Marriage Equality

Via press release from hate group leader Brian Brown: Dear Marriage Supporter, As we told you last week, our friends at Frente Nacional por la Familia (National Front for the Family) are leading a nationwide protest of citizens in Mexico to oppose the attempt of the ruling government party led by President Enrique Peña Nieto, to impose widespread legal recognition …

The Guardian reports: The government will propose new protections for “conscientious objectors” to same-sex marriage which marriage equality advocates fear could allow civil celebrants, registrars and even bakers and florists to refuse to serve same-sex weddings. According to briefing notes on the plebiscite prepared for the Coalition party room, seen by Guardian Australia, the legislation would allow “conscientious objectors” to …

Buzzfeed reports: Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie was faced with a question close to home on ABC’s Q&A on Monday, when her gay brother asked if the government’s proposed plebiscite on marriage would affect his emotional wellbeing. “Given the majority of parliamentarians and Australians now support marriage equality, is a $160 million plebiscite necessary, and what impact do you think the …

News Corp Australia reports: Federal Labor has introduced to parliament legislation that aims to legalise same-sex marriage in an attempt to gazump the government’s planned national vote on the issue. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten introduced a private bill on Monday, saying it was a chance for the parliament to prove its worth and fulfil its purpose. “Today we can bring …

Andy Towle reports at Towleroad: Across Mexico over the weekend, thousands of “pro-family” groups protested against same-sex marriage as the country moves toward marriage equality. In one particular march in Celaya, Guanajuato, a 12-year-old boy was photographed in the middle of the street trying to block the march of 11,000 people from moving forward. Journalist Manuel Rodriguez captured an image …

Early this year Finland’s parliament finalized the details of the marriage equality law which goes into effect in March 2017. Enter the group attempting to repeal the law before then. Via the Helsinki Times: A citizens’ initiative to repeal the upcoming legislative amendment granting marriage rights to same-sex couples was discussed at the Finnish Parliament on Thursday. Hanna Sarkkinen (Left …

Australia’s Daily Telegraph reports: Kylie Minogue and fiance Joshua Sasse have confirmed their support for marriage equality in Australia as it continues to dominate political debate. Minogue, a gay icon, has noted how “backward” Australia is on the same-sex marriage issue, stating that “the earth didn’t cave in” in other countries where it is now legal and that “love is …

The opinion of this Roy Moore wannabe was in the minority but Slate warns of what it portends. Mark Joseph Stern writes: On Friday, the Texas Supreme Court refused to review a lower court ruling holding that cities may not deprive married same-sex couples the benefits it provides to opposite-sex couples. The court’s decision leaves in place a pro-equality ruling …

AL.com reports: Alabama’s process for punishing judges needs to be changed, the Alabama Republican Party’s executive committee says in a resolution aimed at what led to the suspension of Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore. The resolution asks that the executive, legislative and judicial branches of state government enact law for the election of all nine of the Judicial Inquiry Commission …

The Guardian reports: Labor and a group of Greens and independent MPs have separately given notice that they will introduce private members’ bills to legalise same-sex marriage. Greens MP Adam Bandt and independents Cathy McGowan and Andrew Wilkie gave notice on Tuesday of a cross-party marriage equality bill, in identical terms to one before the previous parliament. On Tuesday, as …

Via press release from PFLAG Australia: Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays has stepped up its campaign against a marriage equality plebiscite with the release of a new advertisement. The ad highlights the fact politicians can ignore the result of a plebiscite, as well as the plebiscite’s $160 million price tag. PFLAG national spokesperson, Shelley Argent, said, “As parents, …

Two days ago Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s Liberal Party announced that a national referendum on same-sex marriage will take place in February. Not so fast, says the opposition. Via Australia’s ABC News: A plebiscite on same-sex marriage is looking less likely, with the Federal Opposition determined to have a parliamentary vote to change marriage laws instead. The Government has promised …

The Sydney Morning Herald reports: The Turnbull government will push back the date of the proposed same-sex marriage plebiscite until February 2017, breaking a flagship pledge. The Prime Minister had said he wanted the vote to be held this year. However a spokesperson for Mr Turnbull told Fairfax that Special Minister of State, Scott Ryan, received advice last week from …

Back in 2013, Hawaii state Rep. Jo Jordan became the first openly LGBT legislator in history to vote against same-sex marriage, earning her wild praise from hate group leaders Tony Perkins and Brian Brown. Today JMG reader Donovan writes to let us know that Jordan lost her seat to a former Green Party member in Saturday’s Democratic primary. Good.

Yesterday NOM president Brian Brown called his supporters “pathetic” because he can’t even scrape up a few thousand dollars in a summer donation drive. In today’s money beg, he continues the wise fundraising strategy of berating the very people he’s trying to swindle. In fact, he effectively accuses them of being apostates. An excerpt: I imagine that Anthony Kennedy, the …

Democracy & Freedom Watch reports: President Giorgi Margvelashvili made it clear Tuesday evening that he does not support the proposed referendum about amending the Constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The reason, Margvelashvili said at a briefing, is that there is already a proper definition of marriage in the Constitution. With two hundred …

A very late update from AL.com: Suspended Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore will go on trial next month on judicial ethics charges after the Alabama Court of the Judiciary late Monday issued an order that denied Moore’s request to dismiss the charges. The court, in a brief one-page order, also denied a motion by the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission …

Roughly translated from ABC España: The gold medal-winning Australian female rugby delegation isn’t alone in celebrating. Isadora Cerullo, who plays for Brazil, tonight received a marriage proposal from her partner, who works as a volunteer for the Rio Games. The proposal was accepted and sealed with a kiss in front of journalists from around the world. The proposal took place …

The Associated Press reports: Roughly 5 percent of North Carolina’s magistrates are refusing to marry same-sex couples for religious reasons, and lawyers for the state say people suing in federal court have no standing to challenge these opt-outs as unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Max Cogburn scheduled a hearing for Monday in Asheville in part to consider a motion by the …

The Associated Press reports: A federal judge has refused to overturn the suspension of Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, ruling Thursday that doing so would improperly interfere with the state judicial proceeding that could result in Moore’s ouster for an order he issued about same-sex marriage. U.S. District Judge Harold Albritton threw out Moore’s lawsuit against the Alabama Judicial Inquiry …