Pacific Gas & Electric enters fight to defeat California's Proposition 8

As it now stands, California's November ballot will introduce Proposition 8 with these words: "Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry." On Tuesday, proponents of the proposition went to court to change that "inflammatory" language, saying it will unfairly influence voters to reject the measure.

The legal challenge came hours after same-sex-marriage advocates welcomed a corporate powerhouse to their campaign efforts - Pacific Gas & Electric, which donated $250,000 to a California gay rights group. The utility said it wanted to support a "fundamental right" for its gay and lesbian employees.

Regardless of how it ends up being worded, the result will be the same if the law is passed; same-sex couples will be unable to marry.

Massachusetts lawmakers repeal residency requirement for marriage

By a vote of 118 to 35, the Massachusetts House passed legislation repealing a 1913 law, which prevents out-of-state same-sex couples from marrying if they could not marry in their home state. The legislation was passed by the Senate earlier this month and is expected to be signed by Governor Patrick in short order.

Gunman opens fire at LGBT affirming church; 2 dead, 5 in critial condition

Church services were disrupted Sunday at a gay-affirming church in Knoxville when a lone gunman opened fire. Seven people have been injured. Two have died. Two were treated and released and five remain in critical or serious condition at UT Medical Center. Police found a multi-page, handwritten letter in the vehicle of the suspect.

The Knoxville News Sentinel reports that Chief Owen said the letter stated his "hatred of the liberal movement," Owen said. "Liberals in general, as well as gays." (more)

LGBT influence increases at the United Nations

With the ongoing fights in Arizona, California, and Florida to make same-sex marriage illegal, some good news for LGBT people worldwide; the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has granted consultative status to two groups that work on sexual orientation and gender identity. The two groups approved on July 21 and 22, 2008 are COC Netherlands and the State Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Transsexuals and Bisexuals of Spain (FELGTB), national organizations representing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the Netherlands and Spain.

Consultative status is a key means for civil society to access the United Nations. It allows nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to deliver oral and written reports at UN meetings, and to organize events on UN premises worldwide. With it, these groups can share their information and analysis of the abuses and discrimination LGBT people confront around the world.

“States from all five regions voted to overturn the negative recommendation from the NGO Committee in regards to FELGTB Spain,” said Philipp Braun, co-secretary general of the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA). “We would like the committee to acknowledge the repeated message sent by ECOSOC that it should recommend LGBT groups. We also congratulate our members COC and FELGTB on their victory.”

Marriage is currently available to same-sex couples in six countries. The Netherlands was the first country to allow same-sex marriage in 2001. Same-sex marriages are also legal in Belgium, Canada, Norway, South Africa and Spain, along with two states in the United States, Massachusetts and recently California.

In 2005, Spain became the first country in the world to recognize same-sex marriage on equal terms while at the same time allowing gays to adopt and receive artificial insemination on the same terms as heterosexuals.

California Supreme Court Denies Gay Marriage Ban Challenge

The California Supreme Court today rejected a bid to remove a measure from the November ballot that would restore the state's ban on gay marriage.

Without any comments from Chief Justice Ronald M. George, the court unanimously refused to hear the legal challenge, filed last month by civil rights groups. The organizations argued that the ballot measure was legally flawed and should not be put before the voters.

This means Proposition 8 will stay on the ballot. It also clears the way for the California Secretary of State to print voter information pamphlets on the issue.

The latest legal salvo ensures that voters will consider the measure, which would amend the California Constitution to confine marriage to a union between a man and a woman.

Unlike most states, one Chief Justice and six associate justices are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments. The appointments are confirmed by the public at the next general election; justices also come before voters at the end of their 12-year terms.

Anti-gay bi man gives it up (David Benkof)

South Carolina: 3 years for gay murder

If one thing is apparent, it is that the U.S. Midwest and Southern states have a long, long way to go for LGBT rights..... let alone marriage equality.

I remain surprised that most LGBT advocates in those areas don't even like to place the words "gay" and "marriage" in the same sentence. In addition to marriage equality, hate crime laws, discriminations laws, and domestic partner benefits seems a long way off.

A couple of days ago, the first state of leave the Union sentenced a man for killing a gay teenager to 3 years in prison. Yes, 3 years. The State of South Carolina has no hate crime law that covers LGBT people.

The brutality of the telephone call the man made after hitting the victim, Sean Kennedy, has kept this blogger awake [it is now nearly 4 AM EST].

“Hey, I was just wondering how your boyfriend’s feeling right about now [laughter]. The f___ing faggot..... Yeah boy, your boy is knocked out, man. The mother______. Tell him he owes me $500 for breaking my g__damn hand on his teeth, that f___ing b____.”

As one local told me in an email: "Equally troubling to me is that not one single LGBT organization has spoken out about this, organized protests, sent out fliers, issued an action alert to promote new hate crime legislation, used a damn phone, or even send flowers to the victim’s family to show that they care. What happened to that joke we call the Human Rights Campaign or the South Carolina Equality Coalition? Why isn't someone screaming in Columbia that this is wrong?"

Click here to read the story by Matt Comer.

Another gay issue in the Anglican Communion

As the threat of the issue of gay marriage, and now a gay priest being appointed Bishop threatens to tear apart the Anglican Communion, its 80 million members (making it the 3rd largest church in the world) are receiving no feedback from Queen Elizabeth II.

The Anglican Communion is an association of churches in full communion with the Church of England (which may be regarded as the "mother church" of the worldwide communion) and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Episcopal Church is the official name of the Province of the Anglican Communion in the United States. The U.S. National Cathedral belongs to this church, and more than half of U.S. presidents have been members.

Conservative priests yesterday responded with alarm to Dr Morgan’s remarks that he would support the appointment of an openly gay bishop if one was chosen by the Church’s electoral body. They warned such an appointment would be “disastrous” and could even end up splitting the church.

The row comes as leaders from across the Anglican Communion prepare to gather in England this week for the crucial once-a-decade Lambeth Conference.

As Queen, Elizabeth II is the ex-officio "Supreme Governor of the Church of England." It is the Queen who appoints the highest ranking members to the church. A simple statement from the Queen would carry significant impact, and possibly quell the situation. Buckingham Palace, however, remains silent for the moment.

In 2005, a evangelical Christian group begged Queen Elizabeth II to intercede and stop Canada's same-sex marriage bill from becoming law. The group wanted the Queen to instruct her representative as head of state in Canada - Governor General Adrienne Clarkson - not to sign the bill into law. The Queen, however, did not intercede.

Black Americans remain opposed to gay unions

The Washington Blade reporting "Black opposition to gay marriage remains strong" has spread like a wildfire across the Blogsphere. The Washington Blade, the most accredited LGBT newspaper, pulled the information from the National Black Justice Coalition.

Research shows most blacks oppose both gay marriage and civil unions.

The findings come as some surveys show a majority of whites have dropped their objections to same-sex unions. A poll by Pew Research Center in May showed that fewer than 50 percent of whites object to gay marriage.

Released in April, the National Black Justice Coalition report notes that blacks “are virtually the only constituency in the country that has not become more supportive over the last dozen years” of gay rights.

It says Asian-Pacific Islanders showed the highest rate of support for gay marriage or civil unions at 55 percent. Support among whites was at 46 percent, among Latinos at 35 percent and among blacks at 23 percent.

The report notes those findings reflected “strong gains in each of these groups except for blacks.”

Some experts have been careful to note the findings should not be interpreted to mean that black Americans are the only ones who oppose gay marriage or civil unions.

Rev. Larry Brumfield, a black pastor at Westminster Church of the Brethren in northern Maryland, said he was saddened by the findings.

Brumfield, who is straight, said too few blacks accept sexual orientation as the immutable trait many scientists believe it to be.

“I think a lot of folk think it’s a conscious choice,” he said. “But like blue eyes or green eyes, it’s how God made us.”

It should be noted that the California NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) has been an enormous supporter of marriage equality.

Family Association and Foundations are useless

I ran across this article (actually, a friend forwarded it to me), and I think this blogger perfectly describes 'family' associations and foundations.

The last few weeks have shown that so-called pro-family organizations are some of the most useless, money-sucking scams in the world. With real families suffering from economic hardship in America, a declining birthrate in Europe and Google doubling the price of daycare for employees, the only thing right wing family groups want to discuss is their bizarre and all-encompassing fagela fetish.Recently, The Brooklyn Paper, had a huge headline, "SPLITSVILLE: Brooklyn divorces up 30%." The article cited a number of reasons including, "when the economy tanks, so do many marriages."

One would think this would alarm so-called pro-family organizations and they would be out in force repairing marriages - or at least looking for economic solutions to take the stress off couples. Unfortunately, as I walked around my Brooklyn neighborhood, I saw not one representative from the American Family Association.

Well, I take that back. I did encounter one of the group's representatives on CNN Headline News as we debated a Heinz mayonnaise ad in the United Kingdom that featured two men kissing. I'm sure the children of these broken marriages in Brooklyn will feel much better knowing Heinz pulled the ad and they can have gay-free mayonnaise at both mommy and daddy's separate houses.

This reminds me of Kentucky's Rep. David Watkins (D-Henderson) slamming the Family Foundation of Kentucky in an open session of the Kentucky House Standing Committee on Health & Welfare for trying to discriminate against the LGBT community in health insurance benefits.

Rep. Watkins slams a Kentucky Senator in the process. The bill in question would have stopped LGBT people at Kentucky universities from adding their 'domestic-partner' to their health insurance.

I wish more Representatives and Senators had this attitude. Watch this video:

Fighting for civil rights enjoyed by the majority

Three states will be voting on whether to approve or reject Constitutional Amendments to make gay marriage illegal.

In November, citizens in Arizona, California, and Florida will decide if same-sex couples will share the same rights heterosexual couples do under state law.

Political Action Committees are lining up to combat the measure in each state:

• Arizona - Visit Equality Arizona for details.
• California - Visit VoteNoProp8.org for details.
• Florida - Visit VoteNoOn2.com for details.
  

Australia's gay Olympian attacks PM over same-sex marriage

20-year-old Matthew Mitcham, set to represent the Commonwealth of Australia at the 2008 Olympic Games in August has said that the country's Prime Minister is "narrow-minded" for opposing marriage equality for gay couples.

Matthew Mitcham casually mentioned to a reporter that he lives with his boyfriend Lachlan, he inadvertently generated headlines across the world.

In an in-depth interview with Sydney gay publication SX News, he spoke about coming out at 14, being a role model for gay youth and his unhappiness with Prime Minister's attitude to gay marriage.

"Kevin Rudd’s opinion of marriage as something that’s only between a man and a woman is quite narrow-minded," he said.

"During the election campaign he was all about appearing young and cool, but his views on gay marriage make him look quite old-fashioned."

The Labour party took office last December, ending 11 years of conservative rule under John Howard.

Mr Rudd immediately denied rumours that his Labour government intends to legalise civil unions for gay and lesbian couples.

During the election campaign he repeatedly stated that he regards marriage as between a man and a woman, and he favours a form of registered partnerships.

"A relationships register, nationally consistent of the type we've had in Tasmania since 2004, we believe is a positive and productive way forward," he said.

"Particularly if you add to it appropriate nationally uniform legislation and to remove any impediments to same sex couples in relation to inheritance law, taxation law and social security law."

In 2004, under former Prime Minister John Howard, federal legislation banning same-sex marriage was passed.

The Commonwealth of Australia is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

HISTORY:

Neither same-sex marriage nor civil unions are recognized under Australian federal law. The Marriage Act 1961 was redefined to explicitly recognize marriage as being "the union of a man and a woman". Under section 51(xxi)[1] of the Australian Constitution, the Parliament of Australia is vested with the powers to make laws with respect to marriage (unlike the Congress of the United States; the federal government of the United States lacks the constitutional authority to force definitions of marriage upon the several states).

Because the Commonwealth has not recognized same-sex relationships, some individual states and territories have initiated their own legislation. Tasmania, South Australia, Australian Capital Territory and Victoria have access to many rights and can easily prove that a relationship exists through a relationship registry or formal agreement. The rest currently have laws in place which recognize cohabitating same-sex couples as de facto partners, offering them most of the same rights as unmarried opposite-sex couples. These rights only apply on a state or territory level.

The states originated as separate British colonies prior to Federation (in 1901). Their powers are protected by the Australian constitution, and Commonwealth legislation only applies to the states where permitted by the constitution. The territories, by contrast, are from a constitutional perspective directly subject to the Commonwealth government. The Australian Parliament has powers to legislate in the territories that it does not possess in the states.

Each state has a Governor, appointed by the Queen (currently Elizabeth II). The Administrators of the Northern Territory and Norfolk Island are, by contrast, appointed by the Governor-General (also appointed by the Queen). The chief executive officer of states within the Federation of the Commonwealth of Australia are known as Premier's. Each state elects its own Premier according to the state constitution.

Christian Site's Ban on 'G' Word Sends Homosexual to Olympics

The American Family Association makes a huge mistake.