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via David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court struck down a key part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act on Wednesday and declared that same-sex couples who are legally married deserve equal rights to the benefits under federal law that go to all other married couples. The decision is a … Continue reading
A Letter From The Editress: I’ve been trying all day to find the right words to meaningfully express how I feel about today’s historic U.S. Supreme Court decisions on DOMA and Prop 8. This morning, I was one of the hundreds (thousands?) of people standing outside the Supreme Court building anxiously awaiting the verdict. The … Continue reading
via Shay O’Reilly, Campus Progress “Community, NOT commodity!” chanted an “OccuPride” contingent that interrupted—then joined—San Francisco’s Pride march this summer. Along with similar groups in Chicago and New York, the San Francisco group carried signs denouncing corporate sponsorship of Pride parades and events. Even as parade marshals shooed them away from the float of Pride … Continue reading
via Lila Shapiro, The Huffington Post Continuing its efforts to fight same-sex marriage in four ballot measures around the United States, the Catholic Church is now the top donor to the cause among religious institutions, according to a new report from the Human Rights Campaign. This fall in Washington, Maryland and Maine, voters will decide … Continue reading
via Miranda Leitsinger, NBC News When Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg told a group of students that the Supreme Court would probably hear challenges during its upcoming term to the Defense of Marriage Act, which bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages, she confirmed what many observers were already thinking: The nation’s high court is poised to … Continue reading
via Frank Bruni, The New York Times It makes no strategic sense for Bob Kerrey to bring up his support for gay marriage on the campaign trail in Nebraska, where he’s the Democratic nominee for an open Senate seat. Republicans far outnumber Democrats here; the state’s voters are socially conservative; his opponents are already smearing … Continue reading
via Martin Austermuhle, DCist With same-sex marriage on Maryland’s November ballot, advocates on both sides of the debate are raising money, tightening up their talking points and looking for as many votes as possible. For now, though, it looks like the pro-marriage equality forces have the advantage. The Huffington Post reports that a new poll … Continue reading
via Lauren Petrecca, USA Today The heated debate over Chick-fil-A and same-sex marriage is about to get a touch softer with a kiss-in protest scheduled for Friday. Gay rights organizations and other advocacy groups are promoting a “National Same-Sex Kiss Day,” where people are encouraged to head to a Chick-fil-A and lock lips with a … Continue reading
via AP, NPR Dinh Thi Hong Loan grasps her girlfriend’s hand, and the two gaze into each other’s love-struck eyes. Smiling, they talk about their upcoming wedding — how they’ll exchange rings and toast the beginning of their lives together. The lesbians’ marriage ceremony in the Vietnamese capital won’t be officially recognized, but that could … Continue reading
via The Huffington Post Chick-fil-A’s anti-gay marriage stance has gotten some high-profile support by way of Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, Sarah Palin and other conservative lawmakers. But among their longtime customers, it’s a much different story. Polling organization YouGov found that the Atlanta-based chain’s brand approval ratings have plummeted in the wake of Chick-fil-A President … Continue reading
via The Huffington Post A Chicago alderman announced this week that he plans to block Chick-fil-A’s plans to open a new restaurant in the district he represents following recent anti-gay marriage remarks made by the chain’s president. “If you are discriminating against a segment of the community, I don’t want you in the 1st Ward,” … Continue reading
via Piya Sinha-Roy, Reuters The Muppets are ending their relationship with fast food restaurant chain Chick-Fil-A in a show of support for gay marriage, the creators of the puppet troupe said last week. “The Jim Henson Company has celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over fifty years and we have notified Chick-Fil-A that we … Continue reading
via Tara Culp-Ressler, ThinkProgress The Episcopal Church, which is already well-known as one of the most LGBT-inclusive denominations — the church confirmed its first openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson in 2003 and has supported same-sex marriage since 2005 — is taking steps to codify LGBT equality into its liturgy at its General Convention this week. … Continue reading
via Deborah Netburn, L.A. Times Google doesn’t often get political, but on the issue of rights for gay people, the company is unequivocal: “LGBT Rights Are Human Rights” it proclaims on a Web page describing its new project Legalise Love–an international campaign to promote safer conditions for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people inside and outside the … Continue reading
via Natalie Wolchover, The Huffington Post While female sexuality appears to be more fluid, research suggests that male gayness is an inborn, unalterable, strongly genetically influenced trait. But considering that the trait discourages the type of sex that leads to procreation — that is, sex with women — and would therefore seem to thwart its … Continue reading
via Laura Vozzella, The Washington Post One of several military veterans in Virginia’s House of Delegates has dropped his opposition to the appointment of a gay man as a judge, saying that he no longer believes Tracy Thorne-Begland violated Navy regulations when he came out on national television 20 years ago. In a letter sent … Continue reading
via, The AP, Fox News A high-profile member of the Boy Scouts of America’s governing board says he doesn’t support the Scouts’ policy of excluding gays and will work from within to seek a change. Ernst & Young CEO James Turley, whose accounting firm has welcomed gays and lesbians in its own work force, becomes … Continue reading
via Sophia Tareen, The Huffington Post More than two dozen gay and lesbian couples filed lawsuits Wednesday arguing that it’s unconstitutional for Illinois to deny them the right to marry, a move advocates hope will lead to legalized same-sex marriage in the state. The two lawsuits – backed by the American Civil Liberties Union of … Continue reading
via Ed Pilkington, The Guardian Democratic politicians in Virginia are weighing up their options in the wake of the general assembly’s vote to block the appointment of the state’s first openly gay judge. Senior Democrats expressed their dismay and outrage at the vote in the House of Delegates to reject a prominent local prosecutor, Tracy … Continue reading
via Julie Pace, The Associated Press President Barack Obama declared unequivocal support for gay marriage on Wednesday, becoming the first president to endorse the politically explosive idea and injecting a polarizing issue into the 2012 race for the White House. Obama’s announcement, after refusing to take a clear stand for months, cheered gay rights groups … 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 Katie Miller, The Huffington Post OutServe, the association of actively serving LGBT military personnel, issued a press release Thursday announcing the Our Families Matter campaign and a Capital Summit in May to address support for military partners and families. As of Sept. 20, 2011, the military may not be able to discharge gay servicemembers, … Continue reading
via Diane Anderson-Minshall, The Advocate Gay travelers just got another reason to head to the Caribbean. According to Fox News Latino, Cancun, Cozumel, and other resort areas in the Mexican Caribbean will soon allow same-sex couples to legally marry, thanks largely to a recently discovered quirk in the local civil code. The area is already … Continue reading
via Christina Boyle, NY Daily News Same-sex pairs in Hawaii and Delaware began the new year as officially recognized couples as historic laws allowing civil unions in the two states took effect. The long-awaited moment brings the number of states that grant civil unions or marriages to gay and lesbian couples to 11, in addition … Continue reading
The Brandt Standard 