Marriage Equality

AUSTRALIA: Former PM Tony Abbott Claims He Was Assaulted By Supporter Of Same-Sex Marriage [VIDEO]

The Sydney Morning Herald reports: Former prime minister Tony Abbott says he was a victim of “politically motivated violence” after he was assaulted by a same-sex marriage campaigner in Hobart. Mr. Abbott said he was headbutted by a same-sex marriage campaigner in a Hobart street on Thursday who told him: ‘You deserve it because of all the things you’ve said.’ …

Read More »

ARIZONA: State Supreme Court Unanimously Affirms Equal Rights For Same-Sex Parents Under Obergefell

Via press release: The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) won the Arizona Supreme Court case, McLaughlin v. McLaughlin, which ruled that a woman was the legal parent of the child she and her same-sex spouse conceived through assisted reproduction during their marriage. As the Arizona Supreme Court recognized, the U.S. Supreme Court rulings in Obergefell v. Hodges and Pavan …

Read More »

Margaret Court: If Same-Sex Marriage Is Legalized, There Will Be No More Christmas Or Easter In Australia

The West Australian reports: Tennis legend Margaret Court has returned serve to a Perth tennis club that turfed her out as a patron this week, saying she is being silenced for her views on same-sex marriage. Despite being dumped by Cottesloe Tennis Club, Mrs Court remained defiant yesterday, accusing the LGBTQI community of wanting to “destroy marriage”. “Ian Thorpe can …

Read More »

AUSTRALIA: Haters Skywrite “Vote No” Over Sydney

Gay Star News reports: Skywriting appeared over Sydney today to encourage Australians to ‘Vote No’ to marriage equality. Australians are currently voting in a expensive and divisive postal vote on same-sex marriage. They have until 27 October to post their votes back, with results announced 15 November. But the ‘No’ campaign ramped up their attempts to sway people against same-sex …

Read More »

Houston Petitions SCOTUS To Review State Supreme Court Ruling On Benefits For Married Same-Sex Couples

The Houston Chronicle reports: The City of Houston and Mayor Sylvester Turner filed a petition Friday asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a decision that came down earlier this summer, concluding that states did not have to provide publicly funded benefits to same-sex couples, according to a news release from the city. The decision in Pidgeon v. Parker from …

Read More »

AUSTRALIA: Robocalls From US Wingnuts Warn That Marriage Equality Leads To “Radical Gay Sex Education”

The Guardian reports: A robocall asking Australians their opinion about the same-sex marriage postal survey has suggested that marriage equality may lead to “radical gay sex education” and threats to freedom of speech and religion. The poll, which was first reported by social media users on Tuesday night, stated that it was conducted by the Republican-linked American pollster WPA Intelligence. …

Read More »

Australia Enacts Emergency Hate Speech Law Due To Anti-LGBT Vitriol Spawned By Marriage Plebiscite

Reuters reports: The alarming volume of hate-speech during Australia’s ballot over whether to legalize same-sex marriage spurred parliament to pass emergency legislation on Wednesday to outlaw opponents spewing their vitriol while the vote was in progress. Australia began a non-compulsory postal vote on Tuesday that will determine whether it becomes the 25th country to legalize same-sex marriage. But with an …

Read More »

Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull Urges YES Vote In Non-Binding Marriage Plebiscite: It’s A Conservative Ideal

The BBC reports: Australian political leaders, including Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, have come out in support of a campaign for same-sex marriage. More than 20,000 people gathered in Sydney to campaign ahead of a non-binding postal vote on changing Australia’s marriage act. Mr Turnbull made a surprise appearance and speech at the launch of the New South Wales Yes campaign. …

Read More »

AUSTRALIA: High Court Rules 7-0 That Non-Binding Postal Survey On Same-Sex Marriage Will Go Forward

ABC News reports: The High Court has ruled 7-0 to dismiss challenges to the Federal Government’s $122 million same-sex marriage postal survey, clearing the way for it to go ahead. The Federal Government welcomed the unanimous High Court ruling, announcing the survey would continue as planned and the final result would be declared by the chief statistician at 11:30am on …

Read More »

AUSTRALIA: “Regular Moms” Of Anti-Gay Marriage Ad Exposed As Liars, Crackpots, Ex-Gay Torture Advocates

The Sydney Morning Herald reports: A Melbourne principal has disputed a mother’s claim – aired in an anti same-sex marriage TV ad – that her son was told he could wear a dress to school. Cella White, who has previously appeared in videos attacking the Safe Schools program and whose claims have been heavily promoted by the Australian Christian Lobby, …

Read More »

West Virginia County To Pay Settlement And Apologize After Deputy Clerk Called Gay Couple An “Abomination”

CBS News reports: A settlement has been announced in a federal lawsuit against Gilmer County. The case Brookover v. Gilmer County was a result of alleged harassment received by a same-sex couple when going to get their marriage license. According to a news release by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Gilmer County Deputy Clerk Debbie Allen called …

Read More »

AUSTRALIA: Marriage Plebiscite May Backfire On Right Wing As Millennials Swarm To Vote For Their First Time

The Sydney Morning Herald reports: A last-minute surge has seen a record number of Australians enrolled to vote ahead of the upcoming postal survey on same-sex marriage. The Australian Electoral Commission on Friday released figures it described as “extraordinary” that show 90,000 new voters – mostly the young – had joined the roll since the survey was announced on August …

Read More »

AUSTRALIA: “Stop The Fags” Hate Posters Appear In Advance Of Postal Plebiscite On Same-Sex Marriage

The Guardian reports: Materials labeling homosexuality a “curse of death” and claiming 92% of children of gay parents suffer abuse have surfaced in two separate incidents of homophobic campaigns against same-sex marriage. Advocates have condemned the material, which included a poster urging Australians to “stop the fags” in Melbourne and a leaflet printed in English and Mandarin found in Hurstville, …

Read More »

CHILE: President To Introduce Same-Sex Marriage Bill

Gay Star News reports: Chile’s president Michelle Bachelet will formally introduce a bill to allow same-sex couples to get married. The measure will be introduced on 28 August. Chilean LGBTI advocacy group the Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation, has said the marriage and an adoption bill was reached as part of an agreement with Bachelet’s government in 2016. However, …

Read More »

AUSTRALIA: Olympic Gold Medalist Ian Thorpe And Partner Issue Video Promoting Marriage Plebiscite

Australia’s News Corp outlet reports: Ian Thorpe and his partner Ryan Channing have released a new video urging Australians to vote in next month’s postal plebiscite on whether to legalise gay marriage. The Olympic swimming champ is making a last-ditch effort to get Australians to update their electoral roll details before the list is finalised this Thursday ahead of the …

Read More »

NORTHERN IRELAND: Court Upholds Marriage Ban

The Belfast Telegraph reports: A high court judge in Belfast has ruled the ban on same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland is lawful. Mr Justice O’Hara ruled on two separate cases that were heard together due to the similarities of the arguments. Both cases were rejected by the Judge, insisting the ban did not violate the rights of LGBT couples in …

Read More »

AUSTRALIA: Rules On Deceptive Materials Won’t Apply To Marriage Plebiscite, LGBT Activists Sue To Stop It

The Sydney Morning Herald reports: Lobbyists on both sides of the marriage equality debate will be free to distribute misleading and deceptive material ahead of the same-sex marriage postal vote, because the usual campaign rules have been discarded. In order to circumvent the Senate, the Turnbull government’s optional marriage survey will be conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, meaning …

Read More »

AUSTRALIA: Nonbinding Postal Plebiscite On Marriage To Happen, Former PM Tony Abbott Urges “NO” Vote

UPI reports: Australian citizens will be asked where they stand on potential legalization of same-sex marriage in a non-binding mail-in vote, after lawmakers failed to pass legislation Wednesday to make it a national plebiscite vote issue in November. Canberra’s governing Liberal-National Coalition failed to pass a bill in Parliament that would have secured funding to restore Australia’s compulsory plebiscite on …

Read More »

AUSTRALIA: Government To Press For Postal Plebiscite On Marriage After Bid For Conscience Vote Fails

ABC News reports: Federal Liberal MPs have overwhelmingly decided to keep their current policy on same-sex marriage. Only seven Liberals voted to change the policy after a two-hour meeting ended with a show of hands. The seven MPs who voted to change the policy were: Warren Entsch and Trevor Evans (Qld), Tim Wilson and Jason Wood (Vic), John Alexander and …

Read More »

AUSTRALIA: Liberal MPs Ready Marriage Equality Bill

Australia’s public broadcaster reports: A private members’ bill, supported by Dean Smith [photo], Trent Zimmerman, Warren Entsch, Trevor Evans and Tim Wilson, has been circulated ahead of a special party room meeting on the issue in Canberra on Monday afternoon. The legislation would allow two people to marry regardless of their sex or gender. It also would protect all religious …

Read More »