Breaking Marriage Equality News Headlines from July 2011

	Cuba: For macho island, a shift on civil unions The announcement was made by Mariela Castro, daughter of Raul Castro and the director of Cuba's national sex education center, during an interview with Spanish broadcaster Cadena Ser earlier this month. Castro, the island's leading gay rights advocate, said Cuban authorities are already studying the proposal in preparation for the upcoming Community Party conference on Jan. 28.... CNN • Jul 31, 2011

	Majority of Montana Voters Favor Same-Sex Partnerships A newly released poll shows that a majority of voters in Montana support domestic partnerships for same-sex couples. The poll, conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research for the American Civil Liberties Union, found that 53% of Montana voters favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to enter into domestic partnerships.... Bilerico Project • Jul 31, 2011

	PolitiFact Concludes: Most Catholics Support Gay Marriage A Public Religion Research Institute poll released in May found 56 percent of respondents either strongly favored or favored allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry, and 36 percent said they either strongly opposed or opposed such marriages. But the poll's 7 percent margin of error could drop support below 50 percent.... On Top Magazine • Jul 31, 2011

	Did Obama just come out for same-sex marriage on Facebook? What's actually going on is that the Obama campaign, and White House, have been trying to pull the wool over the community's eyes with a little bit of rhetorical trickery. The president is for equal rights for all couples, gay and straight, they keep telling us. And the proof they use is that he's for repealing DOMA (and that Facebook ad lands on a page about DOMA). What they don't say is that the... AmericaBlog • Jul 31, 2011

	Poll finds New Jerseyans, even Republicans, support same-sex marriage By a 47 percent to 42 percent margin, New Jerseyans feel same-sex marriage should be legal. Those aged 30 to 45 come out strongest in support of the idea, with 55 percent in support and 35 percent opposed. New Jersey currently allows civil unions, and when they are added as an option, voters are split between marriage and civil unions. Forty-one percent favor marriage to 40 percent for civil unio... New Jersey Newsroom • Jul 30, 2011

	Judge orders Boehner's lawyers to answer DOMA questions, calls argument "disingenous" The two interrogatories pressed by the plaintiff ask "What, if anything, do you contend are the compelling justifications for section 3 of DOMA, 1 U.S.C. § 77" (Interrogatory no. 1) and "What, if anything, do you assert are the legitimate government interests rationally advanced by section 3 of DOMA, 1 U.S.C. § 7?" (Interrogatory no. 3). BLAG objects to both on the ground that, to the extent they ... AmericaBlog • Jul 30, 2011

	Gay marriage amendment not clear winner for NC GOP A political science professor said he doesn't expect an amendment restricting marriage to one man and one woman to draw many voters who wouldn't otherwise be motivated to head to the polls. Opinion polls from the past year are mixed on how much support there is for such an amendment.... AP • Jul 29, 2011

	Australian census to count gay marriage for the first time Same-sex couples who have married overseas will have their unions counted in the Australian Census for the first time. ... Herald Sun • Jul 29, 2011

	CA gay marriage ban case to be heard Sept. 6 California's highest court says it will hear arguments right after Labor Day on an issue that is likely to prove decisive for the fate of the state's voter-enacted ban on same-sex marriages.... Sacramento Bee • Jul 29, 2011

	Survey shows most Brazilians oppose civil unions The survey released Thursday showed that 55 percent of Brazilians disapproved of civil unions in general. It found that 63 percent of men opposed the idea, compared with only 48 percent of women.... Shanghai Daily • Jul 29, 2011

	Americans split on New York gay marriage law As New York gears up for its second weekend of same-sex nuptials, a Washington Post-ABC News poll finds Americans split 50 to 46 percent over whether the state's law legalizing such unions is a positive or negative outcome. Reactions to the new legislation -- like support for legalizing gay marriage in general -- range tremendously across generational, political and religious lines. ... Washington Post • Jul 29, 2011

	NC: Legislature will not consider constitutional amendments this week State lawmakers briefly considered changing their session rules this week in order to hear several constitutional amendments, possibly including an anti-LGBT amendment on same-sex relationships, but decided against the plan today, The Associated Press and several other news agencies are reporting.... QNotes • Jul 28, 2011

	Gov. Jerry Brown appoints Goodwin Liu to California Supreme Court Liu is considered a supporter of gay rights, including same-sex marriage, and civil rights for other minority groups. He is expected to be on the court in time to hear arguments in the challenge against Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot measure that reinstated a ban on same-sex marriage.... LA Times • Jul 28, 2011

	North Carolina Gay Marriage Ban Amendment Could Be Considered This Week The Associated Press is reporting that House Majority Leader Paul Stam said he's uncertain which amendments might come up for consideration, but the marriage amendment is a likely candidate.... On Top Magazine • Jul 27, 2011

	Bush, Obama pollsters see 'dramatic' shift toward same-sex marriage The pollsters conclude that the issue is changing fast: "It is clear that the public is in the process of rethinking its position on the issue, with all political groups -- Democrats, Independents as well as Republicans -- and all age groups more likely to support marriage for same-sex couples," they write.... Politico • Jul 27, 2011

	Colombian court says Congress must decide on gay marriage The court gave the Congress two years to legislate the status of same-sex marriages. If the deadline passes with no legislation, then same-sex couples will be able to formalize their unions before a notary public, the court said.... CNN • Jul 27, 2011

	New York Challenges U.S. Defense of Marriage Act Mr. Schneiderman submitted the brief in support of Edith S. Windsor, the plaintiff in Windsor v. United States. Ms. Windsor was married in Canada in 2007 to her longtime partner, Thea Spyer. The couple lived in New York City, and when Ms. Spyer died two years after their marriage, the federal government refused to recognize their marriage and collected estate taxes on her inheritance, prompting th... NY Times • Jul 26, 2011

	As New York Marries, Al Franken Catches a Fibber Pretty quiet week, nothing too exciting -- except everyone in New York getting married! Plus hearings on DOMA repeal, with Al Franken calling out an anti-gay liar. Plus more news from Maryland to Washington state. Here's Kitty Lambert ... MNW • Jul 26, 2011

	Activists Rally for Marriage Equality in New Jersey New Jersey currently sanctions civil unionsinstead of legal marriage for gay couples. Gov. Chris Christie has publicly expressed hisopposition to gay marriage. Even if a marriage equality bill is passed by the state legislature, Christie will have the right to veto it. "The governor's views are not those of New Jersey," said Garden State Equality chairman and Teaneck resident Steven Goldstein. "O... Patch • Jul 25, 2011

	Rick Perry: A breakthrough on gay marriage? As I have suggested before, a 10th Amendment approach to gay marriage and abortion is both in keeping with the party's defense of federalism and smart politics. As gay rights moves from the courts to state legislatures and referendums, it will, I would suggest, become increasing difficult for conservatives to decry democratically approved gay marriage laws. Social conservatives certainly have ever... Washington Post • Jul 25, 2011

	Anti-Gay Marriage Group Files Legal Challenge to New York's Law Twenty four hours after New York's landmark same sex marriage law went into effect, the anti-gay-marriage group New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms today has filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn it. The group, led by the Rev. Jason J. McGuire, claims that the state Senate, in adopting the legislation, violated the state's Open Meetings Law by closing off the Senate galleries and lobby; and by ... New York Daily News • Jul 25, 2011

	After Long Wait, Same-Sex Couples Marry in New York From New York City to Niagara Falls, N.Y., hundreds of gay and lesbian couples across the state began marrying on Sunday -- the first taking their vows just after midnight -- in the culmination of a long battle in the Legislature and a new milestone for gay rights advocates seeking to legalize same-sex marriage across the nation.... NY Times • Jul 24, 2011

	Kirsten Gillibrand, Jerrold Nadler Call For DOMA Repeal As NY Gay Marriages Start "New York is sending a powerful message to the rest of the nation today as we once again lead the way for equal rights," said Senator Gillibrand. "The right to get married and start a family is a basic, human right that must be shared by all Americans. Every loving, committed couple in America deserves this right. And no politician should stand in the way of this fact. But as hundreds of loving, c... On Top Magazine • Jul 24, 2011

	After Long Wait, Same-Sex Couples Marry in New York Hundreds of gay and lesbian couples across New York State began marrying on Sunday -- the first taking their vows just after midnight -- in the culmination of a long battle in the Legislature and a new milestone for gay rights advocates seeking to legalize same-sex marriage across the nation.... NY Times • Jul 24, 2011

	Maryland Governor Says Marriage Equality Bill Will Be an "Administration Priority" in 2012 What's changed since the bill stalled in this year's legislative session, O'Malley added, was the urgency of this type of legislation, saying that in 2012 it will be a priority and that he would make it an "administration priority."... Metro Weekly • Jul 22, 2011

	Md. governor says he will sponsor gay marriage bill in 2012; measure narrowly failed this year Maryland's governor says he will make legalizing gay marriage a top priority of his administration by sponsoring a bill next year.... Washington Post • Jul 22, 2011

	From NOM to NOME Louis Marinelli, the former coordinator for National Organization for Marriage's "Summer for Marriage Tour" who has since left NOM and announced his support for marriage equality, has launched a new group. He's calling it the National Organization for Marriage Equality, and his web site indicates that NOME "is registering as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization."Marinelli will be hitting the road onc... Box Turtle Bulletin • Jul 22, 2011

	Kerry acknowledges gay marriage change Seven years after a presidential campaign in which he threaded the needle by explaining his support for the gay rights revolution taking place in his home state while not supporting gay marriage himself, US Senator John Kerry, a Democrat from Massachusetts, has a declaration. He now supports gay marriage.... Boston Globe • Jul 22, 2011

	Legal gay marriage doesn't end money headaches While gay couples who say "I do" in state-sanctioned marriage ceremonies are afforded the same rights as traditional husbands and wives in the state where they get hitched, it doesn't mean these newlyweds are recognized as a "single economic unit" by Uncle Sam, says Jennifer Hatch, president of Christopher Street Financial, a New York City-based financial advisory firm that caters to the gay commu... USA Today • Jul 22, 2011

	Many Same-Sex Couples Avoid Gay Marriages Over Legal, Personal Concerns Many same-sex couples say they want to get married but can't because it could mean losing the person they love since New York's new same-sex marriage law does nothing to change federal law.... WNYC • Jul 22, 2011

	O'Malley to Talk About 2012 Maryland Marriage Bill Plans on Friday After days of speculation, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley's (D) office announced today that he will be appearing at the Maryland State House Friday afternoon, July 22, to announce his decision on sponsorship regarding marriage equality legislation during the 2012 legislative session. ... Metro Weekly • Jul 21, 2011

	15 Years After DOMA, Hearing Reveals a Nation Transformed Back in 1996, no senator was calling the antigay forces on their lies, damn lies, and statistics. No senator approvingly quoted his state's married same-sex couples or invited white-bread suburban lawnmowing gay men and lesbians to tell the heartbreaking disaster stories about being excluded from full marriage recognition. This time, perhaps no Republican senator was yet willing to urge DOMA's rep... The Atlantic • Jul 21, 2011

	Agency flips on same-sex benefits Teresa Heck of Iowa City cried Wednesday when she learned her employer, the Department of Corrections, had reversed its decision to grant her leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, not only because she would be able to care for her spouse, Rebecca Andrews, but because it meant other same-sex couples in Iowa would have the same right. "I think it's a major victory in Iowa, and it's due to t... Press Citizen • Jul 21, 2011

	Kitsch of the day: Same-sex souvenirs ready for gay wedders Puppets from the long-running Broadway smash "Avenue Q" plan to join the same-sex festivities as stars gay Rod and Ricky take themselves "off the market." The puppets and their human handlers are scheduled to be at Worth Street Sunday morning to stage Rod and Ricky's wedding before rushing back to Midtown for that day's matinee. ... NY Post • Jul 21, 2011

	Young New Yorkers on Gay Marriage The New York Times interviewed dozens of people in recent days to get their perspective on the topic. With more teenagers coming out in high school, many said that homosexuality and bisexuality was more mainstream than it was a generation ago. Nevertheless, their gay peers, relatives and siblings still faced challenges.... NY Times • Jul 21, 2011

	Tom Minnery's lies are commonplace in religious right data What Minnery did was not an anomaly. His distortion was not a one-time thing from a lazy employee of an otherwise honorable organization. Minnery's misreading of study in order present a bad picture of same-sex households is commonplace in religious right data. Often times, religious right spokespeople will cite studies which have nothing to do with same-sex households in order to claim that thes... Pam's House Blend • Jul 21, 2011

	Fight against NY gay weddings has only just begun Well-funded national groups that pursue freedom of religion and free speech cases already are soliciting New Yorkers who say their civil rights will be trampled by the new right of gay couples to marry, opening another front in the ongoing contest over same-sex marriage.... AP • Jul 20, 2011

	Gay-marriage advocates begin 2012 campaign Lisa M. Polyak, secretary for Equality Maryland's board of directors, said the group has regained financial solvency, repaid its debts -- which included $10,000 in polling costs -- and now is banking money to pay an executive director that it hopes to hire in the fall. ... Southern Maryland Newspapers Online • Jul 20, 2011

	The Godfather of Gay Marriage Earlier in the year, the administration said that the Justice Department would no longer defend DOMA in court, and this week the White House said President Obama would support the new legislation repealing it. But the political reality is that DOMA is unlikely to be repealed this year because the Republican controlled House supports it. Wednesday's hearing, Wolfson he says, "is just a first step.... Daily Beast • Jul 20, 2011

	Dianne Feinstein in for long haul on DOMA repeal; update: Obama endorses "We are not faint hearts about this," Feinstein said at the National Press Club today, joining the Courage Campaign's California founder and chairman Rick Jacobs. "We are in this for the long march." She believes she has all Democrats on board and promised to wait out the "Tea Party idealogues." She said the Supreme Court will ultimately weigh in, but wants to pursue a legislative track as well to... SF Gate • Jul 20, 2011

	How Clergy Helped a Same-Sex Marriage Law Pass The conventional -- and erroneous -- perception of the gay-marriage issue is that it pits secular forces against religious ones. From New York to California, wherever and whenever the battle has flared, news coverage has focused almost entirely on the religious groups who uniformly denounce it: Mormons, Roman Catholics, evangelical Christians and many Hispanic Pentecostals and African-American Pro... NY Times • Jul 19, 2011

	Wash. Leg. will make 'serious effort' on gay marriage Brown said there is support for marriage equality around the state, noting that Spokane passed an anti-discrimination ordinance before the State Legislature began extending rights to same-sex couples.... Seattle PI • Jul 19, 2011

	In year since Argentina approved gay marriage, 2,697 same-sex couples have tied the knot It has been a big year for gay marriages in Argentina: Since the country became the first in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriages, a total of 2,697 gay and lesbian couples have tied the knot.... Washington Post • Jul 19, 2011

	A List of Witnesses Speaking at Tomorrow's DOMA Repeal Hearing, and Some Information on Each of Them As I mentioned last week, Senator Patrick Leahy, (D-VT), is holding the first hearing on the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act tomorrow morning. The hearing entitled "S.598, The Respect for Marriage Act: Assessing the Impact of DOMA on American Families" scheduled before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary for Wednesday, July 20, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. in room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office B... Towleroad • Jul 19, 2011

	Central Park Chapels to 'Pop Up' for Gay Marriages On July 30, the first Saturday that same-sex marriage will be legal in New York State, two dozen couples will be wed inside two pop-up chapels that will appear for about 10 hours at the Merchants' Gate entrance to Central Park, near Columbus Circle. The designs for the two chapels will be selected from entries to a contest that began last week and ends July 21. The winning design will be announce... NY Times • Jul 19, 2011

	City implements lottery to accomodate gay marriage applicants Gay couples who want to make history this weekend in New York City will need reservations and luck. So many couples have applied to get married this Sunday -- the first day same-sex weddings become legal here -- that the city has instituted a lottery to select the fortunate 764 it can accommodate.... NY Post • Jul 19, 2011

	Can Nepal Sell Itself as a Gay-Wedding Destination? Last year, Nepal's openly gay lawmaker Sunil Babu Pant launched Pink Mountain, the nation's first travel agency to cater exclusively to gay tourists. Selling Nepal as a wedding destination for gay couples, many of whom live in countries where same-sex marriage is illegal, has been widely embraced by the entrepreneurs of the tourism sector, a once thriving industry that was dealt a severe blow duri... Time • Jul 19, 2011

	Demand still strong for civil union licenses in Cook County On June 1, the day the civil unions law kicked in, the clerk's offices handed out 209 licenses. Since then the numbers have been smaller but steady, averaging 30 licenses per day from June 2 to June 30. ... Chicago Tribune • Jul 19, 2011

	FAMiLY LEADER's Bob Vander Plaats Erupts In Laughter At Faggot Joke: 'That's Pretty Good' During an event in Audubon, Iowa in March of 2011, Vander Plaats explained that many Iowans were concerned about the state becoming "the butt of jokes" in the aftermath of a state Supreme Court decision which found that a law prohibiting same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. He was then interrupted by an attendee who recalled a joke his wife tells about the "fags" marrying in Iowa law. Vander Pl... Think Progress • Jul 19, 2011

	Prop 8 Trial will Premiere on Broadway The Prop 8 trial is coming to Broadway -- and then to theaters all over the country. The fallout from New York continues, with renewed efforts in Maryland and Colorado. The Senate Judiciary Committee will hear testimony on DOMA's repeal on Wednesday, the 20th, and meanwhile Canada makes us look bad celebrating the sixth anniversary of marriage equality. We may never see the actual Prop 8 trial, s... MNW • Jul 19, 2011

	Same-Sex Couple Seeks Recognition By Israel According to a report in the Jewish Daily Forward, an American Jewish man, Joshua Goldberg, who emigrated to Israel on June 10 of this year with his partner, whom he married in Canada two years ago, is petitioning the Israeli Interior Ministry to give his husband citizenship. His petition, filed four months ago, has yet to receive a response. Under Israeli Law, Jews have an unrestricted right to ... Bilerico Project • Jul 18, 2011

	Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) Announces Plans to Repeal Defense of Marriage Act Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) will announce plans to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) at a National Press Club Newsmakers news conference, 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 19, 2011 in the National Press Building, 529 14th St., NW, Washington, D.C. She will be joined by the Courage Campaign Founder and Chair Rick Jacobs and three same-sex married couples. The Courage Campaign is an online or... Press Release • Jul 18, 2011

	Illuminating California's Proposition 8 Trial, Onstage A new play based on the Proposition 8 trial over same-sex marriage in California, written by the Academy Award winner Dustin Lance Black ("Milk"), will be performed in a staged reading on Broadway in September and then produced at Carnegie Mellon University, Northwestern, the University of Michigan, and elsewhere. ... NY Times • Jul 18, 2011

	Md. Gov. Martin O'Malley expresses support for new gay marriage bill Gov. Martin O'Malley said Friday he will push harder for a same-sex marriage measure in Maryland next year if it mirrors legislation that passed in New York after changes were made to protect religious freedom. "I think we can learn from what they did," O'Malley, a Democrat, said while attending the National Governors Association meeting in Salt Lake City. "One of the things we're looking at in t... Washington Post • Jul 16, 2011

	The Diminished Role for State Courts in Marriage Equality after New York As of today, thirty states have banned marriage recognition by state constitutional amendment. In the remaining twenty states, six already recognize marriage rights. The remaining fourteen states include three states in which the supreme courts have already rejected challenges (Washington, New Jersey, Maryland, though activists recently re-filed in New Jersey, a possible exception), four other sta... American Constitution Society • Jul 15, 2011

	Gay couples in legal limbo with immigration As the nation remains entrenched in a debate over what to do about an estimated 11 million illegal residents, the Obama administration has released new guidelines to provide flexibility in individual cases without conflicting with other federal laws. Because the marriage act, passed in 1996, remains the law, the administration has stopped short of a blanket policy change on deportation cases invol... LA Times • Jul 15, 2011

	Marriage Equality Ballot Measure Pushed in Colorado Sponsors include Mark Olmstead, a 19-year-old college student inspired by the recent passage of the marriage equality law in New York. Their effort follows an attempt to remove the constitutional amendment in 2010 that failed to garner enough signatures. According to the AP, gay rights groups including One Colorado continue to believe the issue should be addressed by the legislature. An attempt t... Advocate • Jul 15, 2011

	Judges Signing Up for Sunday Duty at Gay Weddings As one of several dozen judges across the state who have volunteered to play an official role in the new law's first day, Justice Raffaele is part of one of the most unusual judicial mobilizations in years. From Buffalo to the Bronx and pretty much everywhere else in New York, judges are signing up for rare Sunday duty. ... NY Times • Jul 14, 2011

	Mayor Bloomberg rewards GOP senators who backed gay marriage with $10K thank you Bloomberg had made no secret he'd be willing to back Republicans who stuck their necks out and sided with the majority of Democrats to support same-sex nuptials. He sent $10,300 apiece - the maximum contribution allowed - to Sens. Mark Grisanti (R-Buffalo), Roy McDonald (R-Saratoga), Stephen Saland (R-Poughkeepsie) and James Alesi (R-Rochester).... New York Daily News • Jul 14, 2011

	Grisanti's coffers grow after gay marriage vote Advocates of gay marriage pumped about $50,000 into the political campaign account of Republican State Sen. Mark J. Grisanti of Buffalo after he voted June 24 in the historic session that legalized same-sex marriage in New York.... Buffalo News • Jul 14, 2011

	Gay-marriage foes play petition card Supporters of same-sex marriage in Maryland have quickly shaken off their defeat in this year's General Assembly and reorganized for another drive. But opponents say they are equally ready if a bill passes in 2012 and could employ a petition drive similar to the one that will likely force a referendum on the state's recently passed Dream Act.... Washington Times • Jul 14, 2011

	R.I. Civil Unions Law Elicits Lukewarm Response from Same-Sex Couples Gay state Rep. Frank Ferri (D-Warwick) intends to introduce an amendment to the bill which would strip away those exemptions. "I will need to establish support for it even before I introduce it," Ferri told EDGE. "I know there are many progressives and supporters in the house that will back me. We need to expose the facts and how absurd it is that a hospital could refuse to recognize the relations... Edge • Jul 14, 2011

	Research Shows Increase in Hate Crimes Against LGBT People A new report released on Tuesday by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs shows that the number of hate crimes against people in the LGBT community rose 13% in 2010, and that minorities and transgender women were most likely to be targets of violence.... GLAAD • Jul 14, 2011

	Senate DOMA repeal hearing set for July 20 One additional senator that Jacobs is eyeing as a potential new co-sponsor for the bill is Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), who voted for "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal and who's facing re-election in a heavily Democratic state in 2012.... Washington Blade • Jul 13, 2011

	Video: To cure past missteps, MD follows NY's prescription Two words, Maryland: Duff Goldman. Here in NY, we had Sandra Lee -- there in Baltimore, you have your own Food Network star. Never underestimate the transformative power of celebrity + carbs.... Good As You • Jul 13, 2011

	Where Do N.Y. Congressional Reps Stand on DOMA Repeal? Following the New York marriage victory last month, two members of the state's congressional delegation -- Reps. Kathy Hochul and Bill Owens -- have signed on as cosponsors of the House DOMA repeal bill, titled the Respect for Marriage Act. ... Advocate • Jul 13, 2011

	Six years of gay marriage and Canada hasn't crumbled In the run-up to Bill C-38 being passed, the naysayers darkly predicted the seismic crumbling of Canadian society as we know it; they said the "gay agenda" would undermine heterosexual marriage and families. They predicted that in this new anything-goes Canada which would be created if Paul Martin's government sanctioned gay marriage, people would be marrying their cats, pedophiles would be marry... Calgary Herald • Jul 13, 2011

	Finland: Same-sex marriage proposal needs 100 MPs' support The group's goal is to gather one hundred MPs' signatures on a proposal to legalise gender-neutral marriage. Männistö claims they already have unofficial support from many MPs, including party leaders. Over the summer, the group will take legal advice on formulating a workable proposal. Lobbying efforts will intensify in the autumn, when the group will gather signatures among the parliamentary gr... YLE • Jul 13, 2011

	First-ever hearing to repeal DOMA scheduled in the Senate Today, Senator Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced a hearing on the Respect for Marriage Act, the bill that would overturn DOMA, scheduled for Wednesday July 20th. The hearing will be the first time Congress has heard testimony on legislation that would end federal marriage discrimination against gay and lesbian couples. ... Freedom to Marry • Jul 12, 2011

	The Next Gay Rights Case for the U.S. Supreme Court? While there has been plenty of speculation that the U.S. Supreme Court will have to address the constitutionality of Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, or the constitutional right of same-sex couples to marry, sometime in the next few years, it seems likely that another important gay rights case may get to the court sooner. Today Lambda Legal filed a petition seeking Supreme Court review o... Leonard Link • Jul 12, 2011

	Civil unions in Hawaii won't start until January as state prepares online application system While New York plans to begin offering same-sex marriage within weeks of passing a law, Hawaii is taking 10 months to prepare for the start of civil unions in this state. Civil unions in Hawaii begin Jan. 1, but in the meantime the state is creating an Internet-based system that will get those certificates to couples more quickly. The new online application process will cut down on the six- to e... The Republic • Jul 12, 2011

	Chile President Sebastian Pinera Ready To Introduce Gay Unions Bill Chile President Sebastian Pinera is expected next week to introduce a bill that would legalize civil unions for gay and lesbian couples, the Santiago-based La Tercera reported.... On Top Magazine • Jul 12, 2011

	Lesbian Couples Boosting Gay Marriage Numbers In Boston, experience suggests that pent-up demand for marriage among gays and lesbians will drive a wedding windfall, but it's usually short-lived. "When marriage is new in a state, there's a surge at the beginning, but then after about a year, that rate starts to slow down. So you see patterns in which same-sex couples are marrying at roughly the same rate as different-sex couples," UCLA demogr... NPR • Jul 12, 2011

	Gay marriage advocates in Maryland launching broader push A coalition of liberal state and national groups plans to launch a renewed effort Tuesday to pass legislation allowing same-sex marriages in Maryland. Organizers of the group, Marylanders for Marriage Equality, say they intend to run a comprehensive campaign in advance of next year's legislative session, with the hope of producing a different result than this year,.when a bill passed the Senate b... Washington Times • Jul 12, 2011

	'Windsor' Plaintiffs Attack Federal DOMA on All Fronts Challengers to the federal Defense of Marriage Act insist that every justification offered by Congress for defining marriage exclusively as between a man and a woman is contrary to logic and the law. In summary judgment papers filed in the Southern District of New York, lawyers for Edith Schlain Windsor argue that there is no good reason for treating her marriage to the late Thea Clara Spyer any ... New York Law Journal • Jul 12, 2011

	Same-Sex Marriage Expected To Bring Big Business To Local Companies While couples will no doubt flock to City Hall in the first few weeks, the real economic impact won't be seen for another year or two as fiancées take their time planning the wedding of their dreams.... NY1 • Jul 12, 2011

	Maryland Gay Marriage Advocates To Introduce Broader Campaign Less than four months after a gay marriage bill was suddenly shelved in the Maryland House after passage in the Senate proponents are preparing a new effort, The Washington Post reported. Backers are expected to unveil a broader campaign to win marriage equality in the state on Tuesday.... On Top Magazine • Jul 12, 2011

	Gay MP will fight for gays to marry South Australia's first openly gay state MP says he is ready to mount a legal challenge to allow gay couples to marry overseas. SA upper house MP Ian Hunter and his partner of 22 years, artist Leith Semmens, plan to wed in New York following the US state's legalisation of gay marriage.... Nine News • Jul 12, 2011

	Citing DOJ's "Nationwide Effect" Given to Bankruptcy Decision, Gay Couple OKs Ending Appeal Today Lambda Legal filed a petition for a writ of certiorari asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case of a same-sex couple seeking an accurate birth certificate for their Louisiana-born son whom they adopted in New York. The state of Louisiana has refused to recognize the adoption and issue a birth certificate listing both fathers as the boy's parents.... Lambda Legal • Jul 11, 2011

	NSW Labor struggles on gay marriage LABOR Party factions in NSW were in crisis talks last night over whether to support same-sex marriage. It is understood the party's powerful Right faction wants only to refer the matter to Labor's national conference in December. But all other party state conferences have voted at their gatherings to support same-sex marriage - as well as to refer the issue to the national conference.... Sydney Morning Herald • Jul 11, 2011

	NOM Not Invited to N.Y. Weddings, But They'll Be There Protesting When gay couples in New York start legally getting hitched July 24, the National Organization for Marriage plans to crash their weddings with a series of protests. The group, which lobbied against passage of the marriage equality bill signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, announced the rallies Friday on its website. Protests are so far being planned in Albany, Rochester, Buffalo and New York City. ... Advocate • Jul 11, 2011

	BREAKING NEWS: ERW's New Commitment to Marriage in Washington State by Way of New Office The Seattle Lesbian has learned that Josh Friedes has assumed a new role at Equal Rights Washington (ERW) focused entirely on achieving marriage equality in Washington State. He previously served as Executive Director. The change comes in the midst of the passage of marriage equality in New York and growing support in Washington on the issue. Friedes will become the new Marriage Equality Direct... The Seattle Lesbian • Jul 8, 2011

	The Time to Push for Marriage Equality in Washington is Now This is the time to push, and push hard for marriage equality in Washington State. We need everyone on board right now if we are going to achieve marriage as early as 2012 for gays and lesbians. Equal Rights Washington took a firm step towards securing marriage for gays and lesbians. The Equal Rights Washington Board of Directors, of which I am a member, voted last month to commit significant res... Seattle PI • Jul 8, 2011

	Senate to hear testimony on DOMA 'in the next few weeks' According to a Senate Democratic aide, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, intends to hold a hearing on DOMA repeal "in the next few weeks." A more definitive date for when the hearing would take place or the individuals who would be invited as witnesses weren't immediate known.... Washington Blade • Jul 8, 2011

	Iowa Conservatives Unveil Anti-Gay Marriage Pledge On Thursday, one of Iowa's most influential social conservative organizations, The Family Leader, informed GOP presidential candidates that to win the group's endorsement, they'll have to sign a pledge. Family Leader president Bob Vander Plaats, a former Mike Huckabee ally, wants GOP contenders to commit to a list of 14 red-meat items, including opposition to gay marriage, a ban on Islamic Sharia ... Mother Jones • Jul 8, 2011

	U.S. Trustee Withdraws Appeal of Gay Couple's Bankruptcy Court DOMA Victory Following consultation with the House Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG), the U.S. Trustee asked to withdraw its appeal in its challenge to the attempted joint bankruptcy petition filed by Gene Douglas Balas and Carlos Morales, a married gay couple who live in California -- a move a Department of Justice spokeswoman says represents the DOJ's new policy on all such bankruptcy filings.... Metro Weekly • Jul 8, 2011

	Gay Rights Developments Come Fast and Furious Here's some confusion yet to be resolved under New York's tax law as a result of the passage of the Marriage Equality Act. The Tax Law provides that individual income tax filers use their federal filing status for their state return. Since the federal government does not recognize same-sex marriages and will reject joint-filing by same-sex married couples, such couples must use the "single" fili... Leonard Link • Jul 8, 2011

	Bachmann Is First To Sign Iowa Anti-Gay Pledge Footnote 8 of the document includes an explicitly pro- ex-gay plank, indicating the political utility that social conservatives find in the movement: "No peer-reviewed empirical science or rational demonstration has ever definitively proven, nor even has shown an overwhelming probability, that homosexual preference or behavior is irresistible as a function of genetic determinism or other forms of ... Box Turtle Bulletin • Jul 8, 2011

	IRFF responds to Family Leader's discriminatory pledge "Iowans are having a very important dialogue about ensuring that all residents are treated fairly by their government - a long-standing and central principle of our state. This pledge is an attempt to shut down dialogue between voters and the people vying to represent them."... Iowa Republicans for Freedom • Jul 8, 2011

	Iowa Conservatives Ask 2012 Candidates To Pledge Opposition To Gay Marriage The Christian conservative group The Family Leader is asking GOP presidential candidates to pledge their opposition to gay marriage. The group's CEO, Republican Bob Vander Plaats, will unveil The Marriage Vow: A Declaration of Dependence Upon Marriage and Family at a press conference on the west steps of the Iowa state capitol building on Thursday at 11AM.... On Top Magazine • Jul 7, 2011

	U.S. Trustee Withdraws Appeal of Gay Couple's Bankruptcy Court DOMA Victory Following consultation with the House Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG), the U.S. Trustee asked to withdraw its appeal in its challenge to the attempted joint bankruptcy petition filed by Gene Douglas Balas and Carlos Morales, a married gay couple who live in California -- a move a Department of Justice spokeswoman says represents the DOJ's new policy on all such bankruptcy filings.... Metro Weekly • Jul 7, 2011

	Divorce Rates Lower in States with Same-Sex Marriage According to provisional data from the Census Bureau and the Centers for Disease Control's National Vital Statistics System, 5 of the 10 states, plus the District of Columbia, with the lowest divorce rates per thousand people (of the 44 states, plus D.C., that had available data) are also among the nine jurisdictions (a group that includes eight states and the District of Columbia) that currently ... U.S. News and World Report • Jul 7, 2011

	E.I. Releases Civil Union Numbers Equality Illinois, the state's oldest and largest LGBT advocacy organization, announced, July 7 that during June, the first month that civil unions were available to couples in Illinois, 1,618 total civil union licenses were issued throughout the state. Of the state's 102 counties, 83 counties reported issuing at least one or more licenses. ... Vital Voice • Jul 7, 2011

	Gay Marriage: David Remnick, Journalists Chat About Obama's Evolution 'm surprised that there's been so little investigative reporting on NOM in general, its secret donors, and Maggie Gallagher in specific. They've become a very powerful, well-moneyed force in blocking civil liberties for millions of Americans, and yet Gallagher has somehow flown beneath the radar, though she's quoted all the time. It's worth noting that even the co-author of Gallagher's book "The... The New Civil Rights Movement • Jul 7, 2011

	Justice Department strongly backs gays on marriage The latest San Francisco court filing on same-sex marriage reads like a gay rights manifesto: It rejects tradition, morals and procreation as justifications for marriage restrictions and concludes that a federal ban on spousal benefits was unconstitutionally based on "animus" - dislike, rooted in prejudice - toward gays and lesbians.... SF Gate • Jul 7, 2011

	Obama and Gay Marriage: Runaway Bride? But what if this is a case where political calculations are not purely self-interested? What if this is a case where effectiveness--in this instance, effectiveness in the cause of gay equality overall--trumps rhetorical "sincerity"? Suppose Obama had come out for gay marriage a year ago. That would have made him the face of the issue. It would have saddled marriage equality with all the toxic Tea ... The New Yorker • Jul 6, 2011

	A New Conservative Agenda Like Ken Mehlman, the former Republican National Committee chair and the Bush-Cheney campaign manager in '04, Hoover has since been sought out by gay groups. He has been a key fund-raiser for the American Foundation for Equal Rights, the group that has organized and litigated the Proposition 8 challenge, and she's an advisory board member for both that organization and GOProud. Unlike Mehlman, how... Advocate • Jul 6, 2011

	New York's Impact is Already Spreading It's been another super busy week so let's get right to it: Rhode Island is getting civil unions but along with them come some dangerous anti-gay laws. Maine will collect signatures to overturn that state's marriage ban, and seven couples have sued New Jersey to do the same there. The American Medical Association endorsed marriage equality, the National Organization for Marriage won't be allowed t... MNW • Jul 5, 2011

	As Catholic Charities bows out of foster care, secular agency steps up State officials have been exploring whether religious agencies that get public money to license foster care parents are breaking anti-discrimination laws if they turn away openly gay parents. In addition to Catholic Charities in five regions, Lutheran Child and Family Services and the Evangelical Child and Family Agency have policies that exclude prospective parents who are openly gay. The religi... Chicago Tribune • Jul 5, 2011

	Rhode Island Bishop Thomas Tobin Bars Gay Catholics From Civil Unions Rev. Thomas Tobin, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, has barred gay Catholics from entering a civil union. Governor Lincoln Chafee on Saturday signed a civil unions bill into law, making Rhode Island the fifth after Illinois, New Jersey, Delaware and Hawaii to recognize gay and lesbian couples with civil unions. Chafee, who supports giving gay couples the right to marry, express... On Top Magazine • Jul 4, 2011

	After Backing Gay Marriage, 4 in G.O.P. Face Voters' Verdict The political price for supporting same-sex marriage can be hard to predict. Four years ago, Assemblywoman Teresa R. Sayward, a Republican and a Catholic from a conservative district in the Adirondacks, voted in favor of same-sex marriage after making an impassioned speech about her son's struggle with his gay identity. "The night I took the vote the first time, I was told by my Republican collea... NY Times • Jul 4, 2011

	Duluth group plans to fight amendment against gay marriage The event Monday is sponsored by Duluth United for All Families, a group formed after the Minnesota House voted 70-62 to put an amendment on next year's ballot that would define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. The group is affiliated with Minnesotans United for All Families, a statewide coalition. "Our event will galvanize critical support to defeat the marriage amendment in 2012," sa... Duluth News Tribune • Jul 4, 2011

	Pa. legislature remains stalwart against same-sex marriage "New York confirms" same-sex marriage, Leach said. "Now, 19 million more Americans will live in equality. One of the most important things that happens when same-sex couples can get married is nothing. There is no adverse impact on anyone." Leach, who sits on the judiciary committee and has introduced his own bill to legalize same-sex marriage, said his colleagues were moving slowly in that direc... Philadelphia Enquirer • Jul 4, 2011

	Campaign board rejects NOM's efforts to shield donors in gay marriage battle Common Cause Minnesota, the League of Women Voters and the Brennen Center for Justice sent a letter to the board on Thursday morning criticizing the statements of NOM and MFC and urging the board to make the ballot process more transparent. "Much like the boy who cries 'wolf,' it has become routine for groups like the National Organization for Marriage to complain that disclosure will leave them ... Minnesota Independent • Jul 4, 2011

	President Obama: 'I've Met My Commitments to the LGBT Community' ust hours after he declined to answer questions about his position on gay marriage, President Obama declared tonight "I've met my commitments to the LGBT community." "I have delivered on what I promised," the president said at an LGBT pride event at the White House this evening, noting "that doesn't mean our work is done."... ABC News • Jul 4, 2011

	Poll: Virginians still oppose same-sex marriage The 52-41 percent margin in a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday does show that opposition has waned since the 57-43 vote in 2006 in favor of the state's marriage amendment, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman.... Richmond Times-Dispatch • Jul 4, 2011

	Rhode Island governor signs gay civil unions despite doubts The new law includes a section that says no religious organization -- including some hospitals, cemeteries, schools and community centers -- or its employees may be required to treat as valid any civil union, providing a religious exemption "of unparalleled and alarming scope," Chafee said in a statement. As a result, a civil union spouse could be denied the right to make medical decisions for hi... WAMC • Jul 4, 2011

	Mormon statement wouldn't preclude a Prop 8-type push When the LDS Church declared political involvement off-limits for its senior leaders earlier this week, the policy decree covered only partisan campaigns and did not extend to matters the church deems to have "significant community or moral consequences." That means Mormon leaders could take an active role in another Proposition 8-type campaign.... Salt Lake Tribune • Jul 4, 2011

	The Future of Same-Sex Marriage Ballot Measures In short, the future for same-sex marriage looks to be reasonably bright. Most of the states that were fertile ground for passing a constitutional ban on it did so long ago. Minnesota and North Carolina are potential exceptions, but the six states that have gender-neutral marriage laws on the books now are unlikely to see them reversed, while some of those that don't are in a position for gay righ... NY Times • Jul 3, 2011

	Couple Asks Ninth Circuit to Rule on Gay-Marriage Ban Just days after the Justice Department filed an appeal of a ruling declaring the federal ban on gay marriage unconstitutional, lawyers for a same-sex couple at the center of a bankruptcy dispute upped the ante by asking the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to take the case. The Justice Department appealed the bankruptcy-court ruling Monday that declared the Defense of Marriage Act as unconstit... Wall Street Journal • Jul 3, 2011

	DOJ: Court Should Not Dismiss Karen Golinski's Health Benefits Claim, Should Instead Find DOMA Unconstitutional The summary of the DOJ argument that Golinski's case should not be dismissed begins simply: "Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, 1 U.S.C. Section 7 ('DOMA'), unconstitutionally discriminates." The filing signed by Christopher Hall, a trial attorney with DOJ, responds to the June 3 filing by the lawyers for the House Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group's Republican members asking the federal co... Metro Weekly • Jul 3, 2011

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