Denmark is the latest European nation to announce plans to introduce gay marriage, with same-sex couples to be allowed to marry on Church of Denmark premises.
The Danish coalition Government’s church minister, Manu Sareen, said publicly that gay men and women will soon be able to marry when legislation is introduced early next year.
“I look forward to the moment the first homosexual couple steps out of the church. I’ll be standing out there throwing rice,” he said.
Denmark was the first country in the world to allow gay civil partnerships with legislation in 1989. Public polls suggest around 69-percent of the population supports same-sex marriage according, The Copenhagen Post reports.
The first same-sex weddings could take place as early as March, 2012 after the legislation is passed.
Based on the campaign that was successful in moving marriage equality forward in NY state, the Human Rights Campaign has begun a national version of the “I support marriage equality” videos. Here is Newark Mayor Cory Booker.
Americans for Marriage Equality is a public engagement campaign featuring prominent Americans who support committed gay and lesbian couples getting married. The campaign will draw from a cadre of supportive professional athletes, film and music celebrities, political and civil rights leaders.
“We used to say same sex marriage, then we said marriage equality. At end it was just marriage.” – Ross Levi (Executive Director, Empire State Pride Agenda)
Governor Martin O’Malley is a Marylander for marriage equality.
The Democratic Governor on Monday released a video in which he called for balancing religious freedom with the freedom to marry.
“As a free and diverse people of many different faiths, we choose to be governed under the law by certain fundamental principles, among them, equal protection of the law for every individual and the free exercise of religion without government intervention,” O’Malley says in the video.
“The legislation we plan to introduce in the 2012 legislative session will protect religious freedom and equality of marital rights under the law,” he said.
O’Malley has said he wants marriage equality legislation approved in the Maryland legislature’s 2012 session, and that he would make it a priority of his administration.
The Governor told reporters in July that he would borrow elements of the strategy used by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and marriage equality supporters in the Empire State to sponsor and pass a marriage equality bill in the session that begins in January.
Last month, the U.S. military officially ended the policy known as “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” allowing gay military members to serve openly for the first time in history. However, there’s another part of that policy change that hasn’t been talked about.
Military chaplains will now be allowed to marry gay couples on and off military bases, in states where it is legal.
Military Chaplain Ted Wilson says it’s not a big deal.
“We said that the repeal of don’t ask don’t tell would probably be a non event for the military as a whole, and it really has,” he says. “Day to day mission continues, training pilots, crew, chiefs, the mission goes on.”
A chaplain is not required to marry a gay marriage.
“If your tenet of faith prohibits that, then you are not forced to do it, no harm no foul. if you are allowed to perform it, you perform it no big deal.”
The new rules say another chaplain may step in, or a minister from the community, to perform a same-sex marriage.
From Playbill: One of the most common things in the world happened on Oct. 1 in Tappan, NY. “Sunrise, Sunset” was performed at a wedding.
Only this time it was a little different. The song — which has accompanied thousands of nuptials since its debut on Sept. 22, 1964, in Fiddler on the Roof — graced the wedding celebration of two men, entertainer Richard Skipper and landscape architect Daniel Sherman, and the melancholy-happy tune’s story of a “little girl I carried” and a “little boy at play,” now told of two boys.
“I’ve been doing same-sex weddings since New York law permitted it in July,” said Rev. Joshua Ellis, whose new career as a New York-based Interspiritual minister was preceded by many years as a theatrical press agent in New York City. “And something was missing. Nobody was singing ‘Sunrise, Sunset.’ It’s sung all the time in weddings of mixed couples. I guessed it was because they talk about a little boy and a little girl. So I contacted [lyricist] Sheldon Harnick.”
Ellis continued, “Within a few days, he wrote a note back. He’d contacted Richard Ticktin, who was best friend of Jerry Bock and his representative. Attached to that email were revised lyrics of the song.” Ellis then gently asked Harnick if he could also write a set of lyrics for a female couple. Those arrived soon after.
“As part of the ceremony, I explained the whole thing,” said Ellis. “I told the crowd this was the world premiere. This was it. Jana Robbins sang it. She did it magnificently. When it was over, the applause just went on and on and on. There were people who were applauding, people who were crying, people who were silent in awe.”
Here are the newly revised lyrics:
“SUNRISE, SUNSET”
NEW LYRICS BY SHELDON HARNICK, FOR SAME-SEX WEDDING COUPLES. ALL NEW LYRICS COPYRIGHT 2011, SHELDON HARNICK. ORIGINAL MUSIC AND LYRICS COPYRIGHT, 1964 JERRY BOCK AND SHELDON HARNICK
FOR MALE COUPLES:
Is this the little boy I carried? Is that the little boy at play? I don’t remember growing older. When did they?
When did they get to be so handsome? When did they grow to be so tall? Wasn’t it yesterday when they were small?
Sunrise, sunset, Sunrise, sunset, Swiftly flow the days. Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers, Blossoming even as we gaze.
Sunrise, sunset, Sunrise, sunset, Swiftly fly the years. One season following another Laden with happiness and tears.
What words of wisdom can I give them? How can I help to ease their way? Now they must learn from one another Day by day.
They look so natural together. Just like two newlyweds should be. Is there a canopy in store for me?
Sunrise, sunset, Sunrise, sunset, Swiftly fly the years. One season following another, Laden with happiness and tears.
FOR FEMALE COUPLES:
Is this the little girl I carried? Is that the little girl at play? I don’t remember growing older. When did they?
When did she get to be a beauty? [Alternative: When did she get to be so handsome?] When did they grow to be this tall? Wasn’t it yesterday when they were small?
“It doesn’t have ANY effect on your life. What do you care?! People try to talk about it like it’s a social issue. Like when you see someone stand up on a talk show and say “How am I supposed to explain that two men are getting married?”…
“I dunno, it’s your shitty kid, you fuckin’ tell ’em. Why is that anyone else’s problem? Two guys are in LOVE but they can’t get married because YOU don’t want to talk to your ugly child for fuckin’ five minutes?”
Though a narrow majority opposed equality in 2009, now, in 2011, a majority of Americans want legal marriage rights for same-sex couples!
Reports the AP: 53% of the 1,000 adults surveyed believe the government should give legal recognition to marriages between couples of the same sex, about the same as last year, according to the nationwide telephone poll by The Associated Press and the National Constitution Center. 44% were opposed.
People are similarly conflicted over what, if anything, the government should do about the issue.
Support for legal recognition of same-sex marriage has shifted in recent years, from a narrow majority opposed in 2009 to narrow majority support now. Some of the shift stems from a generational divide, with the new poll showing a majority of Americans under age 65 in favor of legal recognition for same-sex marriages, and a majority of seniors opposed.
Moreover, slightly more Americans (57%) believe same-sex couples should at least receive the benefits entitled to heterosexual unions, even if marriage isn’t the word they prefer.
