Tag Archives: domestic partners

Slovakia Rejects Civil Partnerships

The Slovakian Parliament today rejected a civil partnerships bill after hearing strong opposition from the Catholic Church. During two days of heated debate, conservatives accused the opposition of blasphemy, and said granting same-sex relationships equivalent legal status as heterosexual marriage was against traditional family values and a risk for society. Only 14 of 129 deputies present voted to send the …

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Dallas County Approves Domestic Partners

A little bit of good news today out of Texas: The Dallas County Commissioners Court voted 3-2 along party lines Tuesday to approve medical benefits for domestic partnerships. The approval provides the money for couples who aren’t married, be they gay or straight. It’s an issue guaranteed to divide. “There is simply no place for pernicious partisanship when it comes …

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Poland Considers Civil Partnerships

Poland’s ruling party has announced its plan to introduce a civil partnerships bill. After several months of discussion, the PO [Platforma Obywatelska] decided last week to put to the vote a draft bill in both chambers of the Polish parliament, the Sejm and Senate. The proposed draft bill of registered civil partnership is similar the current French Pacte civil de …

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NEVADA: Domestic Partnered Lesbian Couple Denied Hospital Decision Rights

A lesbian couple in Nevada say they were denied the right to make medical decisions for each other despite being in a legally recognized domestic partnership which grants them that right. When [Brittney] Leon, 26, checked into Spring Valley Hospital on July 20 with complications in her pregnancy, she assumed that her partner [Terri] Simonelli, 41, could make any necessary …

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ARIZONA: Gov. Jan Brewer Asks SCOTUS To Overturn Health Benefits For Partners

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer is asking the Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that allows state employees to place their same-sex partners on their health insurance. Chris Geidner reports: After the 2011 decision, lawyers for the state asked the Ninth Circuit to re-hear the case en banc, or by an 11-judge panel. On April 3, the Ninth Circuit denied the …

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TEXAS: ExxonMobil Shareholders Vote Down LGBT Employee Protections

Despite facing years of protests including one outside of today’s meeting, the shareholders of ExxonMobil have once again refused to grant employment protections to LGBT workers. The Dallas Voice reports: Meeting at the Meyerson Symphony Center in the Dallas Arts District, the ExxonMobil shareholders voted 80 percent to 20 percent Wednesday morning against a resolution asking the corporation to amend …

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NORTH CAROLINA: Move Already Underway To Revoke Insurance

The passage of Amendment One is less than a day old and already North Carolina Republicans are moving to revoke domestic partners insurance. From an email issued by Mecklenbug County Commissioner Bill James to legal staffers: Since Amendment One has passed when will we get a memo or something that outlines what changes we need to make to our health …

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MONTANA: Supreme Court To Hear Partner Benefits Case For Same-Sex Couples

On Friday the Montana Supreme Court will hear the case of six same-sex couples who have sued to have their partners covered by their package of employee benefits. The Montana Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case of Donaldson & Guggenheim, et al. v. State of Montana on Friday at the University of Montana. The session will start …

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EL PASO: Hate Group Loses Bid To Recall Mayor Over Domestic Partners Law

A coalition of anti-gay Christian groups headed by Pastor Tom Brown (above) has lost their bid to recall El Paso Mayor John Cook over the domestic partners insurance provision he ordered reinstated. The reason that the haters lost? They cheated. The Eighth Court of Appeals on Friday unanimously ruled that the recall group had violated the law in its petition …

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Orlando Launches Domestic Partners

Posted to Orlando’s official YouTube channel.

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FL Mayor Reverses On Domestic Partners

Orange County, Florida Mayor Teresa Jacobs (R) has reneged on her agreement to support a domestic partners ordinance. Gay couples say they are angry that Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs is no longer supporting the creation of a domestic partnership registry similar to one passed in Orlando. Nearly 100 people met to discuss a recent announcement by Jacobs to ditch …

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Michigan Bans Partner Benefits

Michigan’s GOP Gov. Rick Snyder has signed a bill that bans all state agencies from offering domestic partner benefits. “The decision to take healthcare benefits away from families just in time for the holidays is mean-spirited and cruel. Governor Snyder had an opportunity to show real leadership and put an end to the political games; instead he approved an extreme …

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Domestic Partners For Orlando

Last night the city council of my hometown of Orlando voted unanimously to approve a domestic partners registry. “This is an historic event for Orlando, and it is a monumentally important event for our community. It will be the first time in our lives that our families are recognized by our government,” said attorney Mary Meeks, who helped push for …

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EL PASO: Judge Allows Recall Vote Over Reinstatement Of Domestic Partners

A Texas judge has ruled that Pastor Tom Brown’s recall election against El Paso’s mayor may take place. Anti-gay Christian activists are attempting to remove the mayor and two members of the city council for voting to reinstate domestic partners insurance for city employees. Pastor Tom Brown initiated the recall drive after Cook and council members Susie Byrd and Steve …

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New Site: Things For Five Dollars

The site is called Fiverr. (Tipped by JMG reader Ray)

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FLORIDA: Broward County First In State To Order Domestic Partner Coverage

By order of the Broward County Commission, companies with five or more employees must now offer same-sex couples the same benefits they grant to married opposite-sex couples. Equality Florida reports: Broward is the first county Florida to adopt an EBO [Equal Benefits Ordinance]. In 2005 Miami Beach became the first city in the state to pass an EBO, and the …

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MICHIGAN: University Profs Threaten Exodus If Domestic Partners Repealed

Michigan may be about to repeal its domestic partners coverage for state employees, prompting the threat of a mass exodus of LGBT university professors and others. “I question my decision to come to Michigan,” Coetzee said. When Coetzee accepted a job at U-M, he also turned one down at New York University. “I chose Michigan because it just seemed better. …

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EL PASO: Hate Preacher Works To Oust Mayor Over Domestic Partners Bill

You may recall the huge flap in El Paso last November when it was realized that Pastor Tom Brown’s successful drive to repeal domestic partners benefits for city employees also cut out the same perks for retired firefighters and cops. That didn’t bother Pastor Brown because, hey, them queers had lost. Under the threat of a lawsuit from the local …

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WI Judge Upholds Domestic Partners

Saying the system does not violate the state’s ban on same-sex marriage, a judge has upheld Wisconsin’s domestic partners registry. Dane County Circuit Judge Daniel Moeser ruled that the 2009 law does not create a legal status for partners that is identical or substantially similar to that of marriage and therefore it does not violate the constitutional ban approved by …

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Freep This El Paso Times Poll

You know what to do.

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