Category: Marriage Equality

Prop 8 opponents must release campaign materials, judge rules

LGBTQ Nation • Tuesday, March 23, 2010 • Filed under: Marriage Equality, Proposition 8 Trial • Comments (0)

Walker

A federal judge on Monday ordered same-sex marriage advocacy groups to turn over campaign materials from the election fight over Proposition 8, a move that could prolong the legal challenge to California’s ban on gay unions.

In a 24-page ruling, Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker rejected the arguments of the American Civil Liberties Union and Equality California.

Walker upheld a magistrate judge’s recent order requiring the groups to turn over the material to Proposition 8 defenders as part of the historic trial still unfolding on the gay marriage question.

The groups have until April 12 to pass over remaining campaign materials related to the controversial law — which reversed the legalization of gay marriage in California, and was approved by voters in November 2008 with 52% of the vote.

Previously from LGBTQ Nation:

Lambda Legal, NJ gay couples back in court over right to marry

LGBTQ Nation • Thursday, March 18, 2010 • Filed under: Marriage Equality, New Jersey • Comments (0)

Gay couples who sued New Jersey in 2002 for the right to marry are taking their case back to the State Supreme Court.

Lambda Legal filed a motion Thursday on behalf of six couples and the surviving partner from a seventh, claiming the state continues to discriminate against them even though it offers civil unions to same-sex couples.

“The New Jersey Supreme Court ordered equality for same-sex couples when it decided our marriage lawsuit in 2006, and the legislature has failed to meet that crystal-clear obligation,” said Lambda Legal Deputy Legal Director Hayley Gorenberg.

“Civil unions are a failed legislative experiment in providing equality—marriage equality is the only solution.”

Lambda Legal filed Lewis v. Harris in June 2002 on behalf of seven same-sex couples seeking the right to marry.

The New Jersey Supreme Court issued its ruling on October 25, 2006, unanimously agreeing that it is unconstitutional to give same-sex couples lesser rights than different-sex couples, but leaving the remedy to reach equality up to the legislature.

In January, the New Jersey Senate voted on and failed to pass a marriage equality law.

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NJ gay marriage advocates taking their case back to state supreme court

LGBTQ Nation • Wednesday, March 17, 2010 • Filed under: Marriage Equality, New Jersey • Comments (0)

New Jersey gays rights advocates, with the help of New York-based Lambda Legal, are going back to the New Jersey Supreme Court in order to fight for the right to marry in the Garden State.

Lambda Legal and Garden State Equality have scheduled a new conference for Thursday morning in Trenton to announce their action.

The announcement comes justy two months after a stinging defeat in the New Jersey State Senate, when several legislators apparently backtracked on earlier promises and failed to pass a Marriage Equality law.

In 2006, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that barring same-sex couples from the rights and benefits of marriage violated the constitutional promise of equality. The court gave the New Jersey Legislature a deadline of 180 days to correct the violation, with the legislature choosing to create the separate status of civil unions.

Gay marriage advocates are hoping the Court will take their case immediately.

Previously from LGBTQ Nation:

Hayworth says gay marriage will lead to bestiality

LGBTQ Nation • Monday, March 15, 2010 • Filed under: Marriage Equality, Newsmakers, Politics • Comments (5)

Hayworth

Former Arizona congressman and U.S. Senate hopeful J.D. Hayworth is afraid allowing same-sex marriages could lead to bestiality.

In a radio interview in Florida, Hayworth, who is challenging Senator John McCain in the Arizona Republican Senate primary, said the gay marriage law in Massachusetts is so vague, it could open the door to people marrying horses.

“Now how dangerous is that?” Hayworth said. “I guess that would mean if you really had affection for your horse, I guess you could marry your horse.”

Hayworth said marriage in that state is now defined simply as, quote, “the establishment of intimacy.” He recognizes he’s being absurd but says he’s trying to make the point that under the Massachusetts definition, if you really had affection for your horse, you could marry the horse.

Actually — dumbshit — the law in Massachusetts defines marriage as “the voluntary union of two persons as spouses, to the exclusion of all others,” thereby excluding horses (but including a horse’s ass such as yourself).

Hayworth supports a federal ban on gay marriage.

Previously from LGBTQ Nation:

Maryland AG: State must recognize gay unions performed out-of-state

LGBTQ Nation • Thursday, February 25, 2010 • Filed under: Marriage Equality, Maryland • Comments (0)

Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler released a long-awaited opinion Wednesday saying that Maryland should recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, drawing cheers from gay-rights supporters and igniting immediate debate on a highly contentious issue in an election year.

From the Baltimore Sun:

With the ruling, state agencies will be required to extend all benefits that heterosexual couples enjoy to married gay couples. These could include health insurance expansion, spousal legal immunities, property rights, the ability to file wrongful-death suits and perhaps some tax benefits, experts said yesterday.

“There is no law in Maryland that says we don’t recognize out-of-state marriages between same-sex couples,” Gansler said. “Based on the law and the state of the law in Maryland and the Constitution of the United States, this is what the law is.”

Continue reading…

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Judge rejects gay marriage opponents — refuses to ‘usurp’ DC elections board

LGBTQ Nation • Saturday, February 20, 2010 • Filed under: District of Columbia, Marriage Equality • Comments (0)

Another Superior Court judge has denied a request by gay marriage opponents to overturn a D.C. Board of Elections rulings against a referendum on the issue.

Earlier Friday, attorneys for Stand4MarriageDC and the Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative legal organization, went to court seeking a preliminary injunction, which would have stayed the effective date of D.C.’s Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Act of 2009.

After hearing from both sides, Superior Court Judge Brian F. Holeman tentatively denied the motion from the bench, ruling that the court lacked the power “to usurp the legislative process,” and that opponents did not establish they would suffer irreparable harm if the law were to take effect as scheduled. Continue reading…

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New Hampshire House rejects bills aimed at repealing gay marriage

LGBTQ Nation • Wednesday, February 17, 2010 • Filed under: Marriage Equality, New Hampshire • Comments (0)

New Hampshire’s House rejected a pair of anti-gay marriage bills on Wednesday.

The House voted 201-135 to kill a proposed constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. Supporters needed 60 percent of the House to place it on the November ballot.

Later in the day, the House voted 210-109 to reject a second bill, this one sought to repeal the state’s 6-week-old law legalizing same-sex marriage.

From the New Hampshire Union Leader:

Rep. Robert Thompson, D-Manchester who married his partner on Jan. 2, asked the House, “How has my marriage impacted upon your marriage or how has it diminished the value of your marriage?”

Previously from LGBTQ Nation:

Minnesota gay rights group rallies in support of gay marriage legislation

LGBTQ Nation • Saturday, February 13, 2010 • Filed under: Marriage Equality, Minnesota • Comments (0)

Gay rights supporters rallied at the Minnesota state capital in St. Paul this week in a show of support for same-sex marriage.

One of the state’s most high-profile gay rights group gathered spiritual leaders and activists in the Capitol rotunda Thursday.

OutFront Minnesota, is pushing a bill in the Legislature that would make laws regulating marriage gender-neutral.

“For years, many Minnesotans thought that support for marriage equality was simply incompatible with religious faith,” said OutFront Minnesota Executive Director Amy Johnson said. Continue reading…

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WV lawmaker stalls anti-gay marriage amendment in committee

LGBTQ Nation • Friday, February 12, 2010 • Filed under: Marriage Equality, West Virginia • Comments (0)

A proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in West Virginia will not be moving forward, according to chairwoman of the WV House Constitutional Revision Committee.

Delegate Barbara Fleischauer (D), said there is already a law in West Virgina that permits marriage only between a man and a woman, so there is no need to discuss an amendment to ban gay marriage.

“A number of states throughout the country have recognized homosexual marriage and we think we need a safeguard to keep that from happening here and we think the people of West Virginia want that safeguard, so there’s a frustration out there, and we think it should be brought to the House and debated,” said Minority Leader Tim Armstead (R).

The republican minority is hoping to force a debate on the issue by requesting that the amendment be removed from the committee and taken directly to the house floor.

The bill’s supporters say the constitutional ban is necessary to prevent the state Supreme Court from overturning the law in the future.

Previously from LGBTQ Nation:

NJ gay rights group halts political party donations, citing gay marriage defeat

LGBTQ Nation • Tuesday, February 9, 2010 • Filed under: Featured, Marriage Equality, New Jersey • Comments (0)

New Jersey’s largest gay rights group is suspending donations to political parties after feeling spurned by Democratic lawmakers who did not pass a gay marriage bill.

In a statement released Monday, Garden State Equality said it will now contribute only to individual candidates and pro-LGBT non-party organizations:

Sending a bold signal that no political party should take the support of the LGBT community and its allies for granted, Garden State Equality’s Board of Directors has unanimously approved a new provision for the organization’s bylaws that immediately precludes Garden State Equality from giving financial contributions to political parties and their affiliated committees.

Under the new policy, Garden State Equality will make financial contributions only to individual candidates and to non-party organizations that further equality for the LGBT community.

“No longer will we let any political party take our money and volunteers with one hand, and slap us in the face with the other when we seek full equality.”

Continue reading…

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