Gay New Yorkers Head to Greenwich for Weddings
GREENWICH, Conn. — They wanted a New York wedding. “Our lives are here; our friends are here,” said Janis Castaldi, 56, who lives in Westchester County with Lizz Endrich, the woman she married on May 21.
But New York has not approved same-sex marriage. “It got to the point where it doesn’t look 100 percent good right now. When you have Greenwich, Conn., 20 minutes away, I said, ‘Why are we waiting?’ ”
And so another couple from outside Connecticut made what is becoming a familiar pilgrimage to this border town of wealth and privilege, the first municipality over the state line by Interstate 95 or Metro-North.
From Nov. 12, 2008, the day same-sex marriages became legal in Connecticut, through the end of May, 139 same-sex couples applied for a marriage license and wed in Greenwich. All but three of them were been from out of state, most from New York City, according to Barbara Lowden, the town’s assistant registrar of vital statistics.
The town has the most same-sex marriages in Connecticut; statewide figures through February, the most recent available, showed Greenwich as the wedding spot for one in every five gay couples, though it has only 2 percent of the population.
Best known for its old- and new-money families stretching from the Long Island Sound to its fabled back country, Greenwich has been vexed in the past by its proximity to the border. In 2001, the crowds of people buying tickets for the Powerball lottery game, not available in New York, grew so big that town officials suspended sales for a day.
These days, by contrast, local businesses would like Greenwich’s new wave of toe-dippers to stick around a little longer than they have been. Most couples have a brief ceremony in a Town Hall meeting room or outside on the grounds, then leave immediately for receptions back in New York or honeymoons elsewhere.
Thomas C. Delaney, the general manager of the Hyatt Regency Greenwich, said the hotel had advertised on some gay and lesbian Web sites in hopes of attracting more business. The Hyatt averages 70 weddings a year, he said, but this summer only two same-sex weddings are scheduled so far. “We’d like to have a lot more,” he said.
June, the traditional month for wedding bliss, is coinciden
See Gay New Yorkers Head to Greenwich for Weddings
New York Times
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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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Questions Remain Over Same-Sex Marriage Bill
CONCORD, N.H. — A day after the New Hampshire House passed a bill approving same-sex marriage in the state, questions remain about the impact the law would have on the Granite State.
Extended Video: Gov. Lynch On Gay Marriage Bill Decision
Once the bill reaches Gov. John Lynch’s desk, he has five days to decide what to do with it. Lynch hasn’t given an indication what his plans are.
State Rep. Jim Splaine, D-Portsmouth, the author of both the civil union law and the same-sex marriage bill, conceded that currently there is little difference between the two in the eyes of the federal government.
“Any state which has same-gendered couples under civil unions cannot qualify for the 1,100 or so benefits of federal law,” Splaine said.
Those benefits range from survivor benefits to joint tax filings. But Splaine said he hopes that if the federal government considers the recognition of marriage between same-sex couples, New Hampshire will have made an important preemptive move.
“Very much so, and I think by adopting civil marriages and religious marriages, it encourages the federal government to make that move,” Splaine said.
But there is still considerable concern for some regarding the language of the bill. Under the religious marriage section, it protects churches and clergy members who choose not to perform the ceremony. See Questions Remain Over Same-Sex Marriage Bill
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Prop 8 in court today: Stop Ken Starr from divorcing loving couples!
This morning, before the California Supreme Court, Ken Starr will argue for the forcible divorce of 18,000 loving same-sex couples who married before Proposition 8 passed.
Starr has said the marriage ban should stand because of the state’s role in protecting the welfare of children.
The hypocrisy of “protecting” children by divorcing their parents is unconscionable. Yet this is just one in a parade of outrageous lies by right-wing extremists.
So HRC is launching a new campaign to expose this dishonest fear-mongering against equality – to counteract the lies with respectful dialogue and grassroots action.
Sign our first petition at EndtheLies.org – Tell Ken Starr to stop using lies about child “welfare” to divorce loving parents.
Since it’s no longer as acceptable to display open bigotry against LGBT people, the right-wing has resorted to lies and fear tactics. Take Ken Starr’s statement that same-sex marriage amounts to “seizing and hijacking the marriage relationship in order to achieve apartheid-type values.”
HRC’s EndtheLies.org campaign will help us combat these untruths in the media, in Congress, in our statehouses, schools, workplaces and faith communities. And that will be key during the brewing battle over hate crimes legislation – which the right-wing is already trying to drag into the gutter.
They say that hate crimes laws will criminalize pastors and “do away with our freedom of speech.”
They spent millions during the Prop. 8 campaign telling Californians that marriage equality was corrupting schoolchildren and eroding their “moral character.”
They’re running absurd ads that suggest transgender anti-discrimination measures will lead to men attacking women and girls in public restrooms.
We’ve exposed dozens more outrages at EndtheLies.org – check it out and sign our Ken Starr petition today.
Right-wing extremists will keep spreading these lies as long as no one holds them accountable. They will continue to raise money hand-over-fist and use lies to block hate crime and workplace protections, marriage equality, HIV/AIDS funding, and the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
That’s why YOUR action is so critical. These lies aren’t just offensive – they stand in the way of basic fairness and equality.
EndtheLies – starting with Ken Starr’s!
Last night, HRC joined with other groups to sponsor Marriage Equality USA’s “Eve of Justice” vigils across California. Today, hundreds of protestors will gather outside the courthouse in San Francisco during the oral arguments. The court will issue a ruling within 90 days. This is one of those rare moments in our movement when we can shine a light and change hearts and minds – please spread the word to family and friends.
Warmly,
Joe Solmonese, HRC President
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Battle over child visitation rages on despite rulings
(Winchester, Virginia) A woman attempting to keep her former partner from having visitation rights to her daughter is refusing to accept court rulings in two states and the refusal of the US Supreme Court to become involved.
Lisa Miller has filed another appeal in the case. This time her attorneys argue …
