Tag Archives: Same-Sex Marriage

Wanda Sykes Discusses Coming Out

Watch as out comedian Wanda Sykes discusses how she never meant to come out at a Prop 8 rally in 2008.

Talking on The Meredith Show, she says she was called on stage by organisers as she had been vocal about her support for the anti Prop 8 campaign, but she didn’t intend to come out.

However the timing was just right. She married her wife Alex Sykes in 2008 just before Proposition 8, the law that banned same-sex marriage in California, was passed.

Although afterward her speech, she says people treated her like a Unicorn because, at the time, there was very little visible representative of the African American people in LGBT community.

“It just came out. I had just gotten married. So instead of speaking as a supporter, I was speaking as one of the victims. It just happened. I didn’t even think about it… We continued with the rally and by the time I got to the hotel, I’m looking at the CNN scroll and it says, ‘Comedienne Wanda Sykes: I’m proud to be black and gay’ and whatever, I was like, ‘Oh lord. What the hell just happened?’ It was crazy.

It was funny though, because especially being an African-American celebrity who’s out, it was like they started treating me like a unicorn. We’ve never seen one of you before! It’s like me and RuPaul. I guess that’s it.”

Wanda Sykes

Second Tokyo District To Recognise Same-Sex Relationships

Another district in Tokyo has announced that it will recognise same-sex relationships. The Shibuya district, which hosts many international companies, and is regarded as a business hub, will start issuing marriage certificates.

Mayor Nobuto Hosaka of Setagaya, Tokyo’s most populous ward, has now said Shibuya’s efforts to recognise same-sex relationships have prompted his district to do the sam.

MORE: District In Tokyo Plans to Extend Marriage Rights of Same-Sex Couples

One official responsible for drafting the Shibuya plans said they would encourage businesses and hospitals to recognise the partnerships of gay couples, despite the certificates only holding symbolic significance.

The legal recognition of same-sex relationships is currently banned in Japan, as the country’s constitution defines marriage as “a union based on the mutual consent of parties from both sexes.”

This means the certificates would not be legally binding, but are more a symbolic gesture.

The Setagaya assembly members will vote on a measure in due course.

District In Tokyo Plans to Extend Marriage Rights of Same-Sex Couples

A district in Tokyo plans to give same-sex couples the same legal rights as married opposite-sex spouses, becoming the first local government in Japan to do so at a time when gay marriage is a hot-button issue in many countries.

Last week, the Shibuya Ward in central Tokyo unveiled a draft of the new statute, which it said would be put to a vote in the ward’s assembly next month. If the measure passes, as expected, same-sex couples could apply for “proof of partnership” certificates starting April 1, said Shigeru Saito, a general affairs official.

MORE: Japanese Zen Temple Begins to Offer Symbolic Same-Sex Marriages to LGBT Community

Mr. Saito said that while the partnerships would not be legally binding, the move was intended to raise awareness about the rights of not only lesbians and gay men but also bisexual and transgender people. Current law recognizes marriage as only between a man and a woman.

Tens of thousands of people took part in Taiwan’s gay pride march on Saturday, including groups from Asian nations that have more restrictive laws on same-sex issues.

While Japanese society is relatively tolerant of homosexuality, it has afforded few legal rights or protections to gays and lesbians. Same-sex couples have reported being barred from renting apartments together or from visiting each other in hospitals because they are not married.

Ken Hasebe, a ward assembly member who proposed the measure, said he wanted to reduce discrimination in housing, health care and other areas. He said the statute was modeled on laws in European countries like Germany, which permits domestic partnerships between gay couples.

MORE: Two Japanese Actresses Announce Engagement and Arrangements for the Country’s First Celebrity Same-Sex Marriage

He said he proposed the move after seeing surveys finding about 5 percent of Tokyo residents to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. He said there had been growing attention to these residents’ rights because of the gay marriage debate in the United States and because a few actors and lawmakers in Japan have revealed that they are gay.

“My district is Harajuku, where there are a large number of L.G.B.T. people. Shibuya is an international community, so it is only natural that we have international levels of diversity.”

Ken Hasebe

Wataru Ishizaka, a gay ward assembly member in a different part of Tokyo who has advocated for sexual minority issues, praised Shibuya’s move. He said he hoped it would eventually bolster the legal standing of gay people at the national level.

“I think we are behind the rest of the world. But this is a first step.”

Wataru Ishizaka

Bakery Who Refused Lesbian Couple A Wedding Cake Found Guilty Of Discrimination

An Oregon bakery who discriminated against a lesbian couple, that wanted to order a wedding cake, could have to pay up to $200,000. The exact amount will be determined at a hearing next month.

In January 2013, Sweet Cakes refused to sell a cake to Laurel Bowman and Rachel Cryer for their wedding. Bowman told newspapers that one of the co-owners of the bakery told her the wedding would be an “abomination to the lord.”

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Bowman filed an anti-discrimination complaint with the state later that year, citing a 2007 law that protects the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender individuals.

An administrative law judge has rejected the owners’ contention that they had the right to reject the order, based on their religious beliefs, as the bakery is not a religious institution.

“Oregonians may not be denied service based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The law provides an exemption for religious organizations and schools, but does not allow private businesses to discriminate based on sexual orientation.”

Charlie Burr

In Oregon, such cases may be heard either before an administrative law judge or taken to civil court. Both sides had had sought a speedy decision in the dispute, but in his order, administrative Judge Alan McCullough found that the facts in the case supported charges of unlawful discrimination.

The couples lawyer, Paul Thompson said

“The entire time, I felt the law was very much on our side because the law is black and white. You cannot discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.”

Paul Thompson

Anna Harmon, one of three lawyers representing bakery owners Aaron and Melissa Klein disagreed.

“The (administrative law judge) recognized that all of the state’s claims but one were baseless and not supported by the facts of the case. We view this as a partial victory. However, the (judge) ruled wrongly that the Kleins’ right not to design and create a work of art celebrating an event which violates the tenets of their religion is not protected by the Oregon or federal constitutions.

This is a wrong and dangerous result for religious liberty and rights of conscience in Oregon. … Americans should not have to choose between adhering to their faith or closing their business, but that is what this decision means.”

Anna Harmon

The hearing scheduled for March 10 is intended to focus on the amount of damages to be awarded to the couple.

Cryer, 31, and Bowman, 30, were married on May 23, four days after a federal judge ruled that same-sex marriage was legal in Oregon.

Moving Forward – Civil Unions Now Legalised in Chile

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) has applauded the Chilean legislature’s vote to allow civil unions for all people, including same-sex couples.

The historic decision grants legal status to stable and permanent cohabitation by two people, without regard to either person’s sex or gender. The bill does not legalize same-sex marriage.

“This is a major step forward for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex Chileans and families who can now enter into a life partnership under the law assured of benefits and rights. 

It shows the dedication of the Chilean civil society, and the political will of the government. However, while we view this decision very positively, we also recognize the legal limits for civil partnerships.

While this bill gives civil partners nearly all the rights and benefits of married couples, the ultimate goal must be full equality before the law, which includes the possibility of marriage.”

María Mercedes Gómez, IGLHRC

The Chamber of Deputies approved the bill with 78 votes in favor, following Senate approval. This final legislative step gives a green light for the bill to become law with President Michelle Bachelet’s signature.

The approved text comes after four years of deliberation and is based on recommendations from civil society organizations, including Fundación Iguales. Most importantly, the law expands the concept of family, assuring that the legal status of individuals entering the agreement is modified in the Civil Registry and that Family Courts implement the new processes.

Under this law, children in cohabitating couples will be considered relatives by affinity and, if one of the parents becomes disabled, a family judge has the discretion to grant a civil partner custody of the children, without giving priority to biological family bonds.
This law also guarantees child and family benefits, social security, and life-insurance benefits.

Karen Atala, a judge and board member of Fundación Iguales, said:

“The LGBTI community, our partners, and families, are starting to see justice. Eleven years have passed since the Supreme Court of Chile ruled to take my daughters away from me because of prevailing stereotypes and prejudice.

It was the prejudices — and not our lives — that made lesbian relationships illegitimate and deemed our families to be anomalies.

This law gives us legitimacy. We’re still working on gaining the full rights of marriage. We are not going to rest until we win full legal recognition for marriage, affiliation, and adoption.”

Take a Look at the Latest Marriage Equality Map of the United States

According to several polls released in 2013, a majority of Americans support same-sex marriage. Responses to Gallup’s survey on the matter suggested that most Americans would actually support a nationwide ruling in favour of same-sex marriage.

However, although the United States repealed DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act), a law that restricted benefits for married same-sex couples across the country, it’s unlikely that a law in favour of same-sex marriage would ever be instated. Instead, same-sex marriage is being decided on a state by state basis.

Some states have been forced to bring same-sex marriage into law due to court rulings that laws against same-sex marriages are unconstitutional, while rulings in other states have been left to public vote, meaning that the rights of same-sex citizens are often dictated by local bias, intolerance and political leanings. Though, a majority of states in the country do now allow same-sex marriages to take place and now we have an updated map showing marriage equality across the U.S.

The full list of states that allow for same-sex marriage are as follows: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

And, it’s not a state but the District of Columbia (Washington D.C) also allows for same-sex marriage. Overall it means that over 70% of American citizens reside in places where same-sex marriage can take place.

Not that there aren’t still ways to go though, as that map shows. In Missouri, the ban on same-sex marriages was repealed but Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster appealed. He didn’t request a stay and so while St. Louis, St. Louis County, and Jackson County are providing same-sex marriage licenses, other counties are awaiting the outcome of the appeal.

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In Texas meanwhile, it looks incredibly likely that the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals will repeal the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. In retaliation, a bill has been introduced by Rep. Cecil Bell (R) that sees that government employees in the state “may not recognize, grant, or enforce a same-sex marriage license” and they risk losing their salary, pension and benefits if they do so.

So, other than a few politicians souring things, it looks very likely that we’ll be posting about same-sex marriage coming to other states in the U.S very soon indeed.

Beth Ditto and Her Partner Kristin Ogata Legally Wed in Oregon

Congratulations are in order for Beth Ditto and wife Kristin Ogata (again), who legally married on New Year’s Eve

According to reports, the two legally wed on New Year’s Eve, 17 months after they married in Hawaii in a ‘female-centric’ yet not legally binding ceremony. They have now opted to make their nuptials official after sam-sex marriage was legalised in their home state of Oregon.

@detective_girls CEREMONY!! A photo posted by BethBethBeth (@marybethditto) on

The singer and campaigner announced the news on Facebook, saying:

“Legally married finally, a year later! Thanks everyone who fought to make gay marriage legal in Oregon! In 2015, the whole US!”

Beth Ditto

Beth and Kristin, who have been best friends since they were teenagers.

Italian Court Recognises Legal Status of Child Born to Lesbian Couple for First Time

An  court has for the first time recognised the legal status of a child born to a lesbian couple in a ruling, made public yesterday, that challenges the country’s official stance on marriage only being between a man and a woman.

Italy, where the Roman Catholic church still has a great influence on politics, does not allow same-sex marriage or civil partnerships. However, in recent months some courts and town councils have begun to recognise the validity of same-sex marriages contracted abroad.

The appeals court in Turin ruled that the birth of the child, conceived by artificial insemination and born in Barcelona to a Spanish and Italian lesbian couple, should be transcribed into the official records of the town where the Italian woman lives.

The ruling gives Italian citizenship to the child, who was born in 2011, and means it can come to Italy to be with the mother, who is now divorced from her Spanish ex-wife.

Same-sex marriage is legal in Spain and a Barcelona court gave joint custody to both women.

The Turin court’s ruling, which was issued in October but only made public on Wednesday, overturned a 2013 verdict that the birth could not be legally recognised in Italy.

The appeals court said it was acting in the “exclusive interests of the child, who has been brought up by two women which the (Spanish) law each recognises as its mother”.

Proud Son Of Two Lesbian Mothers Argues For Marriage Equality In Texas

We are denied the basic dignity of being respected as the family that we are… We share the same values and beliefs as everyone else, the same normal struggles and triumphs.

Mason Marriott-Voss

Sixteen-year-old Mason Marriott-Voss, is the proud son of lesbian mothers.

In this powerful two-minute video, he pleads with an audience to bring marriage equality to Texas, so that his family can be rightfully recognised.

There are still people who stubbornly refuse to recognize family even when it’s right in front of them.”

Mason Marriott-Voss

In February 2014, Federal District Court Judge Orlando Garcia struck down Texas’ ban on same-sex marriage but Attorney General Greg Abbott (soon to be Texas governor) has appealed the decision to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court, which has scheduled arguments for January 9, 2015. Texas same-sex marriages are on hold until then.

Two Japanese Actresses Announce Engagement and Arrangements for the Country’s First Celebrity Same-Sex Marriage

Former Gravure model and television personality Ayaka Ichinose (34) and actress Akane Sugimori (28) plan to tie the knot next year in the conservative country’s first celebrity gay marriage. The pair announced that they will hold their wedding ceremony and banquet in April next year.

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While there are some famous openly gay celebrities in Japan — perhaps most notably Akihiro Miwa — Ichinose and Sugimori might be the only open LGBT couple in the entertainment industry.

Ichinose came out as a lesbian in 2009, and met Sugimori at a gay bar in Shinjuku, Tokyo in October 2012.

‘We hope gay people will also be able to marry in Japan, and hope our wedding can help promote this goal.’

Ayaka Ichinose

This news follows the announcement that Hotel Granvia in Kyoto is offering a same-sex weddings service, in cooperation with a local Buddhist temple, joining Tokyo Disneyland in accommodating gay couples who want to marry in Japan.

Japan has a rich gay history, but LGBT rights get short shrift in the mainstream media. Japan’s views on homosexuality are a complex one. Despite artistic cultural exports that shows Japan as being a socially progressive society in regards to gender and sexual expression, the country still struggles with broad legislation that would ensure LGBT equality.

ENDA Fails to Pass; Equality Act Hopes to Increase LGBT Protections in the US

Currently, 35 states in the United States of America allow for same-sex marriage. This means that a majority of the states in the country allow people to enjoy the same rights as heterosexual couples.

However, this may not offer many peace of mind to the LGBT folk still being discriminated against across the country. Specifically, in 29 states (16 of which allow same-sex marriage) it is still legal for someone to be fired for being gay or because of their gender identity.

ENDA (the Employment Non-Discrimination Act) hoped to fix this but after years of trying to push the bill into law, it has finally been killed. Some US politicians hope to replace it with the better ‘Equality Act’ instead.

ENDA was finally gutted and thrown out after a vote in the House Rules Committee that went against it 7-3. Such a vote, whilst unfortunate, is unsurprising as the bill had plenty of opponents who criticised it when it wanted to prevent discrimination against LGB people in the workplace and again when it was amended to include trans* folk too.

Not all hope is lost though as the aforementioned Equality Act is looking to be a bigger, better and more comprehensive version of ENDA. It will do this by including protections across the country not just in the workplace but in “public accommodations, housing, jury service, and financial transactions for LGBT Americans” too.

Sen.Jeff Merkley (the main driver of ENDA in the Senate) released the following statement to TIME:

“It can’t be right that people are thrown out of their rental housing because of their LGBT status or can be denied entry to a movie theater or to a restaurant. That simply is wrong and we need to take on this broader agenda.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Mark Takano did unfortunately point out that the Equality Act is unlikely to pass soon either as Congress is still controlled by the conservative (and generally less progressive) Republican Party. However, Takano also stressed how important it is to fight anti-LGBT discrimination so I wouldn’t expect he or his pro-LGBT colleagues to give up on this soon.

Taiwanese Queen of Pop, Jolin Tsai Tells Touching Lesbian Love Story in New Music Video

Taiwanese queen of pop, Jolin Tsai, showcases a beautiful lesbian love story in her new video about same-sex marriage.

The video is for her new song ‘We’re All Different, Yet the Same’, which is based on the true story of a lesbian couple who have been together for more than 30 years. When of the women are hospitalized due to old age and required emergency surgery, her partner not able to sign the consent form, because she was not a legal spouse or family member. She then has to call around to try and find her partner’s estranged family members to the sign the form.

The music video has already received a lot of attention in Taiwan, where same-sex marriage is a hot topic.

The video focuses on a lesbian marriage where Jolin Tsai kisses Ruby Lin. The kiss was an impromptu suggestion from the director and took an hour to film – WOW!

‘People used to tell me that I look like Ruby Lin. I finally met her today, and we kissed on our first meeting’

Jolin Tsai

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Japanese Zen Temple Begins to Offer Symbolic Same-Sex Marriages to LGBT Community

Same-sex marriage is not legal in Japan, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t options for LGBT couples looking to marry.

The Shunkoin Temple in Kyoto, Japan, has become the first zen Buddhist temple to offer a symbolic same-sex wedding.

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Established in 1590, Shunkoin Temple follows Zen Buddhism and is an important site for a 20th-century school of thought that blends Zen and Western philosophy.

They also take a strong stand on human rights, with their website proudly declaring,

“Shunkoin Temple is against any forms of ‘Human Rights Violations’ in the world. No religion teaches how to hate others. Religion teaches how to love and respect others.”

With the temple’s priest, Takafumi Kawakami adding…

“It’s not like we have to keep tradition the way it is. We welcome every couple regardless of their faith or sexual orientation.”

Takafumi Kawakami

The temple officially began providing same-sex marriages in 2011, but given the conservative nature of Japan, the service hasn’t been widely publicised or recognised here.

Japan’s views on homosexuality are a complex one. Despite artistic cultural exports that shows Japan as being a socially progressive society in regards to gender and sexual expression, the country still struggles with broad legislation that would ensure LGBT equality.

Though there are a number of openly queer politicians in Japan, openly gay people run the risk of being evicted, fired, or denied access to Japan’s health care

Finally, Couples in Civil Partnerships Can Now Marry

As of today, same-sex couples already in a civil partnership can decide if they to convert to a marriage, or remain in this legal status.

Couples already in civil partnerships may opt for a simple conversion at a register office, or a two-stage process, which includes a ceremony at a venue of their choice, which allows them to choose a religious venue, hotel or other venue to host their conversion ceremony. A superintendent registrar must be present for the first part of the conversion, and a religious figure may take over to conduct the rest of the ceremony.

However, the legal formation of the marriage is conducted by the registrar, not the religious minister, unlike in a same-sex marriage for a couple not in a partnership.

Talking to PinkNews, Education Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities Nicky Morgan and Skills and Equalities Minister Nick Boles Marriage said:

“Marriage is a universal institution which should be available to all. It is the bedrock of our society and the most powerful expression of commitment that two people can make. While civil partnerships remain an important part of the journey towards legal equality, it is entirely understandable why so many same-sex couples want to be able to enter into the institution of marriage and express their love in the same way as their peers.”

The first same-sex marriages in Scotland take place on New Year’s Eve, but same-sex marriage will remain illegal in Northern Ireland.

Latest Batwoman Comic Features Controversial Female-on-Female Rape Scene

As noted across both Marvel and DC (the two heavy hitters in the comic book market), there’s a real lack of female representation. Not only do the women of their rosters fail to get as much of the spotlight as the men, they are small in numbers too.

Batwoman is one of few exceptions. A total badass and an out and proud lesbian, Batwoman (or Kate Kane as she’s known out of costume) was once kicked out of the United States army for being gay under DADT (Don’t Ask Don’t Tell) but has continued to seek justice for the people of Gotham by taking to the streets in mask, cape and all.

Batwoman has even had love interests too though after DC refused to let Kate and her girlfriend Maggie get married, W. Haden Blackman and J.H. Williams III left the creative team. We are now feeling the full effects of their departure as the latest Batwoman comic features a controversial rape scene.

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Not that any rape scene wouldn’t be controversial but this one is especially striking due to the nature in which it happens (and in the way in which the comic plays it off). In the comic, vampire supervillain Nocturna breaks into Kate’s house, uses her vampire powers to trick Kate into thinking that Noctura is Maggie and then proceeds to have sex with her.

The operative word there is ‘trick’ – Kate doesn’t consent to what happens (and even complains that she feels a little light-headed from drinking wine) and is being manipulated into taking part. That’s not a loving act between two right-minded people, it’s rape and there’s no getting around that.

Worse still, the comic presents this as something sensual rather than gross and disgusting. The reader is made to feel as though the rape is sexy and seductive and all of the other adjectives that should never be associated with terrible sexual acts.

And, on top of this, Nocturna and Kate actually start a relationship following this issue of the comic. This too is manipulative and abusive (Nocturna uses more vampire trickery to get Kate to agree with what she wants) and yet the creative team behind Batwoman is condoning it.

Prior to W. Haden Blackman and J.H. Williams III’s departure, many fans were worried that Batwoman would go downhill and evidently they were right to be concerned. It’s unclear if the comic can get off of this slippery path either. DC has a long and awful history with using rape as a plot device so if you’re expecting Batwoman and DC to make amends, I strongly advise comic fans not to hold their breath.

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Judge Overturns Missouri’s Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage

A state judge overturned Missouri’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage Wednesday in a ruling that immediately set off a rush among some same-sex couples to apply for marriage licenses.

St. Louis Circuit Judge Rex Burlison said in a written ruling that Missouri’s measure recognizing marriage only between a man and woman violates the due process and equal protection rights of the U.S. Constitution. The decision mirrored ones handed down recently in several other states.

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster immediately appealed the ruling to the state Supreme Court, saying the constitutional challenge “must be presented to and resolved” at that level. But he said that his office wouldn’t seek a stay of the order, noting that the U.S. Supreme Court refused to grant stays after same-sex marriage decisions in Idaho and Alaska.

Koster previously chose not to appeal a ruling requiring Missouri to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.

After hearing about Wednesday’s ruling, Kelley Harris, 35, and Kelly Barnard, 36, drove to St. Louis City Hall to apply for a marriage license. They called a photographer to record the event and planned to invite friends to attend an impromptu ceremony at a local park. The couple had held an unofficial wedding ceremony in 2003.

“We’ve already been living as a married couple – we have children, we have family – so it would be nice to have the legal backing,”

Kelley Harris

By 5 p.m., the city had issued marriage licenses to four lesbian couples, including Harris and Barnard. April Breeden and Crystal Peairs, both 38, held a brief ceremony on the marble steps of the City Hall rotunda after obtaining their license.

“Time is of the essence,” Peairs said. “We wanted to make sure we got it taken care of today.”

The city issued four marriage licenses to same-sex couples in June and then quit doing so, intentionally setting up a legal challenge to the state’s 2004 constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. Assistant Attorney General Jeremiah Morgan argued during a September court hearing that 71 percent of Missourians had voted for the referendum and said that the U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly allowed states to define marriage.

St. Louis City Counselor Winston Calvert countered in court that the existing law treats same-sex couples as “second-class citizens.” He said an increasing number of states are allowing gay couples to wed, including most of the states surrounding Missouri.

“Obviously this is a long time coming for so many gay and lesbian couples in the state of Missouri and the city of St. Louis in particular.”

Winston Calvert

Terry Garrett-Yampolsky, an archivist in the St. Louis recorder of deeds office, was part of the initial group of same-sex couples to receive licenses a little more than three months ago. He watched the couples enter the city office Wednesday with a mixture of pride and exhilaration.

The decision may lead to same-sex marriage licenses being issued in other Missouri communities. Cheryl Dawson, the recorder of deeds for Greene County in southwest Missouri, said she received one phone inquiry about same-sex marriage licenses after the ruling. She said she told the caller that a state association hadn’t yet told her how to handle such requests.

An official with the Recorders’ Association of Missouri didn’t immediately return a phone call late Wednesday afternoon.

A federal court case in Kansas City also challenges Missouri’s gay marriage ban. Jackson County officials cited that case in a written statement late Wednesday noting that Burlison’s ruling “is limited to St. Louis city.”

The Missouri lawsuits mirror dozens of others across the country. The suits are based on the same arguments that led the U.S. Supreme Court last year to overturn part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act that denied a range of tax, health and veterans benefits to legally married gay couples.

Gay marriage is legal in 32 states and the District of Columbia.

Basketball Star Brittney Griner knifed in China

On Monday, Brittney Griner was slashed in a random knife attack on in China. The Phoenix Mercury star is currently playing for a Chinese team during the WNBA off-season.

The incident happened when she was leaving practice in Shenyang, in northeast China.

A drunk knife-wielding man chased her and three teammates on to their bus. Griner was cut on her elbow, but her two thick winter coat prevented a serious injury. She did not need stitches, nor did she need to go to hospital. In fact, the next night she led Beijing Great Wall to victory over Liaoning Hengye, scoring 19 points.

One of her teammates was also slashed.

Griner said on Instagram.

‘First let me say I’m ok!!!! But last night me and 3 my teammates got chase and attack by a man with a big ass knife got a little scratch and my teammates walk away unharmed! He chase us into our bus and had us corned yelling at us then he finally left!,’

Brittney Griner

Phoenix Mercury tweeted, ‘We are thankful Brittney and her teammates are all okay after this incident.’

Griner came out as lesbian in April last year and announced her engagement to fellow WNBA player Glory Johnson in August.

Awww, DC Comics’ Batwoman Proposes to Her Girlfriend

Kate Kane, also known as Batwoman, proposed to her girlfriend, Maggie Sawyer, in the latest instalment of the comic strip, amidst controversy surrounding the publisher’s decision to hire a writer with anti-gay views to write for another title.

Batwoman was reintroduced as a lesbian by DC Comics in 2006, which was a move to try to reflect modern society more accurate than previous comics.

After emerging victorious from a recent crusade, Kane reveals her identity to Sawyer. “Marry me, Mags,” she says, planting a kiss on Sawyer before the police captain can react.

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Recently, the comics artist, J. H. Williams expressed just why this character’s story means so much to him and comic book readers alike.

“Batwoman is an important character, and a socially important one that has meaning that extends well beyond the printed pages of the world she lives in, reaching out into ours possibly affecting those who encounter her story”

J. H. Williams

Batwoman’s proposal, the first lesbian engagement to be included in a mainstream comic, comes on the heels of DC Comics being heavily criticised (with some fans calling for a boycott of the company, and of the comic), due to their decision to hire anti-gay writer, Orson Scott Card (author of Enders Game). Card is scheduled to write the first two instalments of its new digital-first comic, Adventures of Superman.

DC Comics had responded to the criticism, defending “freedom of expression”, stating that Mr Card would not be a regular writer for the comic, just two episodes. An AllOut petition calling for DC to dump Scott Card had received almost 16,000 signatures.

This latest development with Batwoman’s character has seen some critics accuse DC of not making a bigger deal of the proposal, because of the controversy surrounding Card, others commended the publisher, praising it for what was seen as an attempt to normalise the same-sex proposal. Others have questioned whether Orson Scott Card will complete the work for DC, given his opposition to equal marriage.

Last year, after it was revealed that a major character of DC Comics would come out as gay, lesbian or bisexual, one of the company’s oldest characters, Green Lantern, was reintroduced as a gay man.

Marvel‘s Northstar, the first openly gay hero, tied the knot with his boyfriend Kyle Jinadu in an issue of ‘Astonishing X-Men’, last year, and recently the creators of Judge Dredd suggested that he could be gay.

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US Federal Government Recognises Same-Sex Marriage in Six More States

The US federal government has recognised gay marriage in six more states and extended federal benefits to those couples.

Attorney General Eric Holder said on Saturday.

“With each new state where same-sex marriages are legally recognized, our nation moves closer to achieving full equality for all Americans.”

Eric Holder, Attorney General

 Gay marriage recently became legal in Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, North Carolina, West Virginia and Wyoming.

The government’s announcement follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision earlier this month to decline to hear appeals from five states that sought to keep their marriage bans in place. It brings the total number of states with federal recognition of gay marriage to 32, plus the District of Columbia. Couples married in these states will qualify for a range of federal benefits, including Social Security and veterans’ benefits.

The attorney general also said the government is working “as quickly as possible” to make sure same-sex married couples in these states receive the “fullest array of benefits” that federal law allows.

The Justice Department also has determined that it can legally recognize gay marriages performed this summer in Indiana and Wisconsin after federal courts declared marriage bans in the states unconstitutional. Subsequent developments created confusion about the status of those unions, but Holder said the U.S. government will recognize the marriages.

Kansas, Montana and South Carolina are Refusing to Allow Same-sex Couples to Obtain Marriage Licenses

These three States are continuing their legal fight against same-sex marriage, despite rulings from the Ffederal Appeals Courts. Kansas, Montana and South Carolina are refusing to allow same-sex couples to obtain marriage licenses without a court order directing them to do so, even as officials in other states have abandoned defense of gay marriage bans.

In a political campaign debate, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback vowed to defend his state’s constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

There seems little doubt that U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree ultimately will set aside the state’s gay marriage ban. That’s because the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, encompassing Kansas and five other states, has said a state may not deny a marriage license to two people of the same sex.

“He is absolutely bound and has to make that decision,”

Sarah Warbelow, Legal Director of the Human Rights Campaign

The same requirement holds true for federal judges who are hearing same-sex marriage lawsuits in Montana and South Carolina.

John Eastman, chairman of the anti-gay marriage National Organization for Marriage, agreed with Warbelow that federal judges almost certainly will rule to allow same-sex marriages. But Eastman urged state officials to continue to put up a legal fight until the Supreme Court decides the issue one way or the other.

State officials in Colorado, North Carolina and West Virginia chose a different path. They helped speed the process for legalizing gay marriage in their states when they announced they would no longer defend their state laws in the aftermath of the appeals court rulings.

The latest wave of court rulings that has made same-sex marriage legal in 32 states and the District of Columbia began with the unexpected decision by the Supreme Court on Oct. 6 to reject appeals by five states hoping to keep their bans in place.

The high court’s refusal to step in affected appeals courts in Chicago, Denver and Richmond, Virginia, which in turn oversee 11 states that did not previously allow same-sex couples to marry. Since the justices’ terse order, same-sex couples have been able to marry in nine of those 11 states, with Wyoming on Tuesday becoming the latest to permit it. Only Kansas and South Carolina have not followed suit.

A day after the Supreme Court action, the federal appeals court in San Francisco struck down gay marriage bans in Idaho and Nevada in a ruling that also appeared to apply to Alaska, Arizona and Montana. Since then, federal judges in Alaska and Arizona quickly ruled on pending marriage lawsuits. But in Montana, a federal judge has set a hearing in a marriage challenge for Nov. 20.

No court date has been set for South Carolina, where Attorney General Alan Wilson has said he will continue to defend state marriage law and predicted a final ruling could be months away.

The timing of court action varies from judge to judge, depending on what other matters are before the court and how much say the judge wants each side to have, Warbelow said.

In North Carolina, U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn Jr. acted on his own to strike down the state ban after the Richmond-based appeals court ruling became final.

U.S. Constitution ‘Does Guarantee Same-Sex Marriage In All Fifty States’ Says President Barack Obama

President Barack Obama says the Supreme Court’s recent gay marriage orders may have the biggest impact of any ruling of his presidency.

Obama told The New Yorker that the court’s Oct. 6 rejection of appeals from states seeking to preserve gay marriage bans is the best of his tenure.

The former law professor says although the court was not ready to expand gay marriage rights nationwide,

“Ultimately, I think the Equal Protection Clause does guarantee same-sex marriage in all fifty states. But, as you know, courts have always been strategic.

There have been times where the stars were aligned and the Court, like a thunderbolt, issues a ruling like Brown v. Board of Education, but that’s pretty rare.

And, given the direction of society, for the Court to have allowed the process to play out the way it has may make the shift less controversial and more lasting.”

President Barack Obama

The rejection effectively made gay marriages legal in 30 states and could lead to an expansion nationwide.

Obama says he doesn’t see himself ever serving on the Supreme Court because it would be too “monastic” for him.

John McCain’s Daughter Celebrates Marriage Equality in Arizona

This week a judge struck down the Arizona’s same-sex marriage ban, and the state’s attorney general declined to appeal – allowing marriages to begin immediately.

The daughter of former Republican presidential candidate, Meghan McCain was jubilant at the news and has celebrated equal marriage arriving in the family’s home state of Arizona.

Meghan McCain is a longtime supporter of marriage equality, and joined Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry leadership in November 2012. She is rights activist who sits on the board of rights charity GLAAD despite her father’s opposition to equal marriage.

Senator John McCain continues to oppose equal marriage, despite both his wife and daughter supporting it.

He said last year:

“I have changed my position on other issues in my life, but on this one, I had not contemplated changing my position.”

Rachel Maddow Explains the Same-Sex #MarriageMomentum State to State

In this video Rachel Maddow Explains the Same-Sex #MarriageMomentum State to State  over the 36 hours. On Monday, same-sex couples could marry in 19 states across America, and by Tuesday evening that number jumped to 35.

Voting rights taking a beating ahead of midterm elections

Maddow explains the Supreme Court announcement in which it declined to hear any of the seven same-sex marriage cases presented, and the impact that had.

The MSNBC anchor goes on to talk about how America is moving forward on marriage rights, but backward on voting rights an important topic you won’t want to miss.

US Supreme Court Action Could Lead to #MarriageEquality in 11 More States

In a surprise development, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would not accept for review any of the seven appeals from five states. The action means that the stays placed on lower court decisions in all five states – decisions that struck down bans on marriage for same-sex couples — are immediately lifted, making way for the lower courts to issue orders requiring the states to stop enforcing their bans.

The action also means that six other states in the same federal circuits as the five states which had appeals before the high court will have to abide by the federal appeals court rulings in those circuits. All three circuits –the Fourth, Seventh, and Tenth—struck down the bans on marriage for same-sex couples.

That means that very soon, same-sex couples will be able to marry in 30 states plus the District of Columbia.

“We are thrilled the court is letting the Tenth Circuit victory stand. This is a huge step forward for Utah and the entire country. We are hopeful that the other cases pending across the country will also vindicate the freedom to marry, so that all couples, no matter where they travel or live, will be treated as equal citizens and have the same basic security and protections for their families that other Americans enjoy.”

Shannon Minter, Legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights

The announcement does not legally affect the remaining 20 states, but it could give courts in those other states and circuits some pause before upholding similar bans in those states and circuits. Some experts say they expect the Supreme Court will almost certainly take up an appeal should a federal appeals court rule such bans to be constitutional.

Prominent constitutional law scholar Laurence Tribe of Harvard University, who argued against bans on sodomy in the 1986 Bowers v. Hardwick case, said he thought there was only a 50-50 chance the court would have granted one of the existing appeals.

“As soon as a solid split emerges, I fully expect the Court to grant cert. I’d watch the Sixth Circuit if I were you.”

Laurence Tribe, Harvard University

A three-judge panel of the Sixth Circuit heard oral arguments August 6 in six marriage equality lawsuits from four states: Kentucky,Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee. The panel has yet to issue its opinion, but questions from two of the three judges during the argument gave repeated voice to various justifications for the bans.

Must Watch – Woman Writes An Entire Musical For Her Girlfriend

This probably one of the best stories I have ever heard about. This is the story of Kriss Marr and Lauren-Joy Goss.

On Monday September 15th, 2014, Kriss Marr invited Lauren-Joy Goss to see a brand new musical. Little did she know it would change their lives forever…

The show chronicled Lauren-Joy and Kriss’s relationship from beginning to end, including fun anecdotes written with the help of friends and family.

At the end, Lauren-Joy, got down on one knee and proposed to Kriss… awwwwwww

“A few days after the proposal, we both ‘came out’ on Facebook and, as two 29-year-old women who have been gay for a while, it was scary coming out a second time! The amount of love and support we received was overwhelming. People who I thought would never approve or accept my sexuality have sent me texts and messages saying how proud they are of the courage we have shown and how happy they were for us.”

Lauren-Joy

A Polyamorous Marriage – Legal in Brazil

One thing our modern society requires is for us to be is straight, cisgender and monogamous.

However, we are slowly making progress regarding LGB people, and even regarding T people. A big part of LGBT communities has always been polyamory.

What is polyamory? Well it is a Greek word, which means the practice, desire, or acceptance of having more than one intimate relationship at a time, with the knowledge and consent of everyone involved. It is distinct from swinging (which emphasizes sex with others as merely recreational) and may or may not include polysexuality (attraction towards multiple genders and/or sexes).

It is our natural tendency to think that we need to be monogamous, because that is what you are taught to think, and what society requires from us for marriage.

However, in Brazil it is not illegal to be married to more than one person, therefore a judge can grant a polyamorous couple their right to marry.

In Tupã, which is in the state of São Paulo, a triad was married, which is a huge step for polyamory. The triads were living together in Rio de Janeiro for 3 years and they admitted to have been sharing their finances throughout this time period. The group consisted of two females and a male. It  was made possible to unite the females due to the legalization of gay marriage back in 2004.

“We are only recognizing what has always existed. We are not inventing anything”, said one of the women in the married triad. Her words are indeed true; polyamory has always been around, it’s just society that tries to tell us otherwise.

In Brazil because it is not illegal, a judge may easily, if they wish so, accept such unions. So in Brazil, in theory, you can also have a lesbian or a gay triad. All variations are possible as long as you find the right judge. Still keep in mind, though the law might be accepting, people may not ne. Many religious groups have since stepped forward, and people against gay marriage have said that this is the downside of civil marriage and gay marriage. In reality, we are just breaking the restrictions people have put upon us due to hatred.

North Carolina’s Support for Same-Sex Marriage Increases, Issue Could Go to Vote

It’s been well documented on this site that support for same-sex marriage in the United States is on the up. Is it an unfortunate thing that there were people who didn’t support same-sex couples’ basic human rights in the first place? Absolutely. Is it wonderful that people have finally corrected their mistakes and done a tolerant 180?

Again, it is and it’s having a huge impact on the state of the USA. Also noted, the United States Supreme Court is preparing to hear a number of same-sex marriage lawsuits that will force the issue into legality whether voters like it or not but, according to stats out of North Carolina, the state’s residents don’t want the issue to go to court but with increased popularity for same-sex marriage they are prepared to take it to a vote.

Not that the sources are 100% reliable though. One survey institution, Elon University noted that 45% of voters are in favour of marriage equality in the state while 43% are against. However, their stats have seen significant, somewhat questionable movement as in March, 2014 they put support between 40 and 51 percent. That’s a pretty quick time during which to narrow the statistics down (they even said those for same-sex marriage were at 41-46% as recently as June of this year) leading to some questionable reliability, but at least the results are consistently above the 40% mark.

Meanwhile, research group American Insights further clued us in on North Carolina citizens’ feelings on marriage equality, stating that “North Carolina registered voters … believe that they, not courts, should decide the issue” and just 26% would like the issue pushed through to the courts. It’s important to note that AI are led by GOP (the conservative wing of US politics) and so there’s a clear anti same-sex marriage bias there – they even refer to marriage equality as “redefining marriage” and call opposite sex couples “traditional marriages” which is telling. But nonetheless, it is again clear that those in North Carolina want some sort of ruling.

This all comes after the state’s Attorney General Roy Cooper announced that he wouldn’t uphold the same-sex marriage ban that was overwhelmingly voted into law (61% against same-sex marriage and 38% for) back in 2012. The American Civil Liberties Union even sued the state calling the ban ‘unconstitutional’. Big movements, big words and big decisions are all on hand here, so we’ll keep you updated on what’s going on.

France Rules That Married Lesbians are Allowed to Adopt their Partner’s Children

The highest court in France has ruled that married lesbians are allowed to adopt their partner’s child born through in vitro fertilization or other medically assisted reproduction.

The Cour de Cassation’s ruled this week that married lesbians may adopt children born by their partners through assisted reproduction performed outside of France. This ruling is a consequence of the legalization of gay marriage in France last year.

France allows assisted reproduction only for heterosexual couples who have been together at least two years. The restriction has sent many gay couples abroad – many of them going to neighboring Belgium or Spain to have access to fertility treatment.

Sadly, upon return to France, French law recognized only the birth mother as the legal parent.

This change in law will make amends to this, and before parents will be rightfully recognized.

U.S Census to Survey Same-Sex Marriages for the First Time

Contrary to the minority held belief, same-sex married couples do exist! Right up there with aliens, unicorns and other assorted myths, the United States government wasn’t officially allowed to acknowledge the existence of same-sex married couples. Despite the very real existence of legally married couples, DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act) prohibited them from doing so on account that giving same-sex married couples the same rights and benefits as opposite sex couples would destroy the sanctity of marriage but this all change last year when the law was repealed.

The move to do this is so huge because now it finally gives us a clear, statistically supported picture on how same-sex marriage rulings are having an impact on the community and how many people are taking advantage of the legality. In a broader sense of what this means, the growing numbers of same-sex married couples could potentially alter future legislation and future marketing and monetary decisions.

For example, if lawmakers know that the laws that they make are having an effect on a large amount of plugged-in, politically conscious same-sex married couples, they will, to put it bluntly, pander to them. It’s a harsh way to put it but that is often how these things go and we are already seeing that even the most conservative, former same-sex marriage opponents are having a change of heart in an effort to appeal to more voters and new statistics to support this are only going see this type of behaviour increase.

Pew Research notes that existing data on same-sex married couples is incorrect as many opposite sex couples may have accidentally ticked the wrong box and described themselves as a same sex couple. So undoubtedly then, this will help correct the stats and we’ll be able to track them over time as more and more big same sex marriage decisions are ruled throughout the United States.

 

Why Homophobic State Law Sucks –  Refused a Driving Licence, Because Texas Refuses to Recognize Same-Sex Marriages

Connie Wilson has been denied a driver’s license in Texas, because the state of Texas refuses to recognize she took her partner’s name when they married.

Mrs Wilson took her partner Aimee Wilson’s surname last year, when the couple married in California.  However, since relocating to Texas – where the marriage is not recognized – Ms Wilson has been caught in a legal limbo surrounding her name.

Under Californian law, a marriage certificate is enough to certify a change of name, however as Texas does not recognize her marriage as valid, she has found herself with no legal documentation to prove her identity.

Mrs Wilson discovered the problem when she visited the Texas Department of Public Safety to apply for a new driver’s license after her California license expired.

She told the Texas Observer about the experience she had with county clerk…

“Her only words to me were, ‘Is this same-[sex]?’ She immediately told me, ‘You can’t use this to get your license. This doesn’t validate your last name. Do you have anything else?’ She told me I would never get a license with my current name, that the name doesn’t belong to me.”

Connie Wilson

However, as her name is already legally recognized outside of the state, Ms Wilson would have to convince a court to grant her proof of a new name change despite no actual change taking place.

 “My name is already legally Wilson. I don’t know if a judge will even grant me a name change from Wilson to Wilson.

I don’t want any other person to go through what I have experienced over this. I’ve been deprived the freedom to drive a vehicle once my current California driver’s license expires. 

I’m further being deprived the freedom to use air travel, make purchases that require a valid photo identification, seek medical attention for myself or my children, as well as other situations that would require proving who I am legally as an individual.”

Connie Wilson