Tag Archives: gay marriage

Tonight’s CNN/YouTube debate for the Democratic presidential candidates was fascinating. The format, which involved candidates responding to the YouTube’d video questions from the general public, was unique and effective. I’m betting we see more of these. Here are two clips of the candidates responding to questions about gay marriage and about religion-based discrimation against LGBT people. Chris Johnson has the …

The governor of New Jersey is demanding that UPS abide by state law and offer domestic partners benefits to the civil unioned. UPS says that under its federal collective bargaining agreement, union employees’ benefits are covered by federal laws that only recognize fully married couples. Non-union UPS employees do have access to domestic partners benefits in New Jersey. In Massachusetts, …

“My only ask was that if his daughter doubted my tolerance to her orientation that I would hope that he would help make it clear to Mary that this is a–I was just worried about–the reason I’d federalized the issue is because I was worried about the courts’ defining the issue and that we’d end up with de facto marriage …

“We are optimistic and hope this will shed some light on this issue and not have a potential cheap laugh and negative impact on couples fighting for their lives right now. It does have radical impact on same-sex couples and their families.” – Marriage Equality director Molly McKay, speaking about I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, a film opening …

UPS is refusing to grant spousal benefits to gay couples who have civil unioned in New Jersey, saying that they can only do so for couples that are married, as the company does for married gay employees in Massachusetts. UPS joins a growing list of New Jersey companies refusing to recognize state law requiring full benefits be granted to the …

Rev. Brent Hawkes, the Toronto minister who conducted the marriage ceremonies that led to same-sex marriage being legalized nationwide, has been awarded his country’s highest civilian honor, the Order of Canada. Hawkes has been a minister at Toronto’s MCC for 30 years. In 2001, Hawkes won his suit against the Ontario government, forcing the province to recognize gay marriages. One …

Stephen Dunne, a would-be Massachusetts lawyer, is suing the state bar association, claiming that he just missed receiving a passing grade on his bar exam because he refused to answer a question about gay marriage. Dunne’s lawsuit seeks to have the question removed from future bar exams, claiming it required him to “affirmatively accept, support and promote homosexual marriage and …

From a blind item in today’s Page Six column: “Just asking: Which members of the State Assembly are in trouble with their gay children because they voted no on the same-sex marriage bill? A Queens member was chewed out by her lesbian daughter, and a Brooklyn member was tongue-lashed by his fashion designer son.” Does anybody know who these legislators …

(ABOVE: Curt Shepard, L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center Director of Government Relations; Lorri L. Jean, L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center Chief Executive Officer; Sen. John Edwards. PHOTO CREDIT: Gil Caan.) John Edwards toured LA’s gay community center today, interesting timing in light of his wife’s pro-gay marriage comments yesterday. Edwards visited the facility’s pharmacy, HIV clinic, and 24-bed shelter for …

“I don’t know why somebody else’s marriage has anything to do with me. I’m completely comfortable with gay marriage. If he’s pleasant to me on the street, if his children don’t throw things in my yard, then I’m happy. It seems to me we’re making issues of things that honestly don’t matter.” – Elizabeth Edwards, wife of Democratic presidential candidate …

“I want a license that all of you have; some of you have had it two or three times.” New York State Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell (D-Upper West Side), whose humorous and passionate speech to the Assembly last week is being credited with swaying enough legislators to make New York the second state (after California) to have a legislative body approve …

“I have my partner here on the phone and he just asked me to marry him. My answer, Madam Speaker, is yes.” – New York State Assemblyman Matthew Titone (D-Staten Island), cellphone in his hand, moments after the Assembly passed its same sex marriage bill. The chamber gave Titone a round of applause. One day after passing through the Assembly …

The bill to legalize same-sex marriage made it out of New York State Assembly’s judiciary committee today, passing 16-5. The bill must now make it past the rules committee before it is put up to a general vote on the Assembly floor. Over on the state Senate side, majority leader Joseph Bruno (R) has said many times that he will …

Fresh off last week’s victory in stifling a possible reversal of gay marriage rights, Massachusetts advocates are now attempting a repeal of a 1913 law that only allows people from other states to marry in Massachusetts if their marriage would be recognized in their home state. The 1913 law was originally created to slow the spread of interracial marriages. Republican …

UPDATE: I neglected to mention that the vote below was much closer than it seems, as only 50 “yes” votes were needed to get the measure on the ballot. My apologies. In a 151-45 vote, Massachusetts legislators just voted “NO” to putting an anti-gay marriage amendment up to a statewide vote in 2008. Putting the amendment on the ballot would …

Openly gay New York State Assemblyman Danny O’Donnell (Rosie’s brother) introduced Gov. Elliot Spitzer’s gay marriage bill to the state Assembly yesterday. The bill, which is expected to come to a vote in the next few weeks, needs 76 votes to pass. The Empire State Pride Agenda says 69 members have indicated support, 48 are undecided, and 33 have voiced …

Florida Governor Charlie “Closet” Crist has grown a beard and her name is Kelly. Yesterday they made their relationship known to the St. Petersburg Times, who gushed, “She’s blond. She’s tan. She’s a mother of two, a former beauty queen who auditioned for NBC’s Fear Factor by eating a live earthworm and hiding four lizards in her mouth.” During his …

The South African government has released a list of 17 churches that have had their applications to perform gay marriages approved. The churches are all outside of the major denominations. The Anglican, Baptist, Presbyterian and Catholic churches have barred their clergy from performing the ceremonies, which were legalized last November, but some churches are considering leaving their denominations for ones …

A Boston court ruled last week that gay New Yorkers married in Massachusetts can be considered legally married there, but more interestingly, they apparently can be considered legally married in New York too, but only if they were married between May 17th 2004 and July 6th, 2006. It wasn’t until July 6th, 2006 that New York state ruled that gay …

Yesterday the California Assembly passed a bill making it easier for same-sex partners to take the surname of their partners or to create a new surname entirely. The bill must pass the state Senate and by signed by Schwarzenegger to become law. Currently only seven states (including New York) allow a man to take the last name of his wife …