Marriage Equality
Meghan McCain's Marriage Equality Message to NY Republicans
Published May 22, 2009 @ 09:46AM PT
When people say the word "maverick," they often think of someone else in the McCain family. But in all honesty, the word "maverick" should really be reserved for Meghan McCain, who has proven time and again that she's willing to take an independent position to push her political party in the direction of equality.
Today, Meghan McCain is out with a message for New York Republicans. That message is short and sweet: embrace gay marriage.
New York's State Senate is currently sitting on a bill that will, if passed, make New York the next state to recognize marriage equality. In order for that bill to pass the Senate, some Republican State Senators will need to support it (due to the fact that some Democrats - hello, Senator Ruben Diaz - do not support marriage equality). The balance is such in the NY State Senate that at least a couple Republicans will have to vote yes on marriage equality.
So Meghan McCain deserves kudos for pushing them to do so. Here's part of her message to the GOP:
Gays and lesbians are a vital part of our communities. They are doctors, teachers, firefighters, emergency personnel and neighbors. In this way, marriage equality is also about supporting good citizens and strengthening our communities. When a committed gay couple seeks to declare their love for one another and get married, the whole community benefits from the added stability and strength of that family. On top of that, we don't give up anything by sharing responsibilities and protections with those whom we love.
Wow. If only we could get more politicians to say the same thing!
McCain's full statement can be found after the jump. Please read it. It's a great reminder that despite the fact that the dominant voices in the GOP tend to be the Rush Limbaughs, Mike Huckabees, Rick Santorums, and Sarah Palins, there are many others within the Republican Party who thoughtfully and intelligently champion marriage equality - often better than some Democrats do.
Obama Forced to Make Major LGBT Rights Decision in Next Five Weeks
Published May 20, 2009 @ 05:58AM PT
A lawsuit filed by the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) challenging the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) will now force the Obama administration to take a stand on the future of DOMA in the next five weeks. The U.S. Department of Justice, the branch of the government which typically defends Congressional laws, needs to respond to GLAD's court filing by June 22, and in their response they must determine whether they will argue against DOMA, or in support of it.
Organizers have launched a campaign, domaflipflop.com, which is pressuring the Obama administration not to turn its back on campaign promises to support the overturning of DOMA. As they point out:
Presidents have the option of refusing to defend a law they view as unconstitutional on its face, of which there is no clearer example than DOMA (Defense Of Marriage Act). President Obama himself has called the law “abhorrent” and he’s a constitutional law professor. Given these premises, we feel that President Obama should refuse to defend DOMA and should instead instruct his Department of Justice to join GLAD in this historic lawsuit.
To help put pressure on the Obama administration, they are urging people to send postcards in the shape of flip-flops to the White House, with a message pleading for Obama not to "flip-flop" on his campaign promise to get rid of DOMA. They've got a Facebook page, too, for anyone interested in joining their efforts.
The Curious Case of School Districts Blocking Gay Rights Websites
Published May 19, 2009 @ 01:21PM PT
Earlier this year we wrote about the Nashvillle, Tennessee school district, and how they were blocking access to certain Web sites within their public schools. Those certain Web sites weren't adult-oriented, pornographic or scandalous; rather, they were the Web sites for LGBT rights organizations like the Human Rights Campaign, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), Marriage Equality USA and others. A school district blocking access to organizations working for equality and civil rights? That can't be a good thing.
The ACLU agrees. Today they announced a lawsuit against the Knox County Schools and Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools for blocking students from accessing the Websites of organizations working for the rights of LGBT people. Public schools, after all, shouldn't be in the business of discriminating against LGBT people, or censoring information promoting equal rights from their students.
Here's some goods from the lawsuit:
Not only does defendants’ blocking policy discriminate on the basis of content in violation of the First Amendment, the policy further constitutes unlawful viewpoint discrimination. Under the defendants’ policy, students may access websites that promote anti-gay views and that advocate that persons should change their sexual orientation through so-called “reparative therapy,” but not the web sites of organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign, which is one of the largest civil rights organizations in the United States working to achieve equality under the law for LGBT persons.
One of the worst parts about this injustice is that students can access Websites for radical and extreme anti-LGBT groups, like Peter LaBarbera's "Americans for Truth About Homosexuality," or the "National Organization for Marriage." But they can't access sites like the Human Rights Campaign or GLAAD, which offer information on anti-bullying campaigns, coming out, creating safe spaces, hate crimes, and the like.
In short, the twisted Tennessee policy prevents students from accessing information that can be beneficial to their safety. And it exposes students to right-wing hatred while denying access to sites that promote equality. Tennessee students deserve better.
The Votes are there to Repeal DOMA
Published May 19, 2009 @ 07:54AM PT
So says Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich). But he's not quite talking about the full U.S. House and U.S. Senate yet, only the House Judiciary Committee, which would have to approve any DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) repeal bill first. Still, welcome progress...and great to see Conyers pushing this forward. Here's the lowdown from the Michigan Messenger:
Congressman John Conyers, D-Detroit, said Saturday in an interview with Michigan Messenger that the votes are in place in the House Judiciary Committee, which he chairs, to repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Gay rights advocates have been working to get the law repealed as more states pass laws allowing same-sex couples to get married.
“Well in my committee, yes, but in the House and Senate, that’s a different question,” Conyers said in terms of a DOMA repeal passing.
Asked if he supported marriage equality for the gay community, the Congressman replied, “Sure. I always have.”
Conyers made news earlier this week by asking this question of Obama: “Why is [Obama] becoming so conservative now that he’s got the job?” For folks angry about Obama's wish-washiness lately on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and his silence on marriage equality, Conyers offered somewhat of a voice to the voiceless in asking that question.
The Return of the Marriage Amendment
Published May 18, 2009 @ 06:50PM PT
It's been since 2008 since we've last seen a statewide amendment to ban same-sex marriage. And as best I can tell, here's the first one of 2009. The unfortunate state?
Pennsylvania.
Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents (PLC) breaks it down:
Blair County State Senator, John Eichelberger, plans to hold a press conference Tuesday afternoon to announce the introduction of legislation which would amend the Pennsylvania constitution to protect heterosexual marriage from the gay agenda.
The bill needs to be approved in two successive legislative sessions and then put on the ballot as a referendum. Recent similar attempts have been increasingly unsuccessful. While the 2006 legislation was defeated with a tricky "yes means no" maneuver, a 2008 bill never made it out of committee.
Alright. So it looks like this thing stands a small chance of even getting through the state legislature. But as PLC points out, fighting back a marriage amendment draws serious resources away from other LGBT rights battles in Pennsylvania, like efforts to expand hate crimes protections in the state, or expanding the state's anti-discrimination laws to include sexual orientation and gender identity. So this could be a really wily move by anti-LGBT lawmakers.
Of course, should this amendment see the light of day, it would likely be put on the ballot in 2010, where Pennsylvania will see an open governor's race, as well as the race between newly-minted Democrat Arlen Specter and Republican wingnut Pat Toomey. All of that combined could make for some fireworks, and we don't mean in a good way.
Michael Steele's Foot-in-Mouth Disease
Published May 17, 2009 @ 02:02PM PT
Do not take a sip of your beverage before reading the latest commentary from Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele, or you might just spit it out all over your screen. You see, Michael Steele has been brainstorming ways that the GOP can "reframe" its position on gay marriage, since the country is increasingly getting behind the idea of marriage equality. Not that the GOP wants to support marriage equality, mind you. No, they'd rather come up with a new framework of opposition to equality, while still trying to attract new voters. Here's Steele's thesis (h/t The Erratic Synapse):
Republicans can reach a broader base by recasting gay marriage as an issue that could dent pocketbooks as small businesses spend more on health care and other benefits, GOP Chairman Michael Steele said Saturday.
Steele said that was just an example of how the party can retool its message to appeal to young voters and minorities without sacrificing core conservative principles. Steele said he used the argument weeks ago while chatting on a flight with a college student who described herself as fiscally conservative but socially liberal on issues like gay marriage.
"Now all of a sudden I've got someone who wasn't a spouse before, that I had no responsibility for, who is now getting claimed as a spouse that I now have financial responsibility for," Steele told Republicans at the state convention in traditionally conservative Georgia. "So how do I pay for that? Who pays for that? You just cost me money."
Say what? Is Michael Steele really saying that same-sex spouses are going to cost employers and taxpayers boatloads of money?
Boy, if he thinks gay and lesbian couples are expensive, he ought to turn his eyes toward the straight couples getting married. And the children that they keep popping out. I mean, if Michael Steele really wants to head down this road of "fiscal responsibility," why doesn't he argue for the GOP to abandon the concept of marriage altogether? Given how Steele sees the world, that would certainly save everyone some money.
The fact of the matter is that Michael Steele is a vision-less wingnut who thinks that if the GOP can't cast LGBT people as Godless figures, they might as well try and cast LGBT people as an expensive blight on society. And that position stands about as much a chance of attracting new voters as renewing the call for prohibition.
Five Years of Marriage Equality in Massachusetts
Published May 17, 2009 @ 07:25AM PT
Hard to believe, but today marks the official five-year mark for marriage equality in Massachusetts. On May 17, 2004, Cambridge, Massachusetts marked the first same-sex marriages in the country. And though four years passed before another state recognized marriage equality, the last year has been a watershed year for gay and lesbian couples around the country.
And it all started five years ago today in Massachusetts.
Check out these lines from the AP:
The couples who led the fight to legalize gay marriage say their unions have been just like anyone else's. They raise children together, they buy homes together and they have their share of problems...
One of the couples, Rob Compton and David Wilson, said they have watched over the past five years as acceptance in their community has grown. Between them, they have five adult children from previous marriages, and six grandchildren under the age of 10.
"Once people started telling their personal stories, it really has changed the perception of what gay and lesbian couples look like, how they behave, how important they are to the families they're in," Wilson said.
All told, since the Bay State started to recognize marriage equality five years ago, more than 12,000 same-sex couples have married in Massachusetts. Moreover, the Williams Institute at UCLA is out with a study this week (PDF) that shows the economic benefits Massachusetts has reaped by recognizing marriage equality. Their findings?
- Massachusetts has attracted a creative class of highly-skilled workers - in fact, the study argues that young, highly-educated people were 2.5 times more likely to move to Massachusetts now because of the state's recognition of same-sex marriage;
- An average gay or lesbian couple spent more than $7,000 on their wedding in Massachusetts, with one in ten couples spending more than $20,000;
- All in all, the gay and lesbian wedding industry (from caterers to hotels, florists, churches, and many other businesses) raked in $111 million from same-sex marriages over the past five years. That's a hefty number, especially during tough economic times.
And the best part? The radical, right-wing opponents of marriage equality forecasted nothing but doom for children and families in Massachusetts when same-sex marriage became legal. They're now left with significant egg on their face, as marriage equality has proved nothing but beneficial to Massachusetts.
So happy five years, Massachusetts. Because of the foundation that Massachusetts set in place regarding marriage equality, other states around the country (one more this week, with the likely addition of New Hampshire) are now moving in the right direction to champion equality.
