Video: Marriage News Watch for August 27th, 2012

httpv://youtu.be/I0FXpRouQvE

Proposition 8 Plaintiffs Ask Supreme Court to Not Hear Case

 

The Plaintiffs in the case against Proposition 8, the law prohibiting same sex marriage in California, have filed a brief withthe Supreme Court asking them to not hear the case, according to the Advocate.  Lower courts have ruled that the law is unconstitutional as it is based on “animus” (or prejudiced and often spiteful or malevolent ill will)  towards gays.  If the Supreme Court declines to hear the case, the lower courts decisions stand, and the law will be reversed, making same sex marriages legal in California.

In part the brief states, “”The Ninth Circuit found that eliminating the ability of gay and lesbian couples to have their relationships designated as marriages — and relegating them to separate and unequal domestic partnerships — achieves nothing except the marginalization of gay and lesbian individuals and their relationships, and therefore cannot withstand constitutional scrutiny.”  The brief was written by ” plaintiffs’ attorneys Theodore B. Olson and David Boies, who famously argued against each other in the Bush v. Gore case in 2000.

A review of the case so far can be found here.

HRC Video Featuring GOP Supporter of Marriage Equality

httpv://youtu.be/XXwy0BXdosc

It is so nice to be able to post a GOP supporter of marriage equality.  Republican Mayor Jerry Sanders is for marriage, period.  These types of messages from the Republican Party are too rare.  Especially when you consider the new draft of their platform, fresh off the presses for the national committee meeting this month.  Among other extreme measures, the party officially wants:

  • Only appoint  Judges who are against marriage equality to be appointed and that support for marriage equality should disqualify them from the bench.
  • A constitutional amendment banning marriage equality.
  • Reinstatement of DADT.
  • All previous LGBT marriages performed to be dissolved and declared illegal.
  • Repeal of the DC marriage equality law.
  • The Republican Party Platform is now officially against civil unions.
  • A constitutional amendment banning abortion including no exemptions for rape or incest.

  I have never agreed with GOP policies, but I could often respect their opnions.  But as they move farther to the right and are beholden to radical hate-groups and Chrisitanists, I find even mild respect for the party impossible.  


Marriage News Watch Update

httpv://youtu.be/aK2qG35fY_k

I’m late in posting this!

Democrats Include Marriage Equality in Party Platform

More than 100 Democrats unanimously agreed to include Marriage Equality as part of the official party platform.   Although the final language has not yet been made public, early reporting form the Washington Blade included this statement:

“We support the right of all families to have equal respect, responsibilities, and protections under the law,” the language states. “We support marriage equality and support the movement to secure equal treatment under law for same-sex couples. We also support the freedom of churches and religious entities to decide how to administer marriage as a religious sacrament without government interference.”

This is a very important.  The last statement is just pandering as it reaffirms what is current practice.  Churches  can and always have been able to decide who can and cannot get married in that church.  The screams from the religious right get everyone excited, but this is nothing new.  Marriage, as far as the government goes, is a civil contract.  You do not need to be married in a church to get marriage benefits…. that is if you’re straight.  If you are gay and get married in this country, you are denied more than 1500 rights afforded to your straight counterparts.  Somehow, the words “…with liberty and justice for all” just don’t right true in this great land of ours….. at least, not yet.

Read the full article here.

“No one has the right to tell anyone what makes a family.” Drew Barrymore

I think she puts it beautifully… each family is unique.  From LGBT News.

A Rant Against the Rants

I came across this article in a link from Purple Unions.  Author Bill Hanson, in dot429,  decides to rant on the tired old anti-gay rhetoric – and he does a really good job.  The areas tackled are:

  • Homosexuality is not “natural
  • Homosexual couples cannot reproduce
  •  The Bible states that homosexuality is wrong
  •  Allowing gays to marry will cause the American society to collapse
But I love how he addresses my least favorite of the vile, bigoted remarks I read or hear so often…
  • God made Adam & Eve, not Adam & Steve –  “Anyone who uses this argument to justify their anti-gay sentiments is not worth talking to. Turn around, walk away, and don’t look back. Normally, stupidity is not contagious. However, in extreme cases like this, it’s not worth the chance. Entertaining this argument might actually be a sin itself. Approach with caution.”

It’s a good, quick read (catch it here)  and really drives the point home…. there really are no good arguments against equality.

National Same Sex Kiss Day

Mark your calendars!  Friday, August 3, 2012 is the “National Same Sex Kiss Day at Chick-Fil-A.  The event was launched on Facebook.  The invitation reads:

“Unless you’ve been living under a rock this week you’ll have noticed that Chick Fil A has officially come out against the LGBTQ community. (For those of you who have been living under a rock, or just want to read it again, here’s the article http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-chick-fil-a-gay-marriage-20120719,0,5713061.story)

In honor of their support for love, equality, and the real definition of family, we’re holding a NATIONAL Same Sex Kiss Day at Chick Fil A’s around the country. So grab a friend (or 20) and head out to your nearest Chick Fil A! And don’t forget to post photos/videos of it here! For all the world to see!”

Follow us on twitter! @ntlsamesexkiss

The site also added the following:

“We would also like to clarify that this event was NOT created as a response to Mike Huckabee’s appreciation day, this event was created on July 19, several days before Mike Huckabee announced his plans for Wednesday August 1.”

My husband is not much for public displays of affection, but I’m hoping he’ll give me a little smooch on 8-3!

The GAYthering Storm! Be Afraid

httpv://youtu.be/NnsG008ntYY

Was reminded of this great video mocking the religious right’s video “The Gathering Storm”.  Love how silly it makes them look…. which isn’t that hard.

 

Several Medical Associations File Brief in Favor of DOMA Challenge

The American Psychological Association, the California Psychological Association, The American Psychiatric Association, The National Association of Social Workers and its CA chapter), The American Medical Association, The American Acedemy of Pediatrics, and the American Psychoanalytic Association filed a “friend of the court” brief today in the case  Golinski v. Office of Personnel Management.  This is one of two cases that referred to the Supreme Court by the Department of Justice.  This case involves providing  federal benefits for same-sex partners.

You can read a few excerpts over at Towle Road and the entire brief here.  But I wanted to include the conclusion here, because I think it is a beautiful summary of what DOMA is:

“The foregoing shows that the attitudes towards and beliefs about lesbians and gay men relied on by Congress in enacting DOMA – about their capacity for committed, long lasting relationships, and their ability to raise healthy well-adjusted children – are contradicted by the scientific evidence and instead reflect an unreasoned antipathy towards an identifiable minority. Amici accordingly support the judgment of Judge White that § 3 of DOMA appears to be based on an explicit animus against gay men and lesbians. In institutionalizing greater access by heterosexuals than gay men and lesbians to the many federal resources and benefits accorded married couples and their children, the Act conveys the federal government’s judgment that committed intimate relationships between people of the same sex – even when recognized as legal marriages by the couple’s state – are inferior to heterosexual relationships.”

Yeah, what they said!