We’ve heard of gay candidates and proponents of gay rights being beaten down in politics by their right wing opposition, but a few ultra conservatives somewhere must’ve seriously misread the How To Tame Your Gay Mayor handbook. Oh, wait, that’s not a real book. But, what else could be the case for the outrage for Houston’s openly gay Mayor Annise Parker’s participation in the fight for same sex marriage? Whatever the reason, this lesbian leader is shaking up the Lone Star State and some are not too happy about it...
Recent news in the Houston Chronicle showed that political opponents are now attacking Mayor Parker, who recently began her second term under the platform of a “competent leader who happens to lesbian,” for advocating same-sex marriage. Only two months into the term, she has spoken amongst a nationwide mayors’ conference in favor of marriage equality, proclaimed Valentines’s Day as Freedom to Marry Day in the city and publicly encouraged President Obama to lend his support on cable radio.
Parker’s adversaries are accusing her of turning her back on a promise to make Houston priority: one and put social issues on the back burner. So wait, social issues aren’t involved in running a city? She is also receiving the political shade for violating the constitution by attempting to change it.
Steve Riggle, Pastor of Grace Community Church and avid opponent to the separation of church and state (The church will be holding next month's county Republican Party convention), called for Parker to resign if she did not, for lack of a better phrase, zip it on the marriage issue.
"Respectfully,"(ish?), "if you cannot uphold the Texas Constitution, then you should do the honorable thing and step down," Riggle told his congregation of over 3,000 people.
The Republicans of Texas are appalled to by the audacity of someone to change the state constitution, yet same-sex marriage in Texas was officially made illegal in 2005 with the passing of Proposition 2. So in 2005 it was still okay to change a constitution, but not anymore? Wait, we’re confused.
One thing we're not confused about is, though she may be taking the heat now, we’re grateful to have a friend in the so-called State of Friendship.
http://instinctmagazine.com/blogs/blog/houston%E2%80%99s-lesbian-mayor-attacked-for-supporting-sam-sex-marriage?directory=100011
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est same sex marriage. Afficher tous les articles
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est same sex marriage. Afficher tous les articles
mercredi 7 mars 2012
samedi 2 juillet 2011
Free to Say, ‘I Do,’ but Where?
NOT too long after watching the New York State Senate pass the marriage-equality bill on television, Bill White turned to his longtime partner, Bryan Eure, and asked, “Want to have a wedding?”
His answer: “Yes, but — — ”
There were a few conditions, including that the celebration be a “masculine” affair. The important part was the yes. By the time the evening was over, Mr. White, the former president of the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, had made two calls. One was to V. Gene Robinson, the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, whom he asked to preside over the couple’s nuptials, at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church on Sept. 25. The other was to Julian Niccolini, an owner of the Four Seasons.
“It’s a great restaurant, they have the best food, and I’ve spent a lot of time there in my professional career,” Mr. White said about his choice of reception location.
If first comes love and then comes the law, the next step is finding the space. For thousands of gay and lesbian couples who have been waiting years for the legalization of same sex-marriage in New York, the jockeying for dates has already begun, with many looking to tie the knot in the fall, if not earlier.
Already the Glasshouses, two event spaces in the Chelsea Arts Tower, has seen a 25 percent increase in inquiries from prospective new clients, most of them same-sex, and Wolffer Estate Vineyard in Sagaponack, N.Y., that is a popular site for weddings, had to turn away a number of same-sex couples looking for immediate dates. Sue Calden, the estate’s event director, said that the winery still has availability on Saturdays starting in late October.
Lee Ellis, the event planner at the Southampton Inn, said that the inn already has four contracts out for couples who had started planning their weddings before the bill was passed. “We’ve been swamped,” said DeDe Gotthelf, the inn’s owner.
Those who have their heart set on being married at the Plaza before the end of the year might want to look elsewhere. The hotel’s event spaces are booked on Saturday nights through the rest of the year, although some Fridays and a few Sundays remain available.
The heightened demand for wedding locations is going to complicate the plans of many heterosexual couples in the coming months as well. “New York is going to become the Las Vegas of gay marriage,” said Grayson Handy, creative director of Prudence Designs and Events. This week, Mr. Handy booked his first lesbian wedding, a fete for 80 on Sept. 10 at a loft in the West Village.
For hotels and other spaces that have been struggling through the recession, the passage of marriage equality is a business boon not to be missed.
“I spent the weekend figuring out what we could do,” said Jennifer Blumin, president of the Skylight Group, a company that operates three event spaces in Manhattan and Brooklyn. On Monday, she sent an e-mail blast to 3,000 industry contacts, offering a 20 percent discount on all wedding bookings through the end of the year. The next day she received about 40 calls, many of them from same-sex couples or planners representing them, double the normal volume.
Meanwhile, the W Hotels of New York unrolled a “Right to Unite” package, which includes car service to city hall, champagne, cake and a party with a D.J. for 200 guests at the W New York-Downtown’s Living Room Bar and Terrace on July 25, the first day that same-sex couples will be able to legally marry in the state. The offer has yielded several inquiries, a representative said.
Deals aside, most couples are concerned with the logistics of planning a wedding on such short notice. In addition to calling a number of spaces, including the New York Botanical Garden and the Bear Mountain Inn, to check on availability, Vincent Iaropoli, a media supervisor for an advertising company, spent time this week figuring out the earliest date that his friends and family could travel to New York for his wedding to Joshua Wikum, a Broadway ticket broker. “We would love to have a fall wedding,” said Mr. Iaropoli, who has been living with Mr. Wikum for seven years.
samedi 25 juin 2011
"A Historic Triumph For Liberty And Freedom"
Mayor Bloomberg, who has pushed for the legalization of same-sex marriage here in New York (despite being attacked by critics for heavily funding the same GOP that has kept it from getting on the books in the past) released the following statement on tonight's big Senate vote:
“Today’s passage in the New York State Senate of legislation recognizing the right of couples to marry regardless of their gender is a historic triumph for equality and freedom. New York has always been a leader in movements to extend freedom and equality to people who had been denied full membership in the American family. By welcoming all people – no matter where they are from, what faith or philosophy they follow, or whom they love – New York became the strongest, most dynamic city in the world. And today, we are even stronger than we were yesterday.
“In recent weeks, I have had many conversations with our State Senators. I emphasized that not only is marriage equality consistent with bedrock American principles, but it is also consistent with bedrock Republican Party principles of liberty and freedom – and the Republicans who stood up today for those principles will long be remembered for their courage, foresight, and wisdom. In fact, 10 or 20 or 30 years from now, I believe they will look back at this vote as one of their finest, proudest moments.
“I want to thank the Senators for graciously taking the time to talk with me over the past few weeks, and for approaching this issue so thoughtfully and honestly. Based on my conversations with senators, I was fully convinced that if we could get a bill to the floor for a vote, we would have marriage equality in New York State. So I want to thank Majority Leader Skelos for allowing democracy to work – and allowing the will of the people to be done. And I especially want to thank Senators McDonald, Alesi, Saland and Grisanti for having the courage of their convictions and bringing this historic change to New York.
“The passage of this bill is the culmination of a decades-long struggle for equality by gay and lesbian New Yorkers. Although there are too many people to acknowledge and thank, I want to express special appreciation to Governor Cuomo and Assembly Speaker Silver for their leadership, and to City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who has been a tireless and passionate advocate for gay and lesbian rights for many years. Together, we have taken the next big step on our national journey toward a more perfect union.”
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2011/06/ny-mayor-bloomberg-calls-marriage-vote-a-historic-triumph-for-liberty-and-free
New law clears the way for gay marriage in NY
Gay couples around the globe can mark their calendars for New York weddings starting in late July, now that the state has become the sixth to legalize same-sex marriage.
At New York City's famous Stonewall Inn that spawned the gay rights movement in 1969, Scott Redstone watched lawmakers pass a historic gay marriage measure Friday night on one of the many Internet and television feeds. He was with his partner of 29 years, and popped the question.
The measure signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo doubles the number of Americans living in a state with legal gay marriage.
New York is the third state, after Vermont and New Hampshire, to legalize marriage through legislation, and without being forced to do so by a court.
associatedpress
In december 2009 - Diane J Savino
“Today’s passage in the New York State Senate of legislation recognizing the right of couples to marry regardless of their gender is a historic triumph for equality and freedom. New York has always been a leader in movements to extend freedom and equality to people who had been denied full membership in the American family. By welcoming all people – no matter where they are from, what faith or philosophy they follow, or whom they love – New York became the strongest, most dynamic city in the world. And today, we are even stronger than we were yesterday.
“In recent weeks, I have had many conversations with our State Senators. I emphasized that not only is marriage equality consistent with bedrock American principles, but it is also consistent with bedrock Republican Party principles of liberty and freedom – and the Republicans who stood up today for those principles will long be remembered for their courage, foresight, and wisdom. In fact, 10 or 20 or 30 years from now, I believe they will look back at this vote as one of their finest, proudest moments.
“I want to thank the Senators for graciously taking the time to talk with me over the past few weeks, and for approaching this issue so thoughtfully and honestly. Based on my conversations with senators, I was fully convinced that if we could get a bill to the floor for a vote, we would have marriage equality in New York State. So I want to thank Majority Leader Skelos for allowing democracy to work – and allowing the will of the people to be done. And I especially want to thank Senators McDonald, Alesi, Saland and Grisanti for having the courage of their convictions and bringing this historic change to New York.
“The passage of this bill is the culmination of a decades-long struggle for equality by gay and lesbian New Yorkers. Although there are too many people to acknowledge and thank, I want to express special appreciation to Governor Cuomo and Assembly Speaker Silver for their leadership, and to City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who has been a tireless and passionate advocate for gay and lesbian rights for many years. Together, we have taken the next big step on our national journey toward a more perfect union.”
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2011/06/ny-mayor-bloomberg-calls-marriage-vote-a-historic-triumph-for-liberty-and-free
New law clears the way for gay marriage in NY
Gay couples around the globe can mark their calendars for New York weddings starting in late July, now that the state has become the sixth to legalize same-sex marriage.
At New York City's famous Stonewall Inn that spawned the gay rights movement in 1969, Scott Redstone watched lawmakers pass a historic gay marriage measure Friday night on one of the many Internet and television feeds. He was with his partner of 29 years, and popped the question.
The measure signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo doubles the number of Americans living in a state with legal gay marriage.
New York is the third state, after Vermont and New Hampshire, to legalize marriage through legislation, and without being forced to do so by a court.
associatedpress
In december 2009 - Diane J Savino
jeudi 26 mai 2011
Stand up pour Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg, maire de New York est un ardent defenseur de l'égalité des droits pour les homosexuels, il se bat pour la légalisation du mariage gay
Retrouvez ci dessous son discours de Cooper Union Collége
"NEAR EQUALITY IS NO EQUALITY"
Mr. Bloomberg spoke in personal terms about why he is an advocate for gay marriage, declaring that he sees the "pain the status quo causes."
"When I meet a New Yorker who is gay, when I speak with…family members and members of my staff who are gay, or when I look into the eyes of my niece, Rachel, I cannot tell them that their government is correct in denying them the right to marry," he said.
"I can't tell them that marriage is not for them. I can't tell them that a civil union is good enough," he said. "In our democracy, near equality is no equality. Government either treats everyone the same, or it doesn't. And right now it doesn't."
Glaringly absent from the speech was any mention of how Mr. Bloomberg wavered on this issue for years before taking a firm stand as he prepared to run for re-election in 2005. During his first campaign for mayor and most of his first four-year term at City Hall, Mr. Bloomberg consistently ducked questions about gay marriage.
In recent years, the mayor has sought to position himself as a strong voice in the campaign for gay marriage. For example, he traveled to Albany earlier this month to lobby state lawmakers on the issue. In 2009, the Senate rejected a bill that would have permitted same-sex couples to marry by a 38-to-24 margin. The state Assembly has consistently backed gay marriage, and the issue has the support of both former Gov. David Paterson and his successor, Andrew Cuomo.
In his speech, Mr. Bloomberg said state lawmakers have a clear choice: "Do you want to be remembered as a leader on civil rights? Or an obstructionist?"
"On matters of freedom and equality, history has not remembered obstructionists kindly," the mayor said. "Not on abolition. Not on abortion. Not on women's suffrage. Not on workers' rights. Not on civil rights. And it will be no different on marriage rights."
When the mayor's niece introduced her uncle, she said the mayor does not "agonize" about "defending these rights."
"It's not hard for him to come to these positions," said Ms. Tiven, who heads a national organization supporting equal immigration rights for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and HIV-positive community. "These issues are very clear to him and uncomplicated."
Brian Ellner, who is heading a campaign for gay marriage, said the mayor's history on this issue doesn't "complicate what he said today." Last year, Mr. Ellner withdrew his candidacy for executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda, a gay group, in part because of controversy surrounding his support for the mayor.
"The mayor's message today is going to move a lot of people across this nation," Mr. Ellner said. "It's time to get it done."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304520804576347762363512474.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Retrouvez ci dessous son discours de Cooper Union Collége
"NEAR EQUALITY IS NO EQUALITY"
Mr. Bloomberg spoke in personal terms about why he is an advocate for gay marriage, declaring that he sees the "pain the status quo causes."
"When I meet a New Yorker who is gay, when I speak with…family members and members of my staff who are gay, or when I look into the eyes of my niece, Rachel, I cannot tell them that their government is correct in denying them the right to marry," he said.
"I can't tell them that marriage is not for them. I can't tell them that a civil union is good enough," he said. "In our democracy, near equality is no equality. Government either treats everyone the same, or it doesn't. And right now it doesn't."
Glaringly absent from the speech was any mention of how Mr. Bloomberg wavered on this issue for years before taking a firm stand as he prepared to run for re-election in 2005. During his first campaign for mayor and most of his first four-year term at City Hall, Mr. Bloomberg consistently ducked questions about gay marriage.
In recent years, the mayor has sought to position himself as a strong voice in the campaign for gay marriage. For example, he traveled to Albany earlier this month to lobby state lawmakers on the issue. In 2009, the Senate rejected a bill that would have permitted same-sex couples to marry by a 38-to-24 margin. The state Assembly has consistently backed gay marriage, and the issue has the support of both former Gov. David Paterson and his successor, Andrew Cuomo.
In his speech, Mr. Bloomberg said state lawmakers have a clear choice: "Do you want to be remembered as a leader on civil rights? Or an obstructionist?"
"On matters of freedom and equality, history has not remembered obstructionists kindly," the mayor said. "Not on abolition. Not on abortion. Not on women's suffrage. Not on workers' rights. Not on civil rights. And it will be no different on marriage rights."
When the mayor's niece introduced her uncle, she said the mayor does not "agonize" about "defending these rights."
"It's not hard for him to come to these positions," said Ms. Tiven, who heads a national organization supporting equal immigration rights for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and HIV-positive community. "These issues are very clear to him and uncomplicated."
Brian Ellner, who is heading a campaign for gay marriage, said the mayor's history on this issue doesn't "complicate what he said today." Last year, Mr. Ellner withdrew his candidacy for executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda, a gay group, in part because of controversy surrounding his support for the mayor.
"The mayor's message today is going to move a lot of people across this nation," Mr. Ellner said. "It's time to get it done."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304520804576347762363512474.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
mercredi 25 mai 2011
Hope never be silent - Partagez son histoire
A saluer, l'excellente page du New york times ou des ados partagent leur experience du coming out
"Bullying and suicides of gay and lesbian teenagers are in the headlines, the military's “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy has been repealed, and the debate over same-sex marriage continues to divide the country. Against this backdrop, many L.G.B.T. youth wonder how accepting society will be..."
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/05/23/us/20110523-coming-out.html
"Bullying and suicides of gay and lesbian teenagers are in the headlines, the military's “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy has been repealed, and the debate over same-sex marriage continues to divide the country. Against this backdrop, many L.G.B.T. youth wonder how accepting society will be..."
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/05/23/us/20110523-coming-out.html
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