Tag Archives: ACLU

ACLU’s Big Gay Illegal Wedding Contest

The New York Times explains: The A.C.L.U. is sponsoring a contest for same-sex couples who live in states that prohibit gay marriage but are next to where it is legal, places like Nevada, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin. Those couples are being asked to submit imaginative ideas for weddings — balloon rides, kayak trips and so on — that involve crossing …

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COLORADO: Court Rules That Bakery Broke The Law By Refusing Gay Customers

Via press release from the ACLU: A Colorado judge today determined that the bakery unlawfully discriminated against the couple by refusing to sell them a wedding cake. David Mullins and Charlie Craig visited Masterpiece Cakeshop last year, with Craig’s mother, to order a cake for their upcoming wedding reception. Mullins and Craig planned to marry in Massachusetts and then celebrate …

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PENNSYLVANIA: Judge Rejects Motions To Dismiss Marriage Equality Lawsuit

Big progress in Pennsylvania this morning. A federal court challenge to Pennsylvania’s 17-year-old law banning the recognition of same-sex marriages took an important step toward a trial Friday when a judge rejected two different attempts to block the lawsuit. U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III denied the motions to dismiss the lawsuit by Pennsylvania’s secretaries of the departments of …

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Macklemore: Join The ACLU

Via press release: Rap superstar Macklemore today released a video urging people to join the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and get its legendary membership card. In a 50-second spot launched on his Facebook page and promoted via his Twitter feed, the MTV Video Music Award-winning rapper encourages his fans to get the card “that lets my gay friends marry …

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ILLINOIS: Thomas More Society Concedes Marriage Lawsuits Are Now Moot

Via press release: This morning attorneys with the Thomas More Society secured an agreed Order, entered by Judge Sophia Hall, staying all further proceedings in the lawsuit filed by the Illinois ACLU and Lambda Legal, who filed suit over a year ago, challenging Illinois’ marriage laws as unconstitutional in violation of various provisions of the Illinois Constitution of 1970. Given …

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PENNSYLVANIA: Sims & McCarter Call On Gov. Corbett To Give Up Like Christie

Just in via press release: State Reps. Brian Sims, D-Phila., and Steve McCarter, D-Montgomery/Phila., sponsors of a Pennsylvania marriage-equality bill, called on Gov. Tom Corbett to follow the lead of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in dropping his appeal to legalized same-sex marriages in New Jersey. “Once again, we’re seeing that even conservative Republicans are realizing that all Americans deserve …

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NORTH CAROLINA: State Attorney General Roy Cooper Endorses Marriage Equality

But he’s still going to defend the state against the lawsuit brought by the ACLU. Via the Associated Press: Attorney General Roy Cooper says he supports gay marriage but argues his personal views aren’t preventing him from vigorously defending North Carolina’s constitutional amendment affirming its prohibition from a lawsuit. Cooper opposed passage of the amendment in 2012 but hadn’t addressed …

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VIRGINIA: Lambda Legal & ALCU Ask For Swift Ruling In Marriage Equality Case

Today the ACLU and Lambda Legal asked for a summary judgment in their Virginia marriage equality case. Their suit is separate from the Virginia case joined today by AFER. Via press release: “The papers we filed today ask the court to get to the heart of the matter,” Greg Nevins, Supervising Senior Staff Attorney in Lambda Legal’s Southern Regional Office …

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New Jersey Ruling Reactions

ACLU-New Jersey This is a great day for all of New Jersey. The court has recognized the love and commitment that same-sex couples share is no different from anyone else’s,” said Udi Ofer, executive director of the ACLU of New Jersey. “The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Windsor to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act made it clear that …

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100+ Groups Cosponsor Privacy Rally

Celebrities and journalists endorsing the rally include Wil Wheaton, Glenn Greenwald, Anil Dash, and Daniel Ellsberg. Details are here. (Tipped by JMG reader Win)

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PENNSYLVANIA: Rep. Steve McCarter Explains Plan For Marriage Equality Bill

McCarter is the bill’s chief co-sponsor with openly gay Rep. Brian Sims. Separate from the legislative action, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett has hired an outside law firm to defend the state against a marriage equality suit filed in July by the ACLU.  And Montgomery County’s attorney is expected to appeal the decision forcing County Clerk Bruce Hanes to stop issuing …

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NEW MEXICO: All 33 County Clerks Join Marriage Equality Suit As Defendants

Via press release from the ACLU: Today, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico welcomed the news that all 33 County Clerks in New Mexico intervened in the freedom to marry lawsuit as defendants. ALCU of New Mexico Executive Director Peter Simonson: “We believe that the county clerks intervening in our lawsuit puts New Mexico on an expedited …

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ILLINOIS: ACLU Hires Ousted GOP Chair Pat Brady To Lobby For Gay Marriage

Earlier this year the Republican Party of Illinois ousted its chairman, Pat Brady, after NOM and other anti-gay groups called for his removal for endorsing same-sex marriage.  But Brady now has a new gig. The ACLU hired Next Generation Public Affairs, a governmental affairs and public relations firm co-founded by Brady and Matt Strawn, former chairman of the Iowa Republican …

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LGBT Orgs Respond To Chelsea Manning

ACLU LGBT Project In response to Chelsea Manning’s disclosure that she is female, has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, and will be seeking hormone therapy as a part of her transition during her incarceration, public statements by military officials that the Army does not provide hormone therapy to treat gender dysphoria raise serious constitutional concerns. Gender dysphoria is a serious …

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ILLINOIS: Hate Group Compares Gay Marriage To Incest, Polygamy, Blah, Blah

“Arguing that marriage should be available to any human beings who profess to love each other not only ignores unique biological fruitfulness of male and female unions, but it also makes us wonder when — and why — plaintiffs would ever draw the line. Stretching plaintiffs’ rationale to the limits of their logic, why or how could they bar or …

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ILLINOIS: Court Hears Motion To Dismiss Marriage Equality Lawsuit

Today in Illinois the Cook County Circuit Court heard oral arguments in the anti-gay Thomas More Society’s bid to dismiss the marriage equality lawsuit brought in May 2012 by Lambda Legal and the ACLU. Lambda Legal writes via press release: Today we urged the court to ensure that same-sex couples and their families get their day in court. We put …

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LGBT Groups Launch $2M ENDA Push

A coalition of the LGBT rights groups today announced a $2M campaign to support the passage of ENDA.  Via press release: Today the bipartisan campaign Americans for Workplace Opportunity announced it had formed in order to take advantage of a historic opportunity to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act 19 years after its first introduction — a bill to ban workplace …

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ACLU Sues Montana For Marriage Benefits

The ACLU has filed a lawsuit against Montana on behalf of seven gay couples who have been denied the benefits of marriage. The American Civil Liberties Union of Montana filed its amended complaint after the state Supreme Court rejected its first lawsuit in December for being too broad and not identifying specific laws that are discriminatory. In the amended lawsuit, …

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NORTH CAROLINA: Attorney General Won’t Block ACLU’s Marriage Ban Lawsuit

Matt Comer reports at Q Notes: North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper has announced his office will not block the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina’s move to challenge the state’s anti-LGBT constitutional amendment on marriage.  The case is heading to a federal court in Greensboro. The ACLU wants to amend their current lawsuit challenging anti-gay second-parent adoption bans …

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Quote Of The Day – Kathleen Kane

“I cannot ethically defend the constitutionality of Pennsylvania’s (law banning same-sex marriage), where I believe it to be wholly unconstitutional.” – Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane, confirming earlier reports in comments made this morning to reporters at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.  A spokesman for GOP Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett has declined to comment on Lambda Legal and the …

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