Tag Archives: marriage equality

The right-wing has surged into the lead in the contest to raise money over the Proposition 8 battle. Proponents of Proposition 8, a ballot initiative that would ban same-sex marriage, raised about $3.7 million from Jan. 1 through June 30, according to state filings. In contrast, gay-rights activists who oppose the measure raised about $2.5 million through June 30. The …

California does not permit proxy marriages, both parties must be present. Therefore male and female prisoners have not been allowed to marry each other. But what if both parties are in the same prison? If prisoners in the same prison apply for permission to marry, the California proxy law doesn’t apply. State officials are scrambling to come up with a …

Yesterday the Massachusetts House repealed the state’s 1913 ban on out-of-state residents marrying there, clearing the way for gay tourist nuptials. The ban had already been repealed by the state Senate and Gov. Duval Patrick will sign it into law shortly. An analysis by the state predicts that up to 30,000 gay couples may visit to marry there in the …

Pacific Gas & Electric, which provides Northern California with most of its electricity and natural gas, has donated $250K to the fight against Proposition 8. Giving a financial and public relations boost to gay marriage proponents, PG&E announced today that it is giving $250,000 to the No on Proposition 8 campaign. The utility also said it will spearhead the formation …

Opponents of gay marriage in California were quick to announce that they would sue to overturn last week’s rewording of Proposition 8, which makes it clear to voters that they would be overturning an existing right. The haters claim the Attorney General Jerry Brown had the proposition reworded in order to bolster his gubernatorial chances in 2010. Jennifer Kerns, spokeswoman …

Another domino falls in New York. BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York will begin allowing spousal health care benefits to validly married gay and lesbian couples, the New York Civil Liberties Union announced today. The news comes less than three weeks after the NYCLU filed a lawsuit against the company on behalf of a Buffalo lesbian couple that said it …

Utah resident and WordPerfect cofounder Bruce Bastian has pledged $1M to fight California’s Proposition 8 as out-of-state money continues to roll in on both sides of the issue. When Bruce Bastian of Utah stood up Saturday night at a San Francisco dinner and wrote a $1 million check for the campaign against Proposition 8, he made it clearer than ever …

The California Attorney General’s office has reworded Proposition 8 so that voters understand that they would be rescinding an existing right. The new text: Proposition 8ELIMINATES RIGHT OF SAME-SEX COUPLES TO MARRY.INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT Changes California Constitution to eliminate right of same-sex couples to marry. Provides that only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized …

Los Angeles chief of police William J. Bratton supports gay marriage and has made a personal donation to the fight against Proposition 8. LAPD Police Chief William J. Bratton has come out — in favor of gay marriage. As a wedding gift to friend and celebrity publicist Howard Bragman and his longtime partner, Chuck O’Donnell, Bratton made it official: He …

Using the same language as the amendment, a new Field Poll shows that a majority of Californians continue to oppose Proposition 8. Pollsters expect opposition to grow. Proposition 8, the constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage in California, is opposed by 51 percent of likely voters with 42 percent in favor, according to a new Field Poll. Those results …

In a setback for the marriage equality battle in California, this afternoon the state Supreme Court refused to remove Proposition 8 from the November ballot. The state Supreme Court refused today to remove a proposed ban on same-sex marriage from the November ballot. The initiative, Proposition 8, is a state constitutional amendment that would overturn the court’s May 15 ruling …

There’s trouble between the two biggest backers of California’s Proposition 8, the November ballot measure that would overturn gay marriage. One group of haters doesn’t want the other group of haters joining the fight to keep the measure on the ballot. Because, get this, they hate TOO much. A united front by conservative forces against same-sex marriage in California is …

Today the Massachusetts Senate repealed the 1913 law limiting marriages performed there to residents of the state. The bill passed by a general voice vote with no objections. The bill now moves to the state House of Representatives where it is expected to pass overwhelmingly. Governor Deval Patrick has promised to approve the bill “proudly”, which will put a recognized-at-home …

Many marrying mo’s in California are requesting no wedding gifts, instead they are asking friends and family to donate to the fight against Proposition 8. Gays and lesbians marrying in California are ditching traditional wedding gifts and asking friends to contribute money to fight a ballot measure that would make their unions illegal. A month after California began legally marrying …

Today Michelangelo Signorile blasts the hypocrisy of John McCain’s stance on gay marriage, pointing out yesterday’s Los Angeles Times story which discusses the fact that McCain got engaged to his present wife Cindy while still legally married to his first wife, who had just been in a devastating car accident. In fact, McCain got his marriage license with Cindy several …

From the Campaign for Children and Families, the group behind Proposition 8 in California.

“It is with great sadness that I announce that I feel I must withdraw from openly supporting man-woman marriage in the United States. I recently learned quite a bit of disturbing information that makes it impossible for me to continue supporting a movement I no longer respect. I have not yet decided when or even if I will write about …

The U.S. Census Bureau announced that it will not be counting gay marriages in its 2010 nationwide count of Americans and how they live. In fact they will “edit” the responses of legally married gay couples to change their status to “unmarried partners.” The U.S. Census Bureau, reacting to the federal Defense of Marriage Act and other mandates, plans to …

“Many people are deeply upset that our fundamental right to marry will soon appear on a ballot for public vote. It won’t be the first time in California’s history. In past elections, we’ve had to fight against initiatives that would have prohibited GLBT teachers from teaching in public schools and an initiative that sought to segregate HIV-positive people from the …

A coalition of marriage equality advocates and a hotel workers union in California are calling for a boycott of Hyatt hotels owned by San Diego tycoon Doug Manchester after he donated $125K in support of Proposition 8, the November ballot measure that would overturn gay marriage. The group’s message Thursday was to urge residents and tourists to stay at other …