RI Governor Signs Executive Order Recognizing Out of State Same Sex Marriages

Another step toward equality.

Gov. Chafee’s executive order is historic for Rhode Island in that it moves the state one step closer to full marriage equality. The move is significant for the rest of the United States in that today Gov. Chafee becomes the first governor in the country to issue an executive order regarding out-of-state marriages for same-sex couples.
“It’s important because all families deserve equal protection and recognition under the law,” said Ray Sullivan, MERI’s campaign director. “Gov. Chafee, by doing this today, is affirming that idea.”

Read the full article here.

Cartoon: Imagine How Stupid

From Wipe Out Homophobia on Facebook
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Clay Aiken to Tony Perkins: You’ll be ‘ashamed’

Clay Akin discussed marriage equality this weekend on CBS’s Face the Nation. The country music star told Perkins, an anti-gay activist and leader of the SLPC identified hate group Family Research Council:

“Obviously, you’ve got people who make the argument that interracial relationships — back in the 70s, people made the same arguments against interracial relationships as they are making against same sex marriages today. So, I feel — I really strongly believe in the next 20 years, we’re going to look back on this and be sort of ashamed of the fact that we’re against this, just as we are ashamed today that we didn’t let people of different races get married.”

Read the article here.

Civil union bill to be re-introduced Monday during special session

In a special session called by Gov. Hickenlooper today, the bill aiming to grant LGBT couples civil unions rights is to be brought to the floor, but the GOP speaker seems intent on making sure that doesn’t happen.

From Out Front Colorado:

Speaker of the House Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, appeared to be sending the bill to a swift death. The GOP leader told reporters the special session was a “reset” and hinted that there would be committee re-assignments, and perhaps, the bill would be sent to different committees than the panels that examined them earlier this year.

Read the article here

Love Makes A Family

The very impressive Zach Wahls releases a new video.  This young man is a great advocate for gay rights and a testament to the fact that having loving parents is the key to success, even if they are both moms.  Happy Mothers’ Day (and yes, I know where the apostrophe goes!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4tOzTeul8Y

Marriage Equality Terror Stories

From Brian Mc Fadden of the NYT via GoodAsYou Good As You
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The Secret Republican Guide to Talking About Gay Marriage

Anti-Gay rights positions are not they used to be. Remember how the GOP, lead by Karl Rove (and championed by then-closeted Ken Mehlman) made it a predominate theme in the 2004 election? A memo was issued by a GOP pollster earlier this week that documents growing support in this country for LGBT rights. After outlining the trends, he suggests officials use statements like the following:

“People who believe in equality under the law as a fundamental principle, as I do, will agree that this principle extends to gay and lesbian couples; gay and lesbian couples should not face discrimination and their relationship should be protected under the law. People who disagree on the fundamental nature of marriage can agree, at the same time, that gays and lesbians should receive essential rights and protections such as hospital visitation, adoption rights, and health and death benefits.”

Read the memo and comments from Business Week here.

Senators Urge Protections for Binational Same-Sex Couples Unfair Deportations

From Purple Unions.

“We write to you to reiterate our request that the Administration provide relief for lesbian and gay families in which one spouse is not a U.S. citizen during this time of legal uncertainty,” Kerry wrote along with Senators Patrick Leahy, Ron Wyden, Bernard Sanders, Jeff Merkley, Daniel Akaka, Al Franken, Charles Schumer, Frank Lautenberg, Barbara Mikulski, Jeanne Shaheen, Richard Blumenthal, Sheldon Whitehouse, Barbara Boxer, Patty Murray, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Chris Coons.

Read the article here.

Nancy Pelosi: My Catholic faith ‘compels me’ to support gay marriage

From the WaPo.

My religion compels me–and I love it for it–to be against discrimination of any kind in our country, and I consider [the ban on gay marriage] a form of discrimination.”

Read the article here

Colbert: ” “Evidently Jesus was so filled with rage that he was speechless”

From TPM:

“Evidently Jesus was so filled with rage that he was speechless,” Colbert said. “I am confident he condemned it all the time in private, when he was hanging out with those other 12 dudes at their elaborate dinner parties, where they all sat on the same side of the table, just living the bachelor life together, drinking wine and working on their washboard abs.”

Read the article here