|
Latest News
In the News: Newt Gingrich Compares Gay Marriage To Paganism
Submitted by matty on Thu, 2012-01-26 17:42
from Huffington Post & Right Wing Watch.
Newt Gingrich has three marriages and repeated infidelity under his belt, but that doesn't stop him from sounding off about the sanctity of male-female marriage.
On a conference call for Religious Right supporters Wednesday, Newt compared gay marriage to paganism. Right Wing Watch has excerpts from the conversation:
"It's pretty simple: marriage is between a man and a woman. This is a historic doctrine driven deep into the Bible, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, and it's a perfect example of what I mean by the rise of paganism. The effort to create alternatives to marriage between a man and a woman are perfectly natural pagan behaviors, but they are a fundamental violation of our civilization."
Listen to the audio here:
Read the full article from The Huffington Post.
Read more In the News.
Find out more about the candidates--visit One Iowa's Caucus Tracker!
In the News: Senate committee approves same-sex marriage bill
Submitted by matty on Thu, 2012-01-26 15:11
from The Seattle Times.
OLYMPIA, Wash. — A Senate committee on Thursday approved a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in Washington state, moving the measure one step closer to passage.
The Government Operations, Tribal Relations & Elections Committee approved the measure with a 4-3 voice vote split on party lines. The bill is expected to head to a floor vote next, though a date has not yet been determined.
Several Republican amendments were rejected, including one that would have required that the measure be sent to the November ballot.
"This is a significant change in law," said Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver. "It will change our society in ways that nobody here can even foresee 30, 40, 50 years from now. Something that significant, I strongly believe, should be placed before the citizens for their approval."
Earlier this week, a previously undecided Democratic senator on Monday announced her support for the measure, all but ensuring that Washington will become the seventh state to allow gay and lesbian couples to get married.
Washington state has had a domestic partnership law since 2007, and a so-called "everything but marriage" law since 2009.
The gay marriage bills have the backing of several prominent Pacific Northwest businesses, including Microsoft Corp., NIKE Inc. and Starbucks.
Read the full article from The Seattle Times.
Read more In the News.
In the News: Maine poised for 2nd public vote on gay marriage
Submitted by matty on Thu, 2012-01-26 12:20
from The Wall Street Journal.
AUGUSTA, Maine — Gay rights activists in Maine, the only New England state that doesn't allow gay marriage or civil unions, said Thursday that they are forging ahead with plans to put the marriage question up to a second statewide vote.
EqualityMaine, the Maine Civil Liberties Union and the Maine Women's Lobby have collected more than 100,000 signatures — far more than needed to seek the referendum — made their announcement Thursday at the State House in Augusta.
The Legislature previously approved gay marriage, but it was rejected by a 2009 statewide vote, 53 percent to 47 percent. If Mainers approve gay marriage, the state would be the first to do so by a popular vote.
The new petition drive kicked off in August, and by November gay marriage supporters had collected more than 100,000 signatures, but supporters wanted to wait to make sure the timing was right before deciding whether to deliver those petitions to the secretary of state.
To get gay marriage on the 2012 ballot, organizers needed to collect at least 57,277 voters' signatures by Jan. 30. If the signatures are certified, the proposal first goes to the Republican-controlled Legislature for an up or down vote.
Read the full article from The Wall Street Journal.
Read more In the News.
In the News: Gay marriage returns to the political spotlight
Submitted by matty on Thu, 2012-01-26 09:25
from KWWL-TV 7.
With a flurry of coast-to-coast developments this week, same-sex marriage is back in the political spotlight and likely to remain there through Election Day as a half-dozen states face potentially wrenching votes on the issue.
...A summary of the latest state-by-state events:
NEW JERSEY: Thanks to a change of heart by Senate President Stephen Sweeney, a gay marriage bill is now seen as having a strong chance of passage in the Democratic-controlled legislature. Christie, a Roman Catholic who has long opposed gay marriage, says he'd veto the bill if it reaches him, but on Tuesday he urged lawmakers to put the issue before voters in a statewide ballot measure.
"Let us have a discussion about this in halls of schools and homes and synagogues and churches and ball fields across New Jersey, and let people decide," Christie said.
Sweeney rejected the suggestion, saying, "Civil rights is not to be placed on the ballot."
MARYLAND: In contrast to Christie, Maryland's Catholic governor - Democrat Martin O'Malley - supports gay marriage. Unlike last year, when a marriage bill stalled in the House of Delegates, O'Malley is now making the issue one of his top legislative priorities. He and his allies hope to broaden support among lawmakers and the public by making clear in the new bill that religious freedom will be protected. Public opinion could be crucial, because opponents of gay marriage are expected to seek a referendum in November to overturn a marriage bill if one passes in the legislature.
WASHINGTON: Like O'Malley, Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire has strongly endorsed a pending gay-marriage bill, which received its first legislative hearing this week. Based on public commitments from lawmakers, the bill has enough votes to win passage. However, as in Maryland, opponents are poised to petition for a referendum challenging the law.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: A bill pending in a House committee would repeal the state's same-sex marriage law and replace it with civil unions for any unmarried adults. It would not invalidate the same-sex marriages already legalized since 2009. The fate of the bill is uncertain, facing possible revisions before a vote and a promised veto by Democratic Gov. John Lynch if it does pass. If it gets that far, and lawmakers override a veto, the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union has indicated it would challenge the new law in court.
MAINE: Gay marriage supporters in Maine have spent several months assessing whether they would seek a referendum in November to legalize same-sex marriage. Their decision will be announced Thursday, and national gay-rights leaders believe the campaign will be launched. Maine is the only state in New England that doesn't allow either gay marriage or civil unions. Its lawmakers approved a gay marriage law in 2009, but it was overturned months later by a statewide referendum.
NORTH CAROLINA and MINNESOTA:
Voters in 30 states have approved constitutional amendments aimed at solidifying bans on gay marriage; Minnesota and North Carolina could join those ranks if measures placed on the ballot by Republican-controlled legislatures win approval later this year. Neither Minnesota nor North Carolina allow gay marriage now, but supporters say the amendments are needed to prevent judges or lawmakers from changing that policy in the future. The North Carolina amendment also would prevent the state from recognizing civil unions or domestic partnerships.
In all the showdown states, national advocacy groups are expected to be active on both sides. The Human Rights Campaign, for example, has promised to provide funding, strategic advice and field staff for the various campaigns supporting same-sex marriage.
On the other side, the National Organization for Marriage is vowing a multistate effort, including promises of financial support in the primaries to defeat any Republican lawmakers who support gay marriage in Washington.
Read the full article from KWWL-TV 7.
Read more In the News.
One Iowa in the News: Does Gov. Branstad want his title removed from gay youth/anti-bullying conference?
Submitted by matty on Wed, 2012-01-25 13:57
from The Des Moines Register.
Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has refused to say whether a report this week that he wants his title stricken from the “Iowa Governor’s Conference on LGBTQ Youth” is accurate.
The conference is the premier event hosted by Iowa Safe Schools, an organization with a mission to protect children and stop bullying that can lead to poor school performance, increased dropout rates and child suicide.
The LGBTQ stands for “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning”
A legislative report published this week by The Family Leader, said that Branstad requested the group drop “Governor’s” from the title. The organization is a socially conservative Pleasant Hill group headed by former candidate for governor Bob Vander Plaats:
The Governor’s office told us last week that they have asked the conference organizers to remove the word “Governor’s” from the event. The Governor’s spokesman also indicated that state government agencies would not be participating in the conference, like they did under Governors Vilsack and Culver.
Danny Carroll of the Family Leader wrote the report and said he got the information from Todd Schulz, an administrative assistant for Branstad.
...Tim Albrecht, a spokesman for Branstad, declined to comment.
The event was started seven years ago under Democratic Gov. Tom Vilsack and has been attended by Democrats and Republicans alike, including Branstad’s former Lt. Gov. Joy Corning. Former Gov. Chet Culver will attend this year’s event.
Nate Monson, executive director of the group, said neither the governor nor his staffers have talked with his organization about the issue.
...“It’s kind of weird to say the least for the Family Leader to send that out and the governor’s staff declining to comment,” Monson said. “I just don’t know what’s going on.”
Branstad owes the state an explanation, said Troy Price, the director of One Iowa, the state’s largest civil rights group focused on issues that affect gay and lesbian residents.
“Governor Branstad has made improving the lives of Iowa’s children the focus of his administration and he needs to tell us whether he still supports the Governor’s Conference on LGBTQ Youth and the kids that it helps, or whether he supports Mr. Hurley’s attempt to politicize the safety of our children,” Price said.
The event begins at 9 a.m. March 8 at Drake University’s Olmsted Center, 2507 University Ave. in Des Moines.
Read the full article from The Des Moines Register.
Read more One Iowa in the News.
Read more In the News.
Find out more information about the LGBTQ Governor's Conference here.
Picasa
LinkedIn