Category: Uncategorized

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NBC/WSJ poll: 53% support marriage equality

A new poll by NBC/WSJ shows support for marriage equality continues to climb:

Fifty-three percent of respondents favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry, which is up 2 points since the NBC/WSJ survey last asked this question in December, though that increase is within the poll’s margin of error.

Forty-two percent oppose gay marriage – also up 2 points since late last year.

By party, 73 percent of Democrats and 54 percent of independents back gay marriage, while 66 percent of Republicans oppose it.

Slow and steady wins the race, kids.

Forward.

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France: Senate passes reading of full marriage equality bill

The articles have been voted on one by one. And now the French Senate has passed the marriage equality bill as a whole.

From Edge LGBT News:

The French Senate has voted to legalize same-sex marriage in France, putting a landmark bill on track to become law by summer.

The vote in the upper house of parliament – led by President Francois Hollande’s Socialists – comes despite boisterous protests. Opponents – mostly conservatives and fervent Roman Catholics – have sought to defend traditional marriage.

Both houses of parliament will now take up a second reading to consider minor Senate changes to the bill passed in February by the National Assembly, also controlled by a Socialist-led majority.

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US Senate: Common sense gun reforms will get a debate

Thanks to 68 US Senators – including 16 Republicans – common sense gun reforms will at least get a debate. Maybe even a vote on the issue.

From MSNBC:

A new gun control law cleared a major Senate hurdle Thursday, with 16 Republicans voting with most of the chamber’s Democrats to begin the process of moving one of President Barack Obama’s top domestic initiatives through a long, legislative slog.

Senators voted 68 to 31, with a handful of Republicans joining most Democrats, on a procedural measure to begin consideration of a proposed gun law that would expand background checks for gun sales, and strengthen mental health and school safety programs.

[snip]

“The senators who have vowed to filibuster this bill should be ashamed of their attempt to silence efforts to prevent the next American tragedy,” said 33 family members of Newtown victims in a joint statement. “Their staunch opposition to sensible gun reform is an affront to the 26 innocent children and educators who were murdered in Newtown.”

Here are the 16 Republican senators who voted for cloture:

Lamar Alexander (Tenn.)
Kelly Ayotte (N.H.)
Richard Burr (N.C.)
Saxby Chambliss (Ga.)
Tom Coburn (Okla.)
Susan Collins (Maine)
Bob Corker (Tenn.)
Jeff Flake (Ariz.)
Lindsey Graham (S.C.)
Dean Heller (Nev.
John Hoeven (N.D.)
Johnny Isakson (Ga.)
Mark Kirk (Ill.)
John McCain (Ariz.)
Patrick Toomey (Pa.)
Roger Wicker (Miss.)

Only two Democrats voted against cloture, both from solid GOP states: Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, and Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark.

A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Thursday found that 55 percent of Americans favor gun laws, versus 34 percent who prefer to keep the laws as they are now.

This vote merely allows the process of debate to take place, though. Another filibuster could occur before a vote on any actual bill occurs.

Stay tuned.

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Update: Missouri hospital issues 2nd statement regarding arrested gay partner

The Research Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri, has posted a second statement in response to earlier reports regarding a gay man being handcuffed and removed from his partner’s bedside at the hospital.

The statement was posted on the hospital’s Facebook page:

We appreciate your concern and would like to assure you that Research Medical Center puts the care of our patients as our #1 priority regardless of sexual orientation. We support all the communities we serve. We have a long history of commitment to a culture of diversity. Research Medical Center was one of the first hospitals in Kansas City to offer domestic partner benefits, which have been in place since 2005, and we have had a policy specifically acknowledging domestic partners’ visitation rights in place for years.

This was an issue of disruptive and belligerent behavior by the visitor that affected patient care. The hospital’s response followed the same policies that would apply to any individual engaged in this behavior in a patient care setting and was not in any way related to the patient’s or the visitor’s sexual orientation or marital status. This visitor created a barrier for us to care for the patient. Attempts were made to deescalate the situation. Unfortunately, we had no choice but to involve security and the Kansas City MO Police Department.

We would also like to correct the misinformation about a restraining order. There was no issue of a restraining order by the hospital.

(h/t JMG)

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Nevada: state Senate committee advances proposal to repeal anti-marriage amendment

This morning, by a vote of 3-2, the Senate Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections in Nevada voted to advance a legislative measure that would begin the process to repeal the state’s anti-marriage equality amendment and legalize marriage equality.

A vote is expected before April 23.

From Freedom To Marry:

An initial draft of the language for the measure sought to repeal the state’s 2006 anti-marriage constitutional amendment, but the resolution passed this morning takes a step forward by replacing that language with an amendment to “recognize marriages and issue marriage licenses, regardless of gender.” 

In order to repeal the amendment, the resolution – SJR13 – must pass this year AND again with identical language in the next legislative session (2015). If both votes pass, then the proposal goes to the voters in November 2016.

For more info about marriage equality in Nevada, click here.

(via Freedom To Marry)

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Missouri: Gay man handcuffed and removed from partners hospital bedside

Another reason why full federal marriage equality is important. While marriage equality foes tout the availability of going to lawyers and having power of attorney docs drawn up, this STILL happens.

From Raw Story:

Roger Gorley told WDAF that even though he has power of attorney to handle his partner’s affairs, a family member asked him to leave when he visited Research Medical Center in Kansas City on Tuesday.

Gorley said he refused to leave his partner Allen’s bedside, and that’s when security put him in handcuffs and escorted him from the building.

“I was not recognized as being the husband, I wasn’t recognized as being the partner,” Gorley explained.

He said the nurse refused to confirm that the couple shared power of attorney and made medical decision for each other.

“She didn’t even bother to look it up, to check in to it,” the Lee’s Summit resident recalled.

In a 2010 memorandum, President Barack Obama ordered hospitals that receive Medicare or Medicaid funding to allow visitation rights for gay and lesbian partners.

In case you might want to reach out to the hospital and support Mr. Gorley’s legal rights, here’s the hospital contact info:

Research Medical Center
2316 E Meyer Blvd.
Kansas City, MO 64132
(816) 276-4000
Ethics Compliance Officer: Liz Tremain
Media Relations: Denise Charpentier (816) 276-9293

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American Idol: Candice Glover sings “Love Song”

So, I don’t even watch American Idol. I used to, but it became all kind of the same for me.

Apparently, the show is at the “Top 6” mark of the season.

But Andy Towle posted this performance today, and my friend Timothy Oliver Reid (who is the toughest judge I know) mentioned this on Facebook last night.

So I took a listen, and yeah, this isn’t “kind of the same.” I think it’s fab.

So American Idol found one.

There you have it.  Sing Candice.