Posts Tagged: marriage equality

Australia / Campaigns / Civil Union / Politicians — No Comments
22
Oct 11

AUSSIE PRESSURE MOUNTS

It’s been a big month in Australia – I am just sorry my day has left this blog mostly silent (though I do have a chapter in the new Australian book “Speak Now”!)

The latest news includes, a departing State Premier (South Australia’s Mike Rann backing equality), the Acting Premier of Queensland (basically our Texas) backing federal marriage equality and proposing a state civil union scheme in the meantime, and the national President of the ruling Labor Party saying she also backs equality.

None of this means it’s more likely to happen in the national Parliament this year – but all the momentum is positive.  Keep reading for more details   Continue reading →

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Conservatives / North America / Religion / Statistics / Surprising Marriage Equality Supporters — 1 Comment
30
Aug 11

RELIGIOUS YOUTH SUPPORT EQUALITY

PRRI Views on Selected Gay & Lesbian Issues by age

Views on Selected Gay & Lesbian Issues by age. Source: PRRI

Well, well, this is a positive development. The United States’ Public Religion Research Institute today released “Generations at Odds: The Millennial Generation and the Future of Gay and Lesbian Rights,” a report into what todays teens and 20-somethings in the US think about us.

62% of American youth favor marriage equality, including 49% of those identifying as Republican and 44% of those who think of themselves as Evangelical.  In the last category that means the youth are four times more to support equality than senior Evangelicals.

This is what they call a snowball effect, ladies and gentlemen.

(Interestingly more Catholics think the Church’s approach to gays is too extreme than think it is “about right.”)

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Asia / Lesbian / Surprising Marriage Equality Supporters / Wedding — No Comments
21
Aug 11

TAIWAN MASS GAY WEDDING

Taiwan lesbian couples

80 lesbian couples have tied the knot in an unofficial celebrations that was completed without police interference or protests, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation

I’ve seen reports of a fair few mass wedding in Asia – usually led by Moonies! – but this is first mass lesbian wedding party I’ve ever heard of in Asia. And apparently more than 1000 people PAID to watch it happen.

But it is not that surprising given that Taiwan has the largest gay pride celebrations in Asia. Taiwan has also had the tantalising prospect of a draft marriage equality bill since 2003.  Unlike many countries it was not drafted by a lone liberal or left-wing politican / party, but by the advisers of the Cabinet.  This bill is the first in Asia to promise marriage and adoption rights to gay couples.

Organisers say the event gives them hope that the island will soon legalise gay marriage, but the Taiwanese President Ma Ying-Jeou says there needs to be “consensus” before such legislation can move forward.

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Lesbian / Miscellaneous / North America / Personal Stories / Wedding — No Comments
18
Aug 11

BRIDE TURNED AWAY FROM STORE FOR HER “ILLEGAL ACTION”

alix_genter

Oh dear, what sort of awful person does this?

I sincerely hope that the Here Comes the Bride store in Philadelphia, USA, suffers major economic retaliation for this act.

Here is a sample of the nonense Alix Genter was forced to deal with:

“She said she wouldn’t work with me because I’m gay,” you recalled. “She also said that I came from a nice Jewish family, and that it was a shame I was gay. She said, ‘There’s right, and there’s wrong. And this is wrong.’ “

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Civil Union / North America — No Comments
16
Aug 11

RHODE ISLAND CIVIL UNION FLOP

Much Ado About Nothing Much

Much Ado About Nothing Much

This shouldn’t really come as a surprise … one month after Rhode Island introduced civil unions rather than full marriage (trailing New York on both the time and equality clocks), no-one is much interested.

And why would they be, when you can potter up the road north or south and get the real deal?

I am glad the nine couples in their new unions have some enhanced protections, but I think the numbers speak for themselves. A halfway house is often a nowhere house, and people are obviously voting with their feet.

(And, by the way, you can now get marriage in more US jurisdictions than those left to settle for a civil union.)

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Heroes / North America / Personal Stories / Republican — 2 Comments
26
Jul 11

NEW ANDREW SULLIVAN ESSAY

 

Andrew Sullivan with Husband

Andrew Sullivan with Husband

I am always challenged and/or inspired by what Andrew Sullivan writes. One of the most consistent centre-right advocates of equality in the world – Western world or otherwise. A new essay from him in Newsweek.

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Marriage / North America / Personal Stories / Photos / Wedding — No Comments
25
Jul 11

I HEART NEW YORK

New York couples getting married

These pictures from The Guardian are just great, from the first day of marriage equality in New York. Who the hell could fail to be moved by this joy? Another gallery from LIFE is here.  Video here: Gay Marriage arrives in New York. Nearly 700 couples were married on the first day – an all-time record for New York.

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Australia / Campaigns / Celebrities / Miscellaneous / Myths — No Comments
14
Jul 11

THE GLOBAL GAY GESTAPO

Loree and Kevin Rudd

Loree and Kevin Rudd

WTF? I did not expect to read about Kevin Rudd and the global gay gestapo this morning.

This is one of those situations of “who cares what a relative of a famous person or a famous person says.” They don’t have an extraordinary insight, they just have a name.

Well, seeing as I am happy to take all the good stuff from our liberal friendly celebrities … I have to support the downside of this fame game too. Like the sister of the recent Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, saying Australia is being held hostage by the “gay gestapo” when it comes to marriage equality. Go back in your box!

Insensitive. Wrong. Lacking in insight. Offensive to all Gestapo victims. We could go on. And we could also say that Brother Rudd is playing it smart by shutting up, which is something Sister Rudd would have been well advised to do.

But someone has to condemn this crazy lady, and I am certainly going to be one of those people.  And it will be a good day when she leaves the Australian Labor Party which is growing more enlightened and will one day cut these sorts of people loose and officially adopt equality as its national policy.

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Global / Jokes / Miscellaneous / North America — No Comments
13
Jul 11

GAY MARRIAGE CARTOON SLIDESHOW

DaveGrunlandcartoon_SameSexstatuesofliberty

Cartoon credit: Dave Grunland

Found this nifty cartoon slideshow that you might be interested in.

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Europe / Wedding — No Comments
11
Jul 11

SPAIN’S CREDIT RATING GOES UP

creditratingimage

That’s not a headline you are likely to read anywhere else in 2011. But in the case of access to equality, the fresh statistics for marriage in Spain show the country’s credit rating is very high indeed.

Rex Wockner reports that 18,634 same-sex marriages have been registered in Spain, while the State Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Transsexuals and Bisexuals (FELGBT) believes that not all the marriages have been recorded, and that the actual number is 23,000.

In any case, 2.1 percent of marriages in 2010 were between people of the same sex - nearly 4,000 last year.

To the 8,000 happy people – my hearty congratulations.

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