Minnesota passes a marriage bill, bringing the total to twelve states with the freedom to marry. Can we make it thirteen? Time's running out for Illinois to pass its marriage bill this year. And even with public support for marriage soaring, numerous states may be stuck with marriage bans for years to come.
At the American Foundation for Equal Rights, I'm Matt Baume, and welcome to Marriage New
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More victories as a marriage bill clears hurdles in Minnesota. And there's progress in neighboring states as well. But soon, constitutional amendments in 30 states could delay any further success for years to come.
At the American Foundation for Equal Rights, I'm Matt Baume. Welcome to Marriage News Watch for May 13, 2013.
Marriage equality is moving fast in Minnesota. By the time you watch this
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Another state finally recognizes the freedom to marry, bringing the national total to ten. With work accelerating in Delaware and Illinois, that could increase to eleven or twelve in the next few weeks. Civil unions start in Colorado, and a civil union bill in tiny Arizona town could bring about civil unions for the whole state.
At the American Foundation for Equal Rights, I'm Matt Baume, and wel
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We're celebrating some major victories with week, with two more states about to gain the freedom to marry. Civil unions begin in Colorado, and voters appear ready to upgrade that to marriage. Plus, legislation advances in Pennsylvania and Nevada.
At the American Foundation for Equal Rights, I'm Matt Baume, and welcome to Marriage News Watch for April 29, 2013.
With a victory in the Senate last w
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More positive polling this week, as yet another US Senator comes out for marriage equality. We have some major action quickly approaching in state legislatures. All that plus a huge international shake-up, with access to marriage set to expand in at least three countries.
It seems like every week there's another round of polls showing more support than ever for the freedom to marry. This week, it
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AFER's bringing you a backstage look at what it's like to bring a case to the US Supreme Court. Cindy McCain announces her appearance in "8," Dustin Lance Black's play about the Prop 8 trial. There's also new marriage lawsuit in Utah, more good news in state polls, and six more Senators come out for the freedom to marry.
Well the excitement from the Supreme Court arguments two weeks ago is simmer
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Bipartisan support for marriage equality continues to grow, with a high-profile Republican coming out for marriage this week. President Obama comments the marriage cases before the Supreme Court, while new legislation advances in Colorado, Minnesota, and Rhode Island.
At the American Foundation for Equal Rights, I'm Matt Baume, and welcome to Marriage News Watch for March 18, 2013.
There's stron
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We've got lots of good news this week, from an op-ed by President Clinton to progress on Colorado's civil unions. Plus a slew of favorable polls shows momentum building in key states, and opposition shrinking into just a few tightly-knit pockets. All that plus we're counting down to oral argument in AFER's Prop 8 case.
At the American Foundation for Equal Rights, I'm Matt Baume, and welcome to Ma
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Hundreds of high-profile organizations and individuals file amicus briefs, urging the Supreme Court to overturn Prop 8. We'll have highlights from those briefs, including some names you might not expect.
There's less than a month to go before oral argument at the Supreme Court. Last week was the deadline for friend-of-the-court briefs in favor of AFER's plaintiffs. Among those registering their o
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It's been a busy week, but we have even bigger news coming in just a few days with briefs in the Prop 8 and DOMA cases. Meanwhile, relationship recognition wins Senate votes in Colorado and Illinois, and new marriage initiatives are launching in Texas and Oregon.
Seventy five percent of Americans believe that marriage is a fundamental Constitutional right. That's according to a new survey from An
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All eyes are on President Obama this week, as we wait to see if he'll mention marriage equality in his State of the Union. Marriage bills win overwhelming approval in England and France, polling looks strong in Pennsylvania, and Indiana pushes a vote on an anti-gay amendment back to 2014.
President Obama's State of the Union is slated for this Tuesday, February 12th. The big question is whether h
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Anti-gay comments overshadow the Superbowl, but they can't stop progress in Arizona, Hawaii, and Rhode Island. We have new legislation and strong polling to carry marriage forward from coast to coast. Plus, amicus briefs in the Prop 8 case.
Last week a member of the San Francisco 49ers drew fire for openly rejecting the possibility of having gay teammates. Team management distanced themselves for
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We're making major progress in multiple states, with bills advancing in Rhode Island and Colorado. Plus historic words from President Obama, strong polling numbers, and the anniversary of the Prop 8 trial.
It's looking good for marriage in Rhode Island, but obstacles may still remain. This week the House voted overwhelmingly to approve a marriage bill. Now it's on to the Senate, where many legis
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Major milestones this week, with a vote in Rhode Island and hearings in Colorado. A setback in Virginia, but polling shows the state may soon turn around. Plus, support from an unexpected source in an unexpected state.
It's going to be another busy week for marriage equality, with a committee vote slated for Tuesday in Rhode Island. The House Judiciary Committee heard testimony last week. This fi
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Big news coming this week from Rhode Island, where we may see the year's first hearing on marriage equality. New lawmakers in Illinois and Colorado express eagerness to pass marriage and civil unions bills. Two lawsuits join forces in Hawaii and Nevada, plus one unlikely country that saw support for marriage double over the last decade.
Last week it was Illinois. This week, it's Rhode Island that
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An exciting start to the year, with a win and a setback in Illinois. Two brand new marriage bills are on the fast track in Rhode Island. And a Congressional bill to repeal DOMA has picked up two more Republican endorsements, but one of them doesn't quite count.
At the American Foundation for Equal Rights, I'm Matt Baume, and welcome to Marriage News Watch for January 7, 2013.
We're starting the
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With just days left in the year, lawmakers in two states are making last-minute bids to pass marriage equality bills. A hugely successful campaign is culminating in Oregon. And support for an anti-gay amendment in Indiana is quickly crumbling.
At the American Foundation for Equal Rights, I'm Matt Baume, and welcome to Marriage News Watch for December 17, 2012.
There may be just a few weeks left
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More suspense from the Supreme Court, with an announcement in the Prop 8 case pushed back to Friday at the earliest. Meanwhile, a setback in a Nevada lawsuit, but now the case goes to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. That court previously ruled in favor of marriage equality in the Prop 8 case. And with a string of losses and plummeting poll numbers, anti-gay groups are quickly running out of do
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The Supreme Court is just days away from deciding whether to take the Prop 8 case. Depending on how they rule, we could see marriages starting in California, Maine, Washington and Maryland all within the span of a few weeks. Plus with new survey data out this week, it's now been two and a half years since our opponents last held majority support in any major national poll.
At the American Foundat
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Big wins for marriage from coast to coast, and not just in the major battleground states. We'll have a rundown of election results, including the states where marriage could be expanding next. Plus, major news is due in the case to overturn Prop 8. We could be looking at marriage resuming in California in as little as two weeks.
At the American Foundation for Equal Rights, I'm Matt Baume, and wel
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The election's finally here. We'll have everything you need to know about key marriage ballot measures both before and after the vote. Plus, a look ahead at some major post-election marriage equality milestones.
This is it -- election week. Obviously, no one should ever have their rights put up to a popular vote. But anti-gay activists have left us with no other recourse in these states. While we
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Another ruling against the Defense of Marriage Act marks the anti-gay law's eighth consecutive loss in court. Also this week, a former Prop 8 supporter releases a new video explaining his change of heart. And polling on marriage in key states remains very close just days out from the election.
The federal Defense of Marriage Act has struck out -- again. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals has rul
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An anti-gay ad in Washington is re-using discredited misinformation from other states. We'll have a side-by-side comparison. New polling shows us with a healthy lead in several states, but some of the numbers don't quite add up. And new protections from the Obama administration could save LGBT couples from forced deportation.
A new anti-gay ad just launched in Washington, and it's a carbon-copy o
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If you need some good news right now, look no further than the latest surveys on the freedom to marry. We've got a bunch of new poll numbers this week, and support is up across the board. But we're not out of the woods yet in this election's four key battleground states.
Let's start in Washington state, where a referendum on the state's proposed marriage equality law is just barely squeaking by f
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We could be getting big news from the Supreme Court on Prop 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act any day now. Make sure you're subscribed to breaking alerts for all the latest news. And polling is still very close in Maryland, with marriage on the ballot in just five weeks. We'll have the latest numbers and show you how to get involved in this crucial race.
There's still no word from the Supreme Cou
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We have big news coming from the United State Supreme Court on the Prop 8 case. Plus: major advances in some of the other challenges to state and federal bans on the freedom to marry. We've got the latest tally on surveys showing a majority of Americans favor marriage equality.
Major Prop 8 news today: the Supreme Court of the United States has released a list of some of the cases it will take in
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A major development in the Prop 8 case could be just one week away. We'll have all the details about when and where marriages could start back up again. Meanwhile marriage goes to voters in four states and the polling is still very close. And we'll have a look ahead to the states that could be major marriage battlegrounds in 2013.
We're just one week away from the Supreme Court of the United Stat
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The freedom to marry is a hit at Democratic National Convention. Meanwhile, in Rhode Island, a primary this Tuesday pits a pro-equality Democrat against an anti-equality incumbent. Conservatives unveil their version of a civil unions bill, and Scotland is on track to debate marriage equality in the coming months. All that, plus we could be just two weeks away from a major Supreme Court decision in
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Washington's anti-gay activists are falling way behind in fundraising, as the pro-equality side gears up for a huge television ad campaign. And support for marriage equality grows, with endorsements from key Republican figures including one of the Koch brothers.
Our top story this week: Anti-gay groups in Washington state had been planning to channel fundraising money through churches. But this w
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Three years ago today, Vermont became the fourth state in the country where gay and lesbian couples had freedom to marry. On this third anniversary, let's take a moment look back at how that happened -- and what's happened since.
The journey to marriage saw its first major leap in the year 2000, when the state became the first to recognize civil unions. The Vermont Supreme Court had ruled that ga
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Major news in the Prop 8 case, with new briefs filed with the US Supreme Court. Another survey shows a majority of Americans support the freedom to marry, so why is the Republican party turning its back on relationship recognition? And challenges to the Defense of Marriage Act were already on the fast track, but now that track could get even faster.
At the American Foundation for Equal Rights, I'
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There's disagreement over marriage equality in the Democratic Party platform, with some party members resisting the move. We have a date for arguments in a new federal case to overturn Nevada's marriage ban. And an Iowa judge who upheld marriage equality has support from across the political spectrum, but is it enough to protect him from a new attack by anti-gay groups?
We're one step closer to
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The freedom to marry is poised to take center stage at the Democratic National Convention in September. We'll take a look at exactly what the Democratic party is proposing. With four states facing major showdowns over marriage this November, advocates are already looking ahead to 2013. And what's next after a setback for marriage in Hawaii?
At the American Foundation for Equal Rights, I'm Matt Ba
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Prop 8 is heading to the Supreme Court, and another judge finds the Defense of Marriage Act to be unconstitutional. That brings the total rulings against DOMA to five in just the last few months. More polls show that supporters of the freedom to marry outnumber our opponents. And good news for bi-national couples, with a groundbreaking announcement by the Department of Homeland Security.
AFER's c
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This Saturday marks the two year anniversary of AFER's first major legal victory. On August 4, 2010, the Federal District Court in California ruled that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.
A lot has happened since then. And now that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld that 2010 ruling, the case is headed to the US Supreme Court.
That makes it a good time to look back at that early vict
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Breaking news in AFER's Prop 8 case. Now that two separate courts have ruled Proposition 8 unconstitutional, the Prop 8 Proponents have exercised their only option left: petitioning the Supreme Court of the United States to review our latest victory. So let's take a look at what that means, and what to expect over the next few months.
So, what does today's news mean? Here are the important things
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The Chick-Fil-A saga continues, with a day of protest coming this Wednesday. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos gives two point five million dollars for a marriage equality vote in Washington state. The Democratic National Committee takes a big step towards endorsing the freedom to marry. Pressure builds on the Supreme Court, and there's international progress from Scotland to Vietnam.
Protests continue o
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The Defense of Marriage Act has some powerful enemies, with strongly-worded opposition coming this week from some familiar names. A flawed study on LGBT parenting is also under attack, with its author now under investigation. All that and some good news coming out of Maine.
At the American Foundation for Equal Rights, I'm Matt Baume, and welcome to Marriage News Watch for July 16, 2012.
Last wee
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All eyes are on the Supreme Court, with a big marriage showdown shaping up on the horizon. Two county clerks in Illinois have won right to defend the state's marriage ban. And equality gets a thumbs up from Methodists, and a thumbs down -- for now -- from Presbyterians.
New court filings by the Department of Justice and a Congressional legal group mean that multiple marriage equality cases are no
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A proposed new law would let the Army recognize the spouses of service-members for the first time ever. Anti-gay activists in Maryland collect enough signatures to force a referendum, but now they're tens of thousands of dollars in debt. And seven years after legalizing marriage equality, Spain finally lets gay and lesbian couples into the dictionary.
At the American Foundation for Equal Rights,
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One of the star witness who testified in favor of Prop 8 has switched sides, joining the majority of Americans who support the freedom to marry. Also this week, there's yet another DOMA lawsuit, more encouraging surveys in battleground states, and new ads Minnesota.
http://youtu.be/_y9bEJF-p5k
This week we're happy to welcome a brand new marriage equality supporter to our side: David Blankenhorn
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A new study tries to show that the kids of gay and lesbian parents are worse off than the kids of straight parents. We'll take a look at all of the problems with that study, and there's a lot of them. Montana Democrats endorse marriage equality, while Montana Republicans call for throwing gay couples in jail. But now a major GOP donor is throwing his support -- and his money -- to a drive to elect
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We're entering the final phase of the case to overturn Prop 8. A judge finds DOMA to be unconstitutional for the third time in as many weeks. Good polling from battleground states, and Denmark goes from voting on marriage equality to enacting marriage equality in the span of about a week.
At the American Foundation for Equal Rights, I'm Matt Baume, and welcome to Marriage News Watch for June 11,
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Civil unions advance in Colorado, but old foes are joining forces in Maine. There's just a few days left until North Carolina votes on an extreme constitutional amendment, and the race is getting closer and closer every day. And new research has shown a promising trend when it comes to public opinion.
The Colorado Senate passed a civil unions bill this week. Now it's on to the House, where an id
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Civil unions head to the Senate in Colorado, but nobody seems to be quite sure who's going to sponsor the bill once it reaches the House. Early voting's begun in North Carolina, just in time for a big TV ad buy starting this week. And the bumpy road to repealing Ohio's marriage ban just got bumpier.
We're closer than ever to passing civil unions in Colorado, but there are still a few more hurdles
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The attack on DOMA just intensified with eight couples filing suit in Nevada. Meanwhile, President Obama weighs in on an anti-gay Constitutional amendment, and signature-gathering efforts are off to a very slow start.
It's getting harder by the day to keep track of all the lawsuits challenging state and federal marriage bans. Since AFER filed its case challenging Prop 8 in 2009, a slew of challen
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The Obama administration changes course in the fight to overturn the federal Defense of Marriage Act. Signature gathering is about to start in Ohio. And voters in North Carolina say they support relationship recognition -- so why are they also saying they'll vote to take it away?
A big change in the Obama administration's position on the Defense of Marriage Act: <a href="http://marriage
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Leaked memos show the National Organization for Marriage tried to manipulate minority groups. Meanwhile, marriage organizers press ahead for equality in Ohio, but not everyone is on board. And we're just days away from a showdown over DOMA -- it's going to happen this Wednesday, April 4th.
We got an incredible peek inside the National Organization for Marriage this week, <a href="http://marriagen
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A big win for marriage in New Hampshire, and California Democrats pledge to help the campaign to stop an anti-gay measure in North Carolina. But with alarming poll numbers out this week, will that help be enough?
Anti-gay activists got a smackdown last week in New Hampshire, where the legislature overwhelmingly rejected a bill to eliminate marriage equality. It was huge bi-partisan success, with
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It's coming down the wire in North Carolina, where an anti-gay ballot measure is coming down to the wire. Meanwhile Denver Republicans vote to support civil unions, we'll get a vote this week on ending marriage equality in New Hampshire, and President Obama speaks out against an anti-gay ballot measure.
A close call this week in Washington. The state will likely vote on marriage this November, an
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Sorry we missed an episode last week -- we were a little busy livestreaming Brad Pitt and George Clooney to the entire world. Meanwhile, there's been a ton of new polling data from around the country, and it's all encouraging. And more bad news for NOM: they're under investigation by the Minnesota Elections Board, and the US Supreme Court has refused to play along with their attempts to hide donor
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Another crazy week: Maryland's legislature passes a marriage bill, a lawsuit widens in New Jersey, the governor of Hawaii comes out for equality, and a huge victory in a federal case against DOMA. Lately we've racking up so many wins, it's getting hard to keep up.
Let's start with this week's big news in the Prop 8 case. <a href="http://marriagenewswatch.com/2012/02/california-gay-marriage-oppone
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The fight's not over in Washington: the governor may have signed the bill last week, but the campaign to overturn is just ramping up. Meanwhile, there's incredible momentum for marriage around the country, with legislators passing bills in Maryland and New Jersey, a civil unions bill advancing in Colorado, and brand new legislation popping up in West Virginia and Rhode Island.
This week, watch fo
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Prop 8's unconstitutional, Washington's passing its marriage equality bill, Illinois just introduced a bill of their own, we're making more progress in Maryland, and now New Mexico has pulled a proposed anti-gay marriage law. I told you 2012 was going to be busy.
There are four big things you need to know about last week's ruling.
First, it is a huge deal that for the first time ever, a federal
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Another crazy week, with news in the Prop 8 case and major advances in Washington, Maryland, and New Jersey. And yet another court has slapped down NOM's attempts to hide their donors.
The big news this week: the tapes of the Prop 8 trial will remain under seal -- for n
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Maine, Washington, and Maryland are all closer than ever to marriage equality, but the Governor of New Jersey thinks that civil rights should be put to a popular vote -- whether it's marriage today, or school desegregation in the 1950s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxMtKN0xbwg
There's a lot to talk about this week, so let's dive right
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Canadian marriages may not be so safe after all, with an author of the country's marriage equality law raising the possibility of an anti-gay attack. Here in the US, nearly a hundred mayors come out for marriage equality, including one who testified during the Prop 8 trial. We're just one vote away from passing marriage equality Washington state Senate, but time's quickly running out. And remember
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Washington, Colorado, New Jersey -- state legislatures are moving even faster than we thought on marriage equality. But it's not all good news. Meanwhile, Canadian turmoil calls thousands of marriages into question, and preparations continue for the impending decision in the Prop 8 case.
If you haven't already, check out <a href="http://marriagenewswatch.com/2012/01/meet-stephen-hill-sol
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We're just one week in and already 2012 is looking like a strong year for marriage, with encouraging action in Washington, Maryland, and Colorado. The governor of Michigan revokes health care coverage for domestic partners, leaving families with no access to medical care. And a binational couple in San Francisco gets a two-year reprieve, but their eventual fate may depend on whoever occupies the W
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Welcome to 2012! We got a lot of work to do this year, so let's roll up our sleeves and get to work. The new year marks new civil union laws in Delaware, Hawaii, and California. Psychologists in North Carolina lash out at anti-gay prejudice, LGBTs can marry in Cancun -- probably -- and something fishy's going on with civil unions in the European Union.
<a href="http://marriagenewswatch.c
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OMG, 2011 -- what a year for marriage equality. We're still not ready to get married yet, but wow we are so close. Think about where we were a year ago -- so much has happened. I'm Matt Baume; let's do a quick year-in-review to look at all the amazing stuff of 2011, and look ahead to where we're going to win in 2012.
There were five big trends this year:
1. Multiple polls that show a majority su
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A new law in Ireland means that New Yorkers have more rights on Emerald Isle than they do in their own country. A hospital in Tennessee violates federal guidelines in denying visitation to a lesbian couple. There's a new ad for marriage equality in New Hampshire that epitomizes Yankee thrift. And 20,000 Australian doctors agree: marriage equality is good for your head.
I'm Matt Baume at
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George Clooney takes a stand for marriage equality with his latest role. A new study connects anti-gay marriage laws to cardiovascular disease. Republican voters increasingly favor marriage equality, but this week several presidential frontrunners had some particularly unpleasant things to say about LGBTs. And after a year of monetary and staffing battles, there's fresh conflict in Maryland.
How'
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Prop 8's finished -- or at least, oral arguments in the appeals court are all done. Now a ruling on California's marriage ban could come at any minute. A couple in Hawaii sues for marriage; Scotland may reform its marriage laws; Australian legislators are moving towards equality but the battle's still far from over.
How exciting was that Prop 8 hearing last week? It was about as exciting
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Prop 8's back in court -- but why, exactly? I'll answer all your questions about what's going on this time. Plus, the backstory behind the most effective -- and adorable -- marriage equality video ever made. Prop 8's legal team celebrates a bill in Nigeria that would throw you in prison for over a decade just for witnessing a gay couple getting married. All that, plus robot marriage, and one gay c
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Hi, I'm Matt Baume from the American Foundation for Equal Rights, and welcome to special edition of Marriage News Watch. I'm up at the Russian River for thanksgiving right now, but there's been some marriage equality news so let's do a nice quick update so we can be back to eating.
We're closer than ever to the next Prop 8 decision. The case has been working its way through the courts in little b
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Get ready for a busy holiday season with a slew of activity in the Prop 8 case. Washington and New Jersey ramp up their marriage campaigns, with good news possibly coming before the end of the year. And homosexuals account for half of all murders, according to guy who makes things up.
Well the big news last week was the renewed momentum in the Prop 8 case. It's been over a year since the Court de
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Breaking news: The Prop 8 case is back on the fast track with a ruling from the California Supreme Court that sets the stage for a huge victory that could come very soon.
I'm Matt Baume at the American Foundation for Equal Rights, and welcome to a special episode of Marriage News Watch.
At first glance, it might look like a setback -- but it's not: the California Supreme Court ruled today that b
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A victory for DOMA repeal in the Senate Judiciary Committee, but now it faces even greater hurdles in the full Senate. An election night victory in Iowa means marriage is safe, for now; but polling in Minnesota shows cause for alarm. Activists raise the stakes in Washington, Maryland, Oregon, and Maine. And a marriage equality betrayal by the Australian Prime Minister forces a showdown with her
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The Senate Judiciary Committee has voted to repeal the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act. Now it moves to a Senate that's hostile to marriage equality -- but that's actually okay.
On one side: ten Senate co-sponsors of the Respect for Marriage Act. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, Dianne Feinstein of California, Chuck Schumer of New York, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Sheldon Whitehou
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More positive polling in Maine and Washington. Gay couples get a green light to sue over civil unions in New Jersey. A vote on DOMA gets postponed until next week. And marriage equality gets a boost from the National Association of Flight Attendants.
We're continuing the countdown to the next milestone in the Prop 8 case. Last week I told you that December 5th at 10am is the deadline for
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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
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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.
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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? <a href="http
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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
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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
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Holy cow. Where to begin? Dustin Lance Black's play about Prop 8 hit Broadway for an incredible night. The tapes of the Prop 8 trial might actually get released. Florida's working on domestic partnerships, North Carolina's marriage ban is even worse than we thought, New Hampshire might repeal marriage, and Missouri -- yes, Missouri -- favors legal recognition for gay couples. All that, plus the fi
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A legal skirmish in the Prop 8 case sets the stage for a big victory down the line. Meanwhile, A-list celebs come together to tell the story of the Prop 8 trial. Marriage debate is slated for Monday morning in North Carolina, and Minnesota's newest anti-gay activist comes with some skeletons in his closet.
The Prop 8 Proponents dragged everyone back into court last week for some arguments over le
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More courtroom drama over Prop 8, with new arguments and a new judge. Recent surveys have been so encouraging for our side that this week our opponents resorted to creating a fake survey to spread misinformation. And civil unions are poised to make way for full marriage equality in Scotland and New Zealand.
Early last week, a federal court heard arguments about releasing the tapes of the Prop 8 t
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Just what are the Prop 8 proponents trying to hide, and why are they afraid to let the public see their witnesses being cross-examined? We may find out after a hearing on Monday. John Boehner's defense of DOMA is found to be full of junk science, a semi-reprieve for LGBTs fearing deportation, and there's lots of work still to do in Maine.
By the time you watch this, a judge in San Francisco has p
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This week's all about Minnesota, Maine, North Carolina, Colorado, and Broadway. All four of those states have months of bitter fighting over marriage to look forward to, with millions of dollars likely to be spent on both sides. Fortunately, we've got a secret weapon: Morgan Freeman.
I have to apologize for another lo-res video this week -- there is a lot going on and I'm rushing to get this vide
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There's a lot of news this week and almost all of it's good: from NOM's legal slapdown; to Irish protests for marriage equality; to warming attitudes in, of all places, Utah. We'll also take a look at Mitt Romney's stance on parenting, which is precisely incorrect; and the fight is on in Oregon.
I'm Matt Baume, and welcome to Marriage News Watch for August 16, 2011.
Lots of news this week from c
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What would happen if "Will and Grace" had a baby with "Mad About You," with "Dr. Horrible" acting as surrogate? You'd have "Husbands," a brand new marriage equality sitcom premiering September 13.
MarriageNewsWatch.com visited the set of the show for a chat with executive producer Jane Espenson (Buffy, Firefly, Dollhouse, Battlestar Galactica), Brad "Che
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It's been a busy week, with an incredibly offensive anti-gay brief coming out of Congress. But a surprise announcement from the American Psychological Association could put a stop to such briefs in the future. Time's running out before North Carolina votes on banning civil unions, a tribe in Washington state votes unanimously to recognize LGBT marriage, and a survey in New Jersey proves that we'r
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A new twist in the Prop 8 case, with a court date coming just days after a controversial new judge is expected to join the Supreme Court. New York launches its own attack on the Defense of Marriage Act, and polling brings mostly good news, and a little bad.
Well that didn't take very long. After just one day of marriage equality, <a href="http://marriagenewswatch.com/2011/07/new-york-challenges-u
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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
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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
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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
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We did it! New York Marriages can start in less than a month. That success gives us new leverage in the 44 states that have yet to enact marriage equality. We also won victories this week in Wisconsin and Maryland, but gay couples in Illinois are just discovered a dangerous new civil unions loophole. And phony anti-gay polls could skew voting in Minnesota.
This was the scene outside the Stonewall
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I've been doing some really cool work on marriage equality that's kept me so busy, I didn't even have time for a proper green screen this week. But try to ignore that, because a lot is happening right now.
We're down to the last possible second for marriage in New York, there was a major victory in California, new challenges to the Defense of Marriage act, bad news in France, and good news in Lic
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Today's the day for the hearing over whether a gay judge is allowed to hear a case about marriage. It's also the anniversary of the ruling that ended the ban on interracial marriage. A Catholic adoption agency in Illinois is suing for the right to stop foster kids from going to adoptive LGBT parents. And you can't get married in Wyoming, but you can get divorced.
It's going to be a really qu
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By Matt Baume
A new poll shows us neck-and-neck in Minnesota, with a vote on marriage still a year off. There's just two weeks left to pass marriage in New York, but a Senate bill still hasn't even been introduced yet. Illinois launched civil unions this week as Rhode Island debated doing the same. And a Michigan Republican can't tell the difference between gay couples and child abu
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By Matt Baume
This week: The chaos at Equality Maryland has gotten so bad, the organization may have to shut down altogether. Time's nearly run out to pass a marriage bill in New York. Catholic Charities is so unwilling to provide adoption services to gay couples that they simply abandoned 350 children to the state of Illinois this week. And it looks like the Prop 8 proponents just
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It's almost all bad news this week, with an anti-gay measure gaining ground in Minnesota, slow progress in New York, a resignation in North Carolina, and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker staking out a position against LGBT hospital visitation.
http://youtu.be/RkVHecHFiQU
Another survey out this month shows that <a href="http://marriagenewswatch.com/2011/05/for-first-time-majority-of-americans-fav
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The fight for marriage intensifies in New York with the long-awaited marriage bill finally introduced. But do LGBT groups have the support needed to pass it? Cathy Marino-Thomas will fill us in on their latest lobbying progress. New York's pro-marriage Republicans could tip the scale in our favor, but in other states Republicans are working to ban marriage, and to penalize employers who provide he
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Disagreement over marriage versus civil unions could drive Rhode Island's LGBT activists against each other. Meanwhile, an unknown source is funneling millions of dollars to anti-gay groups in fifteen states. We'll talk about Target's role in Minnesota's proposed double-ban on marriage, and share some good news from Brazil, Scotland, and Taiwan.
The fight for marriage grew even more heated this
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What really prompted a prominent law firm to give up its defense of DOMA, and lose a key lawyer in the process? The date's been set for a showdown over the secret Prop 8 trial tapes, and over Judge Walker's personal life. Rhode Island legislators give up on marriage in favor of civil unions, and New York keeps ratcheting up the pressure with a massive lobbying effort slated for next week.
There w
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There's going to be marriage than ever before, with another survey showing majority support for the freedom to marry. So why are Republicans spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend a law that could tear apart legally married couples like Henry and Josh? There's promising signs for marriage in New York and Scotland, but a legal setback in Montana is likely to postpone weddings for years
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Leaked footage of the Prop 8 trial sparked a legal tug of war this week, with anti-gay groups renewing efforts to keep their work out of public view. Delaware's on track to be the 8th state to offer marriage-ish protections, and activists gear up in New York.
This is our last episode of "This Week in Prop 8." Next week we're launching a brand new news show, with a more national focus and more hea
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Why did John Boehner sign up for a protracted legal fight over anti-gay laws without first finding out what it was going to cost taxpayers? Hope is on the way for gay couples facing homelessness due to discriminatory Medicaid policies. Civil unions advance in Delaware but marriage is on the rocks in Rhode Island. And will we see Prop 8 back on the ballot in 2012?
Last month House Speaker John Boe
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What's the connection between this anti-gay assault in New York and this anti-gay politician in California? We'll take a closer look at both this week, and analyze some new ads airing in Oregon. There's been significant movement around the country on civil unions, and Montana Republicans are backing an bill that could send any gay couple to prison for up to ten years. All that plus an interview wi
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Sex sells when it comes to marriage equality, with a male modeling agency lending its talents to a new fundraising campaign. A reprieve for a woman facing deportation proves just how important marriage can be. Meanwhile, more voters than ever support the freedom to marry, so why aren't politicians listening?
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com
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This week: Finger-pointing in Maryland, along with some disturbing new racial rhetoric. Meanwhile, pressure to repeal DOMA heats up in Congress and in the courts.
Though Storey represents a county that voted overwhelmingly to ban gay marriage, his hometown critics say he was disingenuous when he didn't raise his intentions earlier. Many voters thought the county's role in the contentious issue e
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Anti-gay forces in Maryland set marriage back another year.
That setback is softened by advances in New York, Colorado, and Washington, plus a new ad for equality launches in Rhode Island, but is it too soft?
<A href="http://stop8.org/2011/03/mar
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There's a bitter battle shaping up in Congress, and a nailbiting fight to the finish in Maryland. A new judge in the Prop 8 case, and a big surprise from Wyoming Republicans, thanks in part to one legislator's gay daughter.
Now that Obama has deci
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Can you even believe this week?
President Obama this week ordered an end to the defense of the Defense of Marriage Act, which is huge. We'll check in with Marriage Equality USA's Molly McKay and Immigration Equality's Lavi Solloway to find out exactly wh
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Will a new law force California to defend Prop Eight? Marriage is coming to Maryland, but obstacles may drag it out for nine more months. We'll walk you through the next steps. And in New Hampshire, the anti-gay industry claims that gay marriage prevents straight people from caring for their kids.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ldeN
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What did you do for Valentine's Day? If you were lucky, you got to participate in a revolution.
Across the country, gay couples and their allies stepped up to marriage counters around the country to ask for
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The big news about Prop 8 this week ... is that there isn't any news about Prop 8 this week. Nothing happened!
At least, nothing happened in California. There was a ton of activity in other states, from New Hampshire to New York to Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, and Rhode Island.
Now, when I started Stop Eight, two and a half years ago, it was all about Proposition Eight. But now, there's so much hap
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California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye announced last week that the court could decide as soon as next week whether it's going to get involved with the case against Prop 8. The court's a real wild card here -- nobody's sure what they're goi
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Ted Olson, a lead attorney on the case against Prop 8, sent a letter to the California Supreme Court this week, explaining why, in his opinion, the court shouldn't intervene in the case.
His position boils down to "none of your business," <a href="http://stop8.org/2011/01/prop-8-opponents-ask-california-high-court-to-re
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A busy week for marriage equality all around the country, with new cracks appearing in the Defense of Marriage Act. Meanwhile, a slew of bills appeared this week in various states, both for and against marriage.
We're starting to get a clearer picture of what marriage battles across the country are going to look like in
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Obama's relationship with LGBTs: it's complicated. Things got rocky this week when the Justice Department continued protecting the Defense of Marriage Act, the federal ban that prevents gay couples from getting married.
But what's interesting is the reason they gave for doing so. According to Justice, DOMA's only necessary because laws differ from state to state, and the ban ensures some federal
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Get ready for battles all over the country this year, as the fight over gay marriage heats up in New England, and some legal wrangling could put Prop 8 back up for a vote in 2012.
It's been a super-busy week for marriage equality news.
The big news this week was in California, where a piece of the lawsuit against Prop 8 got <a href="http://stop8.org/2011/01/9th-circuit-punts-on-perry-prop-8-cert
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Make no mistake: the Republican party is by no means safe for gays. This week RNC Chair Michael Steele laid it out as bluntly as he could, telling the National Organization for Marriage that <a href="http://stop8.org/2011/01/rncs-michael-steele-tells-nom-if-prop-8-is-struck-down-gop
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As the Prop 8 case continues to percolate behind closed doors at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, activists aren't content to wait.
First, there was an excellent explanation this week of "The Best Argument Against Gay Marriage -- and why it fails." The short version is that the anti-gay side is
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How crazy was last week? SUPER CRAZY. It started with oral arguments on Monday in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the legal challenge to Prop 8. Those two-hour arguments were as <a href="http://stop8.org
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It's showtime! Monday's the day for oral arguments in the next phase of Perry vs. Schwarzenegger, the legal challenge to Prop 8 that may one day reach the Supreme Court of the United States.
The arguments will be heard by three randomly-picked judges: <a href="http://stop8.org/20
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Breathe a sigh of relief: Kamala Harris has won the race for California's Attorney General, beating anti-gay Republican Steve Cooley. Harris, formerly the District Attorney of San Francisco, has pledged to defend equal marriage, while <a href="http://stop8.org/2010/11/kamala-harris-wins-ca
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Put a big star on the calendar on December 6th, because that's when we'll see the next high-profile court date for Prop 8. But it'll go by quickly: just a few hours of lawyers making arguments in front of appellate judges, and
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The election might've been rough for most of the Country, but the news in California (and beyond) actually isn't all that bad.
The biggest dodged bullet: Jerry Brown beat Meg Whitman, Gavin Newsom beat Abel Maldonado, and Barbara Boxer beat Carly Fiorina. All three democrats favor marriage equality, and
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It's been a quiet week on the Prop 8 front, but it's the calm before the storm: all eyes are on the fast-approaching election, when California's current pro-equality legislators may be replaced by anti-gay bigots.
Meg Whitman, Abel Maldonado, and Steve Cooley are the Republican candidates for Gover
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This post is by guest-writer Chris Moore. Cross-posted with The California Majority Report.
The folks behind the divisive and hurtful Yes on Proposition 8 T.V. ads
just couldn't help themselves -- The National Organization for Marriage
(NOM) is once again using children as political
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Although there wasn't much movement on the Prop 8 case this week, there's been some drama around how Republicans could control the future of marriage equality in the upcoming election.
Conventional wisdom has it that although the GOP is behind the curve when it comes to civil rights, th
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It's just been one big terrible wave of suicide lately, with so many young LGBT kids killing themselves it's hard to keep track.
Who's to blame? That's hard to say, but surely some culpability lies with Mormon leaders like Elder Packer, who earlier this month called gays immoral and unnatural. He h
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What's this, a Mormon official apologizing for the pain caused by Prop 8? Well, so far it's just one man, but it's a start.
Jaws dropped this week when Elder Marlin K. Jensen told a group of LGBT leaders in Oakland, "I am sorry." He'd been invited to listen to local Mormon families talk about how Prop
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A big huge thanks to all the folks who showed up Sunday to help us tape a message from San Francisco to LGBT youth who feel lonely and isolated wherever they are. As the video says: it gets better!
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This was a busy week for Prop 8 proponents -- about two dozen pro-discrimination briefs were filed on Friday with the usual "defend tradition" and "gays can't have children" business. It'll take a while for LGBT groups to sift through them, so information about those anti-gay briefs will probably sif
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Have you seen Dan Savage's awesome new project, It Gets Better? It's all about reaching out to at-risk LGBT kids who are physically isolated in small towns and feel like they have no one to turn to. As adults, we know that life gets better once you're old enough to get out of those situations. So it's up to us to let those kids know that they just need to hang in there, to be strong, and that they
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They're at it again.
Anti-gay groups like The National Organization for Marriage don't have any facts to back up their crusade to ban marriage, so their ads all lean on innuendo, suggestions, and "weasel words." Nowhere is that more apparent than their new ad, which calls for the ousting of Iowa Supreme Court justices based on one single ruling that NOM happens not to like.
If NOM wants to waste
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How will the state respond to Judge Walker's Prop 8 ruling? If Arnold Schwarznegger and Jerry Brown have their way, the state will barely respond at all. Even though conservatives want them to defend the marriage ban, the Governor and Attorney General <a
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It's a name you might not recognize if you're not a political wonk, but his anti-gay crusade could spell disaster for California's LGBTs.
Maldonado is California's current Lieutenant Governor. It's a relatively low-profile job: he basically just has to look busy in case anyone <a href="http://www.ca
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Our smackdown of the National Organization for Marriage struck a chord this week, with over 30,000 views! Keep passing the word around, especially if you have any friends in the media -- it's important for reporters to understand that NOM isn't presenting "the other side of the argument," they're simply tellin
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The National Organization for Marriage put out a new video last week, and of course, it's full of lies about Prop 8. So let's go point-by-point through their claims, and explain why they're utterly wrong.
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This was apparently a week for reflection, as we peeked behind the curtains of some cutting-edge research this week, examining the social and psychological science that formed the basis of Judge Walker's decision. Check out this article (written by Stop8.org founder Matt Baume, BTW) that explains <a href="http://www.dailycasserole.com/2010/08/20/the-science-behin
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If elected, Meg Whitman says that she would defend Prop 8 -- but would she even be able to? No, says the Courage Campaign. Her inauguration would be in January, but the Ninth Circuit hearing is scheduled for December. <a href="http://stop8.org/2010/08/defending-prop-8-the-meg-whitman-steve-cooley
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It was another nail-biter this week, with Judge Walker ruling at the last second (act
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Whew, well, it's been quite a couple of days, hasn't it?
Prop 8 has been found unconstitutional based on "overwhelming evidence", but that doesn't mean it's going away. While the proponents appeal his ruling, Judge Walker may allow the ban to stay i
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Okay, conspiracy theorists, get this. The anti-gay NOM launched a bus tour awhile back, featuring rallies at various community areas. The rallies have been so sparsely attended that a lot of folks have wondered why NOM is doing this, and the HRC thinks they have an answer: they're trying to bait LGBTs into angrily counter-protesting, so the anti-gays can bolster their claims about being oppressed
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We got some slightly-encouraging news this week in the form of a new survey showing that 51% of California voters support gay's freedom to marry. But don't get too worked up over it: for one thing, a study last month showed that surveys
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Want to know how tantalizingly close the gays are to marriage, but don't have much time to get caught up? Well, if you haven't seen it yet, check out Stop8's lighting-fast recap of the last two years under Prop 8.
And also check out Rob
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In case you haven't been glued to the news about Prop 8 for the last two years, here's a quick recap to get you all up to speed.
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v
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Impatience for the Perry v. Schwarzenegger ruling is reaching a fever pitch, with a rumor spreading on Thursday that drew a small crowd to the courthouse ... only to discover that Walker's chambers were closed.
The excitement was <a href="http://stop8.org/2010/07/doma-decisions-released.htm
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There's still no word from Judge Walker on Perry v. Schwarzenegger -- those pins and needles we're all sitting on are starting to hurt! But that hasn't stopped folks from reflecting back on the case and making optimis
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Breath remained bated this week as everyone waits for Judge Walker's decision in Perry vs Schwarzenegger. It's looking ever-so-slightly good for the gays; even our opponents think we might win this round. Check out <a href="http://sto
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It's a wrap: This week, we heard closing arguments in Perry vs Schwarzenegger, and now Judge Walker could rule at any moment.
There was only one last-minute surprise: the Prop 8 proponents asked the judge to <a
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Hey folks! Netroots Nation is a giant national conference for progressive online leaders, and it's coming up next month in Las Vegas. Here's the exciting part: Freedom to Marry is holding a scholarship contest to send one lucky blogger to the conference. And Stop8.org founder Matt Baume is among the ten finalists!
Click here to give
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This is it! Get ready for closing arguments in the Prop 8 case. We're counting down the last few seconds on the clock before everyone reunites in court to plead their final case.
One one side, there's the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which named two new
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Is David Blankenhorn a liar, forgetful, or both? It's been a bad week for the anti-gay witness who first claimed that he'd never heard of not-at-all-gay minister George Alan Rekers; and then later had to change his story and admit that he had, in fact, read some of Rekers' writing just before the Prop 8 trial.
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How did you celebrate the first official Harvey Milk Day? If you're like most gays, you skipped the hard work of door-to-door canvassing. The Bay Area Reporter noted that only a handful of people showed up in SF to talk to voters about marriage equality. Where were you? Harvey would have been pissed.
As the closing arg
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This weekend wasn't just the very first official Harvey Milk Day: it was also a prime opportunity for canvassing, fundraising, and gearing up for the 2012 election. EQCA had a full slate of activities planned all around the state, with nearly 1,0
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A quiet week for Prop 8 news, the flashiest headlines came from the Courage Campaign, which launched its "Testimony: Equality on Trial" project.
It's a neat idea: they started with Hollywood celebrities (or in some cases, Hollywood-ish), and had them read trial transcripts from Perry vs. Schwarzenegger. It's an effort
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David Boies sure is Mister Popular lately: normally too hard at work on the case against Prop 8 to give interviews, he popped up in multiple venues this week to do interviews.
I don't know if you could really use the word "gleeful" to describ
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Are you on the edge of your seat yet? The last few days have been all about suspense! Mystery! And secret documents!
The big news, of course, is that we finally have a date for closing arguments in the Prop 8 trial, Perry vs Schwarzenegger. (I will be very happy when the day comes that I do not have to remember how to s
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This week's Prop 8 news ranges from the funny to the mind-bending.
First, the funny news: The National Organization for Marriage likes to keep busy poking its nose into other peoples' lives. So busy, in fact, that they didn't have time to protect their blog against sneaky hackers, who configured the site to redirect traff
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Everyone was predicting it, and now's it's finally happened: the Restore Equality 2010 campaign admitted that it didn't gather enough signatures for a 2010 repeal. So after all that arguing and debate and hard work, it's going to be 2012 after all
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Late breaking news: The campaign to repeal Prop 8 has officially fallen short of the required signatures. (Actually, that's probably not news at all to anyone who's been following their woefully accelerated campaign.) With 2010 ruled out for a repeal, all eyes turn in unison to 2012.
Meanwhile, Prop 8 characters have be
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Gubernatorial primaries are scooting towards us (June) and the general election isn't far behind (November), so Arnold Schwarzenegger and his successors are increasingly top-of-mind.
A couple of news articles gasped this week about Republican candidate Tom Campbell, who's <a href="http://www.stop8.org/2010/04/gop_voter
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Stakes were raised this week when Judge Walker ruled that EQCA and the ACLU will have to release a ton of confidential data. EQCA and the ACLU, predictably, were not a
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Crazy week! First, there was a storm a-brewin' around normally-dull judicial elections that got much stormier when a pastor turned up dead. The background: Religious leaders who supported Prop 8 are organizing to <a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/cont
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Things got a little crazy this week: first there was the deliciously salacious discovery about yet another closeted Republican -- at this point, we can basically just assume that all anti-gay politicians have a fabulous secret -- and then a court ruled that some but not all of the people and organizations that
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False alarm! Last week's noises about possibly broadcasting the closing arguments of the Prop 8 trial were effectivey squashed. Judges, it would seem, are just a really shy group of people.
But that hasn't
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The pins-and-needles of the Prop 8 trial continued this week with new signs that the closing arguments might be televised.
Although the dates for the closing arguments still haven't been announced, that hasn't stopped court-watchers from speculating about cameras covering the event. That speculation heated up this week when <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/25/BA1D
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