Marriage Equality

SAN DIEGO: Naval Base Coronado Nominates Gay Man As Military Spouse Of The Year [VIDEO]

San Diego’s ABC affiliate reports: For the first time, the military spouse of the year nominee at Naval Base Coronado is gay. “I was the kid who didn’t want to be gay,” Brian Alvarado said. “I was scared.” But, there was no denying it. He met his husband, Matthew Alvarado, online two years ago. Matthew has been an active duty …

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Former Australian PM Tony Abbott Attacks Same-Sex Marriage In Speech To Vicious US-Based Hate Group

As I reported earlier this week, former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott was flown to New York City yesterday by Alliance Defending Freedom. We now have the transcript of the speech he made to them at Manhattan’s Palace Hotel. An excerpt: For families, in Western countries at least, there’s the challenge of paying the rent or the mortgage; balancing family …

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When Christie Compared Kim Davis To ISIS [VIDEO]

Late in last night’s droning GOP debate, Chris Christie pivoted to ISIS when asked about Kim Davis and religious liberty. That got a lot of folks’ attention. Via Daily Kos: Finally, Republicans are getting it! During last night’s debate, Chris Christie inadvertently explained how the Kim Davises of the world resemble radical Islamic jihadists: “what they want to do is …

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CRITICAL MASS: Majority Of Australian MPs Now Back Same-Sex Marriage, Free Vote Pressure Mounts

The Sydney Morning Herald reports: Parliamentary support for same-sex marriage reform appears to have reached critical mass and for the first time could pass in both houses, placing renewed pressure on Malcolm Turnbull to grant a free vote, rather than spend millions of dollars organising a non-binding public plebiscite. Mr. Turnbull has promised conservative colleagues he will honour the plebiscite …

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Kentucky Marriage Plaintiffs Endorse Bernie Sanders

Chris Johnson reports at the Washington Blade: Days after the Human Rights Campaign endorsed Hillary Clinton in her bid for the White House, same-sex couples that sued for the right to marry in Kentucky announced they’re behind Bernard Sanders. One of the couples is Timothy Love and Larry Ysunza, who were plaintiffs in the Love v. Beshear lawsuit seeking the …

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GERMANY: 68% Back Same-Sex Marriage

In a YouGov poll issued today, more than two-thirds of German voters and a majority of those belonging to Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party say they support same-sex marriage. Via Germany’s edition of The Local: With 68 percent in favour, support has grown by around 3 percent on this issue since YouGov last conducted the poll less than 12 months ago. …

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NEBRASKA: Marriage Ban Repeal Might Go To Voters

Via the Associated Press: Nebraska’s defunct same-sex marriage ban could once again go before voters under a measure that seeks to remove it from the state constitution. Sen. Burke Harr of Omaha told a legislative committee Wednesday that his proposed amendment would ensure the constitution stays consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that allowed same-sex marriage. Voters approved the …

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MEXICO: Same-Sex Marriage Legalized In Jalisco State After Unanimous Ruling By Supreme Court

In a unanimous 11-0 ruling, today the Mexican Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in the state of Jalisco, home to the popular gay resort Puerto Vallarta, and Guadalajara, the nation’s second largest city. Same-sex marriage is legal and recognized in all of Mexico’s 31 states, but Jalisco becomes only the sixth state to allow same-sex marriages without a complex legal …

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Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott To Address Anti-LGBT Alliance Defending Freedom

The Guardian reports: Tony Abbott will address a far-right Christian group in the United States which lobbies against same-sex marriage and abortion. The former prime minister is travelling to the US this week to address the Alliance Defending Freedom, according to Fairfax Media. The group has been heavily involved in fighting the legalisation of same-sex marriage in the US and …

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ROMANIA: Haters Gather 825K Signatures Backing Constitutional Ban On Same-Sex Marriage

Emboldened by Parliament’s rejection of a civil unions bill last month, anti-LGBT activists in Romania are well on their way to a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Romania Insider reports: Romania’s Coalition for Family, which includes 23 associations and NGOs, has gathered 825,000 signatures in support of an initiative to amend the Constitution to only allow the marriage between men …

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TENNESSEE: Hate Group Files Lawsuit Seeking To Force County Clerk To Stop Issuing All Marriage Licenses

The suit was filed today by former state Sen. David Fowler, who is now the head of the Family Action Council of Tennessee. The Tennessean reports: A group of Williamson County residents, including three ministers, is asking Williamson County Clerk Elaine Anderson to stop issuing all marriage licenses until a lawsuit filed on Thursday is settled. The legal action comes …

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LIVE VIDEO: Tennessee House Committee Debates “Nullification” Of SCOTUS Ruling On Gay Marriage

Earlier this hour the Tennessee House Civil Justice Subcommittee began debate on GOP Rep. Mark Pody’s bill that would “nullify” the Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex marriage. Watch at this link. Audio is a bit low so you may need earphones. UPDATE: The bill FAILED by voice vote.

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AUSTRALIA: State Won’t Recognize Marriage Of Gay British Citizen Who Died While Honeymooning

IMPORTANT UPDATE BELOW. Patrick Strudwick reports at Buzzfeed: Marco Bulmer-Rizzi’s voice is quiet and steady on the phone from Australia as he tries to stay composed – to explain what has happened, the magnitude of what he has lost, and the sense of injustice he feels. Last Saturday, while on honeymoon in Adelaide, South Australia, his new husband, David Bulmer-Rizzi, …

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Taiwan Elects Pro-Gay Marriage President

Taiwan has elected Tsai Ing-wen, its first female president. She also backs same-sex marriage. From the New York Times: Taiwan has some of the most progressive policies on LGBT rights in Asia, and Tsai has vocally supported expanding them to include same sex marriage. A campaign video that she released on Cixi, Chinese Valentine’s Day, last August, included three same …

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GERMANY: 700 Evangelical Churches Vote To Conduct Marriage Ceremonies For Same-Sex Couples

Wow! Via Gay Star News: A group of Evangelicals controlling 719 parishes in Germany have said they will start marrying gay and lesbian couples. The Evangelical Church in the Rhineland, Germany’s second-biggest territorial church, voted on the decision during their synod today (15 January). It is also the second territorial church area out of 20 to open marriage ceremonies to …

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Anglicans Sanction Episcopals Over Gay Marriage

The Associated Press reports: Anglican leaders on Thursday temporarily restricted the role of the U.S. Episcopal Church in their global fellowship as a sanction over the American church’s acceptance of gay marriage. Episcopalians have been barred for three years from any policy-setting positions in the Anglican Communion while a task force is formed that will try to reconcile conflicting views …

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Lost In The Backlash: Nikki Haley Promised That Next GOP President Will “Respect Modern Families”

Yesterday all of Teabagistan went insane over South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s swipe at Donald Trump during her GOP-vetted response to Obama’s final State Of The Union address. Largely lost in the renewed GOP-Trump civil war, however, was Haley’s promise that the next Republican president will “respect differences in modern families” – a fairly clear reference to gay marriage. The …

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KENTUCKY: Federal Court Awards $1.1 Million In Legal Fees To Same-Sex Marriage Attorneys

Last year former Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear threw a hissy fit over the “unreasonable” legal fees demanded by the good guys in his state’s losing battle against same-sex marriage. Beshear left office last month, tossing that hefty bill in the lap of incoming wingnut Gov. Matt Bevin, who now has to eat a $1.1M shit sandwich courtesy of a ruling …

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NOM “Demands” President Obama Leave Empty Seat At SOTU To Represent 50 Million American Bigots

L to the O to the L. Via press release: The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) today sharply condemned President Obama for inviting Jim Obergefell, one of the plaintiffs whose case was used by the US Supreme Court to impose same-sex ‘marriage’ on the nation, to attend the State of the Union speech and called for the Republican leadership to …

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VIRGINIA: State Sen. Charles Carrico Intros Bill To Allow Clerks To Refuse Gay Marriage Licenses

The Associated Press reports: A Republican lawmaker in Virginia is pushing legislation that would allow clerks to refuse to issue licenses for marriages they object to on moral or religious grounds. Republican Sen. Charles Carrico of Galax said many of his constituents were concerned about what happened to Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who spent five days in jail last …

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