Gay Marriage UK - Banned by law in church?

 

Gay weddings in the Churches of England and Wales will be explicitly banned under new laws on same-sex marriage, the Government has announced.

Culture Secretary Maria Miller said other religious organisations would be able to "opt in" and offer weddings to homosexual couples.

David Cameron has backed the idea of gay marriage in church but Mrs Miller said there was too much opposition.

Unveiling the Government's plans in the Commons, she promised that religious freedom would be protected via a "quadruple lock".

As well as the ban for the established churches, it will be illegal to force a religious organisation or individual to conduct a gay wedding or allow it to happen on their premises.

Michelle Obama Supports Marriage Equality.

Michelle Obama has spoken out in favour of gay marriage in a new video posted to the internet by the White House.

In the recently released video the First Lady, wife of US President Barack Obama, answered questions put to her by her 1million Twitter followers. 


One of them was 'Please tell us about your family discussions about marriage equality and thank President Obama for his support'.

Michelle Obama answered: "For Barack and me it really comes down to values of fairness and equality that we want to pass down to our girls. These are basic values that kinds learn at a very young age and that we encourage them to apply in all areas of their lives."

She continued: "And in a country were we teach our children that everyone is equal under the law, discriminating against same-sex couples just isn't right.

"So it's as simple as that. We're proud to have your support."

Lesbian News Reader Jane Hill To Marry

Popular BBC Newsreader Jane Hill has confirmed  on Twitter that she will enter into a civil partnership with her partner, Sara.

Hill, 42, who came out publicly in 2009, has worked as a newsreader on the BBC’s 24-hour channel for 14 years and also continues to present broadcasts on BBC One

She wrote on Twitter: “Yes, Sara & I are getting hitched.”

She added: “Still a bit shocked I think! (and hungover).”

The Telegraph drew consternation from some quarters by including quotation marks in its headline “BBC newsreader Jane Hill is to ‘marry’ a woman cameraman”.

The paper’s celebrity news section said: “Having “outed” herself as homosexual in the BBC’s staff magazine, Jane Hill has now accepted a “marriage” proposal.

California Court Pivotal Vote On Same Sex Marriage

The California Supreme Court is poised to release a decision that could prove pivotal to the future of the state's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage.

The court says it will file a written opinion Thursday morning clarifying whether the sponsors of ballot initiatives can defend their measures from legal challenges without the cooperation of the governor and attorney general.

A federal appeals court considering the constitutionality of the 2008 ban, known as Proposition 8, asked the state high court to weigh in on that question before it gets to the merits of the case.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has expressed doubts about the ability of Proposition 8's sponsors alone to challenge a lower court ruling that overturned the initiative. California's previous governor and attorney general both refused to appeal the decision

US Democrats back repeal of DOMA!

  Senate Democrats who back gay marriage have decided now is the time to repeal a federal law defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman.

The Democrats may satisfy their gay marriage supporters, but the bill won't get very far.

The repeal could be approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, but the next stop — the full Senate — could be a long way off. The bill's chief sponsor, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., says she doesn't have the votes for Senate passage, and the bill would have no chance in a House controlled by Republican conservatives.

The chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., defended the timing of the panel's likely vote on the Defense of Marriage Act. "It is never the wrong time to right an injustice," he said.

Feinstein's bill has 31 Senate sponsors, all Democrats. Most Republicans fiercely oppose the repeal.

Tasmania votes for gay marriage.

GAY activists say yesterday's vote by Tasmania's lower house calling for gay marriage -- the first in an Australia parliament -- will build pressure on federal Labor ahead of its national conference.

State Labor MPs backed a Greens motion calling on the Gillard government to change the federal Marriage Act to allow same-sex couples to marry.

Gay marriage campaigners hailed passionate speeches in favour of the change by Labor MPs from blue-collar and Christian backgrounds, vowing to send the Hansard to Julia Gillard, who opposes gay marriage.

Premier Lara Giddings said the vote sent a message to the nation that "the time for marriage equality is here".

California Prop 8 trial tapes to go public

Video recordings of the trial over California's gay marriage ban should be unsealed, a federal judge ruled on Monday.

District Judge James Ware in San Francisco said in a court order that there was "no compelling" reason to keep the digital files under seal.

Video coverage of the landmark trial was a key issue in the case, in which former U.S. District Judge Judge Vaughn Walker ultimately struck down California's Proposition 8 as unconstitutional.

Before the trial proponents of gay marriage, who had challenged the law, wanted the trial broadcast under a new rule by the appeals court in California allowing the broadcast of some civil cases. Nonetheless as the trial opened in January 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the proceedings could not be broadcast.

UK Gay marriage to be considered.

Elaine and Debbie Gaston leave Brighton Town Hall in Sussex after their civil partnership ceremony, one of the first in England and Wales in 2005. Equalities minister Lynne Featherstone is pushing for civil marriages for same-sex couples. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA Archive/Press Association Ima

The prospect that gay and lesbian couples will no longer be denied the right to marry has come a step closer with the announcement that an official consultation on reforming the marriage laws will start in the spring.

The Home Office lifted the ban on gay and lesbian civil partnership ceremonies being held in religious places eight months ago but strong opposition from some religious groups had blocked any further reform.

The equalities minister, Lynne Featherstone, said that the launch of a formal consultation in March 2012 would allow any necessary changes of legislation to be made this side of the 2015 general election.

Illinois Rep. Deb Mell Marries Longtime Partner Christin Baker In Iowa

 

Rep. Deb Mell (right) and her wife, Christin Baker.

Illinois State Representative Deb Mell recently married longtime partner Christin Baker in a quiet wedding ceremony performed by a judge in Davenport, Iowa.

Anti-Gay Religious Group in Iowa Uses Federal Funds to be Total Assholes

 

wa has a complicated back-and-forth history with marriage equality. Iowa’s state Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2009, pioneering marriage equality in the Midwest. The ruling wasn’t necessarily representative of the will of the people (or the politicians), however — three of the judges responsible for the ruling were promptly removed from their positions, reports Autostraddle.

Teacher of hate Jerry Buell insists being gay is irrelevant to gay marriage debate

 

Jason Shaw

The so called teacher of the year Jerry Buell made an appearance on TMZ Live but refused to discuss his views on gay people.  

 

The complete bigot and homophobic hate monger  was last year was named Teacher of the Year at Mount Dora High School in South Florida.    Took his place back in the classroom on Thursday.

Perry signs pledge on anti-gay marriage amendment

 

Credit: AP Photo / Brett Flashnick

 

AUSTIN, Gov. Rick Perry has signed a pledge to back a federal constitutional amendment against gay marriage — repudiating his earlier comments that marriage rights should be left up to individual states.
The Republican presidential hopeful signed the National Organization for Marriage's pledge Friday.
It states that, if elected, Perry will send a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman to the states for ratification and appoint U.S. Supreme Court and federal judges who will "reject the idea our Founding Fathers inserted a right to gay marriage into our Constitution."

Perry had said that though he doesn't support gay marriage personally, it is a states' rights issue. He even suggested New York's decision to legalize it was therefore fine with him.

Cairns register to accept same-sex couples

 

A north Queensland council plans to set up a partnership register that will acknowledge gay, lesbian and transgender unions.

Cairns Regional Council have been in discussions with other councils in Sydney, Melbourne and Tasmania that already have relationship registers to give people an alternative to traditional marriage.

No deal to tone down gay debate in Australia

 

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has told gay advocates Labor bosses are not trying to avoid a robust debate on same-sex marriage at its December national conference.

Whispers suggest Labor is stitching up a deal between its Left and Right factions to hold a conscience vote, and hopefully lower the tone of debate once it comes up for discussion.

Sources told News Ltd that it is considering the option of a vote either before or after the conference.But gay advocates, who met with Ms Gillard in a private meeting in Canberra on Tuesday, say they're satisfied the same-sex marriage issue will be thrashed out in earnest come December.

Gay Marriage Opposition In Nebraska Lessens.

 

Gay Marriage Opposition In Nebraska Lessens

 

Opposition to gay marriage in Nebraska has lessened, a new study has found, reports OnTop.

Herman Cain Calls For Obama Impeachment Over Gay Marriage

 

Herman Cain's call for an investigation into President Barack Obama's decision to no longer defend a federal ban on gay marriage has riled the National Organization for Marriage (NOM).

The Republican presidential candidate said during a conference call with reporters last week that the Obama administration's position to no longer defend in court the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the law that forbids federal agencies from recognizing the legal marriages of gay and lesbian couples, was an impeachable offense.

Fox News' John Stossel Challenges Brian Brown On Gay Marriage

 

John Stossel, host of Fox Business Network's Stossel, on Thursday challenged NOM's Brian Brown on gay marriage.

Brown, the president of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), the country's most vociferous opponent of gay marriage, and nationally syndicated columnist David Harsanyi, a self-described libertarian, were Stossel's guests on the segment.

US Fed deportation decision may benefit San Francisco gay couple

 

 

 

 

Anthony John Makk (right), married to Bradford Wells, faces deportation.

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News From America

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Washington -- A San Francisco gay couple facing the threat of deportation may obtain relief through a surprise decision by the Obama administration to consider same-sex marriage when deciding whom to deport.

Idea of gay marriage slowly expands for Australians

 

Julia Gillard on stage at the 2010 pre-election forum held at Rooty Hill RSL in western Sydney. Picture: Cameron Richardson Source: The Daily Telegraph

 

Ten days out from the 2010 election, Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott fronted a forum of undecided voters at Rooty Hill RSL, in Sydney's west. It was a media circus, to be sure, but it was also mercifully unscripted, perilous for the leaders, and all too rare in our politics.

Christine O'Donnell walks off CNN’s Piers Morgan Tonight

 

 

A "Piers Morgan Tonight" interview with former U.S. Senate candidate Christine O' Donnell went from good-natured to weird to contentious, with the "tea party" leader walking off the show mid-interview.