|
|
Marriage/family Download Windy City Times PDF Download Wedding Guide
|
|---|
Plan your wedding with these wedding resources.
For more ideas and articles click an image below
to download a previous Wedding Guide. 
Click to Download
May 12th, 2017
|
Click to Download
August 3rd, 2016
|
Click to Download
February 17th, 2016
|
Click to Download
July 29th, 2015
|
Click to Download
February 18th, 2015
|
Click to Download
August 13th, 2014
|
Click to Download
August 6th, 2014
|
Click to Download
April 16th, 2014
|
Click to Download
February 6th, 2014
|
Click to Download
February 5th, 2014
|
Click to Download
August 7th, 2013
|
Click to Download
May 1st, 2013
|
|
|  |
Texas Governor signs law allowing discrimination by child welfare agencies
- From an HRC press release - AUSTIN, TX — Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed into law a patently discriminatory bill, HB 3859, which allows child welfare organizations — including adoption and foster care agencies — to turn away qualified Texans seeking to care for a child in need, including LGBTQ couples, interfaith couples, single parents, married couples in which one prospective parent has previously been ...
|
| |
Chicago gay couple fights for marriage rights in Panama
- While this month's United States pride festivities will take place for the second year in an era of marriage equality, for LGBTQ communities living in Panama it is still a dream. However, it is one that is not only seeing unprecedented support in the traditionally Catholic Central American country but has now advanced to Panama's Supreme Court. The case facing ...
|
| |
National: Edie Windsor, U.S. Rep. Scott Taylor, iconic gay bar destroyed
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Marriage-equality champion Edie Windsor will be honored with The Trevor Project's Icon Award at the 2017 TrevorLIVE New York fundraising gala on June 19, a press release noted. The event will also feature performances by Shoshana Bean, Dana Goldberg, Jeremy Jordan, and a special extended performance by Grammy-winning rock band Imagine Dragons. The Trevor Project is the nation's only nonprofit ...
|
| |
'Freedom to Marry' shows Evan Wolfson as marriage architect
- Widely considered the "architect of same-sex marriage," Evan Wolfson and his colleagues led a decades-long battle to win equal rights for LGBT people, culminating in a nationwide marriage equality victory at the U.S. Supreme Court. The National Law Journal, in 2000, named Wolfson one of "the 100 most influential lawyers in America," and Newsweek/The Daily Beast referred to him as ...
|
| |
Taiwan first Asian country to OK marriage
- On May 24, Taiwan's constitutional court ruled that same-sex couples have the right to legally marry—making it the first Asian country to approve same-sex marriage. The court, known as the Judicial Yuan, said current marriage laws were "in violation of both the people's freedom of marriage ... and the people's right to equality," and it provided two years for legal ...
|
| |
TN Governor Signs Bill Undermining Protections for LGBTQ People and Women
- From a press release - WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) released the following statement condemning Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam's decision to sign into law HB 1111 — a measure that could undermine certain protections under state law for women and LGBTQ people in a shameful effort to challenge the Supreme Court of the United States' decision on marriage equality. ...
|
| |
Lambda Legal Files Brief Against Oregon Judge Who Refused to Marry Same-Sex Couples
- From a Lambda Legal press release - ( Salem, OR, May 2, 2017 ) — Today, Lambda Legal filed a friend-of-the-court brief with the Oregon Supreme Court arguing that it was unlawful for Judge Vance D. Day to devise a scheme to avoid marrying same-sex couples. Judge Day directed court staff to use the court record system to investigate whether couples wishing to marry were of the ...
|
| |
Hotel to host diverse wedding event April 9
- In the largest wedding celebration in the history of the hotel and the building that houses it dating back to 1893, the Chicago Athletic Association hotel, 12 S. Michigan Ave., will hold "A Love Supreme—described as "an inclusive, joyous celebration of marriage and unity"—in Stagg Court on Sunday, April 9. A nuptial affair put on in collaboration with local Chicago ...
|
| |
CELEBRATIONS DeShawn-Powell, Pagels-Minor
- WEDDINGS DeShawn-Powell On March 25, Anna DeShawn, founder/CEO of E3 Radio, married Ka'Kawana Powell at Stan Mansion, surrounded by family and friends. Photo courtesy of DeShawn WEDDINGS Pagels- Minor Alissa Pagels and Bethany Minor are officially the Pagels-Minors now after getting married in Santorini, Greece on March 13. Planning and concept courtesy of Kesh Events; photo courtesy of Rebecca ...
|
| |
World news: Gay-panic defense, being 'Bi+,' Taiwan marriage case
- South Australia is now the only jurisdiction that allows the gay-panic defense to be used after Queensland amended its criminal law and abolished the concept, ABC.net.au reported. The defense means a murder charge can be downgraded to manslaughter if a killer successfully argues s/he committed the crime because s/he was provoked by a same-sex advance. It was recently used in ...
|
| |
Federal court: Florida death certificates must reflect same-sex relationships
- From a press release - ( Miami March 23, 2017 ) —Today, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida ruled that the state must issue accurate death certificates to all surviving same-sex spouses. This is a victory for Lambda Legal clients Hal Birchfield and Paul Mocko, two gay widowers, and all other surviving same-sex spouses who were denied accurate death certificates for ...
|
| |
World news: OutGames, Cuban award, gay Brazilian mayor marries
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - World OutGames Miami 2017—a multi-sport, human rights and cultural event to be held May 26-June 4—has announced Amini Fonua, Surat-Shaan Knan and Debbie Wasserman Schultz as plenary speakers for its Global Conference on Human Rights, a press conference noted. The three-day conference ( May 26-29 ) will feature as many as 25 notable activists, thought leaders and community figures addressing ...
|
| |
Beverly Wedding Expo to take place March 19
- sing the BAC, which is a wedding venue, and tons of amazingly talented wedding businesses in our CHICAGO—On Sunday, March 19, South Side couples are invited to attend the first Beverly Wedding Expo at the Beverly Arts Center ( BAC ). The event will feature wedding vendors from Beverly and beyond, including caterers, bakers, florists, photographers, hair and make-up artists, ...
|
| |
Beverly Arts Center to host first Beverly Wedding Expo
- CHICAGO — On Sunday, March 19, 2017, South Side couples are invited to attend the first Beverly Wedding Expo at the Beverly Arts Center ( BAC ). The event will feature wedding vendors from Beverly and beyond, including caterers, bakers, florists, photographers, hair and make-up artists, musicians, invitation designers and more. Attendees can meet local vendors, sample food and sweets, ...
|
| |
World news: French elections, Church of England, Bollywood actor
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Far-right French presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen has quietly pledged to close off same-sex marriage, according to PinkNews. Front National leader Marine Le Pen is currently leading in first-round polls ahead of France's Presidential election. Despite any "reforms," Le Pen has now quietly confirmed plans to end same-sex marriage in the country, burying the policy announcement in a list of ...
|
| |
A Love Supreme, an inclusive celebration of marriage, April 9
- From a press release - ( CHICAGO, IL; February 7, 2017 ): In the largest wedding celebration in the history of the hotel and the building that houses it dating back to 1893, the Chicago Athletic Association hotel ( 12 S. Michigan Ave. ) is proud to announce A Love Supreme, an inclusive, joyous celebration of marriage and unity, taking place in Stagg Court on ...
|
| |
A Love Supreme wedding celebration April 9
- From a press release - ( CHICAGO, IL; January 19, 2016 ): In the largest wedding celebration in the history of the hotel and the building that houses it dating back to 1893, the Chicago Athletic Association hotel ( 12 S. Michigan Ave. ) is proud to announce A Love Supreme, an inclusive, joyous celebration of marriage and unity, taking place in Stagg Court on ...
|
| |
Judge: Secular celebrants can officiate marriages
- A federal judge, on Jan. 4, ruled that certified secular celebrants are authorized to perform marriages in Illinois. Secular celebrants are trained by the organization Center for Inquiry ( CFI )—which advocates for "reason, science and secularism"—to officiate at weddings wherein the couple might not want a religious or government official. "I am truly relieved by this ruling, and I ...
|
| |
CELEBRATIONS Hoagland-Leighton marriage
- After being together for 34 years, Sarah Hoagland ( second from left ) and Anne Leighton ( shown here with friends Jackie Anderson, left, and Kathy Munzer, right ) are surprised to find themselves married. Photo courtesy of Kathy Munzer ...
|
| |
District Judge Rules Secular Celebrants Can Solemnize Marriages in Illinois
- From a press release - Prohibition against Center for Inquiry's Celebrants Declared Unconstitutional In a milestone victory for nonreligious Americans, a U.S. District Court judge ruled today that certified Secular Celebrants are now authorized to solemnize marriages in the state of Illinois. In the suit brought by the Center for Inquiry, excluding Secular Celebrants from the list of those authorized to solemnize marriages was declared ...
|
| |
Gay marriage proposal at Chicago Bulls game, and he said, Yes!
- Jake Conrad scored an NBA Championship-worthy marriage proposal, thanks to a huge assist from the Chicago Bulls who, on Dec. 8, were playing host to Conrad's favorite team, the San Antonio Spurs, at the United Center. The Bulls defeated the Spurs 95-91 that Thursday night, and Conrad officially scored the love of his life, Michael Holtzman, who he has been ...
|
| |
National roundup: Cherokees OK marriage, Pittsburgh says no, HB2
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - The Cherokee Nation, one of the largest registered Native American tribes in the U.S., has officially decided to recognize same-sex marriage, Bloomberg.com reported. The tribe, as a separate sovereign, isn't bound by the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark 2015 marriage-equality decision Obergefell v. Hodges. However, its judgment relies in part on evidence of historical recognition of same-sex relationships among Cherokees. Pittsburgh ...
|
| |
Study looks at marriage equality and the election
- A team of researchers from the West Coast, the Midwest, and the South are studying how stigma and discrimination negatively impact LBQ and transgender health. "There is an urgent need for research on the health of lesbian, bisexual, and queer women, and transgender identified people," they stated. "Although there has been much research on HIV/AIDS, LBQ women and transgender people ...
|
| |
No bones about love: A surprise engagement
- On March 13, 2015, Bethany Minor proposed marriage to Alissa Pagels and she said "yes." On March 13, 2016, Pagels asked Minor the same question at the Chicago Field Museum. The twist in this re-proposal? The "yes" was shortly followed by an "I do" in a surprise wedding ceremony. Minor, originally from Mississippi, works in product development for a media ...
|
| |
Class settlement proposed on health benefits for Walmart same-sex spouses
- From a press release - BOSTON, Dec. 2, 2016 — Former Walmart associate Jacqueline Cote and her lawyers filed a motion today asking the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts to grant preliminary approval of a class action settlement in Cote's action that challenged Walmart's lack of health insurance benefits for same-sex spouses of Walmart associates prior to 2014. The case is known ...
|
| |
Rev. Greg Dell remembered
- Hundreds of family and friends of the late Rev. Gregory Dell gathered at Alice Miller Chapel in Evanston Nov. 20 to pay tribute to the work of a lifelong activist, mentor, colleague, father and grandfather. Among the speakers were Rev. Vernice Thorn, Cathy Knight, Kathy Tholin, Ruth and Jim Satorius, Andy Gordon, Randy Albers, Carl Rinder, Charolette Lill, Rebecca Pries, ...
|
| |
Taiwan set to legalize same-sex marriage
- In a first for Asia, Taiwan appears set to legalize same-sex marriage. Taiwanese lawmakers are working on three bills in support of marriage equality, one of which is already listed for review and could be passed within months. Same-sex marriage also has the support of President Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan's first female head of state. A spokeswoman for the group Taiwan ...
|
| |
Community remembers LGBTQ ally Rev. Gregory Dell
- When people attended one of Rev. Gregory Dell's services at Lakeview's Broadway United Methodist Church ( BUMC ), no matter what their race, sexual orientation, gender identity, economic background or level in society, the first thing they heard was "we don't just tolerate you, we celebrate you." On Oct. 30, Dell passed away in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was 70 ...
|
| |
World news: Alan Turing, Indonesian president, Australia and marriage
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - The British government announced it will pardon gay and bisexual men who were convicted of gross indecency before the decriminalization of homosexuality in England and Wales in 1967, The Washington Blade reported. Using an amendment to the Policing and Crime Bill, thousands whose crime was simply being in a consensual same-sex relationship will be posthumously pardoned. This comes as a ...
|
| |
Obergefell recalls marriage-equality fight
- The Plaza Ballroom of downtown Chicago's Hyatt Regency Hotel was the setting for LGBTQ equality advocate Jim Obergefell to engage in an equally intimate Oct. 11 conversation with Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) Field Director Lynne Bowman, diversity consultant Eric Lueshen and a sold-out audience before signing copies of Love Wins: The Lovers and Lawyers Who Fought the Landmark ...
|
| |
Relationships & the Law Today
- A recurring column - The Illinois Supreme Court recently held in Blumenthal v. Brewer, 2016 IL 118781, that couples who are not married to each other have no right to maintenance after ending the relationship, even if the couple has been together for decades and rely on one another financially. Specifically, in 1981, Jane Blumenthal, then a medical student, and Eileen Brewer, then a ...
|
| |
WEDDINGS Rody-Sollors
- They made it official: Brian Rody and Karsten Sollors had an outdoor wedding Sept. 25 in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago. Rody and Sollors met in August 2015, on Facebook, and continued talking on Facebook and Skype. Rody wrote to Windy City Times, "I responded to a friend request from him with a note back telling him it was ...
|
| |
Marriage plaintiff Windsor remarries
- Edie Windsor—the marriage-equality plaintiff who successfully challenged the federal Defense of Marriage Act in 2013—recently remarried City Hall in New York. On Sept. 26, Windsor, 87, wed Judith Kasen, 51, a vice president at Wells Fargo. Windsor initially arrived before the Supreme Court in her challenge to a federal estate tax bill of more than $360,000 after the 2009 death ...
|
| |
Obergefell, plaintiff in supreme court marriage equality case, here on Coming Out Day
- From a press release - In support of LGBTQ History Month and National Coming Out Day, Hyatt joins forces with Human Rights Campaign to celebrate LGBTQ equality advocate Jim Obergefell, co-author of Love Wins: The Lovers and Lawyers Who Fought the Landmark Case for Marriage Equality at the Hyatt Regency Chicago on Oct. 11, 2016 from 5-7 p.m. Obergefell, with Human Rights Campaign Senior Regional ...
|
| |
World: Nuns' civil union, Israelis hosting soldiers, medical news
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Two former nuns who met in a convent have been joined in a civil union in a ceremony in a small town in northern Italy, LGBTQ Nation noted. The Italian news agency ANSA said the women, who were identified in Italian media only by first names, were supposed to have the ceremony in Pinerolo City Hall. However, concern there would ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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. ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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, ...
|
| |
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, ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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. ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ( ...
|
| |
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, ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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, ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
| |
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 ...
|
|
|
|
|
|
