Marriage Equality

Marco Rubio appeared on the Christian Broadcasting Network this morning where he declared that the Obergefell decision isn’t “settled law.” And Christians should ignore the ruling anyway because when it comes to sin, “God’s rules always win.” Right Wing Watch has the transcript: “We are clearly called, in the Bible, to adhere to our civil authorities, but that conflicts with …

The owners of an upstate New York wedding venue yesterday appeared in court to appeal the $13,000 fine imposed last year after they turned away a lesbian couple. The Associated Press reports: The Giffords’ lawyer, James Trainor, said at the time of the initial ruling that he was surprised the judge did not incorporate the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Hobby …

“NOM recognized early on that the election of the next president would be a pivotal moment in determining if reversing the Supreme Court’s ruling takes several years or several decades. There’s no doubt that eventually the lie of same-sex marriage will make itself clear to people as they witness the reality of children suffering under a viewpoint that strips marriage …

Ireland’s same-sex marriage law went into effect yesterday and weddings began this morning after the required 24-hour waiting period. The first couple to marry was Richard Dowling and Cormac Gollogly. RTE reports: The couple who have been together for 12 years got married in Clonmel, Co Tipperary this morning. Senior Registrar for south Tipperary Mary Claire Heffernan confirmed they were …

Ireland’s same-sex marriage law went into effect this morning and weddings will commence tomorrow after the required 24-hour wedding period. Via the Independent: More than 300 same-sex marriages are expected to take place in the first fortnight after the new Marriage Equality Act comes into force. Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald will today sign the commencement order, with the first same-sex …

Hunger Games and X-Men star Jennifer Lawrence, a Kentucky native, let Vogue know about her low opinion of Kim Davis: The day I am at Lawrence’s house also happens to be the day after the infamous county clerk Kim Davis gets out of jail, where she had been sent for defying a court order requiring her to issue marriage licenses …

Australia’s Senate today voted against holding a public referendum on same-sex marriage, instead calling for a free vote in their chamber by the end of the year. Gay News Network reports: Greens senator Robert Simms (pictured) introduced the motion. Simms is the Greens spokesperson on LGBTI issues and marriage equality. “Momentum continues to build for marriage equality in this country,” …

At tonight’s Out 100 event, title sponsor MassMutual will present Freedom To Marry head Evan Wolfson the Vow to Protect Equality Award. The clip below isn’t so much of an ad as the company’s logo only appears briefly at the end after several married couples tell their stories, which are alternately amusing and touching. You’ll enjoy this.

Today’s news out of Ireland reminded to tell you that the Panti Bliss documentary, The Queen Of Ireland, which is now playing there, will open on Friday in Northern Ireland, where a gay couple married in England yesterday filed suit over their “devalued” relationship status, which became a mere civil partnership once they crossed the border to return home. The …

Done and done! The Irish Independent reports: In a brief ceremony Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald and Tanaiste Joan Burton officially enacted the historic Marriage Act before a crowd of hundreds. The legislation allows for same-sex weddings from Monday, and was made possible after Ireland became the first country in the world earlier this year to vote for same-sex marriage in …

Gallup estimates that nearly 100,000 same-sex weddings have taken place since the Obergefell ruling, pushing the total number of Americans in a same-sex marriage to nearly one million. They report: The practical legal impact of the Obergefell decision was to invalidate laws in 13 states that did not recognize same-sex marriages. Since then, the percentage of same-sex married couples increased …

From Salt Lake City’s CBS affiliate: The LDS church has clarified to its leaders that being in a same-sex marriage is considered a form of apostasy. The update came to what is known as Handbook #1, which is used as a guide for administering in the church, and is only available to LDS bishops and stake presidents. A screen shot …

The Lexington Courier-Journal reports: Kentucky County Clerk Kim Davis has lost another bid to delay issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on Thursday denied her latest request for a reprieve. Davis stopped issuing marriage licenses after the U.S. Supreme Court effectively legalized gay marriage in June. Four couples sued her, and U.S. District …

The Advocate today named the justices of the Supreme Court their “People Of The Year” for 2015. The tagline on the cover notes, “Yes, the whole Supreme Court. Including Scalia.”  Mark Joseph Stern writes in the cover story’s opening: At 10:02 a.m. Eastern on June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court changed America forever. In handing down its decision in …

Yesterday Slovenian lawmakers set December 20th for the national referendum to repeal same-sex marriage. Last month anti-gay groups colluded with the local Catholic Church to convince Slovenia’s Constitutional Court that a vote on repealing same-sex marriage did not violate a recently instituted ban on any public votes on human rights issues. Earlier this year Slovenia’s Parliament voted against a repeal …

And yet another big win in Salt Lake City. From the campaign’s Facebook page: Thank you! Thank you to my family for standing next to me through this campaign, for my volunteers for putting in countless hours knocking on doors, making calls, and talking to their friends. Thank you to all my supporters, your enthusiasm, donations, and moral cheers really …

Republican Matt Bevin, who exploited Kim Davis to order to galvanize evangelicals, decisively won Kentucky’s gubernatorial race tonight, defeating Attorney General Jack Conway, who had refused to defend his state’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Bevin’s candidacy was heavily supported across Teabagistan.

The Kentucky couple whose livid videotaped confrontation with Kim Davis catapulted the renegade clerk to global infamy has gotten married. The student newspaper of Morehead State reports: Two months ago, an infuriated David Moore pounded his fist on a counter in the Rowan County Clerk’s office as he pleaded for the right to wed his partner David Ermold. Now “the …

Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange has filed an objection to paying the “excessive” $200,000 in legal fees demanded by the attorneys who won same-sex marriage in his state. AL.com reports: Instead, Mobile attorneys Christine Hernandez and David Kennedy – who sought a $275 hourly rate – should be reimbursed about $50,000, according to the filing. The state’s figure factors in …

How entirely unshocking. The Washington Post reports: Trailing narrowly in the polls ahead of tomorrow’s Kentucky gubernatorial election, Republicans are trying to motivate evangelicals by invoking the case of county clerk Kim Davis and the Supreme Court’s decision recognizing gay marriage. Republican Matt Bevin planned to emphasize economic issues in his campaign, but he discovered that voters preferred to talk …