Tag Archives: same sex marriage

PAGENTS: Miss Argentina and Miss Puerto Rico Reveal They Secretly Got Married

PAGENTS: Miss Argentina and Miss Puerto Rico Reveal They Secretly Got Married

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A pair of international beauty pageant winners are showing love wins.

Via USA TODAY: Miss Argentina 2020, Mariana Varela, 26, and Miss Puerto Rico 2020, Fabiola Valentin, 22, wrote on Instagram that they got married on Oct. 28 after having kept their relationship out of the public eye. “After deciding to keep our relationship private, we opened the doors to them on a special day. 28/10/22,” the couple wrote in a joint message on both of their Instagram pages.

Same-sex marriage was legalized in Puerto Rico in 2015 when it was legalized across the U.S. following a Supreme Court ruling. Argentina legalized it in 2010.

The couple each represented their countries in 2020 in the Miss Grand International competition, whose organizers sent well wishes to them on their marriage.

CPAC Gives Hungarian PM Orban Standing O for Anti-Gay Rant

CPAC Gives Hungarian PM Orban Standing O for Anti-Gay Rant

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It’s CPAC time again!

“The Conservative Political Action Conference is the largest and most influential gathering of conservatives in the world. (Their wording, NOT OURS) Launched in 1974, CPAC brings together hundreds of conservative organizations, thousands of activists, millions of viewers and the best and brightest leaders in the world.”

Via Mediate: “Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas and declared that marriage is between a man and a woman. Attendees gave the right-wing authoritarian a standing ovation in response. “Hungary shall protect the institution of marriage as the union of one man and one woman,” he said to applause. “Family ties shall be based on marriage or the relationship between parent and children. To sum up, the mother is a woman, the father is a man, and leave our kids alone. Full stop. End of discussion!”

Orban also claimed with a straight face that Christian politicians can’t be racist, ignoring, well, you know. History.

The American Taliban strikes again!

GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert: Same Sex Marriage “Undermines Masculinity”.

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Via Newsweek:

Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert has said the same-sex marriage bill that passed the House last week “undermined masculinity.” Boebert made the remarks on Charlie Kirk’s podcast that was recorded during Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit over the weekend. Boebert slammed the legislation as an “assault on America’s traditional values” on Kirk’s podcast. “I think the federal government should not be involved in marriage,” she said. My marriage between my husband is really between me and God, not between me and the government. But this was absolutely unnecessary. They have attacked our institutions. They have weakened the nuclear family and undermined masculinity and even femininity.”

Blah….blah…. blah…. …whereas my [non-consensual] dick-exposing husband is the very essence of manly-man. Hubba hubba!”

Lauren Boebert undermines human intelligence.

Pete Buttigieg Reads Marco Rubio For Opposing Marriage Bill

Pete Buttigieg Reads Marco Rubio For Opposing Marriage Bill

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Via The Guardian:

The US transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, has delivered an emotional appeal for Republicans to support a law protecting same-sex marriage as it heads for the Senate. Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union, Buttigieg – the first openly gay cabinet secretary – was asked about dismissive remarks about the Respect for Marriage Act, which also protects interracial marriage, made by Marco Rubio, a Florida senator. “If he’s got time to fight against Disney, I don’t know why he wouldn’t have time to help safeguard marriages like mine,” Buttigieg said. “I don’t know why this will be hard for a senator or a congressman,” Buttigieg said.

Bermuda High Court REVERSES Gay Marriage. Now Illegal.

Bermuda High Court REVERSES Gay Marriage. Now Illegal.

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Backstory: In 2017, the Supreme Court of Bermuda declared that same-sex couples had a legal right to marry in the territory after a couple filed suit against the Bermudian Government. However, a bill to ban same-sex marriage and establish domestic partnerships was passed by the Parliament in December 2017 and went into effect on 1 June 2018 though same-sex marriages performed before that day remained legally recognized.

Two legal challenges were filed opposing the domestic partnership law. On 6 June 2018, the Supreme Court struck down the parts of the domestic partnership law that banned same-sex marriages but stayed the ruling while the government appealed to the Court of Appeal. It upheld the right of same-sex couples to marry when it handed down its ruling on 23 November 2018. On 14 March 2022 the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council ruled against the Court of Appeal, banning same-sex marriage once again which ruled 4-1.

The only dissenting opinion came from Lord Sales, who wrote that the right to marry was implicit in the constitution and cannot be interpreted as limited to heterosexual couples. He argued that the Bermuda government’s refusal to recognize same-sex marriage “interferes with the ability of same-sex couples to act in accordance with their conscience and breaches the state’s duty of neutrality between different conscientious or religious beliefs.”

In 2019, before the beginning of the COVID pandemic Bermuda’s internal travel and tourism consumption amounted to 990 million U.S. dollars, and  cruises from the U.S. go to Bermuda, almost 200 port calls per year.

We should really do something to change that.

Gay History – September 28, 1877: The First Lesbian Same Sex Marriage Takes Place In Nevada

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On September 28, 1877, Sarah Maud Pollard, as Samuel M. Pollard, married Marancy Hughes in Tuscarora, Elko County, Nevada Territory.  

Homer Thiel, Tucson archaeologist and historian:

Sarah Pollard was born in 1846 in New York, the daughter of a middle class merchant family. After working in a shoe factory in Massachusetts and sewing shirts in New York, she headed west to Colorado in the 1870s. She caused a stir because of her masculine appearance. Around 1876 she moved to Nevada and took up wearing male clothing in order to find work and she started calling herself “Sam.” She met young Marancy Hughes, born in 1861 in Missouri, and actively courted her. Hughes’ family hated Pollard and the couple eloped on September 28, 1877.

 

They were happily married for six months, and then Marancy broke the secret. The small silver-mining town of Tuscarora, Nevada was transfixed by the story. The matter ended up in court and after Marancy testified, a dramatic re-union took place. Stories about the troubled marriage were carried in newspapers across the country (even appearing in a New Zealand paper). The couple broke up two more times, before Marancy moved on to a marriage with a man in 1880.

Pollard’s story appears to have had a happy ending:

Sarah moved to Minnesota to start a new life by 1883, working by herself on a farm. The story of her successful farming career again made national newspapers, which noted she wore a bloomers-type outfit while plowing. By the 1890s she had met a woman named Helen Stoddard, a schoolteacher who was born in 1864 in Vermont. In later census records Helen was listed as her partner or companion. Sarah died in 1929, and Helen paid for her arrangements at a local funeral home, the owners puzzling over the relationship of the two women.

There seems to be some confusion in the gay and lesbian historical community vs. the trans community about weather to identify Sarah as lesbian or transgender.

But a decade later, the evidence shows that she presented herself with a female name, and became a partner to a female schoolteacher.  Thus the reason I rightfully identify her in this piece as a lesbian.

Source:  Box Turtle Bulletin

Switzerland Overwhelming Votes For Same Sex Marriage. Passes By 2-1 Margin

Switzerland Overwhelming Votes For Same Sex Marriage. Passes By 2-1 Margin

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Switzerland is one of the last nations in Western Europe to ban same-sex marriage. The Swiss parliament had already legalized gay marriage, but a group of conservative “Christian” political parties pushed for the decision to be revised in a referendum and put to vote.

On Sunday Swiss voters took to the pols and appear to have decided by a clear margin to allow same-sex couples to marry, according to a projection after a national referendum on Sunday.

The projection, by the gfs.bern polling agency for Switzerland’s public broadcasters, showed the measure passing by by a whopping 64% to 36%.

Switzerland, which has a population of 8.5 million, is traditionally conservative and only extended the right to vote to all women in 1990.

The passage means that t same-sex partners on an equal legal footing with heterosexual couples, by allowing them to adopt children together and facilitating citizenship for same-sex spouses. It would also permit lesbian couples to use regulated sperm donation.

Congratulations Switzerland!

Puerto Vallarta Sheraton Hotel Tells Gay Couple It Won’t Host an "Equal" Wedding Between Two Men

Puerto Vallarta Sheraton Hotel Tells Gay Couple It Won’t Host an “Equal” Wedding Between Two Men

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Josh Rimer (Who happens to be Mr. Gay Canada) and his fiancé Heath wanted to have their wedding at the Sheraton Buganvilias Resort & Convention Center in the usually LGBT friendly city of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico but after inquiring about a booking the hotel told them that it won’t host a “equal” same-sex wedding.

“This is probably the most homophobic experience I’ve ever encountered personally in my entire life” Rimer said. “It’s not like I’m trying to book a wedding in Uganda! This is Puerto Vallarta! It should not be an issue.”

According to Rimer the manager at the hotel told him “we don’t specialize in same-sex weddings” and suggested other hotels that do.

Rimer later received an email from the manager that read, in part: “I am infinitely grateful that you have thought of Sheraton for your big day., however, our hotel and our staff is not specialized to carry out an equal wedding and we would not like to take your wedding as a trial and error as our service could be poor compared to what characterized Sheraton, because we know and we are aware that is your special day for you and your fiancé, and do not want that by our non-specialized service some conflict can be generated on your big day.”

The Marriott Corporation which owns Sheraton said they were looking into the matter.

We are troubled and greatly concerned about the experience reported by Mr. Rimer.  Marriott has long been committed to providing an environment where all are welcome including our LGBTQ guests and their loved ones. We have contacted Mr. Rimer and expressed our sincerest apologies for his experience.  In addition, we are looking further into the matter to better understand what happened and do what we can to prevent hurtful experiences like this from happening again.” – Jeff Flaherty, Marriott spokesperson with Global Communications & Public Affairs

Nothing short of the firing of the Sheraton manager, a public apology, and a the resort hosting the same-sex wedding for free will come close to making up for the insult, humiliation and degradation the couple has been put through.

You all know what to do.

Sheraton Buganvilias – Address: Blvd Francisco Medina Ascencio No 999 Zona Hotelera Las Glorias, Zona Hotelera, Nte, 48333 Puerto Vallarta, Jal., Mexico Phone: +52 322 226 0404

*Parent organization: Marriott International – Customer service: 1 (800) 325-3535

Trump Administration's Dept. of Health and Human Services To Drop LGBT Protections

Trump Administration’s Dept. of Health and Human Services To Drop LGBT Protections

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The Trump Administration issued a proposed rule today that strips existing protections for sexual orientation, gender identity, and for individuals in same-sex marriages in all programs and grants administered by the Department of Health and Human Services.”

 Via the Washington Blade:

The Department of Health & Human Services went public on Friday with the regulation, which will undo an Obama-era policy prohibiting discrimination discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation among federal grantees. The proposed regulation, which will have far-reaching implications, was immediately was criticized by LGBT rights supporters. Julie Kruse, director of federal policy at Family Equality Council, said in a statement the policy was “outrageous,” especially at the start of National Adoption Month.

“The American public overwhelmingly opposes allowing taxpayer-funded adoption and foster care agencies to turn away qualified parents simply because they are in a same-sex relationship,” Kruse said. According to NCTE, the rule will allow anti-trans discrimination in HIV and STI prevention programs, opioid programs, youth homelessness services, health professional training, substance-use recovery programs and other life-saving services.

Tha anti-LGBT recognized hate group the Family Research Council, applauded the Trump administration’s move saying that charities would no longer have to choose between “abandoning their faith or abandoning homeless children.”

Arizona Supreme Court Rules Business Can Refuse to Make Invitations for Same-Sex Couples

Arizona Supreme Court Rules Business Can Refuse to Make Invitations for Same-Sex Couples

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In a 4-3 vote the Arizona Supreme Court has ruled in favor of Phoenix-based Brush & Nib Studio, a small business that refused to produce wedding invitations for a lesbian couple.

Justice Andrew Gould for the majority wrote:

“The rights of free speech and free exercise, so precious to this nation since its founding, are not limited to soft murmurings behind the doors of a person’s home or church, or private conversations with like-minded friends and family. These guarantees protect the right of every American to express their beliefs in public. This includes the right to create and sell words, paintings, and art that express a person’s sincere religious beliefs. With these fundamental principles in mind, today we hold that the City of Phoenix … cannot apply its Human Relations Ordinance … to force Joanna Duka and Breanna Koski, owners of Brush & Nib Studio, LC (“Brush & Nib”), to create custom wedding invitations celebrating same-sex wedding ceremonies in violation of their sincerely held religious beliefs.

Adopted in 2013, City Code 18-4(B)(1)-(3) prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or disability. It applies to businesses offering services to the general public. But the state of Arizona itself has no such protections on it’s books as law.  And as we all know there are currently no federal protections against LGBT discrimination.

Alliance Defending Freedom which is designated as hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center represented the printers.

Koski and Duka spoke at Alliance Defending Freedom’s Scottsdale office in a press conference with lawyer Jonathan Scruggs.

“This is a win not just for Breanna Koski and me; it is a win for everyone,” calligrapher Joanna Duka said at a press conference in the Scottsdale office of Alliance Defending Freedom. “Everyone should be free to live and work according to their beliefs.”

The city of Arizona issued the following statement:  “The city of Phoenix’s anti-discrimination ordinance is still a legal, valid law and remains in effect,” the city said in a statement after the ruling. “It currently affirms that everyone should be treated fairly and equally regardless of sexual orientation, race, religion, sex, gender or disability.  The Arizona Supreme Court made a very narrow ruling that one local business has the right to refuse to make custom wedding invitations for same-sex couples’ weddings that are similar to the designer’s previous products. This ruling does not apply to any other business in Phoenix. The city of Phoenix has had an anti-discrimination ordinance since 1964 to protect all residents and believes that everyone should be treated equally