Marriage Equality

From laughter at Trump to sorrow and deep abiding thanks to President Obama, whose farewell speech begins at 9PM Eastern. ABC News reports on what to expect: In a farewell address to the American people Tuesday night, President Obama is expected to reaffirm his belief in the ability of ordinary Americans to bring about positive change in country, according to …

He’ll follow them until Trump stacks the Court against them. The Independent reports: Incoming attorney general Jeff Sessions admitted that he still opposed same-sex marriage and Roe v Wade, a 1973 law that guarantees a women’s right to an abortion. Mr Sessions said he would “respect and follow” both laws in their current form, but admitted he still held his …

This morning Sarah Flores, the spokesperson for Jeff Sessions, appeared on CNN to declare that despite his history of loudly opposing same-sex marriage, Obergefell is “settled law at this point” and unlike his predecessor, Sessions will “enforce the laws as they’re written, not as the Justice Department wishes they were.” Flores added that Sessions will make the DOJ “an enforcement …

The Nikkei Asian Review reports: The first draft of a bill on same-sex marriage won approval from the parliament’s judiciary committee on Monday, opening up the possibility of Taiwan becoming the first in the Asia-Pacific region to let gay couples wed. Following its successful first reading, the bill will undergo cross-party negotiations. But it has also drawn protests, and whether …

The Associated Press reports: A Pennsylvania court has ruled that a gay couple can have their 2012 adoption overturned so they could finally get married. A three-judge Superior Court panel on Wednesday handed down a decision saying that state law permits an adult adoption to be dissolved when no one’s opposed. Roland Bosee Jr, 68, and Nino Esposito, 78, of …

We have a very special Swag Tuesday today – three autographed copies of Ending Anita, our own Father Tony Adams’ recounting of how two Key West bartenders become the first couple in Florida to win a same-sex marriage lawsuit. From the book’s Amazon description: ENDING ANITA is the story of Aaron Huntsman and Lee Jones, the two gay, outspoken and …

Just in from activist Matt Baume: “The National Organization for Marriage says that now Donald’s president, they have a plan to undo marriage equality. But can they do that? Is marriage equality really at risk? Well, yes — and in fact, they could weaken or roll back marriage in just three steps.” Watch below.

JMG reader David points out that the latest holiday ad from Ace Hardware begins with a woman selecting a circular saw and saying to herself, “This takes care of my son AND my son-in-law.” While it could be argued that the son and the son-in-law are not married to each other and that each guy is getting a saw, this …

Bloomberg reports: What’s perhaps most remarkable about the attorney general’s opinion is how it grounded its argument in Cherokee tradition. In a section titled “Perpetual Partnership and Marriage in the Cherokee Nation,” Hembree devoted significant attention to a ceremony of devotion that was traditionally performed between two men at an annual festival. Hembree quoted in its entirety an eyewitness description …

AL.com reports: Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore has appealed his suspension from office to a special Supreme Court appointed to hear that appeal. Liberty Counsel filed an appeal brief on Moore’s behalf on Tuesday night. Today was the deadline to file it. In September, the Alabama Court of the Judiciary suspended Moore without pay for the remainder of …

Radio Free Europe reports: Kyrgyz election officials said voters have overwhelmingly backed amending the constitution to ban same-sex marriage and shift some presidential powers to the prime minister. The two questions were among a package of 26 proposed amendments that voters in the mostly Muslim former Soviet republic were being asked to approve with a simple “yes-or-no” vote on December …

Yesterday I arrived in Key West for my eighth (maybe ninth) annual holiday stay at the fabulous Island House. The joint was jumping last night but things are rather sedate at the moment due to the hour and a bit of warm rain. On Thursday I’ll be attending the book launch party for Ending Anita, our own Father Tony Adams’ …

The Belfast Telegraph reports: The Northern Ireland public would vote overwhelmingly in favour of same-sex marriage, the latest Lucid Talk tracker poll has found. The Northern Ireland polling company runs regular online tracker polls on topical issues to register changes, trends and opinions. For a period of 60 hours between November 30 and December 2, 1,536 people responded to the …

Tulsa World reports: While a tribal court recently avoided ruling on the issue, the Cherokee Nation will begin recognizing same-sex marriages under an opinion issued Friday by the tribe’s attorney general, who noted that Cherokees practiced something similar to gay marriage in past centuries. While agreeing that the tribe, as a sovereign nation itself, was not bound by the 2015 …

The Times Of Israel reports: The path to citizenship for gay foreigners who marry Israelis abroad will be brought into line with that for straight spouses from overseas, the Attorney General told the Supreme Court Wednesday, according to Hebrew language media reports. Straight partners currently undergo a four-year process to gain citizenship, while same-sex partners have a seven-year path to …

The Chicago Tribune reports: As the 2016 presidential campaign built to a fever pitch during the summer and fall, then reached a widely unexpected conclusion with Donald Trump’s win, many people speculated — some jokingly and some with real concern — about whether the end times were near. But it turns out, according to data published by Bible Gateway on …

The Taipei Times reports: Opponents of same-sex marriage yesterday rallied tens of thousands of people along Ketagalan Boulevard, in a massive protest against proposed Civil Code amendments. Coalition for the Happiness of Our Next Generation, which organized the protest, said 80,000 people attended the demonstration, whose white-shirted crowd spilled out of Ketagalan Boulevard to encircle Jingfu Gate (景福門). Organizers said …

NBC News reports: Romania’s constitutional court said Tuesday it would consult with a European court regarding the case of a same-sex couple who want their marriage abroad to be legally recognized in Romania. Court president Valer Dorneanu said he was seeking information from the European Court of Justice to see how other EU countries where same-sex marriages are not legal …

The China Post reports: More than 10,000 same-sex marriage advocates held a sit-in outside the Legislature on Monday, the day of the last public hearing before a legislative committee proceeds with the second reading of a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage. Supporters waved rainbow flags and held banners reading “no discount on human rights,” and “special treatment is discrimination,” …

Via press release from the Liberty Counsel: Liberty Counsel continues to assist the citizens of Romania who are working on a nationwide constitutional referendum that would modify their Constitution to clarify that marriage is the foundational and fundamental societal institution and is naturally defined as the union of one man and one woman. Romania’s Constitutional Court recently approved and confirmed …