Tag: marriage equality

Posted on

Same-Sex Weddings Have Added $3.8 Billion To Economy Since 2015

Same-sex married couples can now access full Social Security benefits after the Biden administration withdrew Trump administration appeals against same-sex couples

During the years leading up to same-sex marriage being legalized nationwide in 2015, LGBTQ activists often extolled the financial upside marriage equality would bring to the economy. According to researchers at the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, those predictions of economic boost turned out to be accurate. Since the ground-breaking 2015 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges, almost 300,000 gay and lesbian couples have exchanged wedding vows. The study’s lead author, Christy Mallory, told Reuters that, in addition to changing the lives of same-sex couples and their families, marriage equality has “has also provided a sizable benefit to business and state and local governments.” Using figures and estimates based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the researchers found $3.2 billion has been spent on same-sex weddings in the U.S.  Additionally, wedding guests who traveled to take part in the nuptials doled out $544 million in travel expenses. And state and local governments took in an additional $244 million in taxes related to the events. The data also shows same-sex weddings have helped to support nearly 45,000 jobs. Beginning with Massachusetts in 2003, marriage equality slowly became legal state-by-state. From 2003 to 2015, it’s estimated that 242,000 same-sex weddings were held in the U.S.  Today, more than half a million lesbian and gay couples have tied the knot.

Posted on

News Round-Up: May 26, 2020

Francisco José Alvarado (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • Washington Post: Costa Rica became the latest country to legalize same-sex marriage early Tuesday when a ruling from its supreme court went into effect ending the country’s ban. Costa Rica is the first country in Central America to make marriage equality the law of the land. • 13WMAZ: A married youth pastor in Georgia created a wild story about being kidnapped to cover up his family learning he’d hired a male prostitute to meet him at a local motel. • Reuters: The AFL-CIO, the largest U.S. coalition of labor unions, endorsed Democrat Joe Biden for president on Tuesday, promising to launch an effort to beat Republican President Donald Trump in the Nov. 3 election. The group represents 55 unions and 12.5 million workers. • Instinct Magazine: Francisco José Alvarado (top photo), a 30-year-old doctor from Spain, beat COVID-19 and became Mr. Gay World 2020. This year’s competition was canceled, but the organizers decided Alvarado – who was the runner-up in 2019 – should be given the title for as this year’s global ambassador for LGBTQ rights.

• AlterNet: In late March, when every other European country was in lockdown to stop the spread of the coronavirus, Sweden’s officials decided that Swedes could be relied upon to follow sanitation guidelines themselves. Restaurants, shops, and recreational spots were allowed to stay open. As of May 19, Sweden had more coronavirus deaths per capita than any other country in Europe. • The Daily Beast: The Justice Department informed lawyers for Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) there will be no insider trading charges filed against Loeffler. The senator and her husband, New York Stock Exchange chairman Jeffrey Sprecher, have denied that their sales of millions of dollars in stock – made shortly after a closed-door Senate intelligence briefing on the coronavirus in early January – had anything to do with that information. • Talking Points Memo: A new study produced by business school profs at Columbia and University of Chicago suggests that viewing Fox News is strongly correlated with ignoring social distancing guidance during the first weeks of the COVID19 epidemic and is in fact driving that non-compliance. • Social Media: The Bidens paid tribute to the nation’s veterans on Memorial Day, appearing in public at a wreath-laying ceremony near his Delaware home. Over the weekend, Biden took a swipe at Donald Trump’s golf habit tweeting, “The presidency is about a lot more than tweeting from your golf cart. It requires taking on the ultimate responsibility for the biggest decisions in the world. Donald Trump simply wasn’t prepared for that. I promise you I will be.”  

Posted on

Study Shows Suicide Rates Dropped Significantly After Marriage Equality

Stock photo of two men kissing after being married

Stock photo of two men kissing after being married

A new study shows suicide rates among LGBTQ people in Sweden and Denmark fell significantly after same-sex marriage was legalized in the Scandinavian countries.

From The Guardian:

The joint study by the Danish Research Institute for Suicide Prevention and researchers from Stockholm University compared suicide rates for people in same-sex and heterosexual relationships in the periods 1989-2002 and 2003-16.

Denmark became the first country in the world to allow same-sex civil partnerships in 1989, with neighbouring Sweden following six years later. Same-sex marriage, now authorised in 28 countries, became legal in Sweden in 2009 and Denmark in 2012.

The researchers found that between the two periods, the number of suicides among people in same-sex unions fell by 46%, compared to a decline of about 28% in the number of suicides by people in heterosexual relationships.

Annette Erlangsen, the lead author, suggested that along with other gay rights legislation, same-sex marriage may have reduced feelings of social stigmatisation among some homosexual people. “Being married is protective against suicide,” she told Thomson Reuters Foundation.

While the decline is certainly welcome news, the researchers noted that the suicide rate for people in same-sex relationships is still more than twice that of people in opposite-sex marriages.

A 2018 report that compared data from 35 studies across 10 countries showed LGBTQ people are at least three times more likely to attempt suicide than straight people of the same age.

Posted on

UK Parliament Passes Marriage Equality In Northern Ireland

Lawmakers in Parliament have voted overwhelmingly to extend same-sex marriage rights to LGBTQ citizens of Northern Ireland.

Lawmakers in Parliament have voted overwhelmingly to extend same-sex marriage rights to LGBTQ citizens of Northern Ireland.

The vote, by a lopsided margin of 393 to 73, will bring marriage equality to the only part of the UK or Ireland that does not currently recognize same-sex marriage.

The issue has been shelved in Northern Ireland since January 2017, when Stormont – the Northern Ireland Assembly – collapsed. Since that time, the country has basically been run by civil servants.

The proposal was part of a debate meant to keeping Northern Ireland running in the absence of a functioning government.

The marriage amendment, put forward by Labour MP Conor McGinn, requires marriage equality to become the law of the land in Northern Ireland if Stormont is not restored by October 21.

The Guardian reports McGinn addressed the House of Commons saying the chamber had “failed LGBT people in Northern Ireland before” by not extending same-sex marriage rights in a timely manner.

“Tonight, we have the chance to do the right thing,” said McGinn. “People in Northern Ireland, and indeed across Britain and Ireland, are watching. I, for one, am not going to let them down.”

A caveat to the clause allows for a future assembly in Northern Ireland to have the power to amend or change the law.

In the meantime, it will be necessary for the Secretary of State in Northern Ireland to prepare for new regulations allowing marriage between same-sex couples.

MPs in Parliament also voted to extend abortion rights to women in the same session.

(source: The Guardian)

Posted on

Alabama Legislature Passes Total Abortion Ban

In case you were wondering why conservatives/Republicans continue to support Donald Trump.

Because he’s appointing judges that will uphold laws like Alabama’s new near-total-ban on abortion.

From The New York Times:

The Alabama Senate approved a measure on Tuesday that would outlaw almost all abortions in the state, setting up a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade, the case that recognized a woman’s constitutional right to end a pregnancy.

The legislation bans abortions at every stage of pregnancy and criminalizes the procedure for doctors, who could be charged with felonies and face up to 99 years in prison. It includes an exception for cases when the mother’s life is at serious risk, but not for cases of rape or incest — a subject of fierce debate among lawmakers in recent days.

The House approved the measure — the most far-reaching effort in the nation this year to curb abortion rights — last month. It now moves to the desk of Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican. Although the governor has not publicly committed to signing the legislation, many Republican lawmakers expect her support.

Democrats tried to add amendments to the bill like providing women forced to have children with prenatal and medical care until the child reached the age of 13. But, apparently, Alabama Republicans only care about life before the child is born.

The law will be struck down by a lower court. That ruling will be appealed all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court where Trump’s two justices will side against women’s rights, and overturn Roe v. Wade.

Republicans are getting what they want from Trump.

And, by the way, everyone has said, “Roe v Wade is settled law – it won’t be overturned.”

Now look.

So, for all those who say marriage equality can’t be reversed, I suggest you look around.

Posted on

NY State: Town Clerk Forced To Apologize For Refusing Marriage License To Gay Couple

Town clerk Sherrie Eriksen apologizes for denying gay couple a marriage license
Town clerk Sherrie Eriksen apologizes for denying gay couple a marriage license

On July 30 last summer, Thomas Hurd and Dylan Toften went to the office of their town clerk in Root, New York, to obtain a marriage license.

Instead of a joyful, upbeat episode in their lives, the men were dismayed to be turned down by town clerk Sherrie Eriksen.

She put the couple off saying they couldn’t get a marriage license because they didn’t make an appointment before coming to the office, according to WRAL.

She also told the men that she has a personal objection to same-sex marriage.

That’s despite the fact that New York state legalized marriage equality in 2011, and the U.S. Supreme Court made it the law of the land in 2015.

Toften took to social media at the time to share the incident writing, “Town of Root clerk is a bigot!!! Refused to do our marriage license. She said make an appointment to have her deputy do it… do your job Andrew Cuomo.”

Gov. Cuomo responded to the post by tweeting, “Marriage equality is our law in NY. The denial of a license to a same sex couple is an unconscionable act of discrimination. On behalf of all New Yorkers, I’d like to congratulate Dylan & his future husband on their marriage.”

Several town meetings were held, an investigation was launched, and a lawsuit was threatened by the couple, according to WRGB News.

In the end, an agreement was reached: the town of Root would pay the men $25,000 plus Eriksen would personally deliver a public apology.

And so it came to be on Wednesday afternoon that Eriksen, standing in front of news cameras and town leaders at the weekly town meeting, made her apology.

“In my capacity as town clerk, it is my responsibility to provide marriage licenses to all couples, regardless of sex or sexual orientation, so long as they meet all applicable New York state requirements,” she began. “As such, my office and I will personally will issue marriage licenses to any couple without exception, who is legally entitled to be issued one.”

Her voice wavering a bit, she continued, “On July 30th of last year, there was an unfortunate incident involving Mr Thomas Hurd and Mr Dylan Toften, who came to my office seeking a marriage license.”

“I am sorry for any harm or inconvenience my actions caused the couple, thank you,” she concluded.

Here’s the video via local CBS News anchor Emily DeFeciani:

Hurd and Toften eventually received a marriage license from another town and were married on August 18.

The couple told WRGB that they’re proud they stood up for marriage equality.

“If we had never stood our ground, how many more people would’ve had to go through this?” Toften said.

Dylan Toften and Thomas Hurd (image via Facebook)

Posted on

News Round-Up: January 24, 2019

Ryan Worley (photo: Vinnie Cassidy)

Some news items you might have missed:

• Las Vegas based photographer Vinnie Cassidy captures a gorgeous sunset moment (above) with Chippendales’ hottie, Ryan Worley.

• Australia’s postal survey on marriage equality in 2017 led to increased levels of anxiety and depression among LGBTs, according to a new study.

• The Supreme Court of Japan has ruled unanimously to uphold a law which forces transgender people to get sterilized before they can legally change their gender.

• An openly gay congressman who is a political opponent of anti-LGBT Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is leaving his job and the country amid death threats.

• In a ‘Hold my Dom Pérignon’ moment, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross (who is a billionaire) says he doesn’t understand why federal workers not getting paid during the Trump shutdown don’t just ‘take out loans’ to feed their families. #clueless

• The Trump Administration has waived anti-discrimination requirements for a federally-funded child welfare agency in South Carolina opening the door for discrimination of LGBTQ and non-Christian people who may be seeking to foster or adopt.

• Citing the recent article in The Atlantic regarding allegations of sexual abuse against director Bryan Singer, GLAAD has made the decision to remove Bohemian Rhapsody from contention for a GLAAD Media Award in the ‘Outstanding Film – Wide Release’ category this year.

• Dido has shared a gorgeous live rendition of her new single “Give You Up,” from her first album in five years, Still On My Mind, out March 8th.

Dido describes the track as “a good break up song, where you’ve been hurt but feel strong.”

“It’s that point in a relationship where you are pulling yourself out of the gutter and deciding that it’s their loss,” she adds. “Which I can totally relate to.”

Posted on

Austria Celebrates Marriage Equality In The New Year

Shortly after midnight, two women in Velden, Austria, exchanged wedding vows becoming the first same-sex couple to officially marry in the country.

Shortly after midnight, two women in Velden, Austria, exchanged wedding vows becoming the first same-sex couple to officially marry in the country.

After being engaged for four years, Daniela Paier and Nicole Kopaunik and Daniela Paier were wed early Tuesday morning as same-sex marriage became legal in Austria.

Austria’s constitutional court ruled in 2017 that the country’s ban on same-sex marriage was discriminatory after years of challenges from LGBTQ rights groups.

Although same-sex couples have been allowed to enter into civil partnerships since 2010, marriage was still out of bounds.

The country’s governing parties, the People’s Party and the Freedom Party, opposed marriage equality, but honored the court’s ruling.

A September 2018 poll for Österreich found that 74% of Austrians supported same-sex marriage and 26% were against.

(h/t Miami Herald)

Posted on

LGBTQs In Brazil Rush To Marry Fearing New Anti-Gay President

Even though same-sex marriage has been legal in Brazil since 2013, LGBTQ couples are hurrying their wedding plans before right-wing politician Jair Bolsonaro is sworn into office as the country’s new president.

Bolsonaro, often referred to as the “Donald Trump of the Tropics,” has been virulently anti-LGBTQ his entire career and campaigned on a promise to defend “the true meaning of matrimony as a union between man and woman.”

Bolsonaro’s campaign already seems to have begun to influence public opinion and actions.

Comparing 2017 to 2016, anti-LGBTQ murders are up 30% (387 in 2017 vs. 327 in 2016) according to local LGBTQ advocacy group Grupo Gay de Bahia.

And openly lesbian city councillor Marielle Franco of Rio de Janeiro was murdered in March of this year.

All of this and Bolsonaro’s impending presidency has led to a 66% spike in same-sex weddings in November according to The New York Times.

In Brazil’s largest city, São Paulo, 57 same-sex weddings were celebrated during the first ten days of December compared to 113 in all of December 2017.

Aline Foguel set a date for her wedding to her girlfriend Carolina Zannata right after Bolsonaro’s landslide victory. She, like many in the LGBTQ community, worries that the new far-right president’s ascension will give permission to homophobes to openly air their hateful, divisive rhetoric, possibly leading to violence.

“People now have this open homophobic discourse that they were too embarrassed to say before,” Ms. Foguel told the Times. “I’m so afraid of reliving a past that I thought we had already conquered. I’ve had panic attacks.”

The Brazilian Bar Association’s head of sexual diversity, Maria Berenice Dias, urged same-sex couples “who want to get married to hurry up and formalize their union before the end of the year.”

And it’s not just marriage equality Brazilian LGBTQs are concerned about.

Noah Beltramini, a transgender man, not only rushed to marry but also to officially change his name and gender identification after a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year allowed.

“It wasn’t something I was worried about before,” said Beltramini. “But with Bolsonaro I feel completely vulnerable.”

(h/t The New York Times)

Posted on

Cuban Government Removes Marriage Equality Language From New Constitution

The government of Cuba announced Tuesday that the proposed constitutional Article 68, that would open the door for same-sex marriage in the island nation, has been removed from the draft of a new constitution

The government of Cuba announced Tuesday that the proposed constitutional Article 68, which would open the door for same-sex marriage in the island nation, has been removed from the draft of a new constitution

Cuba’s National Assembly announced the news in a series of tweets:

According to Emmy Award winning South Florida journalist Hatzel Vela, translated from Spanish the tweet read, “The [Constitutional] Commission proposes to defer the concept of marriage, meaning it will be taken out of the constitutional project, as a way to respect all opinions. Marriage is a social and jurisdictional institution. The law will define the rest of its elements.”

Another tweet said, “The Family Code should establish who can engage in marriage.” The Family code is scheduled to be updated shortly after the confirmation of the new constitution.

The first draft of the new constitution was made public in July.

For months now, LGBTQ activists had worked towards eliminating the description of marriage as a union of a man and woman. Instead, the language would have been changed to the union of “two people with absolutely equal rights and obligations.”

But, as the public debate continued, evangelical church leaders led protests at meetings on the new constitution. Cuba’s Catholic Church, Assembly of God Pentecostal Church, the Evangelical League and Methodist Church all vigorously oppose the idea of marriage equality.

Vela pointed to another National Assembly tweet that said, “Article 68 was the one most discussed by the people in the popular consultation, in 66 percent of the meetings (of citizen debate).”

The final version of the new constitution is scheduled to be voted on by the National Assembly later this week in advance of a public referendum on February 24.

Former President Raul Castro’s daughter, Mariela Castro Espin, who has led to charge to legalize same-sex marriage, took to Facebook to say “there is no setback” and that the tweet from the National Assembly wasn’t accurate.

“There is no setback, the essence of Article 68 is maintained, the struggle continues, now let’s give the YES to the Constitution and then close ranks to achieve a Family Code as advanced as the new constitutional text,” she wrote according to Gay Star News. “Cuba is ours, Cuba belongs to everyone.”

However, The Washington Blade reports that several of the Cuban journalists and LGBT activists they communicate with on regular basis say “they face harassment and even arrest if they publicly criticize Mariela Castro and/or the Cuban government.”

Cuba bears a long, hideous history regarding the treatment of LGBTs.

In 1959, after the rise of Fidel Castro, 25,000 gay men were rounded up and sent to labor camps.

And during the height of the AIDS pandemic, those with HIV were quarantined in government-run sanitariums. That practice ended in 1993.