tagged w/ Same-Sex Marriage
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click link for more info
http://getwititmagazine.com/2009/11/17/764/
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The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington said Wednesday that it will be unable to continue the social service programs it runs for the District if the city doesn't change a proposed same-sex marriage law, a threat that could affect tens of thousands of people the church helps with adoption, homelessness and health care.The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington said Wednesday that it will be unable to... more
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PORTLAND, Maine – Maine voters repealed a state law Tuesday that would have allowed same-sex couples to wed, dealing the gay rights movement a heartbreaking defeat in New England, the corner of the country most supportive of gay marriage.
Gay marriage has now lost in every single state — 31 in all — in which it has been put to a popular vote. Gay-rights activists had hoped to buck that trend in Maine — known for its moderate, independent-minded electorate — and mounted an energetic, well-financed campaign.
With 87 percent of the precincts reporting, gay-marriage foes had 53 percent of the votes.
"The institution of marriage has been preserved in Maine and across the nation," declared Frank Schubert, chief organizer for the winning side.
Gay-marriage supporters held out hope that the tide would shift before conceding defeat at 2:40 a.m. in a statement that insisted they weren't going away.
"We're in this for the long haul. For next week, and next month, and next year — until all Maine families are treated equally. Because in the end, this has always been about love and family and that will always be something worth fighting for," said Jesse Connolly, manager of the pro-gay marriage campaign.
At issue was a law passed by the Maine Legislature last spring that would have legalized same-sex marriage. The law was put on hold after conservatives launched a petition drive to repeal it in a referendum.
The outcome Tuesday marked the first time voters had rejected a gay-marriage law enacted by a legislature. When Californians put a stop to same-sex marriage a year ago, it was in response to a court ruling, not legislation.
Five other states have legalized gay marriage — starting with Massachusetts in 2004, and followed by Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Iowa — but all did so through legislation or court rulings, not by popular vote. In contrast, constitutional amendments banning gay marriage have been approved in all 30 states where they have been on the ballot.
The defeat left some gay-marriage supporters bitter.
"Our relationship is between us," said Carla Hopkins, 38, of Mount Vernon, with partner Victoria Eleftherio, 38, sitting on her lap outside a hotel ballroom where gay marriage supporters had been hoping for a victory party. "How does that affect anybody else? It's a personal thing."
The contest had been viewed by both sides as certain to have national repercussions. Gay-marriage foes desperately wanted to keep their winning streak alive, while gay-rights activists sought to blunt the argument that gay marriage was being foisted on the country by courts and lawmakers over the will of the people.
Had Maine's law been upheld, the result would probably have energized efforts to get another vote on gay marriage in California, and given a boost to gay-marriage bills in New York and New Jersey.
Earlier Tuesday, before vote-counting began, gay-marriage foe Chuck Schott of Portland warned that Maine "will have its place in infamy" if the gay-rights side won.
Another Portland resident, Sarah Holman said she was "very torn" but decided — despite her conservative upbringing — to vote in favor of letting gays marry.
"They love and they have the right to love. And we can't tell somebody how to love," said Holman, 26.
In addition to reaching out to young people who flocked to the polls for President Barack Obama a year ago, gay-marriage defenders tried to appeal to Maine voters' pronounced independent streak and live-and-let-live attitude.
The other side based many of its campaign ads on claims — disputed by state officials — that the new law would mean "homosexual marriage" would be taught in public schools.
Both sides in Maine drew volunteers and contributions from out of state, but the money edge went to the campaign in defense of gay marriage, Protect Maine Equality. It raised $4 million, compared with $2.5 million for Stand for Marriage Maine.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, voters in Washington state voted on whether to uphold or overturn a recently expanded domestic partnership law that entitles same-sex couples to the same state-granted rights as heterosexual married couples. With half the precincts reporting, that race was too close to call.
In Kalamazoo, Mich., voters approved a measure that bars discrimination based on sexual orientation.PORTLAND, Maine – Maine voters repealed a state law Tuesday that would have allowed... more
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Oscar winning director Paul Haggis, has left the Church of Scientology after 35 years as he could no longer tolerate their views on same sex marriage.
In a resignation letter leaked to the press, he said he didn't want to be part "of an organisation where gay-bashing was tolerated".
Haggis, who wrote Clint Eastwood's "Million Dollar Baby" and also wrote & directed "Crash". He wrote "The great majority of Scientologists I know are good people who are genuinely interested in improving conditions on this planet and helping others,"
"I have to believe that if they knew what I now know, they too would be horrified. But I know how easy it was for me to defend our organisation and dismiss our critics, without ever truly looking at what was being said; I did it for thirty-five years."
Will this lead to other Hollywood or high profile Scientology members to leave the religion?Oscar winning director Paul Haggis, has left the Church of Scientology after 35 years... more
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Next week, the voters of Maine will decide whether to overturn Governor John Baldacci's legislation which allows same-sex couples to legally marry.
Here's an excerpt:
"Baldacci, who originally opposed the legislation, said upholding the bill comes down to a fundamental understanding of equal protection and constitutional responsibility.
"Initially, I had the opinion for several years that civil unions were the limitations of what I was willing to support," Baldacci said. "But, the research that I did uncovered that a civil union didn't equal a civil marriage."
On May 6 when Baldacci signed the legislation, he did so knowing there was a possibility that voters could overturn it.
"Just as the Maine Constitution demands that all people are treated equally under the law, it also guarantees that the ultimate political power in the state belongs to the people," Baldacci said in a statement released as he signed the bill.
On September 2, opposition groups delivered the 55,087 signatures necessary to put the legislation to a vote on the November 3 ballot.
California's state Supreme Court issued a similar ruling in May 2008 after which some 18,000 gay and lesbian couples got married there. But in November 2008, California voters approved Proposition 8, which amended the state constitution to ban gay marriage.
If the legislation is upheld, Maine would join Massachusetts, Vermont, Iowa, Connecticut and New Hampshire in allowing same-sex marriage.
Chris Potholm, a professor of government at Bowdoin College and a Maine resident, said the spotlight is now on Maine because of the defeated bill in California.
"I think this is a nationwide effort to get the gay marriage agenda back on track -- not just in Maine, but in terms of the whole country," Potholm said.
But the leading opposition group, Stand for Marriage Maine, says accepting the legislation would strip the meaning and tradition out of marriage.
"Question one on the ballot offers Mainers a choice, and the choice is whether to keep marriage legally defined ... or to take that definition and replace it with a radical definition," said Stand for Marriage Maine communications director Scott Fish.
....Both campaigns have waged a ground war, airing television ads, handing out pamphlets, canvassing door to door and running phone banks.
Like Baldacci, No on 1 says the bill is a true testament to Maine values.
"[Citizens] don't believe in a separate set of laws for a separate set of people," said Mark Sullivan, the organization's communications director. "When you try separate, it's never equal.""
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Read article for more. Share your thoughts on same-sex marriage issue that continues to be fought in America.Next week, the voters of Maine will decide whether to overturn Governor John... more
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SAN FRANCISCO—A federal judge in San Francisco has refused to dismiss a lawsuit seeking to overturn California's same-sex marriage ban.
U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn Walker also signaled Wednesday that the measure's sponsors will need to show that allowing gay couples to wed threatens traditional male-female unions.
Walker said significant questions remain about whether the voter-approved ban discriminates against gays and lesbians in violation of the U.S. Constitution.
Before ruling, Walker grilled a lawyer for the measure's backers who asserted that Proposition 8 was legitimate because it fostered "naturally procreative relationships."
The judge demanded to hear how that goal would be undermined if same-sex marriages were legal.SAN FRANCISCO—A federal judge in San Francisco has refused to dismiss a lawsuit... more
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Female rapper; indi artist from upstate NY getting busy! Fight for equal rights through hip hop as a gay artist. A must hear! The song is so refreshing go to www.suntrana.yolasite.com You might not like the topic but you got to respect it. "The artist and her craft"
You have to listen to the lyrics and after you listen don't forget to come back and write a response and check out The offical website: www.suntrana.yolasite.com leave comments
To hear on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PRoPON8dlUFemale rapper; indi artist from upstate NY getting busy! Fight for equal rights... 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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on the issue of same sex marriage most religous constitutions and most books koran,bible, and torah all state marriage is between a man and a woman so basically same sex marriage
are just civil unions and the lgbt community can call it whatever it wants typically it still isnt marriage personally i think anyone whos in love is allowed to get married i think the human race kinda needs to start looking out of the box instead of inon the issue of same sex marriage most religous constitutions and most books... more
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A Texas judge cleared the way for two Dallas men to get a divorce, ruling Thursday that Texas' ban on same-sex marriage violates the constitutional guarantee to equal protection under the law.
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said he'd appeal the ruling, which he labeled an attempt to strike down the ban approved by voters in 2005.
"The laws and constitution of the State of Texas define marriage as an institution involving one man and one woman," Abbott said in a written statement. "Today's ruling purports to strike down that constitutional definition – despite the fact that it was recently adopted by 75 percent of Texas voters."
Abbott has argued that because the state doesn't recognize gay marriage, its courts can't dissolve one through divorce.
District Judge Tena Callahan's ruled Thursday, however, that the court "has jurisdiction to hear a suit for divorce filed by persons legally married in another jurisdiction."
Jennifer Pizer, marriage project director for the New York-based gay rights group Lambda Legal, said it is too early to predict the ultimate implications of the lawsuit, in which neither man is identified.
But Cathy Adams, president of the conservative Texas Eagle Forum, characterized the decision as a judicial overreach.
"Judicial activism is what they're after, and it sounds as if they found someone in Dallas to participate in their endeavor," she said. "The people of Texas have spoken very strongly in opposition to same-sex marriage."
Peter Schulte, an attorney for the man who filed for divorce, told The Dallas Morning News that he and his client are "ecstatic" over the court's ruling. Schulte said the decision was a surprise, and that he hoped to have the judge sign a divorce order in a few weeks.
Gov. Rick Perry said state lawmakers and voters have repeatedly affirmed marriage as being between a man and a woman.
"I believe the ruling is flawed and should be appealed," Perry said.
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, said she also supports Abbott's decision to appeal. Hutchison, who is challenging Perry in the GOP gubernatorial primary, said she has "consistently voted to preserve the sanctity of marriage and as governor I will continue to defend traditional marriage."
A phone message left by The Associated Press at court offices for Callahan was not immediately returned late Thursday. Callahan's ruling was first reported in The Dallas Morning News.
Pizer predicted an eventual end to bans on gay marriage in Texas and across the country.
"Most people do recognize that, eventually, American law will treat gays and lesbians the same as every other American," she said. "What we don't know is how may chapters that story will be."A Texas judge cleared the way for two Dallas men to get a divorce, ruling Thursday... more
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"If Britney Spears can party it up in Vegas with one of her boys and go get married on a whim and annul her marriage the next day, why can't a loving same-sex couple tie the knot?" Those are the words of Brendon Ayanbadejo, NFL linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens. Ayanbadejo wrote an article in the Huffington Post where he made that statement as well as this one:
"Maybe I am a man ahead of my time. However, looking at the former restrictions on human rights in our country starting with slavery, women not being able to vote, blacks being counted as two thirds of a human, segregation, no gays in the military (to list a few) all have gone by the wayside. But now
here in 2009 same sex marriages are prohibited. I think we will look back in 10, 20, 30 years and be amazed that gays and lesbians did not have the same rights as every one else. How did this ever happen in the land of the free and the home of the brave? Are we really free?"
Ayanbadejo joins the growing list of players that have come out in support of same-sex marriage. The list includes Steve Young (San Francisco 49ers) who had No on Prop 8 signs in front of his house before the November 2008 election, and Charles Barkley (NBA player for the Houston Rockets) who spoke out on national television about his support for same-sex marriage. Magic Johnson (NBA player for the Los Angeles Lakers) also supports same-sex marriage. According to USA Today sent the following recorded telephone message out to California residents during the Prop 8 campaign:
"This is Magic Johnson calling to ask you to join me and Barack Obama in opposing Proposition 8. Prop 8 singles out one group of Californians to be treated differently - including members of our family, our friends, and our coworkers. "That is not what California is about. So this Tuesday, vote no on Proposition 8. It is unfair and wrong. Thanks."
Is the professional sports environment finally becoming more tolerant towards the LGBT community? If NBA and NFL players supporting marriage equality isn't enough to make you believe it, how about a draq queen singing the National Anthem at a Major League baseball game? On September 29th, Donna Sachet will make history as she signs the National Anthem at the AT&T park for the kickoff of the SF Giants game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. What do you think readers? Are professional spots becoming more LGBT friendly? Who do you think will be the next player to come out in favor of LGBT equality? Who will be the next one to actually come out of the closet?"If Britney Spears can party it up in Vegas with one of her boys and go get married on... more
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One of the most commong arguments against marriage equality is that the legalization of gay marriage threatens the institution of traditional marriage. But a recent poll conducted by Des Moines Register finds that 92% of Iowans believe that "gay marriage has brought no real change to their lives." The study comes just months after the Iowa Supreme Court's unanimous decision to overturn a 10-year-old ban on same-sex marriage.
The poll finds that Iowans are evenly split in their attitudes toward same-sex marriage.
Read more @: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090921/NEWS10/909210321/1001/NEWSOne of the most commong arguments against marriage equality is that the legalization... more
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The governor of Maine has signed a formal proclamation putting the state's gay marriage law up for a vote in November.
Gov. John Baldacci signed the measure Wednesday after election officials verified that gay marriage foes had reached the threshold of signatures necessary to put the law on the ballot. The gay marriage law was supposed to go into effect this month, but it was put on hold while the secretary of state's office validated the number of signatures.
Gay marriage opponents needed the signatures of at least 55,087 registered voters for the so-called People's Veto, and they turned in nearly 100,000 signatures.
In May, Maine became the fifth state to allow gay marriage.
"I fully support this legislation ... but I also have a constitutional obligation to set the date for the election once the secretary of state has certified that enough signatures have been submitted," Baldacci said.
"Theirs is a cynical, pay-for-every-signature approach that doesn't reflect the homegrown values of our state," Jesse Connolly, campaign manager for NO on 1/Protect Maine Equality said in a statement.
Rev. Bob Emrich, who supports the repeal of the gay marriage law, brushed aside the criticism. "The facts are that tens of thousands of Maine citizens signed the petition," he said.The governor of Maine has signed a formal proclamation putting the state's gay... more
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Gay marriage opponents hoping to derail Maine's new law before it can take effect submitted petitions that they said contain more than enough signatures to force a people's veto referendum.
Leaders of the Stand for Marriage campaign delivered a stack of cartons holding petitions with more than 100,000 signatures to the Secretary of State's office, which has until Sept. 4 to certify at least 55,087 of them. If it does so, voters will be asked on Nov. 3 whether to repeal the law.
Maine became poised to recognize same-sex marriages when Governor John Baldacciback signed the equality law in May. The other New England states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont recognize gay marriages, as does Iowa.
Gay marriage supporters said they weren't surprised by the filing and stressed their own efforts to marshal support for their cause.
Opponents of gay marriage in Maine, Stand for Marriage Maine, have hired public relations firm Schubert Flint, which was instrumental in bringing about Proposition 8, the initiative that banned gay marriage in California.
However, pro-gay marriage group Maine Freedom to Marry has taken on political strategist Jesse Connolly, who ran the Maine Won't Discriminate campaign in 2006, to help fight a people's veto.
Gay rights advocates in Maine, US, have begun airing TV advertisements to encourage voters to protect equality. (seen above)
The ad, sponsored by Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, the Equality Maine Foundation and the Maine Civil Liberties Union Foundation, features a variety of straight and gay couples with their families talking about fairness and marriage equality.
Maine has a domestic partnership registry, but gay marriage advocates say it doesn't go far enough to ensure marriage equality.Gay marriage opponents hoping to derail Maine's new law before it can take effect... more
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Theodore B. Olson's office is a testament to his iconic status in the conservative legal movement. A framed photograph of Ronald Reagan, the first of two Republican presidents Mr. Olson served, is warmly inscribed with "heartfelt thanks." Fifty-five white quills commemorate each of his appearances before the Supreme Court, where he most famously argued the 2000 election case that put George W. Bush in the White House. On the bookshelf sits a Defense Department medal honoring his legal defense of Mr. Bush's counterterrorism policies after Sept. 11.
But in a war room down the hall, where Mr. Olson is preparing for what he believes could be the most important case of his career, the binders stuffed with briefs, case law and notes offer a different take on a man many liberals love to hate. They are filled with arguments Mr. Olson hopes will lead to a Supreme Court decision with the potential to reshape the legal and social landscape along the lines of cases like Brown v. Board of Education and Roe v. Wade: the legalization of same-sex marriage nationwide.Theodore B. Olson's office is a testament to his iconic status in the conservative... more
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Over a thousand Quakers give their unanimous backing to same-sex marriages and call for change in UK law.
(Picture would've been funnier if I had Photoshop skillz, sadly I do not..)Over a thousand Quakers give their unanimous backing to same-sex marriages and call... more
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Quoting from the article:
Albania's governing Democrats have proposed a law allowing same-sex civil weddings in the small, predominantly Muslim country.
An announcement on the government Web site Thursday said the bill "may spark debate" but was needed to stop discrimination against gay couples. Current law only recognizes heterosexual marriages.
Prime Minister Sali Berisha said the move followed requests from rights groups. His Democrats, who control 74 of parliament's 140 seats, are expected to easily pass the law.
The former Communist Balkan state, which joined NATO in April, has applied to be considered for joining the European Union.
Albania is mostly Muslim with large Orthodox Christian and Roman Catholic minorities. Practicing religion was banned during the 1944-1990 Communist regime.Quoting from the article:
Albania's governing Democrats have proposed a law... more
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Why Aren't We Equal shows the world that everyone is human and deserves to be created equally. This is a moving video made with pictures off Google and "Big Love Adagio" by Bond as the song. I re-mixed the song and wrote the poem/text that goes across the screen.Why Aren't We Equal shows the world that everyone is human and deserves to be created... more
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Big news from Maine. On the plus side, the campaign to save Maine's marriage law has been launched -- and they've got a kick-ass campaign manager leading the effort. In Maine, new laws can be challenged via the referendum process. As I write this, the Catholic Church and its vehemently anti-gay allies are collecting signatures to get a measure on the ballot this November to repeal the new marriage equality law.Big news from Maine. On the plus side, the campaign to save Maine's marriage law has... more
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