(via wonkblog)
Graphic: Evolution of US Senators on marriage equality
(via wonkblog)
National Marriage Organization – “Redefining marriage”
Funny.
This is what a National Organization for Marriage would look like if they would say what they really feel.
Uruguay approves marriage equality!
The Uruguay Senate just approved its marriage equality bill by a vote of 23-8.
The bill will return to the country’s lower legislative chamber for minor changes, but President Mujica has promised to sign the bill and marriages should commence within a few months.
From Freedom to Marry: “When marriages between same-sex couples begin this summer, Uruguay will join 11 countries that have the freedom to marry for same-sex couples nationwide: The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Iceland, Argentina, and Denmark.
“Three others have taken judicial and regional steps to allow same-sex couples to share in the freedom to marry in parts of the country: Brazil, Mexico, and the United States.”
Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert compares marriage equality to bestiality – again
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| Rep. Louie Gohmert (L) and Michael Reagan (R) |
Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert took a sideways argument against common sense gun legislation and “slippery-sloped” right over to gay “bestiality:”
In fact, I had this discussion with some wonderful, caring Democrats earlier this week on the issue of, well, they said “surely you could agree to limit the number of rounds in a magazine, couldn’t you? How would that be problematic?”
And I pointed out, well, once you make it ten, then why would you draw the line at ten? What’s wrong with nine? Or eleven? And the problem is once you draw that limit ; it’s kind of like marriage when you say it’s not a man and a woman any more, then why not have three men and one woman, or four women and one man, or why not somebody has a love for an animal?
There is no clear place to draw the line once you eliminate the traditional marriage and it’s the same once you start putting limits on what guns can be used, then it’s just really easy to have laws that make them all illegal.
Listen below via RightWingWatch:
In related news, President Reagan’s son, Michael, wrote an op-ed piece bringing marriage equality, bestiality and murder into the same thinking space:
“It’s ultimately about changing the culture of the entire country; it inevitably will lead to teaching our public school kids that gay marriage is a perfectly fine alternative and no different than traditional marriage.
There is also a very slippery slope leading to other alternative relationships and the unconstitutionality of any law based on morality. Think about polygamy, bestiality, and perhaps even murder.”
What’s pretty grotty about the whole endeavor is that it’s all done with conscious intent. These men know exactly what they are doing when they make these comments about the LGBT community.
Just, totally gross.
Delaware: Congressman John Carney supports marriage equality
Delaware’s only Congressman John Carney Jr. (D) came out for marriage equality in a statement on his website yesterday.
“I’ve supported Delaware’s journey toward marriage equality because I believe the law should recognize the committed relationships of same-sex couples. As a Catholic and as an elected official, I’ve been dedicated to striking the balance between honoring the religious sacrament of marriage, while allowing same-sex couples to enjoy legal recognition of their committed relationships.
“That’s why — starting as Lieutenant Governor — I supported civil unions, culminating with the passage of Delaware’s civil union law in 2011. And that’s why I support marriage equality in Delaware.
“I continue to respect and support the rights of religious institutions to define marriage in accordance with the tenets of their faith. However, I do not believe it is right for the government to treat couples differently based on their sexual orientation. Marriage equality will ensure that same-sex couples in Delaware receive the same treatment under the law.
“For over a generation, we as a society have honored the truth that separate is not equal. On the surface, this may just sound like a debate about words. But marriage is also symbolic — it gives honor to a lifelong partnership in a way that civil unions do not. This June, I will be married 20 years. I know that marriage is about commitment, love, and mutual respect.
“All Delawareans should have the privilege of participating in this institution.”
A marriage equality bill is expected to be introduced there sometime this year.
(via ThinkProgress)
Delaware: Sen. Tom Carper supports marriage equality
Yesterday, I posted that Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) was the only true “blue state” US Senator who had not come out for marriage equality. And now, he has. From his Facebook page:
As our society has changed and evolved, so too has the public’s opinion on gay marriage – and so has mine. I pray every day for God to grant me the wisdom to do what is right. Through my prayers and conversations with my family and countless friends and Delawareans, I’ve been reminded of the power of one of my core values: the Golden Rule. It calls on us to treat others as we want to be treated. That means, to me, that all Americans ultimately should be free to marry the people they love and intend to share their lives with, regardless of their sexual orientation, and that’s why today, after a great deal of soul searching, I’m endorsing marriage equality.
Carper joins a list of Democratic Senators who have come out for marriage equality in the last week.
Only seven remain who haven’t declared their support.
They are: Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Bill Nelson (D-FL), and Mark Pryor, (D-AR).
Pennsylvania: Sen. Bob Casey supports full marriage equality
Last week, Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims wrote an open letter to PA US Sen. Bob Casey asking him to “come out” openly in support for marriage equality. Sims was just one of many LGBT rights individuals and organizations (like Equality Pennsylvania, Keystone Progress and MoveOn.org) that was looking to Casey for same-sex marriage support.
Today comes the news that Sen. Casey has finally made a statement in support of the repeal of DOMA and full marriage equality:
“After much deliberation and after reviewing the legal, public policy and civil-rights questions presented, I support marriage equality for same-sex couples and believe that DOMA should be repealed,” Casey said in a statement exclusively first released to PGN Monday afternoon.
Casey referenced one lesbian woman from Southeastern Pennsylvania who contacted him, detailing the financial and societal setbacks she, her partner and their children have faced from being denied the right to marry.
“As a senator and as a citizen, I can no longer in good conscience take a position that denies her and her family the full measure of equality and respect,” Casey said.
This leaves only eight Senate Democrats who have not yet endorsed marriage equality: Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Bill Nelson of Florida, Tom Carper of Delaware, Tim Johnson of South Dakota, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, and Joe Donnelly of Indiana.
Sen. Carper of Delaware is the only true “blue state” Democratic senator to not announce full support.
(via Philadelphia Gay News)
Sen. Jeff Flake: A GOP Presidential candidate who supports marriage equality is “inevitable”
During an appearance on Meet The Press, Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake said that he felt it was inevitable that there would one day be a GOP presidential candidate, and that he or she would receive wide support:
CHUCK TODD (HOST): Let me ask you on gay marriage. Could you support a Republican presidential candidate some day who supported same-sex marriage?
FLAKE: Oh, I think that’s inevitable. There will be one and he will receive bipartisan support — or she will. So I think that yes, the answer is yes.
TODD: And where are you on this issue, you say it’s inevitable. Are you — Lisa Murkowski, a Republican colleague of yours called it evolving on the issue. Are you evolving to use her words on this issue?
FLAKE: I believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman I still hold to the traditional definition of marriage.
TODD: Is there something that you — are you thinking about it? Can you imagine changing your position before you left the U.S. Senate?
FLAKE: I can’t. I tell you, in the past I’ve supported repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. I’ve supported the [The Employment] Nondiscrimination Act as well, but I hold to the traditional definition of marriage.
Although support for marriage equality has risen at an amazing rate across all demographics, I think it will be a while before the GOP actually chooses a presidential candidate who supports same-sex marriage.
I appreciate Sen. Flake’s support on ENDA and the repeal of DADT, but he clearly could use a little more “evolution” on the topic of marriage equality.
(source)
Dr. Ben Carson attempts to explain inflammatory marriage equality comments
Dr. Ben Carson, the neurosurgeon who’s a rising star for political conservatives, said Friday that he wants to restore civility to American political discourse and acknowledged that he is prepared to step down as commencement speaker at Johns Hopkins University.
Students at Johns Hopkins have circulated a petition to replace Carson, who’s retiring this year, as the university’s commencement speaker after he made incendiary remarks regarding marriage equality this week. He told MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell that he’s willing to honor those students’ wishes.
Carson, the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins, on Tuesday called hetero-sexual marriage “a well-established, fundamental pillar of society and no group, be they gays, be they NAMBLA, be they people who believe in bestiality — it doesn’t matter what they are. They don’t get to change the definition.”
Today on MSNBC, however, he was a bit more moderated in his language:
“I think people have completely taken the wrong meaning out of what I was saying,” Carson said. “First of all, I certainly believe gay people should have all the rights that anybody else has. What I was basically saying is that as far as marriage is concerned that has traditionally been between a man and a woman and nobody should be able to change that.”
Nonetheless, he conceded that “perhaps the examples were not the best choice of words, and I certainly apologize if I offended anyone….the point that I was making was that no group of individuals, whoever they are, whatever their belief systems, gets to change traditional definitions. The reason I believe the way I do, I will readily confess, is because I am a Christian who believes in The Bible.”
(via MediaMatters)
NYC: Strange reaction to marriage equality at Harlem coffee shop
What a strange story to be coming out of NYC today…
Leesa Dahl, a piano teacher and an opera accompanist, apparently was offended somehow by the pro-marriage equality sign on The Chipped Cup, her local coffee shop.
So she posted on the shop’s Facebook page: ’You just lost two local customers with your political sandwich board… We were so happy when you joined the neighborhood and were faithful, but alienating the majority of the population is a really irritating and dumb move. We will encourage others not to patronize your business.’
The conversation continued to escalate when the owners responded with a benign “Thank goodness” to which Ms. Dahl responded “Go f*ck yourself.”
On Twitter she added: It’s too bad @ChippedCupNY discriminates against 98% of their customer base by being H8ful!’
In response, here is what the owners of the coffee shop wrote: “Hi Everyone, I’m the owner of a coffee shop in New York. Yesterday we put out our sandwich board with a message in support of Marriage Equality. This was one woman’s reaction:”
(source)