March 24, 2009   9:47 PM ET

Gainesville, Florida: NCTE congratulates the wonderful advocates at Equality is Gainesville’s Business who organized and executed a highly professional and effective campaign to counter yet another organized anti-LGBT fear mongering effort.  With 100% of the city ballots counted, the discriminatory Charter Amendment One has been soundly defeated by a vote of 58% to 42%.

Charter Amendment 1 was an effort by national rightwing organizations to repeal the city’s new anti-discrimination law that would-and now will-allow gay, bi and transgender people to work and live based on their qualifications.

Equality has won.  Truth has won.  The LGBT-obsessed Right Wing Lie Machine has fallen way short again.

And residents of Gainesville and the amazing people at Equality is Gainesville’s Business ROCK.

————–

The National Center for Transgender Equality is a national social justice organization devoted to ending discrimination and violence against transgender people through education and advocacy on national issues of importance to transgender people. The National Center for Transgender Equality is a 501(c)3 organization.  For more information, please visit www.nctequality.org.

While we are not able to serve couples under the age of 21, we felt this young man had an interesting perspective on the topic.  Courageous, forthright and proud.  We wish him well in all his pursuits and thank him for being counted.

“…BIG Wedding…filled with family and friends…”?  Gorgeous and what we love to create!

(Well perfect little intimate ones too)

“…tacky…”, um… not so much!

Good job!

“If this ordinance were repealed, it would be perfectly legal in Gainesville to fire someone from a job, to kick someone out of rental housing, to deny someone service simply because the owner does not like the idea that someone is gay.”

Watch  the Senator’s Closing speech during the Vermont hearings yesterday on the marriage equality bill he submitted.

From Vermont Freedom to Marry:

“The Vermont Senate passed S.115 in its final vote this morning. You can watch Senator John Campbell’s speech from yesterday’s historic Senate debate online.

Please, please, please do not be lulled into complacency by our success in the Senate. We CANNOT take anything for granted. Many of them are hearing from opponents of marriage equality, and they absolutely need to hear from us.

The House Judiciary Committee takes up the bill this afternoon and is expected to hold hearings throughout the week. Click here to view the House Judiciary schedule. We encourage you to come.”

Sen. Campbell Speaks in favor of S.115 (WATCH)

Moments ago, the Pride Agenda released the following statement:

March 23, 2009—Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) today announced his support for marriage equality for same sex couples and for the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The announcement followed a meeting on Sunday evening in Manhattan, initiated by Senator Schumer, with a group of New York LGBT elected officials and leaders of the city’s largest LGBT organizations, including Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Alan Van Capelle.

“I want to thank Sen. Schumer for his support of marriage equality and the repeal of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act,” said Van Capelle. “Like a majority of New Yorkers, Sen. Schumer recognizes that only marriage equality provides same sex couples the status, protections and rights afforded to all other Americans. We look forward to working with him to win marriage equality in New York State and around the country.”

Van Capelle said that during the meeting, Schumer pledged his support to repeal DOMA and, in the interim, to work to provide federal recognition and portability of benefits to legally married same-sex couples.

Sen. Schumer is Vice Chair of the U.S. Senate’s Democratic Conference and the highest ranking member of the Senate to endorse marriage equality.

Among other topics discussed at the meeting were continued HIV and Ryan White Care Act funding, appointment of openly LGBT people to the federal bench, special issues facing LGBT youth and seniors, the U.S. Census, and passage of a trans-inclusive Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA) and hate crimes legislation.

Leslie Fulbright, San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Bethany Holden-Soto and her wife were planning a weekend getaway in Napa – until they found out the city council had just declined to pass a resolution in support of same-sex marriage.

“We want to take a trip with our tax return money and Napa seemed like a nice place,” said Holden-Soto, 28, of Modesto. “We like wine and we wanted to go somewhere gay friendly, where we wouldn’t have to worry and people wouldn’t care. Then I heard about the resolution and thought it might be a bad idea.”

On Tuesday, Napa City Councilman Mark van Gorder asked his colleagues to support a resolution saying the “city does not support discrimination and finds that all people regardless of gender should be able to enter into the legal contract of marriage.”

He was the only one who voted in favor. Three other council members did not vote, saying they were not comfortable taking a position on the issue. The vice mayor did not attend.

The council’s lack of support might reflect the position of a portion of its constituents – but not the majority. In the November election, 55 percent of voters opposed Proposition 8 and 44 percent voted in support, according to the registrar of voters.

“It’s really heartbreaking that even with the majority of voter support and two solid hours of public testimony in favor of the resolution, our elected officials refused to even vote,” said Deb Stallings, a Napa resident who married her partner in June. “Napa is a place that has a world-class reputation and we thought it would be cool to tell the world that we are a place where everyone is equal. It would have gone a long way to make us feel worthy.”

The controversy reflects the divide statewide over gay marriage – but in Napa, a boycott over the council’s lack of support could hurt the town’s many tourism-related businesses. Elsewhere in the Napa Valley, a St. Helena city councilmember is drafting his own resolution in favor of same-sex marriage.
Matter of opinion

Councilmember Peter Mott said he appreciated the passion on both sides of the issue, but he thinks it is outside the purview of city government.

“My personal opinion is that we shouldn’t be taking up social issues,” Mott said.

James Krider, a councilmember who uses a wheelchair and voted against a park project in the past because it wasn’t accessible, said he is familiar with discrimination but said a resolution supporting same-sex marriage would be discriminating against residents who supported Prop. 8.

“I feel like I have to represent everybody, if I discriminate against one, I discriminate against all,” he said.

Napa Mayor Jill Techel said the election results show how Napa residents feel about the issue – the town is divided but leans toward supporting same-sex marriage. “The voters let their feelings be known and I think that should be the message,” she said, rather than expressed in a council resolution.

Some cities in California, including Berkeley, San Francisco and Long Beach, have passed resolutions supporting same-sex marriage. Others are making plans.

A city councilmember in St. Helena said the Napa council’s rejection of the resolution inspired him to introduce a similar one at his next meeting.

“It is something that ought to be done,” said Eric Sklar, also the owner of a winery. “I think it is an important civil right, and I think that every city ought to take a stand.”
Dollars at stake

Holden-Soto, the Modesto woman, wrote to each of the councilmembers expressing her dismay with their decision not to support the resolution.

“I have concerns that your actions indicate that Napa is not a place where gay people are welcome to visit or spend their vacation dollars,” wrote Holden-Soto.

Vice Mayor Juliana Inman wrote back, thanking Holden-Soto for her note and saying, “I do hope that you find a suitable location for your getaway.”

Holden-Soto said she was shocked to read the response. “It was like she didn’t care.”

Inman, who recently had surgery and didn’t attend the meeting, said she didn’t know of any cities in Napa County that had approved such a resolution, so she didn’t understand why Holden-Soto was so upset.

“If it is important for her to have a getaway in a place that has supported this resolution, then she should find one, and that’s where she should go,” the vice mayor said in a phone interview, noting the majority of Napa residents opposed Prop. 8. “I’m sorry she feels that way, but if you look at election results, I don’t think you will see there is a lack of support for gay marriage.”

Holden-Soto also wrote to several Napa bed and breakfast hotels telling them how she felt.

“They assured me that the council doesn’t represent them and they are gay friendly. I’m kind of torn. I don’t want to do business with the city, but I don’t think the inns should be punished.”

E-mail

at lfulbright@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page B – 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Last Updated (Friday, 20 March 2009 10:04)

Written by Out In Jersey Friday, 20 March 2009 09:59

“I’m a Democrat and I’m straight and I believe in marriage equality,” said New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine at the Garden State Equality (GSE) Legends Dinner in February. “If we work together, 2009 will be the year when I will take this pen out of my pocket and we will sign the marriage equality bill.” This is Corzine’s newest and strongest statement this year. It had to be. The pressure is on if he wants LGBT support this November.

Earlier in February, Corzine appeared in New York City at the Human Rights Campaign dinner where he spoke about Prop 8 in California and said, “I believe in marriage equality. New Jersey is going to reverse that, and we’re gong to move forward, and we’re going to have a happy governor signing the marriage equality bill when it gets to my desk.”

But when?

Back in the fall of 2007, he told LGBT journalists at Newark’s New Jersey Performing Arts Center that he would sign a marriage bill right after the November 2008 election. He cited a political concern that taking the matter up too early in 2008 could become a distraction in the national elections where he was an early supporter of Hillary Clinton for President. Thoughts of same-sex marriage becoming an election issue that the Republican Party opposition would have used against the Clinton campaign were shied away from. It was not a subject that appealed nationally to very many Democrats in last years elections. Of course, in California, Proposition 8 made it a national issue anyway.

New polling suggests that New Jersey is as ready for marriage equality as it has ever been. But bringing it before the State Senate and Assembly for legislative approval will ignite anti-gay opposition in a major way. As one local LGBT activist said at the GSE dinner, “Can we all imagine the massive amounts of lobbying and effort that will need to happen? Are our state and local LGBT organizations prepared for the kind of problems that California marriage equality advocates experienced in 2008?”

No political pundits in Trenton are predicting any action on the marriage equality bill before this November. In this usually blue state, the governor and the entire State Assembly are running for reelection. It is thought that the governor will have a very tough reelection race ahead of him. His popularity has been slipping since the state’s economic problems became widely known. His responses, although economically prudent thus far, have not been popular with his democratic base. The latest Fairleigh Dickinson University poll on March 4th suggests that Corzine is trailing in the race by 41-32 percent.

The winner of the Republican Gubernatorial primary, whether it is Chris Christie or someone else, is expected to run a very good race if you can believe early polling results. The anti-gay opposition is also very active in lobbying the slate of Republican candidates on the same-sex marriage issue to rally their base.

Christie has already stated that he opposes marriage equality but will support Civil Unions. Of course, he must support Civil Unions because the State Supreme Court made that the very least the Legislature could do and it is already law.

As November gets closer, most Democrats are still hopeful that they will rebound and be able to retain control of the state Assembly, and also re-elect Governor Jon Corzine. But there are no guarantees that New Jersey might not elect Republicans instead.

Garden State Equality chair Steven Goldstein got lots of kudos at the dinner for his lively speech, especially for this memorable line: “We’re tired of being fed Sweet and Low. We want Equal.” The dinner event guide and the Sponsor’s Journal both pointed out on their respective covers that New Jersey could receive an economic stimulus of at least $248-million if marriage equality became law in the Garden State. “Wake up and smell the money,” he said.

Goldstein implored the governor to, “Please listen to our pain, hear our struggles, feel us behind the civil union wall,” Then speaking directly to Corzine he said, “You’ve done great things, and you can do them again. Tear down the civil union wall. Tear down all the walls.”

Predicting a late 2009 marriage equality bill is very likely. Predicting whether or not it would get the votes needed is sketchy at best. If Corzine and the Dems rebound in the November election, the marriage equality bill could be considered in early December. If, however, the Republicans succeed in November and are ready to bring a new governor to West State Street in 2010, the Dems could still push a lame-duck bill through as a parting gift to their LGBT constituents. So maybe the real question shouldn’t be when, but what will happen then?

via OnTopMagazine

The Associated Press is reporting that a gay marriage bill has won unanimous approval by a Vermont House and Senate committee studying the issue.

After listening to a week’s worth of testimony, the committee approved 5-0 to advance the bill.

Leaders in both houses have enthusiastically endorsed the bill. Senate President Pro Temporate Peter Shumlin and House Speaker Shap Smith announced two weeks ago they would make the legislation a priority in the Legislature.

The bill – introduced by Representatives Mark Larson (Democrat) and David Zuckerman (Progressive) – grants gay and lesbian couples the right to marry in the first state to offer civil unions for gay couples in 2000.

Vermont Governor James Douglas opposes gay marriage, saying civil unions suffice, but has not indicated he would veto the bill. Many believe he would let the law take effect without his signature.

The bill now heads to the Senate where a full vote is expected next week. If passed, Vermont would become the first state to legislatively extend marriage to gay and lesbian couples. Gay marriage became available in Massachusetts, Connecticut and briefly in California as a result of state Supreme Court decisions.

Who doesn’t remember S’mores from Girl or Boy Scouts, summer camp and campfires? These perfectly palm-sized, custom decorated treats will certainly not be what a guest would expect. Savor the tastes and the memories of these S’mores and I’ll guess each of your guests with share the nostalgic memories right along with you.