Tag: marriage equality

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Rhode Island: Providence 6th grader schools legislators on equality

Matthew Lannon, 12, a sixth-grader at Wheeler School in Providence, presented a voice and face of youth to the very adult topic of same sex marriage in Rhode Island.

Matthew, with his two moms, watching and lending him support, was one of the many advocates and opponents of gay marriage to testify before the House Judiciary Committee Thursday evening at the RI State House.

Excerpt from his testimony: “If there’s one thing you don’t mess with in life, it’s love. My parents and all the other gay and lesbian people here want to be happy, just like you. All they want is to be treated fairly. But unlike most of you, they have to come again here year after year and explain over and over why their love is equal to yours. This year, you have the opportunity to change that. I say, choose love.”

(via Providence Journal)

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Respect for Marriage Coalition – “Journey”

New from the Respect for Marriage Coalition.

Politico reports:

The $150,000 ad buy is the latest step in a $1 million campaign. The ads will be broadcast on stations in Washington, D.C., including the Sunday political talk shows and will air throughout next week on national cable.

“A growing majority of Americans have come to believe it’s time to allow marriage for gay and lesbian couples. Here’s why,” the ad from the Respect for Marriage Coalition begins. The ad features regular Americans talking about their gay and lesbian relatives and friends. The ad ends with the line, “It’s time to give gay and lesbian couples the freedom to marry.”

 
For more info visit: http://www.respectformarriage.org

(via Towleroad) 

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Starbucks CEO defends marriage equality support to applause

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, at the company’s annual meeting in Seattle, defended his company’s support of same-sex marriage to a disgruntled share holder.

From KPLU:

At the company’s annual meeting Wednesday, shareholder Tom Strobhar suggested that the boycott had indeed bled the company of value.

“In the first fill quarter after this boycott was announced, our sales and our earrings — shall we say politely — were a bit disappointing,” he said.

CEO Howard Schultz shot back that the decision to back gay marriage was not about the bottom line, but about respecting diversity. He said the company had delivered a healthy return last year, boycott or no.

“If you feel, respectfully, that you can get a higher return than the 38 percent you got last year, it’s a free country. You can sell your shares of Starbucks and buy shares in another company. Thank you very much,” he said, to loud applause from the audience.

Excuse me while I run to Starbucks to buy something…

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Nevada: Early steps taken to repeal constitutional ban on same-sex marriage

Nevada legislators have begun the long road of repealing the anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment.

From the Las Vegas Sun:

Sen. Tick Segerblom, D-Las Vegas, introduced a Senate Joint Resolution that would repeal the section of Nevada’s constitution that says “only a marriage between a male and female person shall be recognized.”

Here’s what has to happen:

1. The state legislature has to approve the measure this year
2. The state legislature would have to approve the measure again in 2015
3. The resolution would have to be put on the ballot in 2016
4. If the state voters repeal the constitutional amendment, then lawmakers would THEN have to work towards a bill that would LEGALIZE marriage equality.

But here’s the thing: time is going to go on no matter what.  And, at least, the process has been introduced.  Nevada does have domestic partnerships to help offer some legal protections for LGBT couples, which is at least something.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitor’s Bureau is already marketing specifically to gay and lesbian couples. Adding weddings to the mix could be an economic boon for Nevada.

“We’re already a huge destination for weddings anyway,” Shinn said. “If we could expand to the LGBT community, we would benefit.”

A recent poll by the Retail Association of Nevada last month shows support for same-sex marriage and repeal of the “Protection of Marriage” clause in the state constitution.  The poll shows that 54 percent of Nevadans favor repeal while 43 percent oppose.

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Poll: Support for marriage equality at all-time high

A new Washington Post-ABC News poll reveals that support for marriage equality is now at 58% – a new high:

• The poll shows that 58 percent of Americans now believe it should be legal for gay and lesbian couples to get married; 36 percent say it should be illegal. This is almost a complete reversal of public attitudes a decade ago: in 2003, 37 percent favored gay nuptials, and 55 percent opposed them…

• Among young adults age 18 to 29, support for gay marriage is overwhelming, hitting a record high of 81 percent in the new poll. Support has also been increasing among older adults, but those aged 65 years old and up remain opposed, on balance: 44 percent say same-sex marriage should be legal; 50 percent say illegal…

• A slim majority of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents under 50 years old now support gay marriage. Nearly seven in 10 of those aged 65 and up oppose it, although that is down from more than eight in 10 just four years ago.

• In addition, the belief that being gay is a choice seems to be fading; only 24% think people choose to be gay.

Read more at ABC News

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John Boehner, John McCain not changing position on marriage equality

Although Ohio Sen. Rob Portman made public his “evolution” on marriage equality last week, many of the GOP stalwarts are sticking to their guns on the issue.

House Speaker John Boehner, appearing yesterday on ABC’s This Week: “Rob [Portman] is a great friend and a long-time ally. And I appreciate that he’s decided to change his views on this.I believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. It’s what I grew up with. It’s what I believe. It’s what my church teaches me. And I can’t imagine that position would ever change.”

Sen. John McCain agrees: “I respect anyone else’s decision and we all learn in life and grow and mature. I have changed my position on other issues in my life, but on this one, I had not contemplated changing my position.”