All Entries Tagged With: "marriage equality"
Delaware Senate Approves Marriage Equality (Updated)
State will be 11th state to allow equal marriage for same-sex couples By: Lisa Keen/Keen News Service— Just minutes before the Delaware Senate was set to vote on its marriage equality bill, a Democrat senator who had been quiet about how she would vote announced on her Facebook page that she would vote yes. The [...]
With Rhode Island, 50 Million Americans Will Now Live in Marriage Equality States
Gov. Lincoln Chafee to immediately sign the bill at historic ceremony on steps of State Capitol WASHINGTON – Yesterday the Rhode Island state House passed marriage equality legislation, putting the Ocean State on track to become the tenth state in America where gay and lesbian couples can legally marry. The legislation, which passed with bipartisan support, will [...]
Transgender Rights Are the Key to the Future for us All
By: Deja Nicole Greenlaw*/TRT Columnist– Fighting for transgender peoples’ rights is fighting for the rights of everyone. For every gain that we transgender people make, the world gets a little better. Not convinced? Then please read on. Let’s get right to the current, big issue — public accommodations. First of all, it’s kind of silly [...]
Gayborhood News: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
By: Emily Scagel/TRT Assistant Editor– Boston, MA Trans nondiscrimination policy approved in public school district The Medford School Committee has approved a new gender identity nondiscrimination policy for Medford Public Schools. The new policy is based on guidelines from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in response to the law passed in 2011 [...]
Rhode Island Marriage Clears Final Hurdle
By: Lisa Keen/Keen News Services– PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island – After a moving speech by a senator who described herself as a devout Catholic but said she would support marriage equality, the Rhode Island Senate Wednesday afternoon (April 24) voted 26 to 12 to approve a bill allowing same-sex couples to marry in the state. The Senate [...]
GLAD Applauds R.I. Senate Committee Vote on Marriage for Same-sex Couples
Ocean State poised to become 10th marriage equality state, final New England state BOSTON, Mass. — Today, in a bipartisan vote of 7 to 4, Rhode Island’s Senate Judiciary Committee voted to send legislation to allow same-sex couples to marry to the full Senate. The Senate will soon debate and vote on the marriage bill. “We’re grateful [...]
Thinking Out Loud: Waiting for History, What Court Decision will Mean for Equality
By: Abby Dees*/Special to TRT– This week, as the Supreme Court considers the constitutionality of Prop 8 and DOMA, I’ve heard the following question a lot: “Do you think they’re going to legalize same-sex marriage or strike it down?” My answer is, “Neither.” There is so much nuance in these cases having to do with [...]
Tax Day Reminds LGBT Americans of Second-Class Citizenship
Tax Day is less than a week away, standing as a glaring reminder to LGBT Americans of their current state of second-class citizenship. Under the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act, LGBT Americans face an unequal tax burden that costs the community millions of dollars each year. As the country await the Supreme Court’s opinion in [...]
Rhode Island Faith Community Speaks Out for Marriage Equality
By: Amelia Nugent/HRC Rhode Island Faith Organizer– Yesterday faith leaders from across the state and country congregated in Providence, Rhode Island to speak out about the important of marriage equality for all families. The President of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), Rev. Peter Morales, and the General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ [...]
2 More Democratic Senators Support Marriage Equality; 4 Left to Go
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Two democratic U.S. Senators announced their support for marriage equality today, according to reports from the Human Rights Campaign, HRC. U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN) announced his support via his Facebook page. He wrote: “In recent years, our country has been involved in an important discussion on the issue of marriage equality. [...]
Hate the Sin, Not the Sinner, or so They Say
By: Nicole Lashomb*/Editor-in-Chief– In modern politics where the conservative movement is losing ground as the country moves in favor of supporting LGBT rights, the rhetoric of such Conservatives has become more than manipulative and is consistent of falsely reversed victimization. Somehow, although these anti-equality Conservatives have equal rights under the law and no one attempts [...]
DOMA on the Ropes: Will the Supreme Court Deliver the Knockout Punch?
By: Bernadette Stark, Esq.*/Special to TRT– The country has been riveted this week as the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two cases directly affecting LGBT individuals and families. At stake is federal recognition for same-sex marriages, as well as whether or not California will be the 10th state (plus the District of Columbia) [...]
Last 8 Democratic Senators Urged to Support Marriage Equality
WASHINGTON, DC - MoveOn.org members from Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, West Virginia, South Dakota, North Dakota, Louisiana and Delaware are leading campaigns to urge their senators not to be the last Democrat to come out in support of marriage equality. Only eight Democratic senators have yet to support the freedom to marry for all couples. Yesterday, [...]
High Court on DOMA: Exclusion and Animus, Blame on Obama
By: Lisa Keen/Keen News Service– Today’s argument in the U.S. Supreme Court over the Defense of Marriage Act sounded at times as if President Obama was on trial for enforcing the law even though he considers it unconstitutional. At other times, it sounded like Congress was on trial, for attempting to cloak its moral disapproval [...]
Are These the Last Days of DOMA?
By: Chris Ott*/Special to TRT– BOSTON, Mass. –On March 27, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Windsor v. U.S., a case that could determine how quickly our country ends discrimination against lesbian and gay couples. ACLU client Edie Windsor is challenging the misnamed “Defense” of Marriage Act (DOMA). Because of DOMA, Edie was [...]
