LGBTQ news and entertainment
From KSTP.com:
More than a dozen couples had applied for licenses in Hennepin, Ramsey and Washington counties by noon Thursday. In Pipestone County in southwestern Minnesota, which has been accepting applications since Monday, Recorder Mary Ann DeGroot said one couple signed up immediately.
A recent analysis by the state Department of Management and Budget estimated that 5,000 Minnesota gay couples would get married in the first year under the new law.
(via Towleroad)
Fifty-two percent of Americans say they back giving gay couples the right to marry, compared with 41 percent who are opposed, according to a Bloomberg National Poll conducted May 31-June 3.
Of those supporters, more than half — 61 percent — want a national law rather than a state-by-state approach.
Click the image to enlarge for details.
Confusing news coming out of Ohio today regarding marriage equality plans.
Earlier today from FreedomOhio came word of an impending plan to place marriage equality on the November 2014 ballot.
FreedomOhio co-founder Ian James said in a statement:
“We have decided to be on the ballot in 2014 to allow for a continuing dialogue with voters across Ohio about why marriage matters. We will continue to build upon the hundreds of thousands of conversations we’ve had already, to identify supportive voters, and to raise the resources necessary to mobilize a full-on campaign.”
“We are also excited to announce that the Human Rights Campaign, Equality Ohio, the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, National Freedom to Marry, the Gill Action Fund, the American Unity Fund and the BISC met today and discussed how to become involved in the campaign to bring marriage equality to Ohio in 2014.”
HOWEVER, it seems Ian James may have jumped the gun in releasing any statement that included the national LGBT organizations. From Chris Geidner:
A representative of one of the organizations in the meeting, however, said no agreements had been reached as to the timing of going to the ballot and no plan was discussed regarding the news release issued by FreedomOhio on Wednesday. Another person confirmed that characterization.
The release did include a quote from Equality Ohio, the group formed in the aftermath of the 2004 ballot fight.
“Today’s meeting was only the beginning of the effort to chart a strategic plan to achieve marriage equality in Ohio,” said Elyzabeth Holford, executive director of Equality Ohio. “We all recognize our responsibility to Ohioans to make sure we get this right. And I know that together, we will. When we do move forward it will be with the same strong partners as the other successful states.”
And then came this statement from Freedom To Marry addressing their reaction to the press release from FreedomOhio:
A group of state and national organizations leading the fight to win marriage for all families in Ohio and across the country sought to clarify misleading characterizations put forward by Ian James’s Freedom Ohio following a meeting to discuss a strategy for winning the freedom to marry at the ballot box in Ohio.
However, contrary to the assertions made by Ian James in an unapproved statement, there was no agreement reached to put forward a ballot initiative in 2014 or any other specific date. Instead, all of the groups in attendance, including Freedom Ohio and nearly a dozen other leading organizations, agreed to work together to talk to Ohio voters about why marriage matters and strengthen our coalition in the months ahead, reserving judgment on the timing of a ballot initiative until a clear pathway to victory could be determined and carried out.
“Ohio families deserve to win marriage as soon as possible. And our national partners have won marriage equality in 13 jurisdictions. We are putting together a strong, honest coalition and a responsible plan to win,” said Elyzabeth Holford, Executive Director of Equality Ohio. “We intend to win and will do everything necessary to secure fairness for same-sex couples and their families.”
“We are committed to winning marriage in Ohio as soon as possible, and to developing the kind of robust campaign that has helped us achieve historic victories across the country,” said Marc Solomon, National Campaign Director for Freedom to Marry. “What we need to do now is to engage in the real work to increase public support so we can win on the ballot—in 2016, or if possible sooner.”
“Ian James must have attended a different meeting than the rest of us,” said Marty Rouse, National Field Director for the Human Rights Campaign. “Representatives from 11 state and national organizations participated in today’s meeting. Ten of them came away with a clear understanding that we would refrain from deciding on timing until it was responsible to do so. We’re perplexed as to how Freedom Ohio came away with a different understanding.”
At the invitation of Equality Ohio, representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Ohio, national ACLU, the Equality Federation, Freedom to Marry, the Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Legal, the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, the American Unity Fund and Gill Action convened for today’s conversations to discuss strategy, timing and a plan to win marriage in Ohio.
SB10, the marriage equality bill in Illinois, appears on page 4 of today’s calendar for the Illinois House of Representatives. This is the final day of this legislative session. If it’s not voted on today? Back to the beginning next year.
So, will it happen? Are there at least 60 votes to pass marriage equality in Illinois? If not, I want a vote so those who oppose equality there can go on record for their cowardly position.
Not happy here in Randy Land. UGH
Stay tuned.
Good news coming out of California about the support for marriage equality there.
Fifty-six percent of adults favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to wed, with 38 percent against, the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California said late today.
“The more that there’s been acceptable and legal change in other states, the more Californians have been accepting, especially among some of those groups that were strongly opposed,”Mark Baldassare, the group’s president, said by telephone.
Fifty-six percent is a great number – and that number only continues to grow.
I personally believe Prop. 8will be struck down by the Supreme Court in the next 30 days.
However, should I be wrong – and I don’t think I am – it’s good to know we can take this back to the ballot box in 2014 and have the people of California do the right thing, if need be.
Forward.
(source)
The media (and a whole lot of police) descend upon the French city of Montpellier today as the country looks to its first same-sex wedding:
The first gay wedding in France on Wednesday will be anything but a private and quiet affair. Echoing months of acrimonious debate over a same-sex marriage law that was approved by lawmakers in April, the historic nuptials were set to feature partisan politics, security concerns and frenzied media coverage.
Frigide Barjot, a stand-up comedian who has led France’s anti-gay marriage movement, has urged opponents of the law to stay away from Wednesday’s wedding. But organisers and local police were taking no chances, beefing up security around the mayor’s office and keeping riot police on standby.
Up to 100 police officers were put on the wedding’s security detail, with another 80 gendarmes ready to back them up, according to the local police prefect’s office.
The civil ceremony that will unite Vincent Autin and Bruno Boileau was moved to a special room in Montpellier’s City Hall to accommodate the more than 500 guests – less than half of whom were actually family or friends of the couple.
Scheduled to start at 5:30pm, the wedding will be presided by Montpellier mayor Hélène Mandroux, a Socialist, and will be broadcast live on the city government’s website.
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| Vincent Autin and Bruno Boileau |
(via JMG)
Nevada took another step forward today in repealing it’s constitutional ban on marriage equality and making the freedom to marry possible for thousands of Nevadans.
The bill to repeal the ban passed in the state Assembly by a vote of 27-14. Only one Republican legislator voted for the bill.
The state Senate had passed the bill, SJR13, earlier this year by a vote of 12-9.
SJR13 will have to be approved by the 2015 Legislature, and then voters in 2016 to take effect.
Marriage equality supporters in Illinois believe they have the votes to pass the bill and are ready to do so.
From the Windy City Times:
I have absolutely no doubt we’re going to be done with this by May 31,” said Jim Bennett, Midwest regional director for Lambda Legal. “I believe that this bill is going to pass.”
Bennett declined to give a specific vote count, but said that he expected the bill could be called and passed any day. Rick Garcia, policy advisor for The Civil Rights Agenda, said he thinks the bill has the 60 votes needed for passage in the House. “I believe we’re there,” said Garcia. “The cake is baked. We’re waiting for the icing.”
The bill passed the Senate on Valentine’s Day. House sponsors have since struggled to pull together enough votes to pass it in the House. Illinois Unites for Marriage, a coalition of groups working for the bill, has scheduled a community meeting to update supporters on the bill’s progress and share plans surrounding the vote Wednesday evening.
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has stated he believes the bill’s passage was “within striking distance,” and has promised to sign the legislation.
(via Towleroad)
Francois Hollande signed a bill on Friday legalizing such nuptials.
The Constitutional Council affirmed Hollande’s signing and the bill is now law. The new legislation will take effect on May 29. France becomes the 14th nation to legalize marriage equality.
Leading up to Hollande’s signing, violent demonstrations for and against marriage equality rocked the country. Anti-gay protesters have another protest against marriage equality planned for May 26.
LGBT people were also routinely attacked during the weeks leading up to the votes in the French legislature.
(source)
After months of sometimes violent street demonstrations, France’s Constitutional Council gave the go-ahead to a law that will make France the 14th country to legalize same-sex marriage, in line with an election promise by Socialist President Francois Hollande.
“The law allowing same-sex marriage conforms with the constitution,” the council said in a statement.
The first gay weddings could take place as early as June, although some mayors across the country have refused to administer the ceremonies.
France, a predominantly Catholic country, follows 13 others including Canada, Denmark, Sweden and most recently Uruguay and New Zealand in allowing gay and lesbian couples to wed.
In the United States, Washington D.C. and 12 states have legalized marriage equality.
(source)