Out in America Features» same sex marriage

New York City clerk required to educate public about marriage equality

OIA Staff — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:11:16 +0000

NYC City Council Speaker Christine Quinn helped pass legislation which requires the City Clerk to inform couples registering for domestic partnerships about other states and countries where they can get married. Same sex marriages performed elsewhere are recognized as valid marriages by the state of New York. VIA. Read the full article @ New York [...]

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Costa Rica’s Constitutional Court Orders A Stop To Same Sex Marriage Referendum

OIA Staff — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:52:17 +0000

The Sala Constitucional (Constitutional Court) has ordered the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE) to suspend the process of the referendum on same sex marriages that was to have been included in the December 2010 municipal elections. The referendum was to have let the population decide the fate of a proposal for law that would allow [...]

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Conservatives, I’m begging you: Leave animals out of your gay marriage talking points

OIA Staff — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:00:34 +0000

Sure we love our pets, but do we really ‘love’ our pets? Those crazy conservatives are always looking for ridiculous ways to skew the public’s opinion on same-sex marriage. Over the weekend, former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, who’s running against John McCain in Arizona’s Republican Senate primary, resurrected a preposterous old saw. Lamenting the Massachusetts Supreme [...]

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Guide for Maryland Same-Sex Couples Married Out of State

OIA Staff — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:00:39 +0000

Lambda Legal, American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Equality Maryland, and the American Civil Liberties Union released a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) guide for same-sex couples in Maryland who married out of state. To download the pdf: http://www.lambdalegal.org/publications/factsheets/fs_fqa-about-marriage-recognition-for-ss-couples-in-md.html [ via Lez Get Real ] Read the full article @ [...]

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Kids Say the Darndest Things

OIA Staff — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:04:52 +0000

Micah Schraft was combing through his computer files earlier this week when he stumbled upon a video he and boyfriend John Hill shot over Thanksgiving of Calen, the young son of his cousin’s close friend, wrapping his brain around the idea of two men in love. [ via Kids Say the Darndest Things - Topix [...]

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Hiram Monserrate’s Anti-Gay Flyers

OIA Staff — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:55:59 +0000

The Monserrate juggernaut is rolling across the 13th District. Liz Benjamin reproduces a flyer that his people are allegedly handing around. If you don’t have your glasses handy, the best part is, “At a gay fundraiser for Jose Peralta” — Monserrate’s chief opponent — “he is affectionately called ‘Peralta the gay caballero.’” This is not [...]

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Sarah Silverman Sticks to Gay Rights Marriage Vow

OIA Staff — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:29:03 +0000

Sarah Silverman tells The Advocate that she’s sticking to a vow she made in 2007 to not get married because gays can’t. “Not only that, but lately I’ve been really annoyed by any liberal person getting married who says they stand for gay rights. How can anyone in good conscience get married right now? How [...]

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Portugal’s Parliament Approves Same-Sex Marriage

OIA Staff — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:49:33 +0000

Portugal’s parliament has approved a same-sex marriage bill: “The Socialist government’s bill won the support of all left-of-center parties Friday. Right-of-center parties opposed the change and argued it should be put to a national referendum. The proposed law now goes to conservative President Anibal Cavaco Silva who can ratify or veto it, but a veto [...]

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Iowa Conservatives Concede No Chance of Gay Marriage Ban This Year

OIA Staff — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:18:38 +0000

When Gov. Chet Culver delivers his annual Condition of the State address next Tuesday, opponents of same-sex marriage from around Iowa will be there. Spearheaded by the influential social conservative group Iowa Family Policy Center, the gathering is advertised as a public call for lawmakers to pass an amendment to the state’s constitution banning same-sex [...]

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Poll: U.S. Evenly Divided on Same-Sex Marriage

OIA Staff — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:58:56 +0000

On an issue where survey results once registered lopsided disapproval, the American public is now almost evenly divided on same sex marriage — although approval remains below 50 percent — according to a new Angus Reid Poll. The survey found that 43 percent favor same-sex marriage while 46 percent remain opposed. Support for giving full [...]

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National Organization for Marriage Loses Effort to Keep Names of Donors Disclosed in Maine

OIA Staff — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:50:25 +0000

The New Jersey-based National Organization for Marriage (NOM) has been fighting to keep the names of donors to the “Yes on 1″ campaign in Maine private. They lost: “Judge D. Brock Hornby ruled that Maine’s reporting requirements for ballot question campaigns do not violate the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as claimed in a [...]

Read the full article @ National Organization for Marriage Loses Effort to Keep Names of Donors Disclosed in Maine

New York top court to consider gay marriage benefits

OIA Staff — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:02:40 +0000

New York’s top court is set to hear arguments against providing government benefits to same sex couples married in Canada or other jurisdictions where such marriages are legal. The state Department of Civil Service extended health insurance benefits to those spouses of state and local government workers in 2007. A year earlier, Westchester County agencies [...]

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LGBT & The Census count: What’s new, Why it matters.

OIA Staff — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:14:44 +0000

The Census doesn’t just collect information, it educates people. It helps people discover the trends that affect their daily lives. That part of the Census Bureau is called the 2010 Census Partnership and Data Services Program. The man who runs the program for the nation recently paid a visit to the Los Angeles region. Tim [...]

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Equality is not a choice

OIA Staff — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:19:05 +0000

THE MARRIAGE debate is heading to New Jersey — again. Republicans and conservatives rallied in Trenton on Monday to protest the possibility that the Legislature may legalize same-sex marriage during the so-called lame-duck session. Opponents say they want voters, not legislators, to decide. Voters already decided who is sitting in the Legislature. This is not [...]

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No on 1 Response Ad: “Clearing Up Distortions”

OIA Staff — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:24:05 +0000

The anti-gay right has been misleading the public in Maine to suggest that the government forced marriage in order to avoid a peoples vote, and that if the referendum passes that there will be a flood of lawsuits and homosexual marriage will be taught in schools. These lies are being used as scare tactics… [ [...]

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Are You Married?

OIA Staff — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:05:45 +0000

That is a question that will be asked on the 2010 US Census and it you’re heterosexual it’s a pretty easy question to answer. But not if you are a same-sex couple. Sure, if you live in Massachusetts and are married in the eyes of your state, or if you’re a single guy or gal [...]

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The Supposedly Universal Definition of Marriage is Not Universal

OIA Staff — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:24:21 +0000

There is a fallacy that is heavily stressed in classes on counter-terrorism. That is the fallacy of the universal person. The crux of the theory is that all people everywhere are the same. This is the basis of ethnocentrism and prejudice, and it is relevant to the discussion of same-sex marriage rights. During the Victorian [...]

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Same-Sex Marriage Opponents in Maine have to Pay People to Be on Their Side

OIA Staff — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:49:27 +0000

How does the right wing spell authenticity? Apparently P-A-Y-C-H-E-C-K. Opponents of marriage equality in Maine, led by the group Stand for Marriage, are looking to put some television commercials together to talk about how horrible the idea of equal rights is for gays and lesbians. But instead of casting actual Mainers, or grassroots activists, they’re [...]

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Gay marriage Repeal on Ballot in Maine

OIA Staff — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:06:41 +0000

State election officials announced Wednesday that opponents of Maine’s gay marriage law had gathered enough signatures to trigger a statewide vote on the issue this November. Maine has already attracted the attention — and money — of national groups on both sides of the debate over same-sex marriage. That focus is bound to intensify now [...]

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The bigots who brought Prop 8 to California set their sights on Iowa

OIA Staff — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:59:14 +0000

The Christian Science Monitor reports that the haters that brought Prop 8 to California “has announced its intention to lead a revolt against same-sex marriage in Iowa” by planing and winning a statewide referendum on the state ballot that overturns the Iowa Supreme Court’s decision this April that legalized marriages between same-sex couples. [ lgbtnews [...]

Read the full article @ The bigots who brought Prop 8 to California set their sights on Iowa

Date Set For Proposition 8 Trial

OIA Staff — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:28:45 +0000

In the first step to getting the legal fight over same-sex marriage to the U.S. Supreme Court, a federal judge has set Jan. 11 as the trial date for a legal challenge to California’s Proposition 8. [ Topix ] Read the full article @ Date Set For Proposition 8 Trial Read more articles @ our [...]

Read the full article @ Date Set For Proposition 8 Trial

Spotlight on the Maine Campaign to Save Marriage

OIA Staff — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:17:13 +0000

Maine is having a referendum in November on the state’s new same-sex marriage law. A lot of attention of late has been focused on California’s gay leaders. But, Maine’s campaign is real. It’s happening this November. And, we have to win. [ Read the rest @ AMERICAblog News ] Read the full article @ Spotlight [...]

Read the full article @ Spotlight on the Maine Campaign to Save Marriage

ABA, NEA Come Out for Gay Rights

OIA Staff — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:02:23 +0000

LGBT causes got a major boost last week when two large professional associations announced their support for same-sex marriage recognition. The National Education Association (NEA) and the American Bar Association (ABA) recently adopted resolutions supporting gay rights. [ Read the rest @ Advocate.com ] Read the full article @ ABA, NEA Come Out for Gay [...]

Read the full article @ ABA, NEA Come Out for Gay Rights

Both sides of Prop. 8 court case can only agree to disagree

OIA Staff — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:26:12 +0000

Forty days ago, opposing sides in a federal challenge to California’s same-sex marriage ban were asked to propose a timeline to try the case speedily, and to determine in which ares of fact they are in agreement. [ EDGE San Francisco ] Read the full article @ Both sides of Prop. 8 court case can [...]

Read the full article @ Both sides of Prop. 8 court case can only agree to disagree

Quakers on brink of decision on same-sex marriage

OIA Staff — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:33:49 +0000

Britain’s Quakers appear to be on the brink of a decision to approve same-sex marriage. This morning will see the final stage of their discussions on the issue at their Yearly Meeting in York. As over 1,000 Quakers closed their session yesterday afternoon, it appeared likely that they would approve the rewriting of Quaker procedures [...]

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States with more Catholics more favor gay rights

OIA Staff — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:35:54 +0000

Want to predict which state might move next to legalize same-sex marriage? You might count Catholics. The higher their percentage of the population, the more likely the state is to… support gay rights. [ Gay News Blog ] Read the full article @ States with more Catholics more favor gay rights Read more articles @ [...]

Read the full article @ States with more Catholics more favor gay rights

American Apparel: ‘Legalize Gay’ T-Shirts Provoked Vandalism, Threats

OIA Staff — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:51:12 +0000

An American Apparel store’s decision to prominently display a pro-gay T-shirt has resulted in vandalism and death threats, a spokesperson for the chain told ABC 7 News. Vandals smashed the windows at the Silver Spring American Apparel store, apparently upset over a display of T-shirts that read: “Legalize Gay” “Repeal Prop 8 Now!”. The message [...]

Read the full article @ American Apparel: ‘Legalize Gay’ T-Shirts Provoked Vandalism, Threats

Bill Clinton Backs Same-Sex Marriage

OIA Staff — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:06:09 +0000

Former President Bill Clinton has come out in support of same-sex marriage. After speaking at the Campus Progress National Conference in Washington, DC, on July 8, the former president was asked if he supported same-sex marriage. Clinton, in a departure from past statements, replied in the affirmative. [ thenation.com ] Read the full article @ [...]

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White House can no longer defend federal marriage ban

OIA Staff — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:28:36 +0000

If the Obama administration can find a way around the Defense of Marriage Act to allow same-sex married couples to be part of the 2010 U.S. Census, then it should take the logical next step of granting legal status to these couples, according to this Los Angeles Times editorial. “With same-sex marriage legalized in six [...]

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A Definition: West Virginia wants to define marriage again

OIA Staff — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:32:06 +0000

What is marriage? A hearing on a possible Constitutional Amendment in West Virginia that would define marriage as between one man and one woman is scheduled for Tuesday at the State Capitol. Attorney Stephen Skinner with the group Fairness West Virginia says state law already does that adequately in the form of the Defense of [...]

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Maine’s marriage equality threatened by 55,087 signatures

OIA Staff — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:43:35 +0000

In a great move for companies Montblanc and Dunder Mifflin, opponents to the passage of Maine’s same-sex marriage law have gathered the necessary 55,087 signatures required to put a repeal up for a statewide vote come this November. [ Queerty ] Read the full article @ Maine’s marriage equality threatened by 55,087 signatures Read more [...]

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Now not the time for marriage bill in New York after all

OIA Staff — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:59:52 +0000

For now, same-sex marriage is off the table in New York — and some supporters of the proposed bill to legalize same-sex marriage think that’s fine. They say they don’t want the bill to be enacted while the leadership of the state Senate is in dispute because they fear that that would make it easier [...]

Read the full article @ Now not the time for marriage bill in New York after all

New York State Voters Support Same-Sex Couples to Marry

OIA Staff — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:39:24 +0000

New York State voters support 51 – 41 percent, with 8 percent undecided, a law allowing same-sex couples to marry, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. This is the first poll by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University showing support for same-sex marriage in New York State, where voters split 46 – 46 percent [...]

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Census Bureau to Count Married Same-sex Couples in 2010 Census

OIA Staff — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:39:25 +0000

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force applauds reports that the U.S. Census Bureau will count married same-sex couples in the 2010 census, reversing an earlier decision made under the Bush administration. Previously, same-sex couples only had the option of checking off “unmarried partner,” which will remain an option. The Task Force has played a [...]

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White House Official Expressed Regret at Some Cites in Pro-DOMA Justice Department Brief

OIA Staff — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:59:28 +0000

In a panel discussion at the liberal American Constitution Society Friday, President Obama’s staff secretary, Lisa Brown, expressed personal reservations about some of the language in the Justice Department brief against same-sex marriage that cited the ability of states to refuse to recognize incestuous marriages as a comparison with same-sex ones. [ blogs.abcnews.com ] Read [...]

Read the full article @ White House Official Expressed Regret at Some Cites in Pro-DOMA Justice Department Brief

Gay marriage bans linked to rise in HIV

OIA Staff — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:32:07 +0000

Bans on same-sex marriage can be tied to a rise in the rate of HIV infection, a new study by two Emory economists has found. In the first study of the impact of social tolerance levels toward gays in the United States on the HIV transmission rate, the researchers estimated that a constitutional ban on [...]

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Getting Hitched in the Sims 3

OIA Staff — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:33:01 +0000

Popular EA game, ‘The Sims 3′, was released this week at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles. And while California recently opposed legalizing gay marriage, the makers of ‘The Sims’ have allowed it in their newest version. [ Gay News Blog ] [ AfterElton ] Read the full article @ Getting Hitched in the Sims [...]

Read the full article @ Getting Hitched in the Sims 3

Maine Governor Signs Same-Sex Marriage Bill

OIA Staff — Wed, 06 May 2009 18:21:35 +0000

Gov. John Baldacci on Wednesday signed a gay marriage bill passed just hours before by the Maine Legislature. Baldacci made his announcement within an hour of the Maine Senate giving its final approval to LD 1020. The Senate voted 21-13 in favor of the measure after a short debate. “In the past, I opposed gay [...]

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The News We Use | General Gayety

OIA Staff — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:51:37 +0000

I’ve decided that it’s time. Time to test your knowledge of recent GLBT news. Circle the right answer for each multiple-choice question below. The correct answers are provided at the end. No cheating. I’ll know. 1. In Maine’s capital of Augusta, so many people wanted to attend the first public hearings on same-sex marriage that [...]

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Miss California Sparks Outrage Over Gay Marriage

OIA Staff — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:27:46 +0000

Mixing a beauty pageant with politics is a recipe for disaster. You could make a strong case for it, anyway. The two merged last night at the site of the Miss USA pageant in Las Vegas. The result was similar to the fallout after the Miss Teen USA pageant in 2007 when Miss South Carolina [...]

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Debunking The Religious Freedoms Vermont’s Gay Marriage Won’t Take Away

OIA Staff — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:42:04 +0000

Groups like the National Organization for Marriage and Yes On 8 have nearly perfected the ability to disseminate half-truths and blatant lies about what legalizing same-sex marriage entails. Despite their YouTube videos, marriage equality legislation does not hamper religious freedoms. For example, churches will not lose their tax exempt status for refusing to let a [...]

Read the full article @ Debunking The Religious Freedoms Vermont’s Gay Marriage Won’t Take Away

Vermont Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage!

OIA Staff — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:40:04 +0000

The Vermont legislature has just voted 100-49 to overturn the Governors veto of marriage. Vermont officially becomes the 4th state in the union to allow same-sex marriage after Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Iowa. Thank you for all your hard work and congratulations!!! [ Queers United ] Read the full article @ Vermont Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage! Read [...]

Read the full article @ Vermont Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage!

Meghan Mccain To Larry King: ‘I Believe In Gay Marriage.’

OIA Staff — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:20:17 +0000

Arizona Senator and former presidential candidate John McCain’s daughter Meghan appeared on Larry King Live last night and continued to buck the Republican party line on a number of issues, including same-sex marriage. Meghan McCain is proving herself to be the true “maverick” in the family, not her father, who the Log Cabin Republicans endorsed [...]

Read the full article @ Meghan Mccain To Larry King: ‘I Believe In Gay Marriage.’

Faith leaders: Ban gay marriage in Minnesota or the world could end

OIA Staff — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:56:47 +0000

The Minnesota Family Council says it will introduce an amendment banning same-sex marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships in Minnesota in the next few days. The group announced the new amendment push at a press conference with fundamentalist religious leaders on Tuesday. Those leaders put forward a multifaith diatribe against gay and lesbian relationships stating [...]

Read the full article @ Faith leaders: Ban gay marriage in Minnesota or the world could end

Note to Americans: Canada resolved the contentious issue four years ago and the sky did not fall

OIA Staff — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 17:12:39 +0000

With almost four years having passed since we resolved the same-sex marriage question, it’s hard to remember there was controversy in the first place. The debate wrapped up without drama. Parliament passed the Civil Marriage Act on June 28, 2005, Canadians said okay, and the country went back to its business. It’s amusing, in a [...]

Read the full article @ Note to Americans: Canada resolved the contentious issue four years ago and the sky did not fall

PSA: The Difference Between Domestic Partnership and Marriage

OIA Staff — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:39:51 +0000

Must see, must pass on videos of straight couples denied equality to make the point that domestic partnerships are NOT equal to marriage. via Queers United: PSA: The Difference Between Domestic Partnership and Marriage. H/T to Unite The Fight. Read the full article @ PSA: The Difference Between Domestic Partnership and Marriage Read more articles [...]

Read the full article @ PSA: The Difference Between Domestic Partnership and Marriage

Activists Call For Immediate National Response to CA Supreme Court Decision

OIA Staff — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:49:15 +0000

Recognizing that win or lose, the LGBTQ community must have an immediate response to the forthcoming California Supreme Court decision on whether or not to uphold Proposition 8, veteran activists Robin Tyler and Andy Thayer have called for “Day of Decision” actions the night that the court releases its decision. Volunteers for the effort are [...]

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