On Disney's wedding blog today, a lovely recounting of a same-sex romance. Aaand here come calls for a boycott!
Buzzfeed has a fantastic collection of gay couples photographed moments after being married yesterday.
Joe writes:
With the magnificent Niagara Falls as a backdrop, early this morning two lesbian activists became the first same-sex couple to legally marry in New York. Against a cascade of rainbow-colored falls, and with cicadas humming in the background, Kitty Lambert and Cheryle Rudd married at the first possible moment in Niagara Falls. After a bell tolled 12 times to ring in the new day, Ms. Lambert, 54, and Ms. Rudd, 53, held hands and kissed in front of more than 100 friends and family members.
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Norwegian authorities are holding a man described as a "Christian fundamentalist" in connection with yesterday's terrorist attack on a youth camp. At least 91 people were killed. The police said they did not know if the man, identified by the Norwegian media as Anders Behring Breivik, was part of a larger conspiracy. He is being questioned under the country’s terrorism laws, police said, and is cooperating with the investigation of the attacks, the deadliest on Norwegian soil since World War II. “We are not sure whether he was alone or had help,” a police official, Roger Andresen, said at a televised news conference, adding: “What we know is that he is right-wing and a Christian fundamentalist.” So far Mr. Breivik has not been linked to any anti-jihadist groups, he said.
Yesterday Texas Gov. Rick Perry said that he considered same-sex marriage to be a states' right issue and that he has no problem with New York's move to legalize it. Perry, who has been weighing a presidential run, said he opposes gay marriage — but that he's also a firm believer of the 10th Amendment. "Our friends in New York six weeks ago passed a statute that said marriage can be between two people of the same sex. And you know what? That's New York, and that's their business, and that's fine with me," he said to applause from several hundred GOP donors in Aspen, Colo. "That is their call. If you believe in the 10th Amendment, stay out of their business."Perry is expected to formally announce his presidential run by summer's end.
The latest Quinnipiac poll:Not so long ago, they’d have despaired at a slim margin like that. But with poll over poll over poll showing majority support for marriage equality, these numbers are the happiest news they can find.
Would you support or oppose a law in your state that would allow same-sex couples to get married?
Oppose: 48%
Support: 46%
Don’t Know/NA: 6%
Among Republicans:
Oppose: 72%
Support: 24%
Don’t Know/NA: 4%
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| Republicans/SSM | April 2009 | July 2011 |
| Oppose | 80% | 72% |
| Support | 17% | 24% |
| Don’t Know/NA | 2% | 4% |
| Federal SSM Recognition? | April 2009 | July 2011 |
| Oppose | 39% | 34% |
| Support | 54% | 59% |
| Don’t Know/NA | 6% | 7% |
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| Daniel -- Today, President Obama and our military service chiefs certified the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." In 60 days, it will be done. This is huge and welcome news for every one of us who opposes discrimination of any kind. But now, the fight for equal rights moves on. Here's the next front: This week the President endorsed a bill to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, a discriminatory law that forces the federal government to ignore the rights of those in same-sex marriages, even those performed in states where gay marriage is legal. The New York Times has said it "ranks with the most overtly discriminatory laws in the nation's history." President Obama sees repeal as a moral and legal necessity, while the Republican candidates oppose it. But millions of people -- gay and straight -- are watching what they're doing, want this law gone, and will make their voices heard. Can you be one of them? We're putting together the group of people who want to be at the forefront of our efforts on this issue as the campaign develops over the next 16 months -- the first to know when news breaks, and the first to help spread the word to your friends and in your community. Join us for what's next: http://my.barackobama.com/ Under DOMA, rights afforded to straight married couples -- such as receiving Social Security benefits for spouses or filing joint federal income-tax returns -- do not apply to same-sex married couples. It's no secret that the President has long opposed this law. In February, he directed the Justice Department to stop defending a key portion of it in court. And this week, he endorsed the first Senate bill that would repeal the law in its entirety. We can already see the direction the other side is headed in response. They called a witness at the Senate hearings this week to testify that repealing DOMA would "pave the way for polygamous and other polyamorous unions." That's the type of rhetoric we should be prepared to hear in the run-up to the next election. But the broad American consensus is on our side. We've all seen that change in Washington doesn't come overnight, and fighting for it can carry significant political risks. When opportunities to make real progress come up, it's critical to show Washington that millions of voters have President Obama's back. This is a defining issue for many of us in this movement, and for this President. Join this fight today: http://my.barackobama.com/ Thanks for your help, Messina Jim Messina Campaign Manager Obama for America |
U.S. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) indicated on Thursday he wouldn’t bring to a vote before the House legislation pending before Congress that would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.
Asked by the Washington Blade if he’s be open to bringing the measure to a floor vote, Boehner replied, ”Congress has acted on this issue some number of years ago, and I think that the Congress acted on [it] in a bi-partisan way. It is the law of the land and should remain the law of the land.”
