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P'town to celebrate marriage equality in May
- The gay mecca of Provincetown, Mass., will commemorate 10 years of marriage equality with a number of celebrations throughout the month of May. People will be able to, among other things, join one of the couples that filed for a same-sex marriage license in Provincetown in 2004 as they renew their vows on their 10th anniversary on May 17; or ...
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Celebration of marriage at MCA on June 2
- On Monday, June 2, the Museum of Contemporary Art ( MCA ) Chicago and Equality Illinois invite couples who are planning to get married to have their wedding at the MCA. The MCA will offer a "Celebration of Marriage Equality" and opens its galleries and sculpture garden for complimentary ceremonies and post-ceremony festivities for up to 15 couples. Couples interested ...
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Proposal marks Dance of the Western Suburbs
- The women behind the Dance of the Western Suburbs saved the day not once, but twice. First, they resurrected the dance itself, which had been a very successful annual event of Women of the Western Suburbs. But when WOWS closed after decades of support last year, some of the women who loved the dance event resurrected it. Then, two weeks ...
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Prop 8 opponents set wedding date; trans teacher's return
- National roundup: Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo—two of the plaintiffs in the historic Supreme Court case Hollingsworth v. Perry, which led to the overturning of California's Proposition 8—announced the date for their wedding celebration, according to a press release. The couple's marriage celebration will take place June 28, and will be hosted by Hilton Hotels & Resorts at the The Beverly Hilton, ...
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Federal Judge: Ohio must recognize same-sex marriages
- From press releases - New York — Today U.S. District Judge Timothy Black struck down part of a constitutional amendment in Ohio that denies gay couples the freedom to marry and withholds legal respect for gay couples who have gotten married. He ordered the state to treat couples married elsewhere like any other couples who marry out of state—as married. Evan Wolfson, president of ...
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ACLU sues Michigan to honor same-sex marriages
- From a press release - DETROIT — The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Michigan filed a lawsuit today to guarantee that the marriages of 300 same-sex couples performed last month are recognized by the state. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of eight same-sex couples who were married after a federal judge struck down the state's ban and before the Sixth Circuit ...
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Lambda Legal looks at 64 pending marriage cases
- From a press release - Now live on the Lambda Legal website is a chart detailing current status of marriage equality litigation nationwide. As of April 9, 2014, there are 64 pending lawsuits ( 43 in federal court — 9 of which are on appeal — and 21 in state courts, 5 of which are on appeal and 11 of which raise federal claims ), ...
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Ohio caravan members and Indiana guests wed in Chicago
- NEWS UPDATED APRIL 14 - Just three days before a judge issued a ruling saying that the state of Ohio must recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere, three lesbian couples journeyed from the Buckeye State to Chicago as part of what they called a "marriage caravan." Additional photos at http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/photospreadthumbs.php?APUB=wct&ADATE=2014-04-11&AGALLERY=Ohiocaravan . The women, who were joined April 11 in Chicago by another couple, from Indiana, ...
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Ind. lesbian couple wins right to marry
- A federal judge in Evansville ordered April 10 that the state of Indiana must recognize the marriage of a lesbian couple as one of the partners fights stage four cancer. The couple, Amy Sandler and Niki Quasney of Munster, had a civil union in Illinois and were married in Massachusetts. They were plaintiffs in a lawsuit along with their two ...
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Indiana federal court orders marriage recognition
- From a Lambda Legal press release - ( Evansville, IN, April 10, 2014 ) - Today, a federal court in Indiana ordered the state to recognize immediately the marriage of a lesbian couple in Munster. Lambda Legal filed suit on behalf of Amy Sandler, Niki Quasney and their two children, seeking immediate relief from Indiana's ban on marriage for same-sex couples as Ms. Quasney battles stage four ...
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Celebration: The marriage of Tobin/Fahnstrom
- Charlie Tobin ( right ) and Dale A. Fahnstrom ( left ) exchanged vows March 17, 2014, in their Edgewater home. It was the 18th anniversary of the day they met, making the day extra special. 17 family members gathered to witness this loving union, including sons Kiel and Chris. They are so happy and proud to be legally married ...
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Transgender man's surviving spouse wins benefits
- From the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund - Following the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund's intervention, a major American car manufacturer reversed an initial decision to deny a woman her husband's pension benefits based on its determination that their nearly-30-year marriage was void because he was transgender. We are sharing more details below, but changing the names of those involved, because the surviving spouse wishes to remain ...
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Ohio "Marriage Caravan" to head to Chicago
- A group of Columbus, Ohio-area residents are organizing what they call a "marriage caravan" that will journey to Chicago Friday in order to get married. The marriages will come following an April 4 announcement by a federal judge that he will order Ohio to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. The order will be officially handed down April 14. ...
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HHS: Some same-sex couples now equal status for Medicare
- From a press release - Today, the Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS ) announced that the Social Security Administration ( SSA ) is now able to process requests for Medicare Part A and Part B Special Enrollment Periods, and reductions in Part B and premium Part A late enrollment penalties for certain eligible people in same-sex marriages. This is another step HHS ...
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Judge plans to strike down OH marriage recog. ban
- From press releases - WASHINGTON - Today a federal judge announced he will strike down Ohio's constitutional amendment banning the state from recognizing same-sex marriages performed in states where they are legal. The case Henry V. Wymyslo, was brought by legally married same-sex couples living in Ohio who wish to be listed as married on their children's' birth certificates. "For the second time Judge ...
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Ben Cohen issues 50th grant; group seeks to ban 'Warmest Color'
- World news: Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - The Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation, the world's first anti-bullying foundation, announced it has issued its 50th grant—coinciding with the organization's third anniversary, according to Business Wire. The Foundation is a registered 501( c )( 3 ) grant-making non-profit in the United States and a registered charity in the United Kingdom, and the 50 grants have been given across both countries. ...
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Lambda Legal unveils marriage ads on Red Line
- In Chicago, Lambda Legal has unveiled a marriage victory ad campaign on the CTA Red line, making Chicago the site of the national non-profit legal organization's first transit ad campaign, according to a press release. Lambda Legal—whose lawsuits Darby v. Orr, Gray v. Orr, and Lee v. Orr were instrumental in the battle for the freedom to marry in Illinois—will ...
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Lambda seeks emergency marriage recognition in Indiana
- From a press release - ( Indianapolis, IN, March 31, 2014 ) - Today, Lambda Legal asked a federal court to order the State of Indiana to recognize the marriage of a lesbian couple in Munster. Amy Sandler and Niki Quasney and their two children seek immediate relief from Indiana's ban on marriage for same-sex couples as Ms. Quasney was diagnosed with stage IV cancer ...
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Federal gov't recognizes Michigan marriages
- U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder extended federal recognition to the marriages of about 300 same-sex couples that took place in Michigan before a federal appeals court put those unions on hold, ABC News reported. Holder's action will enable the government to extend eligibility for federal benefits to the Michigan couples who married March 22, which means they can file federal ...
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Marriages begin in England, Wales
- LONDON—After legalizing same-sex marriages in July 2013, the first official marriage ceremonies in England and Wales took place right after midnight on March 29, 2014. At Islington Town Hall in London, at 12:03 a.m., Peter McGrath and his partner of 17 years, David Cabreza, were married in front of dozens of family and friends. They then went outside to greet ...
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Lambda Legal unveils marriage ad on Red Line
- In Chicago, Lambda Legal has unveiled a marriage victory ad campaign on the CTA Red line, making Chicago the site of the national non-profit legal organization's first transit ad campaign, according to a press release. Lambda Legal—whose lawsuits Darby v. Orr, Gray v. Orr, and Lee v. Orr were instrumental in the battle for the freedom to marry in Illinois—will ...
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Celebrations MARRIAGE: Hill/Jones
- Couple Chris Hill and Stephen Jones were legally married in their Bucktown home March 15. They have been together for more than 27 years since meeting on Belmont Rocks. Photo by Steve Ewert ...
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Rainbow Wedding Network holds LGBT expo
- "Same Love, Same Rights" was the theme of the sixth annual Chicago LGBT wedding expo at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza March 23. About 1,000 people attended the expo that the Rainbow Wedding Network hosted. Among the 50 vendors participating were HRC, Entertaining Company, wedding venues such as Cantigny Park and GayWeddingChicagoSite. com, Terry's Toffee, Cybee Stix, the Cook ...
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Supreme Court seems to lean toward religious exemptions
- Nobody spoke about recent efforts to circumvent laws protecting LGBT from discrimination by claiming religious motivations; nobody pointed out that people with religious objections to contraception often have religious objections to alternative insemination for lesbians and condom distribution for safe sex education. But the implications of two U.S. Supreme Court cases argued Tuesday for LGBT people and for laws that ...
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Sixth Circuit issues stay until Wednesday
- The Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals issued a stay at 5 p.m. March 22 of a district court decision issued the day before that struck down Michigan's ban on same-sex couples marrying, but hundreds of couples had already married by that time. Michigan's first marriage of a same-sex couple took place just after 8 a.m. March 22 in Mason, ...
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Judge overturns Michigan's marriage ban
- A federal judge in Detroit ruled Friday that Michigan's ban against same-sex couples marrying violates the couples' constitutional rights to equal protection. The Michigan decision, from U.S. District Court Judge Bernard Friedman (a Reagan appointee) falls squarely in line rulings from federal district court judges in eight other states in the past year since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down ...
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Federal Judge Orders TN to recognize gay marriages
- From news releases - In an important but narrow ruling, a U.S. district court judge in Nashville issued a preliminary injunction late Friday afternoon, barring the state of Tennessee from denying recognition of marriage licenses obtained by three same-sex couples in other states. The order applies only to these three couples and only while their lawsuit challenging the state's refusal to recognize marriage licenses ...
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Lambda files federal suit for same-sex marriage in Indiana
- From a news release - "Same-sex couples and their families in the Hoosier state are vulnerable every day that they are denied the freedom to marry." ( Indianapolis, IN, March 13, 2014 ) — On Monday, in the United States District Court Southern District of Indiana, Lambda Legal filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of three same-sex couples who seek the freedom to marry in ...
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Pro-marriage equality GOP rep. taking heat in bitter primary
- "I didn't go to Springfield just to play defense and take votes that were just safe and easy," Rep. Ron Sandack said after he announced support for marriage equality last May. Cue the firefight. Sandack's vote for marriage equality has taken center stage in an ugly primary runoff against Republican opponent Keith Matune, a local teacher and school board member. ...
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Gay couples to get ACA coverage
- The Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS ) on March 14 announced that, beginning in 2015, all insurance companies offering coverage to opposite-sex couples in the Health Insurance Marketplace will have to offer the same coverage to same-sex couples. "Today, we are clarifying that, starting next year, if an insurance company offers coverage to opposite-sex spouses, it cannot ...
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Jackson County issues first same-sex marriage license
- Downstate Jackson County is the most recent addition to the growing list of Illinois counties allowing marriage equality ahead of the previously planned June 1 start date. Jackson County Clerk Larry Reinhardt told the Southern Illinoisan that Attorney General Lisa Madigan's affirming the right of county clerk's to issue same-sex marriage licenses spurred his decision. "We were only three months ...
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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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