via Angela Delli Santi, The Huffington Post The New Jersey Assembly on Thursday passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriages, setting the stage for an expected veto by Gov. Chris Christie. The 41-33 vote sends the bill to Christie’s desk. The Republican governor who opposes gay marriage had promised “very swift action” if the bill passed … Continue reading
via Gay Marriage Watch 42% of Americans live in 21 states with various forms of IA, MA, NH, NY, VT, WA); civil union (DE, HI, IL, NJ, RI); or domestic partnership (CA, CT, DC, CO, MD, ME, NV, NM, OR, WI). Since 1993, all American states have taken positions on marriage equality. Each state allows … Continue reading
via Amanda Terkel, The Huffington Post An LGBT organization is calling on the Democratic Party to officially support marriage equality, launching a national campaign to get Democrats to enshrine it in the 2012 party platform — even though the head of the party, President Barack Obama, still does not support same-sex marriage. The “Democrats: Say … Continue reading
via Geoff Mulvihill, The Huffington Post New Jersey lawmakers gave their blessing to legalizing gay marriage for the first time Monday as the state Senate passed a bill that would allow nuptials for same-sex couples, despite Gov. Chris Christie’s insistence that he will veto such legislation. The Senate’s 24-16 vote sends the bill to the … Continue reading
via Tom Watkins, CNN A bipartisan group of lawmakers in Washington State voted Wednesday in favor of a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage, putting Washington on the path toward becoming the seventh state in the nation to legalize marriage for gay and lesbian couples. “With today’s vote, we tell the nation that Washington state … Continue reading
via Nicole Neroulias, Reuters Gay marriage proponents in the Pacific Northwest cheered a U.S. court ruling on Tuesday that overturned a California ban on same-sex nuptials, in what they saw as boost to their cause a day before a key vote to legalize such unions in Washington state. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals … Continue reading
via Windy City Times Illinois Reps. Greg Harris, Deb Mell, and Kelly Cassidy filed a marriage equality bill in Illinois General Assembly this morning, called the Religious Freedom-Marriage Act. Equality Illinois stated: “We commend these leaders for taking yet another step towards full equality for lesbian and gay families in Illinois, and we are grateful … Continue reading
via CNN California’s voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage violates the U.S. Constitution, a federal appeals court in San Francisco ruled Tuesday. The decision by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is expected to be appealed, to either the full court or to the U.S. Supreme Court. But supporters of same-sex … Continue reading
via Luke Johnson, The Huffington Post Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum explained how he would win support from gay voters despite his long opposition to same-sex marriage Tuesday night on Fox News’ “On The Record” with Greta Van Susteren. Van Susteren asked how he could get votes from “the gay citizens of Iowa” despite being … Continue reading
via Sam Stein, The Huffington Post In a major victory for gay rights activists, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday that a voter initiative banning same-sex marriage in California violated the Constitution’s equal protection and due process rights clauses. After a five-month wait, 9th Circuit District Court Judge Vaughn Walker offered a 136-page decision in … Continue reading
via Dinesh Ramde, The Huffington Post More than two decades after Scott Anderson told his California congregation that he was gay and therefore must resign as its pastor, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) is preparing to welcome him back with mostly open arms. Anderson will be ordained Saturday in his new home of Madison, Wis., as … Continue reading
The military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy will become history on Sept. 20, but for active-duty gays and lesbians planning to celebrate its demise, there are still plenty of do’s and don’ts to keep in mind. In a blog post Monday, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) released guidelines on the types of parties gays … Continue reading
CHEVY CHASE, Md. — Gov. Martin O’Malley, Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown and Attorney General Doug Gansler on Wednesday braced supporters of gay marriage rights in Maryland for a long battle and urged them to work hard throughout the state to persuade voters to support equal rights under the law for same-sex couples. O’Malley, a Democrat … Continue reading
California’s same-sex marriage ban endured its latest legal test Tuesday as the state’s high court grilled attorneys on whether Proposition 8’s backers have legal authority to appeal a federal ruling that overturned the voter-approved measure. The tenor of the justices’ questioning during the more than hour-long hearing often leaned in favor of arguments by backers of … Continue reading
A soldier from Kinross has become the first person in Scotland to be convicted of transgender prejudice. Perth Sheriff Court heard how Terry Porter targeted Chloe Dow with verbal abuse and also threatened violence. Porter admitted breaching the peace by behaving in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause fear and alarm. The 19-year-old will be … Continue reading