Tag: gay marriage

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Taiwan: Tens of thousands march for marriage equality

Tens of thousands march in support of LGBT marriage rights in Taiwan

Tens of thousands marched in Taipei’s gay pride parade today in support of a marriage equality bill which is currently before the Taiwanese legislature.

Reuters has the story:

Taiwan’s legislature on Friday began a review of a gay marriage bill, which has the support of 53 percent of the public, according to a recent opinion poll, though acceptance of a gay family member remains low.

“Chinese families are still very traditional,” said Jennifer Lu of the counselling group Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association and one of the hosts on the centre stage. “People still emphasise having an heir and passing on the family name.” On a cool autumn day, the 11th annual parade was marked by colourful costumes, plenty of exposed skin, musical performances and vendors lining the route to and from the city hall.

Spokeswoman Meico Tsai praised the liberal attitudes that have put Taiwan far ahead of its neighbours in terms of tolerance of gays. “Compared to other Asian countries, we’re more open, but we still have a long way to go,” she said.

Sexual-orientation education is a part of the primary school curriculum and LGBT individuals enjoy legal protection from hiring discrimination and other forms of prejudice. “Korea is much more conservative,” said South Korean national Carmen Yoon, a first-time attendee. “I hope Taiwan will legalise gay marriage and we can follow their example.”

(h/t JMG)

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NOM goes Hawaiian in anti-gay marriage ad

National Organization for Marriage rolls out a new ad opposing the upcoming votes in the state legislature on marriage equality.

Note the “authentic” use of words like “preserving the traditions of our island ohana” (meaning family) and the Hawaiian word for children, “keiki.”

Hawaii voters are split over making same-sex marriage legal in the islands, with 44 percent in support and 44 percent opposed.

The marriage equality bill is scheduled to get its first reading in the House on the 31st. If it passes, couples in the state may begin to marry as early as November 18th.

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New Mexico: News reports on the state Supreme Court hearing on marriage equality

Dona Ana County Clerk Lynn Ellins, who recently began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples

Yesterday, the New Mexico state Supreme Court heard arguments for and against whether New Mexico law does or does not allow for same-sex marriage.

Reuters has the breakdown of the current marriage situation in New Mexico:

Currently eight New Mexico counties allow gay couples to marry, and more than 900 couples have filed for same-sex marriage licenses since clerks in those jurisdictions started issuing them in recent months, some voluntarily and some under court order.

At least two New Mexico judges have upheld gay marriage under provisions of the state constitution, including cases that apply to counties encompassing the state’s largest city, Albuquerque, and the state capital, Santa Fe.

Meanwhile, a number of Republican state lawmakers have filed a lawsuit challenging the authority of the clerk of Dona Ana County, which includes the state’s second-most populous town, Las Cruces, to hand out marriage licenses to gay couples there.

The debate reached a crescendo when all 33 county clerks in the state joined the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Center for Lesbian Rights in petitioning New Mexico’s high court to decide the issue on a statewide basis.

All five justices concurred last month in ordering a review of the case, and the arguments got underway on Wednesday in a courtroom filled to capacity.

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Hawaii: Marriage equality could begin by November 18th

Hawaii may become the 15th state in US to pass marriage equality

According to the Associated Press, if the bill that will probably be before the Hawaii legislature passes, marriage equality could begin by November 18:

Hawaii could begin issuing licenses and performing ceremonies for gay couples on Nov. 18 if a bill passes during special session next week.

A Senate draft of the bill to be considered starting Monday says couples would be able to obtain licenses and be married the same day.

The draft posted Tuesday presents gay marriage as an equal rights issue, rather than a marriage issue. It changes sections in state law relating to marriage, marriage benefits and divorce.

The Legislature has begun accepting testimony on the bill, which will be introduced Monday and immediately referred to the Judiciary Committee.

Fingers crossed that, since Gov. Abercrombie called the special session, the votes will be there for the bill to become law.

Recent polls show a solid majority of 54% support legalizing marriage equality in the Aloha state.

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AFER: 33% of Americans live in states with marriage equality

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%
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Australian Capitol Territory passes marriage equality

Australian Capitol Territory legalizes marriage equality

ABC News Australia reports that the Australian Capitol Territory (the Aussie version of Washington, DC) has passed marriage equality:

The Labor Government passed its Marriage Equality Same-Sex Bill in the Legislative Assembly with the help of Greens MLA Shane Rattenbury. The laws will allow an authorised celebrant to marry gay couples within the ACT, regardless of where they live. “I am proud to stand for equality. I am proud to stand for decency and I am proud to stand for respect,” Mr Rattenbury told the Assembly today. “Perhaps most simply I am proud to stand in support of the notion that two people who love each other should be able to get married.” Amendments were also passed to strengthen the laws against any challenge in the High Court. It is expected same-sex couples will be able to take advantage of the new laws before Christmas, after they give four weeks notice of their intent to marry.

The federal government plans to challenge the constitutionality of the bill in the High Court of Australia.

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Ohio: John Arthur, who sued for the right to be buried next to his husband, dies at 48

Cincinatti.com has reported that John Arthur, who in July flew to Maryland with his partner of 20 years, Jim Obergfell, so that they could marry on the airport tarmac before Arthur’s ALS, a progressive neurological disease that robs patients of their ability to walk, talk and eventually breathe, became too difficult, has died at the age of 48.

My sincerest condolences go to Jim Obergfell, and their friends and family. John Arthur’s courage to fight for his rights, in the face of his ongoing terminal illness, made a big difference for many Ohio couples.

Mr. Arthur was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in 2011, and his terminal illness played a prominent role in the couple’s decision to marry and in the ensuing legal battle. He and Obergefell had been a couple since 1992 but decided to marry after the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 26 decision striking down portions of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

Several days after their marriage, they filed a lawsuit in federal court in Cincinnati against the state and the city of Cincinnati, claiming that failure to recognize their marriage violated the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution, because Ohio recognized other marriages performed outside the state that Ohio itself banned, such as marriages between first cousins or minors.

Mr. Arthur’s terminal illness allowed the case to move more quickly through the court. It also allowed Gerhardstein to argue that the couple would face “irreparable harm” if Mr. Arthur was listed as single on his death certificate. Additionally, Mr. Arthur’s family plot at Spring Grove Cemetery is limited to direct descendants and their spouses, so the question of recognizing their marriage also was likely to influence where he was buried and whether his partner could someday be buried next to him.

In July, Federal Judge Timothy Black issued a temporary order requiring that Arthur be listed as married on his death certificate and Obergefell be named his surviving spouse.

(via Towleroad)

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Gov. Chris Christie gets unfriended by Brian Brown of NOM over marriage equality

NOM’s Brian Brown is TOTALLY sad that same-sex couples have equal rights in New Jersey regarding marriage.

From the NOM Blog:

“There’s no question that the courts of New Jersey are responsible for the imposition of same-sex marriage in that state, and we sharply criticize them for redefining our most important social institution with no regard to the wishes of voters or even elected officials,” said Brian Brown, NOM’s president. “The refusal of the New Jersey Supreme Court to order a stay of the same-sex ‘marriage’ ruling was wrong, and the latest example of an activist judiciary running amok, substituting their views for those of the people of the state.

Still, we are extremely disappointed in Governor Chris Christie for withdrawing the state’s appeal of the underlying decision, effectively throwing in the towel on marriage. The mark of a leader is to walk a principled walk no matter the difficulty of the path. Chris Christie has failed the test, abandoning both voters and the core institution of society – marriage as the union of one man and one woman.”

A superior court judge had imposed same-sex marriage in New Jersey in a ruling in September, with same-sex ‘marriages’ set to begin today. Christie’s administration appealed the decision and sought a stay to preserve the status-quo until the merits of the case is heard next year. The New Jersey Supreme Court denied the request for the stay, and today Christie dropped his appeal of the underlying decision imposing same-sex marriage.

“It’s a sad day for the voters of New Jersey,” said Brown. “An activist judiciary has once again imposed its views and ignored the rights of voters. We will continue to fight for the right of New Jersey voters to determine the definition of marriage. Regrettably, Governor Christie’s decision to surrender on marriage reveals him to be a man who lacks the courage of his supposed convictions. As far as we are concerned, it’s a disqualifying failure. His surrender on marriage effectively surrenders any chance he might have had to secure the GOP nomination for president.”