Tag: marriage equality

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Taiwan Government To Introduce Same-Sex Marriage Legislation

Could Taiwan become the first region in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage?

From The Global Times:

Following the US Supreme Court’s decision on gay marriage in June, judicial authorities in Taiwan announced recently that they decided to draft a same-sex partnership law consistent with the global trend and changing public opinion.

They said when polls show that the region’s population is ready, a gay marriage law will be drafted.

Lo Ying-hsueh, head of Taiwan’s judicial body, said the government will put related bills on an online voting platform with the result to serve as a reference for the legislature, the Taiwan-based United Daily News reported Sunday.

A poll conducted by judicial authorities in 2013 shows that more than 53 percent support same-sex marriage.

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New Book: Matt Baume “Defining Marriage”

Matt Baume, who for years kept LGBTs and their allies up to date on the state of marriage equality with his weekly Marriage News Watch videos, shares the good news that he has published an e-book titled Defining Marriage.

From the description on Amazon:

Defining Marriage traces the decades-long evolution of marriage through the personal stories of those who lived through it. Writer Matt Baume provides an intimate glimpse into the private lives of those who dreamed of marriage in the 1970s, the survivors of the 1980s, the audacious pioneers of the 1990s, the tireless soldiers of the 2000s, and the champions who won marriage today.

Along the way, he explores the individual stories of the people who participated in this revolution, examines what marriage has become, and shows with vivid, compelling personal narratives how the act of defining marriage forever changed the lives and loves of the people who fought to define the institution. As the journey to equality unfolds over the years, Baume finds himself unexpectedly evaluating his own self-contradictory life as a marriage activist with no plans to marry his longtime partner.

From decades past to this moment in history, from halls of power to private bedrooms, from the political to the personal, Defining Marriage is the story of how people from all walks of life fought to change marriage — and how fighting for marriage, in turn, changed them.

You can download the book right now from Amazon, and Baume is making the tome free for this first week of availability.

Click here for more info at Amazon.

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1st Circuit Court Of Appeals Rules Puerto Rico’s Ban On Same-Sex Marriage Unconstitutional

When a marriage equality case went before the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this year regarding Puerto Rico’s ban on same-sex marriage, the court put the case on hold, deciding to wait for the (then) impending SCOTUS ruling.

Today, the 1st Circuit ruled (not surprisingly) that Puerto Rico’s same-sex marriage ban was unconstitutional.

From Lambda Legal:

Today’s decision provides further recognition of the dignity and equality of LGBT people in Puerto Rico. We applaud the First Circuit for recognizing that Puerto Rico’s marriage ban is unconstitutional, and reversing the lower court ruling. We also commend the Puerto Rico government for joining in the call to end the marriage ban.

Certainly, after the historic ruling from the Supreme Court, this ruling from the First Circuit was not unexpected. There remains no legal or moral justification for forcing same-sex couples in Puerto Rico to wait any longer to have their love and commitment recognized by the state.

The Governor of Puerto Rico already signed an executive order on June 26 that marriages will begin 15 days after the Supreme Court ruling, but now that the First Circuit has agreed that the marriage ban is unconstitutional, same-sex couples should be able to marry now. To do otherwise is to put form over substance.

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Updated Marriage Equality Map – July 7, 2015

As Kansas finally embraces the truth about the law of the land (who imagined Kansas would be last?) regarding same-sex marriage in the United States, the folks at Wikipedia who oversee the landscape of marriage equality have just posted the updated, new, most gorgeous all-blue map of the country.

Did you ever think blue could look so, so good?

Take a minute and take that in 🙂

Forward.

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Straight Vlogger Joe Santagato Takes On Marriage Equality Haters

Straight YouTuber Joe Santagato took on the marriage equality haters this week on his vlog.

“It’s not like you’re invited to the wedding. You’re not even going to know it happened. You’re not going to be there. So why do you care?” Santagato asks. “That’s the part I don’t get because people who are so against it go out of their way to be against it. They use their vacation days to take off of work so they can stand on the side of some fucking highway with a sign that says, ‘God hates fags.’ Like that’s going to do anything.”

Santagato also addressed the Texas pastor – Rick Scarborough – who had threatened to set himself on fire to stop marriage equality before retracting his statement after the SCOTUS ruling explaining he didn’t mean it literally.

Says Santagato, “You sound like a 5-year-old. No one is going to give a shit. Light yourself on fire. Have a ball.”

Watch the full episode below.

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Austria National Assembly Votes Against Marriage Equality

Just days before Vienna Pride, the National Assembly of Austria has voted down a resolution to give gay and lesbian couples ‘the human right of marriage.’

The resolution garnered only 26 votes in support, while 110 members voted against.

From Gay Star News:

On Tuesday, in light of the opening of Vienna’s Pride Village, the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ), coalition partner to the conservative Austrian People’s Party, demanded equality for all – now their representatives voted against marriage equality.

‘The SPÖ’s deepest conviction are equal marriage rights for homosexual people,’ said party whip Andreas Schieder during a discussion about the resolution.

‘We demand full equality. Right now, such a resolution – even supported by the SPÖ – wouldn’t get a majority.

‘Which is why we will continue to work on convincing conservative forces that these are life realities and discrimination cannot have a place.’

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Aussiebum Launches EQUALITY Line Of Swimwear For Marriage Equality

In an effort to show support for marriage equality in Australia, swimwear/underwear company Aussiebum is launching a collection of underwear that will feature quotes and statistics regarding same-sex marriage.

Dubbed the Equality line, the underwear will sell for AU$21.45 and 100% of profits will be donated to Australian Marriage Equality, which will use the funds to lobby MPs to vote in support of same-sex marriage.

From the Aussiebum website:

Stand and be counted! That’s the message loud and clear with Equality – the latest hipsters and long legged underwear from aussieBum.

With ultra comfort and form hugging style, Equality makes a bold statement. Be true to your values with Equality the latest from the style gurus at aussieBum.