Via JMG: Maryland Marriage Reactions

National Gay & Lesbian Task Force

Maryland and marriage equality will certainly make a lovely couple. Maryland is the Free State, after all. To be able to share and celebrate one's love and commitment both publicly and legally is a lifelong dream for thousands of same-sex couples and their families. It’s thrilling that Maryland is poised to make this a reality by becoming the latest state to treat its families fairly. This has been a long journey of changing hearts and minds, of breaking down walls, of shining a spotlight on our common humanity. Congratulations to Equality Maryland, Marylanders for Marriage Equality and all those who have been part of the journey leading to this victory.

Human Rights Campaign

"We could not be more grateful to the senators who today voted to make all Maryland families stronger,” said Joe Solmonese, President of the Human Rights Campaign. “Today, we took another giant step toward marriage equality becoming law – and we are in this position due to the unwavering leadership and resolve of Governor O’Malley and our legislative allies, particularly Sens. Rich Madaleno, Jamie Raskin, Rob Garagiola, and Brian Frosh.” Virtually any piece of legislation, according to Maryland law, can be subject to a referendum where voters cast a ballot supporting or opposing the legislation. Opponents of marriage equality are expected to begin obtaining the requisite signatures necessary to refer the Civil Marriage Protection Act to the general election ballot.

National Center For Lesbian Rights

Today, Marylanders won a key victory in the quest for equality under the law for same-sex couples and their children. Enormous thanks are due to Governor O’Malley, our legislative champions in the House and Senate, and all those who came forward to explain why discrimination against families in Maryland’s marriage law is just plain wrong. This fight is not yet over in the Free State, but today, we celebrate this fantastic achievement.

Marriage Equality USA

"Since Governor O'Malley has championed this bill and already said he will sign the bill into law, today's historic vote means marriage equality in Maryland!" said Stuart Gaffney, Marriage Equality USA Media Director. "We are encouraged by reports that former Vice President Dick Cheney made calls to lobby Maryland legislators to support the bill. Supporting his lesbian daughter Mary illustrates the true meaning of family values across party lines." "We are seeing unstoppable momentum for equal marriage rights from every avenue," said John Lewis, Marriage Equality USA Legal Director.

AFER

Today’s vote by the Maryland General Assembly shows that the momentum toward marriage equality is unstoppable. Generations of Americans will applaud Governor Martin O’Malley and the bipartisan coalition of Maryland lawmakers for joining the courts and legislatures nationwide in defending the fundamental freedom to marry for all.”

More as they arrive...

Labels: AFER, HRC, Maryland, NCLR, NGLTF

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Via JMG: MD Gov. Martin O'Malley Reacts

"I'd like to thank Senate President Miller for his leadership and our legislators in the Senate for their hard work and their vote today for human dignity. All children deserve the opportunity to live in a loving, caring, committed, and stable home, protected equally under the law. The common thread running through our efforts together in Maryland is the thread of human dignity; the dignity of work, the dignity of faith, the dignity of family, the dignity of every individual. Thanks to our elected leaders, clergy and faith-based leaders, community leaders, civic organizations, civil rights groups, and citizens from across our state, Maryland will now be able to protect individual civil marriage rights and religious freedom equally." - Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley.

Labels: marriage equality, Martin O'Malley, Maryland

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Via JMG: Boehner Appeals Latest DOMA Ruling

On Wednesday a federal court struck down Section 3 of DOMA as unconstitutional. Today GOP House Speaker John Boehner ordered that ruling appealed.

In court papers, a group of congressional Republicans defending the federal gay marriage ban revealed they are appealing the ruling to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The 9th Circuit will become the second federal appeals court to now consider the legality of the Defense of Marriage Act, a 16-year-old law known as DOMA. The Obama administration has sided with Golinski in the case, arguing that DOMA is unconstitutional. Republicans, led by House Speaker John Boehner, have jumped in to defend the law, filing the notice of appeal on Friday. With cases unfolding in several federal courts, many experts predict the issue will wind up in the U.S. Supreme Court.

RELATED: Helping to raise money for Boehner's reelection campaign are Log Cabin Republicans head R. Clark Cooper and former RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman, two out gay alleged activists who will co-chair Boehner's high-ticket Washington DC soiree.

Labels: DOMA, feds, GOP, LGBT rights, marriage equality, Ninth Circuit Court., U.S. House

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Outtakes from Ellen's JCPenney Commercials!

Via Towleroad: Teen Tells Mom 'I'm Gay', Posts Entire Event to YouTube: VIDEO

YouTuber Mallow610 came out to his mother and posted it online. The must-watch video of the day. Those of you who have been through this process can relate to the nervousness beforehand (I know I can). We should all be so lucky to have a parent like this.

He writes:

"Finally got the strength to come out to my mom. My Mom has been extremely supportive. I could not ask for anyone else. Love you :) Every circumstance is different and you will know when the right time to come out is. Stay strong. Babz and I are here for you. :) Note: I decided to post this so that I could share my experience with you. Hopefully it will be an inspiration to those who do not have such supportive families."

When she says, "I am a great mom," she's absolutely right. Congratulations Mallow610.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/2012/02/momimgay.html#ixzz1nJ1Ygzgf

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma February 24, 2012

Awakening to Direct Experience

The work of Buddhism is to awaken, to come out of the sleepy dreams and notions of reality that we hold to be true and replace them with a direct experience of what is more accurately occurring. To awaken in this way, we need to become conscious of what’s actually going on at the very depths of our experience.

- Will Johnson, "Full Body, Empty Mind"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

Via JMG: Santorum: No Civil Unions Either

Rick Santorum says he opposes civil unions too.

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum, a vocal opponent of gay marriage, said today he opposes civil unions, too. In response to a question by Dean Reynolds for the "CBS Evening News," the former Pennsylvania senator said same-sex couples should work through the legal system to obtain rights similar to those enjoyed by legally married couples. "I believe in people's right to be able to contract for whatever benefits that they have," Santorum told Reynolds. "I believe in freedom of contract and people should be able to contract for hospitalization visits, being able to take insurance policies or life insurance," he added. "And I've encouraged folks if they want to build those relationships to do that."

I can't see why this is surprising or even news.

Labels: civil unions, GOP, Rick Santorum

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Via JMG: Ten House Reps Pose For NOH8

Ten members of the U.S. House have posed for the NOH8 Campaign.

"Our nation was founded upon the principle of equality. It is imperative that we work for equal rights for all in order to make that principle a reality. Love isn't gay or straight, tall or short, black or white, it is for everyone," said Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio's 10th District.

Hit the link for more photos and a way to ask your rep to participate.

Labels: LGBT rights, NOH8, U.S. House

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JMG Tweet Of The Day

Buzzfeed notes that Romney actually got the quote wrong.

Labels: Mitt Romney, Seinfeld, tweet of the day

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Bully - A MUST SEE OFFICIAL LATEST 2012 HD MOVIE DOC Trailer

Via SPLC and Addicting Info:

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/02/22/its-not-the-lgbt-people-who-need-the-reparative-therapy/

Via AmericaBlogGay: Former GOP Senator Alan Simpson calls Santorum homophobic

Sure, he got the grammar wrong, but his heart was in the right place.

Former Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wy.) weighed in on the Republican presidential primary on Wednesday, calling Rick Santorum "rigid and a homophobic."

In an interview with CBS News' Bob Schieffer, Simpson faulted the Republican field for making issues like same-sex marriage and reproductive rights central to their platforms, warning that they would lose favor with voters if the conversation does not change.

"I am convinced that if you get into these social issues and just stay in there about abortion and homosexuality and even mental health they bring up, somehow they're going to take us all to Alaska and float us out in the Bering Sea or something," said Simpson, long known for colorful commentary. "We won't have a prayer."

Via AmericaBlogGay:

Bush appointee strikes down DOMA in Golinski case 

Via ThinkProgress and GinnyLaRoe (and here's the PDF of the decision): 

If we lived in Iran, we wouldn't have to worry about all these judges giving people their civil rights.  Who gave them the power to decide these cases anyway?  Oh yeah, that's right, the Founding Fathers and the United States Constitution.  At their core, Republicans and their religious right overlords simply don't like our system of government because when the system is fair and honest and open, conservatives tend to lose, at least the dishonest ones that currently run the GOP do.  It's the same reason they, along with their propaganda arm at Fox, are trying to destroy the US media.  Anything that keeps the system fair keeps them from winning.

Never forget: When Republicans attack judges they are attacking our democracy and arguing that the Framers got it wrong.

More from Geidner.

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma February 23, 2012

The Power of Observation

Although meditation is not thinking, it can be clear awareness of thinking. Thought can be a very useful object of meditation. We can turn the great power of observation onto thought in order to learn about its inherent nature, becoming aware of its process instead of getting lost in its content.

- Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein, "Working with Thoughts"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

Via JMG: BREAKING: Federal Judge Rules Section 3 Of DOMA Unconstitutional

Chris Geidner reports at Metro Weekly:

Today, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued its order finding that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act -- the federal definition of marriage -- is unconstitutional in Golinski v. Office of Personnel Management, Karen Golinski's challenge to the denial of her request for equal health insurance benefits for her wife. Golinski, a federal court employee, brought suit after her request was denied. She is represented by Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund. Because President Obama and the Department of Justice have stopped defending Section 3 of DOMA in court challenges, the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group -- led by House Republican leadership -- had opposed Golinski's request in court.

Via press release from Lambda Legal:

"This ruling, the first to come after the Justice Department announced it would no longer defend this discriminatory statute in court, spells doom for DOMA," said Tara Borelli, staff attorney in Lambda Legal's Western Regional Office in Los Angeles. "The Court recognized the clear fact that a law that denies one class of individuals the rights and benefits available to all others because of their sexual orientation violates the constitutional guarantee of equality embodied in the Fifth Amendment. The Court agreed with us that sexual orientation discrimination by the government should receive heightened scrutiny under the constitution. It then concluded that DOMA could not meet that standard, and that there was not even a rational justification to deny Karen Golinski the same spousal health care benefits that her heterosexual co-workers receive."

View the ruling.

Politico has more.

White's 43-page decision is similar to a ruling from a federal judge in Massachusetts in 2010, who also struck down an aspect of DOMA. In White's ruling, he also gave an unusual back of the hand to the Chief Judge of the Ninth Circuit, Alex Kozinski, who ruled at an earlier administrative stage of the dispute that federal personnel managers had authority to cover Golinski's spouse as a non-spousal member of her family. White called that reasoning "unpersuasive."

Labels: DOMA, feds, Lambda Legal, marriage equality

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Via JMG: All Dead Mormons Are Now Gay

 

Go make some conversions. (Tipped by JMG reader Rick)

 

Labels: baptism, homosexuality, Mormons, silliness

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Hot Topics: The "Don't Say Gay" Bill

Via Christians Tired of Being Misrepresented // The Christian Left:

Via MG: Washington State Marriage Poll

Encouraging. But don't forget the Bradley Effect.

Labels: marriage equality, polls, Washington state

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