Tag: same-sex marriage

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Australia Says “YES” To Same-Sex Marriage!

Today the results of Australia’s mail-in survey on marriage equality were announced, and once again, equality wins the day.

According to Australia’s Chief Statistician, 61.6% voted “Yes,” 38.4% said “No.”

Every state and territory voted a majority “Yes”. All states except New South Wales voted “Yes” by over 60%; NSW voted “Yes” by 58%.

An astounding 79.5% of eligible voters took part in the “vote-by-mail” effort.

Australia’s Parliament will begin work immediately to craft and pass legislation to change the marriage laws “down under.”

Australia is set to become the 25th nation in the world to legalize same-sex marriage.

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Podcast: LGBTs Notch Historic Wins In Political Races; George Takei Accused Of Sexual Misconduct

In this week’s podcast:

• Political history was made in elections across the country this week by LGBT candidates

• A new poll in the UK shows gay men have an issue with masculinity

• Australia looks poised to legalize same-sex marriage, but there could be a snag

• A Las Vegas father shoots and kills his 14-year-old son for being gay. Click here to contribute to a GoFundMe campaign aimed at helping pay funeral expenses.

• Pro soccer player Robbie Rogers, the first openly gay athlete in one of the “big four” professional sports, announced his retirement

• Star Trek star and LGBT icon George Takei accused of sexual misconduct

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.

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New Poll: 49% Of Aussies Say Service Providers Should Be Able To Turn Away Same-Sex Marriage Business

Wow, this is surprising.

A new poll by Lonergan Research in Australia shows 49% believe businesses should have the right to deny services for same-sex marriages due to religious beliefs.

The poll indicated 35% do not think service providers should be allowed to discriminate and 15% had no opinion.

The Lonergan Research poll showed 65% of those surveyed support marriage equality, compared with 27% opposed and 8% unsure.

This comes as Australia’s “vote-by-mail” survey ended this week assessing Aussie’s views on marriage equality. The results will be made public on Wednesday.

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Marriage Equality Postal Survey Ends In Australia

The “vote-by-mail” survey on marriage equality in Australia has now ended, and now, we wait.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, over 78% of those Aussies who received a mail-in ballot for the (expensive $122 million) postal survey on same-sex marriage participated in the vote.

A new poll in The Guardian indicates 64% of respondents voted “Yes,” 31% were “No” voters and 5% declined to answer the question.

The final tally will be announced on Wednesday, November 15.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has promised to pass legislation to legalize same-sex marriage should the majority say “Yes.”

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Podcast: Kevin Spacey Had A Very Bad Week; Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Trans Military Ban

In this week’s podcast:

• Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey had a really, really bad week

• A federal judge has blocked Donald Trump’s ban on transgender service members in the U.S. military

• Don’t miss the marriage equality documentary, “The Freedom To Marry,” now on Netflix

• The first openly gay winner of “The Voice Australia” released his latest single, a marriage equality anthem as the mail-in same-sex marriage survey comes to a close

All that and more on this episode of The Randy Report

 p.s. I want to thank all the folks who’ve hit “Play” on the podcast. I’m humbled by the support.

If you like the podcast, I’d appreciate it muchly if you would post a review on iTunes. Not for my ego, but it helps the podcast be found more easily on iTunes.

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Documentary: “The Freedom To Marry” Now Available On Netflix

The award-winning documentary, The Freedom To Marry, is now available for viewing on Netflix.

The film is a “War Room” style feature documentary about the movement for marriage for same-sex couples, from the final frenetic months of the legal and grassroots campaign.

The Freedom to Marry has already played in 75 cities, played at dozens of film festivals, won 10 “Best Documentary” prizes, been translated into 10 languages, and has gotten rave reviews—from The Boston Globe to Entertainment Weekly.

If you haven’t seen it already, this is your chance to see the untold story of one of the most successful civil rights movements of our time.

Watch the trailer below.

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GOP Candidate Roy Moore: Gay Marriage Is “Even Worse” Than Slavery

Roy Moore

Roy Moore, currently the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Alabama, told the audience of Here I Stand podcast last year that the Supreme Court Obergefell ruling that legalized same-sex marriage was “even worse” than the hideous 1857 Dred Scott ruling that upheld slavery.

“In 1857 the United States Supreme Court did rule that black people were property. Of course, that contradicted the Constitution, and it took a civil war to overturn it.

“But this ruling in Obergefell is even worse in a sense because it forces not only people to recognize marriage other than the institution ordained of God and recognized by nearly every state in the union, it says that you now must do away with the definition of marriage and make it between two persons of the same gender or leading on, as one of the dissenting justices said, to polygamy, to multi-partner marriages.”

Bolding is mine.

Moore has been removed from the position of chief justice of the Alabama state Supreme Court twice for failing to follow the law.

Once, for refusing to remove a monument of the ten commandments he had placed on courthouse grounds; and the second time for instructing probate judges in Alabama to ignore the Obergefell ruling in 2015.

Real Clear Politics shows Moore an average of 6 points ahead of his Democratic opponent, Doug Jones.

The special election to replace Jeff Sessions, who resigned to become U.S. Attorney General, is on December 12.

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Australia: Sydney To Offer Free Wedding Facilities For 100 Days Should Marriage Equality Pass

Should the “Yes” votes in the current postal survey regarding marriage equality carry the majority, and IF the Australian government then fulfills its promise of legalizing same-sex marriage, the city of Sydney will allow gay couples free use of prominent parks and buildings for 100 days to celebrate new same-sex marriages.

From the Sydney Morning Herald:

A motion passed on Monday night will allow same-sex couples to hire community facilities, halls and parks for free for 100 days if same-sex marriage is legalised following the postal survey.

The offer will only be available for same-sex weddings, but existing bookings for straight couples will not be cancelled or moved to accommodate the expected influx.

Gay couples will still need to pick up the tab for audio visual services, catering and security, but will be able to hire facilities such as Paddington Town Hall free of charge.

However, Liberal councillor Christine Forster – who is gay and has taken a leading role in the “yes” campaign – voted against the motion after unsuccessfully trying to make it apply to straight couples as well.

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Podcast: Transgender Folks Get Help In The Workplace; “Yes” Vote Leads In Australia’s Marriage Equality Mail-In Vote

In this week’s podcast:

• California’s governor signs “first in the nation” legislation that will require training meant to help high unemployment among transgender people

• Donald Trump joked that Vice President Mike Pence wants to “hang” all gay people

• The “Yes to Marriage Equality” campaign in Australia appears to be leading

• Georgia state lawmaker considers quarantining HIV+ people

• Rentboy.com CEO goes to prison even as female escort websites continue without penalty

• Out Canadian country music artist Patrick Masse headlines Las Vegas Pride

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

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New Zealand TV Host Trolls Australia’s “No” Vote Campaign

Jesse Mulligan, host of New Zealand’s The Project, has some bitingly satirical “advice” for Australia as the deadline for the current “vote by mail” survey on same-sex marriage grows near.

#GoKiwis

#VoteYes

(h/t JoeMyGod)