State LGBT News
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New Jersey's Window of Opportunity for Marriage Equality
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Maine Newspapers Agree: Let Gays Marry
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Rhode Island, and the Quest for Gay Marriage Throughout New England
A Moneybomb For Marriage Equality in Maine
Published October 13, 2009 @ 05:00AM PT
Well, it turns out that the Ron Paul presidential campaign was good for something -- it gave us the term moneybomb. And now LGBT activists are seeking to take the word and use it for marriage equality in Maine.
Before 11:59pm on October 15, activists are hoping to raise as much money as possible to support the No on 1 campaign and their efforts to beat back a ballot measure that will repeal marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples in Maine. With the National Equality March now over, all eyes can literally turn toward the two states that are fighting ballot initiatives -- Maine, and Washington (which has Referendum 71 it must pass to retain full domestic partnership benefits).
MoveOn has helped raise money for No on 1. Thousands of other people have already given, too. But October 15 is a critical date that we can't afford to miss. It's the first day of early-voting in Maine, and also the last day for which campaigns have to report fundraising numbers. Imagine the momentum we'll have going into the full blast Get-Out-The-Vote efforts if we've got the kind of money that winning campaigns need.
As Joe Sudbay at Americablog writes, "The netroots and online community have been extremely generous...Let's wrap this one up big." He's right. We deserve to close strongly in Maine, so that we can take a victory there to every state in the country. If you can, donate through Americablog's ActBlue page, OpenLeft's ActBlue page, or Pam's House Blends ActBlue page now. Or better yet, hit up all three :)
And lastly, if you want to see the No on 1 campaign's latest ad, here it is:
Harvey Milk Finally Gets His Day
Published October 12, 2009 @ 10:11AM PT
Harvey Milk, the legendary LGBT activist and San Francisco Supervisor who was assassinated in 1978, has finally been given official recognition by the state of California with his own day. The bill to establish May 22 -- Harvey's birthday -- as Harvey Milk Day was signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last night, capping off a whirlwind year in which Milk Day was originally vetoed by the Terminator, then the "Milk" movie exploded, then a Presidential Medal of Freedom was given posthumosly to Milk, and now, full circle, Schwarzenegger gets that Milk is an important figure for the state to honor.
Geoff Kors from Equality California noted that the honor for Harvey Milk will set history.
"The Milk Day Bill marks the very first time an openly LGBT person has been officially recognized by any state government. As a result, Harvey’s legacy and our history will be taught for decades to come and youth will learn that they have a role model who sacrified everything to make the world safer and more equal for them," Kors said. (H/T Karen Ocamb at LGBT Pov.)
What's more is that Schwarzenegger also signed into law a bill that allows California to recognize out-of-state gay marriages. This doesn't unravel Prop 8, of course, but it's certainly a welcome sign in a state where 11 months ago advocates for marriage equality were defeated at the ballot box. Said Schwarzenegger of the out-of-state marriage bill (known as Senate Bill 54):
"Following the passage of Proposition 8, there has been some uncertainty as to how California should treat same-sex couples that married out-of-state while same-sex marriage was legal in California. Consistent with the California Supreme Court’s decision that upheld the validity of those in-state marriages entered into prior to the passage of Proposition 8, Senate Bill 54 clarifies that California must also recognize as married couples that legally married in another state during the same period of time in which same-sex marriage was legal in California."
Wow. What great victories to celebrate less than 24 hours after marching on Washington. To quote Harvey Milk, "Hope will never be silent." And in these two cases, hope coupled with hard work has yielded results.
Using Disneyland to Sell Gay Marriage in Iowa
Published October 03, 2009 @ 03:07AM PT
Here's something that Iowa has that California does not: same-sex marriage. Here's something that Iowa sees that California does not: tourism dollars from gay couples coming into the state to get married. That's a fact not lost on gay rights organizations or those in the same-sex wedding business, who turned to Disneyland this past week to help them sell gay marriage in the Hawkeye State.
Folks with the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance (ICCA) traveled to Disneyland during Gay Days to promote marriage equality in Iowa, and to let California same-sex couples know that if they need a wedding vacation destination, Iowa is as good a place as any -- at least when it comes to places that promote equality.
"We want people to know that if the California Legislature is unwilling to take the step to give gay couples the right to marry, then please consider coming to Iowa where we will gladly welcome you with open arms," Jenison said. Prop 8, however, has pretty much rendered the legislature moot on this point. It now becomes a will of the voters to overturn California's ban on same-sex marriage.
But the point is still there -- if certain states are going to ban marriage for gay and lesbian couples, then there are other states that will eagerly strike to catch some of the same-sex wedding business. California might have Disneyland and a magic tea-cup ride, but Iowa has equal rights. I know which one I'd rather have.
(Photo courtesy of ewen and donabel's photostream on Flickr.)
Oklahoma, Where Divorce Comes Sweeping Down the Plains
Published September 28, 2009 @ 06:58PM PT
When it comes to looking at the issue of marriage equality, it's pretty interesting to look at Oklahoma and Massachusetts. Massachusetts legalized same-sex marriage five years ago, and has been out in the forefront of LGBT rights more than almost any other state. It has the lowest divorce rate in the country.
Oklahoma, meanwhile, has passed a statewide constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. In 2008, every single county in Oklahoma voted against President Barack Obama. Both of Oklahoma's U.S. Senators are as anti-LGBT as politicians come. And the state is home to one of the most offensive politicians in the country, Rep. Sally Kern, who has said that gay marriage was as threatening as terrorism. Funny, then, that Oklahoma has one of the highest divorce rates in the entire country.
New statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau show that Oklahoma has the highest rate of residents who have been married three times or more. Oddly enough, Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh -- both members of the family values crowd who are thrice married -- aren't from Oklahoma. But still...it's a bit illustrative, to say the least, that the more a state goes ballistic over the idea of same-sex marriage, the more likely they are to have behemoth divorce rates.
And this isn't a new phenomenon, either. Ten years ago studies were out that suggested states in the "Bible Belt" couldn't keep a handle on their divorce rates. Looks like the more things have changed over the past decade, the more things have stayed the same in some regions of the country.
Or perhaps better put, states that legalize marriage equality are just better at fostering loving relationships that last.
This Pennsylvania Politician is a Hater. It's Time to Let Him Know.
Published September 26, 2009 @ 07:53AM PT
When you think of Pennsylvania State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, it would probably be best if you let the following words float into your head: homophobe, radical, wingnut, and downright mean. Why? Well, when it comes to LGBT rights, Rep. Metcalfe has been an uncontrollable foe, opposed to anything that he can twist into fitting what he calls a "homosexual agenda." Case in point, he blocked efforts by the Pennsylvania legislature this week to recognize October as "Domestic Violence Awareness" month.
Why would a politician oppose a largely symbolic measure that honors victims of domestic violence? Because Rep. Metcalfe thought that doing so would be catering to a gay rights agenda.
This is a politician that, simply put, can't tell his ass from his elbow, nor decency from complete idiocy. He's so out of touch with the reality of Pennsylvania voters that a local paper even branded his last name a verb that means "wantonly engaging in acts of stupefying redundancy." They've certainly got the stupefying right.
Rep. Metcalfe has also been obsessed with getting Pennsylvania to ban gay marriage. He's a member of a small fringe team of legislators that crafted langauge for a marriage ban, and he's called LGBT people "not normal," "sinful," and said that he "chose" his heterosexuality. But the nice thing about Rep. Metcalfe is that he hasn't just kept his insanity focused on the gays. He's also gotten involved in bashing Muslims too (which means he fits the latest Pew Forum report on discrimination to a tee). Rep. Metcalfe refused to vote to honor the 60th anniversary of a Muslim group in Pennsylvania because "Muslims don't recognize Jesus Christ as God."
Huh...so I wonder what Rep. Metcalfe thinks of Jews, Hindus, and Buddhists, too?
Does it seem ridiculous that this man draws a salary from Pennsylvania taxpayers? Sure does. Local activists have already created a Web site, Dump Daryl Metcalfe, to try and draw attention to this man's homophobic and bigoted career. Now, here on change.org, you can add your voice, too, by signing an email campaign that goes directly to Rep. Metcalfe, to Rep. Samuel Smith (the Minority Leader of Pennsylvania's State House and the highest State House official in Rep. Metcalfe's party), as well as Rep. Sandra Major (the State House Republican Party Caucus Chair). It's time to send the message to these folks that Rep. Metcalfe's brand of hatred is both an embarrassment to the Republican Party, as well as an embarrassment to Pennsylvania voters.
Sign the petition here if you'd like. And for more information, visit Dump Daryl Metcalfe.
Replacing Gavin Newsom with Someone Even Gayer
Published September 24, 2009 @ 06:56AM PT
It's a pretty tall order to find someone more LGBT-friendly than Gavin Newsom, the term-limited San Francisco Mayor who is running for the Democratic nomination for Governor of California. But Bevan Dufty, an openly gay San Francisco Supervisor, has thrown his hat into the mayor's race -- a whole three years in advance -- and he's bringing some proven campaign strategists along with him. Most notably, Steve Hildebrand, the guy who engineered Obama's victory in the Iowa caucus.
Dufty told the SF Chronicle that he wants to be the city's grassroots candidate. And building the kind of grassroots support needed -- Dufty won't be accepting donations greater than $200 -- means starting early.
"I'm going to be a grassroots candidate and it's going to take a lot of time and a lot of shoe leather to reach out across the city," Dufty told the paper. If elected, Dufty would be San Francisco's first openly gay mayor, according to the BAR.
Dufty becomes the first candidate to announce, although several other city officials are expected to decide in the coming months (and years!).
Newsom, meanwhile, has picked up the endorsement of President Bill Clinton in his quest to become California's next governor, and became a father to a new baby girl last week. Talk about adding energy to a campaign!
Catholics for Marriage Equality
Published September 17, 2009 @ 08:53AM PT
Much has been said about just how heavily involved the Roman Catholic Church in Maine is with trying to take away marriage rights for gays and lesbians in the state. The Maine Church has lent their public relations guru, Marc Mutty, to help direct efforts to repeal rights from gays and lesbians, and has helped fundraise for discrimination by hosting special collections in churches up and down the coast. Thankfully, not all Catholics are siding with the official church line.
A smaller but outspoken group of Catholics are starting to organize in Maine to push back against the discriminatory rhetoric coming out of the official church in Maine. As SeacoastOnline points out, these Catholics are trying to reclaim a bit of their Church identity, by pointing out that "God is love," not "God is discriminatory."
The group has started to circulate a petition to organize Catholics around the issue of marriage equality and equal rights. Part of the petition reads: "As faithful Roman Catholics and citizens of the state of Maine, we believe that the right of every citizen to practice freedom of religion is based on the principle of respect for the dignity of each individual."
Better yet, the petition points out that Catholics were once denied certain civil rights because of their identity. For the Catholic Church to now push discrimination instead of acceptance is an ugly ironic twist.
Finally there's an alternative storyline coming out of Maine that says, a) not all Catholics are bigots, and b) while the official Church might like to muddy the waters between church and state, not all Catholics are on board.
Meanwhile, the No on 1 campaign continues to run a wonderful campaign to try and preserve rights for gays and lesbians in Maine. Their commercial this week hitting back at lies and smears coming from anti-gay organizers is fantastic. Together, folks from across all religious stripes are supporting the No on 1 campaign. You can, too.
