LGBTQ news and entertainment
Nashville’s Mayor Karl Dean joined the right of history today by publicly stating his support for marriage equality. Said Karl:
“I believe that all people should be treated fairly and equally and that their individual dignity should be respected.
“Embracing and celebrating our growing diversity makes our city stronger.
“Nashville needs to continue in that direction, and it’s my hope that joining this effort will help us do that.”
Tallahassee Mayor John Marks shares why he supports the freedom to marry for same-sex couples.
“This is the right thing to do. Individuals have rights and freedoms, and we need to allow everybody to have those same rights and those same freedoms.”
Freedom To Marry’s Evan Wolfson and Richard Socarides (who advised President Clinton on LGBT issues) talk with Ronan Farrow about the current surge in marriage equality in the US.
It’s been 10 years since the beginning of the freedom to marry in United States and the founding of Freedom to Marry. Congratulations to Evan Wolfson and company!
Celebrate how far we’ve come with this video retrospective.
What’s next? Go to http://www.freedomtomarry.org/roadmap
Five couples filed a lawsuit today in Alaska demanding the freedom to marry. Of the five, four couples are suing to have the state recognize their marriages performed outside the Land of the Midnight Sun, and one is suing for the right to marry.
The Associated Press reports the lawsuit “alleges that Alaska’s ban on same-sex marriage violates their rights to due process and equal protection under the U.S. Constitution.”
It was in 1998 that Alaskans voted to write discrimination into their state constitution and ban marriage equality. The most recent PPP poll showed 47 percent of voters support marriage equality, 46 percent opposed.
Both of Alaska’s Senators, Democrat Mark Begich and Republican Lisa Murkowski, support same-sex marriage.
Only two states in the US remain — North Dakota and Montana – that either do not support the freedom to marry or are not currently in litigation to move toward that end.
Freedom Oklahoma is a project of The Equality Network and represents a broad and diverse coalition of state and national organizations, faith, business and civil leaders and everyday Oklahomans who are joining together to support the freedom to marry.
The new, statewide public education campaign will work to broaden the conversation about why marriage matters to all couples and their families.
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With 65 marriage equality lawsuits in progress in 31 states and US territories, it’s hard to know who is doing what when. Freedom To Marry shares the handy dandy graphic above to help remember what all is going on.
Freedom To Marry‘s Evan Wolfson recently spoke about the marriage equality cases currently before the various circuit courts of appeal:
Presumably, we will soon – meaning, in a matter of months – have rulings from one or more of the federal appellate courts.
Then there’s the possibility of further procedures as to whether the three-judge panels in those courts that will rule will then go to the broader, full panel of the entire circuit courts [a process called en banc review]. That could consume a few more months.
When that gets resolved (either by bypassing that step or by having another set of arguments and further round of decisions), then whoever loses that ultimate appeals court ruling may ask the Supreme Court to hear the case. That’s called “seeking cert.” That stage then requires another few months of briefing and argument, with one side saying the Supreme Court should hear the case and the other side saying the Court should not hear the case.
Then, it’s up to the Supreme Court to decide whether it’s going to take one of the cases or not.
It takes only four of the nine justices to vote to hear a case.
For a full list of marriage litigation, head over to Freedom To Marry’s comprehensive list.
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As expected, U.S. District Court judge Timothy Black officially issued his ruling in Henry v. Himes, declaring that the state of Ohio must respect the marriages of same-sex couples legally performed in other states.
In his ruling, Judge Black wrote, “Ohio’s marriage recognition bans are facially unconstitutional and unenforceable under any circumstances.”
The ruling is stayed for now.
Freedom to Marry founder and president Evan Wolfson celebrated the news today. He said:
Couples who are married should be treated as married no matter where they are in the country, including Ohio. Couples should not have to play ‘now you’re married, now you’re not’ as they travel, work, move, or return home. This is a good day for families and businesses in Ohio, and a good day for the Constitution and America.
This is the eleventh huge federal court victory in favor of the freedom to marry since the United States Supreme Court ruled in Windsor v. United States.
In total, there are more than 60 lawsuits seeking the freedom to marry or respect for same-sex couples’ marriages working their way through the system in 29 states or territories.
More at Freedom To Marry.
From Freedom To Marry:
As federal appeals courts begin to hear marriage cases across the country, Freedom to Marry released a national television ad featuring former U.S. Senator Alan Simpson. Simpson, a Republican, represented Wyoming for 18 years and held senior leadership positions.
In the 30-second ad, the senator makes the conservative case for the freedom to marry based on individual liberty and a live-and-let-live philosophy. The ad begins airing on April 8 on national cable and network Sunday political shows in Washington, D.C., and in Colorado, Oklahoma, and Wyoming markets.
“Speaking as a conservative, a lifelong Republican, and a son of the West, Senator Simpson talks of his values of freedom and limited government and the joy of marriage,” said Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry. “The ad shows the bipartisan momentum for the freedom to marry. And recent rulings against marriage discrimination by nine out of nine federal district judges show the legal trajectory of our campaign: toward more freedom, more dignity, and more families enjoying equality under the law.”
For more information on Freedom to Marry, go to www.freedomtomarry.org.