Opponents Rally Against Marriage Equality In Maryland: 'I Believe In Adam And Eve!'

Some 300 opponents of same-sex marriage rallied in front of the Maryland State House in Annapolis Monday night, calling on lawmakers to abandon legislative efforts to allow gays and lesbians to enter into civil marriages. The protest came on the eve of a Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee hearing at which Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) is expected to make his case for marriage equality later this aft...

Think Progress • Jan 31, 2012

NEW MEXICO LAWMAKER INTRODUCES ANTI-GAY MARRIAGE AMENDMENT

New Mexico state Rep. David Chavez (R) has introduced a state-level Defense of Marriage Act that would amend the constitution to ban same-sex marriage and void recognition of marriages and civil unions from other states. ...

Think Progress • Jan 27, 2012

MARYLAND'S SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BILL INCLUDES MOST 'EXPLICIT' RELIGIOUS CONSCIENCE PROTECTIONS

The new same-sex marriage bill introduced yesterday by Gov. Martin O'Malley (D-MD) in the Maryland Senate includes additional protections for religious institutions that were not part of last year's failed measure, the Baltimore Sun reports....

Think Progress • Jan 25, 2012

NORTH CAROLINA LAUNCHES ADS OPPOSING MARRIAGE DISCRIMINATION AMENDMENT

The newly launched Coalition to Protect All NC Families has released two ads opposing a proposed amendment to North Carolina's constitution that would ban all same-sex marriages, civil unions, and domestic partnerships. The first features same-sex families discussing how the amendment would impact their families while the other explains the importance of voting against the amendment on May 8 and e...

Think Progress • Jan 19, 2012

Colorado Catholics Ask Church Goers To Oppose Civil Unions

The Colorado Catholic Conference is urging parishioners to oppose the state's pending civil unions bill, the Denver Post reports, and is distributing flyers during mass asking church goers to pressure lawmakers into defeating the measure. "The key flaw with civil unions legislation is that it creates an alternative parallel structure to marriage," the Conference says....

Think Progress • Jan 18, 2012

Colorado Gov. Hickenlooper: 'It's Time To Pass Civil Unions'

In his State of the State address today, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) urged lawmakers to pass civil unions legislation: ...

Think Progress • Jan 13, 2012

WASHINGTON ATTORNEY GENERAL: RESIDENTS SHOULD VOTE ON GAY MARRIAGE RIGHTS

Washington Attorney General and Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna is responding to Gov. Chris Gregoire's (D) call for marriage equality by arguing that voters should decide if gay and lesbian people should be allowed to marry. ...

Think Progress • Jan 12, 2012

Maryland Lawmakers To Insist On 'Religious Exemptions' Before Voting For Marriage Equality

As Maryland lawmakers consider legislation expanding marriage equality to gays and lesbians this session, some on-the-fence Democrats will introduce language to exempt religious institutions from performing same-sex marriages and allow those organizations to deny services to same-sex couples: ...

Think Progress • Jan 6, 2012

ONE-THIRD OF SENATORS SUPPORT REPEALING DOMA

Box Turtle Bulletin's Timothy Kincaid points out that one-third of all senators have now signed on to legislation repealing the Defense of Marriage Act, including 13 Democrats who voted for the legislation in 1996 as senators or representatives....

Think Progress • Dec 23, 2011

Newt Gingrich: Gay People Choose To Be Gay Like Priests Choose Celibacy

Newt Gingrich told the Des Moines Register's editorial board this morning that gay people have a "significant range of choice within a genetic pattern" and can choose to be straight just like someone can "choose to be celibate." The former House speaker, who opposes same-sex marriage, explained that there is a "big difference between saying that you're to have an acceptance of people's lifestyles ...

Think Progress • Dec 16, 2011

Romney Unveils 3-Tier Marriage System For Gays

Expressed support for a constitutional amendment that could create a complex three-tier system of marriage -- maintaining marriage rights for straight couples, allowing gays who have already married to remain married, but barring future same-sex marriages....

Think Progress • Dec 16, 2011

SAN FRANCISCO REQUESTS ADVANCE NOTICE OF PROP 8 DECISION TO PREPARE FOR PROTESTS

In a highly unusual letter, the City of San Francisco wrote the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit yesterday requesting advance notice of any decision upholding or striking down California's anti-gay Proposition 8:...

Think Progress • Dec 15, 2011

Anti-Gay Groups Significantly Outspend LGBT Advocacy Organizations

The Movement Advancement Project has released its annual National LGBT Movement Report, which analyzes the financial documents of 40 prominent LGBT organizations. According to this year's report, the number of individual donors to these groups constitutes at most 3 percent of the estimated LGBT population. Considering many of those donors are also heterosexual allies, the number is probably even l...

Think Progress • Dec 6, 2011

Growing Number Of Maine Independents Support Same-Sex Marriage

A new poll from Public Policy Polling (PPP) finds that support for marriage equality is increasing among independents in Maine, just two years after the state "narrowly voted to overturn a law allowing same sex couples to marry." Fifty-one percent of voters say they support marriage equality, including 53 percent of independents: ...

Think Progress • Nov 3, 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

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

Anti-Gay Groups Gear Up For Religious War Against Civil Same-Sex Marriage In Minnesota

The fight over a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in Minnesota could cost up to $10 million before voters go to the ballot in November 2012. And while the measure only seeks to define civil marriage as "a union of one man and one woman," proponents of the amendment have begun waging a campaign that blurs the line between civil and religious unions. ...

Think Progress • Aug 19, 2011

Top Five Homophobic Statements From Boehner's DOMA Briefs

This week we get a first look at how House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) intends to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court. If the briefs filed by attorney Paul Clement yesterday are any indication, the House Republicans will be pushing every anti-gay message possible to ensure the federal government continues to discriminate against same-sex couples. And of course, taxpayers are covering the ...

Think Progress • Aug 3, 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

Huntsman Campaign Fundraising Off Civil Unions Legislation He Never Signed

In 2008, Huntsman signed legislation expanding domestic partner benefits for Utah's unmarried couples, including gays. But legislation legalizing civil unions never passed, making it impossible for Huntsman to sign it into law. And while he supported expanding hospital visitation rights and other "contractual" rights for gay couples, most of those initiatives died in the state Legislature....

Think Progress • Jun 23, 2011

Witness From GOP's Marriage Hearing Says Prop 8 Judge's Homosexuality Invalidates His Ruling

The odious implication of such an argument is that only a member of the predominant group can determine the rights of a minority group--members of the minority group would not be "qualified" to rule. But as Equality Matters noted in response to other conservatives who have made the same argument, claims of Judge Walker's "bias" also assume that a heterosexual judge would not have a "personal inter...

Think Progress • Apr 21, 2011

Boehner Hires $5 Million Lawyer To Defend Unconstitutional Law

Boehner's office has thus far refused to release its engagement letter with this big-dollar attorney. He brushed off a five week-old request by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D) to disclose how much it would cost for the House to hire outside counsel to defend DOMA in court. Nevertheless, a letter from Boehner to Pelosi confirms that Clement is charging the American people for his work. Clement's f...

Think Progress • Apr 19, 2011

Anti-Gay Activists Urge California Lt. Governor to Overrule Schwarzenegger on Prop 8

Under the California Constitution, "The Lieutenant Governor shall act as Governor during the impeachment, absence from the State, or other temporary disability of the Governor or of a Governor-elect who fails to take office." Thus, because Schwarzenegger is currently on business in China, Maldonado does have the authority to file an appeal that the governor objects to. It's difficult to imagine ...

Think Progress • Sep 13, 2010

American Foundation for Equal Rights urges Target to donate to anti-Prop. 8 movement.

Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel recently had to apologize to his employees and customers for donating $150,000 of company money to MN Forward, a political group supporting Republican Tom Emmer's gubernatorial campaign. Part of the reason that the contribution was so controversial is that Emmer is extremely anti-LGBT rights, whereas Target has tried to present an LGBT-friendly image. Now, the American...

Think Progress • Aug 16, 2010

How The Rekers 'Rent Boy' Scandal Could Undermine Prop. 8 Supporters' Court Battle

Charles J. Cooper, the attorney defending the marriage equality ban, told the Times that Rekers "has had no involvement in the Proposition 8 case." However, ThinkProgress found at least four ties to the Prop. 8 trial....

Think Progress • May 20, 2010

White House Staffers Concede 'Frustration' Over Administration's Slow Action On Gay Rights

Brown conceded that the administration is "moving slowly" on gay rights. "Nobody thinks it's fast enough right now, but I know the President cares about this. ... It's going in the right direction, if not quickly enough." Klain agreed with Brown. "I understand the frustration," he said....

Think Progress • Jun 22, 2009

When Asked Whether He Would 'Consider' Gay Civil Unions, Steele Replies, 'What Are You, Crazy?'

Indeed, Steele has talked a big game about reaching new constituencies -- saying recently, "We need to uptick our image with everyone, including one-armed midgets" -- yet he advocates bigotry that the vast majority of Americans rejects. A poll from December showed that a full 75 percent of Americans support gay marriage or civil unions, with only about 2 in 10 saying gay couples should have no leg...

Think Progress • Feb 24, 2009