Community members in Greenville, N.C., have planned a protest for the July 13 meeting of the Pitt County Commissioners meeting after one board member proposed adopting a resolution to oppose marriage by same-sex couples. In a meeting on June 29 Commissioner David Hammond asked his fellow board members to consider the resolution putting the county on [...] ...

The nation of Hungary has taken a step forward granting marriage rights to same-sex couples. While this is historic there still is a gap of inequality that must be changed."These life partnerships will be guaranteed the same tax, employment, social and immigration benefits as heterosexual marriages. Gay couples will be barred from adopting children and taking their spouse's name"" (Caboodle).Hungarian LGBT organizations Hatter and Labrisz will continue to strive for full equality under the law. ...

The National Education Association (NEA) is reportedly considering adding an amendment at its convention in support of marriage equality, the vote could come in the next few days. The NEA is the nation's largest union with over 3.2 million members and spent 50 million dollars to help elect Barack Obama.The weight of the decision holds political and financial implications for the future of marriage equality and adoption rights by same-sex couples. Please urge the NEA to adopt the resolution calling for marriage rights for LGBT families.National Education Association1201 16th Street, NWWashington, DC 20036-3290202-833-4000Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. ETScroll ...

In a surprise development late Tuesday, U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn Walker told opposing attorneys in a federal challenge to California’s same-sex marriage ban that he wants to hold off on a requested preliminary injunction and get ready to begin the trial.Judge Walker had been scheduled to hold a hearing Thursday morning on the request by attorneys Theodore Olson and David Boies, who are representing two-same sex couples who have been denied marriage licenses in California, for a preliminary injunction that would put Prop 8 on hold. After the state Supreme Court ruled in early 2008 that the state ...

Wisconsin's Domestic Partnership law, which was recently approved as part of a state budget and this week signed by Governor Jim Doyle, will likely make August a busy month for county clerks, Madison's Capital Times reports: "[August 3 is] the day same-sex couples across the state, including an estimated 1,400 to 2,400 couples living in Dane County, will be able to take advantage of a historic piece of legislation signed Monday by Gov. Jim Doyle that for the first time recognizes domestic partnerships across the state. Along with the recognition come dozens of legal protections that previously were only granted to married couples, ...

A federal judge hearing the Olson-Boies challenge to California's Proposition 8 indicated he's unlikely to issue an injunction that would have allowed same-sex couple to immediately begin marrying again, but also indicated he's eager to expedite the case: "In his first response to the lawsuit challenging Proposition 8, Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker of San Francisco said the case raises numerous issues that may need to be considered at a trial, including the history of discrimination against gays and lesbians and the intent and effects of the state constitutional amendment...Olson and Boies asked Walker to issue an injunction at a Thursday hearing ...

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle signed the state budget into law today. That budget includes provisions for a Domestic Partnership registry to provide protections for same-sex couples as well as insurance rights for State employees. Protections include hospital visitation rights, inheritance rights, joint tenancy rights, and the ability to take Family Medical Leave (FMLA) to care for a sick/injured partner or non-biological/non-adopted child. Copyright © Box Turtle Bulletin. All rights reserved. This feed is for personal, non-commercial use only. Publishing this feed's content on any web site besides Box Turtle Bulletin is strictly prohibited. If you are accessing this on ...

Travis & Greg13LoveStories.com is a unique multimedia advocacy project that profiles the moving stories of thirteen couples whose lives were profoundly affected by Proposition 8 - the California ballot initiative that eliminated the right of same-sex couples to marry. ...

I’ve heard of the Baby Boomers as well as Generation X but now it seems that we have a new generation: The Gayby Boom. Yes, we now have a generation called the Gayby Boom generation which consist of children who are raised by same sex couples. Like the controversial issue of gay marriage, now we’re starting to see arguments against same sex couples raising children. Many think children that are raised by same sex couples will be the product of their environment, possibly becoming homosexual themselves. Now in my opinion that’s just totally absurd. I do not think it’s ...

On June 20 came the happy news that the 2010 Census will officially count same-sex married couples: "This is a huge win for our community. Our community and allies stood up and refused to allow same-sex marriages, our families and our children to be rendered invisible in the picture of our country provided through the census. "After months and months of pressure through the grassroots campaign we waged and our in-person meetings with administration officials, the U.S. Census Bureau has reversed policy and will be accurately counting the thousands of same-sex couples who have worked so hard to have their love and ...

On 6/13, the day that this New York writer was marrying in Connecticut, Nassau County executive Tom Souzzi put forth a New York Times Op-Ed wherein he voiced support for other queer New Yorkers to be able to marry a little closer to home: WHEN I ran in the Democratic primary for governor against Eliot Spitzer in 2006, I vocally supported civil unions for same-sex couples but did not endorse equal marriage. I understood the need to provide equal rights for gays and lesbians, but as a practicing Catholic, I also felt that the state should not infringe on religious institutions’ ...

Ireland has finally passed its Civil Partnership Bill which provides many (but not all) of the rights, priveleges, and responsibilities to same-sex couples. (Reuters) “This bill provides legal protection for cohabiting couples and is an important step, particularly for same-sex couples, whose relationships have not previously been given legal recognition by the state,” Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said in a statement. The legislation provides a range of previously denied rights including maintenance obligations, protection of a shared home and succession. “Balance is achieved by maintaining material distinctions between civil partnership and marriage, in particular between the rights attaching to both, while ...

Ireland published new civil partnership laws Friday giving legal recognition to same-sex couples but falling short of marriage because of limitations imposed by the country's constitution. Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said the laws provided “very significant rights to civil partners”, AFP reports. The bill will allow same sex couples to register their civil partnership for the first time and also includes pension rights, protection of a home that couples share, plus rights and responsibilities of partners who separate, RTE reports. On registration, civil partners will be treated in the same way as spouses under the tax ...

Pennsylvania Senator Eichelberger has found himself in hot water after remarks suggesting he "allows gays to exist" when interviewed about his legislation to ban same-sex marriage in the state.21:15Leach: How would he [Eichelberger] want to encourage stability in gay couples?Eichelberger: I wouldn’t. I mean they can practice whatever sexual activity they like to practice, but there’s no reason to give them special consideration. We don’t give them special consideration in Pennsylvania for any reason. Why in the world would we allow them to marry?22:05Leach: How would he want to encourage stability in gay couples?Eichelberger: There is no reason to ...

A new poll from Quinnipiac University shows New Yorker supporting marriage equality by 51 percent. This data is similar to polling data released by Siena Research Institute in April which showed 53 percent approval. Quinnipiac reports: New York State voters support 51 - 41 percent, with 8 percent undecided, a law allowing same-sex couples to marry, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. This is the first poll by the independent Quinnipiac University showing support for same-sex marriage in New York State, where voters split 46 - 46 percent on this issue in a May 14 survey ...

A "civil union" is a government sanctioned recognition of a couple that is similar to marriage but lacks the name and hundreds of rights. Civil unions have traditionally been entered into by same-sex couples, but increasingly by heterosexuals who oppose the institution of marriage but want to receive government benefits. ...

U.S. Census Bureau officials said Friday that married same-sex couples will be counted as such in the 2010 national tally, reversing an earlier decision made under the Bush administration. Steve Jost, a spokesman for the Census Bureau, said officials already were identifying the technical changes needed to ensure the reliability of the information, but remained committed to providing an accurate tally of gay spouses. "They will be counted, and they ought to report the way they see themselves," Jost said. "In the normal process of reports coming out after the census of 2010, I think the country will have ...

San Francisco has asked a federal judge to overturn California's ban on same-sex marriage, allying the city with a lawsuit that could reach the U.S. Supreme Court. In papers filed Thursday night in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, City Attorney Dennis Herrera's office argued that Proposition 8 was motivated by hatred of gays and lesbians and violates their constitutional right to be free of discrimination. Although sponsors of the November ballot measure said they were trying to promote traditional marriage and protect children, "excluding same-sex couples from marriage does nothing to advance those goals," Chief Deputy City Attorney ...

Responding to the growing tidal wave of discontent across the LGBT community, the White House is "seeking ways to include" same-sex marriages, civil unions and partnerships in 2010 Census data, described as "the second time in a week the administration... ...

Now we’re up to eleven. Mary Bonauto, the Civil Rights Project Director of Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD),  has announced that she will not be attending the Democratic fundraiser next week: It would be counterproductive at this point for me to attend the dinner.  I see and understand the anger of many in the community.  At GLAD, we’re angry, too.  We’re angry because we see and live and feel the discrimination every day.  Many states and our national government enforce existing anti-gay laws or simply fail to see discrimination against lgbt people as both personally devastating and a ...