Tag Archives: Wyoming

“Unlike other bills, this one would have extended special benefits to just about any two people–including platonic relationships–stripping marriage of all meaning or incentive. Once again, Rep. [Mark] Baker pointed out the ridiculously high costs to taxpayers, especially as it pertains to homosexuals. Though we’ve not researched his source, Baker insisted that only 1% of homosexuals die of old age, …

Today the Wyoming Senate rejected a bill extending anti-discrimination protections to LGBT residents. Today’s loss follows the rejections of domestic partnerships and same-sex marriage, both of which failed earlier this week. The Wyoming Senate rejected a bill today that would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The standing vote was 13 for the bill and 15 opposed. …

The Wyoming House has rejected the domestic partners bill that passed out of its committee on Monday.   The House voted 35-to-24 against the bill. It marked the first time that pro-gay legislation reached a full floor debate in the state Legislature.  Proponents of the bill said that it would grant same-sex couples as well as other citizens a way to …

The vote for a domestic partnerships bill was 7-2 shortly after the same committee narrowly rejected same-sex marriage by a 5-4 vote. UPDATE: Wyoming Equality reacts via press release. Today, a historic law that would protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) families passed its first hurdle in the Wyoming House of Representatives by a 7-2 vote. House Bill (HB) …

Via press release from the National Center for Lesbian Rights: Three bills—marriage equality, domestic partnership, and non-discrimination—have just been introduced, and the first committee votes are only days away. At noon on Monday, January 28, the House Corporations Committee will hear testimony on the marriage equality and domestic partnership bills. If one or both pass committee, they will proceed to …

GOP state Rep. Keith Gingery is one of the cosponsors of a marriage equality bill just proposed in Wyoming.  Yes, Wyoming. Laramie Democratic Rep. Cathy Connolly filed legislation late Monday afternoon that would create a path for gay couples to form civil unions or get married. The dual approach already has won the backing of Reps. Ruth Ann Petroff, R-Jackson, …

Via Daily Caller: This week, Wyoming lawmakers introduced a bill banning the federal government from enforcing an assault weapons ban or a prohibition on high-capacity magazines in the state, calling the effort an attempt to “take the Second Amendment seriously.” The bill, which is sponsored by eight Wyoming state representatives and two state senators, calls for federal agents who attempt …

A bill that would have banned Wyoming from recognizing same-sex marriages from other states has died in the state House. The Wyoming House adjourned without taking action on a same-sex marriage bill that had already passed the state Senate. Passing the measure would have required a two-thirds vote in both houses. House Majority Floor Leader Rep. Tom Lubnau, R-Gillette, said …

Christian groups formed joyous prayer circles outside the Wyoming Senate chamber this afternoon to thank Jeebus for the action of their lawmakers, who today voted to ban the recognition of out-of-state gay unions. House Bill 74 passed 16-14 after tagging on a last-second amendment guaranteeing out-of-state couples in civil unions access to Wyoming courts. Because of the amendment, the bill …

Thanks to a newly-elected Tea Party-backed GOP majority, the Wyoming House today passed a bill banning the recognition of out of state same-sex marriages and civil unions. Similar bills had failed twice in recent years. State Rep. Owen Petersen, R-Mountain View, the bill’s sponsor, said the legislation is needed to resolve a conflict in Wyoming law, which defines marriage as …

“I think all this is, is an outpost in culture that says, ‘Listen, I feel like you’re destroying everything else that I have. You’ve gotten involved in the raising of my children, the way I discipline them, the way I feed them, whether or not I can smoke in the car, whether or not I have them properly equipped; you’ve …

GOP lawmakers in Wyoming plan to introduce legislation banning the recognition of same-sex marriages from other states. Such a move failed in 2009, but the plan is to put the issue to voters. State law defines marriage as a legal union between a man and woman, but Wyoming also recognizes marriages performed in other states. Rep. Owen Petersen of Mountain …

A young gay couple has filed a federal court challenge to the constitutionality of Wyoming’s ban on same-sex marriage. So far, they are representing themselves. The lawsuit, filed Aug. 13 by David Shupe-Roderick, 25, and Ryan W. Dupree, 21, is the first legal challenge in recent memory to Wyoming’s law defining marriage as being a contract solely “between a male …

The Supreme Court has upheld a ruling by a Wyoming court that the Westboro Baptist Church may not install a “monument” to Matthew Shepard in a city park. The Casper City Council did not violate the First Amendment when it allowed a Ten Commandments statue in Monument Plaza but did not permit a statue from an anti-homosexual pastor, according to …

Today the Wyoming legislature voted down a public referendum on same-sex marriage. The Wyoming House has voted down a bill that would have allowed Wyoming voters to decide whether to amend the state constitution to deny state recognition of same-sex marriages. Rep. Owen Petersen, R-Lyman, sponsored House Joint Resolution 17. It failed by a vote of 35-25 after frequently emotional …

It was ten years ago today that gay Wyoming college student Matthew Shepard was brutally beaten and left to die. Ten years and Wyoming still does not have a hate crimes law. This morning Matthew’s mother Judy Shepard appeared on CBS News to discuss the continuing battle. (Via – Towleroad)

Via AP: The nation — and the city of Laramie — has become more accepting of gays and lesbians in the 10 years since a gay University of Wyoming student was beaten, lashed to a lonely fence and left to die, his mother said Saturday. “We’ve learned a lot, we’ve talked a lot; we do it in public forums now,” …