Tag: marriage equality

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Poll: 53% of Minnesotans oppose legalizing same-sex marriage

Minnesotans may not like a constitutional ban on marriage equality, but they aren’t ready to throw some gay weddings just yet.

From the Star-Tribune:

A majority of Minnesotans oppose legalizing same-sex marriage, the Star Tribune Minnesota Poll has found.

Fifty-three percent of Minnesotans say the state statute banning same-sex unions should stand. Only 38 percent say legislators should overturn the law this year, while 9 percent are undecided.

The new poll offers a fresh snapshot of an issue that has deeply divided the state. It was just five months ago that Minnesotans rejected a proposal to put the ban into the state’s Constitution. Legislators now are considering bills that would make gay marriage legal.

Outstate, 73 percent respondents oppose allowing gay couples to legally wed in Minnesota, with only 27 percent favoring such unions or undecided.

The Twin Cities area remains the core of support for those who want to legalize same-sex marriage, with metro area suburban residents narrowly siding with those who want to change the law.

In Hennepin and Ramsey counties, 57 percent want the Legislature to allow same-sex marriage, with 35 percent saying the law should be left as is.

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Michigan Indian tribe votes to recognize marriage equality

The legislative body of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians has voted to recognize same-sex marriage. The tribe is based in Harbor Springs, and the vote was held this past Sunday.

The 5-4 vote in favor of recognizing same-sex marriage sends the statute to the tribal chairman, who can either sign or veto it. The tribal council would need seven votes to override a veto.

Little Traverse Bay Bands Chairman Dexter McNamara told the Petosky News that “I’m going to have to think about it.” 

Two other U.S. Indian tribes recognize gay marriage: the Coquille Tribe in North Bend, Oregon (2009), and the Suquamish Tribe in Suquamish, Washington (2011).

Michigan voters passed a state constitutional ban on marriage equality in 2004, but Indian tribes are self-governing.

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Chicago Mayor urges marriage equality supporters to contact their state reps

In the home stretch for marriage equality in Illinois, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is reaching out to his supporters to turn up the heat on lawmakers in Springfield.

From the Sun-Times:

“The clock is ticking. The House is poised to vote… in the coming days. And I know from talking with several of my friends in Springfield that some members of the House still haven’t decided which way they’ll vote,” Emanuel wrote in a personalized email to supporters Monday.

“If we’re going to pass this bill, it’s crucial that members of the House hear from marriage supporters every single day until the freedom to marry becomes law in Illinois.” [snip]

“It’s time for the laws of our state to reflect the values of our people. It’s time for Illinois to take the lead,” the mayor wrote.

“Real change happens when citizens stand strong, tell their stories and urge their lawmakers to do what’s right….What happens in the next week is up to you. Let’s do what it takes to bring home a victory for the thousands of Illinois families who are counting on us right now.”

There are reports that supporters are still looking for the votes needed to pass the bill in the House.

Click here to find your state representative.

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Rhode Island: 60% support marriage equality

A new poll conducted by the Taubman Center for Public Policy at Brown University, found that 60.4 percent of respondents favored allowing same-sex couples to legally wed, a number that is nearly identical to the findings of a May 2009 poll by Brown.

The poll found 26.1 percent of respondents were opposed to same-sex marriage.

The poll surveyed 593 Rhode Island voters from Feb. 21 to 23, and has a 4 point margin of error. 

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Press Conference: President Obama speaks on Prop 8 repeal

At a press conference, President Obama was asked about his administration’s amicus brief filed in the Prop 8 SCOTUS case:

“The specific question presented before the Court right now is whether Prop 8 and the California law is unconstitutional and what we’ve done is we’ve put forward a basic principle which applies to all equal protection cases. Whenever a particular group is being discriminated against, the court asks the question, what is the rational for this. And it better be a good reason. And if you don’t have a good reason, we’re going to strike it down.”

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Finland: Parliament committee rejects marriage equality

Finland, the only Scandinavian country which has not legalized same-sex marriage, has seen a parliamentary committee in Finland has reject a proposed marriage equality bill there:

The bill, proposed by the National Coalition Party (NCP) minister Alexander Stubb proposed the bill, which would have made marriage gender-neutral, therefore allowing same-sex couples to marry.

It was rejected 9 votes to 8, and so it will not go before the full legislature for consideration.

The bill would have made regulations relating to marriage equal for all, irrespective of the gender of the partners. In Finland, gay and lesbian couples can currently register their partnerships, but do not automatically take each others’ surnames, or adopt children, reports YLE.

A signature drive has now begun to place the issue at the ballot box.

(source)

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Ellen Degeneres “files” her own brief with the Supreme Court

“I’ve never filed a brief to the Supreme Court, so I thought I would post mine here. I’m sure someone will tweet it to them. Portia and I have been married for 4 years and they have been the happiest of my life. And in those 4 years, I don’t think we hurt anyone else’s marriage. I asked all of my neighbors and they say they’re fine.   But even though Portia and I got married in the short period of time when it was legal in California, there are 1,138 federal rights for married couples that we don’t have, including some that protect married people from losing their homes, or their savings or custody of their children.

“The truth is, Portia and I aren’t as different from you as you might think. We’re just trying to find happiness in the bodies and minds we were given, like everyone else. In the words of Benjamin Franklin, ‘We’re here, we’re queer, get over it.’  And there’s another famous quote that says ‘A society is judged by how it treats its weakest members.’ I couldn’t agree with that more. No one’s really sure who said it first, so if anyone asks, tell them I said it.” – Ellen DeGeneres, writing on her website, “files” her own brief with SCOTUS