Breaking Marriage Equality News Headlines from October 2011

	Stepping up the Assault on DOMA We're counting down to the next ruling in the Prop 8 case. A Republican-backed bill in New Hampshire would replace marriage with civil unions for everyone -- including siblings. Get ready for a showdown on the Defense of Marriage Act, and things are heating up in Ohio. December 5th and 10am. That's the deadline for the California Supreme Court to rule in the Prop 8 case. And the good news is that... MNW • Oct 29, 2011

	Cuomo Urges States to Allow Gay Marriage Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, hailed as a hero at a gala dinner for the state's largest gay rights group, issued a passionate plea on Thursday for other states to follow New York's lead and allow gay couples to wed.... NY Times • Oct 28, 2011

	New Hampshire may legalize civil unions for all -- even siblings A bill that would repeal New Hampshire's 2009 law legalizing same-sex marriage would also allow two citizens of either sex to enter into a civil union -- even siblings. ... Daily Caller • Oct 28, 2011

	Gay troops to file suit challenging Defense of Marriage Act Gay and lesbian service members and veterans plan to file suit Thursday challenging the constitutionality of the federal ban on gay marriage and federal policy that define a spouse as a person of the opposite sex. ... Washington Post • Oct 27, 2011

	NH group supporting gay marriage outlines why Standing Up for New Hampshire Families told reporters Thursday that Republican lawmakers should focus on helping businesses create jobs and not on repealing the gay marriage law that has been in effect almost two years. ... Boston Globe • Oct 27, 2011

	Maryland AG: Marriage Equality Bill Will Pass in 2012 Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler on Tuesday, Oct. 25, predicted a marriage equality bill will pass in the state Legislature next year. "This year we'll pass same-sex marriage," said Gansler during a speech at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C., that coincided with the release of a new report on the impact of social and legal inequalities on children with LGBT parents... Edge • Oct 26, 2011

	Ohio: Same-sex marriage rally Nov. 5 on Fountain Square The "Street protest for gay marriage" is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Among the organizers: Equality Ohio, Reformed Catholic Church, NKU Equality Now, and GetEQUALOH. City council candidate Chris Seelbach is scheduled to speak. ... Cincinnati.com • Oct 26, 2011

	Top Brazilian Appeals Court Rules in Favor of Marriage Equality The court ruled that the constitution "makes it possible for stable civil unions to become marriages" and that "sexual orientation should not serve as a pretext for excluding families from the legal protection that marriage represents." ... Advocate • Oct 26, 2011

	NH panel votes to recommend gay marriage repeal The Judiciary Committee voted 11-6 Tuesday to recommend repealing the gay marriage law and establishing civil unions for any unmarried adults competent to enter into a contract. ... Boston Globe • Oct 25, 2011

	Hearings on DOMA-Repeal Bill Slated for Next Week This just in from the office of Sen. Patrick Leahy (D., Vt.): The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to begin debate on legislation to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act on Nov. 3.... Wall Street Journal • Oct 25, 2011

	Australia: QLD Civil Unions passes first reading Queensland is a step closer to becoming the first Australian state to provide civil unions for same-sex couples after the Queensland State Parliament voted 46 to 30 that the bill be read a first time. ... Star Observer • Oct 25, 2011

	Secret Anti-Gays Unmasked, Then Re-Masked Hello from our new headquarters! It's been a crazy week, with secret anti-gay activists unmasked and then re-masked in Washington state. A Maryland football player is our new best friend, DOMA continues to crumble but not before costing taxpayers $520 per hour. And why is Australia's Prime Minister resisting a marriage equality measure that would increase public support for her party? http://www.... MNW • Oct 24, 2011

	Court halts release of Prop. 8 video recordings A federal appeals court Monday put a temporary hold on a decision to make public the video recordings of the Proposition 8 trial and decided to rule on the matter expeditiously.... LA Times • Oct 24, 2011

	Indiana: Judge who struck down California anti-same-sex marriage law to speak at IU Maurer School of Law A former judge who struck down Proposition 8, the California voter initiative banning same-sex marriage, will deliver a lecture titled "On the Bench and in the Game" at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law on Nov. 3.... Indiana University • Oct 24, 2011

	Denmark To Legalize Gay Marriage According to the Copenhagen Post, the government plans to introduce a bill after the New Year that would allow same-sex couples, who are currently entitled to the civil status of "registered partnerships," to hold weddings in the Church of Denmark and be considered "married" under the law.... Advocate • Oct 24, 2011

	NH panel to vote on gay marriage repeal bill A House panel votes Tuesday whether to recommend repealing New Hampshire's gay marriage law and replacing it with civil unions for any unmarried adults including relatives.... WCAX • Oct 24, 2011

	Minn. companies stay on gay marriage sideline Opponents of the marriage amendment on the 2012 ballot see natural allies in the state's prominent companies, long seen as integral to preserving the state's fabled quality of life. But the symbolic and financial firepower of companies like Target, General Mills and others with a history of supporting gay causes may not be so forthcoming. The Associated Press contacted representatives for the 13 M... Canadian Business • Oct 24, 2011

	Judge won't limit disclosure of Prop. 8 donor list A battle over the disclosure of donors to the $40 million campaign to ban same-sex marriage in California is apparently headed for higher courts after a federal judge rejected claims by backers of the 2008 ballot measure that continued exposure would endanger their contributors. ... SF Gate • Oct 22, 2011

	Nearly Half Of Hawaii Voters Want Same-Sex Marriage A new poll by Public Policy Polling shows that nearly half of Hawaii voters want same-sex marriage to be legal. 49 percent are in favor of legalizing same sex marriage. 40 percent of voters want it to remain illegal. 11 percent said they are not sure.... KITV • Oct 22, 2011

	Washington: State stops releasing Ref. 71 petitioner names Pending a Monday hearing by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, the Secretary of State's Office has stopped releasing Referendum 71 petition names to the public after a religious conservative group filed an emergency motion with the court. The decision follows a Monday ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Settle that Protect Marriage Washington had failed to prove that the 137,500 sign... Seattle Times • Oct 21, 2011

	Levin Agrees To Co-Sponsor DOMA Repeal A U.S. senator seen as a leader in the fight for "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal has agreed to sign on as a co-sponsor to legislation that would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. On Thursday, Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) officially signed on as a support of the bill, known as the Respect for Marriage Act, bringing the total of co-sponsors to 31.... Washington Blade • Oct 21, 2011

	Ravens linebacker pushes for same-sex marriage Ravens player Brendon Ayanbadejo is putting his considerable heft behind passing a gay marriage bill in Maryland and will star in a new video that will be released today pushing for the measure. In the video Ayanbadejo looks directly into the camera and says: "I believe we should be doing everything that we can to make Maryland families stronger which is why I support marriage for gay and lesbian... Baltimore Sun • Oct 21, 2011

	Australia: Gay marriage a vote winner for ALP: poll Labor could expect a five per cent swing in its favour if it supports gay marriage, a new poll suggests. A Galaxy poll, commissioned by lobby group Australian Marriage Equality (AME), found almost half of Australian Greens voters and a third of young voters would be more likely to vote for the ALP if it allowed same-sex couples to marry.... Nine News • Oct 21, 2011

	Union endorses gay marriage in Washington state Washington's largest private sector union, UCFW 21, on Thursday said it will support efforts to legalize gay marriage in Washington state next year. ... Seattle PI • Oct 21, 2011

	Group named after gay soldier killed in Aghanistan aims to defeat marriage amendment A new group called Andrew's Round Table, which is named for Cpl. Andrew Wilfahrt, a gay soldier who was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan in February, has launched to educate Minnesotans about equal marriage rights for same-sex couples.... Minnesota Independent • Oct 21, 2011

	A Gay Wedding Windfall for New York New York may reap $310 million over the next three years from license fees, taxes, and tourism related to same-sex weddings, according to a May report by four New York state senators. Morgan Stanley (MS) Chairman John Mack, Goldman Sachs (GS) Chief Executive Officer Lloyd Blankfein, and other Wall Street executives argue that legalization was necessary for the state to remain an economic leader. A... Business Week • Oct 21, 2011

	Prop. 8 backers lose CA campaign disclosure case Supporters of the 2008 ballot measure that outlawed same-sex marriages in California lost their effort Thursday to block their past and future campaign finance records from public view because of alleged harassment of their donors. A federal judge in Sacramento ruled against ProtectMarriage.com and the National Organization for Marriage in a nearly three-year-old lawsuit, saying the two groups fa... Fresno Bee • Oct 21, 2011

	Students taking stand after vandalism About 50 NC State student senators decided to galvanize their support for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community by passing a resolution that opposes a proposed ban on gay marriage pushed by North Carolina lawmakers. ... WTVD • Oct 20, 2011

	Congressman calls for hearing to address rising cost of DOMA defense Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the House Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee, on Tuesday sent a letter to the Subcommittee's Chairman -- Ander Crenshaw (R-Fla.) -- asking for the hearing "to shine light" on the GOP effort to defend the "constitutionally-questionable Defense of Marriage Act." ... LGBTQ Nation • Oct 20, 2011

	Leno: EQCA 'unstable' State Senator Mark Leno is expressing serious doubts about the future of Equality California, the largest - and only - statewide LGBT lobbying organization. "They're without a leader, and they're staffing and funding at this point appear uncertain and unstable," the openly gay Leno (D-San Francisco) said in an interview Tuesday, October 18. "That would give anyone reason for concern."... Bay Area Reporter • Oct 20, 2011

	Servicemembers Legal Defense Network plans lawsuit over military benefits Servicemembers Legal Defense Network said it will file a lawsuit in federal court challenging the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), seeking military benefits for legally married same-sex couples that are currently available to their heterosexual counterparts.... LGBTQ Nation • Oct 20, 2011

	NC: Organizers want to create new, local movement Local organizing against the constitutional amendment comes as communities across the state scramble to motivate and mobilize concerned citizens. A similar rally is planned in Greensboro on Oct. 29. A statewide campaign opposing the amendment has yet to form, though the Raleigh, N.C.-based Equality North Carolina continues to lead outreach and education initiatives.... QNotes • Oct 20, 2011

	HRC Launches Americans for Marriage Equality Campaign The Human Rights Campaign on Wednesday launched Americans for Marriage Equality, an ongoing public engagement initiative that features videos of prominent Americans talking about their support for the freedom of same-sex couples to marry. ... Advocate • Oct 19, 2011

	Wash. releases names on anti-gay rights petition Washington state officials on Monday released copies of signature petitions that forced a vote on a 2009 domestic partnership law, disclosing the names of signers after a judge rejected arguments that supporters could be harassed. The Washington State Archives provided a DVD to The Associated Press showing the 138,000 signatures for Referendum 71. The release came despite an attorney's vow to app... AP • Oct 18, 2011

	Equality California in Transition After Palencia Resigns With the sudden resignation of Equality California Executive Director Roland Palencia on Monday, Oct. 10, EQCA as an organization (that to some has reached the status of an LGBT institution) is now facing similar questions: is the organization still relevant, and if so, why and for whom and to do what? Palencia announced his resignation after a day celebrating Gov. Jerry Brown's signing of 10 out... frontiers • Oct 17, 2011

	Poll: Half of Iowans support ban on same-sex marriage According to the poll, 50 percent of Iowans would vote for a ban on same-sex marriage while 43 percent would vote against it. Though voters seem to reject same-sex marriage, 67 percent support equal rights for same-sex couples either through marriage (37 percent) or civil unions (30 percent). Only 29 percent said same-sex couples should have no legal recognition.... American Independent • Oct 17, 2011

	Judge orders release of Ref. 71 petition names A federal judge is ordering the public disclosure of signature petitions that forced a vote on a 2009 domestic partnership law.... The Seattle News • Oct 17, 2011

	Oregon group considers using ballot to legalize same-sex marriage During the 2004 general election, Oregon was among 11 states that passed ballot measures banning gay marriage -- 57 percent of Beaver State voters approved the ban. But in 2012, Oregonians might be given the opportunity to vote to lift the ban, if the state's largest LGBT-rights group, Basic Rights Oregon (BRO), decides to it has enough support to start a full-fledged ballot-initiative campaign. ... American Independent • Oct 17, 2011

	Gays don't need legal protections, GOP argues With more than half of Americans in a recent poll accepting same-sex marriage, gays and lesbians need no judicial protection from laws passed by Congress, House Republicans argued in a San Francisco court in defense of a law denying federal benefits to same-sex spouses. "Homosexuals have a great deal of political power" and are not entitled to the safeguards that courts have established for laws ... SF Gate • Oct 17, 2011

	Special election's outcome could impact gay marriage in Iowa The future of Iowa's status as the only Midwestern state where gay couples can marry might be riding on next month's special election for Senate District 18 in Linn County. The seat came open when when Gov. Terry Branstad, a Republican, appointed former Sen. Swati Dandekar, a Marion Democrat, to the Iowa Utilities Board. The move means Republicans have a shot at sharing control of the state Senat... The Gazette • Oct 17, 2011

	Maryland Marriage Alert Say what you will about Bank of America, but they gave their LGBT employees a pretty remarkable gift this week. A phony anti-gay survey backfires in Washington when voters refuse to fall for discriminatory talking points. Turmoil at Equality California with a surprise resignation, and it's all hands on deck right now in Maryland. Do you live in Maryland? Do you know anyone who does? ... MNW • Oct 17, 2011

	Live in Maryland? Equality MD Needs Your Help! This Monday, October 17, the Maryland General Assembly returns to Annapolis for a 3-day Special Session. It's their last meeting this year, so your participation is absolutely critical. Equality Maryland and the statewide coalition, Marylanders for Marriage Equality, are launching a call-in campaign beginning Monday. We strongly urge you to call your State Delegates to make sure they know that yo... Purple Unions • Oct 16, 2011

	US House Group Files Motion in Gay Marriage Suit The filing Friday in San Francisco's U.S. District Court comes in a lesbian federal employee's lawsuit that claims the government wrongly denied health insurance coverage to her same-sex spouse. Karen Golinski says the law under which her spouse was denied benefits -- the Defense of Marriage Act -- violates the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equal protection. But attorneys representing the Hous... ABC News • Oct 16, 2011

	PFAW Commends Movement on DOMA Repeal Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) announced today that he intends to bring the Respect for Marriage Act, a bill that would repeal the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), before his committee for a vote in November. ... People for the American Way • Oct 15, 2011

	Senate Panel To Vote On Bill That Would Repeal Gay Marriage Ban DOMA Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Friday announced that the committee has scheduled a vote for a bill that would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the law that defines marriage for federal agencies and the military as a heterosexual union. Leahy said consideration of the bill would take place in November.... On Top Magazine • Oct 14, 2011

	BREAKING: Granite Staters "Strongly Oppose" Repeal of NH Marriage Law (UNH Poll) New Hampshire's marriage law, which has allowed committed gay and lesbian couples to marry since 2009, has retained its popularity statewide with 62% of Granite Staters opposing its repeal, according to the nonpartisan University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll released today. Equally important, the survey found strong empathy towards the law, with the people of the state much more likely to ... Standing up for New Hampshire Families • Oct 14, 2011

	A Campaign Windfall for 4 Republicans Who Voted for Same-Sex Marriage This week, the four Republican state senators who provided the decisive votes to pass the marriage bill are to get a big financial boost from those donors, including Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. A fund-raiser planned for Thursday night in Manhattan is expected to raise about $1.25 million to help finance their re-election bids next year. The senators have come under heavy criticism from conservati... NY Times • Oct 13, 2011

	Denied Veterans Benefits Over Same-Sex Marriage, Ex-Sailor Challenges Law In what experts say is the first case of its kind, a disabled Navy veteran from Connecticut is challenging the constitutionality of two federal laws that define marriage as being between opposite-sex partners, saying the government denied her veterans benefits because she is married to a woman.... NY Times • Oct 13, 2011

	Bank of America to reimburse gay employees for extra tax costs Bank of America will soon reimburse gay employees who insure same-sex partners for the extra federal taxes they pay on health coverage. The program was announced as part of the company's open enrollment for health, medical and dental insurance this month, and will go into effect next year, said company spokeswoman Ferris Morrison.... Charlotte Observer • Oct 12, 2011

	Local and nat'l politicians attend DOMA hearing Politicians, activists and same-sex marriage supporters filled the seats of the City Council chambers Oct. 7 for a panel discussion on the impacts of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) on same-sex couples. More than 75 people attended the morning event, which featured commentary from U.S. Reps. Mike Quigley, Luis V. Gutierrez and Jan Schakowsky as well as testimony from LGBT couples.... Windy City Media Group • Oct 12, 2011

	Layoffs imminent at EQCA: Sources Equality California Executive Director Roland Palencia's resignation, which was announced earlier today, comes in the wake of the organization's decision to stand down from its mission to repeal Proposition 8 - and, according to insiders staffing cuts will soon follow.... LGBT Weekly • Oct 12, 2011

	Poll finds opposition to gay marriage slipping A poll conducted for a religious conservative group that has worked to defeat gay-rights laws in Washington state found fewer than half of voters surveyed last month say they oppose same-sex marriage. The results represent the first time that support for Faith and Freedom Network's position on the question of marriage equality in Washington slipped below 50 percent.... Seattle Times • Oct 12, 2011

	Supreme Court Adoption Decisions Raises Questions About 90,000 Adoptions by U.S. Unmarried Couples Today's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court declining to hear a case in which Louisiana refused to recognize an adoption by an unmarried gay male couple could potentially affect over 90,000 adopted children in the United States, according to research by The Williams Institute, a leading think tank producing research on issues of law and public policy related to sexual orientation and gender identit... • Oct 11, 2011

	Mitt Romney confronted on abortion, same-sex marriage At the town hall, Romney was also pressed on same sex marriage. A young woman asked why he believed that that same sex marriage "is lesser than a marriage between man and woman." "The ideal setting to raise a child for a society like ours is when there's a man and woman in the marriage," Romney said. He did not vary his answer when another young woman told him she had been raised by two women - ... LA Times • Oct 11, 2011

	Equality California Executive Director to Step Down Roland Palencia, the recently appointed executive director of Equality California, the state's leading LGBT rights group, has resigned and will step down by this Friday, marking the latest departure from the organization that appears to be hemorrhaging staff members. ... Advocate • Oct 11, 2011

	Despite R.I. civil-union law, gay spouses excluded from tax exemption Loewy and other advocates say they are concerned that the administration's position on the so-called "unlimited marital deduction" to the estate tax is a harbinger of problems ahead for Rhode Island's new civil-union law, which took effect July 2. State Rep. Frank Ferri, a Warwick Democrat who married his gay partner in Canada, said Gershkoff's concerns bring into focus another concern for gay co... Providence Journal • Oct 10, 2011

	Why are we still deporting married LGBTs? As the legal challenge to Prop 8 continues, Equality California backs away from a repeal campaign in 2012. More Republicans than ever back marriage equality, but deportation still looms for legally married LGBTs. And why should the nation's cops have to pay for John Boehner's $1.5 million anti-gay lawyer? This was a big week for bi-partisan agreement on marriage equality. In North Carolina, Demo... MNW • Oct 10, 2011

	Catholic Church steps up gay marriage attack The Catholic Church in Scotland has stepped up its campaign against proposals to allow gay marriage. The Archbishop of Glasgow, Mario Conti, has written to every parish in Scotland, urging all Catholics to oppose the planned legislation.... BBC • Oct 9, 2011

	One Country's Big Gay Leap It was only a little more than a decade ago that a country first legalized same-sex marriage, and that happened in precisely the kind of forward-thinking, bohemian place you'd expect: the Netherlands. About two years later, Belgium followed suit. Then things got really interesting. The eight countries that later joined the club were a mix of largely foreseeable and less predictable additions. In ... NY Times • Oct 9, 2011

	Boehner threatens to withhold funds from Justice to force DOMA enforcement House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) threatened Friday to withhold funding from the Justice Department unless it agrees to defend a ban on the federal government recognizing same-sex marriages.... The Hill • Oct 9, 2011

	NC: Perdue: I won't vote to ban gay marriage While the governor said she believes marriage is between one man and one woman, she said the proposed amendment could make it harder to attract jobs to the state. "I'm going to vote against the amendment because I cannot in good conscience look an unemployed man or woman in the eye and tell them that this amendment is more important than finding them a job," she said in a prepared statement.... News & Record • Oct 9, 2011

	Victorian Labor sends a message on gay marriage The votes brings Victoria in to line with most of the country's states and territories in pressuring the federal government to change its platform. New South Wales is the only state not to have voted in support of gay marriage. ... Sydney Morning Herald • Oct 9, 2011

	Romney Secures Support Of Marriage Equality Booster As He Prepares To Address Value Voters Summit As Mitt Romoney prepares to address the Family Research Council's Value Voters Summit to express his opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage, his campaign is celebrating the support of Paul Singer a financial titan whose endorsement "the candidate and his team had been intently focused on trying to win." But Singer, a big booster of Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ), was one of Rudy Giuliani's top b... Think Progress • Oct 7, 2011

	ICE Denies Brian & Anton's Request for Deferred Action, Refuses to Stop the Deportation The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in Philadelphia has refused to stop the deportation that would separate Anton Tanumihardja, an Indonesian citizen, from his American husband, Brian Andersen, despite new guidelines issued by the Obama administration that are intended to set aside all low-priority deportation cases and keep all families together - including gay and lesbian couple... Stop the Deportations • Oct 7, 2011

	Gay marriage rights group forms in N.C. The Campaign for Southern Equality kicked off its "We Do" effort by having three same-sex couples unsuccessfully attempt to obtain marriage licenses from the Buncombe County Register of Deeds. Organizers and participants knew they'd be denied the licenses, since North Carolina state law already forbids same-sex couples from marrying.... AP • Oct 7, 2011

	Group of Minnesota Republicans aligns against marriage amendment The votes in the Legislature to place the issue on the ballot in 2012 fell largely along partisan lines, with Republicans generally in favor and Democrats against. But the group's message is that "Republicans will be opposing this amendment in 2012" and that there are solid Republican reasons - including belief in limited government and individual freedom - to do so, said Dale Carpenter, who teac... St. Paul Pioneer Press • Oct 7, 2011

	Equality California Says No to Prop. 8 Repeal Ballot in 2012 Asked earlier about his reaction should EQCA decide not to go back to the ballot, Tom Watson, Acting Executive Director of Love Honor Cherish, told Frontiers: "If EQCA abdicates their responsibility to fight for equality for the LGBT Community in California and to honor their prior commitments, Love Honor Cherish will fill the void. If they move forward as they should, we will work hand-in-hand w... LGBT POV • Oct 6, 2011

	Prop. 8 backers press claims on gay trial judge Walker's successor, Chief Judge James Ware, rejected similar arguments in late August, after the coalition of religious conservative groups that qualified Proposition 8 for the November 2008 ballot made the first attempt in the nation to disqualify a sitting judge based on sexual orientation. Ware said the presumption that Walker could not be unbiased was "as warrantless as the presumption that a ... Examiner • Oct 5, 2011

	New "Cap" on House DOMA Defense Set at $1.5 Million, Additional Change Alters Payment Liability On Oct. 1, the obligation of the federal government to pay for the House Republican leadership's defense of the Defense of Marriage Act increased from $500,000 to $750,000 -- with a new "cap" on the defense set at $1.5 million. Those new numbers are set by a modification of the original April contract between House General Counsel Kerry Kircher and Bancroft PLLC partner Paul Clement for Bancroft ... Metro Weekly • Oct 5, 2011

	Poll: Voters Less Likely To Back Candidate Who Opposes Marriage Equality Overall, 42 percent of Americans said they'd be less likely to support a candidate who favors banning gay marriage -- including 35 percent who would be much less likely to do so. Only 25 percent said they'd be more likely to support a candidate who favors a ban on gay marriage, including 20 percent who said they'd be much more likely to do so.... Equality Matters • Oct 5, 2011

	Same-sex couples apply for marriage licenses in protest in Asheville The demonstration was intended to draw attention to what participants say are unjust and intolerant laws, as well as challenge a proposed amendment to the North Carolina constitution that would ban marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships for same-sex couples. North Carolina voters will get to decide the amendment's fate in May. The unsuccessful applicants, surrounded by about a dozen sup... Citizen Times • Oct 5, 2011

	GOP Lobbyist Joins Strategy to Repeal DOMA Deutsch and her partner, Teresa Williams, have been together for 28 years and have three children. However improbable legislative repeal of DOMA is in the near future, Deutsch's professional raison d'être,as Freedom to Marry national campaign director Marc Solomon sees it, "is to make our strongest case in D.C. with every influential player. Members of Congress, political operatives, the press cor... Advocate • Oct 5, 2011

	Anti-gay marriage group balks at proposed disclosure guidelines In a news release, the Minnesota for Marriage campaign fired back against new proposed guidelines for disclosure that would require not only the campaigns to release detailed income and expenditure reports, but also the release of any donors who support nonprofits that eventually contribute to campaigns.... Politics in Minnesota • Oct 4, 2011

	John Boehner's Anti-Gay Lawyer Gets A Million-Dollar Bump At Taxpayer Expense Earlier this year, Speaker John Boehner's (R) office announced that American taxpayers would pay former Bush Solicitor General Paul Clement to defend the unconstitutional Defense of Marriage Act -- at a cost of $520 per hour of legal work. Clement's original contract, however, included a $500,000 cap on the amount Clement could charge the United States to help protect discrimination. Less than six... Think Progress • Oct 4, 2011

	GOPer Renee Ellmers Says North Carolina Gay Marriage Ban Too Aggressive North Carolina Rep. Renee Ellmers has said she opposes a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in the state. Ellmers, a conservative Republican and tea party favorite, says the measure approved last month by lawmakers and sent to voters is too aggressive.... On Top Magazine • Oct 4, 2011

	North Carolina Gay Marriage Ban Protested By Gay Ministers As the battle over same-sex marriage continues to cause tensions around the country, a group of ministers and their supporters are launching a protest Monday afternoon in favor of marriage equality in North Carolina.... Huffington Post • Oct 4, 2011

	Poll: Marylanders split on gay marriage, immigrant tuition The Gonzales poll found 48 percent of Marylanders who vote regularly favor a law allowing same-sex marriages, while 49 percent of that population are against allowing same-sex marriages.... Washington Post • Oct 4, 2011

	Ruling for Open Courts Proposition 8's proponents are appealing Judge Ware's decision. They are plainly concerned that releasing the videotape will further expose the emptiness of their arguments for denying gay people the freedom to marry. But in America, potential embarrassment is insufficient ground for denying the public access to vital court records in such a momentous case.... NY Times • Oct 3, 2011

	O'Malley Kicks Off Marylanders for Marriage Equality Video Series Aspects of the new series, such as the soaring soundtrack, appear modeled on the widely praised New Yorkers for Marriage Equality videos videos from the Human Rights Campaign featuring celebrities, professional athletes and elected officials not including Cuomo. On the other hand, the audiences and political dynamics in the two states differ, and in Maryland, a coalition is involved with the video... Advocate • Oct 3, 2011

	Indiana lawsuit may have implications for same-sex couples A Chicago woman's lawsuit over her partner's death at the Indiana State Fairgrounds could have widespread implications for same-sex couples across the nation, legal experts say. Alisha Brennon entered into a civil union with Christina Santiago in June, shortly after civil unions became legal in Illinois. In August, Santiago was one of seven people killed when a storm blew apart an outdoor concert... LA Times • Oct 3, 2011

	You're Making Things Up Again, Senator Forrester President Obama's doing everything right for the LGBT community -- except marriage. An anti-gay senator from North Carolina is things up again. And Senators in Rhode Island and Maine need to hear from you. President Obama addressed the Human R ... MNW • Oct 3, 2011

	Obama addresses annual HRC dinner; calls for repeal of DOMA, rebukes GOP candidates (Video) President Barack Obama on Saturday evening delivered the keynote address to a gathering of more than 3,000 LGBT rights advocates at the Human Rights Campaign's 15th Annual HRC National Dinner, and called for repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act and issued a sharp rebuke to GOP presidential hopefuls for not supporting gay troops.... LGBTQ Nation • Oct 2, 2011

	Did President Obama Endorse Gay Marriage Last Night? President Obama was urged this week to come out for gay marriage in his address to the Human Rights Campaign. He didn't do so last night - not explicitly. But did he imply it? Toward the speech's end, he cited New York's marriage law as a triumph of democratic change. Might that be an indirect way of saying, "I'm with you on marriage"? ... Towleroad • Oct 2, 2011

	Poll: Majority in NC oppose same-sex marriage amendment Fifty-six percent of North Carolina residents oppose a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would ban same-sex marriages, according to a poll released Friday. The Elon University Poll, which surveyed 594 adults statewide between Sunday and Thursday, found support for recognizing gay marriages growing in North Carolina. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage poin... WRAL • Oct 2, 2011

	Data On Same-Sex Couples Reveal Changing Attitudes As bans on gay marriage and civil unions spread across the majority of America in the past decade, new U.S. Census figures reveal a starkly different trend: The number of same-sex partnerships skyrocketed even in the most prohibitive states. Some 646,464 gay couples said they lived together in last year's census, an increase of 80 percent from 2000, according to revised figures released this week... NPR • Oct 2, 2011

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