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.
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 →
1. Prop 8
2. Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
3. New Hampshire drama on the horizon
PROP 8 NEWS
A pro-equality Governor (Jerry Brown) and a pro-equality Attorney-General (Kamala Harris) were elected in November in California. So far, so good. The Californian Government will not be defeding Prop 8 in court.
That doesn’t mean the court appeal will go away: it’s before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco from December 6.
This is an appeal against U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker’s Aug. 4 2010 ruling that Prop 8 is constitutional. In the first hour, the parties will address the question of whether any entity has legal standing to appeal Walker’s ruling, seeing as the Californian govt and country clerks refuse to do so.
If the random appellants do not achieve ‘standing’ the case is over and Walker’s ruling will take effect. Or the parties could appeal the standing issue to the U.S. Supreme Court.
2. DON’T ASK DON’T TELL Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal, round 2, starts Dec. 2 in the U.S. Senate when Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee. They will discuss the Pentagon’s massive survey of troops, which is to be released tomorrow, Nov. 30.
3. NEW HAMPSHIRE
Are you about to go back to inequality in New Hampshire just a year after the leap forward? Yes - if some Republican legislators get their way. Republicans now control both state Houses of Parliament. Bills already have been filed to repeal the marriage-equality law and to amend the state constitution to prohibit same-sex couples from marrying.
“Republicans now have a veto-proof majority in the Legislature, and the newly elected House speaker, state Rep. Bill O’Brien, is a staunch opponent of marriage equality,” said Lee Swislow, executive director of Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders. “But we know there are many New Hampshire Republicans who support marriage equality and we’re looking forward to working with them.” Thanks to Rex Wockner for pointing me to this info.
I think this is brilliant – I am sick of religious figures thinking they have immunity from the law. What the Archbishop is reported to have said is appalling.
I hope the court takes more than 30 pieces of silver off him!
With thanks to REX WOCKNER for the story.
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The mayor of Mexico City, Marcelo Ebrard, has sued the Roman Catholic bishop of Guadalajara, Juan Sandoval Íñiguez, for saying that the Mexican Supreme Court was bribed by Ebrard and others to approve Mexico City’s law that legalized gay marriage and adoption. The court also ruled that Mexico City same-sex marriages are valid nationwide.
“I don’t think the judges would arrive at such absurd conclusions, against the sentiment of the Mexican public, without there being very big motives, and the very big motive may be the money that they are given,” Sandoval said.
Ebrard filed a civil suit in the Supreme Court claiming defamation. The archdiocese responded that it has proof to back up Sandoval’s claim.
“When the cardinal was talking, he didn’t do it just to hear himself speak,” said a spokesman.
“Check their bank accounts,” Sandoval himself said later.
In the original outburst, Sandoval reportedly also called homosexuality an aberration and said, “Would you want to be adopted by a pair of faggots or lesbians?”
By good luck and rare timing, I am in BuenosAires today with thousands of jubilant Argentine citizens and was able to attend and to witness this historic signing of the law introducing gay marriage at the Casa Rosada.
Afterwards, with immense serendipity, I was included with a handful of others led by Pablo DeLuca and Gustavo Noguera, with the Argentine LGBT Chamber, along with Justin Nelson and Chance Mitchell from NGLCC as well as New York based journalists Mike Luongo and Mark Chesnut, to stop by President Cristina’s office after the ceremony for what turned out to be nearly a half-hour personal conversation with her and a few of her staff.
With my near-extinct knowledge of Spanish, I was sadly reduced to witnessing this historic private moment. But like some immesnsely beautiful art films, there are times when words are somewhat powerless because feelings and emotions are so expressive and dominant.
In her office, after her official act was complete, she was captivating, dramatic, ebullient, intense and embracing — still touched by the poignancy of the signing ceremony itself. After she signed the legislation in the public space downstairs, we witnessed hundreds of the attendees inside the room and outside as well, begin to press forward to touch her, hug her, hand her flowers, seek photos with her …
This is an amazing victory for equality supporters – in a heavily Catholic country they have shown that religious-minded people can and will support equality. 91% describe themselves as Catholic and 70% of the country supports marriage equality. You do the math – that means at least 60% of self-described Catholics support equality.
From the current heated campaign to bring equality to all of Argentina after Buenos Aires started gay marriages in December 2009. Currently the mot likely outcomes is civil unions but no marriage. With thanks to Rex Wockner for sharing.
Viva “The Same Love. The Same Rights. The Same Name.”
Here is a great excerpt from Ted Olson, as reported by Rex Wockner, closing the case in California to have the anti-gay marriage Prop 8 referendum outlawed because it is unconsitutional to take away marriage rights. This is classy and clever and brave for a conservative to argue …
