Gay marriage momentum stalls in liberal NY, NJ
(Mount Laurel, NJ) The state-to-state march to legalize gay marriage across the left-leaning Northeast has lost more momentum since a major setback three weeks ago at the ballot box in Maine.
Since then, legislatures in New York and New Jersey have failed to schedule long-expected votes on bills to recognize the …
Gay partnership measure approved by voters
(Olympia, Wash.) Washington voters have approved the state’s new “everything but marriage” law, expanding rights for domestic partners and marking the first time any state’s voters have approved a gay equality measure at the ballot box.
With about 72 percent of the expected vote counted Thursday in unofficial returns, Referendum 71 …
How We Win Gay Marriage In 2010
While it’s tough to imagine another grueling campaign so soon, I believe we have to go back to the ballot box in 2010 and win this thing once and for all.
In 1978, Harvey Milk led the successful fight against the Briggs Initiative by using a three-pronged strategy:
First, Harvey urged all gay people to come out to everyone they could. Experience proves that most people won’t vote against gay rights if they know someone who is gay.
Second, Harvey recognized that the Initiative boiled down to the proposition that it’s not OK to be gay. Almost all of these things do boil down to that idea, which is their main weakness. See How We Win Gay Marriage In 2010
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LGBT Organizations Point Out that Lawsuits Could Set Back Progress on Marriage for Same-Sex Couples
NEW YORK – In response to the California Supreme Court decision allowing Prop 8 to stand, four LGBT legal organizations and five other leading national LGBT groups are reminding the LGBT community that ill-timed lawsuits could set the fight for marriage back. The groups released a new publication, “Why the ballot box and not the courts should be the next step on marriage in California.” This publication discourages people from bringing premature lawsuits based on the federal Constitution because, without more groundwork, the U.S. Supreme Court likely is not yet ready to rule that same-sex couples cannot be barred from marriage. The groups also revised “Make Change, Not Lawsuits,” which was released after the California Supreme Court decision ending the ban on marriage for same-sex couples in California. This publication encourages couples who have legally married to ask friends, neighbors and institutions to honor their marriages, but discourages people from bringing lawsuits.
“Why the ballot box and not the courts should be the next step on marriage in California” is available at http://www.aclu.org/lgbt/relationships/39672res20090527.html “Make Change, Not Lawsuits” is available at http://www.aclu.org/lgbt/relationships/35584res20090527.html.
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Danny Westneat Debate about gay equality appears to be ending
Whatever you may think of Joe Fuiten — the Bothell megachurch pastor and family-values political activist — you gotta give him points for bluntness.
Fuiten put out a revealing memo this week on gay marriage and domestic partnerships. To my eyes, it is the strongest sign yet that sweeping cultural change isn’t just someday coming to our state.
It’s already here.
Last month the state Legislature passed a bill that extends all the state-given benefits of being married to same-sex couples who register as domestic partners.
It’s dubbed the “everything but marriage” law. Its point is: Homosexual marriage may still be illegal here, but in the meantime gay and lesbian couples should have the same legal protections as everyone else.
Fuiten and other conservative Christian leaders opposed the bill, arguing it’s a precursor to gay marriage (which it is). Lately they’ve been debating whether to try to repeal it at the ballot box.
On Monday, Fuiten, pastor at Cedar Park Church, published the frank views of 34 right-leaning political or religious activists on the topic at his blog, franklyfuiten.com.
It’s wide-ranging, so you should read it for yourself. My take-away was that our long debate about gay equality seems to be ending. Gays and lesbians have won. Nobody understands this better than the other side.
“I have seen nothing approaching religious and/or other opposition that amounts to a hill of beans,” wrote Tom Henry, a GOP political consultant.
“Voters are immune or desensitized to the word ‘gay marriage’ right now. Besides, they think we hate them,” wrote Josephine Wentzel, a Vancouver-area Christian conservative.
“With every passing day, we lose more young people to the postmodern philosophy (no absolutes) and older people (with the Judeo-Christian value) to death. Time is not on our side,” wrote Heidi Lestelle, a Kitsap County Christian activist.
I called Fuiten. Though he and I disagree on many political issues — gay marriage in particular — we still stay in touch and debate. I asked him: Is the war over gay rights ending?
See Danny Westneat Debate about gay equality appears to be ending
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California Gay Marriage Backers to Try Again
Same-sex marriage backers in California, anticipating a loss in court, are preparing to make their case at the ballot box in 2010 rather than waiting until 2012.
“The right time is now,” San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom told ABC News. “And if that means going back in 2010, I couldn’t be more supportive.”
“Wait almost always means never,” he added, invoking Martin Luther King Jr.
California voters approved Proposition 8 in November, a change to the state constitution banning same-sex marriage. Although a decision has not yet been rendered in the legal challenge to Proposition 8, many gay marriage proponents in California expect the state Supreme Court to uphold the voter-approved ban on new gay marriages while leaving intact the gay marriages performed in 2008 when a decision of the state’s High Court had temporarily legalized the practice.
See California Gay Marriage Backers to Try Again
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EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors: “Prop. 8 destroys the fundamental principle of equal protection”
“By taking away a fundamental right from one group, Prop. 8 destroys the fundamental principle of equal protection – a principle codified in our Constitution and intended to protect minority groups from the oppression of the majority. Without the right to equal protection, every Californian risks discrimination at the ballot box.
“Equality California has sued on behalf of our members to invalidate Prop. 8. Today, our team of attorneys, led by the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal, and the ACLU, argued that Prop. 8 usurps the guarantee of equal protection and bypasses our legal safeguards. More than 300 leading civil rights organizations, legal scholars, and faith leaders submitted amicus briefs to the court, indicating their support of our argument. And this week, the state Assembly and state Senate passed resolutions stating their belief that Prop. 8 is an invalid revision to the Constitution.
“But victory in the courts is far from certain and no matter the outcome, the work to achieve acceptance and understanding must continue. Prop. 8 showed how much work there is left to be done and invalidating that discriminatory, unconstitutional amendment is just the beginning.
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Equality California (EQCA) is the largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender-rights advocacy organization in California. In the past decade, EQCA has strategically moved California from a state with extremely limited legal protections for LGBT individuals to a state with some of the most comprehensive civil-rights protections in the nation. EQCA has passed over 50 pieces of legislation and continues to advance equality through legislative advocacy, public education and community empowerment. www.eqca.org
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/03/eqca-executiv…
Your help is needed today to support the statewide efforts to invalidate Prop 8.
Your help is needed today to support the statewide efforts to invalidate Prop 8.
They have threatened the justices of the California Supreme Court with a recall if the Court invalidates Prop 8. They’ve threatened supporters and donors to Equality California while at the same time asking a federal judge to allow their donors (and only their donors) to avoid the legal requirements of disclosing contributions to the Yes on 8 side.
As the organizational party to the case before the Supreme Court we are asking the Court to invalidate Prop 8. If you support this effort please make a donation now >
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/02/your-help-is-…
URGENT CALIFORNIA ACTION ALERT: Call Legislature Now!
Anti-equality groups are currently flooding the Capitol with threatening phone calls demanding members of the Senate and Assembly Judiciary committees oppose the two resolutions to overturn Prop 8 when they come up for a vote on Tuesday. We cannot let their attacks and threats go unanswered! We need to make sure that legislators hear from those who support equality. Please call key members of the Senate and Assembly Judiciary Committeeswho have supported LGBT equality in the past (sample script and phone numbers are below). Ask them to support the resolutions to overturn Prop 8 to protect all minorities from the risk of losing their rights at the ballot box. If passed, the two EQCA-sponsored resolutions, SR 7 and HR 5, authored by two of our champions in the Legislature, Senator Mark Leno and Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, will put the California Legislature on record as supporting the invalidation of Prop 8, declaring it an illegal revision to the state constitution. This is our fourth of five actions leading up to our giant lobby day to overturn Prop 8 on Tuesday, the day of the vote, when over 2,000 activists will come together at the Capitol to urge their lawmakers to support these critical resolutions. Take Action Today! Call Now!
Sample Script Thank you for past support for equality. My name is [Your Name] and I am calling to ask for you to vote in favor of SR 7 / HR 5 because Prop 8 is a drastic and radical revision to the California Constitution that puts all Californians at risk. I believe in equal protection under the law and do not want a simple majority of voters to be able to take fundamental rights away from any minority. Thank you. [Your Name] If you live in Northern California, please call: Senate Judiciary Committee members (for SR 7) Assembly Judiciary Committee members (for HR 5) If you like in the Central Valley, please call: Senate Judiciary Committee members (for SR 7) Assembly Judiciary Committee members (for HR 5) If you live in Southern California, please call: Assembly Judiciary Committee members (for HR 5)
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/02/urgent-califo…
Your help is needed today to support the statewide efforts to invalidate Prop 8.
Your help is needed today to support the statewide efforts to invalidate Prop 8.
They have threatened the justices of the California Supreme Court with a recall if the Court invalidates Prop 8. They’ve threatened supporters and donors to Equality California while at the same time asking a federal judge to allow their donors (and only their donors) to avoid the legal requirements of disclosing contributions to the Yes on 8 side.
As the organizational party to the case before the Supreme Court we are asking the Court to invalidate Prop 8. If you support this effort please make a donation now >
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/02/your-help-is-…
