Tag Archives: Gay Marriage

Gay History – January 26: Nikola Tesla Was Hot, The First Gay Wedding License, and RENT Opens Off B’Way

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Today in Gay History – January 26

1886 – Serbian Nikola Tesla (July 1856 – 7 January 1943) was issued nearly 300 patents in the US for his ground-breaking career focusing on electricity. He was an inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, physicist, and futurist who is best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current(AC) electricity supply system. Likely asexual, Tesla never married, explaining that his chastity was very helpful to his scientific abilities. Tesla chose to never pursue or engage in any known relationships, instead finding all the stimulation he needed in his work.

1958 — Comedian Ellen Degeneres (born January 26, 1958) is born. Degeneres is the first star of a television sitcom ever to come out — in 1997 — to the public, an act many see as having dramatically improved the climate for LGBT actors, though she almost instantly lost her show. Her current success in daytime talk television was unforeseeable at the time and she had no reason to think she would not have to go back to stand-up comedy clubs forever at the time she risked her television career.  In 2008, she married her longtime girlfriend Portia de Rossi (born 31 January 1973),  Australian and American actress, model, and philanthropist.

1971 –Look Magazine includes a gay couple from Minnesota, Jack Baker and Mike McConnell, as part of that week’s cover article on “The American Family.” Baker and McConnell are also noteworthy as they are the first same-sex couple in the U.S. to be granted a marriage license.

Jack Baker and Mike McConnell were married by a young Methodist minister in Mankato, MN in 1971. Baker had legally changed his name to the gender-neutral Pat Lynne McConnell to get the marriage license. By the time the state of MN figured  out that the bride was actually a male it was already too late. The two were officially married.

While Minnesota did try to null and void their marriage Baker and McConnell fought back furiously and predicted they would win eventually, but the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that their marriage was illegal. However, their license was never revoked

1996 – Rent opens off Broadway in the New York Theater Workshop for a six-week run. The creator, Jonathan Larson (February 4, 1960 – January 25, 1996), died unexpectedly the morning of Rent‘s first preview performance Off Broadway. He suffered an aortic dissection, believed to have been caused by undiagnosed Marfan syndrome, in the early morning on January 25, 1996. 

Rent is loosely based on Giacomo Puccini‘s opera La Bohème. It tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and create a life in New York City‘s East Village in the thriving days of bohemian Alphabet City, under the shadow of poverty and HIV/AIDS.

2011, Uganda – David Kato Kisule (c. 1964 – 26 January 2011), founding member of Sexual Minorities Uganda, is murdered. He was the founder and leader of the LGBT rights movement in Uganda where homosexuality is illegal and punishable by death. He was a Ugandan teacher and LGBT rights activist, considered a father of Uganda’s gay rights movement[ and described as “Uganda’s first openly gay man”. He served as advocacy officer for Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG). Kato was murdered in 2011 allegedly by a male sex worker, shortly after winning a lawsuit against a magazine which had published his name and photograph identifying him as gay and calling for him to be executed.

Gay History – June 4, 1971: Gay Activist Alliance Takes Over the NYC Marriage License Bureau – [Rare Video]

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On June 4, 1971 less than two years after the Stonewall uprising, a group of men and women from the Gay Activists Alliance (GAA) walked into the New York City Marriage License Bureau carrying coffee urns and boxes of cake to hold an engagement party for two male couples and to protest the “slander” of City Clerk Herman Katz, who had threatened legal action against same-sex “holy unions” being performed — yes, already then, in 1971 — by the Church of the Beloved Disciple, which had a largely gay congregation.

The GAA was the the second major gay-rights group to form after Stonewall, the more organized cousin of the Gay Liberation Front, which fought valiantly in the early 1970’s with goal, as one member later recalled, of “writing the revolution into law.”

Not known to many there is actual video footage of the planning for the Marriage Bureau takeover and protest or “ZAP” as they were called, and of the action itself, on YouTube.  

There are three videos, each about 10 minutes in length. The first opens with an interview Wicker conducted with the church’s pastor about the controversy over whether or not the church was performing illegal marriages — as opposed to protected religious ceremonies — and thus violating the law. The rest of it consists mainly of a Gay Activists Alliance planning meeting for the action, with a lengthy speech by Mark Rubin, who lays out the protest’s agenda and describes himself as anxious to do what he’s about to do.

The second video shows the GAA members invade the Marriage Bureau office, set up their coffee urns, and offer the staff cake.

“We’re having a wedding reception for gay people in room 265 …. You’re all invited to come,” activist Arthur Evans, who is the main speaker in the video, says to people down the hall.

“Our rights as gay people have been slandered by a public official,” Evans says to those who tell him he has no right to be there.

Eventually the group enters Katz’s office and shouts, “Bigot! Bigot! Bigot!”

The third video shows the party part of the engagement party, as activist Peter Fisher sings songs with lyrics modified to make them gay-rights protest songs. “We waited too damn long for our rights,” he sings to the tune of the gospel song “He’s got the whole world in his hands.”

So watch the video below and take a step back in time to when activism was real and experience our gay and lesbian forefathers fighting for the rights that we have today.  But may not have for very much longer unless we start fighting again.

Former President Jimmy Carter: ‘I believe that Jesus would approve of gay marriage’

Former President Jimmy Carter: ‘I believe that Jesus would approve of gay marriage’

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Former U.S. President Carter said on Sunday he believes “Jesus would approve of gay marriage.”

“I think Jesus would encourage any love affair if it was honest and sincere and was not damaging to anyone else and I don’t see that gay marriage damages anyone else,” Carter, who describes himself as a born-again Christian, told HuffPost Live.

Carter added, however, that churches that disagree with same-sex marriage should not have to perform them.

Carter who was president from 1977-1981, after the Supreme Court had legalized abortion in the landmark case Roe v. Wade said he has “had a problem with abortion” because he doesn’t believe Jesus would approve of most abortions.

“I have a hard time believing that Jesus would approve abortions unless it was because of rape or incest or if the mother’s life was in danger. So I’ve had that struggle,” Carter said. “I’ve had that struggle, but my oath of office was to obey the Constitution and the laws of this country as interpreted as the Supreme Court, so I went along with that.”

Bermuda Supreme Court Strikes Down Gay Marriage Ban

Ellen DeGeneres and Howard Dean Urge Americans to Boycott Bermuda for Re-Banning Gay Marriage

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Both Ellen DeGeneres and Howard Dean have joined this website and others in urging everyone, LGBT’s and straight allies alike, to  Boycott Bermuda.   On Thursday Ellen Tweeted “Bermuda just banned marriage equality. I guess I’m canceling my trip. Anybody else?”

Last month we reported that Bermuda’s governor has signed into law a bill reversing the right of gay couples to marry, despite a supreme court ruling last year authorizing same-sex marriage.

Said Brown: ‘The act is intended to strike a fair balance between two currently irreconcilable groups in Bermuda, by restating that marriage must be between a male and a female while at the same time recognizing and protecting the rights of same-sex couples.’ 

Channel News Asia is reporting that lawyer Mark Pettingill is representing Roderick Ferguson, a Bermudian who lives in the United States. Ferguson aims to render the Domestic Partnership Act void for contradicting Bermuda’s constitution, which guarantees freedom from discrimination.

Even former US presidential candidate Howard Dean is urging Americans to “find another vacation spot” after Parliament voted for the Domestic Partnerships Act, 

Mr Dean, who is also a former six-term Governor of Vermont and former chair of the Democratic National Committee, tweeted “Progressive Labor Party in Bermuda just eliminated gay marriage. Americans who really are progressive should find another vacation spot.”

Tourism accounts for a significant portion of Bermuda’s economy: The 693,000 tourists the island hosted in 2017 spent a combined $431 million, local news outlet the Royal Gazette reported. Cruise spending in particular rose by 7.6 percent last year.

 

South Carolina Republicans File Bill To Classify Same-Sex Marriage As “Parody Marriage”

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According to the South Carolina Statehouse website, a bill titled the “Marriage and Constitution Restoration Act,” was introduced in the House, read for the first time and referred to Committee on Judiciary on February 15, 2018. “‘Parody marriage’ means any form of marriage that does not involve one man and one woman,” read the bill. “‘Marriage’ means a union of one man and one woman.”

From the bill:

Whereas, all forms of parody marriage and all self-asserted sex-based identity narratives and sexual orientations that fail to check out the human design are part of the religion of Secular Humanism; and

Whereas, the State of South Carolina’s decision to respect, endorse, and recognize parody marriages and sexual orientation policies has excessively entangled the government with the religion of Secular Humanism, failed to accomplish its intended purpose, and created an indefensible legal weapon against nonobservers; and

Whereas, in the wake of Obergefell v. Hodges, 135 S. Ct. 2584 (2015), there has not been a land rush on gay marriage, but there has been a land rush on the persecution of nonobservers by Secular Humanists and an effort by Secular Humanists to infiltrate and indoctrinate minors in public schools to their religious world view which is questionably moral, plausible, obscene, and is not secular; and

Whereas, it is unsettled whether or not sexual orientation is immutable or genetic and is therefore a matter of faith; and Whereas, parody marriages have never been a part of American tradition and heritage; and

Whereas, parody marriage policies and sexual orientation statutes are nonsecular and policies that respect, endorse, and recognize a marriage between a man and a woman are secular, accomplishing its intended objective.

This coming from a state that the age of consent is 16 and you can marry your first cousin.

Oh, and by the way South Carolina: your BBQ sucks.

The Bitch Is Back! – Kentucky Anti-Gay Marriage Clerk Kim Davis To Run For Reelection

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The Kentucky county clerk who drew worldwide attention for her refusal to issue marriage licenses to gay couples two years ago will run for re-election next year, her attorney said on Tuesday.

Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis will run to retain her seat in 2018 despite suggestions from some people that she run for a higher local or statewide political position, said Mat Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel.

Davis’ case in 2015 drew hundreds of protesters and supporters to her office in Morehead, in rural eastern Kentucky. While she was in jail, then-Republican presidential candidates Mike Huckabee and Ted Cruz visited her.

Less than a month after she was released from jail, Davis, who won election to the office in 2014 as a Democrat, changed her affiliation to the Republican Party. – via Reuters

Mat Staver, of the anti-gay hate group and Christian Nationalist law firm the Liberty Counsel, which represented Davis during Davis’ blatant disregard of the law in the name of “Jeebus”confirmed Tuesday that she will seek a second term. He said Davis was unavailable for comment because of a medical procedure.

SCOTUS Takes The Cake: Supreme Court To Hear Anti-Gay Baker Case

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The Supreme Court decided Monday to hear a case involving a Colorado baker’s refusal to design and make a cake for a same-sex marriage. The baker, Jake Phillips, declined to make the custom cake and said it conflicted with his religious beliefs.

The Colorado Civil Rights Commission decided that Phillips’ actions amounted to sexual orientation discrimination under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act. The Colorado Court of Appeals said the commission’s ruling did not violate the First Amendment because Phillips’ speech was “conduct compelled by a neutral and generally applicable law,” as attorneys for Phillips noted in their petition to the high court.

The case comes from the home state of Justice Neil Gorsuch, who joined the high court in April. The Supreme Court relisted the case several times for consideration, as it may have been waiting for a full nine-justice court to hear the case. – The Washington Examiner

Of course Anti-LGBT hate group leader Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council jump all over this news and sent out a word salad press release.

The U.S. Supreme Court now has an opportunity to issue a ruling that makes clear the government has no authority to force Americans like Jack Phillips to use their artistic talents to celebrate events with which they have a moral and/or religious disagreement.

With Justice Gorsuch now on the bench, we are more optimistic that the Supreme Court will uphold our nation’s long tradition of respecting the freedom of Americans to follow their deeply held beliefs, especially when it comes to participating in activities and ceremonies that so many Americans consider sacred.

The First Amendment has long protected Americans from being compelled by the government to advocate a message to which one objects. As Americans, our consensus on religious freedom has historically recognized the God-given right of Americans to live all aspects of their lives according to their faith. This is no different today. Attempting to restrict religious conviction to the four walls of a church is not freedom, that is tyranny.

Now remind me again who wants “special rights”?

“The bakery claims … that its owner’s religious belief gives it a special right to defy the law…”

 

FRC Hate Group Leader Tony Perkins: God Did Not Make Mayor Pete Gay!

FRC Hate Group Leader Tony Perkins: The Fight Against Gay Marriage Is Not Over In Trump’s America

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FRC Hate group Leader Tony Perkins: The Fight Against Gay Marriage Is Not Over In Trump's America

America may recognize same-sex marriage now — but not because voters asked it too! And if the Left thinks the Supreme Court has finally decided the issue, they’re in for a major surprise. Turns out, the court of public opinion has its own verdict on the subject — and new polling shows it’s anything but liberal.

A year and a half into this experiment in judicial activism, the opinion of most voters hasn’t budged. When asked by Wilson Perkins Allen Opinion Research if they agreed with this statement — “I believe marriage should be defined only as a union between one man and one woman” — a solid 53 percent agreed. That’s a 16-point difference between those who disagreed at 37 percent (another 10 percent were undecided).

No wonder liberals had to win same-sex marriage through the courts. It isn’t nearly as popular as the Left insists it is! Sixteen months into this illegitimate ruling, nothing about the people’s opinion has changed. According to Wilson, the 53 percent support for natural marriage is identical to what it was pre-Obergefell. Even the five justices of the Supreme Court haven’t managed to move the needle on America’s views!

For once in her life, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was right. If it weren’t for the Supreme Court forcing this decision on America, redefining marriage would have taken years for the Left to accomplish — if ever. “Legislatively, we couldn’t really succeed,” she admitted in May, “but from the courts and the rest… that victory has been won.” For years, the media managed to create this phony narrative of support — even when ballot boxes and state laws told another story. It’s encouraging to see that even when the laws change, people’s understanding of right and wrong do not. Obviously, voters — especially conservative Christians — are looking for politicians who will stand up to the cultural elites and their radical agenda.

That may be one reason why Donald Trump enjoyed such overwhelming support. As the poll goes on to say, nearly six in 10 Trump voters were swayed by the pro-life, pro-religious liberty planks of the GOP platform. And, as someone who served on the RNC Platform Committee, I can tell you that the 2016 document is the most conservative it’s ever been on every issue, including marriage.

So when 66 percent of voters tell pollsters that the “Government should leave people free to follow their beliefs about marriage between one man and one woman as they live their daily lives at work and in the way they run their businesses,” it’s really no surprise that Donald Trump enjoyed the record-breaking evangelical support he did. He was the only candidate in the race that showed his commitment to religious freedom, especially when it comes to giving churches the ability to speak freely about politics from the pulpit (which 53 percent support).

As I told Fox News’s Todd Starnes, the Republican Party’s platform positions on the unborn and religious liberty were the bridge between Donald Trump and Christian conservatives. And he sealed that deal in the final debate when he vividly described a partial-birth abortion and pledged to appoint pro-life justices. If the liberal press had bothered to listen to what voters believe — instead of telling them what to believe — this election wouldn’t have been nearly as shocking. Because if there’s one overwhelming message everyone should have heard on Tuesday, it’s this: the media, the courts, and the Left don’t speak for the American people. – Via press release from Family Research Council hate group leader TonyPerkins friend of David Dukes former KKK Imperial 

GOP Presidential Wannabe Rick “Man on Dog” Santorum Says If Elected He’ll Enforce DOMA

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Santorum is an Idiot

 

I tell you kids, you just can’t make this stuff up.

GOP Presidential Nominee wannabe Rick “Man on Dog”  Santorum who is polling at 0% says he would start fix the Supreme Court by enforcing DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 that banned the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages even though that same Supreme Court in 2013 ruled Section 3 of DOMA unconstitutional.  But Santorum disagrees, and says the court’s decision “wholly” was wrong he would still try to enforce the now defunct law.

That’s where I would start,” Santorum says. “This was a decision that was extra-constitutional. That law is good, valid law and I would enforce that law.”

Someone pass Rick some Charmin so he can wipe his mouth because he is talking some crazy idiotic “santorum” once again.

 

FBI Arrests American Terrorist Sympathizer Who Wanted To Join Al Qaeda Because of Gay Marriage

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Adam Shafi

In a story not made public until now. The FBI arrested twenty-two-year-old Adam Shafi  before boarding a flight from San Francisco to Turkey last  June. Shafi told investigators he was traveling to Turkey to help Syrian refugees. Federal prosecutors tell a different story, alleging he was intent on entering Syria to join al Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria, al Nusra, because of the Supreme Court’s ruling legalizing gay marriage.

The Daily Beast reports: 

In a complaint unsealed last week, authorities say a 22-year-old Bay Area man planned a trip overseas to join al Qaeda’s Syrian branch. Adam Shafi, of Fremont, is accused of purchasing tickets to Istanbul from San Francisco after he chickened out of joining ISIS last year.

“Adam was discouraged with the politics and direction of the United States, citing the recent Supreme Court decision allowing gay marriage, and wanted to be in a country of people of similar mindset and religion as himself,” the criminal complaint reads.

But ISIS was too brutal and killed too many Muslims for his taste, the complaint alleges. For Shafi, an American disillusioned with U.S. policy and worried about the plight of Muslims around the world, Jabhat al Nusra, which executes regime soldiers and alleged adulterers, seemed like the more moderate choice.

Shafi’s parents first alerted authorities to their son’s suspicious behavior:

When Shafi disappeared during a family trip to Egypt last August, his dad warned the U.S. embassy in the country that he might be heading to Syria. Shafi texted another relative that he was going to “protect Muslims,” and the father said he and high school friends had been following extremist imams online.

Shafi ultimately resurfaced after rendezvousing with a friend in Turkey. They were just sightseeing, he said. When interviewed by the feds, he said he was going to see the condition of Syrian refugees.

The FBI tapped Shafi’s phone and found further evidence to corroborate the charge that he was planning to travel to Syria to aid al Nusra. A friend alaso told the FBI that Shafi wanted to return to Syria to “finish what I started.”

Stupid stupid little boy.