Judge the difference for yourself Nov 19, 2009
Just Wondering wrote on Nov 18, 2009 5:18 PM:" Facts: I've read your posts regarding health care, so I do assume you don't agree with everything you read in that flyer. For example, health care. People being denied insurance because of pre-existing conditions or having their polices canceled or just being unable to afford the ever-increasing costs come in all shapes and sizes -- and from both political extremes.Anyway, I hate it when conservatives or liberals try to broadly generalize each... (Cameron Observer, MO)
Massachusetts battle over same-sex marriage could broaden Nov 19, 2009
"There is potential for the Republicans and the conservative right to galvanize voters and their donors around the gay marriage issue if it is on the 2008 ballot, all at the expense of the issues where the Republics are as weak as they have been for a generation," said Grossman, who also once led the Massachusetts Democratic Party. "It could very well make Massachusetts a national battleground over an issue that is extreme ly divisive and that will draw attention and energy away from the issues... (Yahoo News -- Gay and Lesbian Issues)
Gay-Marriage Ban Held from D.C. Ballot Nov 18, 2009
The D.C. City Council is expected to approve gay marriage next month, but opponents wanted voters to weigh in. The elections board said allowing residents to vote on a ban would conflict with the city's 1977 Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination. (Time.com)
DC board won't allow gay marriage ban on ballot Nov 18, 2009
The D.C. City Council is expected to approve gay marriage next month, but opponents wanted voters to weigh in ... Similar ballot measures derailed same-sex marriage in Maine, where lawmakers passed a statute allowing gay couples to wed but voters repealed it, and California, where voters repealed court-sanctioned gay marriage. (WSVN-TV Miami, FL)
Get more: Healthbeat Nov 18, 2009
The American Medical Association on Tuesday voted to oppose the military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy, and declared that gay marriage bans contribute to health disparities. Tags. (WLS, IL)
Study debunks theories on priests' sex abuse Nov 18, 2009
The bishops adopted a pastoral letter on marriage, which delved into gay marriage, divorce, cohabitation and birth control. Yet none of the conference debate focused on gay marriage. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Get more: Politics & Elections Nov 18, 2009
New Jersey's gay marriage bill might not go to a vote before Republilcan Chris Christie takes over as governor. Tags. (WABC-TV, NY)
Life Coach for Carrie Nov 18, 2009
I dont know you, but after reading Still Standing it seems that what you think about gay marriage is small potatoes ... Look, I completely disagree with you on the whole gay marriage thing, but really thats just a piece of whats going on here ... But listen, we wouldnt even know about your views on gay marriage if women werent still putting themselves on display for male edification in beauty pageants. (Fox News)
California Focus:'Tis the season to say no (to most initiatives) Nov 18, 2009
Sponsors maintain delegates would be forbidden to take up other topics, like gay marriage or the death penalty, immigration, abortion or new taxes. But constitutional lawyers have repeatedly opined that once a convention starts, everything is fair game. (Hanford Sentinal, CA)
Stephen Millard Harrington Nov 18, 2009
When the Commonwealth of Massachusetts legalized gay marriage, Harrington and Wright renewed their commitment to one another with a wedding on June 23, 2004, again at Harrington s family s home, surrounded by their loving family and friends. Steve is loved by everyone who knew him, said Wright. (Wellesley Townsman, MA)
Catholic bishops claim moral authority amidst 'confusion' Nov 18, 2009
George's comments come as Catholics are deeply divided in a number of high-profile political issues including gay marriage, health care, and abortion and increasingly willing to publicly challenge their bishops. "You only have to look at Congress, or any state in the country to see a number of Catholics who vote against the deeply rooted fundamentals of our faith," said Archbishop John Myers of Newark, N.J.. (USA Today -- News)
After Carrie Nov 18, 2009
" According to Gallup, Americans' views on same-sex marriage have essentially stayed the same in the past year, with a majority of 57% opposed to granting such marriages legal status and 40% in favor of doing so. Though support for legal same-sex marriage is significantly higher now than when Gallup first asked about it in 1996, in recent years support has appeared to stall, peaking at 46% in 2007.By looking at the data, it seems to me that support for the radical redefinition of marriage has... (Townhall.com)
Bloggers' challenge: Are prominent members of the community commenting on this site? Nov 17, 2009
Scienter wrote on Nov 16, 2009 9:25 AM:" I need help from some prominent members of the community. I am new to the valley and not very well connected. Perhaps visitors to this blog, whom may be prominent, can help?First off, let me state from the outset that I am grateful to the brave souls who have fought so hard to stave off the threat to families that is gay marriage. After all, Leviticus 18:22 states that it is an abomination to lie with a man as one lies with a woman.Now, I have some... (Logan Herald Journal, UT)
NH radio host, blogger's gay Dem attack condemned Nov 17, 2009
New Hampshire in June became the sixth state to legalize gay marriage, reflecting its changing demographics from reliably Republican and conservative to more liberal. The law takes effect Jan. 1. (Concord Monitor)
NY lawmakers meet in special session today Nov 17, 2009
He s also asked them to vote on a list of bills, including efforts to restrain state spending and legalize gay marriage in New York. Last week, Paterson delivered a speech to a rare joint session of the Legislature, but that failed to prompt legislators to act on a budget-balancing plan. (Albany Business Review, NY)
Buenos Aires Grants First Gay Marriage License Nov 17, 2009
(BUENOS AIRES, Argentina) Two men were granted a marriage license in Argentina's capital on Monday, breaking ground in a country and region where laws ban gay marriage. Jose Maria Di Bello and his partner Alex Freyre won the right to get married when a judge ruled last week that a ban on gay marriage violates Argentina's constitution ... Currently no country in Latin America allows gay marriage, though some jurisdictions allow gay partners to form civil unions with many of the same rights. (Time.com)
Mass. immigrant tuition bill to get new push Nov 17, 2009
That has been a frustration for advocates in this left-leaning state, which was the first to legalize gay marriage and the only so far to require health insurance for all its residents. "Massachusetts is out in front of so many things," said Harris Gruman, executive director of the Service Employees International Union Massachusetts State Council. (Pensacola News Journal)
Spanish Outraged by Teen Masturbation Workshops Nov 17, 2009
Between gay marriage, decriminalized abortion and all that pornography on TV, you'd think that the Spanish would be impossible to shock. After all, theirs is a country that in the past couple of decades has not merely evolved from its conservative, Catholic past but has rushed dramatically away from it. (Time.com)
Salt Lake City passes gay rights laws with Mormon backing Nov 17, 2009
The Utah-based church's support ahead of Tuesday night's vote came despite its steadfast opposition to gay marriage, reflected in the high-profile role it played last year in California's ballot measure that barred such unions. "The church supports these ordinances because they are fair and reasonable and do not do violence to the institution of marriage," Michael Otterson, the director of public affairs for said. (USA Today -- News)
Guy Cosentino: Paterson needs better focus Nov 17, 2009
What seemed to be odd was that Paterson, in the midst of this fiscal crisis, also wanted the Senate to deal with the controversial issue of gay marriage ... To get what is needed to deal with the fiscal issues will need Democratic unanimity and that is why the demand for a gay marriage vote seemed so ill timed ... Paterson's pledge to have it on the floor for a vote by Jan. 1 will not make it easier to get the fiscal issues resolved, especially when such a slim majority can have senators try to... (Auburn Citizen, NY)
Where's the change? Nov 17, 2009
Along with like-minded Republicans such as Sarah Palin, they drove GOP candidate Dede Scozzafava out of the race for New York's 23rd Congressional District because of her moderate views on abortion and gay marriage. That their candidate, conservative Doug Hoffman, apparently lost to a Democrat is no matter. (Albany Times Union)
Bigotry rationalized Nov 17, 2009
Dude wrote on Nov 16, 2009 12:14 PM:" J.D.--Sorry, I never thought about the bus thing as a comparison. I see this simply as preserving the traditional role of marriage as being between a man and a woman. I like it that way. Marriage is sacred to me. If this was simply about receiving the benefits that married couples receive, an equalized civil union would get that job done. Now, this isn't about forcing gays to sit on the back of the bus. I think of it more as a comparison to bathrooms. Mens... (Logan Herald Journal, UT)
Read the story Nov 17, 2009
Sarah doesn't stand for gay marriage. liberals love gay marriage. (CBS News -- Evening News)
Men file abuse suits against Mormons, Boy Scouts Nov 17, 2009
Film documents Mormon role in gay marriage debate. Reed Cowan's reasons for making a film about the Mormon church's activism against gay marriage in California are personal. (Fresno Bee -- State)
Hong Kong plays transgender catch-up Nov 17, 2009
Earlier this year, however, after much wrangling, the council did agree to include same-sex couples in an amendment to an ordinance on domestic violence, although Secretary for Labor and Welfare Matthew Cheung Kin-chung was quick to point out that the amendment does not amount to recognition of gay marriage. What the secretary was loath to admit is that values are shifting in Hong Kong and officials are struggling to stay ahead of the curve. (Asia Times Online)
RedState Morning Briefing Nov 17, 2009
And besides, we can t really see Jon God Supports Gay Marriage Meacham as a nun. 3. (Human Events Online)
Even saints get yelled at online Nov 16, 2009
Hawai'i's beloved Father Damien becomes a saint and online comments decay into screaming condemnation of gay marriage. How did that happen. (Honolulu Advertiser)
49ers can't say 'sorry' enough Nov 16, 2009
He also went to the San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Community Center to apologize for the lesbian porn and spoof of gay marriage in the video. York has said he didn't approve the video. (Yahoo News -- Asian Americans)
Passionate sense of right and wrong drives Capuano Nov 16, 2009
He has also been a consistent supporter of abortion rights, gay marriage, and tenants rights. But he is no reformer. (Boston Globe)
Bishops split over Mass translation Nov 16, 2009
They will vote on a pastoral letter on marriage that explains church opposition to artificial contraception, cohabitation and gay marriage. They are expected to approve an easy-to-read pamphlet explaining church opposition to technologies that aid conception. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Mormon Proposition looks at Prop. 8 debate Nov 16, 2009
SALT LAKE CITY - Reed Cowan's reasons for making a film about the Mormon church's activism against gay marriage in California are personal ... The church was part of a coalition of faiths and conservative groups that pushed for approval of a gay marriage ban in California's constitution ... The church has consistently worked against legislation to legalize gay marriage since the 1990s. (MSNBC -- News)
Newsweek: Does TV's gay influx promote stereotypes? Nov 16, 2009
Two weeks ago, the people of Maine followed the people of California in reversing existing laws that had legalized gay marriage. In fact, when gay marriage has been put before the voters of any state, it has failed every time ... COVER STORY: GAY MARRIAGE. (MSNBC -- News)
Film documents Mormon role in Prop. 8 Nov 16, 2009
SALT LAKE CITY - Reed Cowan's reasons for making a film about the Mormon Church's activism against gay marriage in California are personal ... The church has consistently worked against legislation to legalize gay marriage since the 1990s. (AZCentral -- News)
Bloggers' challenge: Is common courtesy lacking in Cache Valley? Nov 16, 2009
wrote on Nov 12, 2009 7:18 PM:" A total disregard for Common Courtesy...Is it gay marriage, NO! Is it park strips, NO! Is it H1N1, SARS, Ebola, Bird Flu, Watts, Elder Oaks, Asteroids, 2012, Zombies, 3A vs. 4A, liquor licensingNO, NO, and NO! It ISlow rise designer jeans on women wearing Gs!!! This behavior is tearing at the very fabric of our otherwise civilized community. It must be stopped. Health Care Plan, WHO CARES!! Chimpanzee attacks, WHO CARES!! People for Wet Water,... (Logan Herald Journal, UT)
Evangelist gay sex allegation causes Republican headache Nov 16, 2009
Voters in Colorado and seven other states are to vote on proposals banning gay marriage next week ... After the state of Massachusetts legalised gay marriage in 2004, Mr Haggard and others began organising state-by-state opposition ... Last year, he and other Christians announced plans to push Colorado's gay marriage ban for the 2006 ballot. (Yahoo News -- Church-State Issues)
The Cornwell factor Nov 15, 2009
"Staci helped me create the 'Biograph','' she says. ''I asked her to invent something for me which was within the realm of possibility.'' Cornwell credits Gruber with bringing a greater sense of stability and belonging to her life. The couple wed in Massachusetts, one of only five US states that allow gay marriage. Cornwell has since said that the marriage radicalised her politics, turning her from a trenchant Republican into a Democrat. ''I've never been a soapbox person for gay rights, but now... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
OBAMA BOWS BEFORE JAPAN'S EMPEROR Nov 15, 2009
That's not a bow, that's a gay marriage proposal. Posted by: 57States. (The Drudge Report)
Activists press Onorato on gay marriage Nov 15, 2009
Sunday November 15, 2009. Activists held a candlelight vigil outside state Sen. (Queens Chronicle, NY)
A church disagreement Nov 15, 2009
(Both my husband and I support gay marriage. How do I address these issues without taking away from my husband s beliefs. (Boston Globe)
Gay Marriage Lost, But It's Not Losing Nov 15, 2009
Maggie Gallagher, head of the National Organization for Marriage, crowed, "This victory in Maine interrupts the cultural narrative that was being manufactured, that somehow American opinion is shifting on the gay marriage issue." ... Opposition to gay marriage is shrinking ... Time is on the side of gay marriage. (Townhall.com)
South Africa: Civil Society to Lose Major Supporter [interview] Nov 14, 2009
The sector has also been savvy in terms of its advocacy and litigation strategy, with some significant advances, the key one being the recognition of gay marriage. Many civil society organisations (CSOs) are worried about what will happen when you close down. (allAfrica.com)
Argentine gays to marry Nov 14, 2009
An Argentine judge paved the way for gay marriage when she granted a homosexual couple permission to marry in a first for Latin America, the world's biggest Catholic region ... It could increase pressure for lawmakers to take up a stalled gay marriage bill in Congress. (iAfrica.com)
RI gov opens door to domestic partnerships Nov 14, 2009
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- Gov. Don Carcieri (kuh-CHEHR'-ee), a gay marriage opponent, has opened the door slightly to the limited recognition of same-sex relationships in Rhode Island. The Republican governor still opposes gay marriage and said during the 2006 election that he opposed civil unions for same-sex couples ... Rhode Island's most vocal gay rights group has been lobbying exclusively for gay marriage. (Concord Monitor)
Lawmakers defy church pressure on DC gay marriage Nov 14, 2009
Concord Monitor Online - AP Headlines. The news you need now. (Concord Monitor)
Massachusetts battle over same-sex marriage could broaden Nov 14, 2009
"There is potential for the Republicans and the conservative right to galvanize voters and their donors around the gay marriage issue if it is on the 2008 ballot, all at the expense of the issues where the Republics are as weak as they have been for a generation," said Grossman, who also once led the Massachusetts Democratic Party. "It could very well make Massachusetts a national battleground over an issue that is extreme ly divisive and that will draw attention and energy away from the issues... (Yahoo News -- Gay and Lesbian Issues)
Buenos Aires okays gay marriage in Latin America first Nov 14, 2009
An Argentine judge paved the way for gay marriage when she granted a homosexual couple permission to marry in a first for Latin America, the world's biggest Catholic region. BUENOS AIRES (AFP) - An Argentine judge paved the way for gay marriage when she granted a homosexual couple permission to marry in a first for Latin America, the world's biggest Catholic region ... It could increase pressure for lawmakers to take up a stalled gay marriage bill in Congress. (Yahoo! Asia News)
Carcieri may back domestic partnership Nov 14, 2009
Change of stance shocks advocates of gay marriage. PAST POSITION In 2006, Carcieri said he opposed gay marriage and civil unions designed specifically to benefit same-sex couples ... PROVIDENCE - A socially conservative governor who has fought for years against gay marriage in Rhode Island has slightly softened his stance by suggesting he may back a domestic partnership system offering legal protections for same-sex couples. (Boston Globe)
Why Conservatives Love Carrie Prejean Nov 14, 2009
The irony of Prejeans answertold to a gay judge and resulting in the consternation of her pageant directors, one of whom was gay and the other a gay marriage supporterwasnt lost on the broader community. I think it's ridiculous that she got first runner-up, one pageant attendee told the Associated Press at the competition earlier this year. (Slate)
Don't call it 'marriage' Nov 14, 2009
Correction: Gay Marriage-Playbook story. In a Nov. 6 story about the tactics of gay marriage opponents, The Associated Press reported erroneously that gay marriage foes had won 31 consecutive statewide ballot measures against the issue ... While 31 states have indeed voted down gay marriage, it was not an unbroken string of defeats. (Fresno Bee -- Opinion)
Challenge to Nevada Personhood Initiative Filed Nov 14, 2009
The Nevada "personhood" initiative was filed last month by Richard Ziser, a conservative activist in Las Vegas who earlier this decade led a successful campaign to ban gay marriage in Nevada. The initiative seeks to define a person and extend due process rights to "everyone possessing a human genome" from the beginning of biological development through end of life. (KLAS-TV.com, NV)
Kaufman forum set for Nov. 19 Nov 13, 2009
Over its 14 years, Open House has addressed issues ranging from reinventing public education to gay marriage, property tax relief to campaign finance reform, the shrinking middle class to stem cell research, the nature of political leadership to the challenges of effecting fundamental change in a democracy. In 1997, Open House was awarded the prestigious Beacon Award, cable television s equivalent of an Emmy, as the nation s best government relations series. (Woburn Advocate, MA)
The very definition of intolerant, on both sides Nov 13, 2009
It is unfortunate that there are some in favor of gay marriage who may be intolerant in the sense of being unwilling to grant equal freedom of expression especially in religious matters. But please note that they are being intolerant of the intolerant, bigoted against the bigoted. (Boston Globe -- Editorial)
Mormons Throw Support Behind Gay-Rights Cause Nov 13, 2009
It looked like a stunning reversal: the same church that helped defeat gay marriage in California standing with gay-rights activists on an anti-discrimination law in its own backyard ... The Mormon church which continues to suffer a backlash over its support last year of Proposition 8, the measure banning gay marriage in California emphasized that its latest position in no way contradicts its teachings on homosexuality ... Some of the church's conservative allies in the gay marriage battles,... (Newsmax)
Of course it's a rights issue Nov 13, 2009
I wish they would stop calling my marriage a gay marriage. Ask my brothers, both of whom married women, and they will tell you that my marriage is the same as theirs - two people who love each other making a lifelong commitment to each other. (Boston Globe -- Editorial)
View from the right: Marriage is the Maine point Nov 13, 2009
Opposing gay marriage is a losing proposition ... The win came by a bigger margin than last year's big battle in California, when Gallagher served as a pivotal leader in defeating gay marriage there And the decisive win came despite the fact that more money was spent by the proponents of same-sex marriage this go-round, presumably having learned lessons from the previous defeat ... "They had four years to build an effective grassroots organization and claimed 8,000 volunteers in a state with a... (Hanford Sentinal, CA)
Celebrations Mark First Anniversary Of Gay Marriage In Connecticut Nov 13, 2009
HARTFORD - Lawyers, lawmakers, activists and newlyweds gathered at the state Capitol Thursday to mark the one-year anniversary of the effective date of the court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in Connecticut. They began with a group photo on the north steps of the building. (FOX61, CT)
Archdiocese donated to defeat Maine gay marriage Nov 13, 2009
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The Archdiocese of St. Louis says Archbishop Robert Carlson used 10,000 in discretionary funds to support the successful effort to prevent legalization of gay marriage in Maine. Such money, from private gifts, has been used previously to financially support everything from disaster relief to anti-abortion efforts. (Jefferson City News Tribune, MO)
Hate, bigotry, ignorance? We call it as we see it Nov 13, 2009
It has become the norm for those opposing gay marriage to say that they re not anti-gay, they re just trying to protect marriage ... And it has become apparent that the easiest way to gain victory against gay marriage is to tell lies about the effects of gay marriage - lies about the promotion of gay lifestyle in schools, lost jobs, civil unrest, and church breakdown ... The backers of gay marriage have not stumbled. (Boston Globe -- Editorial)
It's personal to me Nov 13, 2009
Bill Arthur wrote on Nov 7, 2009 2:54 PM:" I never said no to gay marriage. I believe it should be handled by each state and the voters. I just said once you open the door, you can't conveniently say no to polygamy, to incestuous marriages or for people who think they should be able to marry underage children. Oh by the way, I believe mohammed married a six year-old girl. As far as i know jamie and I have never tried to suppress opinion--that is left to the democrats--aka-Fox News ". Brandy... (Cameron Observer, MO)
Carrie Prejean's Disappearing Book Tour Nov 13, 2009
Critics immediately used the developments as reasons why Prejean was unqualified to speak about her opinions on gay marriage. Prejean -- Family Doesn't Always Come First, read a TMZ headline. (Townhall.com)
Mass. principal bans students from saying 'Meep!' Nov 13, 2009
Gay marriage foes win with message about schools. Gay marriage opponents pulled off another victory at the ballot box this week by using a tried-and-tested argument: Approve it and children will be taught homosexuality in school ... Voters seemed to be swayed by the message, both in Maine and in last year's gay marriage battle in California. (Fresno Bee)
Ex-Miss California admits to making sex tape Nov 13, 2009
She believes she lost her crown because of her opposition to gay marriage. Pageant organizers said she was skipping official events. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Weird News)
Scozzafava: Republicans will remain a minority party if they purge moderates Nov 13, 2009
She lost her republican support b/c promoting baby killing and gay marriage is not "independent thinking", at least not in the g.o.p. So she took her ball and went home, complaining that it was the party, and not her platform, that cost her. Then, like a little child who has not gotten their way, she endorses the democrat. (TheHill.com)
Students start successful politics blog Nov 13, 2009
The front page of the blog, for example, features a critique of Republican Governor-elect Bob McDonnell's victory as a "step back for women of Virginia," an election analysis from the right entitled "Obama-Mania Meets Its Maker," and reactions after Maine decriminalized marijuana but struck down gay marriage. Rogers and high school friend Kathleen McCaffrey created the blog to fill a niche left after the last presidential election, Rogers said. (GW Hatchet, Washington DC)
Guy Cosentino: Paterson needs better focus Nov 13, 2009
What seemed to be odd was that Paterson, in the midst of this fiscal crisis, also wanted the Senate to deal with the controversial issue of gay marriage ... To get what is needed to deal with the fiscal issues will need Democratic unanimity and that is why the demand for a gay marriage vote seemed so ill timed ... Paterson's pledge to have it on the floor for a vote by Jan. 1 will not make it easier to get the fiscal issues resolved, especially when such a slim majority can have senators try to... (Auburn Citizen, NY)
