Tag: US territories

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QAnon Rep. Thinks Guam Is A Foreign Nation That Shouldn’t Receive US $$$

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)

During remarks made at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, last month, QAnon Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) lumped the U.S. territory of Guam in with a list of foreign nations she doesn’t believe should be receiving American aid.

From The American Independent:

“We believe our hard-earned tax dollars should just go for America. Not for, what? China, Russia, the Middle East, Guam, whatever, wherever,” said Greene.

People born in Guam are U.S. citizens. More than 160,000 Americans live in Guam, and 7,000 members of the American military are stationed at U.S. Naval Base Guam and Andersen Air Force Base on the island.

While citizens of Guam cannot vote in presidential elections, in 2020 Republicans in the territory caucused during the primaries and awarded 9 delegates to Donald Trump, helping him to secure the Republican presidential nomination.

You’ll recall Donald Trump was slow to send aid to Puerto Rico. At the time, many felt the Donald might not have known that Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory.

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Marriage Equality Arrives In Puerto Rico

Marriage equality arrives in Puerto Rico today, becoming the second U.S. territory (following Guam) to allow same-sex marriage.

The next U.S. territories to see marriage equality (there are five) will be the Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Dragging in last, the Attorney General of American Samoa has said the U.S. territory is “reviewing the opinion and its potential applicability to American Samoa.”

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Guam Is ThisClose To Having Marriage Equality

Guam looks like it wants to be the next Alabama.

Guam was set to become the first U.S. territory to make same-sex legal until the governor and lieutenant governor decided to gum up the works.

Two days after a lesbian couple were denied a marriage license, Loretta Pangelinan and Kathleen Aguero sued in federal court.

The federal courts fall under the jurisdiction of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled last October that Idaho and Nevada’s bans on same-sex marriage were unconstitutional.

That ruling becomes precedent for the other states and territories under the 9th’s jurisdiction.

That being the case, Guam Attorney General Elizabeth Barrett-Anderson issued a statement saying that “in accordance with the Ninth Circuit’s holding, and pending further ruling from the Supreme Court, the Department [of Public Health and Social Services] is herein advised to immediately begin processing of same gender marriage applications, and to review such applications in the normal course of business.”

This is where the governor and sidekick enter the fray:

Gov. Eddie Calvo and Lt. Gov. Ray Tenorio issued a statement on the gay marriage issue. Although they respect the opinion of Attorney General Elizabeth Barrett-Anderson that Guam should allow same-sex marriage immediately, the administration is deferring a decision, according to the statement.

“If it is the will of the people of Guam to make same-sex marriage legal on Guam, then the Guam Legislature, the people of Guam’s representatives, can take action to change the law, or a referendum can be held giving the people of Guam a direct voice in this issue,” the statement read in part.

The administration’s legal team is reviewing the matter, according to the written statement.

There are five US territories: Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands.