via Empire State Pride Agenda

The New York State Legislature has just unanimously passed a bill that allows domestic partners – including same-sex couples – access to the protections granted by Family Court. The bill is now expected to be signed into law by Governor Paterson, and as soon as it is, it will enable Family Court to give civil orders of protection to all victims of domestic violence, including unmarried committed couples and those in dating relationships.

This victory means that same-sex partners who were previously blocked from the Family Court because they didn’t have the ability to get married will now have equal access to protection from domestic violence.

Until now, New York has been one of the last states in the nation to protect same-sex couples against domestic violence. The Family Court access bill (S.8665/A.11707) gives access to important domestic violence protections, without a person having to initiate criminal court proceedings. These protections can involve, among other things, removing an abuser from the home and the use of social services to address the situation.

This long-overdue law has been in the works for two decades and has been passed by the Assembly by wide, bipartisan votes for many years, but this marks the first time that it has ever reached a floor vote in the Senate.

Now it’s time to thank your Senator and Assemblymember for passing the Family Court access bill. To find your Senator and Assemblymember, click here. Call them and tell them thank you for supporting S.8665 / A.11701 and extending protections to all New Yorkers – including same-sex couples – against domestic violence.

WELL! We all think that this is the cutest ad in a long time.

It seems that Heinz got 202 complaints about the fact that the spot features two kids leaving for school and two men kissing (!!!!). You should note that the kiss happened after the kids left the room for school.

You watch it and tell us what YOU think!

In honor of LGBT Pride Month- a look at activism in the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community around the world. Created for Fight OUT Loud.

Category: Nonprofits & Activism
Tags:
activism LGBT gay Fight OUT Loud Pride grassroots outreach public service announcements

via The Gay & Lesbian Times

OROVILLE, Calif. (AP) – Couples can no longer tie the knot at the clerk’s office in Butte County.
Butte County Clerk Candace Grubbs says the county can’t afford to continue performing wedding ceremonies. About 200 couples a year marry at the clerk’s office.

Grubbs said her decision has nothing to do with the California Supreme Court’s ruling last month legalizing gay marriage. The state has directed county clerks to start using new gender-neutral marriage licenses once the ruling becomes final at 5 p.m. on June 16.

That prompted clerks in Kern and Merced counties to announce they will no longer preside over any wedding ceremonies.

Grubbs says Butte County will continue to issue marriage licenses, but will not perform ceremonies.

One of our happy wedding topper couples has been getting a lot of media attention this week!
They were the first couple to be wed in San Diego!!

Congratulations Bob and Tom!!

With only a few days to assure that the toppers made it in time for the event, One of Bob’s relatives called in a panic… concerned that they wouldn’t get there in time. She had two pairs of our marvelous Renellie Cake Toppers shipped to them, which we processed, picked and shipped that same day. One for another couple getting married that day.

Proudly representing Renellie Cake Top Figurines for nearly two years, we were thrilled to make it happen! In fact, they arrived a day or two EARLY!

We figure the customer was happy too! She sent this in an e-mail:
Hello,

“I would just like to tell you how wonderful your representative Marcinho at your
New Jersey office is. He was so helpful and so positive. I had a very stressful task of getting 4 cake toppers for a wedding 3 business days away (they just started planning a week ago), and Marcinho helped me guarantee that the crucial cake toppers order went through on the very same day. I cannot rave enough about the lovely personality and fast, efficient skills of this representative. He deserves a raise!

Yours in San Diego,
Erin Lehman”

Congratulations gentlemen! Thank you for your order, your courage, your pride and your example. May you have a marvelous MARRIED life together!

You can read about this wonderful couple:

Military’s policy stays unchanged
‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ doesn’t allow nuptials
By Steve Liewer STAFF WRITER; San Diego Uion-Tribune
Photo Credit: NANCEE E. LEWIS / Union-Tribune

At 7 a.m. today, former Marine Bob Lehman and Tom Felkner will be among the first gay couples to exchange vows at the downtown county building, cementing their 15-year relationship with the bonds of marriage.

There’s little chance the corpsman will marry his partner, who also is in the military, any time soon because of the government’s policy barring gay and lesbian service members from serving openly.

For now, “don’t ask, don’t tell” trumps “I do.”

by Robert Schwaneberg/The Star-Ledger
Wednesday June 18, 2008, 3:37 PM

New Jersey could boost its economy by more than half a billion dollars over the next three years by promptly legalizing same-sex marriage, a California law professor told a state commission today. Brad Sears, executive director of the Williams Institiute at UCLA School of Law, said gay weddings alone would pump $248 million into New Jersey’s economy under a “very conservative” economic analysis. He said additional spending on gifts, overnight hotel stays by visiting friends and other items could boost the total to “a half billion dollars plus” over the next three years.

Sears testified before the New Jersey Civil Union Review Commission, which is exploring the economic impact of legalizing gay marriage. He said that by legalizing only civil unions for same-sex couples, New Jersey had incurred “all the costs without getting the main benefit” — spending on wedding celebrations.

Last year the New York City Comptroller’s Office calculated that allowing gays to marry would boost that city’s economy by $142 million in the three years following legalization. That analysis found gay marriage would cost New York City employers $33 million in health insurance premiums for same-sex spouses, but that would be more than offset by spending on weddings.

It calculated those weddings — many among same-sex couples from New Jersey and other states traveling to the Empire State to wed, would pump $175 million into New York City’s economy. John Tomicki, chairman of the N.J. Coalition to preserve and protect marriage, said that argument could justify polygamy.

“To take that reasoning further you should be able to marry 10 people at a time and that would cause even larger receptions,” Tomicki said. “The logic is rather silly.”

Same-sex weddings start with union of elderly San Francisco couple
Marisa Lagos, Rachel Gordon, Chris Heredia,Jill Tucker, Chronicle Staff Writers
Monday, June 16, 2008

(06-16) 18:33 PDT SAN FRANCISCO — Cheers filled San Francisco’s City Hall shortly after 5 p.m. as longtime lesbian activists Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, partners for more than 50 years, began their second wedding – and their first legal
union.
Photo by Noah Berger, special to the Chronicle

Mayor Gavin Newsom, who officiated the ceremony in the reception area of his office, said it was a fitting way to memorialize last month’s state Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage in California, which took effect at 5:01 p.m.

Lyon, 83, and Martin, 87, were the first couple married four years ago when Newsom told the county clerk’s office to start offering marriage certificates to same-sex couples. Eventually more than 4,000 same-sex couples were married in San Francisco that year, but those unions were later nullified by the court. Today, the couple, and dozens of others, had their first chance to make their unions truly legal.

In at least five counties around the state, other couples were pronounced “spouses for life” once the clock chimed 5.

Continue at the (source)

Editor’s Note: Congratulations from our CEO, MW Savant-

“Congratulations ladies!!! From your work in creating and leading Daughters of Billitis , to your marriage the first time that February… we offer you our most sincere thanks and gratitude for every step you urged, each life you’ve touched, every person you’ve inspired and every difference you’ve made for the entire GLBT community! Thank you for what you have done for marriage equality and for all you do and have done for the GLBTI-family! May you have many happy times as a legally married couple! Congratulations!!!!!!!

-MWS”

By Rong-Gong Lin II, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers

With gay marriage set to begin in California on Monday, The Times is answering readers’ questions on the subject. You can submit questions at ron.lin@latimes.com. Check out full coverage of the debate about the gay marriage issue at latimes.com/gaymarriage.
Also available: The Times’ gay marriage page on Facebook.

Here is a sampling of questions:
What will civil marriage commissioners say when giving the wedding vows? Here’s the wording recommendation from the County Clerks Assn. of California: “By virtue of the authority vested in me, as a Deputy Commissioner of Marriages for the County of XXX, I now pronounce this couple united in marriage under the laws of the state of California.

“My partner and I had a civil union in Vermont. Can we get married in California now?Yes. If you are unmarried, you may get married in California.

Where can I apply for a marriage license?Both would-be spouses must appear in person at a county clerk’s office with photo identification and cash, check, or money order to pay for the license fees and, if desired, a ceremony.

Here’s the process for counties in Southern California:

by Laura Kiritsy, Editor-in-chief Thursday Jun 12, 2008

Editor’s Note: This is the first time that Katherine Patrick has spoken to the media about being an out lesbian and the support she has received from her parents, Gov. Deval Patrick and First Lady Diane Patrick.

Photo: Marilyn Humphries

On June 14, 2007, the day that lawmakers finally voted down an anti-gay marriage amendment to the state constitution, Katherine Patrick stood outside the State House and looked up at her father.

Gov. Deval Patrick was standing on the front steps, surrounded by a jubilant crowd of hundreds that mobbed the brick sidewalk and spilled halfway across Beacon Street. As they cheered the defeat of the amendment – an effort led by the governor, Senate President Therese Murray and House Speaker Sal DiMasi – Katherine had never before felt more proud of her father.

“Because, of course, he didn’t know that I was gay then,” the 18-year-old recalls. “So, for someone so publicly to fight for something that doesn’t even affect him was just like, ’That’s my dad,’ you know?” she says with a laugh.

“That’s all I could think. I was very, very proud to be part of this family, and this state in general.”"It was great. I’m very glad,” she adds, looking at her father. “Don’t cry, Dad.” Patrick’s eyes are brimming with tears, prompting some good-natured teasing from his daughter. “He’s done some good things,” she says with a laugh, patting his arm. “I appreciate it. Want a tissue? Oh, God. He’s a crier.”

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