New Stamps Promote LGBT Rights

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Need a cool stamp to put on one of our cards? The United Nations Postal Administration has just the thing! The agency has recently released six new postage stamps promoting LGBT rights. These colorful stamps created by UNPA art director Sergio Baradat are “meant to celebrate the diversity of the gay community and marks the first time the global body’s post office has issued stamps with an LGBT theme” according to The Guardian. The stamps were unveiled at the UN general assembly building in New York City. The ceremony featured a performance by the Gay Men’s Chorus of New York and speeches by UN officials. While acknowledging the advancements made by the LGBT community, speakers noted that there is still more work to be done as hate crimes are still common and the c homosexuality is still criminalized in certain countries. “We need to change attitudes to one of acceptance,” said Stephen Cutts, UN assistant secretary-general. The stamps are available to purchase here.

Salt Lake City Gets First Openly Gay Mayor

On Monday, Jackie Biskupski was sworn as Salt Lake City’s 35th mayor. Biskupski is the second woman and first openly gay mayor of Salt Lake City.

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Biskupski defeated two-term mayor Ralph Becker in November, winning 52 percent of the votes. After the ceremony, 500 or so supporters of the new mayor gathered yesterday outside Salt Lake’s City Hall. In her inauguration speech, Biskupski called the victory, “a historic moment for equality that no one should take lightly.”She added, “We have work to do still. We must pursue equality for everyone.” The new mayor said she takes the position with “a spirit of optimism.” Themes touched on in the inauguration speech included, “economic development, air quality, homelessness, crime and investment in the west side,” according to the Salt Lake City Tribune. “As your new mayor,” she said, “I commit to building an inclusive and welcoming city worthy of the unique history and legacy of this place we call home.”

Cincinnati Becomes First City To Ban Conversion Therapy

Untitled(2) On Wednesday, the Cincinnati City Council voted to ban gay conversion therapy. According to Cincinnati.com,

In the end, council voted 7-2 to pass the law, which prohibits therapy designed to change sexual orientation or gender identity for minors, and imposes a $200-a-day fine on violators. Cincinnati follows four states – California, Oregon, Illinois and New Jersey – and the District of Columbia banning the therapy, becoming the first city outside of D.C. to do so.

The vote comes on the heels of the death of transgender teen Leela Alcorn, who committed suicide last December. In her powerful suicide note, Alcorn mentioned her own conversion therapy. “This is about saving the lives of LGBT people,” said Councilman Chris Seelbach, who led the effort to ban conversion therapy. “She challenged us to make her death matter, and we’re doing just that,” Seelbach said.

Justice Sotomayor officiates same sex wedding

Supreme Court Justices Ginsberg and Kagan,respectively, recently officiated same-sex weddings. And retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor also officiated a gay wedding. On Saturday, Justice Sonia Sotomayor joined their ranks and became the 4th justice to do the same.

The couple, Ingrid Duran and Catherine Pino of Washington D.C., are friends of the justice. The pair founded the high-powered DC consulting firm, D&P Creative Strategies. Pino and Duran are well-known activists for the LGBT, women and Latino civil rights. Also in attendance at the ceremony, according to SheWired.com, “U.S. Treasurer Rosa Gumataotao Rios, Rep. Xavier Beccera (D-Calif.), Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.), Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.) and Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.).”

Congratulations to the happy couple!

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Jamaica Plans First LGBT Pride Festival

While security issues have made a traditional LGBT parade impossible, the island country of Jamaica announced this week that it will hold a week-long pride festival. According to The Advocate,

Running concurrent with Jamaica’s Emancipation and Independence celebrations, Pride Jamaica will take place from August 1-8 in the capital city of Kingston. Festivities will kick off with a flash mob, followed by an opening ceremony. Then, over the next few days, there will be an art exhibition, open mic night, flag raising ceremony, and coming out symposium. Gay Star News reports that the symposium will “also feature allies, who will share their experiences of what it is like to publicly support the LGBT community in Jamaica, as well as an acoustic concert for women and a pride party.”

The news of the festival is groundbreaking given Jamaica’s sad reputation for countrywide violent homophobia. Event organizers are working to keep the event safe. Latoya Nugent, the associate director of the Jamaica Forum of Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays said, “We will pause the negative vibrations from anti-gay lobby groups and focus on the strides we have made as a community. More importantly, we will recommit to initiatives that see us moving forward as one community.”

Mexican State to Allow Same-Sex Marriage

César Duarte Jáquez, Governor of Chihuahua, Mexico announced on Thursday his administration would no longer prohibit same-sex couples from getting married.

According to the Mexican press, Jáquez’s announcement will take effect immediately. Marriage licenses are reportedly already being issued in Chihuahua. Chihuahua is the latest Mexican state to OK same-sex marriage. Per the Washington Blade, “Chihuahua joins the states of Coahuila and Quintana Roo and Mexico City in which same-sex couples can legally marry. Gays and lesbians in the states of Oaxaca, Guanajuato, Querétaro, Baja California Norte and Tamaulipas have exchanged vows.”

In addition to allowing same-sex marriage legal, the Chihuahua government is expected to compensate 31 couples who were barred from getting married and took legal action against the state.

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#LoveWins As Ireland Approves Gay Marriage

In a what’s being considered a groundbreaking move in the battle of marriage equality, Ireland became the first nation in the world to approve same-sex marriage by popular vote. While official election numbers won’t be released until later today, Irish officials predict the win for the yes side was substantial. The results are remarkable considering Ireland’s conservative, Catholic past. Nevertheless, The New York Times notes that support for the marriage referendum from,”across the political spectrum, including from Prime Minister Enda Kenny of the center-right Fine Gael party.” Thousands of Irish voters who live out of the country returned just to vote in the election like Naomi O’Leary who captured this elated group of Londoners on their way to vote yes.

From New York and Tokyo to Scotland and beyond, Irish citizens returning home used the hashtag #HomeToVote to chronicle their journey. Come Saturday morning, however, the hashtag #LoveWins was dominating the internet as news of the victory began to spread.

In an interview with the New York Times, David Norris, an Irish senator who 30 years ago helped start the campaign to decriminalize homosexuality in the country, said he was surprised by the level of support for the referendum that he helped champion. “It was wonderful the vote was so overwhelming,” he said. “The straight people of Ireland have said welcome to the Irish family. This should be a template for the rest of the world.”

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Guam Lifts Ban On Same Sex Marriage

This week, Guam took big steps in becoming the first US territory to recognize gay marriage. According to the New York Times, Elizabeth Barrett-Anderson, Guam attorney general announced that she had ordered that marriage licences be processed for same-sex couples. “Today I have issued a legal memorandum… advising the department to immediately begin accepting and processing applications for marriage licences from persons of the same gender,” she said in a statement. Per the Times:

The U.S. District Court of Guam falls under the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which has ruled in favor of gay marriage. Barrett-Anderson said her directive stems from the 9th Circuit’s decision in October finding state bans on gay marriage unconstitutional. The Department of Public Health and Social Services should treat “all same gender marriage applicants with dignity and equality under the Constitution,” the attorney general said.

Guam’s stance on gay marriage came under fire last week when lesbian couple Loretta Pangelinan and Kathleen Aguero filed a lawsuit after their application for a marriage license was rejected. While more traditional lawmakers in Guam like governor Eddie Baza Calvo are predicted to block same-sex marriage legislation, the couple is reportedly thrilled with the actions of the attorney general and see it as a change in the country’s attitudes towards marriage equality.

Four Reasons to Give a Card

At Proudly Yours, we believe that the best cards might be the ones sent “just because”. Our cards are perfect for giving on a birthday, an anniversary and any old random Tuesday. Nevertheless, we do understand that many people need an occasion to be festive so we’ve come up with “Four Reasons to Give a Card” to help inspire you to send a card to that person you love.

National Pet Day! April 11th is National Pet Day so why not send a card “from the dog” or “from the cat” to tell your significant other how much you appreciate the unconditional love and care they give your pet (and you).

Barry Manilow got Married! Love and marriage isn’t just for those young whippersnappers. This week, the world found out that pop star Barry Manilow and longtime his manager Garry Kief were secretly married in a ceremony in front of 50 guests. We say, “Mazel Tov!” to Barry and Garry and hope their union inspires other longtime couples,of any age, to celebrate each other.

The End of Conversion Therapy is Near! Also this week, President Obama publicly called for an end to conversion therapies for gay and transgender youth. The action comes after the tragic death of 17-year-old Leelah Alcorn last December. Way to go, White House! So sign the petition and then send a card to someone special. Tell them you love them just the way they are.

Your Partner Said Yes! Perhaps it’s because it’s spring but we certainly have noticed lots of couples getting engaged. If you’re lucky enough to be one of them, celebrate this happy news with a heartfelt, “Thank you for saying yes” card.

Get all of our cards perfect for all occasions right here.

Presbyterian Church Officially Recognizes Gay Marriage

At March 26, 2015
By danmclellan
In Gay Rights, Marriage Equality, News, Uncategorized
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Fantastic news came to Presbyterian gay and lesbian couples last Tuesday as members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted to change the definition of marriage in the church’s constitution to include same-sex marriage. According to the New York Times, “The final approval by a majority of the church’s 171 regional bodies, known as presbyteries, enshrines a change recommended last year by the church’s General Assembly. The vote amends the church’s constitution to broaden marriage from being between ‘a man and a woman’ to ‘two people, traditionally a man and a woman.” After 30 years of debate on the church’s stance on homosexuality, leaders in the church like Rev. Brian D. Ellison are thrilled with the decision. “Finally, the church in its constitutional documents fully recognizes that the love of gays and lesbian couples is worth celebrating in the faith community,” Ellison said.

While not all members of the church support the outcome of the vote, LGBT Presbyterians see it as a victory. “Some of us are calling it liberation day,” said the Rev. William Blake Spencer, pastor of Ocean Heights Presbyterian Church in Egg Harbor Township, N.J., who is gay and voted with his presbytery on Tuesday. “It will be the last L.G.B.T.Q. issue that we debate and fight about, and finally our welcome comes without a ‘but’ or an ‘if.’”

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