Tag: same-sex marriage

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New Zealand to begin same-sex marriage tomorrow

New Zealand’s first gay weddings are due to take place after the country became the first in the Asia-Pacific region and 14th in the world to legalize same-sex marriage.

Thirty-one same-sex couples plan to marry on Monday, according to the Department of Internal Affairs.

It comes after New Zealand’s parliament passed a bill in April amending the country’s 1955 marriage act.

Congratulations New Zealand! Happy Dance Time!

Check out the video below as the votes were counted and marriage equality was passed.  Very moving.

(via BBC)

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MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts discusses the hypocrisy of conservatives congratulating him on his marriage

Openly gay MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts appeared on “Morning Joe” talk-show to discuss current news cycle items and among them was marriage equality. In the discussion of the Republican National Committee’s continued opposition to same-sex marriage in the party platform, Roberts discussed his own personal experience with the Republican leadership that seemed to him at odds with their publicly stated political beliefs:

“Reince Priebus, when I got engaged, congratulated me at the White House Correspondents’ weekend. Last year, Sean Spicer congratulated me on getting married to my husband. Yet they incorporate into the platform of the RNC their stance against marriage equality,” Roberts said.

“It’s odd, because why congratulate me? I didn’t bring it up, I didn’t say give me a congratulations, but they offered it,” Roberts said. “So it’s odd, because then they’ll go out and drumbeat that they’re against marriage equality. It’s weird.”

In an email to Politico RNC Communications Director Sean Spicer clarified his position:

“Believing marriage is between one man and one woman and being polite, courteous and respectful are not mutually exclusive.”

I’ve personally experienced similar exchanges with friends whose politics run more conservative than mine.  They congratulate Michael and me for 19 years together, on getting married, but still go vote against issues like marriage equality, as if they disconnect the real-life encounter with me from the politics they practice.

As Thomas says, it’s odd.

(source)

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And Prop 8 is finally officially dead, dead, dead

The LA Times reports on the final, unsuccessful attempt by the haters to keep gays and lesbians from marrying in California:

The California Supreme Court refused Wednesday to revive Proposition 8, ending the last remaining legal challenge to same-sex marriage in the state.

Meeting in closed session, the state high court rejected arguments by ProtectMarriage, Proposition 8’s sponsors, that only an appellate court could overturn a statewide law.

A federal judge in San Francisco declared Proposition 8 unconstitutional in 2010, and state officials refused to appeal. ProtectMarriage did appeal, but the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that initiative sponsors have no right to defend their measures in federal court. The decision left in place the ruling by retired Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker.

In its challenge before the state’s highest court, ProtectMarriage argued that a single judge lacked the authority to overturn a state constitutional amendment. The group also contended that Walker’s injunction applied to two counties at most and that state officials had overstepped their authority by ordering county clerks throughout California to issue same-sex marriage licenses.

State officials countered that the challenge was a veiled attempt to persuade a state court to interfere with a federal judge’s order in violation of the U.S. Constitution.

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Sailor proposes to boyfriend upon return from 6 month deployment

Sweet picture.

Via USA Today:

A Navy sailor returning from a six-month deployment emerged from his submarine, dropped to one knee and proposed to his boyfriend during the homecoming celebration in Connecticut for USS New Mexico.

About 200 people were gathered at the dock of the Naval Submarine Base New London where Machinist’s Mate Jerrel Revels proposed to Dylan Kirchner. Kirchner said he had thought about getting married but the proposal Monday came as a surprise.

“I didn’t really care everybody was around. It felt just like the two of us,” Kirchner told The Day of New London.

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Pentagon to extend full marriage benefits – including 10 days marriage leave – to same-sex military couples

I wrote about this last week, and now we get official word from the Pentagon:

The Pentagon plans to extend to legally married same-sex couples the same privileges and programs that are provided to legally married heterosexual couples, including benefits tied to health care and housing, the official said.

In addition, the official said that service members who are stationed in one of the 37 states where same-sex marriage is illegal will be offered up to 10 days of leave so they can travel to one of the 13 states, plus the District of Columbia, that grant same-sex marriage licenses. The Defense Department had earlier planned to permit same-sex spouses of military members to sign a declaration form in order to receive limited benefits, such as access to military stores and certain welfare programs, according to The Associated Press.

Implementation of the new policies could begin as early as next month.

(h/t JMG)

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Australia: Prime Minister promises marriage equality if reelected

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd promised to legalize same-sex marriage within the first 100 days in office if he beat Conservative opposition leader Tony Abbott in the September 7 election.

The Guardian reports:

Rudd said he supported legalising same-sex marriage “as a mark of decency to same-sex couples across the country who wish the same loving, caring relationship that, for example, I have had with Therese my wife now for the last 32 years, and for that to be formalised”.

He promised Labor MPs would again have a conscience vote on the issue and he “appealed to Abbott to do the same because folk out there want this to happen”.

Tony Abbott said he understood same-sex marriage was “a very important issue”, acknowledging his gay sister, Christine Forster, who was in the National Press Club debate audience with her partner.

But he said the matter had been recently debated by the parliament and would not be a high priority for an incoming Coalition government. He said it would be up to the Coalition party room to decide whether Coalition MPs should get a conscience vote, if it ever came up in the future.

(via Towleroad)

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Social Security Administration announces new policies for married same-sex couples

The Social Security Administration announced on Friday that since the Supreme Court’s historic rulings, which on June 26 struck down a key section of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act,  processes will soon be in place to treat same-sex married couples equally:

“I am pleased to announce that Social Security is now processing some retirement spouse claims for same-sex couples and paying benefits where they are due,” said Carolyn W. Colvin, acting commissioner of Social Security, in a statement released Friday. “We continue to work closely with the Department of Justice. In the coming weeks and months, we will develop and implement additional policy and processing instructions. We appreciate the public’s patience as we work through the legal issues to ensure that our policy is legally sound and clear. I encourage individuals who believe they may be eligible for Social Security benefits to apply now, to protect against the loss of any potential benefits. We will process claims as soon as additional instructions become finalized.”

(via Advocate)