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Minister cleared for performing lesbian wedding
A Presbyterian minister who was accused of violating the religion's constitution when she performed a wedding ceremony for a same-sex couple has been cleared by the Pittsburgh Presbytery. The board voted 9-0 on Thursday to clear Janet Edwards, who wed Nancy McConn and Brenda Cole three years ago.
The church permits clergy to bless same-sex couples, but the constitution says clergy "should not" perform wedding ceremonies. Edwards argued that "should not" does not translate to "must not," giving her leeway to perform the ceremony. The hearing before the Presbytery included three biblical scholars for the defense who said Edwards abided by the church's tradition by interpreting the scripture within its cultural context.
"My ministry has been that of reconciliation," she said. "I love the kind of conversation that was had in these two days, when Christians were able to talk together about our understandings of the church and how to engage in the world."
"We know no other word except 'marriage' that fully describes what we share," Cole said in the Tribune-Review article. "It's a covenant between us and God." A Presbyterian minister who was accused of violating the religion's constitution when she performed a wedding ceremony for a same... more -
Wedding Video - First CA Lesbian Wedding
On June 16, 2008, lesbian rights pioneers Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon were married in the first same-sex marriage ceremony since the California Supreme Court ruled in May that it was unconstitutional for the state to deny the right to marry to gay or lesbian couples. The Court-issued equality ruling went into effect at 5pm on June 16th. And moments later, Del and Phyllis were married.
Sadly, Del Martin, 87, passed away in August, just six weeks after her wedding. She and Phyllis had shared 55 years together and are widely acknowledged as two of the founders of the lesbian and gay civil rights movement.
Today GroundSpark is honored to release this exclusive footage of Phyllis and Del’s historic wedding ceremony, which was officiated by Mayor Gavin Newsom in his office at San Francisco City Hall.
We do so in tribute to Del Martin, a true civil rights pioneer for her entire life, and in support of the efforts across the United States to guarantee the right to marry for all U.S. citizens, regardless of sexual orientation.
GroundSpark’s executive director, Debra Chasnoff, visited Del and Phyllis this summer and asked them if they wanted to share this wedding video with the world. They talked about the upcoming ballot initiative to amend the California constitution to eliminate this new right to marry for same-sex couples and about similar ballot measures in Arizona and Florida. “If it will help,” Del said in a whisper, “then let’s do it.”
Enjoy. On June 16, 2008, lesbian rights pioneers Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon were married in the first same-sex marriage ceremony since the C... more -
Wedding Video - First CA Lesbian Wedding
On June 16, 2008, lesbian rights pioneers Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon were married in the first same-sex marriage ceremony since the California Supreme Court ruled in May that it was unconstitutional for the state to deny the right to marry to gay or lesbian couples. The Court-issued equality ruling went into effect at 5pm on June 16th. And moments later, Del and Phyllis were married.
Sadly, Del Martin, 87, passed away in August, just six weeks after her wedding. She and Phyllis had shared 55 years together and are widely acknowledged as two of the founders of the lesbian and gay civil rights movement.
Today GroundSpark is honored to release this exclusive footage of Phyllis and Del’s historic wedding ceremony, which was officiated by Mayor Gavin Newsom in his office at San Francisco City Hall.
We do so in tribute to Del Martin, a true civil rights pioneer for her entire life, and in support of the efforts across the United States to guarantee the right to marry for all U.S. citizens, regardless of sexual orientation.
GroundSpark’s executive director, Debra Chasnoff, visited Del and Phyllis this summer and asked them if they wanted to share this wedding video with the world. They talked about the upcoming ballot initiative to amend the California constitution to eliminate this new right to marry for same-sex couples and about similar ballot measures in Arizona and Florida. “If it will help,” Del said in a whisper, “then let’s do it.”
Enjoy. On June 16, 2008, lesbian rights pioneers Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon were married in the first same-sex marriage ceremony since the C... more -
Google opposes same-sex marriage ban
Google has taken a stand against Proposition 8, an anti-gay marriage measure on the November ballot in California.
Google's co-founder Sergey Brin released a statement, saying that "while there are many objections to this proposition – further government encroachment on personal lives, ambiguously written text – it is the chilling and discriminatory effect of the proposition on many of our employees that brings Google to publicly oppose Proposition 8. While we respect the strongly-held beliefs that people have on both sides of this argument, we see this fundamentally as an issue of equality. We hope that California voters will vote no on Proposition 8 – we should not eliminate anyone's fundamental rights, whatever their sexuality, to marry the person they love. Because our company has a great diversity of people and opinions – Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals, all religions and no religion, straight and gay – we do not generally take a position on issues outside of our field, especially not social issues." Google has taken a stand against Proposition 8, an anti-gay marriage measure on the November ballot in California. ... more -
Man faces excommunication for supporting gay marriage
Andrew Callahan is facing excommunication from the Mormon Church for speaking out against Proposition 8, the ballot measure to constitutionally ban gay marriage in California.
On Monday, Callahan received a letter from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that said, "You are reported to have participated in conduct unbecoming a member of the church and have been in apostasy." The LDS Church publicly backs the marriage ban and has reportedly given up to 40% of the money raised by the Yes on 8 campaign.
Callahan, who started the anti-Prop. 8 website Signing for Something, is unfazed: "I am a member of a church that is oppressing people and that just seems wrong to me and I am trying to stop them. I can't believe there is a God who is a bigot, and it just seems like the same sort of racial bigotry that the Mormon Church was known for in the '50s, '60s, and '70s."
Callahan, who is not gay, will appear before an LDS disciplinary hearing on Friday night. And while excommunication is likely, Callahan is undeterred. "We're just wrong and we need to change that, and I'm not going to stop when they excommunicate me and I am not going to apologize and beg them to keep me a member of the church," he said. Andrew Callahan is facing excommunication from the Mormon Church for speaking out against Proposition 8, the ballot measure to constit... more -
Ex-Mormon gives $1 million to support same-sex marriage
Ex-Mormon Bruce Bastian has donated $1 million to support California's fight against proposition 8, which seeks to ban same-sex marriage in the state.
Bastian gave $5,000 in May, but after the Latter-day Saints Church issued a formal statement expecting all California Mormons to “do all [they] can to support the proposed constitutional amendment,” which would define marriage as a union between a man and a woman, Bastian upped his donation significantly. "The LDS Church has no business stepping their big nose in something that's a legal matter, not a religious matter," Bastian stated. "Constitutions are meant to protect minorities -- not to take rights away from people."
Bastian, who attended Brigham Young University and went on to cocreate WordPerfect software, grew up in a conservative Mormon family in Twin Falls, Idaho. He has been at odds with the church's view on homosexuality since coming out as a gay man, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Utah Mormons have donated $120,550 to support Prop. 8, according to public finance records. Thirty-five percent of donors to ProtectMarriage.com are LDS, contributing close to $5 million collectively. “Many, if not most, Mormons have responded to the church leaders’ request for assistance on this matter by actively campaigning in support of Prop. 8,” the group says on its website. Ex-Mormon Bruce Bastian has donated $1 million to support California's fight against proposition 8, which seeks to ban same-sex m... more -
Brad Pitt donates $100,000 to support gay marriage
Brad Pitt announced that he is donating $100,000 to fight Proposition 8, the November ballot initiative that could ban same-sex marriage in California. Pitt's contribution is the largest anti-Prop. 8 donation donated by a celebrity.
"Because no one has the right to deny another their life, even though they disagree with it; because everyone has the right to live the life they so desire if it doesn't harm another; and because discrimination has no place in America, my vote will be for equality and against Proposition 8," the actor said in a statement.
Political strategist Chad Griffin told the Times that he hopes Pitt's donation spurs more celebrity donors. Recent weeks have been marred by reports the Yes on 8 campaign has seen a huge influx of cash support from wealthy evangelical donors. According to reports, the bulk of the donations have come from outside California. Brad Pitt announced that he is donating $100,000 to fight Proposition 8, the November ballot initiative that could ban same-sex marria... more -
US Vice President's wife wants lesbian daughter to be free to marry
The wife of Dick Cheney, Vice President of the United States, has made a rare public comment about her lesbian daughter.
When Lynne Cheney was asked about gay marriage during an interview on CBS television, she stated: "I would wish my daughter to have happiness and freedom to make her own choices." She continued: "The Vice President said in the debate with Joe Lieberman ever so long ago in 2000 that freedom in this country ought to mean freedom for everyone."
Vice President Dick Cheney has clashed with journalists over his daughter's sexuality and her choice to have a baby with her partner, Heather Poe. Mr Cheney has publicly stated that he did not think there was a need for federal intervention to ban same-sex marriages, and has often spoken publicly of his love, admiration and respect for his daughter. Ms Cheney's partner Heather often appears with the Vice Presidential family at official and political functions and events. The wife of Dick Cheney, Vice President of the United States, has made a rare public comment about her lesbian daughter. ... more -
Star Trek's Mr Sulu marries long-term partner
Original Star Trek actor and gay activist George Takei ('Mr Sulu') has married his partner of 21 years in a ceremony in Los Angeles.
Takei, 71, and Brad Altman, 54, had almost 200 guests, including Star Trek castmates Nichelle Nichols ('Uhura') and Walter Koenig ('Chekhov') who acted as best man.
The couple wrote their own vows, reports the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. Holding hands with Altman, Takei told him: "I vow to care for you as you've cared for me … and to love you as my husband and the only man in my life."
The priest finally pronounced them "spouses for life." Original Star Trek actor and gay activist George Takei ('Mr Sulu') has married his partner of 21 years in a ceremony in Los ... more -
Gay Republicans
In this Election pod, VC2 Producer Nerina Penzhorn, examines the phenomenon of gay republican activists, who work for both progressive social policies at the same time they advocate conservative positions on both economic and security issues. She follows around two young, prominent members of the Log Cabin Republicans, a candidate for state senator and up-an-coming lobbyist to understand why it is easier for them to tell their "republican friends they're gay, than gay friends that they're republican." In this Election pod, VC2 Producer Nerina Penzhorn, examines the phenomenon of gay republican activists, who work for both progressive... more
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Same Sex Marriage Pioneer and activist Dies
Del Martin, a pioneering lesbian rights activist who married her lifelong partner on the first day same-sex couples could legally wed in California, has died. She was 87.
Martin died at a San Francisco hospital Wednesday morning two weeks after a broken arm exacerbated her existing health problems.
Kendell says her wife, Phyllis Lyon, was by her side.
The two women were partners for 55 years.
Martin and Lyon, who in 1955 co-founded the nation's first outspoken advocacy group for lesbians, the Daughters of Bilitis, were married at San Francisco City Hall on June 16.
Mayor Gavin Newsom, who officiated the wedding, singled them out to be the first gay couple to legally exchange vows in the city, in recognition of their activism.
Newsom is in Denver for the Democratic convention. NBC Bay Area's Tom Sinkovitz is trying to track him down to get reaction.
State Senator Carole Migden released the following statement in response to the death:
"Del Martin slipped away from us just moments ago but her spirit and legacy will never be extinguished within the LGBT community. Del and her loving, longtime partner, Phyllis Lyon, were harbingers for change and activism long before lesbian issues became au courant and socially acceptable. All people and movements in search of true liberation owe an immeasurable debt to Del Martin who, along with other early brave souls, was determined to speak out and change the world to better the plight and lives of those whose voices are not heard. "
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/... Del Martin, a pioneering lesbian rights activist who married her lifelong partner on the first day same-sex couples could legally wed ... more -
Legal status makes same-sex relationships last longer
A new study has revealed that same-sex couples in legally bound relationships tend to stay in their relationships longer than those who are not legally recognized.
The study is a five-year project that began in 2002, the year same-sex civil unions were legalized in Vermont. The research showed that while 9% of same-sex couples not in civil unions ended their relationship, only 3.8% of same-sex couples in a civil union ended their relationships.
Robert-Jay Green, executive director of LGBT research organization Rockway Institute, said the study shows that civil union status itself may help preserve relationships.
"There are many ways that a legal couple status may support a relationship -- more family understanding, acceptance by friends and coworkers, greater commitment that results from a public declaration, and enhanced legal protections in the form of health care benefits and community property," Green said. A new study has revealed that same-sex couples in legally bound relationships tend to stay in their relationships longer than those wh... more -
Native American tribe legalises gay marriage
The Coquille Indian Tribe in Oregon, who are a federally recognised sovereign nation, are not bound by the state's constitution, and so allow gay marriage amongst its members. The new law establishes tribal rules for recognizing marriage, whether for gay or heterosexual couples.
The Coquilles are probably the first tribe in the nation to legalise same-sex marriage, says Brian Gilley, a University of Vermont anthropology professor. Historically, Native American tribes have tended to accept same-sex relationships, but after a lesbian couple married under an ambiguous Cherokee law in Oklahoma three years ago, that tribe's council adopted a law banning same-sex marriage. Other tribes across the nation, including the Navajos, the nation's largest tribe, passed similar bans.
Because the Coquilles have federal status, a marriage within the tribe would be federally recognised. That would violate the Defence of Marriage Act, a law that says the federal government "may not treat same-sex relationships as marriages for any purpose." The federal government could challenge the Coquille law as a way of testing the limits of tribal independence. The Coquille Indian Tribe in Oregon, who are a federally recognised sovereign nation, are not bound by the state's constitution, ... more -
Gay Marriage Opponents Seek to Reinstate 1913 Mass. Law
The gay marriage fight in Massachusetts might not be over after all. Opponents of same-sex marriages are seeking a ballot question that would prevent gay and lesbian couples from getting married in the state if their union wouldn't be legal in their home state.
Brian Camenker of the group Mass Resistance said Friday that lawmakers and Gov. Deval Patrick bowed to the will of the "gay lobby" last month by approving the repeal of a 1913 statute that banned such marriages.
Patrick, the state's first black governor and the father of a daughter who recently announced she's a lesbian, said the 1913 law had racial undertones from a period when interracial marriage was discouraged.
"The legislature and the governor changed our marriage laws to please the well-connected minority and force a social experiment into other states that's very offensive to a majority of the people, at least the way the votes have been going," Camenker said, referring to recent votes in favor of gay marriage bans in other states.
He was particularly critical of an emergency preamble attached to the repeal. It bypassed a normal 90-day waiting period and made the law effective immediately. Opponents typically use the 90 days to present signatures and delay the law until it can be put to a ballot vote.
"The fact that this happened the way it happened just adds to the sense of sleaziness and underhandedness of the whole process," Camenker said.
The group will need about 32,000 signatures to get its question on the ballot.
Gay marriage advocates who had celebrated the repeal said they were disappointed but not surprised by the petition.
"I've learned that when it comes to equality for gay and lesbian people, the struggle is never over because there are certain people that are just strongly opposed to any rights for gay people. It's never shocking; it is disappointing," said Marc Solomon of MassEquality. The gay marriage fight in Massachusetts might not be over after all. Opponents of same-sex marriages are seeking a ballot question tha... more -
Same-Sex marriage PSA
This is a PSA in California in support of gay marriage, What do you think about it?
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Conflicting Same-Sex Marriage Laws Cause Headaches for Companies
The start of same-sex marriages in California on June 16 made headlines across the country. But it wasn't such a big deal for many U.S. companies. That's because these businesses already give their gay and lesbian employees many of the same benefits that they provide to their married straight workers, such as health insurance for a spouse or spousal equivalent. Still, there's a limit to what even the most progressive companies can do. Numerous benefits are governed by federal law, which does not recognize same-sex marriages performed anywhere.
The Human Rights Campaign, a Washington, D.C.-based gay rights group, conducts an annual survey of Fortune 500 employers to determine which ones offer domestic partner benefits for their gay and lesbian employees. According to HRC's most recent survey, released last December, DP benefits were provided at 56 percent, or 278 companies.
Experts say that businesses shouldn't just stick to the letter of the law. Many Massachusetts businesses give the same benefits to all employees in a same-sex relationship, whether it's a Massachusetts marriage or an out-of-state domestic partnership. They do so in an effort to retain employees and encourage diversity.
Campos thinks that's a smart policy to adopt. "Employers would be foolish to refrain from extending benefits to the same-sex spouses of their employees," she says. "There is simply no legitimate business reason to differentiate." The start of same-sex marriages in California on June 16 made headlines across the country. But it wasn't such a big deal for man... more -
That's Unfortunate
AIDS activists storm the Family Research Council to protest its opposition to condoms, sex education, and science-based HIV prevention. VC2 Producer Dean Hamer was able to get inside and film 12 activists who chained themselves to a "traditional marriage shrine" - until a guard snatched the camera. AIDS activists storm the Family Research Council to protest its opposition to condoms, sex education, and science-based HIV prevention... more
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Same-sex marriage: Minnesota to follow example set by Massachusets and California?
Minnesota's gay and lesbian couples are organizing a lawsuit similar to the ones that overturned same-sex marriage bans in Massachusetts and California.
"Gays and lesbians face legal costs to get legal documents such as hospital visitation, care decisions, and so on -- all that are granted by marriage", according to Duane Benson who is looking to sue the state together with his partner, Doug.
"We want a critical mass of couples involved", Doug said. So far, the Bensons are joined by three other couples and are hoping for a group of nearly 30 couples by August 15 in order to bring a successful suit.
While couples who sign on can expect to pay up to $1,000 in legal costs, the Bensons think it's worth it. "In Doug's and my case, we pay $3,000 more a year in taxes because we are not spouses", Duane stated.
And it's not just about the money for this Minnesota couple. Doug said: "The point we want to make is to make sure equality is pursued wherever we can pursue it. Because we can't sit around waiting for this to happen. We want this to become a reality here at home, and we are trying through the courts as well as through the legislature. We have waited long enough." Minnesota's gay and lesbian couples are organizing a lawsuit similar to the ones that overturned same-sex marriage bans in Massac... more -
California Voters Support Same-Sex Marriage, Poll Finds
Californians are likely to support same-sex marriage in the coming November election, suggests to an opinion poll released Friday.
According to the Field Poll, 51% of California voters surveyed said they would oppose Proposition 8, a ballot measure that would amend the state constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman, thus banning same-sex marriage. Forty-one percent of voters surveyed said they would vote "yes" on the measure, according to the statewide survey that was completed this week.
Those results are nearly identical to findings of a Field Poll in May that found 51% of Californian voters surveyed approved of allowing gay couples to marry, while 42% disapproved.
In May, California's Supreme Court struck down a ban on same-sex marriage as unconstitutional, allowing gay marriages to become legal starting June 17. Opposition groups put an initiative banning same-sex marriage on the November ballot. The measure would need a simple majority to become law.
The issue has deeply divided the state. The Field Poll found wide differences in voting preferences by region. Fifty-six percent of voters surveyed living in California's coastal counties, which represent about two-thirds of all likely voters, said they oppose the gay-marriage ban, compared with 37% who said they support the ban. Sentiment was reversed in the state's inland counties where 54% of voters surveyed said they support Prop. 8 and 40% said they oppose it.
The results mirror some of the unfolding dynamics among some counties. County clerks in Butte and Kern counties, which are inland, stopped performing civil wedding ceremonies for all couples, before June 17, citing budget constraints.
The San Francisco Bay Area showed the strongest opposition to Prop. 8, with 67% of voters surveyed there opposing the proposition and 26% supporting it, according to the new survey. Los Angeles County voters also opposed the measure, 51% to 41%. Californians are likely to support same-sex marriage in the coming November election, suggests to an opinion poll released Friday. ... more -
Californians cleared to vote on same-sex marriage ban
The California Supreme Court has cleared the way for Californians to vote in November on whether to ban same-sex marriages in the state.
A gay couple is married in California in June. Voters could void same-sex marriages in the state in November. The court on Wednesday denied a petition to remove the initiative from the state's general election ballots. The unanimous decision was handed down without elaboration.
Hundreds of marriage licenses have been issued to same-sex couples since mid-June, a month after the court overturned the state's laws against such unions. However, on June 2, opponents of same-sex marriage filed for a ballot initiative that would ban such marriages in the state's constitution. Such a ban would overturn the court's May ruling. The California Supreme Court has cleared the way for Californians to vote in November on whether to ban same-sex marriages in the stat... more
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Same-Sex Marriage
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Same-Sex Marriage
