A Gay Blog….Just Two Gay Women Giving Our Opinions…Very Exciting Stuff;)
California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said that the fight for gay marriage was not over in California and suggested the state supreme xourt may in fact overturn Proposition 8.
“It’s unfortunate, obviously, but it’s not the end,” Schwarzenegger said of the measure’s passage.
“I think that we will again maybe undo that, if the court is willing to do that, and then move forward from there and again lead in that area.”
Florida Proposition 2 is a proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution that would define marriage as between one man and one woman, effectively banning same-sex marriage in the state. The proposition text reads, “”In as much as a marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife, no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized.”
Doesn’t Florida Already Have A Statute That Prevents Gay Marriage?:
Yes, Florida statutes already define marriage as between one man and one woman. However, if Proposition 2 is passed neither the state legislature or judiciary could alter the definition of marriage within the state.
Does This Mean Homosexuality Will Be Taught In School?:
No, there is no language in the proposition about education. Supporters of Proposition 102 (those against gay marriage) are using this argument to convince voters that allowing gays to marry in the state will affect their children’s education.
How Does Prop. 2 Affect Heterosexuals?:
If passed, Proposition 2 could strip heterosexual domestic partners of health care and pension benefit plans.
They both oppose same-sex marriage, but Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain differ over Proposition 8, the ballot measure that would ban gay marriage in California.
“I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I am not in favor of gay marriage. But when you start playing around with constitutions just to prohibit somebody who cares about another person, it just seems to me that’s not what America’s about,” he said. He added, “Usually, our constitutions expand liberties, they don’t contract them.”
Obama has previously stated he would oppose a federal constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and supports repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal benefits to same-sex couples.
He also has suggested civil unions as a means of granting rights to gay pairs.
McCain also opposes amending the U.S.Constitution, but for different reasons. McCain says it is a state issue. He is on record supporting constitutional bans on gay marriage in both California and his home state of Arizona where a similar measure is on Tuesday’s ballot.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden has spoken out against constitutional bans, both federally and state, but Republican Sarah Palin takes a stand stronger than that of McCain. Palin has called for an amendment to the US Constitution.
Public opinion polls show that proposed constitutional bans on same-sex marriage are too close in call in California, Arizona and Florida - the third state with a proposed ban on the ballot.
U.S. senator Kit Bond of Missouri derided Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama for stating that he hopes to appoint judges who can empathize with gay people.
Bond addressed the crowd before introducing Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin onstage at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo., on Thursday, according to CBS News.
“[Obama] said, ‘I’m tired of these judges who want to follow what the Founding Fathers said and the Constitution,” Bond said. ” ‘I want judges who have a heart, have an empathy for the teenage mom, the minority, the gay, the disabled. We want them to show empathy. We want them to show compassion.’ “
Gay Connecticut couples will be able to start marrying sometime in November, though the exact date is not known, reports the Associated Press.
Lawyers who argued the state’s marriage case said Tuesday that couples will be able to pick up their marriage license applications beginning sometime on or after November 10. The exact date will be determined by a judge in New Haven superior court, where the case originated in 2004.
According to the AP, the state supreme court’s ruling is considered official now that it has been published in the Connecticut Law Journal. Motions for reconsideration of the case will be accepted for the 10 days following that publication. Once the period ends, the superior court judge will be free to set the date for when gay marriages can begin.
José Eduardo Verástegui is tall, dark, and handsome, not to mention rich and famous. This Latino actor and sex symbol was a favorite of gay Mexicans and Mexican-Americans — until he came out as one of the loudest proponents of California’s Proposition 8.
The pitched battle raging between gay leaders and conservative Christians over the ballot initiative that could take marriage rights away from same-sex couples has spread beyond California’s borders: The Utah-based Mormon Church has contributed the bulk of the money to promote Proposition 8, and many donors to the fight against the initiative live thousands of miles from the Golden State.
Now the fight has reached Mexico, where one of that country’s biggest young stars is being recruited to convince California’s Latinos to vote for Proposition 8. The voice and face of Verástegui — a Mexican actor and model who was named by People en Español as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world — can currently be found on airwaves and television screens calling for a yes vote on Proposition 8.
The 34-year-old actor garnered attention from roles in the English-language film Chasing Papi, the canceled Shannen Doherty series Charmed, and a Jennifer Lopez video. He’s a devout Catholic who has urged Latinos to vote not only against same-sex marriage but also abortion rights and Barack Obama. Not surprisingly, gay fans and gay supporters have turned on Verástegui — Mexican pop star Paulina Rubio is rumored to have called him ignorant. Latina.com said of Verástegui, “[he] used to make us weak in the knees, but lately he’ s just making us sick to our stomachs.”
While many Latinos are Catholic, it’s not clear whether this voting bloc is being influenced by people like Verástegui. According to the Sacramento Bee, a Field Poll revealed 37% favored the same-sex marriage ban and 44% opposed it.
No on Prop. 8, the group fighting to defeat the ballot initiative, is not taking any chances. They just released a commercial to Spanish-speaking markets on Monday featuring three Latinos who appear on Ugly Betty — star America Ferrera, along with Tony Plana and Ana Ortiz — telling voters that Proposition 8 would hurt families, not help them.
More than 429 Florida Leaders Have Already Endorsed Amendment 2
See Names and Pictures including Governor Charlie Crist and Attorney General Bill McCollum.
Site “Yes2Marriage.org: http://www.yes2marriage.org/about-us/endorsements/
Law enforcement agencies reported a slight decrease in hate crimes last year, despite an increase against gays and lesbians.
The FBI reported more than 7,600 hate crime incidents in 2007, down about 1 percent from last year.
Racially motivated hate crimes accounted for more than half of that total. Religious bias was the second-leading motive for hate crimes, followed by prejudice against sexual orientation.
Within those categories, the FBI report found most hate crimes tended to be anti-black, anti-Jewish and anti-gay.
When the largest and oldest health insurance provider speaks out against Amendment 2 people listen. And Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida (BCBS-FL) has been speaking out against the deceptively named “marriage protection” amendment quite a bit.
Their clear and public stand has earned them high points for courage and integrity but it has also earned them the animosity of the far right backers of Amendment 2.
Since publicly announcing their opposition to this discriminatory amendment, BCBS-FL has been targeted by the far right. They stood up for all Floridians and now we need to stand up for them.
Send a Thank You message to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida and let them know that we will stand with them everytime they support fairness and equality.
Far right backers of Amendment 2 are already starting challenges to municipalities’ domestic partnership benefits. David Caton, of the Florida Family Association, has already started laying the groundwork to challenge partner benefits that the City of Tampa provides to police officers, firefighters and all municipal employees.
Proponents of the Michigan amendment claimed that it was only about marriage - just as those pushing the Florida Amendment are now doing. Then, those very same people turned around and challenged Michigan Domestic Partner Benefits programs and stripped away the rights and benefits of thousands of couples.
Write to BCBS-FL today and tell them how much we appreciate their principled stand.
Talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres spoke out against Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin on her show Wednesday. Palin said Saturday that she would support a federal constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
“Maybe it’s because I’m gay that we should all be equal, but I feel that we’re all equal,” DeGeneres said on her show. “I don’t know what people are scared of. Maybe they think their children will be influenced. I gotta say, I was raised by two heterosexuals, I was surrounded by heterosexuals, everywhere I looked were heterosexuals, and they did not influence — I mean I dabbled in high school, who didn’t? Everyone dabbled. People are going to be who they want to be, and we have let them love who they want to love.”
DeGeneres married her partner of four years, Portia de Rossi, this August in Los Angeles.
Republican presidential nominee John McCain opposes the Federal Marriage Amendment, supporting states’ rights to decide whether to grant marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples.