PARIS — The rush toward France’s first same-sex marriage officially began Saturday morning, after President François Hollande signed the country’s “marriage for all” act into law.
The mayor of the southern city of Montpellier, sometimes called “the French San Francisco,” intends to officiate at the first gay wedding, which is likely to be no sooner than May 29, because by French law an application for a marriage must be filed at City Hall 10 days before the ceremony itself.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/19/world/europe/hollande-signs-french-gay-marriage-law.html?_r=0
While marriage equality has been a controversial and popular topic to tackle since 2008 when California’s infamous Proposition 8 passed, the overwhelming focus on the right to marry has overshadowed many other important issues in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) community.
People who are transgender do not identify as the sex they were assigned at birth. Transgender people are underrepresented in the media and the lack of information surrounding the community has left many individuals vulnerable to violence due to ignorance.
Though being transgender is often associated with the gay community, organizations that claim to cater to LGBTQneeds often ignore or purposely neglect transgender people. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is a prominent organization that claims to be “working for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equal Rights.”
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http://www.laneytower.com/opinion/transgender-rights-a-priority-for-lgbtq-advocates-1.3043516#.UZYpOaLvuSp
If you attempted to count the number of Chicago congregations led by openly gay, Black ministers, you'd probably struggle to get to 10. However, a new church in the South Loop will add to that number.
Jamie Frazier, Lighthouse Church of Chicago's founder and senior pastor, began planning the congregation last year after wishing to experience an open and inclusive congregation rooted in African-American church traditions. His vision informs the church's motto: "Passionate about Jesus. Serious about justice."
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http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/Black-gay-pastor-starts-Loop-church-/42822.html
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Gov. Mark Dayton on Tuesday signed a bill making gay marriage legal in Minnesota, the 12th state to take the step, as thousands of onlookers cheered.
“What a day for Minnesota!” Dayton, a Democrat, declared moments before putting his signature on a bill. “And what a difference a year and an election can make in our state.”
Rainbow and American flags flapped in a sweltering breeze during the ceremony, held on the Capitol’s south steps. The crowd, estimated by the State Patrol at 6,000, spilled down the steps and across the lawn toward downtown St. Paul.
Dayton thanked legislators for “political courage” before signing the bill just a day after it passed the state Senate. It passed the House last week.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/gay-marriage-through-minn-legislature-governor-to-sign-bill-allowing-aug-1-gay-weddings/2013/05/14/ea33376e-bc64-11e2-b537-ab47f0325f7c_story.html
Recent events have put me at the center of a strange and troubling irony. Just as our nation is making steady progress toward embracing the rights of same-sex couples to marry, my own denomination, the United Methodist Church, continues to deny such rights to gay and lesbian persons, even within its own membership. Current marriage equality cases before the Supreme Court have received unprecedented support from the White House, prominent political leaders, public corporations and religious associations. Especially compelling is the fact that thousands of American citizens recently took to the streets in all 50 states to support same-sex marriage, declaring, as one sign put it, that “love is an awful thing to hate.” As a United Methodist clergyman, however, I am now facing charges in a possible church trial because I performed a same-sex wedding in New York City, where such marriage are fully legal.
Full article is here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-faith/wp/2013/05/08/why-i-disobeyed-the-united-methodist-churchs-unjust-teaching-on-same-sex-marriage/
The marriage bill passed the State Senate by a vote of 12 to 9 Tuesday afternoon.
“It’s a great day in Delaware,” said Gov. Jack Markell, a Democrat, who signed it within minutes of passage before an overjoyed crowd of activists. “I am signing this bill now because I do not intend to make any of you wait one moment longer.”
Same-sex couples will be eligible for marriage licenses on July 1.
To read entire article, please click on this link:http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/08/us/delaware-to-allow-same-sex-marriage.html?_r=0
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http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/07/opinion/bruni-religion-beyond-the-right.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y&_r=0
Today, Rhode Island became the tenth state in the country to approve the freedom to marry for same-sex couples. This afternoon, Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee will sign the marriage bill - which has been approved by the House of Representatives, the Senate, and again by the House - into law on the steps of the Rhode Island State House.
To read entire article, click on this link:
http://www.freedomtomarry.org/blog/entry/rhode-island-becomes-the-10th-state-where-same-sex-couples-can-marry
Read the full article here: http://www.freedomtomarry.org/blog/entry/how-we-won-the-freedom-to-marry-across-new-england
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