Tag: marriage equality

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Seattle Times backs marriage equality in Washington

The Seattle Times has launched its own social media campaign in support of same-sex marriage in Washington state.

Do you support same-sex marriage? Join The Seattle Times editorial board’s social media campaign to approve Referendum 74 on the Nov. 6 ballot. In your Sunday Seattle Times newspaper on Sept. 16, turn to the opinion section. Look for the sign that looks like this [above]. Cut it out. Take a photo of you, your partner or your family holding this sign and share it on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #IDo74. You can also email the photo to ido@seattletimes.com. Please include names of the people in the photo. By sharing your photo, you give The Seattle Times permission to publish the photo in print and online.

Visit and “like” their new Facebook page.  

In addition, The News Tribune, the Spokesman Review, and The Columbian all endorsed R-74 and the freedom to marry, Washington United for Marriage reported Monday.

The News Tribune, which serves Tacoma and Pierce County, just south of Seattle, kept the rhetoric simple in its editorial endorsement for Referendum 74: “Why [Washingtonians] should vote yes can be summed up in one word. Equality.”

The Columbian, which serves the greater Vancouver, Wash., area, pointed out that since the state already embraces civil unions, it’s only logical to support full civil marriage for same-sex couples.

The Spokane-based Spokesman Review cites the recycled rhetoric of historic opposition to interracial marriage, which was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1967’s Loving v. Virginia.

“It’s not appropriate for citizens to vote on basic civil rights,” says the Spokesman Review’s editorial board. “But since the question is on the ballot, we hope Washingtonians will affirm the courageous and compassionate law adopted by the Legislature last spring.”

(source)

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Gov. Jesse Ventura and wife speak out against anti-gay Minnesota amendment

Former Governor Jesse Ventura and his wife, Terry, have been married for 37 years – and they wouldn’t want to deny the happiness they’ve had in their life to anyone. “Love is by far bigger than government can ever be.”

Help defeat this anti-LGBT amendment in Minnesota: www.mnunited.org

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Washington: Alaska Air supports marriage equality

And another large corporation announces support for marriage equality in Washington state!

Senior leadership at Alaska Air Group and Alaska Airlines have announced their support for Washington United for Marriage and the campaign to Approve Referendum 74, joining a growing number of corporate leaders and businesses who understand the fundamental fairness of the bipartisan marriage law.

For Alaska Air Group and Alaska Airlines president Brad Tilden (pictured left) and his wife, Danielle, it comes down to doing the right thing. “Marriage equality is the right and fair thing to do in and for our state,” said Tilden, “From a business perspective, we risk losing qualified employees and applicants to other states which have adopted marriage equality statutes. Danielle and I are proud to support this initiative and are hopeful it will take our state to a new and more equitable place.”

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Washington: Marriage equality referendum polling at 56%

A new SurveyUSA poll shows support for Referendum 74, the ballot referendum on Washington’s marriage equality law, is surging with 56 percent approval and only 38 percent rejection.

Public Policy Polling found in June that 51 percent were prepared to vote for the measure — the first time that number crossed the 50 percent threshold.

The campaign supporting Referendum 74 has received immense corporate support, out-fundraising opponents 20-to-1, and the resulting messaging strategy seems to be working.

Via ThinkProgress

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Survey: Majority of constitutional law professors view DOMA as unconstitutional

Gay conservative law Professor Dale Carpenter conducted a survey of nearly 500 of his fellow constitutional law professors asking their views on marriage equality and the Constitution.

The results? Federal marriage discrimination is overwhelmingly viewed as unconstitutional, and a solid majority believe state discrimination is unconstitutional as well:

QUESTION 3: “Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) forbids the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages legalized in the states. As a matter of federal constitutional law, do you believe the federal government may refuse to recognize same-sex marriages legalized in the states?”

Yes (DOMA Section 3 is constitutional) — 16%
No (DOMA Section 3 is unconstitutional) — 69%
Not sure — 11%
No Answer/Other — 3%

QUESTION 4: “As a matter of federal constitutional law, do you believe that states *must* allow same-sex couples to marry?”

Yes — 54%
No — 28%
Not Sure — 13%
No Answer/Other — 5%

I would guess that the numbers drop a bit in Question 4 because most conservative scholars view marriage laws as a “states’ rights” issue. Still a strong majority – 54% – say state level discrimination is unconstitutional.

(Source)

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Minnesota Vikings Chris Kluwe on MSNBC talks about his smackdown of Maryland lawmaker

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Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe, whose blistering letter defending gay rights has made him a hero to the LGBT community, says he wrote it because “it’s an issue of free speech and civil rights.” Kluwe, whose brother in-law is gay, has been actively involved in the advertisements in support of marriage equality in Minnesota. He wrote the letter in response to Maryland House of Delegates member Emmett C. Burns Jr. who asked the owner of the Baltimore Ravens to censor players after linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo defended marriage equality. The Ravens released a statement saying, “We support Brendon’s right to freedom of speech under the first amendment.” Kluwe says he and Ayanbadejo haven’t yet spoken, but he hopes to soon. “I think it’s great the Ravens came out in support of him,” Kluwe says. “As athletes we have this very prominent platform where we can affect social change. It behooves all of us to do the right thing.” Via the Advocate

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Minnesota Vikings Chris Kluwe defends Brendon Ayanbadejo against bigoted Maryland lawmaker

Minnesota Vikings Chris Kluwe

Minnesota Viking punter Chris Kluwe is an advocate for LGBT rights and marriage equality. He has recorded three radio ads for Minnesotans for Equality, the group fighting a November ballot that would constitutionally define marriage as opposite sex only.

Now, Kluwe has written an open letter to Maryland lawmaker Emmett C. Burns, who this week urged Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti to silence Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo from speaking his mind on gay rights.

Said Burns in his letter: “I am requesting that you take the necessary action, as a National Football League Owner, to inhibit such expressions from your employees and that he be ordered to cease and desist such injurious actions. I know of no other NFL player who has done what Mr. Ayanbadejo is doing.”

Here’s the closing part of Kluwe’s letter, published in full on Deadspin:

I can assure you that gay people getting married will have zero effect on your life. They won’t come into your house and steal your children. They won’t magically turn you into a lustful cockmonster. They won’t even overthrow the government in an orgy of hedonistic debauchery because all of a sudden they have the same legal rights as the other 90 percent of our population—rights like Social Security benefits, child care tax credits, Family and Medical Leave to take care of loved ones, and COBRA healthcare for spouses and children.

You know what having these rights will make gays? Full-fledged American citizens just like everyone else, with the freedom to pursue happiness and all that entails. Do the civil-rights struggles of the past 200 years mean absolutely nothing to you?

In closing, I would like to say that I hope this letter, in some small way, causes you to reflect upon the magnitude of the colossal foot in mouth clusterf*ck you so brazenly unleashed on a man whose only crime was speaking out for something he believed in. Best of luck in the next election; I’m fairly certain you might need it.

Sincerely,
Chris Kluwe

P.S. I’ve also been vocal as hell about the issue of gay marriage so you can take your “I know of no other NFL player who has done what Mr. Ayanbadejo is doing” and shove it in your close-minded, totally lacking in empathy piehole and choke on it. A**hole.

Read Kluwe’s full letter HERE.

Ayanbadejo says of Mr. Burns that he’d “have to thank him more than anything for bringing national attention to the issue,” USA Today reports.

Ayanbadejo expressed surprise that Burns was trying to remove someone’s free speech rights: “For somebody to try to take that away from me I was pretty surprised, from a politician especially. People get fired for saying the things that the delegate said. People lose their jobs for discrimination…I think that whoever voted for him has their right to vote for who they believe represents their values. And if he represents their values, he’s the best person for the job. If Obama represents the best values for the country, he deserves the job.”

Added Ayanbadejo: “Its an equality issue. I see the big picture.”