Tag: same-sex marriage

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Mexico: Governor Of Chihuahua Ceases Opposition To Marriage Equality

The governor of the Mexican state of Chihuahua on Thursday announced his administration would no longer prevent same-sex couples from marrying.

Proceso, a Mexican newspaper, reported that César Duarte Jáquez’s announcement takes effect immediately.

Duarte’s announcement comes ahead of an expected ruling from the Mexican Supreme Court that Proceso said will order Chihuahuan lawmakers to decide the issue of marriage rights for gays and lesbians.

Chihuahua joins the states of Coahuila and Quintana Roo and Mexico City in which same-sex couples can legally marry.

Gays and lesbians in the states of Oaxaca, Guanajuato, Querétaro, Baja California Norte and Tamaulipas have exchanged vows.

The Mexican Supreme Court last month ruled in the case of a lesbian couple from Nuevo León — in which the city of Monterrey is located — that the state’s same-sex marriage ban is constitutional. Gays and lesbians in a number of other Mexican states have petitioned for marriage rights in their respective jurisdictions.

(from the Washington Blade)

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Poll: Sixty-Five Percent Of Americans Expect SCOTUS To Rule In Favor Of Marriage Equality

A new poll from Public Religion Research Institute shows 65% of Americans expect the U.S. Supreme Court to rule in favor of same-sex marriage nationwide.

• 65% expect the state bans currently in place (14 states) to be struck down.

• 55% of Americans support marriage equality; 37% oppose.

• 69% of Americans say they favor laws that protect LGBT folks against discrimination in jobs, public accommodations and housing.

• 60% of Americans oppose allowing private business owners refusing to serve LGBTs.

• 65% of Americans say they have a close friend or family member who is gay or lesbian.

• 11% of Americans say they have a close friend or family member who is transgender.

(source)

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Haters Buy Full-Page Ad In Washington Post To SCOTUS: We Won’t Honor Your Same-Sex Ruling

Click to enlarge the pic

A group of hate groups and “Christian” leaders, under the banner name “Defend Marriage” has purchased and published a full-page message to SCOTUS in the Washington Post.

At the bottom of the ad, you see a list of the usual suspects: Mat Staver, Elaine Donnelly, the Benham brothers, Alveda King, Jim Garlow, John Hagee and E.W. Jackson.

From the ad:

We affirm that any judicial opinion which purports to redefine marriage will constitute an unjust law, as Martin Luther King Jr. described such laws in his letter from the Birmingham Jail.

We are Christians who love America and who respect the legitimate rule of law.

However, we will not honor any decision by the Supreme Court which will force us to violate a clear biblical understanding of marriage as solely the union of one man and one woman.

We affirm that Marriage, as existing solely between one man and one woman, precedes civil government.

Though affirmed, fulfilled, and elevated by faith, the truth that marriage can exist only between one man and one woman is not based solely on religion but on the Natural Law, written on the human heart.

It’s worth noting that SCOTUS has already voted in private on the case. All we’re waiting for is for the opinions to be written and released.

(h/t JMG)

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North Carolina: House Votes 69-41 To Override Governor’s Veto Of “Magistrates Recusal” Bill

The North Carolina House has just voted to override Gov. Pat McCrory’s veto of Senate Bill 2, which would allow state magistrate’s to “opt-out” of their duty to perform same-sex marriages based on “sincerely held religious beliefs.”

From Equality NC:

With the House’s vote, 69-41, the bill, which now becomes law, excuses North Carolina magistrates and other public officials to perform marriage services for couples with whom they do not agree.

Last week, the veto was overridden in the Senate by a vote of 32-16.

Equality NC executive director Chris Sgro immediately condemned the House vote.

“We are disappointed to see the House vote against the the legal rights and best interests of LGBT people and of the entire state of North Carolina,” said Sgro. “From the business community to local leaders to the governor, North Carolinians have stood up and said Senate Bill 2 is deeply problematic and discriminatory legislation. While it targets same-sex couples, in the process it creates problems for all North Carolinians who seek use of taxpayer-funded public services.”

Sgro added, “The North Carolina General Assembly should be focused on creating jobs and expanding public education rather than legislating against settled laws governing the freedom to marry. Equality NC will be working with its partners to determine whether this terrible bill will hold up to legal scrutiny.”

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Arkansas: Judge Orders The State To Recognize Same-Sex Marriages Performed Last Year

Pulaski County Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen issued a ruling today instructing Arkansas state officials to recognize same-sex marriages that were performed in-state last year during a window of time that marriage licenses were issued to same-sex couples.

The result of the order means those 500+ couples will have access to many benefits such as filing taxes jointly and enrolling in state health insurance plans.

From ABC News:

Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza struck down as unconstitutional a 2004 voter-approved same-sex marriage ban and an earlier state law defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Justices suspended his decision a week later, halting the marriages.

The attorney general’s office argued before Griffen Monday that the marriages weren’t valid because Piazza’s initial ruling didn’t specifically strike down a state law barring clerks from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Piazza struck down that law in a subsequent ruling six days later.

Griffen rejected that argument, saying it was clear that Piazza meant to strike down any prohibition on same-sex marriage.

“Put simply, Judge Piazza’s intent in his May 9 order was to stop the state of Arkansas from prohibiting same-sex couples from being married,” he wrote.

HRC Arkansas State Director Kendra R. Johnson issued this statement:

“Virtually every day, we continue to see tremendous signs of progress toward realizing the dream of marriage equality for gay and lesbian Arkansans.

“While we await a final decision by the United States Supreme Court to resolve the issue of marriage equality nationwide once and for all, Judge Griffen’s ruling demonstrates yet again the unmistakable momentum of LGBT equality in the Natural State.”

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First Same-Sex Marriages Take Place In Guam

Last week, a federal judge in Guam ruled that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision on same-sex marriage applied to the U.S. Territory making marriage equality the law of land in the U.S. Territory.

Today, the first same-sex marriages took place.

From ABC News:

“It’s my privilege to officiate at this. Do you take each other to share your lives, to promise to take good care of one another for as long as you live?” Public Health Director James Gillan asked.

“I do,” said Deasia Johnson of Killeen, Texas.

“I do,” answered her bride, Nikki Dismuke of New Orleans.

“By the power vested in me by the laws of Guam, I pronounce you married,” Gillan said before the two military members kissed to solemnize their vows.

With those words, in a ceremony that lasted less than a minute in Gillan’s office, Johnson and Dismuke became the first gay couple to be legally married in a U.S. territory.

Loretta M. Pangelinan, 28, and Kathleen M. Aguero, 29, sued to overturn the territory’s law after being denied a marriage application in April. They based their lawsuit on the prevailing opinion from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which had approved gay marriage in western U.S. states. Guam falls under the jurisdiction of the 9th Circuit Court.

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News Round-Up: June 8, 2015

Some stories you may have missed:

• Caitlyn Jenner gets an invite to judge the Miss USA Pageant

• Ten years after ending it’s run, is there a reunion in the future for Showtime’s Queer As Folk?

• Pew Polling sees support for same-sex marriage at it’s highest point – 57% – in 20 years of polling on the subject.

• A former McKinney, Texas, police officer says his department has “a race problem.”

• Billy Graham’s anti-gay son wants haters to boycott gay-friendly companies.

• GOP presidential hopeful Lindsey Graham says he’d welcome Caitlyn Jenner’s vote. I’m betting he’d welcome anyone’s vote.

• In the afterglow of last night’s Tony Awards, here’s a glimpse into the Broadway Dreams Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing aspiring performing artists of all ages with mentorship, access and opportunity in order to fulfill their personal Broadway dreams.

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Alabama: Anti-Gay Group Rallies Against Marriage Equality For Possibly The Last Time?

Does this look like 1,000 people?

The anti-gay Sanctity of Marriage group organized what might be seen as a last ditch effort to demonstrate against same-sex marriage in advance of the impending ruling from SCOTUS.

Almost 1,000 people braved the heat and sun for the event, congregating under shade trees and umbrellas to escape the sun.

From the Montgomery Advertiser:

A large part of the crowd was there to support Christian values and traditional marriage, but many were there in opposition to show their support of same-sex marriage.

Signs that read, “1 Man+1 Woman= marriage” and “Marriage is a Sacred Covenant,” were seen right alongside those that read, “Love will win!” and “I don’t follow your religion and you can’t make me.”

U.S. Representative Gary Palmer appreciated the crowd’s civility, but pointed out one of the signs from the same-sex camp.

“I’ve seen these signs that read, ‘I don’t follow your religion and you can’t make me,'” Palmer said. “Well that’s not the point. You can’t make us not believe what we believe.”

It’s always so interesting that the haters opposing marriage equality frame the issue as LGBTs and our allies want to “make” them do anything.

No one who supports same-sex marriage really cares about the haters. Just let the gays live their lives with the same rights as you.

The real issue is the haters want to KEEP US from being equal.

Our goal has no effect on your lives; your goal denies us rights.

Got that?

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Colin Farrell: “All You Could See Was Literally Rainbows Everywhere”

“It was really funny because one of the arguments when the vote went through was that the church came out and said, ‘You know, this was a dark day for Ireland,’ and all you could see was literally rainbows everywhere, posters of rainbows, T-shirts of rainbows, men and women hugging, men and men hugging, women and women hugging, and yet cut to, ‘This is a dark day in the history of [Ireland].'”

“A dark day in the history of a country is internal civil conflict and war and bloodshed…It was a great day.” – Colin Farrell talking to E! about the recent passage of same-sex marriage in Ireland

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Lesbian-Themed Musical Wins Big At 2015 Tony Awards

So many great moments from last night’s Tony Awards honoring excellence on Broadway.

Full list of winners over on Playbill.

My biggest take-away was the extraordinary sophistication and complexity of work being done by choreographers right now on the Great White Way. From An American In Paris, to On The Town, to Gigi and so many more. Great, great work.

(I’m a little more aware than usual of the dancing being done as I’m in choreography-mode myself for Bye Bye Birdie at Sacramento Music Circus beginning rehearsals in two weeks.)

Another great highlight was seeing Tony voters embrace the more exploratory shows like Best Musical winner Fun Home and Best Play winner The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time versus more conventional, commercial fare.

Breaking new ground, Fun Home is the first Best Musical to feature a lesbian as protagonist. The show took home the aforementioned Best Musical trophy, plus Best Actor in a Musical (Michael Servers), Best Book of a Musical (Lisa Kron), Best Original Score for a Musical (Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron) and Best Direction of a Musical (Sam Gold).

The show is a lesbian coming of age story wherein the journey the main character discovers her father is a closeted gay man. All the while, the family lives in a funeral home. I know, I know… complicated stuff here. But I hear it’s fascinating.

Another highlight for me was Kelli O’Hara (who I worked with on Broadway in the 2001 revival of Follies) finally won on her sixth nomination for her gorgeous work starring in Best Revival of a Musical winner The King and I. Broadway wanted this for Kelli, and she’s seriously deserving. Good on you, Kelli.

The Tony Awards also began a new award last night for Excellence in Theater Education, which went to Corey Mitchell of North Carolina. One strange thing – no mention of WHERE Corey taught. Struck me as odd.

There was a “spreading of the wealth” also. Of the 22 shows nominated for Tony Awards, a total of nine shows came away with at least one award.

All around a great and inspiring night for theater.

Bonus – Michael Cerveris gave marriage equality a shout-out as he closed out his acceptance speech, mentioning the impending SCOTUS ruling on same-sex marriage.

Watch below: