Same-Sex Marriage Update

[Leader]

as only Jon Stewart / the Daly Show can...

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/th...lifornigaytion

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by MsTinkerbelly

Good luck with that!!

Really! But the mid-terms are coming up. Dems arn't going to touch giving praise. The GOP is hot on the tax-cut trail and wanting to scare everyone about the deficit. Neither wants to deal with this now.

Obama has always stated he opposes same-sex marriage (he's a man and a woman only, rather Christian kinda guy) and has only spoken support for civil/domestic partnerships for gays and lesbians.

I kind of like the quiet. Feels more like this is starting to be viewed as a non-issue in many ways, as in [I]sort of normal[/I].

[JustJo]

Originally Posted by AtLastHome

Obama has always stated he opposes same-sex marriage (he's a man and a woman only, rather Christian kinda guy) and has only spoken support for civil/domestic partnerships for gays and lesbians.

I kind of like the quiet. Feels more like this is starting to be viewed as a non-issue in many ways, as in [I]sort of normal[/I].

While Obama has not supported same sex marriage specifically, he is for some very fundamental protections with regard to property rights, federal benefits, etc. for same sex civil unions. It's not perfect, but it's a far cry better than we've seen before now. Maybe I'm settling, but I'd take it....

Here's a link to a good summary.

[theoddz]

I don't know if this has been posted or not yet:

On June 12, 2007, Mildred Loving issued a rare public statement, which commented on same-sex marriage, prepared for delivery on the fortieth anniversary of the Loving v. Virginia decision of the US Supreme Court.[12] The concluding paragraphs of her statement read as follows:

“Surrounded as I am now by wonderful children and grandchildren, not a day goes by that I don't think of Richard and our love, our right to marry, and how much it meant to me to have that freedom to marry the person precious to me, even if others thought he was the "wrong kind of person" for me to marry. I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people's religious beliefs over others. Especially if it denies people's civil rights.

I am still not a political person, but I am proud that Richard's and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That's what Loving, and loving, are all about."

It was kind of nice to read what this lovely Lady had to say about this issue, and to know that she is proud to have her own case quoted and associated with our cause.

~Theo~

[SuperFemme]

Originally Posted by theoddz

I don't know if this has been posted or not yet:

On June 12, 2007, Mildred Loving issued a rare public statement, which commented on same-sex marriage, prepared for delivery on the fortieth anniversary of the Loving v. Virginia decision of the US Supreme Court.[12] The concluding paragraphs of her statement read as follows:

“Surrounded as I am now by wonderful children and grandchildren, not a day goes by that I don't think of Richard and our love, our right to marry, and how much it meant to me to have that freedom to marry the person precious to me, even if others thought he was the "wrong kind of person" for me to marry. I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people's religious beliefs over others. Especially if it denies people's civil rights.

I am still not a political person, but I am proud that Richard's and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That's what Loving, and loving, are all about."

It was kind of nice to read what this lovely Lady had to say about this issue, and to know that she is proud to have her own case quoted and associated with our cause.

~Theo~

I think I shall print this out and make a t-shirt to wear when I am facing bigots who say that *our* quest for equal civil rights being compared to the civil rights movement is shameful.

[Cyclopea]

Originally Posted by Leader

as only Jon Stewart / the Daly Show can...

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/th...lifornigaytion

That was fantastic- LMAO

Colbert was hilarious too:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/0..._n_673097.html

[Soon]

Originally Posted by AtLastHome

Really! But the mid-terms are coming up. Dems arn't going to touch giving praise. The GOP is hot on the tax-cut trail and wanting to scare everyone about the deficit. Neither wants to deal with this now.

Obama has always stated he opposes same-sex marriage (he's a man and a woman only, rather Christian kinda guy) and has only spoken support for civil/domestic partnerships for gays and lesbians.

I kind of like the quiet. Feels more like this is starting to be viewed as a non-issue in many ways, as in [I]sort of normal[/I].

That is just not true and I posted earlier (Post 317) about his unequivocal PUBLIC support for same sex marriage when he was running for Senator.

He, unfortunately, changed his position b/w his time as Senator and his Presidential run.

He also belonged, when living in Chicago, to the United Church of Christ which, in 2005, "became the first mainline Christian denomination to support same-sex marriage officially when its general synod passed a resolution on Monday affirming "equal marriage rights for couples regardless of gender."


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/05/na.../05church.html

[UofMfan]

Originally Posted by HowSoonIsNow

That is just not true and I posted earlier (Post 317) about his unequivocal PUBILC support for same sex marriage when he was running for Senator.

He, unfortunately, changed his position b/w his time as Senator and his Presidential run.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/0..._n_672836.html


Marcus@huffingtonpost.com | HuffPost Reporting

Obama's Opposition To Gay Marriage: Genuine Or Political Calculation?

First Posted: 08- 6-10 04:45 PM


Yesterday's ruling overturning California's ban on gay marriage and the White House's mixed response revived a question that has long frustrated gay Americans -- why doesn't President Obama support gay marriage?

Soon after the decision by District Court Judge Vaughn Walker, the White House issued a statement condemning Proposition 8 as "divisive and discriminatory" without elaborating further. On Thursday morning, presidential advisor David Axelrod told MSNBC that "the president does oppose same-sex marriage, but he supports equality for gay and lesbian couples, and benefits and other issues, and that has been effectuated in federal agencies under his control."

And certainly, the president has pushed through some major reforms benefitting gay couples such as extending hospital visitation rights for same-sex partners and he has asserted his intention to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell. He has long expressed his opposition to the Clinton-era Defense of Marriage act, which defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman and states that no states needs to treat as a marriage any same-sex relationship considered a marriage in another state. But his Department of Justice has defended DOMA in federal courts, arguing that it is appropriate and justified.

When Obama ran for the Illinois State Senate in 1996, he gave statements to a Chicago paper that expressed "unequivocal support for gay marriage."

But since then, and during his later emergence on the national political stage, four words have been missing from his often-stirring rhetoric: "I support gay marriage."

Obama even hinted at that possibility in a 2004 interview with Tracy Baim, the publisher of Chicago's largest chain of gay and lesbian publications. He told her that he opposed gay marriage, explaining:

I think that marriage, in the minds of a lot of voters, has a religious connotation. I know that's true in the African-American community, for example...


What I'm saying is that strategically, I think we can get civil unions passed. I think we can get SB 101 passed. I think that to the extent that we can get the rights, I'm less concerned about the name. And I think that is my No. 1 priority, is an environment in which the Republicans are going to use a particular language that has all sorts of connotations in the broader culture as a wedge issue, to prevent us moving forward, in securing those rights, then I don't want to play their game.

Some gay marriage proponents are skeptical that Obama personally opposes gay marriage.

"Every thing we know and admire about President Obama makes the claim that he doesn't support the freedom to marry very unconvincing," says Evan Wolfson, the director of the nonpartisan group, Freedom to Marry, adding that the president's public statements are more important than what's in his heart.

Wolfson says Obama is falling short of his promise because of his unwillingness to embrace what his professed support for equality requires, which he says is the equal right of gay couples to marry. Noting the president's opposition to DOMA, he asks: "If he's willing to be against 'against marriage', why can't he just be for marriage?"

Obama's deputy campaign manager during the 2008 race, Steve Hildebrand, who is openly gay, decried the tendency of prominent Democrats to support civil unions rather than gay marriage, calling it a "cop-out. Most politicians aren't going to have the courage to be that strong."

He especially decried the use of religion by Obama and others as a basis to explain their decision not to support gay marriage, blaming the media for not pursuing that line of questioning. "Where have you seen a reporter call him on that? He uses his religion to explain his views but he was a member of the United Church of Christ, which fully supports marriage for same-sex couples."

But in the end, the president's personal views (Hildebrand says Obama has "come close" to supporting gay marriage) don't matter as much as his public policy positions. And he takes issue with the administration's actions, pointing out that the president's public opposition to Prop 8 and DOMA clashes with his Justice Department's defense of DOMA in the courts. "I would love to see the president campaign vigorously against those discrimination attempts but I haven't seen it with any president yet."

Obama and other Democrats' position on the issue stands in contrast to other political figures who made the transition from gay marriage opponents to supporters.

Most prominently, Bill Clinton, who opposed DOMA when it was passed during his administration but opposed gay marriage, poignantly described in 2009 how he changed his position:

"I realized that I was over 60 years old. I grew up in a different time ... and I was hung up about it," Clinton said. "I decided I was wrong."

Of course, Clinton was long out of office at that point. Similarly, Laura Bush expressed her support for same-sex marriage this past March, over a year after her husband left office. And Cindy McCain joined the campaign to oppose Prop 8 a year after her husband lost the presidential election to Obama.

Certainly, it is possible that these conversions involve real changes of heart and not political calculation. Roberta Achtenberg, trustee of California State University who served on Obama's transition team, says that she is not of the opinion that all leaders expressing some equivocation about gay marriage are doing that out of political expedience."

She says that when President Obama says he opposes gay marriage, she takes him at his word. And she notes the real regional and generational differences on the issue, noting that while Congress is largely against gay marriage, most Democrats in California's legislature support it.

Those politicians who have taken a view on the issue out of political expedience may wind up regretting their decision, says Freedom to Marry's Wolfson: "If they are making a political calculation, it's a very costly one for them and the country because it's not appeasing any of their opponents and it's disappointing and impeding the strength of their base." He adds, "People may respect people they disagree with but not inauthenticity and pure political calculation -- that doesn't ring true... I don't think there's a single voter that Obama would lose because he openly embraced freedom to marry instead of everything but marriage."

The White House did not return a request for comment by the time of publication.

With his opposition to gay marriage and support for civil unions and just about every other aspect of civil rights for gay couples, Obama joins a long line of politicians including almost all of his 2008 Democratic primary competitors such Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, John Edwards and Bill Richardson.

Their unwillingness to support gay marriage strikes some observers as an act of political calculation that may clash with their personal tolerance for such unions. The sense is that they fear their open support will rebound politically and inspire a backlash from conservative voters.

[Cyclopea]

Schwarzenegger urges resumption of same-sex marriages
(AFP) – 26 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES — California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger weighed into the same-sex marriage legal battle Friday, filing a motion demanding gays and lesbians be allowed to resume tying the knot immediately.

Schwarzenegger's legal bid came as a federal judge who overturned the state's ban on same-sex marriage mulled a request by supporters of the ban to bar further homosexual weddings until the appeals process had been exhausted.

"The Administration believes the public interest is best served by permitting the Court's judgement to go into effect, thereby restoring the right of same-sex couples to marry in California," Schwarzenegger's motion said.
"Doing so is consistent with California's long history of treating all people and their relationships with equal dignity and respect.

"As the Court has pointed out, California has already issued 18,000 marriage licenses to same-sex couples without suffering any resulting harm."

It was not immediately clear when Judge Vaughn Walker would rule on when same-sex weddings would resume, having initially indicated that a decision could be made on Friday.

[Cyclopea]

thought this was cute



photo credit: Ira Monko

[Gayla]

Huff Post article on the Fox News poll.

[atomiczombie]

Originally Posted by gayla

Huff Post article on the Fox News poll.

Heh. I voted a few (50) times. :P

[Gayla]

Originally Posted by atomiczombie

Heh. I voted a few (50) times. :P

I may have told a few people in my office about it. They may have told their friends about it. Some of those friends may be in other countries that think we're way behind the times. One of said friends is personally taking responsibility for like 5 of those percentage points.

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by HowSoonIsNow

That is just not true and I posted earlier (Post 317) about his unequivocal PUBLIC support for same sex marriage when he was running for Senator.
He, unfortunately, changed his position b/w his time as Senator and his Presidential run.He also belonged, when living in Chicago, to the United Church of Christ which, in 2005, "became the first mainline Christian denomination to support same-sex marriage officially when its general synod passed a resolution on Monday affirming "equal marriage rights for couples regardless of gender."


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/05/na.../05church.html

I did not follow Obama all that much before his becoming a serious presidential candidate other than his Democratic convention sppeech that put him on the national map. And you are right, he changed his position. This makes me angry- as is pointed out time and time, again, politicians, including Obama will throw support for same-sex marriage down the tubes if it will hurt them politically. I am tired of this from politicians. I supported him for president and there are many things I appreciate about him. This is not one of them, nor, is his supporting having the military do studies to find out how to handle situations after DADT is finally done away with. As if gays/lesbians haven't been in the military for eons and just had to be quiet about it- what, just because thay can't get kicked out, they are going to have to have to sleep in dorms for gays when they no longer fear being outed? Use different bathrooms? All of a sudden, they are going to want to mess with all the straight military?

I have had a problem with Obama's feelings about the role of religion in state matters since getting to know more about him (again, began to take nmore notice of him as he became viable for the presidential election). But, in all fairness, I personally have a hard time with church being involved in state overall. It isn't just Obama. ht now, I wish that people that supported him would get out there and back mid-term candidates in the Democratic Party so that Obama could get a lot more done in his first term. I have a lot of respect for him. But, I don't agree with everything he does. I plan on supporting for him and working on the campaign for his re-election just as i did for his first term.

But, it makes me angry that he kicks same-sex marriage around based upon poll numbers. I'll certainly stand corrected for his prior support and going to a church that does not discriminate against the LGBTIQ community, but I hope our community and this issue is back on track for his re-election. can't see me voting GOP.... but... UGH!!!

[Gayla]

My same friend that helped with the Faux News poll, just sent me this.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/0..._n_673313.html

Not really same sex marriage focused but I never know where to post stuff. Do we have an "Interesting But Not Breaking News" thread that I haven't found yet?

[Toughy]

Republican California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has now filed a brief with the courts calling for gay marriages to immediately resume.

dang...........

gotta love those lame ducks...............

(the above quote came from the previous Huff Post article)

[Toughy]

I think of two things............Harvey Milk says 'ya gotta give 'em hope'............and my sonny boy says 'do the right thing no matter the consequences'

Supreme 'Double Rainbow': Two Marriage Equality Rulings Head Toward High Court
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/0..._n_673653.html

[SuperFemme]

[Soon]

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?...ag=mncol;lst;2

[Soon]