Here's the latest news on gay marriage from around the world. The big news, from Edge Boston: "Australia's gay and lesbian families have won de facto legitimacy thanks to changes in the law that now includes same-sex couples under the same legal provisions as unmarried heterosexual couples." It's not marriage, but it's something!
Also, remember when the Dixie Chicks said they were ashamed of their country, and the right went nuts? Or when Michelle Obama said she was finally proud of her country, and they threy accusations of unpatriotism at her for weeks? Well conservative radio host Michael Savage, talking about support for gay marriage by California politicians, just said this: "We're probably 50 leagues below the degeneracy that brought about Hitler. We are the sickest, most disgusting country on the earth." Um, hello... where are you right-wing patriots on this one????
One bright bit of news, and the headline here says it all:
In addition to the news of the week, you'll find our weekly woody award, links to some great articles and columns from the last seven days, and of course you'll also find our ongoing recap of gay marriage happenings worldwide over the last four months - for a longer history, just click on one of the older Gay Marriage Watch blogs from our archives.
To subscribe to this blog, or if you have any thoughts about how we can make this feature better or easier to use or any updates on the issues covered here, let me know at info@purpleunions.com.
This week's Woody award honors goes to blogger John Fay, who writes: "Now, there are several major problems with legalizing gay marriage. Once you've legalized gay marriage, why not polygamy, incest, bestiality or any other form of union?" Yeah, because legal contracts can be signed by sheep and 10 year olds. Nice try, Mister Fay.
He also offers this chestnut: "...the Christian concept of marriage predates any state-sanctioned licensing program, which means marriage is an inherently religious concept in America. Any state interpretation of marriage that violates traditional church views may well be a violation of the First Amendment." Has this IDIOT never heard of the separation of church and state? And if not, why single out gay marriage? Why not fight for a ban on shellfish? The right to own slaves? A constitutional amendment against home mortgages? Sorry, Mister Fay, but you've tripped over your own two feet - enjoy your woody!
Runner up is Michael J. McMonagle, who came up with this novel justification for denying marriage to same sex couples, saying that comparing anti-gay-marriage activists to opressors is "...similar to accusing those who oppose giving blind people a driver's license of oppression of disabled people." Nice. So being gay is a handicap, and if we'd just realize that and settle for second class citizenship, eveyone would be better off, right? First of all, Mister McMonagle's statement is an insult to anyone who's blind. And second, doesn't it suggest that, like blindness, being gay is not a choice, and if so, why should we be denied equal rights? Falling down the logic hole... no woody for you!
Events of the Last Week:
11/22/08:
Newt Gingrich on Bill O'Reilly: "I think there is a gay and secular fascism in this country that wants to impose its will on the rest of us, is prepared to use violence, is prepared to use harassment. I think it is prepared to use the government if it can get control of it. I think it is a very dangerous threat to anybody who believes in traditional religion. And I think if you believe in historic Christianity, you have to confront the fact - for that matter, if you believe in the historic version of Islam or the historic version of Judaism, you have to confront the reality that these secular extremists are determined to impose on you acceptance of a series of values that that are antithetical, that are the opposite."Source
Candace Gingrich, Newt's lesbian sister, in response: "This is a movement of the people that you most fear. It's a movement of progress - and your words on Fox News only show how truly desperate you are to maintain control of a world that is changing before your very eyes. Then again, we've seen these tactics before. We know how much the right likes to play political and cultural hardball, and then turn around and accuse us of lashing out first. You give a pass to a religious group - one that looks down upon minorities and women - when they use their money and membership roles to roll back the rights of others, and then you label us "fascists"when we fight back. You belittle the relationships of gay and lesbian couples, and yet somehow neglect to explain who anointed you the protector of "traditional"marriage." Source
USA, California: There's a divide between moderate yes on 8 proponents who saw Prop. 8 as about marriage and what children are taught, and more outspoken activists who have problems with the "homosexual agenda." Source
11/23/08:
USA, Connecticut: Up to $13 million could be pumped into the Connecticut economy over the next three years from same-sex marriages, a new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA Law School says. Source
USA, Pennsylvania: The passage of California's gay marriage ban brought people to the steps of the Capitol in Harrisburg on Sunday to rally support for same-sex marriage and the rights of homosexuals. Source
11/24/08:
American Idol Winner David Cook om Gay Marriage & Prop 8: "I would have loved to have seen it (go) the other way. Human rights is human rights... I hope that very soon we get to this point where we look back now, [like] on women's rights and that struggle in the 20's - I hope this is another hurdle this country can overcome really quick." Source
California Senator Dianne Feinstein on gay marriage: "I started out not supporting it. The longer I've lived, the more I've seen the happiness of people, the stability that these commitments bring to a life. Many adopted children who would have ended up in foster care now have good solid homes and are brought up learning the difference between right and wrong. It's a very positive thing." Source
Radio Host Michael Savage on gay marriage: ""[S]ocially, we're far worse -- more degenerate than Weimar Germany. At least in Weimar Germany, men couldn't marry men and women couldn't marry women. So we're probably 10 leagues below the degeneracy that brought about Hitler. We're probably 50 leagues below the degeneracy that brought about Hitler. We are the sickest, most disgusting country on the earth, and we are psycholo -- psychotically -- we are psychotic as a nation. It's a psychotic nation when the attorney general of the state of California, when the senator from the state of California named Dianne Feinstein, when the governor from the state of California who posed as a strongman gets up there and says that homosexuals have a right to marry that's equal to a man and a woman, they're insane. They are fundamentally insane." So much for tolerence from the right. Source
Australia: Same-sex couples who love each other should be able to have their relationship recognised by marriage, Australian Greens leader Bob Brown says. Source
Burundi: The parliament of Burundi passed a law making same-sex acts punishable by between three months and two years in prison, along with a substantial fine. Source
The Netherlands: The Dutch opposition party Democrats 66 (D66) considers it unacceptable that, for the time being, same sex marriages won't be allowed on the BES islands Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. Source
USA: The Unitarian Universalist Church is running google ads in support of gay marriage and welcoming gay and lesbian couples. Source
USA, Illinois: In Evanston, 400 people protested a $9,999 donation that Cinemark CEO Alan Stock made to the Yes on 8 campaign. Source
USA, Minnesota: Minnesota's gay community purposely moving slowly on gay marriage efforts. Source
11/25/08:
Australia: A sizeable crowd from attended a rally organised by the National Union of Students (NUS) in support of same-sex marriage on the steps of Melbourne's State Library last Saturday. Source
France: Nicolas Sarkozy won a solid 53% of the vote in the second round of the Presidential elections last May, after speaking out against gay marriage throughout his campaign. A 2006 Ipsos survey showed that 62% of French voters support gay marriage, while 37% were opposed, but passage seems unlikely for now. Source
Sweden: Legislation to be introduced shortly seeks to make Sweden the seventh country to legalize gay marriage. Source
USA: Christine Quinn, the first female New York City Council Speaker and possible mayoral candidate, is under consideration to replace Hilary Clinton in the US Senate when Clinton becomes Secretary of State. Quinn is an out lesbian. Source
USA, California:
--Richard Raddon, the director of the Los Angeles Film Festival who has been at the center of controversy ever since it was revealed almost two weeks ago that he had contributed $1,500 to the campaign to ban gay marriage in California, resigned from his post over the weekend. Source
--California officials will look into accusations that the Mormon church didn't report many contributions to support a state ballot measure that bans same-sex marriage. Source
USA, Florida: A Miami-Dade circuit judge decided Tuesday that a Florida man's sexual orientation should not preclude him from adopting his two foster children, effectively ruling unconstitutional a decades-old state law barring gays and lesbians from adopting children. Source
USA, New York: An upstate New York county has decided not to challenge an appeals court ruling in February declaring that a lesbian couple's marriage in Canada should be recognized in New York. Source
11/26/08:
Australia: The Australian senate has passed legislation giving same-sex couples the same rights as straight heterosexual couples. Source
Canada: A marriage commissioner is suing the Saskatchewan government after being fined $2,500 for refusing to marry a gay couple. Source
Nepal: After a supreme court ruling, a committee will be formed to recommendations, about implementing civil unions or gay marriage in Nepal. Source
USA:
--an anonymous source within the Obama camp tells the Washington Blade that no decision has been made either way on whether to delay the reversal of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy on gays in the military. Source
--The fight for gay marriage rights has a new symbol - a white ribbon tied in a knot. Source
USA, California:
--Lassen's Health Food Store in Ventura is being boycotted after it became public that store owner Peter Lassen donated $27,500 to support Prop 8. Source
--Gay rights leaders hope to build a $1-million war chest to defend any judge threatened with recall for ruling in favor of gay marriage. Source
USA, Iowa: A poll indicates that nearly 60% percent of Iowans support some form of legal recognition for same-sex couples, with 28% supporting gay marriage, 30% opposing gay marriage but favoring civil unions, and 32% opposing both. Source
USA, Oklahoma: After a hearing Tuesday, Special District Judge Robert Perugino said he was unable to grant the relief requested by Cait O'Darling, the second judge to do so. Source
11/27/08:
An unprecedented declaration against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity will be presented to the United Nations General Assembly in mid-December. Source
USA, California: A coalition of labor leaders and supporters of same-sex marriage renewed its boycott of Douglas Manchester's properties at an evening rally that drew more than 100 people. Source
11/28/08:
USA, Arizona: Supporters of gay marriage were out in force when Christmas displays were lit Friday night at an LDS Church temple in Mesa. Source
USA, California: A lesbian couple is marching 450 miles starting from West Hollywood Park to the California Supreme Court in San Francisco to protest Prop 8. Source
USA, Colorado: Gay-rights activists plan to protest a Boulder Cinemark theater because the theater's chief executive supported a California ban on same-sex marriages. Source
USA, Connecticut: State Comptroller Nancy Wyman notified the heads of all state agencies on Friday that benefits for state-employees with unmarried same sex partners will cease on Nov. 30, 2009, unless the partners marry or enter into a civil union. Source
USA, Georgia:
--Jim Martin, in a run-off for the Senate seat currently held by Saxby Chambliss, has received support from two national gay political groups - the Human Rights Campaign and the Stonewall Democrats. Source
--Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Ward Sear: "Marriage is what it is right now, Nov. 20, 2008,"she said. "I would hope that if the definition of marriage is ever expanded, that people would want strong same-sex marriages."Source
USA, Utah: Park City Mayor Dana Williams says gays are welcome in Park City. Source
USA, Washington DC: Black gay activists in Washington have expressed concern that advocates for legislation to legalize same-sex marriage in the city have not developed a strategy for winning support from black residents, who make up 56.5 percent of the D.C. population. Source
11/29/08:
USA: Anti-gay marriage groups alarmed at the election of a gay-affirming president are readying their forces and shoring up their defenses to protect the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Source
USA, California: A new SurveyUSA poll found that 8% off those who voted for the measure to ban gay marriage in California have changed their minds and would now vote no, enough to have defeated the ballot measure. Source
USA, New Hampshire: Portsmouth Democrat Jim Splaine, the legislator who sponsored New Hampshire's civil union bill will push next year to legalize same-sex marriage. Source
USA, Utah: Officials in Draper are considering an ordinance to set up a "free speech zone" near a new Mormon temple as a means of restricting protests. Source
USA, New York: Democrats now in the majority of the state senate for the first time in over forty years appear to be preparing to stall on voting to legalize gay marriage, a big issue that helped push them over the top this election year. Source
