Court rejects motion to force Brown, Schwarzenegger to defend Prop 8

LGBTQ Nation • Friday, September 3, 2010 • Filed under: Proposition 8 Trial • Comments (0)

A California state appeals court has denied a conservative law group’s request that it force Attorney General Jerry Brown and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to defend Proposition 8 in federal court.

The denial was issued Wednesday and entered Thursday on the website of the 3rd District Court of Appeals in Sacramento. [Fresno Bee]

Without explanation, the court denied a motion filed on Monday by Pacific Justice Institute on behalf of Joshua Beckley, a senior pastor at Ecclesia Christian Fellowship in San Bernardino, that sought to force the AG and Governor to defend the anti-gay-marriage law in the federal appeals case. [Court order here (PDF).]

The group had argued that Brown and Schwarzenegger have no right to pick and choose what state laws to uphold.

Both Brown and Schwarzenegger were named as defendants in the federal trial challenging Prop 8, and refused to defend it in court; both have said they believe Proposition 8 violates the U.S. Constitution.

If upheld, the ruling could prove significant in the federal case involving Prop 8.

U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker has indicated that Prop 8 proponents may not have a legal right to appeal his decision to allow same-sex unions in California, because they cannot prove they will be harmed — as required by law — if gay and lesbian couples wed.

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Appeals court reverses Texas same-sex divorce case

LGBTQ Nation • Wednesday, September 1, 2010 • Filed under: Texas • Comments (0)

A Texas appeals court has ruled same-sex couples legally married in other states can’t get divorced in Texas. The ruling came in the case of a gay Dallas couple who had split up after getting married in Massachusetts in 2006.

In issuing the decision, the appeals court also ruled that the Texas same-sex marriage ban is constitutional.

The ruling from the 5th District Court of Appeals on Tuesday in the case, in the Matter of the Marriage of J.B. and H.B. (as they are identified in court records).

The couple filed for a divorce in Texas in January 2009. Massachusetts, which has allowed same-sex marriage since 2004, has a residency requirement for divorce.

[Equality Texas] issued this statement:

The Fifth District Court of appeals has taken the most extreme, the most conservative view possible on each issue before it. It’s not as if they wanted to just overturn the trial court’s decision, they wanted to smash it into ground and discourage anyone from ever filing a pro-LGBT suit ever again.

The ruling harkens back to a view of the world from generations past — a world where LGBT people were content to live in closets, and were afraid to demand to be treated with dignity and respect. A dignity and respect that this court goes out of its way to completely deny.

Continue reading…

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Presbyterian minister rebuked, praised for performing same-sex unions

LGBTQ Nation • Friday, August 27, 2010 • Filed under: California, Religion • Comments (0)

A retired Presbyterian minister was found guilty Friday by a church tribunal of presiding at the marriage of same-sex couples in 2008 and will be censured, pending an appeal.

The six-member panel announced its verdict in the case of the Rev. Dr. Jane Spahr, of San Francisco, who was accused of violating church law by performing 16 gay and lesbian ceremonies.

Spahr

After a four-day church trial that was equal parts Scripture lesson and celebration of marriage, a panel of church leaders from the Presbytery of the Redwoods voted 4-2 that Spahr should be censured because she “persisted in a pattern or practice of disobedience.”

But the six-person panel voted unanimously that the 68-year-old lesbian’s actions did not disrupt the “peace, unity and purity of the church” and praised her “faithful compassion” and her 35-year ministry to gays and lesbians throughout the country.

In its ruling, the panel called upon the church to re-examine its “fear and ignorance that continues to reject the inclusiveness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” Continue reading…

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Former RNC chair, GW Bush campaign manager: ‘I’m gay’

LGBTQ Nation • Thursday, August 26, 2010 • Filed under: Coming Out, Newsmakers • Comments (0)

Ken Mehlman, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee and the campaign manager who helped win a second term for President George W. Bush on his anti-gay marriage platform has announced that he is homosexual.

Mehlman

During his tenure as chairman of the RNC, the party’s strategists encouraged state referendums banning same-sex marriage, but Mehlman now says he wants to become an advocate for gay marriage.

“It’s taken me 43 years to get comfortable with this part of my life,” Mehlman said in an interview with Atlantic magazine.

“Everybody has their own path to travel, their own journey, and for me, over the past few months, I’ve told my family, friends, former colleagues, and current colleagues, and they’ve been wonderful and supportive.

“The process has been something that’s made me a happier and better person. It’s something I wish I had done years ago.”

Mehlman is widely considered one of the key architects of the Bush-era Republican election machine that exploited anti-gay prejudices to motivate its conservative base. His revelation comes after years of speculation, and to date is the highest-profile national Republican figure to come out as gay. Continue reading…

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Target, Best Buy feel investor backlash over political donation

LGBTQ Nation • Friday, August 20, 2010 • Filed under: Business, Minnesota • Comments (0)

After weeks of public protest over its financial support of an organization that backed a GOP gubernatorial candidate opposed to gay rights, Target Corp. now faces a new form of pressure: demands from institutional shareholders that it revamp its donation process to avoid the chance of additional backfires.

From the Los Angeles Times:

“Imprudent donations can potentially have a major negative impact on company reputations and business if they don’t carefully and fully assess a candidate’s positions,” said Tim Smith, a senior vice president at Walden Asset Management, one of three asset management firms that this week filed a resolution asking the retail giant to overhaul its campaign donation policies. He cautioned that funding ballot initiatives, as many corporations have done, “can similarly backfire.”

The three management firms sponsoring the resolution — Calvert Asset Management, Trillium Asset Management and Walden — together hold $57.5 million of Target stock. Other institutional investors, including the giant New York state pension fund and union investment managers, are considering co-signing the resolution, which calls on Target’s independent directors to review the criteria and risks in making donations to organizations active in political campaigns.

Retailers Target and Best Buy were among several Minnesota firms that gave large donations to MN Forward, a new tax-exempt committee running ads backing GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, a staunch opponent of LGBT rights and same-sex marriage.

Best Buy has received the same shareholder resolution as Target, which calls for a far more rigorous and specific review by independent board members and for disclosure of the company’s contributions policy.

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Ricky Martin’s memoir due November 2

LGBTQ Nation • Thursday, August 19, 2010 • Filed under: Books and Authors, Celebrities, Music • Comments (1)

Ricky Martin is set to release his memoir, Me, on November 2.

Martin said in a statement Thursday that the project led him to extract memories that he had erased from his mind. He said the book was not easy but allowed for an “incredible spiritual journey.”

USA TODAY’s Cindy Clark reports that the Grammy-Award winning artist opens up for the first time about his early childhood, his experiences as a member of the boy band Menudo, and coming to terms with his sexuality. Martin also talks about being a father and his work with children around the world.

Martin has said that preparing to write the book was one of the reasons he decided to reveal earlier this year that he is gay.

There will also be a Spanish language edition released in Spanish the same day, titled Yo, which is Spanish for “I.”

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Appeals court grants ‘stay’ in Prop 8 ruling, gay marriage to remain on hold

LGBTQ Nation • Monday, August 16, 2010 • Filed under: Proposition 8 Trial • Comments (0)

A federal appeals court on Monday put a hold on same-sex marriages in California, overruling a federal district judge who had earlier ruled that Proposition 8 — the state’s voter approved ban on gay marriage — was unconstitutional.

The “stay” means same-sex marriages won’t start on Wednesday as thousands of gay and lesbian couples had hoped.

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has placed such marriages effectively on hold until December at the earliest, granting a request by proponents of Proposition 8 to delay enforcement of the August 4 court order voiding the ballot referendum.

But in Monday’s order, the judges asked the ballot measure’s lawyers to submit arguments on why they have the legal right to appeal when the state’s top two officials, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Brown, had refused to defend the law or file an appeal. Continue reading…

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Target rejects HRC call for ‘make it right’ donation to gay causes

LGBTQ Nation • Monday, August 16, 2010 • Filed under: Business, Minnesota • Comments (0)

Target Corp. said Monday it has no plans to donate money to gay-friendly causes to quiet the protests over a $150,000 donation that helped support a Minnesota governor candidate who opposes gay marriage.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) said the Minneapolis-based retailer had effectively rejected the group’s proposals to donate to gay rights organizations to offset the earlier donation.

In a statement, Target said:

“Given the current political and emotionally charged environment, we have concluded that it is best to wait before taking further external action regarding our MN Forward contribution. We believe that it is impossible to avoid turning any further actions into a political issue and will use the benefit of time to make thoughtful, careful decisions on how best to move forward.”

The HRC issued this statement:

“After two weeks of good-faith discussions -– and two tentative agreements –- with Target Corporation, the company has informed the HRC that it will take no corrective actions to repair the harm that it caused by contributing $150,000 to an organization supporting a vehemently anti-gay candidate closely associated with a Christian rock band that advocates death and violence to gay people. In response, HRC announced that it will devote $150,000 of its own resources to help elect a pro-equality governor and legislature in Minnesota. The next governor will likely have the opportunity to either sign or veto marriage equality legislation in the North Star State.

“All fair-minded Americans will now rightly question Target’s commitment to equality. If their initial contribution was a slap in the face, their refusal to make it right is a punch in the gut and that’s not something that we will soon forget,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese.

Continue reading…

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Neil Patrick Harris and partner David Burtka expecting twins

LGBTQ Nation • Saturday, August 14, 2010 • Filed under: Celebrities • Comments (1)

Neil Patrick Harris confirmed rumors on Saturday, and announced via Twitter that he and longtime partner David Burtka are expecting twins in the fall.

The pair have already started planning their baby shower, according to E! News, who first reported the twins were on the way, via a surrogate.

“So, get this: David and I are expecting twins this fall. We’re super excited/nervous/thrilled. Hoping the press can respect our privacy,” Harris “tweeted.”

Later in the day, the expectant dads hammed it up at Disneyland.

Harris is up for three Emmys this month — one for Best Supporting Actor Comedy on CBS’ “How I Met Your Mother,” a second for Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for “Glee” and a third for hosting last year’s Tony Awards.

Burtka has experience with twins; he helped to raise twins from a relationship with a previous boyfriend, although he wasn’t a primary parent to them.

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Judge lifts stay in Prop 8 ruling; gay marriage could resume August 18

LGBTQ Nation • Thursday, August 12, 2010 • Filed under: California, Proposition 8 Trial • Comments (0)

Gay marriage in California could resume next week as a federal judge today denied defendant’s motion for a permanent stay to his decision to overturn Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot measure that reinstated the ban on same-sex marriage, but extended the temporary stay another week.

Unless another stay is ordered by a higher court, today’s ruling creates a new window of opportunity for same-sex couples to marry, similar to May 2008, when the State Supreme Court overturned California’s ban on same-sex marriages. About 18,000 couples were married before Proposition 8 was passed by 52 percent of the vote that November.

Gay and lesbian couples lined up at San Francisco City Hall all morning in anticipation of today’s ruling, and officials in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and other jurisdictions indicated that if Walker lifted the stay, they would be performing marriages today on a first come, first serve basis.

But the Judge’s ruling extended the temporary stay until 5 p.m. next Wednesday, August 18, effectively allowing Proposition 8 supporters time to appeal his decision to 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and dashing the hopes of hundreds of gay couples hoping to marry today.
Continue reading…

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