Showing posts with label Marriage Equality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marriage Equality. Show all posts

Friday, June 28, 2013

MileHighGayGuys Discuss DOMA and Marriage Equality: Philip Doyle

"As a lad I was told how marriage worked. It was a romantic, Disneyesque, and daunting concept …

Somewhere, out there, in this big beautiful world, there is one person, just one, who is my perfect match. 

Well, holy smack!” I thought, “My mate is probably somewhere in Mexico or Indonesia or who knows where!?” Plus at that early age I knew I was gay, and since marriage was not legal for gays in the USA my husband most likely was hiding in some closet hundreds of miles away. Jose, Gustavo, or whatever his name is, will never come “salir del armario” and he will never travel to the States to wine and dine my Irish ass. Dayum!

Now things have changed. With the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor for equal rights, my quest for “the one” may be a little bit easier. And since I’m just a mouse-click away, I don’t have to trek the seven continents to hunt him down. Maybe he’s on Facebook, or maybe he reads MileHighGayGuy? Hmm…

What I do know is change is coming. It’s blowing in the wind and it is pissing off the fundamentalist right. Just like a bratty child being sent to time out, the Palins, Bachmens, Perrys, and guys named Jeb, will NOT go quietly. I expect their vitriolic, (and kind of embarrassing) rants will get even worse. 

At this moment, the wolves, or in this case the Fox’s, are prepping for a fight. We will hear their bigoted reinterpretations of the bible. We will avoid Rush Limbaugh’s bilious voice, decrying the fall of society, his fear-inducing pursed lips spewing icky acidic saliva, peppering the foam ball of his microphone with infectious hate.

But here is what the gay community has going for it: Ourselves.

We have Colorado State Senator Pat Steadman, who champions equality for the LGBT community, women’s rights, sex education, and HIV prevention.

Activists have given us a voice when we were dying. Peter Staley, Larry Kramer, and countless others have shown us how to ACT UP.  

Harvey Milk was killed for believing in us, and his nephew Stuart Milk continues to give us a voice.

In our ranks we have Dan Choi, a West Point graduate, American infantry officer, and gay rights activist, who put a face on the fight against Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. 

Let’s not forget 84-year old Edie Windsor, the victorious plantiff in the Supreme Court case against the Defense of Marriage Act.

There are communities of bears, drag queens, daddies, twinks and twunks, cubs and pups. In every neighborhood there are pitchers, catchers, and power bottoms (who know how to take it). We have an army of butch lesbians and girly girls. There are members of the transgender community who have demonstrated heroic fortitude that far exceeds their non-trans counterparts. We even have some invisible people, numerous unseen men and women who are on the down-low, or choose to remain in the closet.

And finally, we have our secret weapon- Thousands upon thousands of little monsters who are growing not so little, and are eager to show their teeth.

So to my LGBT brothers and sisters, I love all of ya'll but lets not forget our history. Buckle up, dig in, and brace yourself. Our fight for equal rights has just begun."

Monday, April 8, 2013

Marriage Equality: Feeling the Earth Move Under Our Feet

By Todd Craig

What a crazy couple of weeks, huh?

The Supreme Court finally heard the challenges to DOMA and Prop 8, gay marriage once again firmly took control of the news and social media, and now…

Now we wait.

But while we’re waiting, was it just me, or, with apologies to Carole King, did you feel the earth move under your feet?

Evolution doesn’t happen overnight, nor does it happen over the course of a couple of weeks, but I’ll be damned if it didn’t feel that way.

I woke up the morning of the hearings primed and ready to go. I logged in, monitored the live twitter feeds and Supreme Court blogs. I dutifully changed my Facebook profile picture to the HRC equal sign logo and donned red for the morning’s festivities.

By midday, my Facebook was a stream of pro-equality memes. By the afternoon, everyone’s profile picture represented equality. By evening, my gym was filled with guys wearing red workout clothes. By nightfall, I felt something very strange.

I felt equal.

The Supreme Court should rule on both cases sometime in June. Sure, I’ll hope for widespread rulings, but I doubt that will happen. Who really knows?

But a better question might be: Who really cares?

Rush Limbaugh
Seriously, there’s no way to lose here. If the Supreme Court’s ruling is wide ranging, hooray! We’ll get married as soon as possible. If the Supreme Court’s ruling is narrow, the outrage that will occur will only inspire the momentum into further action. We’ll go out there and earn our rights the hard way, state-by-state, election-by-election.

After what happened this week, I’m not sure there is anyone who can stop us now. Momentum is on our side. Even Fox News’s Bill O’Reilly came out in support of gay marriage, while uber-right-wing-blowhard Rush Limbaugh acknowledged that gay marriage was inevitable. I mean, c’mon, for those two to be saying things like that, well, that’s not just the sound of evolution, that’s the sound of the other side admitting defeat.

Sure, there are still haters out there. But they’re sounding more alone and more shrill by the minute.

What I do know is that for the first time in my nearly 42 years of life, I didn’t feel different. I didn’t feel like a gay outsider in a straights-only America. I felt like my concerns were heard. I felt understood. I felt like my friends, my family, and my country stood up and said that they really did feel like all men were created equal. I felt that someday soon, I wouldn’t be getting a commitment ceremony or a civil union; I felt that someday soon I‘d get married.

That’s huge.

There’s no other explanation for the evolutionary leap other than the earth literally is moving under our feet. The sky is tumblin’ down.

After seeing all those news reports, after seeing all of those equality signs, my heart - again with apologies to Carole King - really begin tremblin’.

Because soon, gay marriage will be around.

Monday, October 29, 2012

HRC, Freedom to Marry Praise Obama's Support for State Marriage Equality Efforts

President Obama recently called on Americans to support the freedom to marry when they vote on ballot measures in Maine, Maryland and Washington. The president has previously spoken out against a Minnesota proposal to exclude gays and lesbians from marriage in the state constitution. Washington residents are already voting by mail, while voters in the other three states will vote at the polls on Nov. 6.

“President Obama continues to be a transformational leader for LGBT equality,” said Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin. “The president’s historic announcement of his support for marriage equality earlier this year sent a powerful message, particularly to LGBT youth, that no one’s hope of achieving the American dream should be curtailed simply because of who they are. In Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington, we enter the final two weeks of this hard-fought campaign knowing that the president of the United States joins our entire community in supporting their efforts to ensure that all people are treated with dignity and respect.”

"Today President Obama added a strong and personal ‘I do’ to voters still making up their minds on whether to support the freedom to marry in Maine, Maryland, and Washington this election, and Freedom to Marry applauds the president’s moral leadership in standing up for families, fairness, and freedom,” said Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry, the campaign to win marriage nationwide. “As the president said in May, ‘Same-sex couples should be able to get married … when we think about our faith, it’s also the golden rule.’ The right thing to do on these ballot-measures is to vote to treat others just as you would want to be treated – and let loving and committed couples share in the freedom to marry.”

Blll and Melinda Gates donate $500,000 to support marriage equality

Wow! The campaign in Washington state to defend a marriage equality law has received a half-million dollars from Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda.

Communities of faith shifting toward support of marriage equality?

While some of America’s largest religious organizations continue to oppose legal marriage for same-sex couples, some observers see a shift among other churches and people of faith

“The biggest breakthrough that I now hear from people who support the freedom to marry for same-sex couples is that it’s because of their faith, not in spite of it," said Marvin Ellison, a professor at the Bangor Theological Seminary in Maine.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Just in case you're wondering where Romney stands on marriage equality ...

A campaign adviser for Mitt Romney reiterated this past weekend that the former governor of Massachusetts favors banning marriage equality through an amendment to the U.S. Constitution. 

Bay Buchanan had previously suggested that Romney believed marriage was an issue best left up to individual states, causing some to wonder if the campaign was softening its position on the Federal Marriage Amendment. 

In response, Log Cabin Republican Executive Director R. Clarke Cooper issued a statement saying the conservative position should be to respect decisions by states to recognize married same-sex couples. 

Romney has signed a pledge written by the National Organization for Marriage that promises he will advocate for the FMA if he wins the White House.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Marriage Equality Takes Giant Step Forward in Maryland

In a historic move, the Maryland House of Delegates today approved marriage equality legislation introduced by Governor Martin O’Malley (D) that would allow committed gay and lesbian couples to marry. The next stop for the legislation is a vote in the State Senate. Last year, the same-sex marriage bill died on the House floor; a vote was not taken.
“We could not be more grateful to the Delegates who today voted to make all Maryland families stronger,” said Joe Solmonese, President of the Human Rights Campaign. “Today, we took a giant step toward marriage equality becoming law – and we are in this position due to the unwavering leadership and resolve of Governor O’Malley, Speaker Busch and our legislative allies.”
The Civil Marriage Protection Act allows committed gay and lesbian couples to obtain a marriage license while providing religious exemptions for churches and other religious institutions. Clergy, for example, do not have to perform any marriage they do not agree with. The bill protects religious liberty.
The Human Rights Campaign has committed extensive resources to the Maryland effort, including helping to create Marylanders for Marriage Equality, the broad-based coalition made up of labor, faith, civil liberties, and LGBT organizations. HRC provided the campaign’s senior staff and spearheaded the field, communications, and faith components of the coalition effort. 
Today’s legislative win for marriage equality comes at a historic moment: in the past two weeks, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled California’s discriminatory Proposition 8 to be unconstitutional; Governor Christine Gregoire signed marriage equality into law in Washington State; and a marriage bill passed the New Jersey legislature yesterday. Six states and the District of Columbia recognize marriage equality, with Washington State’s law set to go into effect in three months.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Washington state couples close to winning freedom to marry

A bipartisan vote in the Washington State House this week sent a marriage equality bill to the desk of Gov. Christine Gregoire, who is expected to sign it into law Monday. The law could become effective in June unless opponents can gather the signatures necessary to force the issue onto a statewide ballot. 

The final House debate featured testimony from openly gay lawmakers including Rep. Jamie Pedersen (pictured), who told his colleagues "I would like our four children to understand...that their daddy and their papa have made that lifelong commitment to each other."

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

The Good Wife’s Josh Charles Joins HRC’s Americans for Marriage Equality


Today the Human Rights Campaign released a web ad featuring actor Josh Charles – one of People’s Sexiest Men Alive and star of The Good Wife and Threesome, one of the first gay movies I ever saw – for its Americans for Marriage Equality campaign.

In the ad, Charles, who plays a lawyer on CBS’ Emmy Award winning legal drama, says, “You don’t need a law degree to understand fundamental fairness.” 

“Like most Americans, Josh Charles believes all couples should have the opportunity to say ‘I do,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “Loving gay and lesbian couples should be able to express their commitment to each other, and strengthen their families through marriage.”

Charles was nominated for an Emmy for his role on The Good Wife and gained critical acclaim early in his career as Knox Overstreet in Dead Poets Society. His ad is the sixth released by HRC for the Americans campaign.  Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker, one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the world, kicked off the series followed by Oscar winner Mo’Nique, civil rights legend Julian Bond, Emmy Award winner John Leguizamo, and acclaimed Broadway playwright Katori Hall.
About 53% of the American public supports marriage for same-sex couples, according to a number of nonpartisan polls, including Gallup, CNN, and Washington Post/ABC News.

Americans for Marriage Equality is a public engagement campaign featuring prominent Americans who support committed gay and lesbian couples getting married.  The campaign draws from a cadre of supportive professional athletes, film and music celebrities, political and civic leaders.  Over the coming months, HRC will roll out targeted videos playing off of the Americans brand, including Republicans for Marriage Equality, African-Americans for Marriage Equality, Latinos for Marriage Equality and Elected Officials for Marriage Equality.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Del Shores divorcing

A sad message from Del Shores' (left), creator of 'Sordid Lives', Facebook page on Sunday, November 27. Here's hoping the proceedings are anything but sordid:

To my fans and friends:

It saddens me to inform you that Jason Dottley and I are divorcing.

I will always cherish the almost ten years that we were together -- married for eight, legally for three. Jason was a wonderful husband to me and a great step-father to my daughters. I will miss being his husband.

Jason and I both fought hard for marriage equality, and I will continue to
fight that fight until gay marriage is legal nationwide. Our divorce
only proves that like straight people who have the right to marry and divorce, we are all equally human.

I know we are going to disappoint a lot of people and for that, I am truly sorry. But I will never feel that we failed, and I have no regrets. This was not what I wanted, but I must now accept what Jason wants. I only wish him the very best and will celebrate his continued success.

I've had lots of losses in my life, and I've found that I heal when I turn to my pen, my writing and my work. I promise you more twisted stories, that will make you laugh, think and maybe shed a tear
or two.

I welcome any words of support, but this is so hard, and privacy is important to me and my daughters during this difficult time.

Del Shores

Monday, December 14, 2009

Protect marriage - ban divorce!


A satirical proposal to ban divorce in California is accomplishing its goal of bringing media attention to the marriage issue, according to writer David L. Kirp, who teaches at the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley. "That's its real purpose -- to debunk, through humor, the humorless claim that the 'sanctity' of marriage is the reason gays shouldn't be allowed to tie the knot -- and on that score, it's mission accomplished," Kirp writes.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Really want to protect marriage? Ban divorce!

Sacramento's John Marcotte is working to defend marriage in California with a proposed measure to ban divorce.

The text of the measure reads:

"No party to any marriage shall be restored to the state of an unmarried person during the lifetime of the other party unless the marriage is void or voidable, as set forth in Part 2 of Division 6 of the Family Code."

This is brilliant and hilarious. Now let's see those marriage traditionalists put their money where their mouths are. - via BuzzFeed

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Become a fan of Marriage Equality

The Marriage Equality page on Facebook hit their goal of 10,000 fans and they say their next order of business is to get another fan for each of the 18,000 California marriages whose fate will be decided by the CA Supreme Court in just a few hours.

Become a fan today.