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Illinois high court asked to rehear bar on claims by unmarried partners
- From a press release - ( San Francisco, CA, September 8, 2016 )—Today, Eileen Brewer, represented by the National Center for Lesbian Rights ( NCLR ) and Chicago attorney Angelika Kuehn, asked the Illinois Supreme Court to rehear its August 18, 2016 Blumenthal v. Brewer decision, which barred former unmarried partners from enforcing property claims against one another when they break up. The case arose ...
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County Clerk issues 10,000th same-sex marriage license
- On the morning of Wed., Aug. 31 Cook County Clerk David Orr's office issued the 10,000th marriage license to a same-sex couple. The men, who've been together 18 years, are Terry Beauchamp, 49, and Anthony Aranda, 50. Beauchamp is a manager at That's Our Bag in the Loop and Aranda is a flight attendant for United Airlines (25 years). They ...
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Local activist chronicles history of marriage equality in new book
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Timesby Nina Matti - Advocating for social justice is in Leslie Gabel-Brett's DNA. As a feminist and lesbian, she's always worked hard to advance the rights of women and LGBTQ people. She has worked at Lambda Legal, a law firm dedicated to serving LGBTQ people, for the past 10 years and now serves as its director of the education and public affairs. Recently, she ...
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World news: Couple father triplets, Australian vote, John Kerry
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - For possibly the first time in the history of South Africa, a same-sex couple fathered triplets, their children having DNA from both men, The New York Daily News noted. South Africans Theo and Christo Menelaou provided sperm to fertilize two eggs from their surrogate, who gave birth to three babies, including a set of identical twins. Their surrogate gave birth ...
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Orr, marriage backers anticipate 10,000 same-sex licenses
- Video below article - Just as attorney John Knight, of ACLU of Illinois, finished speaking at an Aug. 29 press conference heralding the 10,000th marriage license distributed to a same-sex couple in Cook County, County Clerk David Orr said, "I now forgive you for suing me." While Orr was joking, his remark reflected the important contributions that his office played in implementing marriage equality ...
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Cook County within reach of 10,000 same-sex marriages
- Cook County will likely have given out 10,000 marriage licenses to same-sex couples by around Labor Day, according to officials. As of mid-August, the county had licensed about 9,925 same-sex marriages and gave out, on average, about seven or eight licenses to same-sex couples a day, said Cook County Clerk David Orr. "It's a very exciting and rewarding result because ...
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Guest column: Planning a wedding
- Planning a wedding can be a very stressful and time consuming time of your life. Here are some helpful tips for those planning their own wedding that I have found couples find helpful in my 24 years of designing, detailing and managing Weddings. —Hotel blocks for guests: Make sure you use a hotel that does not have an attrition clause. ...
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Lesbian palimony decision calls on common-law marriage rules
- The Illinois Supreme Court, on Aug. 18, ruled that a lesbian was not entitled to a share of her longtime-partner's medical practice, though the couple were together nearly three decades. Eileen Brewer, a Cook County judge, and Dr. Jane Blumenthal split in 2008, long before marriage equality was signed into law in 2013. Brewer and Blumenthal had also raised three ...
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World: Romanian court, Israeli officials, rapper/actor Common, Apple's move
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - The Constitutional Court in Romania gave validity to a proposal that would allow only heterosexual marriage in the country on July 21, according to Opposing Views. The proposal, which had 3 million signatures gathered by the Coalition for the Family, could be placed on a ballot as a referendum to be voted on, according to Reuters. More than 20 human-rights ...
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National: More trans deaths, Biden's same-sex marriage, $1M donation to Hillary
- Dee Whigham, 25, has become the 16th transgender person killed in the United States this year, Advocate.com reported. Whigham, who was a nurse, was found stabbed to death in a hotel room near Biloxi, Mississippi, on July 23, according to Gulfport's Sun Herald newspaper. Jackson County sheriff's deputies arrested 20-year-old Dwanya Hickerson in connection with Whigham's murder, after releasing images ...
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Groups seek to increase pool of LGBTQ parents
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Illinois agencies are partnering in hopes of increasing the pool of LGBTQ parents involved in foster care and adoption. Studies have found that a disproportionate number of youth in need of forever families are LGBTQ. These youths also tend to face unique challenges because of their identities. Renee Lehocky, director of strategic initiatives at social services organization Lawrence Hall, said ...
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National roundup: Marriage poll, Loretta Lynch, NYC Pride Parade
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - A new poll from Gallup indicates that 49 percent of all same-sex couples who are living together are legally married, NewNowNext.com noted. That's a significant jump from 38 percent, which represented the percentage who were married before Obergefell v. Hodges brought marriage equality to all 50 states. Using rough population estimates, Gallup claims that nearly 1 million Americans are now ...
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One year since marriage equality
- The date of the Pride Parade—Sunday, June 26—will also mark precisely one year since marriage equality became the law of the land in the United States. A February 2015 press release from the Cook County clerk's office showed that more than 6,500 same-sex couples were married in the county in the first year of marriage equality. On Feb. 21, 2014, ...
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Foster-care seminar on July 9 has special LGBTQ focus
- In conjunction with the State of Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, the Illinois Center for Adoption and Permanency, Pride Action Tank and Windy City Times, Let It Be Us is hosting a free event entitled "Call to Action—Foster and Adopt Our Children" with the specific goal of finding foster and adoptive families within Chicago's LGBTQ community on Saturday, ...
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Mexico's Wild Ride to Marriage Equality
- Mexico is the current hotspot of the marriage-equality movement and requires extensive treatment to wrap one's head around what's happening. As was the case in the U.S., Mexico's legalization of same-sex marriage is proceeding state by state but unlike in the U.S., there is no possibility for a single ruling from the highest court that will overturn same-sex marriage bans ...
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Italy approves civil unions
- After a protracted legislative battle, Italy's parliament approved same-sex civil unions and gave some rights to unmarried opposite-sex couples on May 11. With the development, Italy is the last major Western country to legally recognize gay and lesbian couples. The Catholic Church was among those opposing the measure. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi promised to make gay rights a priority when ...
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Local singer Terell marries partner
- Out local performer Marcus Terell—the lead singer of Marcus Terell and the Serenades, and a singer with Stitely Entertainment—has married partner Carlos Pico. On Facebook on May 5, Pico posted, "So yesterday I GOT MARRIED to the love of my life Martin Pico !!!!!!!!! What was SUPPOSED TO BE a small and private "courthouse wedding" turned out to be one ...
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Asian parents show support for LGBT children in new PSAs
- From a press release - NEW YORK CITY — The National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance ( NQAPIA ) announces a groundbreaking family acceptance campaign designed to bridge the cultural divide that prevents Asian American, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander ( API ) children from coming out to their parents. See video links here: http://www.nqapia.org/wpp/api-parents-who-love-their-lgbt-kids-multilingual-psa-campaign/ . NQAPIA's new Asian Family Acceptance Campaign includes ...
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API LGBTQ acceptance workshop May 22
- There will be an Asian/Pacific Islander ( API ) LGBTQ family-acceptance workshop on Sunday, May 22, at Lake View Lutheran Church, 835 W. Addison St., 3:30-5:30 p.m. Attendees will "hear Asian American and Southeast Asian parents share their experiences of confusion, fear, love, acceptance and celebration of their LGBTQ children," according to a press release. Speakers will include Marsha, the ...
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At Gayby Baby screening, focus on LGBTQ families
- When Maya Newell, the director of the new documentary Gayby Baby, saw the 2010 movie The Kids Are Alright, it was the first time in 23 years she'd ever seen her family on the big screen. "Gayby Baby came from wanting to give voice to kids from families like mine," said Newell, an Australian filmmaker with lesbian parents. She recorded ...
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First Circuit removes district judge in marriage case
- The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, on April 7, once again affirmed that Puerto Rico's marriage ban is unconstitutional, saying that the U.S. Supreme Court's historic decision in Obergefell v. Hodges applies to the country's territories and states. In so doing, it ordered the District Court of Puerto Rico to enter judgment in favor of the plaintiffs ...
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World: Swedish stamp, Saudi Arabia report, marriage allowed in Norway, Colombia
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - PostNord, Sweden's postal service, announced it will be issuing a rainbow-flag stamp celebrating the LGBT community next month, NewNowNext.com reported. It's believed to be the first time a country has put the symbol on a stamp. "By issuing a stamp with the Pride flag, we want to emphasize the equal value of all people and the strength represented by people's ...
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Puerto Rico marriage ban stuck down hours after Lambda Legal victory
- From a press release - ( San Juan, PR, April 8, 2016 ) — Just hours after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit affirmed for the second time that Puerto Rico's ban on marriage for LGBT people is unconstitutional and ordered the case be reassigned to a new judge, District Court Judge Gustavo A. Gelpà issued a judgment striking down that ban. ...
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1st Circuit removes judge, reaffirms ban's unconstitutionality in Puerto Rico marriage
- From a press release - ( San Juan, PR, April 7, 2016 ) — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit today once again affirmed that Puerto Rico's marriage ban is unconstitutional and ordered the District Court of Puerto Rico to enter judgment in favor of Lambda Legal's plaintiffs and, in light of the egregious disregard of its prior order, ordered that the ...
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Wedding expo unites same-sex couples with supportive vendors
- Almost 40 vendors—including florists, photographers, caterers, travel and wedding planners and event-space organizers—were on hand at Chicago's Hard Rock Hotel March 20 for the 8th Annual Same Love Same Rights LGBT Wedding Expo. The event is organized by RainbowWeddingNetwork.com—a 16-year-old organization which co-founder Marianne Puechl explained was started through a marriage of both love and necessity. "In 1999, my partner ...
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Lambda Legal asks Court of Appeals to intervene in Puerto Rico marriage case
- From a Lambda Legal press release - ( San Juan, PR, March 21, 2016 ) — Today Lambda Legal filed a petition in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit asking the court to make clear that last summer's U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which granted same-sex couples the right to marry, applies to Puerto Rico and to order the district court ...
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Puerto Rico upholds marriage ban
- In Puerto Rico, U.S. District Court Judge Juan Perez-Gimenez, on March 8, upheld the commonwealth's ban on same-sex marriage, saying that last year's landmark Supreme Court decision on marriage rights doesn't necessarily apply to the unincorporated territory. The judge upheld the same ban in 2014. This time, Perez-Gimenez based his ruling on Puerto Rico's status as an "unincorporated territory" that ...
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Puerto Rico Court rules same-sex marriage law does not apply there
- From a Lambda Legal press release - ( San Juan, PR, March 8, 2016 ) — Today, the U.S. District Court of the District of Puerto Rico ruled that the historic U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges striking down discriminatory marriage bans nationwide did not apply to Puerto Rico because it is not a state, and denied a joint motion brought by Lambda Legal and ...
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SSA grants spousal benefits to Texas widow in Lambda Legal case
- From a press release - ( Washington, D.C., March 8, 2016 ) — Today Lambda Legal announced the resolution of its lawsuit against the Social Security Administration ( SSA ) brought on behalf of Kathy Murphy, a Texas widow denied spousal benefits after the death of her wife, and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare ( the National Committee ). "The Social ...
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Chicago man files discrimination suit against Chicago Archdiocese
- A Chicago man has filed a federal lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Chicago, claiming that he was unlawfully fired from his position at an Inverness church because he married his same-sex partner. The suit was filed March 7 in the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division. Colin Collette was employed at Holy Family Parish, also named in the suit, for ...
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U.S. Supreme Court reverses Alabama court's refusal to recognize same-sex adoption
- From a press release - WASHINGTON — Today, the Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) praised a unanimous decision from the Supreme Court of the United States reversing an Alabama Supreme Court's refusal to recognize an adoption by a lesbian non-biological mother. HRC joined a coalition of organizations on an amicus brief urging the court to hear the case. "Any attempt to deny legal rights ...
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Plaintiffs in Supreme Court marriage cases to be honored at LGBT military event
- From an AMPA press release - WASHINGTON — Today, the American Military Partner Association ( AMPA ) announced that Edie Windsor, the lead plaintiff in United States v. Windsor, and Jim Obergefell, the named plaintiff in Obergefell v. Hodges, will be honored at the 3rd Annual AMPA National Gala, presented by USAA — the nation's biggest LGBT military event of the year. Both LGBT equality advocates ...
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Windy City Times Wedding Guide
- Download the book below - Wow, with each installment of this guide ( this being the fifth ), we've seen a drastic shift in the marriage equality movement. In the first installment, same-sex marriage had been passed in Illinois, but was not yet the law of the state. By issue number two, that had changed and Illinoisans we're getting married-married all over the state ( ...
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Lambda Legal: Kentucky Supreme Court affirms lesbian mom's right to custody petition
- From a Lambda Legal press release - ( Lexington, KY, February 18, 2016 ) — Today, in a unanimous decision, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled that Lambda Legal client, Amy H., a lesbian mother, will have her day in court to petition for joint custody of her daughter. "This decision is a victory for the child, above all else," said Christopher Clark, Counsel and LGBT Young Adults, ...
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National: Walmart lawsuit; Puerto Rican justice; gay GOP in Texas; Huey Newton
- A court-approved notice is being mailed to nearly 1,200 current and former Walmart employees who may have been denied the ability to put their same-sex spouses on their employee health plan, according to WashLaw.org. The notice is the next step in a class-action lawsuit arising from the case of Jacqueline Cote, a longtime Walmart associate. Cote filed suit in July ...
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FRANKLY SPEAKING What's hot and what's not: Wedding trends for 2016
- As a wedding consultant, every wedding that I design and coordinate is totally inspired by that couple's style, so the details are completely unique to each wedding. Here are the latest trends that I see in weddings for this year. Remember that these are trends, not the rules. So the first thing I do with every couple is ask a ...
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The 21st-century wedding movie: Not your mother's wedding video
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - "Why spend so much money on that long boring video that we will only watch once?" Aside from marriage equality itself, no aspect of weddings has changed more in recent years than the wedding video. In the era of YouTube and Facebook video, the wedding video has gone cinematic. The cinematic wedding video The cinematic wedding video combines video, ...
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EI releases LGBT adoption guide
- Equality Illinois has released a resource, "Growing Your Family: A Guide for Prospective LGBT Adoptive Parents." The report contains an overview of adoption law and topics to consider as individuals or families start the process of adoption or foster care. It also includes a list of agencies in Illinois and their stated policies toward same-sex couples and LGBT individuals. Download ...
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World: Marriage in Mexico; hate-crime survey; gay diver retires
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - The Mexican Supreme Court unanimously struck down the state of Jalisco's same-sex marriage ban, according to The Washington Blade. The justices, in their 11-0 ruling, said the portion of the Jalisco Civil Code that defines marriage as between a man and a woman amounts to discrimination based on sexual orientation under the Mexican constitution. "For us, it is a very ...
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Relationships & the Law Today: Divorce considerations following marriage
- Following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, marriage, which once seemed out of reach for same-sex couples, is now an attainable for all who seek it. With marriage, however, comes the inevitable potential for divorce, with the U.S. Census reporting recently that nearly half of all marriages certified in this country end in dissolution. Therefore, although the ...
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Pope comments on same-sex marriage debate in Italy; DignityUSA responds
- From a DignityUSA press release - Speaking to a group of Vatican judges as Italy's Senate prepares to vote on recognizing civil unions for same-sex and unmarried heterosexual couples, Pope Francis said that the recent Synods on the Family tell the world "there can be no confusion between the family God wants and any other type of union." The Pope added, "The family, founded on indissoluble ...
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Episcopals sanctioned over marriage equality
- The Anglican Communion suspended the Episcopal Church, its U.S. branch, from voting and decision-making for three years over its acceptance of same-sex marriage. The dramatic demotion follows a string of Episcopal Church decisions stretching back to 2003, when it elected Gene Robinson, an openly gay man, as a bishop of New Hampshire. Last July, the Episcopal Church voted to allow ...
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VA revises policies on same-sex spouses; Lambda, AMPA conclude litigation
- From a press release - WASHINGTON — Today, Lambda Legal and the American Military Partner Association ( AMPA ) announced that they are concluding litigation against the US Department of Veteran Affairs ( VA ) following the VA's changes to its policies on benefits ending discrimination against veterans and their same-sex spouses. The new policies are consistent with the June 2015 US Supreme Court decision ...
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National: Marriage milestone; gay man at SOTU; 'they' prevails; Stanford program
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - In Nevada, Clark County partnered with the Las Vegas business community to mark a local gay marriage milestone on New Year's Eve, according to the Associated Press. The country stated that Phoenix residents Ronald Bauman and Dumitru Alexeev received the 5,000th same-sex marriage license issued in Clark County since the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the constitutionality of gay ...
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Out at CHM series kicks off with "Are We Still Fabulous?"
- From a press release - CHICAGO ( January 8, 2016 ) — Out at CHM, the Chicago History Museum's annual three event series exploring LGBTQ issues, kicks off its thirteenth year of programming with "Are We Still Fabulous?" an exploration of marriage equality and the integration of the LGBTQ community into mainstream society on Friday, January 22 at the Chicago History Museum. "Since 2004, the ...
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YEAR IN REVIEW Looking back: National news
- This year will bring news aplenty, thanks to everything from elections ( local and national ) and the Olympics, among other events. However, 2015 had plenty worth remembering—especially for the LGBT community. —With this ring: The biggest news of the year for the community had to be the legalization of marriage equality nationwide. In June, the Supreme Court issued a ...
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Alabama Chief Justice defies supreme court, orders probate judges to discriminate
- Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore issued an order directing Alabama's probate judges not to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that same-sex marriage bans in Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee, are unconstitutional, and instituted marriage equality across the country. However, Moore directed probate judges to refrain from issuing any ...
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Lesbian SLC mayor takes oath; Tutu's daughter marries partner
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Lesbian SLC mayor Biskupski takes oath Jackie Biskupski was sworn in Jan. 4 as Salt Lake City's first openly gay mayor. Biskupski, 49, noted the historic moment as well as the great strides the LGBT movement has made, according to a Daily Journal article. "I know that we have work to do still. And it is work that I take ...
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Federal Court denies FedEx's push to throw out suit by widow of 26-year employee
- From a press release - ( San Francisco, January 4, 2016 )—Today, U.S. District Court Judge Phyllis Hamilton denied FedEx's attempt to throw out a lawsuit filed by Stacey Schuett, a widow of a longtime FedEx employee who has been denied the survivor pension benefits her same-sex spouse earned during her long career with the company. FedEx refuses to provide the benefits because its pension ...
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Clerk's Office tradition: Gift to first marriage license of 2016
- From a press release - When: Monday, Jan. 4 approximately 9 a.m. Where: Couples should line up at the Clerk's downtown Vital Records office, located in the lower level of the Daley Center, 50 W. Washington. The Vital Records office opens at 8:30 a.m. The marriage ceremony will take place in Clerk Orr's office ( 69 W. Washington, Fifth Floor, Chicago ) after the couple ...
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Chicagoans tie the knot in surprise wedding
- When Kevin Romero and Philip Maziarz got engaged, it wasn't very exciting or even a truly memorable moment. "Illinois had just legalized gay marriage before Christmas 2013 and both of our families were wondering when we would make it official," Romero said. "Around that time, while sitting at dinner, we decided that getting married made sense. "Then after Christmas, we ...
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World: China marriage case; UK chapels; Slovenia repeal; Israeli attorney
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - In a first, a Chinese man is challenging local officials to allow him to marry his male partner, the latest move in a series of efforts to advance gay and lesbian rights in China, according to The Wall Street Journal. Sun Wenlin, a 26-year-old living in Changsha in central China's Hunan province, filed a complaint against the Changsha Furong District ...
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Greece allows civil partnerships
- Greece enacted a human-rights bill that permits civil-partnership agreements between same-sex couples, according to a Newsweek item that cites Reuters. The development ( which happened when 193 members of the 300-member parliament voted for the bill ) occurred despite protests and opposition from political parties and the Orthodox Church. A growing number of European countries have established legislation allowing registered ...
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Greece allows civil partnerships
- Greece enacted a human-rights' bill that permits civil-partnership agreements between same-sex couples, according to a Newsweek item that cites Reuters. The development ( which happened when 193 members of the 300-member parliament voted for the bill ) occurred despite protests and opposition from political parties and the Orthodox Church. A growing number of European countries have established legislation allowing registered ...
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Purdue ending benefits for same-sex partners
- In Indiana, Purdue University will likely terminate benefits for same-sex domestic partners in 2017, according to the Indy Star. The university's board of trustees audit and insurance committee approved the proposal Dec. 18, with the full board okaying the measure the following day. Legal counsel Steve Schultz has said that now that there's nationwide marriage equality, keeping the benefits discriminates ...
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Kentucky governor orders removing clerks' names from marriage licenses
- From a press release - LOUISVILLE — Governor Matt Bevin has issued an executive order today removing county clerks' names from marriage licenses. William Sharp, Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, had this comment: "Governor Bevin's executive action has added to the cloud of uncertainty that hangs over marriage licensing in Kentucky. The requirement that the county clerk's name appear ...
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Massachusetts Court rules against school that rescinded job offer to gay man
- From a press release - In a first-of-its-kind decision, a Massachusetts Superior Court judge has ruled that Fontbonne Academy, a Catholic girls' high school, discriminated against Matthew Barrett on the basis of sexual orientation and sex when it rescinded its offer of the job of food services manager to him because he is married to another man. The court ruled that Fontbonne had clearly and ...
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Officials in Alabama, other states not implementing marriage equality
- From a Center for American Progress news release - Washington, D.C. — It has been five months since the U.S. Supreme Court declared that the U.S. Constitution protects the right to marry for same-sex couples, and 99.9 percent of Americans now live in counties that offer marriage licenses to all couples, according to data on county compliance from the website Ballotpedia. As outlined in a new issue brief released ...
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Panel weighs family-planning options and obligations
- Legal professionals and LGBT parents gathered at Greenhouse Loft, 2545 W. Diversey Pkwy., on Nov. 18 to discuss family planning concerns for gay and lesbian couples. MB Financial Bank sponsored the event, which featured members from four couples discussing their experiences becoming parents, through means such as surrogacy and foster-parenting. Meg Ledebuhr, director of legal services and client advocacy with ...
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World news: LGBT Ugandans; Ireland and marriage; trans deaths
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Hundreds of people in Uganda's LGBT community have fled the country to escape homophobia and persecution—but many are now stuck in Kenya, where the situation is not much better, according to BBC News. For example, Tyrone ( not his real name ) has said that he was beaten up in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, just days after arriving there ( on ...
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Alabama mom asks court to review state's refusal to recognize her as parent
- From a National Center for Lesbian Rights press release - ( Birmingham, AL, November 16, 2015 )—Today, a lesbian mother in Alabama asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review an Alabama Supreme Court decision refusing to recognize her as an adoptive parent of her three children and holding that Alabama does not have to recognize second-parent adoptions granted by Georgia courts. The mother also asked the Supreme Court for an ...
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Nat'l roundup: ACA cases; anti-trans petition; anti-LGBT companies; marriage
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear seven court cases that challenge the Affordable Care Act's ( 2010 ) accommodation to the birth control benefit, which currently ensures that individuals have access to birth control coverage as part of their employee health insurance plan. National LGBTQ Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey issued a statement saying, "Equality opponents have ...
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Marriage-equality architect Wolfson reflects, looks forward
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - As part of the 2015 Chicago Humanities Festival's theme of those citizens who have been newsmakers or cultural commentators, the event welcomed attorney, author, law professor and the Freedom to Marry President/founder Evan Wolfson Nov. 4 for a retrospective on his achievements as a driving force of marriage equality and his thoughts as to the next challenges facing the LGBTQ ...
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Law-school event looks at Obergefell
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Doug Hallward-Driemeier ( a partner at Ropes & Gray, LLC, and leader of the firm's appellate and Supreme Court practice ) was the featured speaker at a University of Chicago Law School event, "Standing Up For Marriage Equality: Insights From the Obergefell Supreme Court Arguments," Nov. 4 at the University of Chicago Law School campus. Hallward-Driemeier, in conversation with Professor ...
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Report covers marriage, philanthropy
- The Civil Marriage Collaborative ( CMC ) released a publication entitled "Hearts & Minds: The untold story of how philanthropy and the Civil Marriage Collaborative helped Americans embrace marriage equality." The report includes a marriage-equality timeline as well as explantions of developments such as the "10/10/20" strategy; then-San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom ordering the city to issue marriage licenses to ...
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Solomon discusses families and negotiating differences
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times by Ann Meyer - Families can be cruel before they come to accept the differences their children exhibit, from homosexuality to autism and dwarfism, author Andrew Solomon told the audience at Northwestern University's Cahn Auditorium in Evanston Oct. 20. "Acceptance happens very gradually," said Solomon, who is the author of "Far From the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity." The 2012 book, ...
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World news: Fatal attack; blood ban ends; marriage news
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Following a savage attack that caused him to suffer a brain hemorrhage, a gay man has died, LGBTQ Nation reported. In 2014, architect Mikhail Pischevsky was attacked shortly after leaving a nightclub in Minsk, Belarus. Following several operations, doctors had to make the difficult decision to remove roughly 20 percent of Pischevsky's brain in hopes of saving him. For "unintentionally ...
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LGBT state leaders to confer on ongoing fight in a marriage equality world
- From a press release - CHICAGO — Leaders LGBT state equality organizations meet next week in Chicago for a conference on how to tackle serious challenges that remain despite the Supreme Court ruling in favor of marriage equality. The annual autumn Equality Federation Midwest/West Leadership Summit, convened by the Equality Federation and hosted by Equality Illinois, will bring together executives from LGBT rights organizations from ...
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Zopp: Duckworth inconsistent on marriage equality
- Andrea Zopp—who is running against U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth to be the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate—has attacked Duckworth for having an inconsistent stance on same-sex marriage. During her unsuccessful 2006 bid for Congress, Duckworth said that she did not support legalizing same-sex marriage, but also would not support a constitutional ban on it, either. In recent years, Duckworth's ...
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Outed Goshen candidate still does not support ordinance change
- A Goshen, Indiana, city council candidate, who was outed when news of his online dating account leaked out in October, says that he still is against adding LGBT persons to the city's civil rights ordinance, reported ( Terre Haute ) Tribune Star on Oct. 25. GOP candidate Brent Randall, who is running for the District 5 city council seat, confirmed ...
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Advocate Evan Wolfson on ending discrimination
- Evan Wolfson will soon be out of job—and he couldn't be happier. Wolfson is the founder and president of the national Freedom to Marry campaign, which is ultimately credited with developing the strategy that lead to winning same-sex marriage across the country earlier this year. Wolfson founded Freedom to Marry in 2003, after nearly two decades working as an attorney ...
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CELEBRATIONS Wedding: Shayna X Kramer and Larissa Sims
- Shayna X Kramer and Larissa Sims ( now Shayna X Sims and Larissa X Sims ) met at Berlin more than 15 years ago, and they recently held a fabulous wedding for family and friends. "Larissa and I fought for marriage equality for Illinois," Shayna said. "We never thought we would get married but certainly thought everyone should! And then, ...
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Attorney who helped defeat DOMA talks about Edie Windsor
- LGBT HISTORY PROJECT by Paige Cooperstein - Edie Windsor, charismatic, stylish and articulate, found herself widowed just shy of her 80th birthday. She hadn't yet been married two years to her spouse, Thea Spyer, who died of complications from a heart condition on Feb. 5, 2009. Windsor and Spyer had been together more than 40 years by the time they made the treacherous journey to Canada, soon ...
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Treasury Department considers rule change reflecting marriage equality
- From a press release - WASHINGTON — The Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) praised the news that the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service ( IRS ) have proposed new regulations implementing the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. According to the Treasury Department, the proposed regulations will clarify "that a marriage of two individuals, whether of the ...
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Victory Fund CEO talks organizing, post-marriage decision
- When the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund came into existence 24 years ago, according to its president and CEO, Aisha Moodie-Mills, there were just about 10 out elected officials. Today, there are usually between 450 to 500 openly gay officials at any one time. "That sounds like a wonderful growth, and we've reached a tipping point in our society with ...
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