Teen in Northern Ireland Releases Touching Video Asking For His Mom’s Right To Marry

A 15 year-old from Northern Ireland made headlines this week with a video taking a local politician to task for voting against marriage equality. Darragh Tibbs wrote a letter to local assembly leader Gordon Dunne about a month ago asking why the official voted against same-sex marriage. After receiving no response, Tibbs made this video wherein he reads his letter to Dunne.“I am 15 years old and a constituent of yours,” the letter opens, “and I live just around the corner from your office. You voted no in the Marriage Equality vote last year—I want to know why. I’m the child of a same-sex relationship, and I can see absolutely no reason why my brother and I should be denied a secure family set-up. To me it seems perfectly reasonable that a democratic government should give all of its citizens the same legal protections. What gives you the right to take from my brother and me the right for legal protection for our family?” Tibbs goes on to say that the rest of the U.K. has voted for marriage equality and he wonders why Northern Ireland hasn’t done the same. “Gordon Dunne is a straight man, so when the legislation goes through, it won’t actually make any difference to his life. The only conclusion we’re left is that Gordon Dunne doesn’t support equality. He doesn’t truly believe that absolutely everyone is equal, just those who he approves of,” Tibbs says. According to NewNowNext, “a spokesperson for the Democratic Unionist Party commented, ‘The party supports the traditional definition of marriage of one man and one woman…we don’t believe marriage should be redefined.’” Dunne has yet to comment on Tibbs video or letter.

Monday Meme: Heart

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Happy Monday! On this date in 1985, painter Marc Chagall died at the ripe old age of 97. Chagall was the oldest of nine children in his Jewish Lithuanian family. At that time in Russia, Jewish children were not allowed to attend regular Russian schools and universities so Chagall attended a small private drawing school. Not a fan of the traditional portrait style popular at the time, Chagall struck out on his own. His long, storied career is a triumph in vision and individuality. Chagall works can be seen on permanent display at the Metropolitan Opera, The Art Institute of Chicago, the Opera de Paris and in Tudeley in Kent, England which houses the world’s only complete set of Chagall stained glass windows. Chagall’s words in today’s meme challenge us to work from the heart and we can’t think of a better way to start our week!

Pick up a card for the person who inspires you here!

Disney & Marvel To Boycott Georgia If Anti-LGBT Bill Passes

CIchTNYUsAEiZT7 Add Disney and Marvel to the growing list of companies to say they will boycott the state of Georgia if the governor signs a bill restricting the rights of LGBT people into law. HB 757 formerly known as the “pastor protection act” has passed in the House and Senate and is heading to Governor Nathan Deal’s desk to be signed. HB 757, like Indiana’s ‘religious freedom bill’, would allow pastor’s, churches and other faith-based organizations to refuse to perform marriage ceremonies to certain groups including LGBT couples. The bill would even allow hospitals to deny services to LGBT couples. “Disney and Marvel are inclusive companies, and although we have had great experiences filming in Georgia, we will plan to take our business elsewhere should any legislation allowing discriminatory practices be signed into state law,” a Disney spokesman said on Wednesday. This could be a huge financial hit for the state of Georgia if other studios followed suit. Thanks to great tax breaks for studios, there are currently 10-30 film and television shows being filmed in Georgia at any given time, meaning millions in revenue for the state. According to the Los Angeles Times, “During Georgia’s fiscal 2015, 248 film and television productions shot in the Peach State, representing $1.7 billion in spending there, according to a statement last year by the Georgia Department of Economic Development. Those film and TV projects generated an economic impact of more than $6 billion during the fiscal year extending from July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2015.”

Disney and Marvel join the NFL, Coca-Cola, Delta Airlines and dozens of other companies who have come out in opposition to the measure.

Antarctica Declared First LGBT Friendly Continent

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Non-profit organization Planting Peace has declared Antarctica the world’s first LGBT-friendly continent. Planting Peace hopes to “instill full fundamental rights to LGBT people inhabiting or visiting the continent of Antarctica.” Founder Aaron Jackson has set social media ablaze recently with images of him travelling around Antarctica carrying a Pride flag “to raise awareness for the need for action across the planet because basic rights are still denied to the LGBT community in so many countries across the world.” The group wants to shed a light on the 76 countries which continue to ignore the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, six of which still consider homosexuality a crime punishable by death. Jackson and company first made headlines a few years back when they purchased a house in Topeka, Kansas directly across the street from Westboro Baptist Church and painted it in the colors of the Pride flag. original

Monday Meme: Technicolor

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Comedian, actress, talk show host and activist Rosie O’Donnell turns 54 today! O’Donnell holds the distinction of being television’s first openly gay talk show host (beating Ellen DeGeneres by just a few months). Thanks to her openness on her daytime talk show, O’Donnell opened up a national conversation about gay parents and adoption. Ever the trendsetter, Rosie also called out a certain presidential hopeful on his shady personality way back in 2006. Never dull, sometimes controversial and always entertaining Rosie O’Donnell deserves her place among other LGBT icons. Happy birthday, Ro!

LGBT History Made in NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade

alav1 On Thursday people around the country celebrated St. Patrick’s Day but in New York City this year’s festivities were extra special for the LGBT community. “This year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade — the world’s oldest and largest — also proved to be a historic one, as openly gay and lesbian groups were allowed to march in the parade, ending a quarter-century long ban,” according to NBC. “I never thought I’d see the day when I could march up Fifth Avenue in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade with my husband,” said Brendan Fay, chairman of the Lavender and Green Alliance, as the parade began. “When we started in 1991, after getting arrested so many times for protesting the parade, wow, what a moment this is.” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio marched in the parade for the first time this year too. He boycotted the parade for his first two years in office because of the parade’s ban on LGBT advocacy groups. “Today everyone is celebrating together,” de Blasio said. “The city is at peace and unified.”

Mayor of Kokomo Signs LGBT Protection Act

Final Welcome Sign Kokomo is the latest community in Indiana to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. According to WTHR in Indiana:\

Council members voted 5-4 in favor of an ordinance protecting members of the LGBT community after what has been a contentious debate. Mayor Greg Goodnight signed the ordinance early Tuesday. The overflow crowd tested the capacity of Kokomo’s council chambers. By fire code, only 157 could fit inside. Police estimated 300 to 400 more people had to stand outside and await the final vote on the human rights ordinance. The measure protects lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens from discrimination. It also bans discrimination based on marital status, age or veteran status.

Despite death threats and harassing emails, council members voted to end LGBT discrimination. “One of our members was basically told ‘you better vote no or else’ and I won’t go into what the ‘or else’ was. But he has filed a police report on that,” said Council President Robert Hayes.”There were things we received in emails that no elected official should have received. When I get emails invoking my dead mother, saying she’d be weeping at my vote, well, you don’t know my mother. She’d say ‘atta boy. Go get ’em and speak your mind,” Hayes said. “I certainly hope we haven’t come to the point where we cannot agree to disagree in a civil manner without intimidation and in some cases outright bigotry.”

Senate Committee Approves First Openly Gay Military Leader

043013-eric-fanning Last Thursday, Eric Fanning was confirmed as the nominee for the Army Secretary by the Senate Armed Services Committee. Fanning was nominated by the White House for the position back in September. Fanning is currently the highest ranking openly gay member of the Department of Defense. While some Republican lawmakers like Pat Roberts are said to block the nomination over plans to close Guantanamo Bay, Fanning certainly has President Obama’s support. “Eric brings many years of proven experience and exceptional leadership to this new role,” Obama said. “I look forward to working with Eric to keep our Army the very best in the world. I am grateful for his commitment to our men and women in uniform, and I am confident he will help lead America’s Soldiers with distinction.”

Monday Meme: Einstein

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According to legend, noted physicist Albert Einstein didn’t exactly love birthdays. Yet we can’t help celebrating the man whose words and ideas shaped a generation. Born today in 1879, Einstein’s playful spirit and brilliant thoughts live on, thanks largely in part to the internet. Revel in his legacy today by reading some of his most famous quotes, learning about his childhood or send one of our cards to someone you know who isn’t crazy about birthdays.

60 Major Corporations Endorse Equality Act

Apple, Amazon, Google, and Coca-Cola are just a few of the huge brands on the Human Rights Campaign’s list of companies in favor of the Equality Act. Released this week, the list includes 60 companies that support the bill which would protect LGBT people from discrimination. Per the HRC’s press release:

Since HRC joined with lawmakers and advocates last July to introduce the Equality Act in Congress, HRC has continued to build support from the business community. Today, the Business Coalition for the Equality Act launches with 60 leading American companies. With operations in all 50 states, headquarters spanning 22 states and a combined $1.9 trillion in revenue, the companies that make up the coalition employ over 4.2 million people in the United States.

“These business leaders are showing true leadership and fighting to end a shameful status quo that leaves LGBT people at risk in a majority of states for being denied services or fired because of who they are or who they love,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “We’re proud of all these corporate leaders stepping forward to say that all Americans, including LGBT people, should be able to live free from fear of discrimination and have a fair chance to earn a living.”

A majority of states — 32 states in total — still lack fully inclusive non-discrimination protections for LGBT people, and there are no explicit federal protections against discrimination. Introduced one month after the historic Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges that ushered in nationwide marriage equality, the Equality Act would finally guarantee explicit, permanent protections for LGBT people under our existing civil rights laws. The Equality Act provides clear, permanent and equal protections under federal law for all Americans in vital areas of life, like employment, access to public spaces, housing, credit, education, jury service, and federally funded programs.