LGBTQ news and entertainment
From the American Foundation for Equal Rights:
New polls show a dramatic shift in public opinion following marriage equality in Utah. But that’s hasn’t stopped the Supreme Court from blocking weddings — for now.
We have new details about cases in Arizona, Missouri, and West Virginia.
Plus, legislators introduce a new marriage ban in Indiana, but with fewer backers than expected.
From the clip description by AFER on YouTube:
We end the year with big marriage wins in Utah and New Mexico. But those victories could still be overturned.
We’ll have the latest on attempts to undo marriage in those states.
We’ve also seen some major steps towards equality in Oregon, Ohio, Florida, Arkansas and Illinois.
Plus, AFER has date for a hearing in its Virginia case.
Recap of 2013 from the folks at the American Federation for Equal Rights:
In 2013, AFER took our case against Prop 8 to the US Supreme Court. Standing with us was an unprecedented groundswell of support, including you.
It was the first time a marriage case for gay and lesbian Americans had ever been briefed before the nation’s highest court. And we won.
Gay and lesbian couples can now get married in the most populous state in America.
AFER continues to fight for marriage equality in federal court with a case in Virginia. Our Plaintiffs are two couples. They are represented by two of the nation’s best attorneys.
See you in 2014!
From AFER: We have a major setback this week in Australia, but there’s still a glimmer of hope.
Marriage equality hearings are coming up in two unlikely states: Arkansas and Texas.
An Oregon ballot measure passes a major hurdle, and organizers launch a new public outreach campaign on the east coast.
More info available at afer.org
From AFER.org:
Marriage starts this week in Hawaii, but there’s a potential new roadblock that could still halt the weddings.
We have a date for a trial in Pennsylvania, there’s a new lawsuit in Texas, and one couple in Illinois has been allowed to marry six months before the scheduled start date.
Marriage equality is law in Illinois, but questions remain over when marriages can actually start.
Virginia voters could have a chance to overturn that state’s marriage ban, and polling is surprisingly strong.
Lawsuits advance this week in Pennsylvania and Tennessee, and there’s more bad news for the National Organization for Marriage.
As always, www.afer.org is a great destination for up-to-date marriage equality news.
The American Foundation for Equal Rights has posted this graphic on their blog showing that 33% of Americans now live in a state with marriage equality:
With New Jersey now recognizing the freedom to marry for gay and lesbian couples, one third of the U.S. population now lives in a state with marriage equality, based on the 2010 U.S. Census.
| State | Date Effective | Population | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | May 2004 | 6,547,629 | 2.12% |
| Connecticut | Nov. 2008 | 3,574,097 | 1.16% |
| Iowa | Apr. 2009 | 3,046,355 | 0.99% |
| Vermont | Jun. 2009 | 625,741 | 0.20% |
| New Hampshire | Jan. 2010 | 1,316,470 | 0.43% |
| Washington, D.C. | Mar. 2010 | 601,723 | 0.19% |
| New York | Jun. 2011 | 19,378,361 | 6.28% |
| Washington | Dec. 2012 | 6,724,540 | 2.18% |
| Maine | Dec. 2012 | 1,328,361 | 0.43% |
| Maryland | Jan. 2013 | 5,773,552 | 1.87% |
| Delaware | Jun. 2013 | 897,934 | 0.29% |
| California | Jun. 2013 | 37,253,956 | 12.07% |
| Minnesota | Aug. 2013 | 5,303,925 | 1.72% |
| Rhode Island | Aug. 2013 | 1,052,567 | 0.34% |
| New Jersey | Oct. 2013 | 8,791,894 | 2.84% |
| Total | 102,216,846 | 33.11% |
We’re just one week away from the start of marriage in New Jersey, but there’s still a chance it could be delayed at the last minute.
We have a date for the next step in a Pennsylvania lawsuit.
And Illinois lawmakers could consider a marriage bill as early as next week.
From AFER: This week’s all about New Mexico, where we’ve got surprise weddings, new lawsuits, old lawsuits, and emergency orders. Meanwhile there’s a hearing coming up to determine whether those Pennsylvania weddings actually counted, new organizing in Tennessee and Arkansas and Indiana, and a special session in Hawaii.