mood was considerably more subdued.
"Regardless of the outcome tonight, we fought the good fight," Mutty told the gathering. "We have nothing to be ashamed of."
But the moods shifted when an early lead by same-sex marriage supporters evaporated.
Jesse Connolly, chairman of No on 1/Protect Maine Equality, took the stage at 12:30 a.m. today but did not concede. "We won't quit," he said, noting that officials had not counted thousands of absentee ballots.
"It's gonna be a long night," he said.
Amy Fried, a political scientist at the University of Maine in Orono, said the state Legislature almost certainly would pass another same-sex marriage law if voters rejected the statute. If the law were upheld, she added, gay rights activists around the country would look for lessons in what worked and why.
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more at the link
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http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-election-maine-gay4-2009nov04,0,7596534,full.storyReporting from Portland, Maine - Opponents of Maine's law allowing same-sex marriage... more
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While the 2010 U.S. Census won't treat legally married gay spouses like their hetero counterparts, a different survey, the American Community Survey (also from the U.S. Census Bureau) does break it down. So what do the numbers for 2008, the most recent available, show America's gay couplings? For starters, that just 20 percent of you claiming to be spouses are legally recognized as such.
Taking a look at the data, the Williams Institute for Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy at UCLA Law finds — not so surprisingly — that Massachusetts leads the nation with gay marriages: 3.63 gay married couples per 1,000 households. Of course, they've have longer time to practice!
So while some 565,000 same-sex couples identified themselves in the 2008 American Community Survey, just 150,000 referred to themselves as spouses. From there, an estimated 32,000 of them were actually legally married by the end of 2008. And not so big a shock? "When comparing same-sex spouses to same-sex unmarried couples and to married different-sex couples, the report finds many similarities between same-sex and different-sex spouses. They are similar in terms of age, education, household income, and homeownership rates."
Some 56 percent of same-sex spouses were female (compared to an even split for different-sex couples).
And lest the right-wing get ahold of this data and try manipulating it, here's the hard facts:
• We're raising kids in greater proportion: "Same-sex spouses were twice as likely to be raising children — more than 31% of spouses are raising children as opposed to 17% of unmarried partners."
• Those of us who might want to get married one day are not out to ruin American society, but contribute more to it: "Same-sex unmarried partners do differ in many ways from their different-sex unmarried counterparts. They are older, more educated, wealthier, more likely to own a home, more likely to be employed, and less likely to be raising children."While the 2010 U.S. Census won't treat legally married gay spouses like their hetero... more
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87-year-old Philip Spooner supports same sex marriage. The World War II veteran spoke in favor of same sex marriage at public hearing at the Augusta Civic Center last spring. The video of his speech is now an internet sensation - it has received thousands of hits from people all across the world. Spooner says he is a life-long Republican who believes gay and lesbians should have equal rights.87-year-old Philip Spooner supports same sex marriage. The World War II veteran spoke... more
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Git yer ass up here and help out on a Voluntercation!!!
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asherp
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1 month ago
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An initiative to repeal existing gay marriage rights in Maine, called Question 1, is headed for a vote soon, and Rachel Maddow takes a look at how tactics employed successfully by gay marriage opponents in California during the Prop 8 battle are being imported wholesale into Maine.
The same people who were hired to help pass Prop 8, Schubert Flint Public Affairs, are now running the anti-gay marriage campaign in Maine, and they are running basically identical commercials.
Maddow interviews Jesse Connolly, campaign manager for "No on 1 Protect Marriage Equality", about the fight to preserve marriage equality in Maine.
**CLICK LINK FOR VIDEO**An initiative to repeal existing gay marriage rights in Maine, called Question 1, is... more
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Opponents to equality violated all of NPRs terms of use according to a cease and disist order sent by NPR to the Yes on 1 campaign in Maine.
“NPR did not license use of this story or its content, and would certainly not have licensed or permitted it if we had been asked,” Rehm said in a statement. “NPR is a highly respected news organization and does not allow its content to be used by political or advocacy groups. Such use is harmful to the integrity and independence of NPR. NPR does allow – even encourage -- personal, non-commercial use of our content, so long as it is not modified, and not used in a manner that suggests NPR promotes or endorses a cause, idea, Web site, product or service. The use made by Stand for Marriage Maine violated all of these terms.”
Content was used in Stand for Marriage Maine's latest television commercial which began airing October 16. The ad is no longer available online or on television.Opponents to equality violated all of NPRs terms of use according to a cease and... more
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Signing a bill honoring the late Harvey Milk, Gov. Shwarzenegger made it possible for California (cal-III-fornia) to recognize same sex marriages from other states.Signing a bill honoring the late Harvey Milk, Gov. Shwarzenegger made it possible for... more
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Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill said it appears unlikely that Congress will block a bill to be introduced Tuesday that would allow same-sex marriages in the District.
D.C. Council leaders have vowed to expedite the bill and said they hope to put it to a final vote before Christmas. But even if same-sex couples start marrying next year, the long-term survival of the practice would be in doubt for years, depending on the makeup of the House and Senate, congressional officials said.
"I hate to say this, but I think this is going to be rough sledding," said Rep. James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.). "I don't think [conservatives] are going to give us a pass. . . . I don't think we can always escape this issue coming to the floor."
On Tuesday morning, D.C. Council member David A. Catania (I-At Large) will introduce his bill, which says that "any person . . . may marry any other eligible person regardless of gender." The legislation, which has 10 co-sponsors including Catania, is expected to sail through the council's committee process. Under Home Rule, Congress will have 30 legislative days to review the council's action before it becomes law.Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill said it appears unlikely that Congress will... more
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Yes on 1 anti equality activists in Maine recycled the same $2 Million add they used during the prop 8 election in California. Why? Because fear and lies worked in California. Don't let fear win in Maine. Vote no on 1 to protect all Maine families. http://www.protectmaineequality.orgYes on 1 anti equality activists in Maine recycled the same $2 Million add they used... more
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Volunteers are needed in Maine. Do you want to be part of history?
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On Nov. 3, voters in the state will be asked by Proposition 1 to consider repealing a same-sex-marriage law that was due to take effect this month, but had been put on hold.
"It isn't about anything other than the definition of marriage, what it's going to mean to us and how it's going to be defined in society," says Marc Mutty, the executive chairman of Stand for Marriage Maine.
Mutty is on loan from the diocese, which believes that legalizing same-sex marriage will lead to a new curriculum in the schools.
"Many certainly feel uncomfortable about that, and about the fact that children as young as 7 or 8 years old are being taught about gay sex in some detail," he says.
But Jim Bishop, a supporter of and volunteer for the Vote No On 1/Protect Maine Equality campaign, dismisses that claim.
"This is one of these great lines we get," he says. "That's the kind of stuff I find really offensive — saying that we're going to teach about gay marriage and gay lifestyle in the schools, and that we're going to try to convert. This is just absurd."On Nov. 3, voters in the state will be asked by Proposition 1 to consider repealing a... more
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Vermont began issuing marriage licenses today to same sex couples. Vermont passed a marriage equality bill this summer that was signed into law by the governor. Vermont, Iowa, Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire all have marriage equality laws. New York recognizes marriages from other states and countries but failed to pass a marriage equality bill after a hostile take over of the New York Senate earlier this summer.
Meanwhile...
Maine's marriage bill is in jeopardy, as the Mormans are funneling millions of dollars through NOM into the state to pass the "people's veto". Mainers are encouraged to vote No. on 1 to support equality.
In Washington the Domestic Partnership bill that was passed this year is being challenged by the anti gay activists. To protect same sex marriage rights there, vote to approve referendum 71.
I'm looking forward to the day when people will just leave us alone in a boring same sex marriages.Vermont began issuing marriage licenses today to same sex couples. Vermont passed a... more
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After 17 years together, Bill Slimback and Bob Sullivan couldn't wait another minute to get married. So they didn't.
With Vermont's new law allowing same-sex marriage only a minute old, they tied the knot in a midnight ceremony at a rustic lodge, becoming one of the first couples to legally wed under a law that took effect at midnight Monday.
Dressed in suits, saying their vows under a large wall-mounted moose head, the two Whitehall, N.Y., men promised their love, exchanged rings and held hands during a modest 17-minute ceremony. Moose Meadow Lodge co-owner Greg Trulson, who's also a Justice of the Peace, presided.
"It feels wonderful," said Slimback, 38, an out-of-work Teamster who is taking Sullivan's last name as his own. "It's a day I've been long waiting for, and a day I truly honestly thought would never come."
Slimback said he and Sullivan, 41, have long wanted to cement their relationship with a wedding, but since they couldn't legally marry in New York they chose to wed even before Vermont's gay marriage era officially dawned.
Vermont is one of five states that now allow same-sex couples to marry. Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa are the others. New Hampshire's law takes effect Jan. 1, 2010.
Vermont, which invented civil unions in 2000 after a same-sex couple challenged the inequality of state marriage statutes, was a mecca for gay couples who to that point had no way to officially recognize their relationships.
Since then, other states have allowed gay marriage, as did Vermont, which in April became the first state to legalize gay marriage through a legislative decree and not a court case.
Some couples - including many who obtained civil unions in Vermont - plan to return to the state to get married. But most are in no rush. City and town officials say only a handful of licenses had been issued to same-sex couples in anticipation of Tuesday's start.
"We've waited a long time to do this - basically, our whole lives," Slimback said Monday. "We've been waiting for a chance to actually solidify it," he said. He and Sullivan said they never wanted to obtain a civil union because they believe that's a kind of second-class recognition.After 17 years together, Bill Slimback and Bob Sullivan couldn't wait another minute... more
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xiola
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3 months ago
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Nevada to start up same sex certificate preregistration Monday
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