Wallabies rugby star Dave Pocock, who is boycotting marriage until there is equal love in Australia
It is not realistic to ask male-female couples to do this, but I find it very touching when such couples do make a stand like this. It’s a big sacrifice, and when it comes from a famous rugby player like Dave Pocock it makes a doubly strong point.
This is terribly sad news. Axel Axgil has died, aged 96 – after a lifetime of service to equality. Axel set up the world’s first national gay rights organisation in 1948 in Denmark - years before we had magazines like One, networks like Daughters of Bilitis or anyone had heard of Stonewall.
Axel and a small groups of others were fundamental to the implementation of civil partnerships in 1989 in Denmark and he was the first of the first at the first same sex wedding on Oct. 1, 1989, when he and his partner Eigil were among 11 couples to exchange vows. I interviewed the second couple, Ove Carlsen and Ivan Carlsen, in 2009 and they both spoke very highly of Axel.
LGBT Danmark said it planned a memorial service for Axgil at the organization’s annual meeting on Nov. 5 in Aarhus, western Denmark. Read more
Sean Avery, an ice hockey star, is not a person I knew about until this spot for New Yorkers for Marriage Equality. But his common sense and possibly brave decision to speak about the equality he expects for himself, and supports for others, makes me wonder where the other sports stars are in this debate. Cristiano Ronaldo is a notable other example.
I don’t think sports stars are special people – but they do have large followings and a way of connecting with more macho and less political crowds that we needs as supporters of equality.
How about Ian Thorpe doing an ad for Australian Marriage Equality? Just saying …
Elizabeth Taylor (apparently she hated Liz), was a woman of depth on-screen and off. Here is her early and brilliant speech in favour of gay marriage at the 2000 GLAAD awards in California, with thanks to Rex Wockner for reminding us of this vision. Taylor fought for equality long before it was sexy, and we’ll remember her long after we finally achieve it.
“All of my life I’ve spent a lot of time with gay men — Montgomery Clift, Jimmy Dean, Rock Hudson — who are my colleagues, coworkers, confidantes, my closest friends, but I never thought of who they slept with! They were just the people I loved. I could never understand why they couldn’t be afforded the same rights and protections as all of the rest of us. There is no gay agenda, it’s a human agenda.
“All of us should be treated the same, and GLAAD knows that. Why shouldn’t gay people be allowed to marry? Those against gay marriages say marriage should only be between a man and a woman. God, I, of all people know that [the remainder of the sentence was inaudible due to an audience outburst]. I feel that any home where there is love constitutes a family and all families should have the same legal rights, including the right to marry and have or adopt children!
“Why shouldn’t gay people be able to live as open and freely as everybody else? What it comes down to, ultimately, is love. How can anything bad come out of love? The bad stuff comes out of mistrust, misunderstanding and, God knows, from hate and from ignorance … the bad things never came out of loving acts, loving gestures or loving relationships. That’s why I’m here tonight — to celebrate you and your families. And to tell you to hang in there and to say, once and for all of us, long live love.” Continue reading →
I had trouble tracking down a decent quality version of this video of Zach Wahls, the 19 year old son of a lesbian couple from Iowa. But even though it’s a bit late, I think it still has to go up here, because he’s so damn good.
My favourite quote is at the end:
“Not once in my 19 years has anyone independently guessed that I was raised by two women. You know why? Because the sexual orientation of my parents has absolutely zero to do with the content of my character.”
Here is he is again – so articulate and nice – discussing the story behind why he gave his speech and why he has faith that Iowa will not crumble in the face of our well funded opponents.
This will come as no surprise to anyone who’s ever dealt with Dan Savage or come across his work; but he invents another excellent argument in this piece for the New York Times ahead of President Barack Obama‘s next State of the Union address.
In a nutshell it provides another reason for conservatives to get over themselves and find common cause with gays and lesbians, like this quote, for example:
“Social conservatives long to raise their children in a country where they don’t have to hear about homosexuality every time they turn on the news. I’d like raise my son in a country like that too. And guess what? In countries like Canada — where the fight over gay rights is essentially over, where there is gay marriage, open military service and employment protections — homosexuality hardly ever makes the front pages of newspapers. There’s nothing much to report.
Conservatives can’t get rid of us, but they can hear less from and about us. They just have to bend toward justice.”
This is going to be HUGE!
Like this blog on a scale of one million to one.
We all need to work together and to help each other. None of us is really free, and can sleep with a totally clean conscience until all of us is free.
I am very excited for old friend Jeremy Heimans and the wonderful team from Purpose that are building this global movement
She is better known for taking on and beating Microsoft, but here is a great video from the Vice President of the European Commission, Neelie Kroes. She shows us why we need to give all kids hope of a great future, and how the right to live with or marry the person we love is an important part of that future.
Great stuff from the European Union; and a great message that I hope all 69 year old grandmothers can share!
Sean Eldridge (left) and Chris Hughes want your money ... so they can double it!
This is a great campaign put together by Freedom To Marry. Sean Eldridge and Chris Hughes have agreed to double every donation made to Freedom to Marry for the rest of this year. Sean is Freedom to Marry’s Political Director and Chris, his partner of five years, is one of the co-founders of Facebook, and now the founder of Jumo.
Because of their generosity, for every $25 you give, Freedom to Marry will get $50. For every $50 you can give, Freedom to Marry will get $100.
Gay people can now marry in 12 countries on four continents – let’s do even better. It is your donation to Freedom to Marry or your local Marriage Equality group (which I am very happy to feature on here if you let me know the details), that will determine the pace of progress towards true and universal equality. Join these guys in the catalogue of heroes that are helping to create change.
Kristie and Jessica, from Croydon Park, South Australia
This is just the best idea I’ve seen in ages - so simple and powerful.
The premise: all the happy wedding photos that could exist if only the Australian Government would get out of the way and let people love and nuture the way they want to love and nurture. Read more about the intentions of the project here. Check it out! http://www.thepotentialweddingalbum.org/
