The Lords have been discussing amendments to Government's Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Bill this week and will continue to do so next week. The vast majority of the amendments have been about protecting "conscientious objectors", i.e. those who don't like the gays. Unfortunately, for religious freedom, these amendments have been written prejudicially and are championed by people who (until this week) were deeply against allowing this bill through at all. What do I mean that these amendments are prejudicial? It seems the proponents of these amendments have a very 2D view of freedom and are astonishingly short-sighted. As evidenced by the debates in ...

The blue state of Delaware is on quite a roll this year! Just six weeks after becoming the 11th state to enact marriage equality, the state has now become the 17th state to pass a transgender rights non-discrimination bill, thus enacting true LGBT equality in the state. The state legislature completed work on the bill on Wednesday and Governor Jack Markell (D) signed the measure into law soon afterwards. The fact is there are still 33 states where transgender people have no statewide protections against discrimination in employment, education, housing or public accommodations. The federal ...

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) joins Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) in the GOP-Senators-who-support-marriage-equality caucus: Lisa Murkowski Backs Gay Marriage [HuffPo] Your early-ish choice to step up and be counted is both noted and appreciated, Senator. As as is your reluctance, every other GOP Senator. ...

Lisa Murkowski, the Senior United States Senator from Alaska, made history today as the 3rd Republican U.S. Senator to publicly announce her support for marriage equality. Murkowski is considered a somewhat moderate member of her caucus, and is also the first Republican female Senator to endorse marriage equality. The other two Republican senators who support full marriage rights for same-sex couples are Mark Kirk of Illinois (2nd Republican Senator to do so) and Rob Portman of Ohio (first Republican to do so, in response to his son's coming out as gay). Here is an ...

With the addition of Tom Carper of Delaware, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) now sports the public support of 51 Senators, a clear majority of the United States Senate. However, in order to become law, the measure will almost certainly need to clear a Republican filibuster, so the real level of support necessary for passage of this key legislative priority is 60 votes. Astonishingly, ENDA has bipartisan support with moderate Republicans (Yes, Virginia, they do exist!) Mark Kirk of Illinois and Susan Collins of Maine supporting S. 815. However, there are still 5 members of the Democratic caucus who have ...

Next week the Lords will be discussing marriage equality in the (full house) committee stage of the bills progression through the House of Lords. A few of the proposed amendments have now been published and I find them quite revealing in their prejudices. Here are a couple just to give you a flavour (full listings here and here) After Clause 1 LORD DEAR Insert the following new Clause— “Protecting belief in traditional marriage: public authorities (1) A public authority, or any person exercising a public function, shall have regard to the following— (a) that prior to the coming into force of this Act, marriage was ...

The Illinois Family Institute continues to be the top group standing in the way of equality in the Land of Lincoln. The IFI also continues to show that its true agenda goes far beyond our ring fingers: [IFI] Hey, Illinois lawmakers: They want to "cure" us! This is the extreme, outrageous, and scientifically-discredited viewpoint with which some of you chose to side rather than to support basic civil freedoms for your tax-paying constituents. By standing with the IFI rather than with civil marriage rights, feet-dragging lawmakers are sending the truly dangerous message that LGBT people have "disorders" that can ...

An edited version of this piece appeared in the June 13, 2013 edition of the SF Bay Times. Next week is our anniversary. That is, one of our anniversaries. I’ve joked that one of the rare upsides to the lack of marriage equality is that unlike our opposite-sex counterparts, for whom the wedding anniversary is the focus for commemorating the relationship, same-sex couples can celebrate a number of mini anniversaries. For example, Jeff and I mark, to varying degrees, the dates of registering our domestic partnership, of becoming engaged, and of our commitment ceremony, among other milestones. But next week’s anniversary is ...

Every now and then, the National Organization For Marriage will support a random fringe Democrat who vehemently opposes equality. Don't be fooled. This organization, which supported Romney, which backs any number of GOP candidates and interests, which presents at right-wing events like CPAC and the Values Voter Summit, and whose president runs a partisan operation called ActRight is, in actuality, a far-right Republican organization. Here's the latest example in the form a photo meme telling supporters to refuse to be "intimidated by the Left": For us, marriage is not partisan, even if the political support still breaks down the way ...