Breaking Marriage Equality News Headlines from May 2012

	Gay marriage motion passes in NSW upper house Greens MP Cate Faehrmann's private members' motion passed 22 votes to 16 in the Legislative Council, with both major parties allowing a conscience vote. NSW has now joined Tasmania and the ACT in having a parliamentary chamber call for the 1961 commonwealth Marriage Act to be amended to allow same-sex marriage.... Daily Telegraph • May 31, 2012

	Poll Shows Clear Majority of Washington State Voters Approve of Marriage Equality Law A new, independent, statewide poll finds that an overwhelming majority of voters approve of the Washington's law extending civil marriage to same-sex couples. Washington voters approve of the law by a 54-33% margin. In addition to extraordinary support by Democrats (87%), the poll also found significant support among Independents, nearly mirroring the full poll, at 52-36%.... Washington United for Marriage • May 31, 2012

	Court: Heart of gay marriage law unconstitutional The law was passed at a time when it appeared Hawaii would legalize gay marriage. Since then, many states have instituted their own bans on gay marriage, while eight states have approved it, led by Massachusetts in 2004. ... Boston Globe • May 31, 2012

	Federal Appeals Court Rules DOMA Unconstitutional A federal appeals court in Boston upheld a lower court's ruling Thursday that the Defense of Marriage Act, the 1996 law that prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages, is unconstitutional. The unanimous decision by the three-judge panel marked the first time a federal appeals court has issued a ruling against the law. ... Advocate • May 31, 2012

	Lambda, ACLU Lawsuits Claim Same-Sex Couples' Marriage Inequality Violates Illinois Constitution Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund and the ACLU each filed a lawsuit today seeking equal marriage rights for same-sex couples in Illinois, as Metro Weekly first reported last night. The lawsuits, which have been brought in the names of 25 couples altogether, both were filed in state court against Cook County Clerk David Orr and are based on alleged violations of the Illinois -- and not the Un... Metro Weekly • May 30, 2012

	ACLU lawsuit challenges Ill. gay marriage ban The two lawsuits - backed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois and the New York-based gay advocacy group Lambda Legal - include couples from the Chicago area, Bloomington and Marion. Both challenge a state law that defines marriage as between a man and woman, arguing that the Illinois Constitution guarantees the right for same-sex couples to marry under due process and equality clause... AP • May 30, 2012

	Lawsuits challenge Illinois gay marriage ban The gay rights group Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois each filed a lawsuit today against the clerk of Cook County, claiming that not issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples violates the equal protection and due process clauses of the Illinois Constitution. ... Chicago Tribune • May 30, 2012

	MD: Same-sex marriage opponents have twice the needed signatures Activists working to repeal Maryland's same-sex marriage law scored a major victory this afternoon, submitting 113,000 signatures on behalf of a November referendum -- far exceeding the 55,736 required to put the issue on the ballot. ... Baltimore Sun • May 29, 2012

	A Record Low for Anti-Gay Groups President Obama's leadership on marriage equality is proving to have a major impact, form national organizations and local polling. Anti-equality forces set a record, but it's probably not one they wanted. And DOMA is ruled unconstitutional in a fifth federal case. There've been more high-profile endorsements for marriage equality, starting with the NAACP. NAACP President and CEO Ben Jealous told... MNW • May 29, 2012

	Judge strikes down Defense of Marriage Act provision in California employees' case Wilken said the DOMA ban violated the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equal treatment. She wrote that there was no proof the DOMA provision was "rationally related to a legitimate government interest." Thursday's decision makes Wilken the second trial judge in the U.S. District Court for Northern California to strike down that section of the 1996 law.... Mercury News • May 25, 2012

	Brazil Senate committee OKs gay civil unions, first legislative step for the issue A measure allowing same-sex civil unions passed its first legislative step in Brazil's Congress, where it has lingered for 16 years. The human rights committee in Brazil's Senate approved a measure Thursday that would change law to say a civil union is between two people, without specifying gender. It doesn't approve gay marriage.... Washington Post • May 25, 2012

	Vt. Binational Gay Couple Granted Deportation Reprieve The decision by immigration officials to grant what's known as deferred action for two years in the case of Takako Ueda, a Japanese national married to her American spouse, Frances Herbert, is unrelated to the DOMA lawsuit the couple filed last month along with four other binational couples. That suit against the 1996 law, which bars immigration sponsorship privileges for same-sex couples, is curr... Advocate • May 24, 2012

	New PPP poll shows a majority of black Marylanders support marriage equality 57% of Maryland voters say they're likely to vote for the new marriage law this fall, compared to only 37% who are opposed. That 20 point margin of passage represents a 12 point shift from an identical PPP survey in early March, which found it ahead by a closer 52/44 margin.... Prop 8 Trial Tracker • May 24, 2012

	Karger: NOM Hiding Identities of 11 Donors, Responsible for $345K Gay activist and Republican presidential candidate Fred Karger is launching another challenge against the National Organization for Marriage for potentially failing to report $345,000 in contributions it received from 11 donors for Proposition 8. ... Advocate • May 24, 2012

	Powell favors same-sex marriage "I have no problem with it," he said in the interview, which will air at 5 p.m. ET. "In terms of the legal matter of creating a contract between two people that's called marriage, and allowing them to live together with the protection of law, it seems to me is the way we should be moving in this country. And so I support the president's decision."... CNN • May 24, 2012

	Public Opposes Gays Weddings at Military Facilities Similarly, only 24 percent of those surveyed agreed that Congress should "pass a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in every state regardless of state law." Many leading Republicans, including presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, support such an amendment. A slightly greater number, 27 percent, said they would support a constitutional amendment to permit same-sex marria... National Journal • May 24, 2012

	Poll: Gay marriage opposition drops Less than 4 in 10 Americans, 39 percent, said they are opposed to the legalization of gay marriage, in a new low found in a Washington Post-ABC News survey. Meanwhile, a majority of Americans, 53 percent, said same-sex marriage should be legal -- compared to just 36 percent who said the same six years ago. ... Politico • May 23, 2012

	Argentine Capital Makes Big Play for LGBT Visitors The South American nation has offered same-sex marriage since 2010, but now the option will be available to Buenos Aires tourists who place a request five days in advance. Couples must also provide a temporary address while in the city. ... Advocate • May 22, 2012

	Mormons Prepare for WA Marriage Equality Fight If National Organization for Marriage-paid signature gatherers have their way a referendum to roll back marriage equality laws passed by the Washington state legislature in February will appear on the November 2012 ballot. ... Religion Dispatches • May 22, 2012

	Health warnings over civil union roll-back Gay Queenslanders will suffer "real harm" if the Newman government revokes the right of same-sex couples to enter into civil unions, the head of the state's peak medical group has warned. ... Brisbane Times • May 22, 2012

	NAACP chief: Marriage equality is a civil right NAACP President Benjamin Jealous said Monday he hopes the group's resolution supporting same-sex marriage will encourage blacks to support marriage equality as a civil right if the question is put to voters on the ballot in Maryland or other states.... AP • May 22, 2012

	Leaked GOP Memo Supports Gay Marriage A leaked memo urges an about-face for anti-equality Republicans. A civil unions bill dies in Colorado, for now. But access to marriage expands in Rhode Island, and more new surveys confirm the ever-growing public support for equality. The big news this week is a leaked memo from a top Republican pollster that criticizes the traditional Republican stance on marriage equality. Jan van Lohuizen's me... MNW • May 21, 2012

	Maryland court recognizes same-sex marriages for purpose of divorce Same-sex couples married in the few states where such unions are legal can obtain divorces in Maryland, the state's highest court ruled Friday. ... Baltimore Sun • May 18, 2012

	N.J. Voters Want Marriage Referendum, Poll Shows According to the poll, voters in the Garden State back same-sex marriage by 53% to 42%, which is on par with findings from the winter. However, voters across all age groups also want a referendum on the issue, a finding also in line with polls earlier this year. ... Advocate • May 17, 2012

	The Riddle of Gay Marriage Polling So a quarter of Americans would like to see some legal recognition for gay relationships, but would also prefer -- again, if given the option -- that such recognition not be described as a marriage. Judging by the data in other surveys, when you narrow the choice to a yes/no for same-sex marriage, a significant segment of that in-between group may end up saying yes. But one can safely assume that ... NY Times • May 17, 2012

	Colorado: Gay son upset with father over killing of civil unions bill Dee Coram was upset with his father for not letting the vote go to the House floor. He says his father initially told him he would support seeing it go to the floor, but then he voted it down in a committee - preventing it from getting to the floor. ... KUSA • May 16, 2012

	Millions expected to be spent in vote on gay marriage Supporters of gay marriage got a financial boost Monday when Chris Hughes, a founder of Facebook, and his partner pledged $100,000 with the stipulation that other supporters match that amount. ... Kennebec Journal • May 16, 2012

	NEW POLL: Clear Majority of Minnesotans Believe Committed Same-Sex Couples Should Have the Freedom to Marry In a new poll released by SurveyUSA on May 11, a decisive 52% of Minnesotans surveyed said that they agree with President Obama that marriage should be available to same-sex couples, while only 42% of Minnesotans said that they disagreed. The survey asked 516 registered Minnesota voters a variety of questions, including: "President Obama says that same-sex couples should be able to get married. Do... Minnesotans United for All Families • May 15, 2012

	Karl Rove (Yes, That Karl Rove) Just Accused Obama Of Using Gay Marriage Issue For Politics In case anyone forgets, Karl Rove is the guy who pretty much singlehandedly made gay marriage the wedge issue of the 2004 presidential election. Most Americans barely even recognized gay marriage as a concept before Rove came in and told them John Kerry was gonna marry all their sons.... Mediaite • May 14, 2012

	Poll: Most Americans support same-sex unions A new CBS News/New York Times Poll shows a solid majority of Americans support legal recognition for same-sex couples - though not necessarily through the official act of marriage - and the number of people who do support full marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples is significantly higher among younger generations.... CBS • May 14, 2012

	Half Say View of Obama Not Affected by Gay Marriage Decision Roughly half of Americans (52%) say Barack Obama's expression of support for gay marriage did not affect their opinion of the president. A quarter (25%) say they feel less favorably toward Obama because of this while 19% feel more favorably.... Pew Research Center • May 14, 2012

	RI governor signs order to recognize same-sex marriages performed out of state Rhode Island's governor on Monday declared that the state will recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere, giving gay couples the same rights as heterosexual ones when it comes to health insurance and a slew of other benefits. The order signed by Gov. Lincoln Chafee in a Statehouse ceremony directs state agencies to recognize marriages performed out of state as legal and treat same-sex marr... Washington Post • May 14, 2012

	Indiana Equality Declares Bankruptcy Indiana's only statewide LGBT advocacy organization, Indiana Equality, has filed for bankruptcy. The organization has been plagued for years with a poor reputation for financial mismanagement and inefficiency. Last year it was also discovered that longtime treasurer Dan Funk had stolen funds from the organization. ... Bilerico Project • May 14, 2012

	McNulty moves Colorado civil unions bill to "kill" committee A bill to create civil unions between same sex couples is headed to a "kill committee" in the Colorado House this afternoon, dashing gay rights supporters' hopes that a special legislative session might give the bill another chance of making it to the House floor, where it would pass. ... Denver Post • May 14, 2012

	Obama's Effect on National Marriage Fight Obama endorses marriage equality. We'll look at what that means for LGBT Americans and for the future. Colorado's civil unions bill looked dead in the water last week, but this week the Governor's found a way to give it one last shot at passing in 2012. I'm Matt Baume at the American Foundation for Equal Rights, and welcome to Marriage News Watch for May 14, 2012. Well the big news this week is ... MNW • May 14, 2012

	Top GOP Pollster to GOP: Reverse On Gay Issues Read the bluntness of this. This is the GOP establishment talking to itself. And the Republican pollster who arguably knows more about the politics of the gay issue than anyone else (how else to explain the Ohio campaign of 2004?) is advising them in no uncertain terms that they need to evolve and fast, if they're not going to damage their brand for an entire generation:... Daily Beast • May 13, 2012

	Governor backs gay marriage in Illinois A day after President Barack Obama endorsed equal marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn made it clear that he stands with the president on the politically divisive issue of marriage equality. The governor signed a bill legalizing civil unions in Illinois last year but has long been vague about whether he supports same-sex marriage. On Thursday, a Quinn spokeswoman l... Chicago Tribune • May 11, 2012

	Romney Hedging on Civil Unions? As FZ put it, what does that mean exactly? I'm not sure why Romney wouldn't say, I'm against gay marriage. I'm against civil unions. But I could support visitation rights, some domestic partnership benefits etc. But he didn't. He seems to be saying that some civil unions could be okay as long as they're clearly inferior to 'marriage', rather than simply being a different name for the identical bun... Talking Points Memo • May 11, 2012

	Bill to Repeal DOMA Attracting Lobbying According to First Street Research Group, nine groups lobbied on the Respect for Marriage Act in the Senate in the first quarter of 2012 and eight groups in the House, ranging from the Human Rights Campaign to the Traditional Values Coalition. The nine groups that had lobbying activity on the Senate version of the bill spent a total of $1.55 million on all their lobbying in the first quarter, acco... National Journal • May 11, 2012

	Colorado legislature's special session to start Monday - should consider civil unions Gov. John Hickenlooper (D-Colorado) officially signed the order on Thursday afternoon to initiate a special legislative session for Colorado lawmakers that will start on Monday. Hickenlooper announced the start date on Thursday morning. He's hoping during this special session lawmakers will once again consider civil unions for same-sex couples.... KUSA • May 11, 2012

	Legalizing gay marriage is good for public health, studies show A study published in February by the American Journal of Public Health found that gay men in Massachusetts were in better physical and mental health after that state became the first to recognize same-sex marriage in 2003. Researchers examined the medical records of 1,211 gay and bisexual men who went to "a large, community-based health clinic" in a "large metropolitan city" and compared the pati... LA Times • May 11, 2012

	Harry Reid says he supports gay marriage "My personal belief is that marriage is between a man and a woman. But in a civil society, I believe that people should be able to marry whomever they want, and it's no business of mine if two men or two women want to get married," Reid said. ... Salt Lake Tribune • May 10, 2012

	VA will not defend DOMA in benefits cases The Veterans Affairs Department is following the Justice Department's lead in refusing to defend the Defense of Marriage Act, according to a legal memo released by VA on Wednesday, a few hours after President Obama publicly announced his support for same-sex marriage. The court notice, signed by VA General Counsel Will Gunn on behalf of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, says VA will not fight Fifth Ame... Air Force Times • May 10, 2012

	House approves amendment reaffirming DOMA Ian Thompson, legislative representative for the American Civil Liberties Union, said the amendment in effect does nothing because although the Justice Department is no longer defending DOMA in court, the Obama administration is still enforcing it. ... Washington Blade • May 10, 2012

	Civil Unions Fight Looms in Wyoming Members of Wyoming Equality are now trying to address those concerns and craft a bill that those swing legislators - those who oppose gay marriage but are open to civil unions - can support. It's unknown whether such a goal can be reached. Certainly, it will be an uphill battle. ... Casper Star-Tribune • May 10, 2012

	Obama changed his mind on marriage months ago: officials Obama came to the new position supporting same-sex marriage several months ago and planned to make an announcement before the Democratic National Convention takes place this fall. Officials couldn't point to an exact day when the president finished evolving, but said it was sometime in the last few months. ... Washington Blade • May 10, 2012

	Obama declares support for gay marriage The president stressed that this is a personal position, and that he still supports the concept of states deciding the issue on their own. But he said he's confident that more Americans will grow comfortable with gays and lesbians getting married, citing his own daughters' comfort with the concept.... ABC News • May 9, 2012

	SLDN: Boehner has no authority to intervene in DOMA case "The Obama Administration has wisely decided not to defend these unconstitutional and discriminatory laws that hurt military families, and Speaker Boehner is attempting to appoint himself to a role that is expressly reserved to the executive branch of our government. We intend to fight the interference of the Speaker in this matter," said Army Veteran and SLDN Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis.... Windy City Media Group • May 9, 2012

	CO: Hickenlooper calls special session for civil unions, other measures A day after Colorado House Republican leaders killed a measure to legalize civil unions, Governor John Hickenlooper on Wednesday called for a special legislative session.... KDVR • May 9, 2012

	NORTH CAROLINA: Move Already Underway To Revoke Insurance The passage of Amendment One is less than a day old and already North Carolina Republicans are moving to revoke domestic partners insurance.... Joe My God • May 9, 2012

	Civil unions bill: Pat Steadman calls measure's killing a disgusting spectacle Last night, House GOP leadership killed a civil unions bill sponsored by Senator Pat Steadman by preventing a procedural vote that would have brought it to the chamber's floor today. Steadman was severely disappointed by this manner of murder, which also prevented the passage of many other bills. But he's definitely not in the market for any white flags.... Denver Westword • May 9, 2012

	Rep. Huelskamp Plans to Offer Amendment Barring DOJ From Opposing DOMA The Human Rights Campaign earlier in the evening had learned that Huelskamp was planning to offer such an amendment. Specifically, he plans to offer an amendment to a House spending bill for the Justice Department that would prohibit the agency from using any funds to oppose the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act in court, as it has done since President Obama decided the 1996 law was... Metro Weekly • May 9, 2012

	Effect of NC gay marriage amendment unclear The amendment likely would affect issues other than gay marriage the most because the "marriage-plus" amendment approved in North Carolina prohibits not only same-sex marriage, but also same-sex civil unions. Nineteen states have such amendments, Dinan said. ... Seattle PI • May 9, 2012

	WSJ/NBC Poll on Gay Marriage: 2012 vs. 2009 vs. 2004 According to the March 2012 Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll (the most WSJ/NBC News poll recent to include a question on gay marriage) currently 49% of Americans favor gay marriage, with 40% opposed. That represents a flip from October 2009, when 49% were opposed and 41% were in favor. Go back to March 2004, and 62% were opposed, vs. only 30% in favor. ... Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2012

	Colorado needs your urgent action in last minute push for civil unions The legislative here session ends on Wednesday and if House Speaker Frank McNulty (R, HD-43, Highlands Ranch) doesn't schedule the civil unions bill for a floor debate by Tuesday then the bill will die the Denver Post writes today: ... Box Turtle Bulletin • May 7, 2012

	N.C.'s rural areas offer strongest support for gay marriage ban It's the rural regions - where homemade pro-amendment signs share roadside space with mass-produced ones - that are expected to carry the amendment to passage, according to recent polls. North Carolina is the only Southern state without a marriage amendment. ... Charlotte Observer • May 7, 2012

	Biden OK with equal rights for married gay couples Vice President Joe Biden says he's "absolutely comfortable" with gay couples who marry getting the same civil rights and liberties as heterosexual couples, a stand that gay rights advocates interpreted as an endorsement of same-sex marriage. But the White House and President Barack Obama's re-election campaign, eager to avoid a debate on a hot-button social issue in an election year, insisted tha... AP • May 7, 2012

	North Carolina's Ban on Gay Marriage Appears Likely to Pass The Public Policy Polling survey found widespread voter confusion about what North Carolina's Amendment 1 seeks to accomplish. Just 36 percent of voters answered correctly that it bans both same-sex marriage and domestic partnerships. An additional 26 percent thought it banned same-sex marriage alone. Meanwhile, 10 percent of voters thought a "yes" vote on the amendment would legalize rather than ... NY Times • May 7, 2012

	Final NC Primary Poll In some sense North Carolinians are voting against their own beliefs. 53% of voters in the state support either gay marriage or civil unions, yet a majority also support the amendment that would ban both. The reason for that disconnect is even with just 24 hours until election day only 46% of voters realize the proposal bans both gay marriage and civil unions. ... Public Policy Polling • May 7, 2012

	No guarantee Colorado civil-unions bill will go to final committee The chairman of a committee scheduled to hear a civil-unions bill said today there's no guarantee the group will meet before the session ends on Wednesday. Rep. Jon Becker, R-Fort Morgan, said it might depend on whether the committees meeting this afternoon send bills to the House Appropriations Committee.... Denver Post • May 7, 2012

	Education Secretary Backs Gay Marriage Another one of President Barack Obama's cabinet secretaries has endorsed gay marriage, a development that could increase the pressure on the president to clarify his own position before the November election. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Monday that he supports same-sex marriage and that he had not publicly expressed his support before. Mr. Duncan was asked the... Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2012

	Final Days for CO Civil Unions Civil unions are close to passing in Colorado, but there's only a few days left before the legislature adjourns. We're getting down to the wire on Amendment One in North Carolina. The Prop 8 play is getting new legs as an audiobook. And the guys behind "We Are Young" have some strong words for marriage equality. Great news from Colorado. The House Judiciary Committee passed a civil unions bill by... MNW • May 7, 2012

	Tweedy, Mould Unite Against Proposed Same-Sex Marriage Ban In a new video campaign "Voices Against Amendment One," Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy, Hüsker Dü's Bob Mould and Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat, Fugazi, Dischord Records) speak out against North Carolina's Amendment One, a proposed state constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage, as well as civil unions and domestic partnerships for opposite and same-sex couples. ... Rolling Stone • May 6, 2012

	Colo. civil unions measure survives key vote Rep. B.J. Nikkel, a Larimer County Republican who isn't running for re-election, was the deciding vote. She voted no on the bill last year, but said after her vote Thursday that she was swayed by the crowd of gay couples who wore red and spent hours sharing painful personal stories of the pains of lacking legal protections. ... AP • May 4, 2012

	Colo. Civil Unions Bill Passes Biggest Test Yet The 6-5 vote came after hours of emotional testimony from gay couples who said they're vulnerable because they don't have the rights afforded to married people. One Republican joined Democrats in approving the bill. The plan died in the same committee last year on a 6-5 party line vote.... Huffington Post • May 4, 2012

	Ministers plead: Vote against Amendment One And in the week since the formation of PastorsAgainstAmendmentOne, we've had over 200 pastors and church leaders sign our petition. And over 80,000 North Carolina voters have respond to our emails, visited our web page, and watched our pastor testimonials. ... Hickory Daily Record • May 3, 2012

	Republicans Intervene To Defend Discriminatory Treatment Of Gay And Lesbian Servicemembers As news broke that Richard Grenell -- the openly-gay conservative foreign policy spokesperson hired by Mitt Romney -- had resigned following pressure from right-wing activists, word came down that the House Republicans have intervened to defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and related laws in McLaughlin v. United States, a challenge brought by eight gay and lesbian servicemembers, veterans a... Think Progress • May 2, 2012

	Senate OKs Bills on Civil Unions, Task Force Exemptions, OIP Challenges House Bill 2569, which would amend the state's civil unions law to allow religious organizations to deny use of their facilities for a solemnization ceremony. The measure passed 22-3, with Sens. Kim, Slom and Gabbard voting no.... Honolulu Civil Beat • May 2, 2012

	Marriage Amendment still leads by 14 PPP's newest poll on the North Carolina marriage amendment shows little movement from a week ago. 55% plan to vote yes next week, while 41% are opposed. ... Public Policy Polling • May 1, 2012

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