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Freedom to Marry files amicus brief for U.S. Supreme Court
- From a press release - New York — Today, with former U.S. Solicitor General Walter Dellinger of O'Melveny & Myers as counsel of record, Freedom to Marry is filing a friend-of-the-court brief in support of marriage cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. The brief argues that sexual orientation discrimination should be presumed unconstitutional, even in the absence of explicit judicial heightened scrutiny, and that because ...
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Supreme Court to hear marriage equality cases on April 28, 2015
- From press releases - From Lambda Legal Washington (March 5, 2015) — The U.S. Supreme Court today announced it has scheduled argument for the marriage cases on Tuesday, April 28, at 10:00am. The cases the Court will hear include two Ohio cases litigated by Lambda Legal, the ACLU and Gerhardstein & Branch. Susan Sommer, Director of Constitutional Litigation at Lambda Legal, issued the ...
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Report shows 700,000 Americans part of a same-sex couple
- From a press release - LOS ANGELES — According to Williams Institute Research Director Gary Gates' assessment of a new preliminary estimate from Gallup, the number of legally married same-sex couples in the United States has more than doubled over the last year. The new figures suggest that, as of February 2015, more than 700,000 Americans are part of a married same-sex couple, implying that ...
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AMPA to SCOTUS: Marriage inequality harms military families
- From a American Military Partner Association press release - WASHINGTON, DC — Today, the American Military Partner Association ( AMPA ), the nation's largest organization of LGBT military families, filed a joint brief to the Supreme Court of the United States in the case being considered that could lead to nationwide marriage equality. In the brief, AMPA and OutServe-SLDN argue that the uneven patchwork of states providing marriage equality ...
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People's brief for marriage equality to go to Supreme Court
- From an HRC press release - WASHINGTON — Today, the Human Rights Campaign announced that 207,551 Americans from all 50 states, as well as Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands have joined as signatories on its unprecedented "The People's Brief" in support of marriage equality. Authored by prominent lawyer Roberta Kaplan, who successfully defeated the key section of The Defense of Marriage ...
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Gay marriages halted in Alabama
- In the latest development in the tug-of-war over marriage equality in Alabama, the state's supreme court ordered all the state's probate judges on March 3 to stop issuing marriages licenses to same-sex couples, according to NBC News. Several state and federal judges have gone back and forth over the issue, with the U.S. Supreme Court recently refusing to block a ...
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National news shorts: Wedding in Texas; Autopsy, report differ; Gay priest dies
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Lesbian couple weds in Texas The Texas Supreme Court has issued an emergency order blocking gay couples from obtaining marriage licenses after a lesbian couple wed in Austin, according to NBC Dallas/Fort Worth. The Feb. 19 ruling does not invalidate the marriage of the two women who were allowed to marry hours earlier based on a one-time court order issued ...
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Tennessee couples ask Supreme Court to end checkerboard of marriage laws
- From a press release - ( Washington D.C., February 27, 2015 )—Three couples challenging Tennessee's marriage ban filed a brief in the Supreme Court of the United States today, asking the Court to rule that same-sex couples have the freedom to marry and thereby put an end to "a checkerboard nation in which same-sex couples' marriages are dissolved and reestablished as they travel or move ...
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Ohio marriage case brief filed at U.S. Supreme Court
- From a press release - ( Washington, February 27, 2015 ) - Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU ) and Ohio-based Gerhardstein & Branch today filed their brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in Henry v. Hodges and Obergefell v. Hodges arguing that Ohio's ban on recognizing the legal marriages of same-sex couples violates the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of ...
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A year of marriage
equality shows high
demand, diversity
- On Feb. 18, the Cook County Clerk's office released a report providing data from one year of same-sex marriage in Cook County. The report shows a high number of marriage licenses and also shows great diversity in the gender, age, race, occupation and area of residence of these marriages. Cook County Clerk David Orr was granted clearance to issue marriage ...
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New rule defining spouse in Family and Medical Leave Act could impact 118,000
- From a Williams Institute press release - The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that eligible workers in legal same-sex marriages will be able to take federal job-protected family and medical leave to care for their spouse or family member, regardless of where they live. The Final Rule amends the regulatory definition of spouse under the Family Medical Leave Act ( FMLA ) and extends these rights ...
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DoL extends Family and Medical Leave Act to same-sex spouses
- From a press release - The Family Equality Council applauds the Department of Labor's issuance today of a final rule change extending access to job-protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act ( FMLA ) to employees with same-sex spouses regardless of where in the country they live. Under the old rule, the FMLA required that an employee live in a state that recognized ...
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Lesbian couple weds in Texas
- The Texas Supreme Court has issued an emergency order blocking gay couples from obtaining marriage licenses after a lesbian couple wed in Austin, according to NBC Dallas/Fort Worth. The Feb. 19 ruling does not invalidate the marriage of the two women who were allowed to marry hours earlier based on a one-time court order issued for health reasons. One of ...
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Looming dilemma: Choosing an advocate
- Just beyond the February 27 deadline for filing their briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court to lay out their arguments against state bans on marriage for same-sex couples, the 36 attorneys signed onto those briefs have another looming task. They must choose who will go before the nine justices in April to deliver the arguments orally. The event will be ...
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VIEWS LGBT parenting is a reproductive justice issue
- Reproductive Justice at the Intersections, a recurring column - In 2002 there was heavy media coverage on a case that sent ripples around the country. Many LGBT families felt the impact and the possible implications it could have had for many of their own families. Steven Lofton and Roger Croteau, foster parents and a same-sex couple, gained national attention when they tried to formally adopt a 10-year-old boy they ...
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WINDY CITY TIMES WEDDING GUIDE Business Listings
- ACCOMMODATIONS see also VENUES Lang House Bed & Breakfast 7421 N. Sheridan Rd. 773-764-9851 www.langhousechicago.com info@langhousechicago.com The Lang House Bed & Breakfast, built in 1919, is honored to support the LBGT community. Lang House is the perfect venue for indoor, outdoor, nearby beach weddings, or receptions. We have special offers; call for details. BAKERIES Roeser's Bakery and Party ...
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Same-sex divorce: When there isn't a happily ever after
- When marriage equality took effect across Illinois last year, there were those who jubilantly rushed to the courthouse to finally have their love validated by the state. There is cautious optimism that by the end of its 2015 session, the United States Supreme Court will have ushered in scenes similar to those that took place at the Daley Center on ...
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Border crossing: Couple's story of love, marriage, immigration
- Matt and I met online in Autumn of 2005 on Livejournal, the original personal blogging site. He randomly commented on a picture I posted, and we got to talking. At that point in our lives, we were both university students; I was attending Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, and he was attending Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York, ...
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HRC Arkansas to gov: Veto SB202
- From a press release - Little Rock— Today, HRC Arkansas calls on Governor Asa Hutchinson to exercise his executive powers and veto Senate Bill 202 ( SB202 ), which would prohibit municipalities from enacting nondiscrimination ordinances that protect LGBT people. Anti-LGBT Arkansas State Senator Bart Hester is sponsor of SB202, the "Intrastate Commerce Improvement Act". If SB202 takes effect, Arkansas cities will lose their ability ...
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World: Nepal and marriage; mob attacks gay man; Nick Jonas in Sydney
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Nepal should legalize gay marriage, says a committee charged with implementing a 2007 Supreme Court ruling to improve LGBTI rights in the south Asian country, Gay Star News reported. The committee, led by former Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Population Laxmi Raj Pathak, finally submitted its report more than four years after its formation. The committee also advised ...
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New poll shows 60 percent of likely voters support marriage equality
- From a press release - WASHINGTON — Today, the Human Rights Campaign, ( HRC ) released the results from a new national poll commissioned to gauge voter attitudes ahead of a Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality. The survey showed support for marriage equality continues to expand and that there is virtually no public support for the opponents of marriage equality who have encouraged the ...
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New GLAAD report maps long road to full LGBT acceptance
- From a press release - GLAAD surveys conducted by Harris Poll show some Americans still 'very uncomfortable' with LGBT families and co-workers GLAAD has released "Accelerating Acceptance," based on two surveys — conducted on GLAAD's behalf by Harris Poll - which reveal some non-LGBT Americans still report substantial levels of discomfort with LGBT co-workers, family, and neighbors, despite historic legal progress for marriage equality. The ...
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Fed Judge to Alabama Judge: Issue marriage licenses
- From a press release - ( Mobile, AL, February 12, 2015 )—Moments ago, United States District Judge Callie V. S. Granade instructed Mobile County Probate Judge Don Davis to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Today's order followed a hearing in which four same-sex couples, who were unable to obtain marriage licenses in Mobile on Monday when marriage equality went into effect in the ...
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President Obama supports marriage equality in Alabama
- From a joint NCLR, ACLU press release - ( Washington, DC., February 10, 2015 )—Today, in an interview with BuzzFeed, President Obama stated that he would welcome a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that same-sex couples have the freedom to marry in every state, stating: "It's time to recognize that under the equal protection clause of the United States Constitution, same-sex couples should have the same rights ...
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Same-sex couples can now marry in Alabama
- From a NCLR press release - ( Mobile, AL, February 9, 2015 )—Today, Alabama becomes the nation's 38th state to honor the freedom to marry after a federal district court struck down the state's marriage equality ban and ordered marriage equality to begin this morning. Judge Granade of the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Alabama issued orders on January 23 and 26 prohibiting ...
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Author aims for public-policy plan
post-marriage equality
- Dr. Wallace Swan is the author and curator of the new tome Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Civil Rights: A Public Policy Agenda for Uniting a Divided America. The lengthy historical account features a list of 12 prominent specialists and writers. Windy City Times: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Civil Rights: A Public Policy Agenda for Uniting a Divided America ...
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Religious extremists target bakers with requests for 'God Hates Fags' cakes
- From a Truth Wins Out press release - CHICAGO — Yesterday, Peter LaBarbera triumphantly posted a series of anti-gay videos from Theodore Shoebat, son of extremist Christian convert Walid Shoebat, who believes that the GOP-led House Of Representatives has been infiltrated by the Muslim Brotherhood, and that "ISIS is truly the manifestation of the purest form of the homosexual agenda." In the younger Shoebat's videos, he records himself ...
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Equality Illinois
introduces 'Growing
Your Family' series
- Equality Illinois ( EQIL ) introduced a new talk series, Growing Your Family: A Guide for Prospective LGBT Adoptive Parents, on Jan. 13 with co-host Cradle; local adoption agency. Rosemary Mulryan of EQIL and Dori Fujii of Cradle teamed together to inform the group of approximately 50 prospective parents about the adoption process. In addition to the launch of Growing ...
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Supreme Court: The nagging question behind Friday's announcement
- There is at least one small nagging question looming over the happy news Friday that the U.S. Supreme Court will hear the appeals of same-sex couples challenging laws in four states that refuse to license or recognize their marriages. Most legal observers are saying these four cases —from Michigan, Tennessee, Ohio, and Kentucky— will be the means by which the ...
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Gay Catholics differ with Pope's remark on gay marriage
- From a press release - "DignityUSA is disturbed and disappointed by Pope Francis' remarks in the Philippines referring to support for same-sex marriage as 'ideological colonization…that is trying to destroy the family,'" said the organization's Executive Director, Marianne Duddy-Burke. "Especially in light of the more welcoming and sensitive tone on LGBT issues that the Pope has taken over the past two years, it is disconcerting ...
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U.S. Supreme Court to rule on marriage
- The U.S. Supreme Court may rule once and for all if the constitutional guarantee of equal protection under the law gives gay and lesbian U.S. residents the right to marry. The Huffington Post reported that the nine justices decided to review a two-to-one decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit that upheld bans on same-sex marriage ...
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Supreme Court puts off deciding whether to hear ban appeals
- The U.S. Supreme Court put off until at least this Friday ( January 16 ) a decision on whether it will hear appeals challenging a Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruling that said states can ban same-sex couples from marrying. It did so while announcing that it would not hear a similar appeal against Louisiana's ban on same-sex marriage ...
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National roundup: DOMA repeal; Boxer retiring; Tiffany & Co. ad
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Democrats kicked off the new congressional session Jan. 6 by reintroducing legislation to repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act ( DOMA ), which allows states to refuse to legally recognize gay and lesbian couples married in other states, The Huffington Post noted. The new bill, called the Respect for Marriage Act, repeals DOMA entirely. However, prospects for the measure ...
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South Dakota Federal Court rules for Freedom to Marry
- From a press release - ( Sioux Falls, SD, Jan. 12, 2015 )—Today, a federal court ruled in favor of six same-sex couples seeking the freedom to marry in South Dakota. The court stayed its order pending appeal by South Dakota officials. In a 28-page decision, U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier ruled that "Plaintiffs have a fundamental right to marry. South Dakota law deprives ...
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CNA begins policy supporting employees' surviving same-sex spouses
- From a press release - ( Chicago, IL, January 8, 2015 ) - Today, Lambda Legal announced that Douglas Hammett-Lair ( Doug ) started receiving spousal survivor benefits after CNA Financial Corporation amended its retirement plan to allow many surviving same-sex spouses to receive benefits. The change came after Lambda Legal and private counsel Louis Ascherman urged CNA to grant spousal benefits to same-sex couples ...
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LGBTs still unequal; report sees stalled progress in critical areas
- From a press release - Denver, CO; January 7, 2015— From stunning wins for the freedom to marry to Medicare's lifting of the exclusion of coverage for transgender-specific healthcare, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ( LGBT ) Americans made gains on many fronts in 2014. However, despite these advances, deep disparities remain, including an overwhelming lack of employment nondiscrimination protections, high rates of healthcare discrimination, ...
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Year in review: National news 2014
- Extended for the online edition of Windy City Times - —With this ring: Marriage equality had to be the biggest news for the LGBT community in 2014, with a slew of states ( including those on the West Coast and in the Deep South ) allowing same-sex couples to legally wed—although some only permitted it after federal courts ordered it. As for early December, same-sex marriage is legal in 35 ...
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Reintroduced Respect for Marriage Act would fully repeal DOMA
- From press releases - From the Human Rights Campaign WASHINGTON — Today, the Human Rights Campaign responded to the reintroduction of the Respect for Marriage Act ( RMA ) by U.S. Senator Feinstein and U.S. Representatives Jerry Nadler and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. RMA would fully remove the Defense of Marriage Act ( DOMA ) from the books and establish a clear rule for the federal ...
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World: Scotland's weddings; "dot LGBT"; Conchita Wurst and Putin
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Scotland's first same-sex weddings took place in the early hours of New Years Eve, TIME.com reported. Joe Schofield and Malcolm Brown married at the Trades Hall in Glasgow, and Susan and Gerrie Douglas-Scott had a private ceremony in the same city. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Scottish Green Party co-convener Patrick Harvie were witnesses at the Douglas-Scott's wedding, while ...
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High court to consider whether to review same-sex marriage cases
- From a Williams Institute press release - LOS ANGELES — On January 9, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to consider whether to take up the issue of same-sex marriage during the Court's current term. Specifically, at its January 9 conference, the Supreme Court will consider whether to review a decision by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals that affirmed the constitutionality of bans on same-sex ...
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Ruling confirms Florida clerks must issue marriage licenses
- From a press release - ( January 1, 2015 ) — Today, federal district court Judge Robert L. Hinkle confirmed his marriage ruling in a new order stating that clerks of ALL Florida counties must issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples after his stay expires end of day January 5th. When the stay of his prior order invalidating Florida's ban on marriage by same-sex couples ...
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Elton John weds; Trans series in suburbs; Seacrest producing
- Elton John Sir Elton John officially married David Furnish—exactly nine years after they tied the knot in a civil-partnership ceremony. The "I'm Still Standing" singer married his partner at their Windsor estate in England Dec. 21. John has posted a photo of himself, pen in hand, sitting next to Furnish at a desk, with a piece of paper in front ...
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National news: Tim Cook; gay Texas judge; Janet Mock engaged
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Apple CEO Tim Cook has made a "substantial" donation to help fund a gay-rights campaign in his home state of Alabama and two other Southern states, On Top Magazine reported. The Human Rights Campaign's ( HRC ) Project One America seeks to increase rights for LGBT communities in Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi. Cook announced he was gay in October, reportedly ...
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Lance Bass marries
- Former NSYNC member Lance Bass, 35, married artist Michael Turchin, 27, at the Park Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles on Dec. 20, according to People magazine. "We love each other so much," Bass told the publication of his new husband, whom he met almost four years ago at a friend's birthday celebration in Palm Springs, California. Wedding planner Sharon Sacks—who ...
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No SCOTUS stay, same-sex marriages to begin in Florida Jan. 6
- Florida apparently will recognize same-sex marriages on Jan. 6, after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to further stay a lower court's ruling that the state's ban on the unions is unconstitutional. The high court, without explanation, rejected Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi's request to intervene. A U.S. District judge in Florida had ruled in August the state's ban was unconstitutional ...
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Top world LGBT stories of 2014
- The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear appeals seeking to preserve bans on marriage for same-sex couples. President Obama finally signed a long-sought executive order protecting LGBT people who work for federal contractors. And an openly gay college football player kissed his boyfriend in front of a television camera after becoming the first openly gay player to be hired by ...
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Marriage in Florida
may start Jan. 5
- In Florida, same-sex couples throughout the state could begin marrying next month, after a federal appeals court ruled that a stay in the state's gay-marriage ban case will be lifted at the end of the day Jan. 5, TampaBay.com reported. A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta rejected a request from Florida's secretaries of ...
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Study: More female couples marry than male
- From a Williams Institute press release - LOS ANGELES— The Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Windsor contributed to a significant increase in the number of same-sex couples marrying—even in states that had marriage equality long before the decision—according to new analysis by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. State administrative data from Connecticut, New Hampshire and Vermont shows that the number of ...
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LGBT impact; Portman declines; Cher's political tangle
- National roundup: Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - National roundup: LGBT impact; Portman declines; Cher's political tangle COMPILED BY ANDREW DAVIS A new study released that Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law released finds that Virginia Sen. Mark Warner and Vermont Gov. Peter Chumlin would have both been defeated by their Republican challengers in the 2014 election if LGB people had not voted, a press release stated. ...
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Making his Marc:
Author Solomon recalls
'winning marriage'
- As the national campaign director at Freedom to Marry and with 13 years in the movement, Marc Solomon has witnessed the comings and goings of case after critical case leading to marriage equality in more than half of the United States. Working full-time on the cause since 2004, Solomon has detailed knowledge of how we got here, so it seems ...
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Marriage equality comes to Florida
- From press releases - From Equality Florida Today the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has denied the state's motion for stay of a District Court ruling that overturned the state's ban on marriage for same-sex couples. The stay is scheduled to expire at the end of the day on January 5th, enabling same-sex couples to apply for marriage licenses at that time. "We are ...
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World news: Chinese hookup app; marriage in Finland
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - The world's most popular gay hookup app is now based in China, Advocate.com reported. Blued, a smartphone program and company that Chinese CEO Gene Le founded, has ousted Grindr from the worldwide top spot of same-sex matchmaking apps. Blued has skyrocketed to 15 million users since its launch in 2012, the majority of whom are from the Asian nation. In ...
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Federal Judge strikes down Mississippi marriage ban
- From a press release - WASHINGTON—Today U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves ruled in favor of equality, striking down Mississippi's discriminatory constitutional amendment banning same-sex couples from marrying. Attorney Roberta Kaplan represented two plaintiff couples on behalf of Campaign for Southern Equality, arguing that Mississippi's marriage ban violates the U.S. Constitution. Kaplan successfully argued United States v. Windsor against the federal Defense of Marriage Act ( ...
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Arkansas, Mississippi have marriage bans overturned
- A federal judge struck down Arkansas' voter-approved gay-marriage ban, but stopped any rush to the altar by putting her order on hold so the state can consider an appea. U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker ruled in favor of two same-sex couples who had challenged a 2004 constitutional amendment and earlier state law defining marriage as between a man and a ...
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Study: Public support for LGBT rights up in last three decades
- From a Williams Institute press release - Findings suggest that increase in public support comes from people of all ages, not just younger generation LOS ANGELES— Public support for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender ( LGBT ) people in the United States has increased significantly over the last three decades, according to a new study released today by the Williams Institute at UCLA School ...
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U.S. Supreme Court clears way for SC same-sex marriage
- From a news release - ( Charleston, SC, November 20, 2014 ) - Today, the U.S. Supreme Court denied the motion filed by South Carolina's Attorney General to further delay the start of marriage for same-sex couples. "The order from the U.S. Supreme Court officially puts an end to the long fight for access to marriage for South Carolina's same-sex couples and their families. This ...
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Federal judge: Montana's anti-equal marriage rule unconstitutional
- From an ACLU press release - GREAT FALLS, Mont. — In a victory for equality across Montana, the U.S. District Court of Montana ruled today in favor of four same-sex couples suing for marriage. "Calling Tonya my partner, my significant other, my girlfriend, my perpetual fiancée has never done justice to our relationship. Now I can look forward to the day when I can introduce Tonya ...
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Veteran killed; Perry disrupted; Collins honored
- National roundup: Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - An Army veteran beaten by a man he met at a bar died nearly a week after being hospitalized with burns so bad that parts of both arms had to be amputated, MercuryNews.com noted. Veteran Stephen Patrick White, 46, died at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Alex Teal, White's longtime partner, had previously told AP White ...
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Marriage begins Thursday at noon in South Carolina
- From a press release - ( Charleston, SC, November 18, 2014 ) - Today, the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit denied the State of South Carolina's motion to stay last week's U.S. District Court ruling striking down the state's discriminatory marriage ban, setting the stage for marriages to begin for same-sex couples at Noon on Thursday, November 20. South Carolina's Attorney General ...
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ASK LAMBDA LEGAL
Veterans' marriage
benefits
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Dear Ask Lambda Legal, I'm a married U.S. Army veteran and living in Arkansas. We're wondering about spousal benefits for same-sex partners. I thought my partner wasn't eligible but have heard that things are changing, is that true? In June 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down section 3 of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act ( ...
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Michigan says gay marriages void after appellate decision
- Lawyers for Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette on Nov. 14 filed a six-page supplemental brief that said the 300 marriages performed for same-sex couples in Michigan in March 2014 are void, and that the couples are not entitled to state benefits resulting from those marriages. The couples were wed shortly after a district court ruled that the state's gay marriage ...
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Lambda, ACLU ask Supreme Court to review Ohio marriage cases
- From a press release - ( Cincinnati, OH, November 14, 2014 ) — Today Lambda Legal, the ACLU and private firm Gerhardstein & Branch filed a petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals' aberrant ruling upholding discriminatory bans on marriage rights for same-sex couples in Ohio and three other states. The Sixth Circuit is the only federal circuit ...
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Court denies South Dakota's motion to dismiss marriage suit
- From a National Center for Lesbian Rights press release - ( Sioux Falls, SD, Nov. 14, 2014 )—South Dakota's marriage equality lawsuit is moving forward after United States Judge Karen Schreier rejected the State's motion for the case to be dismissed on Friday. The Court heard arguments in Rosenbrahn v. Daugaard on October 17 in Sioux Falls. The Attorney General's Office argued that a 2006 8th Circuit Court of Appeals ...
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Federal Judge Strikes Down South Carolina Marriage Ban
- From a press release - WASHINGTON — Today U.S. District Judge Richard Mark Gergel ruled against South Carolina's constitutional amendment banning marriage equality, making the Palmetto State the latest to see such a ban struck down in court since the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its historic marriage rulings last June. In Condon v. Haley, Lambda Legal and private attorneys sued the state on behalf ...
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Lambda sues Social Security on behalf of gay Chicago widower
- From a press release - ( Chicago, IL, November 6, 2014 ) - Today, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Lambda Legal filed a federal lawsuit against the Social Security Administration ( SSA ) on behalf of Dave Williams, a widower, formerly of Arkansas, now a Chicagoan, who was denied spousal benefits after the death of his husband, Carl Allen. ...
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Missouri marriage ban ruled unconstitutional
- On Nov. 5, a Missouri judge ruled that the state's same-sex marriage ban was unconstitutional, ordering St. Louis registrars to begin issuing licenses to same-sex couples who want to get married. "Fundamental rights are not dependent on the person seeking to exercise the right," St. Louis Circuit Judge Rex M. Burlinson wrote in his decision, according to NBC News. Attorney ...
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6th Circuit upholds marriage bans: Tenn., Ohio, Mich. and Ky.
- In a decision that will compel the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of bans against marriage for same-sex couples, a panel of the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that it is not unconstitutional for a state to ban marriage licenses to same-sex couples or refuse to recognize marriage licenses such couples obtain from other ...
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Marriage Equality USA
releases updated map
- The organization Marriage Equality USA has released a map of the United States that reflects the changes taking place across the nation regarding same-sex marriage. Among some of the most recent facts: —32 of 50 states have marriage equality ( 64 percent ) —33 of 56 states, special districts and territories HAVE marriage ( 58.9 percent ) —Washington D.C. is ...
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Celebrations: Weddings
- Fernos-Felion Fausto Fernos ( right, from San Juan, Puerto Rico ) and Marc Felion ( from Erie, Pennsylvania ) exchanged wedding vows on Halloween, Oct. 31, in their home studio in Andersonville. Felion, the son of Kathryn Felion and the late Thomas R. Felion, is a graduate of Gannon University and received an MBA from Loyola Chicago. Fernos, the son ...
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Photo book documents 1980s same-sex couples
- Talk about patience. Sage Sohier has waited three decades to put together a wonderful collection of intimate portraits of, and interviews with, same-sex couples across the United States. Step back in time with her new book, At Home with Themselves, and experience this era of both love and death, during the early years of the AIDS crisis and the fight ...
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Crafty Broads makes
weddings manageable
- Cindy Savage and Julia Zayas-Melendez's extensive knowledge about wedding planning not only stems from both having theatre backgrounds and experience in stage management, but planning every detail of their own wedding in 2010. "We planned all of it. ... We went dress-shopping and got irritated at the exorbitant cost of things made out of polyester and thought, 'But I can ...
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Federal judge affirms the freedom to marry in Kansas
- From press releases - New York — Today U.S. District Judge Daniel D. Crabtree ruled in favor of the freedom to marry in Kansas. Marc Solomon, national campaign director of Freedom to Marry and author of Winning Marriage, released the following statement: "Yet another judge — this time in Kansas — has found marriage discrimination to be unconstitutional, joining the nearly unanimous, bipartisan wave ...
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Hazing conviction; Barney lauds Cruz; Windsor's request
- National roundup: Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - The alleged ringleader of a group of Florida A&M University marching-band students who beat drum major Robert Champion Jr., 26, in a 2011 hazing incident has been convicted of multiple charges related to Champion's death, CNN reported. A jury found former band member Dante Martin, 27, guilty of manslaughter and felony hazing after just an hour of deliberations, charges that ...
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Campaign spotlights adoption laws making LGBTQs vulnerable
- From a press release - Washington DC- Family Equality Council has announced its 2014 "Allies for Adoption" Campaign to coincide with National Adoption Month in November. The initiative will draw attention to the obstacles LGBTQ people confront when trying to secure legal ties for their families. In the majority of states across the country, LGBTQ people encounter barriers when trying to adopt a partner's child, ...
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Fed govt to recognize same-sex married couples in six new states
- WASHINGTON—In the latest development following the Supreme Court's decision earlier this month to decline to hear any pending cases regarding same-sex marriage, Attorney General Eric Holder announced Saturday that the federal government will now recognize same-sex married couples in six new states: Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Last week, the Attorney General made a similar announcement ...
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