Tag: marriage equality

Posted on

Pennsylvania: Lesbian widow suing for equal treatment under inheritance laws

Barbara Baus (L) and Cathy Burgi-Rios (R)

Pennsylvania now has it’s own Edie Windsor/same-sex marriage inheritance law suit:

A Bethlehem woman who legally married her same-sex partner in 2011 in Connecticut is suing to seek equal tax treatment in the wake of her partner’s death last year.

Barbara Baus and Cathy Burgi-Rios, who lived together for more than 15 years, married on April 29, 2011, in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Burgi-Rios died on Sept. 21, 2012, from leukemia. She was 55.

According to a news release issued this morning by the law firm representing Baus, she sought the spousal tax rate of 0 percent from Pennsylvania for what she inherited from Burgi-Rios.

The state Department of Revenue responded to her request by stating her marriage was not valid in Pennsylvania; the department said she would instead be required to pay a 15 percent rate that applies to legal strangers, according to the news release from the law firm Jerner & Palmer, P.C.

Posted on

Rally in Illinois for marriage equality – “Pass the damn bill”

From the YouTube description: “October 26, 2013 outside the invisible Greg Harris’s office the beginning of what is going to be a series of protests throughout the state to politicians to get this message to pass this bill now. They should see this as a warning about how the LGBTQ community is going to vote. We will be watching. We will be waiting. We will not forget. We WILL run better candidates against those Democratic legislators who fail to live up to doing the right thing for all Illinois citizens.”

Posted on

Oregon: Ed and Warren – 42 years in love

Warren and Ed have been in love for 42 years. Isn't it time they are allowed to get married in Oregon?

In this touching video from Oregon United for Marriage, Ed and Warren take us through four decades of their relationship since they got together at the University of Oregon, bought their first home at age 24, and came to the place they are today.

Says Warren:

“I think I’d almost curl up in a ball and just wait to die if something happened to Warren. We love each other in Oregon. We met in Oregon. We’ve lived our lives together in Oregon.

“It’s time for us at age 64 to be married after 42 years. It’s time to make that leap of… Young people need to know that you can live for 42 years with another person and still be crazily in love. We want to be able to get married… It’s time.”

I agree with Warren.

Come on, Oregon.  Let’s get this done.

Forward.

Posted on

Taiwan: Tens of thousands march for marriage equality

Tens of thousands march in support of LGBT marriage rights in Taiwan

Tens of thousands marched in Taipei’s gay pride parade today in support of a marriage equality bill which is currently before the Taiwanese legislature.

Reuters has the story:

Taiwan’s legislature on Friday began a review of a gay marriage bill, which has the support of 53 percent of the public, according to a recent opinion poll, though acceptance of a gay family member remains low.

“Chinese families are still very traditional,” said Jennifer Lu of the counselling group Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association and one of the hosts on the centre stage. “People still emphasise having an heir and passing on the family name.” On a cool autumn day, the 11th annual parade was marked by colourful costumes, plenty of exposed skin, musical performances and vendors lining the route to and from the city hall.

Spokeswoman Meico Tsai praised the liberal attitudes that have put Taiwan far ahead of its neighbours in terms of tolerance of gays. “Compared to other Asian countries, we’re more open, but we still have a long way to go,” she said.

Sexual-orientation education is a part of the primary school curriculum and LGBT individuals enjoy legal protection from hiring discrimination and other forms of prejudice. “Korea is much more conservative,” said South Korean national Carmen Yoon, a first-time attendee. “I hope Taiwan will legalise gay marriage and we can follow their example.”

(h/t JMG)

Posted on

NOM goes Hawaiian in anti-gay marriage ad

National Organization for Marriage rolls out a new ad opposing the upcoming votes in the state legislature on marriage equality.

Note the “authentic” use of words like “preserving the traditions of our island ohana” (meaning family) and the Hawaiian word for children, “keiki.”

Hawaii voters are split over making same-sex marriage legal in the islands, with 44 percent in support and 44 percent opposed.

The marriage equality bill is scheduled to get its first reading in the House on the 31st. If it passes, couples in the state may begin to marry as early as November 18th.

Posted on

New Mexico: News reports on the state Supreme Court hearing on marriage equality

Dona Ana County Clerk Lynn Ellins, who recently began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples

Yesterday, the New Mexico state Supreme Court heard arguments for and against whether New Mexico law does or does not allow for same-sex marriage.

Reuters has the breakdown of the current marriage situation in New Mexico:

Currently eight New Mexico counties allow gay couples to marry, and more than 900 couples have filed for same-sex marriage licenses since clerks in those jurisdictions started issuing them in recent months, some voluntarily and some under court order.

At least two New Mexico judges have upheld gay marriage under provisions of the state constitution, including cases that apply to counties encompassing the state’s largest city, Albuquerque, and the state capital, Santa Fe.

Meanwhile, a number of Republican state lawmakers have filed a lawsuit challenging the authority of the clerk of Dona Ana County, which includes the state’s second-most populous town, Las Cruces, to hand out marriage licenses to gay couples there.

The debate reached a crescendo when all 33 county clerks in the state joined the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Center for Lesbian Rights in petitioning New Mexico’s high court to decide the issue on a statewide basis.

All five justices concurred last month in ordering a review of the case, and the arguments got underway on Wednesday in a courtroom filled to capacity.

Posted on

Hawaii: Marriage equality could begin by November 18th

Hawaii may become the 15th state in US to pass marriage equality

According to the Associated Press, if the bill that will probably be before the Hawaii legislature passes, marriage equality could begin by November 18:

Hawaii could begin issuing licenses and performing ceremonies for gay couples on Nov. 18 if a bill passes during special session next week.

A Senate draft of the bill to be considered starting Monday says couples would be able to obtain licenses and be married the same day.

The draft posted Tuesday presents gay marriage as an equal rights issue, rather than a marriage issue. It changes sections in state law relating to marriage, marriage benefits and divorce.

The Legislature has begun accepting testimony on the bill, which will be introduced Monday and immediately referred to the Judiciary Committee.

Fingers crossed that, since Gov. Abercrombie called the special session, the votes will be there for the bill to become law.

Recent polls show a solid majority of 54% support legalizing marriage equality in the Aloha state.

Posted on

Live arguments before the New Mexico Supreme Court for marriage equality

Currently watching the arguments before the New Mexico Supreme Court for marriage equality and whether or not the state has any legal statute that bars same-sex couples from marrying.

Really interesting to watch.

Watch it live by clicking here.  The Court is not expected to rule today.

Gollow the commentary from reporters at the Twitter hashtag  #NM4M.