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Methodist bishop: Stop trials of pastors
- From a news release - White Plains, NY, March 10, 2014 — At a joint press conference today, United Methodist Bishop Martin McLee and Rev. Dr. Thomas W. Ogletree announced that the church was dropping the case against Dr. Ogletree for officiating at his son's wedding. In a huge victory for the Methodist movement that is organizing ministry to all couples on an equal basis ...
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Court allows all Virginia same-sex couples to join case
- From a press release - ( Richmond, March 10, 2014 ) - Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit granted the motion to intervene in Bostic v. Rainey that had been filed by Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU ), and the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia on behalf of a class of all Virginia's same-sex couples. The ...
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Celebrations: Rescigno and DeBello wed
- Dawn Rescigno and Angela DeBello were married on March 8 after 19 years together. The couple had previously had a commitment ceremony in 2005 to celebrate their tenth anniversary. Guests joined the couple for a celebratory brunch after the ceremony. The couple resides in Chicago with their 6 year old daughter, Miuccia. ...
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Des Moines poll: Iowa marriage equality is new normal
- From a One Iowa press release - DES MOINES—A poll from The Des Moines Register released today shows a plurality of Iowans—36 percent—have come to terms with marriage equality in Iowa, saying that it doesn't affect them. In addition, 28 percent of Iowans say they are proud that Iowa is a marriage equality state. Similarly, in a February 2012 poll from The Des Moines Register, 56 percent ...
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National report issued on state legislative progress
- From an HRC press release - WASHINGTON — The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of HRC, has released a state-by-state report detailing LGBT-related legislation in 2013. The report indicates that the majority of pro-LGBT legislation came in the form of marriage equality legislation, including for Illinois. In 2014, HRC expects bills providing comprehensive, inclusive non-discrimination protections will take center stage, including those aimed at ...
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Grundy County now offering licenses to same-sex couples
- Grundy County officials announced March 6 that they had issued their first license to a same-sex couple the previous week, Morris [Ill.] Daily Herald reported. The news comes as Illinois counties begin allowing same-sex couples to obtain licenses and marry ahead of the scheduled June 1, 2014, start date for marriage equality. After a federal judge ruled Feb. 21 that ...
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New IRS video helps same-sex couples with tax tips
- From a White House Office of Communications press release - WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service released a new YouTube video designed to provide useful tax tips to married same-sex couples. The video is the latest addition to an online library featuring short IRS instructional videos covering more than 100 topics ranging from tips for victims of identity theft to taking advantage of the new simplified home office deduction. These ...
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AG Madigan: Other counties can issue marriage licenses
- Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in a March 4 letter to Macon County Clerk Stephen Bean that all Illinois counties could issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The letter came after a correspondence with Bean last week, wherein the clerk expressed confusion over the implications of the verdict in a federal court that said same-sex couples in Cook County could ...
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Wyoming marriage lawsuit filed
- ( Cheyenne, WY, March 5, 2014 )—Today, four same-sex couples and Wyoming Equality filed a lawsuit in state court in Cheyenne challenging Wyoming's laws that prohibit same-sex couples from marrying and refuse to respect the legal marriages of same-sex couples who married in other states. The couples include a university professor, a Major in the Army Reserve, a sheepherder, and ...
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More than 250 marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples
- From the Cook County Clerk's Office - More than 250 marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples Cook County Clerk David Orr's office issued more than 250 marriage licenses to same-sex couples in the week following a federal judge's ruling that called for immediate implementation of Illinois' Marriage Equality law. A total of 258 couples — 137 male and 121 female — were issued marriage licenses at the ...
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Kentucky AG won't defend state's ban on marriage equality
- From an HRC press release - WASHINGTON - Today Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway announced he will not appeal a judge's order to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states or jurisdictions. Instead, Governor Steve Beshear will hire outside counsel to appeal the ruling. Last month U.S. District Court Judge John G. Heyburn II ruled that Kentucky 's marriage amendment violates the constitutional principal of equal ...
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CELEBRATIONS Sholl-Burkhart wed
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Longtime couple and LGBT community activists Starla Sholl and Deborah Burkhart were wed March 1, 2014, one week after same-sex marriages were started in Cook County, Ill. Given the ever-changing state of ceremonies and laws for LGBT couples, they have held celebrations through various traditions over the years. Their first date was June 11, 1997, and their commitment ceremony was ...
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Fed judge in KY orders recognition of out of state marriages
- A federal judge in Kentucky today ordered the state to recognize marriage licenses obtained by same-sex couples from other states. U.S. District Court Judge John Heyburn ( a nominee of George H.W. Bush ) issued the final order on a ruling ruled he made February 12. There were two questions at issue in the Bourke v. Beshear case, Heyburn said ...
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Gay marriage begins early in Cook County
- Photo album - The first marriage licenses were issued Feb. 21, the day a federal judge ruled that same-sex couples would not have to wait until June 1 to be married. Forty-six LGBT couples rushed to Cook County Clerk David Orr's office to get licenses. See first day coverage, photos and video interviews by Tracy Baim at the link: www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/Court-gives-immediate-marriage-equality-in-Cook-County/46333.html . All photos ...
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Scenes from a wedding
- After obtaining their marriage license ( above ), couple Joe Serio ( left ) and Paul Dombrowski were wed the following day, Feb. 22, in a ceremony performed by Rev. Laura McLeod. Above photo by Hal Baim; ceremony photos by Tracy Katz Muhl and Roger Anderson. ...
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Champaign County begins issuing licenses to same-sex couples
- Champaign County Clerk Gordy Hulten announced Feb. 26 that his office would immediately begin issuing marriage licenses, making his county the second in Illinois to offer same-sex marriages. Hulten, who is a Republican, told Windy City Times that he and his legal team had been following the federal case in Cook County that ultimately resulted in Judge Sharon Coleman ruling ...
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Fed Court backs TX marriage equality
- A federal judge in San Antonio, Texas, ruled Wednesday that Texas' ban on same-sex marriage violates the U.S. Constitution and demeans the dignity of gay couples "for no legitimate reason." Judge Orlando Garcia then granted two plaintiff couples' request for an injunction barring the state from enforcing the ban. But, like federal district court judges in Virginia and Utah, Garcia ...
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Oregon AG won't defend ban; gay ex-NFL player dies
- National roundup: Special to the online version of Windy CIty Times - Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum announced Feb. 20 that the state will not defend Oregon's constitutional ban on marriage for same-sex couples in the case Rummell v. Kitzhaber, according to an ACLU of Oregon press release. The state's legal filing stated that the Oregon marriage ban "cannot withstand a federal constitutional challenge under any standard of review." The plaintiffs in ...
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McCarter withdraws bill repealing gay marriage
- State Sen. Kyle McCarter, R-Lebanon, said Feb. 21 that he was withdrawing a bill, SB 2637, that would have repealed the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act. The decision came after a federal judge ruled the same day that gay marriages could immediately begin in Cook County. "The ruling is both disappointing and troubling," said McCarter in a statement. "Obviously ...
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Trans singer on anti-gay laws; gay British men not "queen"
- World news: Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Rizi Xavier Timane, a transgender activist/gospel singer from Nigeria, has shot a music video featuring all LGBT individuals to protest anti-gay laws and actions, including the one recently passed in Uganda, according to an email Timane sent to Windy City Times. ( The video for the song, "The Way God Made Me," is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=opZ2Igq60x0. ) Timane is also a ...
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'Gay Man's Guide to Family Building' March 1
- Jason and Robert Colosi-McCann will detail their journey, through surrogacy and egg donation, toward becoming parents to son Grayson in 2011 as one of the highlights Saturday, March 1, at "Making Parenting Conceivable: A Gay Man's Guide to Family Building." The event will take place 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at 656 W. Randolph St. Hosted by Fertility Centers of Illinois and ...
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VIEWS Marriage equality and protecting Our friends
- On November 5, 2013, the Illinois House voted by a narrow margin to create marriage equality in our State. The vote came after months of lobbying by tens of thousands of our supporters, a huge ad campaign, and the largest LGBT rights event in Springfield, Illinois, ever — the March on Springfield for Marriage Equality. Last week, Lambda Legal and ...
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Survivor benefits awarded to 92-Year-Old trans widow
- From a Lambda Legal news release - ( New York, February 24, 2014 ) - Today, after months of advocacy, Lambda Legal announced the Social Security Administration ( SSA ) paid Robina Asti, a 92-year-old transgender woman, the survivor benefits she was denied after her husband's death. The agency erroneously denied her benefits after it determined that she was "legally male" at the time of their marriage ...
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Report: Two-mom homes score better for kids than opp-sex
- From a news release - LOS ANGELES — February 24, 2014 — Adolescents with continuously-coupled lesbian mothers had higher self-esteem and fewer conduct problems ( such as rule-breaking, vandalism, or getting into fights ) than adolescents with continuously-coupled heterosexual parents, according to a new study announced today by the Williams Institute. Across other indicators of psychological adjustment, substance usage, and relationships with their parents, the ...
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Court gives immediate marriage equality in Cook County
- View videos below - Forty-six LGBT couples rushed to Cook County Clerk David Orr's office Feb. 21 to get the first marriage licenses after a federal judge ruled earlier that day that same-sex couples would not have to wait until June 1 to be married. Judge Sharon Coleman's ruling said the state's ban on gay marriages is unconstitutional, and that marriages for gay couples ...
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NM upholds freedom to marry with bipartisan support
- From a news release - New York — In an historic victory for the freedom to marry in New Mexico, the state's legislative session ended today and, by its inaction, resoundingly rejected a proposal that sought to strike down the state Supreme Court's unanimous ruling for marriage. The Senate bill, which threatened the Court's December 2013 ruling, failed to garner any support from either party. ...
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Oregon Attorney General: Ban on same-sex marriage indefensible
- From a news release - PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum announced today that the state will not defend Oregon's constitutional ban on marriage for same-sex couples in the case Rummell v. Kitzhaber. The ACLU of Oregon and Basic Rights Oregon welcomed the announcement. The state's legal filing stated that the Oregon marriage ban "cannot withstand a federal constitutional challenge under any standard ...
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Windy City Times Wedding Guide
- Download the book below - WITH THIS RING... Windy City Times' quarterly Gay and Lesbian Wedding Guide continues with business profiles, wedding planning tips, and photos and stories sent in by our readers. -See the Windy City Times special stand-alone Wedding Guide to LGBTQ supportive businesses and services, new on Feb. 5, 2014, at the link: www.windycitymediagroup.com/pdf/WCTG_20140205_web.pdf or pick up the book at some of ...
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Springfield bishop: Gay marriage is 'basically a lie'
- Bishop Thomas Paprocki of the Springfield Diocese—who, last November, held a mass exorcism that coincided with gay marriage being signed into law by Gov. Pat Quinn—has compared supporters of same-sex marriage to children in need of punishment by their parents, Rawstory.com reported. In an interview posted Jan. 27 on LifesiteNews.com, a website containing primarily anti-abortion content, Paprocki also said that ...
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WINDY CITY TIMES WEDDING GUIDE Business Listings
- See the full Windy City Times Wedding Guide to LGBTQ supportive businesses and services, out Feb. 5, 2014, and online at the link: www.windycitymediagroup.com/pdf/WCTG_20140205_web.pdf or pick it up at many of the locations where Windy City Times is distributed. ACCOMMODATIONS see also VENUES
The Guesthouse Hotel Andersonville
4866 N. Clark St.
773-564-9568
www.theguesthousehotel.com
Luxurious boutique hotel with spacious two- and ...
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Premarital agreements: Protect your property rights
- On June 1, Illinois LGBT couples will be able to apply for a marriage license, get married the following day, and enjoy all the benefits and legal obligations that married spouses have enjoyed for years. LGBT couples where someone has a terminable illness, however, can get married now with a supporting letter from their physician. Although madly in love today, ...
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Wedding arrangements in bloom at upcoming show
- WINDY CITY TIMES WEDDING GUIDE - The annual Chicago Flower & Garden Show blooms March 15-23 at Navy Pier, and show organizer Tony Abruscato said the event certainly will answer countless questions for one of the most trendy wedding tops: DIY floral. As in, do-it-yourself floral, often as part of a DIY wedding. "Couples are getting bulk floral, and then creating their own centerpieces, their own ...
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Lesbian officiant adding meaning to celebrations
- Marguerite H. Griffin has long been interested in rituals and ceremonies—and for the past seven years has turned her passion into her part-time profession. She is a certified celebrant and non-denominational minister who was born and raised in Chicago, and she now calls the Chatham neighborhood home. Her business celebrates meaningful life moments and, naturally, her website is: www.meaningfulmarguerite.com Griffin ...
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WEDDINGS Snapshots of Love
- WINDY CITY TIMES WEDDING GUIDE SECTION - We asked readers to send in photos of their weddings/civil unions to share with the community. What we received was a collection of beautiful stories of love and commitment. All photo courtesy of subjects except where otherwise indicated. Additional photo gallery at the link: www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/photospreadthumbs.php?APUB=wct&ADATE=2014-02-05&AGALLERY=SnapshotsLoveChosen . Partners Brian Fallon and Fred Mahaffey exchanged vows in a commitment ceremony on Sept. ...
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Frankly speaking: Expert tips to plan your wedding expertly
- The first thing most newly engaged couples ask is "Where do I start?" My advice is to first decide on two key elements: the number of guests you want to invite ( actually make a list ), and what you would like to spend on the wedding. Both are vital to have decided on before you start any of the ...
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WEDDINGS Civil union or marriage? You decide
- What is the difference between same-sex marriage and civil unions in Illinois? The Civil Union Act ( Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act ) went into effect in Illinois on June 1, 2011. Civil unions may be established between opposite-sex couples as well as same-sex couples provided the parties are more than 18 years old, neither party is ...
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ON THE MARCH March on Springfield images
- Windy City Times Wedding Guide - On Tuesday, October 22, 2013, Windy City Times staff and volunteers, including over 15 photographers, joined thousands more as they marched on the state capitol for marriage equality. This push was seen by many as expanding awareness of the importance of passing the bill, which inevitably was signed into law by Gov. Pat Quinn Nov. 20. See www.windycitymediagroup.com for hundreds ...
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PREP WORK
- Windy City Times Wedding Guide - The road to the big day for Johnny and Jason is long and busy ... but worth it. When Johnny Corcoran, owner of Blue Island gay bar Club Krave, popped the question to partner Jason Howell ( aka Lindsey Devereaux ) on stage during a drag show, the planning stages of their super-hero wedding were almost immediately set into motion. ...
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SNAPSHOTS OF LOVE Ron Dorfman and Ken Ilio
- Windy City Times Wedding Guide - Guests at the January 10, 2014, wedding reception for Ron Dorfman ( left ) and Ken Ilio were amused to hear the story of how the couple, having met at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago's "Not Just Song & Dance" gala in 1994, ended up living the rest of their lives together. They were seated at the same table, danced ...
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Honeymooning: LGBT Honeymoon Destinations
- Windy City Times Wedding Guide - Chicago may supposedly have the best gay neighborhood in the world, but that won't stop most LGBT Chicagoans from wanting to head out of town to celebrate once they've tied the knot. When planning your honeymoon, it's always a good idea to research how LGBT-friendly your destination is. Your considerations should go beyond whether or not your marriage is recognized; ...
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Gray and Ewert make history, first IL same-sex marriage
- Windy City Times Wedding Guide - By court order, longtime Chicago lesbian activist Vernita Gray married Pat Ewert, her partner of five years, Nov. 27 on the city's North Side, making them the first same-sex couple to be legally married within Illinois in the state's history. Judge Patricia Logue, former head of Lambda Legal Midwest and a longtime lesbian activist herself, performed the ceremony in front ...
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Judge in Virginia marriage case says she'll rule soon
- A federal judge in Norfolk, Virginia, told attorneys in a lawsuit challenging Virginia's ban on same-sex couples marrying that she will render her decision "soon." According to David Boies, one of the lead attorneys arguing against the ban, U.S. District Court Judge Arenda Wright Allen listened "studiously," took a lot of notes but "did not ask a lot of questions," ...
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Scotland OKs gay marriage; 5,000 attend Mumbai Pride
- World news: Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Scotland has become the 17th country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage after the Scottish Parliament passed the Marriage and Civil Partnership ( Scotland ) Bill by an overwhelming majority, LGBTQ Nation reported. The members of Parliament voted 105 in favor, with 18 objecting and zero abstaining. Five last-minute amendments putting limits on the Marriage Equality bill, by Christian ...
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ACLU fights for Wisconsin marriage equality
- From a press release - MADISON, Wis. — The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Wisconsin and the law firm of Mayer Brown filed a federal lawsuit today on behalf of four same-sex couples who wish to marry in Wisconsin or are seeking recognition for their legal out-of-state marriages. The plaintiffs include Roy Badger and Garth Wangemann of Milwaukee, who have been together 37 ...
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VIEWS Indiana needs you
- A proposed gay-marriage ban in Indiana is dragging LGBT Hoosiers back while the rest of the country is moving forward. Indiana law already bans equal marriage, but this isn't enough for our lawmakers; they want an amendment in the constitution. After some dirty politics—including a name switch ( from HJR-6 to HJR-3 ), a vote delay, and even a committee ...
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Indiana House clears the bill
- The Indiana House on Tuesday approved a proposal to change the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage. The vote on House Joint Resolution 3 was 57-40. The bill now goes to the state senate. Marriage equality supporters scored an important victory Monday, potentially thwarting the effort to put the ban on marriage for same-sex couples on the Indiana ballot this ...
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Report: LGBT progress, but still missing protections
- An independent think tank that studies the progress of the movement on equal rights for LGBT people released its latest report Tuesday, and the assessment is a surprising "mixed." The Movement Advancement Project's "Momentum Report" acknowledges "unprecedented progress" towards marriage equality in the past two years but notes that, while 17 states allow same-sex couples to marry, 33 don't. And ...
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Indiana House amends bill banning gay marriage
- Members of the Indiana House on Jan. 27 voted 52-43 to amend HJR-3, a bill that would enshrine the state's marriage ban in its constitution, removing a provision that forbade "civil unions or other similar arrangements." If passed by the House, the amended resolution moves to the state Senate. If the bill is successful there, the bill will have to ...
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Harms' bill would broaden religious exemptions to SB10
- State Rep. Josh Harms, R-Watseka, on Jan. 22 introduced new legislation meant to broaden exemptions for religious organizations once SB10, the Illinois marriage equality bill, takes effect June 1. The legislation, HB4263, "provides that no religious organization, including a school, is required to provide religious facilities for a marriage solemnization ceremony or celebration associated with the solemnization if the solemnization ...
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Indiana marriage ban advances in committee
- Members of the Indiana House Elections and Apportionment Committee on Jan. 22 advanced HJR-3, a bill that would amend the state's constitution to ban gay marriage. The bill now moves to the House floor. Members of the committee voted along party lines, with nine Republicans in favor and three Democrats against HJR-3. Indiana is one of only four states banning ...
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Dramatic developments in challenge to Virginia's ban
- The attorney general of Virginia announced this morning that his office will no longer defend the constitutionality of the state's ban on same-sex marriage. At a press conference, Attorney General Mark Herring told reporters his legal analysis of the state's constitutional ban has determined the law violates the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equal protection and due process and that it ...
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McCarter files bill to repeal Illinois marriage equality
- State Sen. Kyle McCarter (R-Lebanon) filed a bill Jan. 21 that would repeal SB10, the Illinois religious Freedom Protection and Marriage Fairness Act and define legal marriage as being between a man and a woman. Marriage equality advocates, however, say that the bill, SB2637, is a play to his conservative base in his home district. "I think we're all going ...
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WCT seeks wedding photos
- For its upcoming weddings issue, Windy City Times seeks photos of weddings and civil unions. Images from out-of-state weddings are welcome. Please send photos with captions to Kirk@WindyCityMediaGroup.com and Andrew@WindyCityMediaGroup.com by Jan. 29. Photos will appear in the Feb. 5 issue and a standalone wedding guide that will also be out that same day. Wedding-related business should contact advertising@ windycitymediagroup.com ...
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Florida lawsuit seeks marriage equality
- From a news release - Six same-sex couples and Equality Florida Institute are filing a lawsuit Jan. 21 in Florida state court in Miami seeking the freedom to marry. The lawsuit argues that Florida's laws barring same-sex couples from marriage violate the United States Constitution by denying them the legal protections and equal dignity that having the freedom to marry provides. The couples are from ...
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ACLU sues Utah for not recognizing legal same-sex marriages
- From a news release - SALT LAKE CITY — The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Utah, and Strindberg & Scholnick, LLC filed a lawsuit today in Utah state court on behalf of four same-sex couples who were legally married in Utah after a federal court struck down a state ban, but before the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily halted marriages from taking place while ...
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WCT seeks wedding photos
- For its upcoming weddings issue, Windy City Times seeks photos of weddings and civil unions. Images from out-of-state weddings are welcome. Please send photos with captions to Kirk@WindyCityMediaGroup.com and Andrew@WindyCityMediaGroup.com by Jan. 29. Photos will appear in the Feb. 5 issue and a standalone wedding guide that will also be out that same day. Wedding-related business should contact advertising@ windycitymediagroup.com ...
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Married military spouses cannot accompany to many stations
- From an AMPA press release - WASHINGTON, DC — The American Military Partner Association ( AMPA ), the nation's premier resource and support network for LGBT military spouses and their families, released the following statement today over the growing frustration of legally married gay and lesbian service members being denied command sponsorship for their spouses at many duty locations around the world, but most notably in ...
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Pols speak in Rogers Park on marriage bill and timing
- Area politicians and organization officials held a forum Jan. 15 at the Loyola Park Fieldhouse, 1230 W. Greenleaf Ave., to discuss the implications of the marriage-equality law scheduled to take effect June 1. Among those in attendance were state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, Cook County Clerk David Orr, state Sen. Heather Steans and Ed Yohnka of ACLU Illinois. Ald. Joe Moore's ...
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Testimony, but no vote, on Indiana gay marriage ban
- INDIANAPOLIS—The Indiana House Judiciary Committee on Jan. 13 heard four hours of testimony but did not yet vote on a bill that would constitutionally ban same-sex marriage. Committee Chairman Greg Steuerwald, R-Avon, said they would be taking time to weigh the testimony and a vote would not happen Monday. Even as more states have recognized marriage equality, along with the ...
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Ex-GLAAD leader's new post; trans student faces criminal charges
- National roundup: Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Jarrett Barrios—the chief executive of the American Red Cross of Eastern Massachusetts who oversaw relief efforts after the Boston Marathon bombings—will step down March 3 to take over the outfit's Los Angeles region, according to The Boston Globe. Barrios, a onetime head of GLAAD who resigned in 2011 after a controversy involving AT&T, took the helm of the Eastern Massachusetts ...
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Marriage forum with officials Jan. 15
- Several prominent officials are speaking at a forum on the marriage-equality law Wed., Jan. 15, at the Loyola Park Fieldhouse, 1230 W. Greenleaf Ave., at 7 p.m. Among those speaking will be state Rep. Kelly Cassidy and Cook County Clerk David Orr. See www.RepCassidy.com for more info. ...
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Marriage victory in Oklahoma
- In yet another stunning victory for marriage equality, a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled Tuesday that the state's ban on same-sex couples obtaining marriage licenses is unconstitutional. "Equal protection is at the very heart of our legal system and central to our consent to be governed. It is not a scarce commodity to be meted out begrudgingly or in short ...
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ASK LAMBDA LEGAL Utah marriages: pending
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Q: I've been reading about the Supreme Court stopping marriages in Utah. How serious is the problem? A: The joyful celebration of weddings in Utah screeched to a halt earlier this month, as directed by the U.S. Supreme Court, pending resolution of the state government's appeal. The groundswell of families seeking marriage licenses and celebrating their longstanding love and newfound ...
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U.S. will recognize Utah marriages, LGBTs laud Holder
- LGBT legal activists applauded an announcement by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder Friday that the federal government will recognize marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples in Utah despite the fact that the U.S. Supreme Court put a stay on enforcement of the district court decision that allowed those couples to marry. "It was the right call," said Mary Bonauto, Civil ...
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U.S. to recognize Utah gay marriages
- From a news release - WASHINGTON — Today the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender ( LGBT ) civil rights organization, celebrated U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announcement that full federal recognition will extend to the more than 1,300 gay and lesbian couples who have legally married in Utah. The action by the Department of Justice comes after HRC President ...
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Virginia marriage case
- From an American Foundation for Equal Rights press release - Norfolk, VA — On Thursday, January 30, 2014, the first hearing in the Virginia marriage equality case of Bostic v. Rainey will be held at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia before Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen. The Bostic Plaintiffs' lawsuit — first filed in July 2013 in Norfolk — argues that the Virginia Marriage Amendment ...
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NCLR joining Utah marriage equality case
- From a press release - ( San Francisco, CA, January 9, 2014 )—The National Center for Lesbian Rights ( NCLR ) is pleased to announce that it is joining the law firm of Magleby & Greenwood, P.C., as counsel for the plaintiff couples in Kitchen v. Herbert, the lawsuit in which a federal judge recently struck down Utah's ban on marriage by same—sex couples. The ...
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Ind. court: Gay-marriage ban cannot void trans marriage
- The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled that the state's law banning same-sex marriage cannot be used to invalidate a marriage if one spouse later changes his or her gender identity, according to LGBTQ Nation. The ruling stems from a divorce case involving David Paul Summers and Angela Summers, who married in Indiana's Brown County on Oct. 30, 1999. David Summers ...
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Utah AG says state won't recognize marriages
- The Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes issued a statement Wednesday afternoon saying that he was "unable to reach a legal conclusion as to the ultimate validity of marriage between persons of the same sex who completed their marriage ceremony in Utah between December 20, 2013, and January 6, 2014." "That question remains unanswered and the answer will depend on the ...
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Utah granted stay on marriage equality ruling
- The full U.S. Supreme Court has granted Utah a stay on a district court decision that has allowed same-sex couples to marry there since December 20. The court issued its stay this morning, apparently after Justice Sonia Sotomayor referred the matter to the full court. Sotomayor is the justice designated to administer requests for emergency stays for the Tenth Circuit ...
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History: Covered in 2013
- In 2013, the state of Illinois embarked on an amazing and, at times, nail-biting journey to the historic vote for marriage equality. Once signed into law, Illinois became the 16th state with marriage equality. Windy City Times exhaustively covered this journey, highlighting the highs and lows of the struggle for the eventual marriage win. The following 2013 covers present a ...
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With this ring... The year in local news
- Windy City Times predicted last year that marriage would be the big story for our community in 2013, but we certainly did not foresee the twists and turns that the story would take. SB10, the legislation that brought marriage equality to Illinois, passed the state Senate on Valentine's Day, then the House Executive Committee 12 days later. Activists and other ...
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Supreme Court considers stay on Utah order
- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is pondering whether to grant a stay of a federal district court's order that the state of Utah stop enforcing its ban on marriage for same-sex couples. The state's new attorney general filed a petition Tuesday to the court to grant the emergency stay, after being denied a stay by both the federal district ...
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Crist apologizes for supporting same-sex marriage ban
- In an extraordinary interview, Florida's former Republican Governor Charlie Crist apologized last month for having supported efforts to ban on same-sex marriage on the ballot in that state in 2008. "I'm sorry I did that. It was a mistake. I was wrong. Please forgive," said Crist, in an interview with Watermark, an LGBT news organization in Florida. Crist was the ...
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Houston mayor may marry soon; drag Santas jeered in Alabama
- National roundup: Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - National roundup: Houston mayor may marry soon; drag Santas don't go over well in Alabama COMPILED BY ANDREW DAVIS Houston Mayor Annise Parker is reportedly planning to marry longtime partner Kathy Hubbard in mid-January in a low-key ceremony in Palm Springs, Calif., according to CultureMap Houston. Parker had vowed that she and Hubbard would not marry until gay marriage is ...
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