Marriage Equality

KENTUCKY: Compromise Reached On Marriage Licenses

The Kentucky GOP’s plan for a separate marriage license for gay couples has been shot down. Via McClatchyDC: Kentucky would have a single marriage license for straight and gay couples under a compromise plan backed by Republican Gov. Matt Bevin and the Democrat-controlled House Judiciary Committee. The proposed form would allow applicants to identify themselves as bride, groom or spouse …

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COLOMBIA: Marriage Victory Expected Next Week

JMG reader Luis reports at The Perchy Bird: In Colombia, several media outlets have reported that a 20-page Constitutional Court opinion that will bring marriage equality to the country is ready and only awaits a meeting to cast a Court vote. According to them, sources close to the Court say that the magistrates will vote against one conservative judge’s proposal …

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AUSTRALIA: Senator Tells Parliament That Gay Men Aren’t Faithful Enough To Deserve Marriage

We’ve heard this one before. Gay Star News reports: Family First Senator and marriage equality opponent Bob Day on Friday hit out at same-sex marriage, saying that most gay men in relationships are unfaithful to their partners. During the second reading of the Marriage Equality Amendment Bill, the Senator for South Australia started his speech calling it ‘shameful that activists …

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ALABAMA: Senate Votes To Eliminate Marriage Licenses

Two weeks ago the Alabama Supreme Court dismissed a challenge to Obergefell with a ruling that Chief Justice Roy Moore bizarrely contends actually upholds his state’s ban on same-sex marriage. Today the state Senate continued to ride the crazy train. The Associated Press reports: The Alabama Senate has voted to do away with state-issued marriage licenses following the U.S. Supreme …

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Puerto Rico Gov: Ignore That Crazy Anti-Gay Judge

Via press release from Lambda Legal: Today, Governor Alejandro García Padilla [photo] announced that the decision issued yesterday by the District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, holding that the historic U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges striking down discriminatory marriage bans nationwide did not apply to Puerto Rico because it is not a state, would not …

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PUERTO RICO: Federal Judge Declares Obergefell Ruling Does Not Apply To “Unincorporated Territories”

Chris Geidner reports at Buzzfeed: Puerto Rico’s marriage ban remains valid and the law of the territory, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday. Because Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory, the Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex couples’ marriage rights does not automatically apply there, U.S. District Court Judge Juan Pérez-Giménez ruled in a 10-page decision. The judge had previously upheld …

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AUSTRALIA: Prime Minister Refuses To Endorse Pledge To Hold Same-Sex Marriage Plebiscite This Year

But he’ll totally party at Sydney’s gay mardi gras. From the Sydney Morning Herald: Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has failed to endorse a pledge made by Attorney-General George Brandis to hold a same-sex marriage plebiscite, and change the Marriage Act, by the end of 2016. Speaking on Sky News on Sunday, Senator Brandis said the government would hold a plebiscite …

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REPORT: The Queen Disapproves Of Gay Marriage

From the Daily Mail: The Queen did not approve of the legalisation of same-sex marriage, the Daily Mail can reveal today. While in favour of civil partnerships, as a woman of deep Christian faith she took a different view on the legislation allowing same-sex couples to ‘marry’. She expressed her frustration to a friend at the height of the controversy, …

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Trump Refuses To Answer Gay Marriage Question

From the Daily Mail: Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump refused to answer a question about same-sex marriage during a press conference Saturday night, following his electoral split of four primary and caucus states with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. DailyMail.com asked Trump to say whether or not he favors marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples, and whether U.S. Supreme Court …

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MALTA: Government Endorses Same-Sex Marriage

Malta Today reports: The Malta Gay Rights Movement has called on parliamentarians to put forward a Bill opening up marriage to all couples irrespective of their gender, “without delay”. MGRM coordinator Gabi Calleja welcomed the cross-party consensus on gay marriages after both Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Opposition leader Simon Busuttil came out in favour of the matter. “MGRM welcomes …

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AUSTRALIA: Malcolm Turnbull Becomes First Sitting Prime Minister To Attend Sydney’s Gay Mardi Gras

But he’s still blocking a vote on same-sex marriage. Perth Now reports: It’S a parade of firsts at this year’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, despite it being the 38th edition of the iconic Sydney event. Malcolm Turnbull arrived to watch the parade, making it the first time a prime minister has attended the event. Mr Turnbull was mobbed as …

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KENTUCKY: Rep Attempts End Run Around Obergefell With Bill Changing “Marriage” To “Matrimony”

Kentucky GOP state Rep. Joe Fischer thinks he can thwart SCOTUS with a 454-page bill that would replace every reference to “marriage” in state law with the word “matrimony.” And guess who can’t enter into matrimony? “Only a matrimony between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a matrimony in Kentucky.” Zack Ford reports at Think …

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AUSTRALIA: Labor Senator To Retire Rather Than Support His Party In Backing Same-Sex Marriage

Stuff reports: West Australian Senator Joe Bullock has announced he is retiring from politics, citing an inability to support the Labor Party’s position requiring MPs to vote in favour of same-sex marriage. Calling it “homosexual marriage,” the 61-year-old right-wing Senator told Parliament on Tuesday night that he was “morally obliged” to quit, just two years after entering Parliament because he …

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AUSTRALIA: Facebook Launches Marriage Campaign

The Age reports: Social media giant Facebook has waded into the divisive same-sex marriage debate in an unprecedented partnership with Australian marriage equality advocates. From Tuesday, Facebook will give its 14 million Australian users the option of adding an Australian Marriage Equality banner to their profile pictures, in what AME hopes will demonstrate “the mainstream support” for the reform. The …

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SWITZERLAND: Voters Very Narrowly Reject Tax Bill That Defines Marriage As “One Man – One Woman”

Primarily thanks to residents of Bern and Zurich, today Switzerland’s voters very narrowly rejected a tax bill which contained a “Trojan horse” section which defined marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman. Swiss Info reports: What had seemed like a sure “Yes” in January became a close contest after an energetic “No” committee argued that the terms of …

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TENNESSEE: County Commission Narrowly Rejects Anti-Gay Marriage Resolution After Heated Debate

It could not possibly have been more heated than last night’s debate in Charlotte, which was hands down the most wacko I’ve ever seen. And that includes Hawaii. But here’s how things went last night in Tennessee’s Washington County as reported by the Johnson City Press: Washington County Commissioner Forrest Boreing attributed the early Tuesday morning failure of a resolution …

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ALABAMA: Haters File Complaint Against State Supreme Court Over Inaction On Blocking Obergefell

Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore and the rest of the his court are being attacked from the right. From World Net Daily: Marriage activists in Alabama have filed complaints with the state Judicial Inquiry Commission against the nine members of the state Supreme Court because they have failed to rule on the application of the U.S. Supreme Court’s …

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PENNSYLVANIA: Small Town Mayor Touts Same-Sex Marriage Support In US Senate Campaign Ad [VIDEO]

Back in 2013 the mayor of a Pittsburgh suburb won lots of fans here on JMG when he officiated the wedding a local gay couple in violation of Pennsylvania’s ban on same-sex marriage. That mayor, John Fetterman, is now running for the US Senate and during last night’s MSNBC presidential town hall he aired a campaign ad touting his support …

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Trump Vows To Overturn Obergefell, Says Haters Can Trust Him On “Shocking” SCOTUS Ruling [VIDEO]

Brian Tashman reports at Right Wing Watch: In an interview with Pat Robertson’s television network yesterday, Donald Trump insisted that anti-gay conservatives can rest assured knowing that he is committed to overturning the Supreme Court’s landmark decision striking down state bans on same-sex marriage. When the Christian Broadcasting Network’s David Brody asked the GOP presidential frontrunner what he thought of the …

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PHILIPPINES: Leading Presidential Candidate Rodrigo Duterte Expresses Openness To Same-Sex Marriage

We know somebody who’ll be VERY unhappy about this. CNN Philippines reports: Should he win the national elections, presidential candidate Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte said he would consider legalizing same-sex marriage if a proposal is presented to him. “If it reaches me in whatever capacity, I’ll consider it,” Duterte said on Thursday (February 18). The Davao City mayor said the law …

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