On June 6, after two days of debate, the House of Lords overwhelmingly voted to give the Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Bill a second reading.

Second reading stage is an opportunity to debate the general principle behind a bill. By convention, the House of Lords gives a second reading to all bills brought from the Commons. However, Crossbench peer Lord Dear sought to buck tradition and throw the bill out entirely.

“We find ourselves in a world where an ill-considered bill seeks to overturn centuries of tradition, heedless of public opinion and the views of religious leaders and blind to the laws of unintended consequences,” he said.

“There was no royal commission; no committee of inquiry; no mention of the bill in any party manifesto prior to the last general election; no report from any parliamentary Select Committee. The Leader of the Conservative Party, questioned on Sky television only three days before the general election, declared that he had no plans for such a bill. There was no Green Paper, no White Paper and no pre-legislative scrutiny,” he continued.

Lord Dear also accused the government of attempting to stifle debate in the Commons, noting that bill only received five days’ debate in committee compared to the fourteen days given to the Hunting Act during Tony Blair’s premiership.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. and Rt. Hon. Justin Welby, also condemned the bill. “Marriage is abolished, redefined and recreated, being different and unequal for different categories. The new marriage of the bill is an awkward shape, with same-gender and different-gender categories scrunched into it, neither fitting well. The concept of marriage as a normative place for procreation is lost,” he said.

“The idea of marriage as a covenant is diminished. The family in its normal sense, predating the state and as our base community of society, as we have already heard, is weakened. I am sure that these points will be expanded on by others in the debate, including those from these Benches,” he continued.

However, the leader of the Labour peers, Baroness Royall of Blaisdon, gave an eloquent defense of the bill. “I have to say, however, that I simply do not understand those who say that equal marriage can harm or undermine marriage between a man and a woman. Surely if we value and cherish marriage, we should want all those who wish to marry to be able to do so, and we should welcome the fact that marriage would be strengthened by opening it up to more couples,” she said.

“Surely we should be encouraging our young people, who see the love and strength their parents draw from their marriage, to aspire to the same commitment regardless of whether it is with another man or another woman.”

Although many pundits had predicted that the result of the vote would be too close to call, Lord Dear’s wrecking amendment was defeated by 390 votes to 148. With such a large majority in favor, the bill is almost certain to make it onto the statute book.

Although many Church of England bishops voted in favor of Lord Dear’s amendment, the Bishop of Leicester, the Rt. Rev. David Walker, announced that his brethren in the upper house will work to improve the bill rather than frustrate its progress.

“The issue now is not primarily one of protections and exemptions for people of faith, important though it is to get that right, not least where teaching in schools and freedom of speech are concerned,” he said.

“The bill now requires improvement in a number of other key respects, including in its approach to the question of fidelity in marriage and the rights of children.”

Image credit: Gay Marriage UK via Facebook

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Thanks to the votes of Labour MPs, David Cameron handily defeated a rebel backbencher’s wrecking amendment to the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill.

Former children’s minister Tim Loughton tabled an amendment that would have allowed heterosexual couples to form civil partnerships. Right now, they are only available to homosexual couples. Loughton argued that it is unfair to discriminate against heterosexual couples, and he claimed that allowing them to enter into civil partnerships would encourage many of Britain’s cohabiting couples to formalize their relationships.

“Cohabitation is the fastest-growing form of family in this country, and we need to recognise that our society is changing, whether or not we approve,” he said.

“People choose not to get involved in the whole paraphernalia of formal marriage for a variety of reasons: it is too much of an establishment thing to do; it is too much of a religious institution for some, and even if done in a register office, it has religious connotations; there is a patriarchal side to it; it is a form of social control—there are a whole load of complex motives as to why many of our constituents do not go down the formal marriage route,” he continued.

Cameron opposes extending civil partnership rights to opposite-sex couples on the grounds that it could undermine the institution of marriage, and if Loughton’s amendment had passed, it could have proved fatal to the bill’s progress.

To add to Cameron’s woes, many Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs are known to support heterosexual civil partnerships. In the lead up to the vote, there was rampant press speculation that Cameron was headed for defeat, and some papers predicted that as many as 150 Tory MPs could defy Cameron and vote for the Loughton amendment.

In a bid to steal the rebels’ thunder, Culture Secretary Maria Miller tabled an amendment of her own that would provide for a comprehensive review of the Civil Partnerships Act 2004. Increasingly worried Tory whips repeatedly asked Labour to support their amendment, and at the eleventh hour, Labour leader Ed Miliband agreed to vote against the Loughton amendment in exchange for a commitment to begin the review as soon as possible.

The Loughton amendment was ultimately defeated by a vote of 375 to 70, while the government’s amendment passed 391 to 57. The Labour amendment regarding the timing of the review was subsequently agreed to without a division.

Image credit: David Cameron via Facebook

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The British House of Commons voted to legalize gay marriage by an overwhelmingly majority of 400 to 175 despite a major rebellion by Conservative MPs.
Although Britain has allowed same-sex couples to enter into civil partnerships since 2004, Prime Minister David Cameron has long stated his belief that they should be entitled to full equality before the law.

In late January, the government introduced the Marriage (Same-Sex Partners) Bill into Parliament’s lower house. The legislation would allow same-sex couples to marry in religious as well as civil ceremonies, though a much-vaunted “quadruple lock” would ensure that no religious organization would be forced to solemnize same-sex unions. The Church of England was particularly anxious about the bill, fearing that since it is the state church, it could be forced to host gay weddings. However, the bill specifically states that the church can continue to pass legislation that defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman (under the terms of an act passed during the reign of Henry VIII, ecclesiastical laws must always yield to secular law).

But while the move to legalize gay marriage proved popular with his Liberal Democrat coalition partners, it exposed bitter divisions within Cameron’s own party. Last weekend the chairs of 20 local Conservative groups presented Downing Street with a letter urging the Prime Minister to delay the vote, claiming that the government had no mandate to redefine such a key institution.

They also claimed that Cameron’s support for gay marriage would lead to an exodus of local party members, a finding echoed by a recent poll commissioned by opponents of gay marriage that reported that 20 percent of Conservative voters would vote against the party in the next election due to its stance on the issue.

As is typical with matters of this sort, the leaders of all three major parties allowed their MPs to vote according to their consciences. Over the weekend, the British media reported that up to 180 Conservative MPs might ultimately vote against the bill. In the end, 139 voted against and 30 abstained. The dissenters included two Cabinet ministers (Environment Secretary Owen Paterson and Welsh Secretary David Jones), as well as three junior ministers. Defense Secretary Philip Hammond and Attorney-General Dominic Grieve both abstained.

The debate on the bill was often quite emotional. Openly-gay Conservative MP Mike Freer urged his colleagues to support the bill. “I am not asking for special treatment. I am simply asking for equal treatment.

Speaking in opposition to the bill, Conservative MP Sir Roger Gale claimed that the government was entering “Alice in Wonderland territory.” Instead of redefining marriage, he called on ministers to “withdraw the Bill, abolish the Civil Partnership Act 2004, abolish civil marriage and create a civil union Bill that applies to all people, irrespective of their sexuality or relationship. That means that brothers and brothers, sisters and sisters and brothers and sisters would be included as well.”

Meanwhile, his colleague Matthew Offord warned that the bill represented a slippery slope that could lead to the legalization of polygamous relationships. Referring to the law on marriage, he said that “another government can simply change the definition to include as many partners as they want.”

The bill will now receive clause-by-clause scrutiny from a Public Bill Committee, and when it returns to the full House, MPs will have another chance to vote on it. Then it goes on to the House of Lords, where it may face stiffer opposition. While it is highly unlikely that peers would reject the bill outright, they may try to kill it by passing amendments that the Commons are unlikely to accept. If that happens, there could be a lengthy period of ‘ping pong’ as the two houses try to iron out their differences. If agreement cannot be reached, the government may have to reintroduce the bill in the next parliamentary session and use the Parliament Acts 1911 & 1949 to override peers’ objections.

Image Courtesy :  Robyn Ramsay

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Within the last few months, people everywhere have been fixating on certain aspects of each candidate for the upcoming presidential election. Many will say, “How can you support that candidate? They did this or they support this!” However, the sad fact is that both candidates have several strong reasons why they should not be president. Here is a condensed version of the considerable list for each candidate, the “top five” reasons why neither candidate is ideal to even step foot into the White House.

Five Reasons Not to Vote for Barack Obama

1) “The president said he’d cut the deficit in half,” Romney said. “Unfortunately, he doubled it — trillion-dollar deficits for the last four years. The president has put in place almost as much debt held by the public as all presidents combined.”

2) Borrowing money from China is forcing America even more in debt and making China that much more powerful.

3) He makes excuses for his shortcomings, perhaps his most prominent being that Bush left this country so far in debt and destruction, so Obama has not been able to make many changes. It is clearly Bush’s fault, even though Obama knew the challenges when he campaigned for president.

4) Other than enacting Obamacare, he has done nothing he has promised within the last four years…but that is Bush’s fault, right?

5) Many connect Obama’s views and policies to socialism and communism.

Five Reasons Not to Vote for Mitt Romney

1) Romney has promised to immediately take away federal funding for Planned Parenthood, ultimately taking away vital resources to women.

2) Since Romney grew up wealthy, he will make changes to support the rich. What will happen to the middle class?

3) According to “I Acknowledge Class Warfare Exists,” 203 Republicans voted to make abortion illegal for rape victims in July 2012. As a Republican, Romney punishes the victims of rape.

4) Romney has Mormon beliefs that heavily influence his policies and treatment of women.

5) He is not for gay marriage and gay rights like Obama.

These are some of the main reasons people are totally against one candidate, but what people forget or disregard is the fact that the candidate they support is not perfect. Both candidates have clear flaws and compelling reasons they should or should not be president. As voters, we should be well aware of both candidates’ flaws so we can make more of an educated, informed choice.

Image Courtesy : Center for American Progress Action Fund from Washington, DC (Barack Obama at Las Vegas Presidential Forum) [CC-BY-SA-2.0

], via Wikimedia Commons

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Los Angeles, U.S.A. — In a personal blog post published recently, Los Angeles City Controller Candidate Cary Brazeman (www.CaryBrazeman.com) weighed in on the Chick-fil-A controversy, asking a series of questions relevant to consumers, public officials and private citizens. You can read the full text of his blog post at http://blog.CaryBrazeman.com/ or here:

I’ve been asked to comment on the Chick-fil-A controversy as a prospective Los Angeles City official and someone who happens to be gay and Jewish. In advance of “National Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day” and a rumored same-sex kiss-in series of protests … here we go into the deep fat fryer!

The Chick-fil-A controversy started after published comments by the company’s CEO expressing opposition to same-sex marriage. A closer look reveals Chick-fil-A’s long history as a self-described Christian company operating on “biblical principles.”

Here are key questions it’s reasonable to ask as consumers, public officials and private citizens:

Should we be purchasing the products of a company opposed to gay marriage?

The issue of gay marriage, even “civil” marriage, is unavoidably political and religious. I have my views; you have your views. Reasonable people can disagree. Reasonable people also can disagree about whether the company’s stand on gay marriage is a sufficient reason to take your appetite somewhere else.

Should the City be permitting Chick-fil-A restaurants in Los Angeles?

I agree with New York’s Mayor Bloomberg that cities cannot, and really should not, impose political or religious litmus tests on businesses. (What a slippery slope that would be!) But all businesses, of course, are required to follow the rules of doing business in our cities in order to operate. That goes without saying.

There are additional questions I am curious about, the answers to which may affect how we answer questions #1 and #2.

Is Chick-fil-A an equal opportunity employer? Do they hire and treat respectfully openly gay people, non-Christians, and people of varying ethnicities?

Company management boasts that key executives all are married to their first wives. Does this mean the company doesn’t hire divorced people?

What about promotions? Can you rise through the ranks at Chick-fil-A if you are any of the above?

What about ownership and franchise opportunities? Are some people not eligible based on personal or religious characteristics?

I asked the company these questions.

On Saturday, I visited the two Chick-fil-A restaurants in Los Angeles: the one in Hollywood, which is a franchise, and the one downtown near USC, which is a company-owned restaurant. Managers at both locations asserted to me that Chick-fil-A is an equal opportunity employer.

Is this true? I hope so.

For more information on Cary Brazeman’s campaign for Los Angeles City Controller, please visit http://www.CaryBrazeman.com/.

Image Courtesy of   Steve Webel

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Washington, U.S.A. — On July 10, Freedom to Marry, the campaign to win marriage nationwide, launched Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry, a new campaign to highlight and build support for the freedom to marry among young people across America who identify as conservative. The campaign launch will take place at a kickoff event in Washington, D.C.

“Freedom and family are core conservative values,” said conservative commentator, political strategist, and media personality Margaret Hoover, who is a member of the Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry leadership committee. “We have a historic opportunity to reaffirm these important values by supporting the fundamental freedom to marry for all Americans. Now is the time for a rising generation of voters and leaders to embrace these virtues and join Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry.”

Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry is part of Freedom to Marry’s campaign to demonstrate the broad and growing support for marriage across the ideological spectrum. Members of the group will make the case that the freedom to marry should not be a partisan question, and that supporting the freedom to marry fulfills basic conservative values of responsibility and community, as well as limited government and individual freedom.

Members of Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry will work to encourage more conservatives to stand up, speak out and support the freedom to marry by joining and adding new perspectives and experiences to the national conversation about marriage. They will work to end laws in the states that bar same-sex couples from marriage, as well as to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act.

“As Republicans we believe in limited government and we believe that the best way for the federal government to spur growth and jobs is to get out of the way and let small and medium businesses thrive,” said Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who is speaking at the launch event and is a Republican co-sponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act.

“We also believe in equality of opportunity rather than of outcome. Most importantly, we believe that the individual and the family are the central engines in our society. The right for individuals to lead their lives without government intrusion is a bedrock conservative principle and it is much more than just about sexual orientation. It is about the fundamental rights we all share as Americans, it is about equality for all with no exceptions.”

“The center of political gravity has shifted for good,” said Marc Solomon, National Campaign Director of Freedom to Marry. “The freedom to marry is fast becoming a bipartisan value embraced by all Americans who believe that love and commitment deserve support and protection. Freedom to Marry applauds this group of young conservatives for standing up to make the case.”

Support for the freedom to marry has been accelerating at historically dramatic rates and has grown in every group, including right-of-center voters. A March poll by NBC/Wall Street Journal shows that among Republicans, support for the freedom to marry has grown by 41%, and among moderates, by 40%, since 2009. A May poll by ABC News/Washington Post shows that 46% of self-identified Republicans aged 18-44 are in favor of the freedom to marry.

In March, the overwhelmingly Republican-controlled New Hampshire House voted down repeal of the state’s popular freedom to marry law, with a majority of the GOP voting against repeal. Last year, the GOP-led state Senate in New York advanced a freedom to marry law. A memo by Republican pollster Jan van Lohuizen highlights that “opinion is shifting across the board, including among Republicans.”

The kickoff event will feature members of the Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry leadership committee discussing their support for the freedom to marry.

“As a conservative, I find efforts to exclude same-sex couples from marriage to be both wrong and completely off-task,” says Craig Stowell, an Operation Iraqi Freedom Marine Corps veteran and a member of the Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry leadership committee. “I take freedom seriously and want my best friend and brother, who is gay, to have the same freedom as everyone else to marry the person he loves. I hope Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry will inspire other conservatives to do what is right and support loving and committed same-sex couples’ freedom to marry.”

“The more we think about and talk about this with other conservatives, the more we can understand why the denial of marriage to same-sex couples is wrong,” adds Torrey Shearer, a government relations professional in Washington, D.C. and a member of the Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry leadership committee.

“Marriage strengthens families, encourages shared responsibility, and promotes stability in our communities. There is really significant change taking place among conservatives – especially young conservatives – about the freedom to marry, and I hope my involvement in this campaign will accelerate our progress.”

Members of the Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry Leadership Committee include Hoover, Stowell, and Shearer, as well as:

• Tyler Deaton, a lobbyist, political consultant, and Secretary and Finance Chairman of the New Hampshire Young Republicans and the Executive Director of New Hampshire Republicans for Freedom and Equality;
• Nicole Neily, Vice President of Dezenhall Resources and the former Executive Director of the Independent Women’s Forum;
• Madeline Koch, a Manager of Government Affairs for Comcast in St. Paul, MN, former staffer at the Republican National Convention, and former press intern for former Republican Senator Norm Coleman;
• Jason Kuznicki, a Research Fellow at the Cato Institute and editor of Cato Unbound;
• Sarah Longwell, Vice President at Berman and Company, a communications firm in Washington, D.C. that defends free market principles;
• Will Rinehart, a Research Fellow at TechFreedom and former Koch Summer Fellow at the Progress and Freedom Foundation.

Freedom to Marry is the campaign to win marriage nationwide. They are pursuing our Roadmap to Victory by working to win the freedom to marry in more states, grow the national majority for marriage, and end federal marriage discrimination. We partner with individuals and organizations across the country to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage and the protections, responsibilities, and commitment that marriage brings.

Image Courtesy of   Gandolfo Cannatella / Shutterstock.com

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Thousands of Episcopalians have arrived in Indianapolis for the church’s triennial General Convention. During the week-long assembly, bishops and elected representatives of the clergy and laity discuss changes to church law and policy. But before the main legislative work begins, the General Convention’s committees must scrutinize the plethora of proposed resolutions that have been submitted.

Institutional reform is a topic that looms large on the Convention’s agenda, and dioceses across the country have submitted resolutions calling for structural change. During an evening hearing on July 5, the Committee on Structure heard testimony from bishops, deputies, and visitors who claimed that the church’s institutions were in need of comprehensive reform.

The Bishop of Central Pennsylvania, Sean Rowe, struck an ominous note when he warned the committee that “the church structure as it is now is on the verge of imploding.”

Similarly, the Bishop of Atlanta, Neil Alexander, called for “a new structure and a new approach to doing mission in the 21st century.”

“I believe that every baptized person, ordained or not, shares in the governance of the church, but we’ve also frankly got some idolatry, I believe, around some of our structures and I think it’s time we put them all on the table and gave them a really hard look,” he continued.

Other witnesses took a more cautious line. “Let’s stop thinking and saying our church is broken. Our church is not broken,” said Joan Geiszler-Ludlum, a Deputy from the Diocese of East Carolina.

“We have in place structures and concepts and values that have served us well for more than 100 years,” she continued.

But when the committee gathered the next day to consider what they had heard, members noted that the testimony did not contain any firm solutions to the problem.

“People don’t know exactly what they want but are asking for change, something different,” said Judith Conley, a Deputy from the Diocese of Arizona.

Fifty-one resolutions calling for structural reform have been submitted to the General Convention, and the Committee on Structure decided to appoint a subcommittee to try to streamline them into a single resolution to put before the whole Convention.

Many of the resolutions were based on a model resolution proposed by Bishop Stacy Sauls, the church’s Chief Operating Officer. That resolution called for a special commission to be appointed by the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies which would be charged with coming up with “a plan to the church for reforming its structures, governance, administration, and staff to facilitate this church’s faithful engagement in Christ’s mission.” The resolution also called for a special General Convention to be held prior to the next scheduled one in 2015.

Others called for more radical change. The Diocese of San Diego proposed a resolution that would amend the church’s constitution in order to provide for the calling of a special constitutional convention that could immediately enact constitutional changes.

According to the Rev. Michael Russell, one of the diocese’s deputies, the other proposals “are just going to be an opportunity to recycle the same old things by folks who are already well-embedded in the system.”

He went on to say that the proposed constitutional convention would be a great way “to bring all the issues that we have with the constitutional, the canons, the Book of Common Prayer, all those pieces and get everybody at the table who wants to discuss making change in the church.”

Elsewhere, the Prayer Book, Liturgy, and Music Committee endorsed a resolution creating a task force to study “biblical, theological, historical, liturgical and canonical dimensions of marriage.”

It also instructed the task force to work with the Standing Commissions on Canons and on Liturgy and Music to provide assistance for clergy living in jurisdictions where same-sex marriage is legal.

Testifying in support of the proposed task force, deputies from the Diocese of El Camino Real spoke of how a similar study in their own diocese had proved to be a positive experience.

Within the committee itself there was some dissent. The Rev. David Thurlow, a Deputy from the Diocese of South Carolina, objected to the cost of the task force, as well as its effect on The Episcopal Church’s ecumenical outreach.

“My deepest regret is that, when it comes to moral theology, we’re really willing to part company with the wider one holy catholic church,” he said during the committee’s deliberations.

But his fellow committee member, Deputy Katrina Hamilton from the Diocese of Olympia, spoke out in favor of the task force. “I would like to get married one day myself, and when I do I would like to know what it is,” she said.

“I think we need this for all of us, not just for our gay and lesbian friends and brothers and sisters, but for me as well.”

Image Courtesy of  Sybille Yates / Shutterstock.com

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Washington, U.S.A. - A week after President Obama announced his support for ending marriage discrimination against same-sex couples, Freedom to Marry and Service members Legal Defense Network (SLDN) announced  Freedom to Serve, Freedom to Marry, a new national campaign that will highlight the stories of military families harmed by the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

The campaign launched with the release of an online video illustrating the real injury inflicted on gay and lesbian military families who, because of the federal government’s refusal to respect their marriages legally, are denied the support and protections that all other military families receive.

“Last week the President described how the stories of service members and their families made a difference in his decision to support the freedom to marry.  In deed, the faces and stories of military families impacted by the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act illustrate the unjust ways this law treats our nation’s most courageous patriots.

It’s unconscionable that we would ask American citizens to put their lives on the line for us in war zones while treating them and their families as second-class citizens at home.  All service members and their families provide the same service, take the same risks, and make the same sacrifices.  When it comes to recognition, support, and benefits, they must all be treated equally.  There cannot be two classes of service members,” said Army Veteran and SLDN Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis.

Because of the ‘gay exception’ created by DOMA, America’s legally married gay and lesbian couples are denied 1,100+ federal responsibilities and protections including Social Security survivors benefits, equal treatment under U.S. immigration laws, and the opportunity to take leave to care for a spouse.

“Many people assume that, with the repeal of ”Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” gay men and lesbians serving our country are now being treated fairly and equally, but that’s not the case.  We ended the ban on open military service for gay and lesbian Americans, but there is still a federal ban on treating married service members as what they are: married,” said Evan Wolfson, founder and President of Freedom to Marry.

“The so-called Defense of Marriage Act’s ’gay exception’ keeps the government in the business of discriminating against families, such as those of service members, and burdening employers, such as the military, who are prevented from treating their employees fairly and equally.”

The Freedom to Serve, Freedom to Marry campaign will include video and other multimedia content spotlighting the harms of DOMA on military families, including the denial of health insurance, survivor benefits, and access to military bases and housing for service members’ spouses.  Additionally, the campaign will invite the public to sign an online petition calling on Congress to “end this discriminatory and unequal treatment of our service members and veterans by repealing DOMA.”

In October 2011, SLDN filed landmark litigation on behalf of eight married gay and lesbian service members and veterans challenging DOMA and three other federal statutes that may be interpreted to prevent the military from providing the same protections and support to all families.

Freedom to Marry’s federal program works to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act and make the case for marriage to government officials, opinion-leaders, and political operatives’ in Washington, DC. Freedom to Marry is a leader of the Respect for Marriage Coalition, a diverse group of nearly 70 organizations working together to repeal DOMA, and regularly hosts salons to engage Democratic, Republican, and independent opinion-leaders and operatives in conversations about why marriage matters to same-sex couples.

Since the introduction of the ‘Respect for Marriage Act’, the bill that would repeal DOMA, the number of cosponsors has increased from 18 to 32 in the Senate, including every Democratic member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and from 108 to 144 in the House of Representatives.

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New York, U.S.A. – Author Jeffrey Sharlach’s critically-acclaimed new novel RUNNING IN BED (Two Harbors Press; $14.95 paperback; $7.99 eBook) looks at the experiences of a generation of gay men who came of age in the 1970s, the decade following the Stonewall uprising considered the birth of the modern gay rights movement in America.

Hailed by Publisher’s Weekly as a “fast-moving and engaging story that will linger with the reader long after the final page is turned,” Running in Bed tells the story of Josh Silver, an ambitious young college grad who’s just landed his first job at a prestigious Madison Avenue advertising agency.

Everything in his life is working out just fine—except for one nagging problem: he can’t stop dreaming about men. Josh seeks professional help to reprogram his sexual desire but in 1977 New York City’s gay community is basking in the golden glow of the post-Stonewall decade and Josh finally succumbs to its lure.

In what Kirkus called “a vibrant, accomplished debut,” first-time novelist Sharlach paints a brilliant picture of life in New York for a gay man at that moment in history. From the New York club scene to summers on Fire Island, Sharlach writes with humor, poignancy, and charm, and presents characters who are universal in their appeal.

When the AIDS crisis brings the free spirit of the 70s to a crushing end, the book’s characters are forced to navigate the turmoil of an era where beauty, youth, wealth and life itself seem unimaginably fragile. It’s a personal tale for Sharlach whose own partner’s life was claimed by the disease in 1994 after they had been together as a couple for nearly 13 years.

“Running in Bed is mostly a love story,” Sharlach explained. ”But it was also important for me to try to capture that remarkable time in our history for future generations. This isn’t something most young people learn about in social studies class.”

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Washington, U.S.A. – Family Research Council (FRC) said that President Barrack Obama’s endorsement of same-sex “marriage” is disappointing but not surprising.

In an interview with ABC News, Obama announced that he now supports legalizing same-sex marriage. It was the second time in his career that Obama has appeared to reverse course on the issue. In 1996, as a candidate for the Illinois State Senate, Obama endorsed same-sex marriage. But since winning national office – first as a U.S. Senator, and then as President Obama had said that such couples should have access to all the legal rights and benefits of marriage through “civil unions,” but that “marriage” should remain defined as the union of a man and a woman.

“The President’s announcement that he supports legalizing same-sex marriage finally brings his words in sync with his actions.  From opposing state marriage amendments to refusing to defend the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DoMA) to giving taxpayer funded marriage benefits to same-sex couples, the President has undermined the spirit if not the letter of the law,” FRC President Tony Perkins stated.

“As demonstrated by yesterday’s overwhelming vote in North Carolina, redefining marriage remains outside the mainstream of American politics, especially in the critical battleground states and among minority voters. In North Carolina, the amendment received more than 60% of the vote in majority-black counties.

“Considering that ten of the sixteen battleground states have marriage amendments that could be overturned by the President’s new policy position on marriage, the announcement almost ensures that marriage will again be a major issue in the presidential election.

“The President has provided a clear contrast between him and his challenger Mitt Romney.  Romney, who has signed a pledge to support a marriage protection amendment to the U.S. Constitution, may have been handed the key to social conservative support by President Obama.”

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In Africa, homosexuality is frequently treated as a taboo subject, and outspoken opposition to it is a political vote winner. However, according to Richard Dowden, director at the Royal African Society, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that homosexuality was accepted in many societies throughout Africa in pre-colonial times. In his article, ‘Getting Gay Rights Wrong in Africa,’ Dowden wonders if the missionaries in Africa were to blame.

“So, is it the fault of the missionaries? But, the missionaries also preached against theft and corruption, against sex before marriage, against marrying several wives, or covetousness. Why do so many Africans get outraged and censorious about homosexuality, something that isn’t even one of the Ten Commandments, while tolerating so many sins that are?” ponders Dowden in his article.

Homosexuality on the African continent is frowned upon, and those suspected of being gay face dire consequences. Thirty-eight African countries criminalize same-sex conduct, and LGBT people run the risk of lengthy prison sentences for expressing their sexuality. Sudan, Mauritania, and northern Nigeria even impose the death penalty. Despite variations in enforcement, what many African countries have in common is the criminalization of private acts between consenting adults whose sexuality and gender identity are considered “abnormal.”

Like many other nations, new legislation in Liberia calls for punishing homosexuality with longer jail time. Anti-LGBT rhetoric is escalating outside of the Liberian government with a group calling itself the Movement Against Gays in Liberia, or MOGAL, distributing a hit list of people who support gay rights, stating that these people “should not be given space to get a gulp of air.”

Gay rights debate in Liberia began getting this sort of unprecedented attention in the newspapers and radio stations after the U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, announced in December 2011 that America’s foreign aid budget would promote the protection of gay rights. This, according to Tamasin Ford—a freelance reporter for the BBC and Britain’s newspaper, The Guardian, based in Monrovia —prompted speculation that funds would be tied to countries’ rights records and prompting two new laws.

In the two new bills, one would amend the penal code to make a person guilty of second degree felony if he or she “seduces, encourages, promotes another person of the same gender to engage in sexual activities, or purposefully engages in acts that arouse or tend to arouse another person of the same gender to have sexual intercourse.” The second bill put forward by Jewel Howard Taylor, a senator in Liberia, would make gay marriage a first degree crime punishable by up to 10 years in jail.

Over the years, gay people have been attacked and activists for gay rights killed. In 2010, at least four gay men were attacked in Uganda after a newspaper ran a front-page story listing 100 ‘top’ homosexuals with a heading that read ‘Hang Them’, and a gay activist was killed in 2011.

Image Courtesy of    jerekeys

The article Why The Moral Abhorrence Towards Gays in Africa? appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, announced on March 16 that he will step down at the end of the year in order to take up the position of Master of Magdalene College at the University of Cambridge.

Originally from Wales, Williams had a distinguished career as a professor of theology before being elected Bishop of Monmouth in the Church of Wales in 1991. In 1999, he was elected Archbishop of Wales. Three years later, he was chosen to be the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury, the most senior bishop in the Church of England and the titular head of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Williams’ appointment was controversial from the start. Liberals in the church rejoiced. As a professor, he wrote an essay entitled “The Body’s Grace” that revealed his opposition to the church’s traditional teaching on homosexuality, and a series of letters written during his tenure as Archbishop of Wales revealed his belief that same-sex unions could be just as holy as heterosexual ones.

But the conservative wing of the church greeted him with suspicion, and he was snubbed by the National Evangelical Anglican Congress in 2003. They let him lead prayers, but he could not speak or preach a sermon.

But it soon became clear that, whatever his personal views on the subject of homosexuality, Williams was determined to maintain church unity at all costs. In 2003, a gay priest named Jeffrey John was chosen to be an assistant bishop in the Diocese of Oxford. Other Anglican leaders objected to John’s appointment because of his longstanding relationship with another priest, even though it was a celibate one.

Fearing the dissolution of the Anglican Communion, Williams pressured John to withdraw his candidacy, and John ultimately acquiesced. Several years later, when John was being considered for the Bishopric of Southwark, Williams is widely believed to have vetoed his candidacy.

As the nominal leader of the Anglican Communion, Williams spoke out against the election of the openly-gay Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire, and he was equally opposed to the Canadian Diocese of New Westminster’s decision to start blessing same-sex unions. But Williams was powerless to intervene, and he was equally unable to prevent conservative Anglican churches in Africa from trying to offer ‘alternative episcopal oversight’ to disaffected American parishes.

In a bid to keep the increasingly-fractious Anglican Communion together, Williams asked each autonomous province of the Communion to sign up to an ‘Anglican Covenant’ that would oblige them to consider the views of other provinces before doing anything that “may provoke controversy.”

Furthermore, churches that breached the rules could face disciplinary action, such as suspension from inter-Anglican bodies. But it now looks as if the Church of England itself may reject the Covenant. In order to proceed to a vote in the General Synod (the church’s lawmaking body), the Covenant would need to be approved by a majority of the 44 dioceses. So far, 17 have voted against it, and only 10 have voted in favor.

When announcing his resignation, Williams attempted to downplay the effect of the row over homosexuality. “It has certainly been a major nuisance,” he said. “But in every job that you are in there are controversies and conflicts and this one isn’t going to go away in a hurry. I can’t say that it is a great sense of ‘free at last.’”

Williams may yet see one last triumph before he leaves office. In July, the General Synod could approve legislation to allow the consecration of women bishops. But many Anglo-Catholics and Evangelicals oppose the plan, and they could still make life difficult for Williams as he prepares to leave office.

Williams’ successor will be found through a complex process involving both church and state. A church body known as the Crown Nominations Commission will come up with a list of two names to send to the Prime Minister. By convention, the Prime Minister then forwards the first name on to the Queen, who formally approves the appointment.

Image Courtesy of    http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottgunn/

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On Saturday night, the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and Broadway Impact presented the West Coast premiere reading of the play ”8″ before a sold-out crowd in Los Angeles and a worldwide audience watching on YouTube. ”8″ is an unprecedented account of the Federal District Court trial in Perry v. Schwarzenegger (now Perry v. Brown), the case filed by AFER to overturn Proposition 8, which stripped gay and lesbian Californians of the fundamental freedom to marry.

Saturday night’s West Coast premiere reading of ”8″ was written by Academy Award-winning screenwriter and AFER Founding Board Member Dustin Lance Black and directed by AFER Founding Board Member Rob Reiner . Bryan Singer, acclaimed director of The Usual Suspects and X-Men, was Saturday night’s presenting sponsor. The benefit event raised more than $2 million for the fight to secure full federal marriage equality.

An audience from around the world tuned in to watch a live stream of the West Coast premiere reading of”8″ on YouTube. Video of Saturday night’s performance can be viewed at www.youtube.com/AmericanEqualRights.

“This play will continue to show Americans—one by one—that truth and justice can prevail over prejudice and fear,” said AFER Board President Chad Griffin. ”Try as they might, the anti-marriage proponents of Proposition 8 cannot hide their discriminatory arguments from the American people. The fight to secure marriage equality is at the heart of our generation’s search for greater freedom—this play shows why.”

Black, who penned the Academy Award-winning feature film Milk and the film J. Edgar, based ”8″ on the actual words of the trial transcripts, first-hand observations of the courtroom drama and interviews with the plaintiffs and their families.

The West Coast premiere reading of ”8″  featured an all-star cast led by Golden Globe Award-winner and Academy and Emmy Award-nominee Brad Pitt as United States District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker, who found Proposition 8 unconstitutional after presiding over the historic twelve-day public trial; and Academy and Golden Globe Award-winner and Emmy Award-nominee George Clooney and Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Martin Sheen as Plaintiffs’ lead co-counsel David Boies and Theodore B. Olson, the renowned attorneys who notably faced-off in Bush v. Gore.

Academy, Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Christine Lahti and Golden Globe Award-winnerJamie Lee Curtis starred as plaintiffs Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, a lesbian couple together for eleven years and the parents of four boys. Emmy, Golden Globe and Tony Award-nominee Matthew Morrisonand acclaimed White Collar television star Matt Bomer played plaintiffs Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo, a gay couple together over ten years.

Golden Globe Award-winner and Emmy Award-nominee Kevin Bacon played Charles J. Cooper, the lead attorney for the anti-marriage proponents of Proposition 8. Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Jane Lynch starred as prominent opponent of marriage equality Maggie Gallagher, co-founder and former chairman of the National Organization for Marriage. Academy, Golden Globe and Grammy Award-nomineeJohn C. Reilly played David Blankenhorn, founder and president of the Institute for American Values.

Additional roles were played by Emmy Award-winning journalist Campbell Brown; Golden Globe Award-winner, SAG and Emmy Award-nominee Chris Colfer ; Emmy Award-nominee Jesse Tyler Ferguson ; prominent gay rights activist Cleve Jones ; Tony Award-nominee Rory O’Malley; acclaimed Star Trektelevision and film star George Takei ; Emmy Award-winner Yeardley Smith ; and Vanessa Garcia ,Jansen Panettiere, James Pickens, Jr. and Bridger Zadina .

The star-studded event was attended by actress Julie Bowen ; actor Ty Burrell ; actor Charlie Carver ; film producer and AFER Founding Board Member Bruce Cohen ; actress Toni Collette ; actress Sally Field ; actor, comedian and director Christopher Guest ; Ambassador James C. Hormel ; actress and model Stacy Keibler ; former Republican National Committee Chairman and AFER Board Member Ken Mehlman ; television producer Jonathan Murray ; television producer Max Mutchnik ;

California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom ; Star Trek television and film star Leonard Nimoy ; actress and singer Hayden Panettiere ; California State Assembly Speaker John A. Perez ; actress Kyra Sedgwick ; actor Eric Stonestreet ; celebrated actress, singer, producer and director Barbra Streisand; actress Sofia Vergara ; actress Olivia Wilde ; actress Shailene Woodley ; comedian and singer ”Weird Al” Yankovic; and others.

The Los Angeles reading of ”8″ came just weeks after a landmark decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upholding the historic August 2010 ruling of the Federal District Court that found Proposition 8 unconstitutional. The Ninth Circuit concluded:

“Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples. The Constitution simply does not allow for laws of this sort.”

The story for ”8″ is framed by the trial’s historic closing arguments in June 2010, and features the best arguments and testimony from both sides. Scenes include flashbacks to some of the more jaw-dropping moments from trial, such as the admission by the Proposition 8 supporters’ star witness, David Blankenhorn, that “we would be more American on the day we permitted same-sex marriage than we were on the day before.”

“People need to witness what happened in the Proposition 8 trial, if for no other reason than to see inequality and discrimination unequivocally rejected in a court of law where truth and facts matter,” said Black. ”I’ve built my career around exposing and uncovering ‘the real story.’

The goal of ’8′ is to show the world that marriage equality is a basic constitutional right and that those who would deny this basic freedom from loving, committed couples have only vitriol and baseless hyperbole to fall back on. The facts are on our side and truth always finds the light. We are doing all we can to help speed that process along.”

“Because this case involves the constitutional rights of millions of people, it is especially important for the public to see what happened during the trial,” said AFER Executive Director Adam Umhoefer. “Both sides had an equal opportunity and ample resources to assemble their strongest teams and put forth their absolute best arguments in an impartial setting. Viewed side-by-side there is simply no question that there was only one decision the court could have reached.

The moment we knew the trial would not be publicly broadcast we immediately began planning to find a way to show the world what happened in this historic case. This play and our partnership with YouTube and Broadway Impact allow us to do exactly that.”

The anti-marriage proponents of Proposition 8 vigorously objected to a television and Internet broadcast of the proceedings of the historic twelve-day public trial held in January 2010. Nevertheless, the Federal District Court, without objection from any party, recorded the proceedings on video. That digital video recording is now under seal as part of the case record.

“8″ had its much-heralded Broadway world premiere reading on September 19, 2011, at the sold-out Eugene O’Neill Theatre in New York City. The production brought in over $1 million to support AFER’s efforts to achieve full federal marriage equality.

Throughout 2012, AFER and Broadway Impact are licensing ”8″  for free to colleges and community theatres nationwide in order to spur dialogue, understanding and action. Most productions will be followed by a talkback where cast and audience members can discuss the issues presented in the Perry v. Schwarzenegger trial.

“I was lucky enough to watch the closing arguments of Perry v. Schwarzenegger in San Francisco,” said Broadway Impact co-founder Rory O’Malley (Tony Award-nominee for The Book of Mormon). ”We knew then and there that audiences needed to see and hear this story live, as we had done. ’8′ builds on a successful tradition of documentary theatre—plays like The Laramie Project and The Vagina Monologues, which inspire us with their combination of art and activism. We are thrilled to partner with AFER to bring this story to a national audience.”

Visit the official “8″ website here: www.8theplay.com

Watch Saturday night’s performance here: www.youtube.com/AmericanEqualRights

Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/8theplay

The article West Coast Premiere Reading of the Play “8″ Presented on March 3 appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and Broadway Impact are pleased to announce the addition of Golden Globe-winner and Academy and Emmy Award-nominee Brad Pitt to the cast of the West Coast premiere reading of the play ”8.”

The reading is an unprecedented account of the Federal District Court trial in Perry v. Schwarzenegger (now Perry v. Brown), the case filed by AFER to overturn Proposition 8, which stripped gay and lesbian Californians of the fundamental freedom to marry.

AFER and Broadway Impact are also pleased to announce that the performance will be streamed live on YouTube, beginning at 7:45 p.m. PST.  A pre-show will begin on YouTube at 7:30 p.m. PST. Rob Reiner, director of Saturday’s performance, recorded a video explaining the reading of the play and inviting people to watch the live stream.  The live stream of the West Coast premiere reading of ”8″ and Rob Reiner’s video can both be viewed at www.youtube.com/AmericanEqualRights.

“At long last each and every American will be able to see for themselves what happens when prejudice and fear are put on trial in a court of law,” said AFER Board President Chad Griffin. ”For over two years, the anti-marriage proponents of Proposition 8 have fought tooth and nail to hide their discriminatory arguments from the American people.

But on Saturday night, thanks to YouTube and our incredible cast, people across the nation, from Los Angeles to Little Rock to Baltimore, will get to watch as our Constitution’s promise of liberty and equality for all is protected.”

Written by Academy Award-winning screenwriter and AFER Founding Board Member Dustin Lance Black and directed by acclaimed actor and director and AFER Founding Board Member Rob Reiner , ”8″ will have its West Coast premiere reading on Saturday, March 3, 2012, at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles.  Bryan Singer , acclaimed director of The Usual Suspects and X-Men, is Saturday night’s presenting sponsor.  The benefit event will support the fight to secure full federal marriage equality.

Black, who penned the Academy Award-winning feature film Milk and the film J. Edgar, based ”8″ on the actual words of the trial transcripts, first-hand observations of the courtroom drama and interviews with the plaintiffs and their families.

Brad Pitt will star as United States District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker, who found Proposition 8 unconstitutional after presiding over the historic twelve-day public trial.

Pitt joins an all-star cast led by Academy and Golden Globe Award-winner and Emmy Award-nomineeGeorge Clooney and Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Martin Sheen as Plaintiffs’ lead co-counsel David Boies and Theodore B. Olson, the renowned attorneys who notably faced-off in Bush v. Gore.

Academy, Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Christine Lahti and Golden Globe Award-winner Jamie Lee Curtis will star as plaintiffs Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, a lesbian couple together for eleven years and the parents of four boys.  Emmy, Golden Globe and Tony Award-nominee Matthew Morrison and acclaimed White Collar television star Matt Bomer will play plaintiffs Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo, a gay couple together over ten years.

Golden Globe Award-winner and Emmy Award-nominee Kevin Bacon will play Charles J. Cooper, the lead attorney for the anti-marriage proponents of Proposition 8.  Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Jane Lynch will star as prominent opponent of marriage equality Maggie Gallagher, co-founder and former chairman of the National Organization for Marriage.  Academy, Golden Globe and Grammy Award-nominee John C. Reilly will play David Blankenhorn, founder and president of the Institute for American Values.

Additional roles will be played by Emmy Award-winning journalist Campbell Brown; Golden Globe Award-winner, SAG and Emmy Award-nominee Chris Colfer ; Emmy Award-nominee Jesse Tyler Ferguson ; prominent gay rights activist Cleve Jones ; Tony Award-nominee Rory O’Malley; acclaimed Star Trek television and film star George Takei; Emmy Award-winner Yeardley Smith ; and Vanessa Garcia, Jansen Panatierre, James Pickens, Jr. and Bridger Zadina .

The Los Angeles reading of ”8″ comes just weeks after a landmark decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upholding the historic August 2010 ruling of the Federal District Court that found Proposition 8 unconstitutional.  The Ninth Circuit concluded:

“Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples.  The Constitution simply does not allow for laws of this sort.”

The story for ”8″ is framed by the trial’s historic closing arguments in June 2010, and features the best arguments and testimony from both sides.  Scenes include flashbacks to some of the more jaw-dropping moments from trial, such as the admission by the Proposition 8 supporters’ star witness, David Blankenhorn, that “we would be more American on the day we permitted same-sex marriage than we were on the day before.”

“People need to witness what happened in the Proposition 8 trial, if for no other reason than to see inequality and discrimination unequivocally rejected in a court of law where truth and facts matter,” said Black.  ”I’ve built my career around exposing and uncovering ‘the real story.’

The goal of ’8′ is to show the world that marriage equality is a basic constitutional right and that those who would deny this basic freedom from loving, committed couples have only vitriol and baseless hyperbole to fall back on.  The facts are on our side and truth always finds the light.  We are doing all we can to help speed that process along.”

“Because this case involves the constitutional rights of millions of people, it is especially important for the public to see what happened during the trial,” said AFER Executive Director Adam Umhoefer. “Both sides had an equal opportunity and ample resources to assemble their strongest teams and put forth their absolute best arguments in an impartial setting. Viewed side-by-side there is simply no question that there was only one decision the court could have reached.

The moment we knew the trial would not be publicly broadcast we immediately began planning to find a way to show the world what happened in this historic case. This play and our partnership with YouTube and Broadway Impact allow us to do exactly that.”

“8″ had its much-heralded Broadway world premiere reading on September 19, 2011, at the sold-out Eugene O’Neill Theatre in New York City.  The benefit brought in over $1 million to support AFER’s efforts to achieve full federal marriage equality.

Throughout 2012, AFER and Broadway Impact are licensing “8″ for free to colleges and community theatres nationwide in order to spur dialogue, understanding and action.  Most performances will be followed by a talkback where cast and audience members can discuss the issues presented in the Perry v. Schwarzenegger trial.

“I was lucky enough to watch the closing arguments of Perry v. Schwarzenegger in San Francisco,” said Broadway Impact co-founder Rory O’Malley (Tony Award-nominee for The Book of Mormon).  ”We knew then and there that audiences needed to see and hear this story live, as we had done.

’8′ builds on a successful tradition of documentary theatre—plays like The Laramie Project and The Vagina Monologues, which inspire us with their combination of art and activism. We are thrilled to partner with AFER to bring this story to a national audience.”

VISIT THE OFFICIAL “8″ WEBSITE HERE: www.8theplay.com

WATCH SATURDAY’S PERFORMANCE LIVE HERE AT 7:45 P.M. PST: www.youtube.com/AmericanEqualRights

Image Courtesy of   cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com

The article Brad Pitt Joins The Cast of West Coast Premiere Reading of the Play “8″ appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The fathers, who were married in California and joined in a civil union in New Jersey, had long desired to be parents and created embryos using the eggs of an anonymous donor.  The sister of the non-biological father agreed to carry the pregnancy.  After giving birth, she challenged the fathers’ right to primary custody of the children.

In a fifteen-page decision issued on December 13, the court granted the biological father sole legal and physical custody of the couple’s daughters, now five years old, emphasizing the importance of their commitment to their children’s well-being and their values of tolerance and inclusion.

Following a trial that spanned more than a year and included more than 30 days in court, the Honorable Francis B. Schultz of the New Jersey Superior Court concluded that the girls’ best interests would be served by placing them with parents who would celebrate their unique histories, noting, “The common thread of [the biological father's] testimony was to … explain to the girls (when age appropriate) everything necessary for the girls to understand their origin, their heritage, as well as religion, and the [fathers'] same sex [relationship].

Nothing negative about these sensitive issues will be brought to bear upon the children by their father.” In contrast, the court found that the mother and grandmother have “strong feelings about surrogacy and homosexuality” that “will be understood by the girls and will have a very damaging effect on them. It will make them feel ashamed of themselves, and this they do not need.”

“This decision is a victory for parents, particularly those in non-traditional families, who value diversity and inclusion and pass those values along to their children,” said Karim G. Kaspar, senior counsel in Lowenstein Sandler’s Litigation Department.

“This important case exemplifies Lowenstein’s longstanding commitment to addressing significant social issues through public service,” said Kenneth H. Zimmerman, Member of the Firm and Chair of the Lowenstein Center for the Public Interest.

The article Same Sex Couple Wins Custody Case in New Jersey appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and Broadway Impact have announced that Academy Award-winning actor George Clooney will star in the West Coast premiere of ‘8,’ a play chronicling the historic trial in the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8, written by AFER Founding Board Member and Academy Award-winning writer Dustin Lance Black and directed by AFER Founding Board Member and acclaimed actor and director Rob Reiner.

The production is an unprecedented account of the Federal District Court trial in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the case filed by AFER to overturn Proposition 8, which stripped gay and lesbian Californians of the fundamental right to marry.

Black, who penned the Academy Award-winning feature film Milk and the new critically-acclaimed film J. Edgar, based ‘8’ on the actual words of the trial transcripts, first-hand observations of the courtroom drama and interviews with the plaintiffs and their families.

‘8’ is set to have its West Coast premiere at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on Saturday, March 3, 2012, in Los Angeles, for an exclusive, one-night-only fundraiser to benefit AFER.

An Academy Award-winning actor, producer, screenwriter and director, Clooney is also a committed human rights activist. In January 2008, he was designated as a United Nations Messenger of Peace. Clooney is the first of an all-star cast of high profile and award-winning actors to be announced.

He and others will play the roles of the legal team, plaintiffs and witnesses for both sides of the historic Proposition 8 case. Additional casting for the all-star benefit will be announced soon. ”It is astonishing that gay and lesbian Americans are still treated as second-class citizens,” Clooney said. “I am confident that, very soon, the laws of this nation will reflect the basic truth that gay and lesbian people – like all human beings – are born equal in dignity and rights.”

“This play will continue to show Americans – one by one – that prejudice and fear cannot stand up to truth and justice,” said AFER Board President Chad Griffin. “Our Constitution neither knows nor tolerates the treatment of gays and lesbians as second-class citizens. In its search for greater freedom, this generation has come to see that laws like Proposition 8 serve only to oppress.”

‘8’ had its much-heralded Broadway world premiere on September 19, 2011, at the sold-out Eugene O’Neill Theatre in New York City. The production brought in over one million dollars to support AFER’s efforts to achieve full federal marriage equality. Proposition 8 was struck down by the U.S. District Court in August 2010.

That ruling was appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit by the anti-marriage proponents of Proposition 8. AFER’s legal team was at the Ninth Circuit last Thursday for a hearing to urge that court to unseal the trial video. The American public was not given a chance to witness the historic trial because the Proponents launched a desperate attempt to forever hide the video recording of the trial.

A ruling on the constitutionality of Proposition 8 and the release of the trial video is expected soon. The Perry case is widely anticipated to end up in the U.S. Supreme Court.

“People need to witness what happened in the Proposition 8 trial, if for no other reason than to see inequality and discrimination unequivocally rejected in a court of law where truth and facts matter,” said Black. “I’ve built my career around exposing and uncovering ‘the real story.’

The goal of ’8′ is to show the world that marriage equality is a basic constitutional right and that those who would deny this basic freedom from loving, committed couples have only vitriol and baseless hyperbole to fall back on. The facts are on our side and truth always finds the light. We are doing all we can to help speed that process along.”

In addition to its Broadway and Los Angeles productions, AFER and Broadway Impact are licensing ‘8’ to colleges and community theatres nationwide in order to spur action, dialogue and understanding. AFER and Broadway Impact are helping produce these staged readings across the country with a full slate set for 2012.

The story for’8’ is framed by the trial’s historic closing arguments in June 2010, and features the best arguments and testimony from both sides. Scenes include flashbacks to some of the more jaw-dropping moments of trial, such as the admission by the Proposition 8 supporters’ star witness, David Blankenhorn, that “we would be more American on the day we permitted same-sex marriage than we were on the day before.”

“Because this case involves the constitutional rights of millions of people, it is especially important for the public to see what happened during the trial,” said AFER Senior Project Director Adam Umhoefer. “Both sides had an equal opportunity and ample resources to assemble their strongest teams and put forth their absolute best arguments in a fair setting.

Viewed side-by-side, there is simply no question that there was only one decision the court could have reached. The moment we knew the trial would not be publicly broadcast, we immediately began planning to find a way to show the world what happened in this historic case. This play and our partnership with Broadway Impact allow us to do exactly that.”

“I was lucky enough to watch the initial closing arguments of Perry v. Schwarzenegger in San Francisco,” said Broadway Impact co-founder Rory O’Malley (Tony Award-nominee for The Book of Mormon). “We knew then and there that audiences needed to see and hear this story live, as we had done.

’8′ builds on a successful tradition of documentary theatre—plays like The Laramie Project and The Vagina Monologues, which inspire us with their combination of art and activism. We are thrilled to partner with AFER to bring this story to a national audience.” Tickets for the play will be in high demand and are expected to sell out. The proceeds will go directly to the fight for full federal marriage equality and to support educational efforts on the freedom to marry nationwide.

DFree / Shutterstock.com

The article George Clooney Joins All-Star Cast in ‘8’ West Coast Premiere appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Ernie and Bert will not be getting married, as Sesame Street denied the petition calling for the marriage once again. There is no doubt they will not get romantically involved to each other or anyone else.

This demand has become a big bomb on the internet in the last few years. Sesame Street denied it and issued this statement on their Facebook page.

Sesame Street keeps trying to convince the audience that Bert and Ernie are just best friends. They developed such characters to teach preschoolers that people can be close friends even they are very different from themselves. These characters have feelings and many human traits but they do not have a sexual orientation

Bloggers are looking for Sesame Street to accept a relationship between Bert and Ernie. In June 2010, after a suspicious tweet sent from the Sesame Street Twitter account from Bert saying that his Mohawk was more “mo” tan “hawk,” Sesame street fans tried to convince other bloggers that was a sort of coded acknowledgment of their relationship.

“We’ve always reached out to a variety of actors and athletes and celebrities to appear on the show, and our programming has always appealed to adults as much as children,” Sesame Street said.

Gay marriage became legal in New York last June; therefore the numbers of states in America legalizing gay marriage are increasing.  That also explains why over 900 people online think the two puppets should get married.

Lair Scott started the petition, sending a letter to the makers of Sesame Street.

“In this horrific age of LGBT kids taking their own lives, they need to know that they ARE BEAUTIFUL and their lives are worth living,” Lair Scott said. He asks for tolerance and kindness. He wants to let every kid know that no matter what they will be beautiful in any way and suicide is not the escape from any bully.

He claims to make bullies know that homophobia will be never okay. He thinks letting Bert and Ernie get married won’t be disrespectful or cruel. “Let us teach tolerance of those that are different. Let Sesame Street and PBS Kids be a big part in saving many worthy lives,” he said.

This petition follows the message of the “It Gets Better” project founded in 2010 following the suicides of a number of young gay men. There have been a lot of different reactions. New York Daily News said in an editorial:

“Folks who want a gay marriage for Bert and Ernie of ‘Sesame Street’ need to get over themselves,” they explained that young children from 2 to 4 don’t need to get involved in passions of adults.

Twitter is still buzzing with reactions. Even though  many are encouraging the dream wedding, others are laughing about it and claiming other famous characters to be first, such Batman and Robin or Yogi Bear and Boo Boo.

Sesame Street started in 1969 and since then they have taken on difficult issues and topics to educate young children, such as divorce, racism, and real life disasters like Hurricane Katrina and the 9-11.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/waltherfamily/

The article Bert & Ernie will Stay Single in Sesame Street appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Republican presidential hopefuls are having a difficult time with the gay marriage issue. It seems like a relatively simple issue, but in the GOP world, it is quite convoluted.

Not wanting to upset their tea party and religious base, many candidates shun the idea of gay marriage. However, as public attitudes are changing, some GOP candidates are left scrambling.

“They see the polling – more and more Republicans are supporting gay marriage,” said David Welch, a former research director for the Republican National Committee. “It puts them in an awkward position with the younger members of the party and also with independents whose votes you need to win.”

Richard Socarides, a former Clinton White House adviser on gay rights, said the political climate has changed rapidly and dramatically as leading Democrats celebrate the advent of gay marriage in New York and the imminent end of the ban on gays serving openly in the military under President Barack Obama.

“It’s now advantageous for Democrats to support gay rights, and a net negative for Republicans to oppose them,” Socarides said. “It’s become extremely complicated for many of the Republican candidates who are used to using anti-gay rhetoric as a way to gin up their base.”

In early primary state New Hampshire, gay marriage is legal. According to conservative activists in the state, none of the major GOP presidential candidates has yet taken a public position on the ongoing effort by some Republican legislators to repeal the state law legalizing same-sex marriage.

In Iowa, two presidential hopefuls-Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum-both signed a pledge condemning same sex marriage among other things. Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty were among those refusing to sign the pledge, but both issued statements stressing that they favored limiting marriage to one-man, one-woman unions.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry has stated he supports the each state’s right to legalize gay marriage. “That’s New York, and that’s their business, and that’s fine with me,” said Perry. However, some of his supporters were upset by Perry’s comments and he quickly tried to assuage those fears.

“I probably needed to add a few words after that `It’s fine with me,’” Perry said. “Obviously gay marriage is not fine with me. My stance hasn’t changed. I believe marriage is a union between one man and one woman.”

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The Respect for Marriage Act, a bill that would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, gained one large supporter on Tuesday- President Obama. The president has “long called for a legislative appeal for the so-called Defense of Marriage Act which continues to have a real impact on families,” White House spokesman Jay Carney announced Tuesday.

The Obama administration announced in February that it believes the Defense of Marriage Act, a federal ban on same-sex marriage, is unconstitutional and would no longer defend it in court. At that time, Obama stated he was still “grappling” with same-sex marriage but always personally opposed the Defense of Marriage Act as unfair.

“I think eyes have opened. More and more people across this land know people who are gay, who want to have a lasting relationship, who look at marriage as an economic agreement as well as an emotional agreement,” said Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA), one of 14 senators who voted against the Defense of Marriage Act and sponsor of the new bill.

A hearing will be held this week in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee and allow lawmakers to hear accounts from married same-sex couples. The couples will talk about how they are ineligible for many federal benefits afforded to heterosexual couples. Even gay couples who have married legally in states that recognize the same sex marriage are unable to file joint federal income taxes, receive spousal benefits under Social Security, among other federal advantages.

Feinstein’s legislation has 27 co-sponsors, but not a single Republican. With the GOP in control of the House, she understands the political realities of repealing the bill anytime soon.”If we don’t succeed this session, we will try again next session,” she said. “Believe me, we will continue this effort until the battle is won.”

Feinstein spoke at the National Press Club on Tuesday along with three same-sex couples. The couples spoke about the disadvantages they experience because of the Defense of Marriage Act. For example, Beth Coderre and Beth Vorro of Rhode Island have to purchase individual health insurance instead of as a family, costing them thousands of dollars extra each year.

“I think, as Rosa Parks might say, it’s time to get up from the back of the bus and assume our seats among the rest of our fellow human beings,” Coderre said.

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Gay pride parades were especially raucous this past weekend after New York’s historic vote that allows same-sex marriages beginning in late July in the state. Governor Andrew Cuomo attended the parade in New York City. He told the crowd that the vote in New York will be instrumental in other states. “I think you’re going to see this message resonate all across the country now. If New York can do it, it’s OK for every other place to do it,” Cuomo said to cheering applause.

“This is an immense win that brings giant momentum to the movement to end marriage discrimination in the U.S.,” said Evan Wolfson, president of national gay rights group Freedom to Marry. Many celebrities also cheered the decision. Neil Patrick Harris tweeted on Friday night right after the bill passed. “It PASSED! Marriage equality in NY!! Yes!! Progress!! Thank you everyone who worked so hard on this!! A historic night!!” Other celebrities such as Ellen DeGeneres, Alec Baldwin, Russell Simmons, Alyssa Milano, and Kathy Griffin also tweeted their support.

But, not everyone was celebrating. Opponents said they would go on the attack against the four senate Republicans who supported gay marriage. Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, said New York’s move was a “disaster for the Republican Party,” and that his group planned to spend $2 million over the next 18 months to defeat the legislators who supported it. “It’s the wrong thing to do,” said Maggie Gallagher, Chairman and co-founder of the National Organization for Marriage. “But it’s also incredibly politically stupid for the Republican Party to take responsibility for passing the gay marriage bill in New York.”

Sen. Mark Grisanti, a Buffalo Republican who had been undecided voted for the bill. Grisanti said he could not deny anyone what he called basic rights. “I apologize to those I offend,” said Grisanti, a Roman Catholic. “But I believe you can be wiser today than yesterday. I believe this state needs to provide equal rights and protections for all its residents,” he said.

Governor Chris Christie from neighboring state New Jersey stated he was not a fan of gay marriage and would not sign a law like the New York law. Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann took it one step farther, stating she would support a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages.

New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, who repeatedly spoke out against Same Sex Marriage before, did so again after Sunday Mass. “We don’t believe that marriage can be changed and radically altered to accommodate a particular lifestyle,” he said.

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For the first time in Italy next Sunday will be officially celebrated a gay marriage between two homosexual men.

Ciro Celsi, a forty-two years old architect, and Guido Lanza, a sixty-two former computer programmer, both Protestants, will get married in the Waldensian Evangelic Church of Milan. This is a Protestant Reformed Church based mostly in Northern Italy, which has active congregations also in Argentina, Uruguay, United States and other European countries, which were all founded by Italian immigrants.

Waldensians support the LGBT community and encourage the homosexual couples’ blessing. Their commitment for the gay issue and the struggle against homophobia has been always strong. Last year the Waldensian Synod also approved gay couples, making possible in this way the union between people of the same sex.

As other Protestants, the Waldensians don’t recognize the marriage as a sacrament, but only as an official blessing for couples who want to obtain the recognition of their love by their Church. “Waldensians don’t intend to consecrate homosexuality; we just take note of a mutual and reliable bond. It is a wonderful thing. I’m scandalized by the hypocrisy and by the sour spirit of those who use the Holy Scriptures to discriminate and offend,” said the Milan Minister Giuseppe Platone. “Ciro and Guido are not demanding their right to be respected, this would be the State’s duty, but to show their love’s gift,” he added.

And about the Italian law he said: “I’m indignant for the juridical lack on this matter, when for example in a Catholic country as Spain it is also possible the marriage between homosexual people. It’s shameful that a country as Italy is not able to respect the rights of all, of all the people who love each other. The Waldensian Church is not Las Vegas, it’s not a marriage bureau, it asks to God”. “Our choice doesn’t have any juridical value; it’s just an act of faith, a moral commitment”.

Besides the homosexuality issue, the Waldensian Church is involved also in debates regarding other issues as euthanasia, abortion, living will, and stem cell research. Waldensians strongly support the total and complete laity of the state, an objective difficult to achieve in a country as Italy, which is still heavily influenced by the Catholic Church also in its juridical decisions.

Next Sunday’s gay marriage won’t be official but a good sign of respect for people and their love. Why in the 21st century religion is still so strong to influence countries’ legislation and lay societies?

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The bill to permit same sex marriage was formally introduced by Governor Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday June 15, 2011 and passed by the State Assembly a day later. The bill provides the same legal rights for same-sex couples who marry as heterosexual couples. It also prohibits local clerks from nixing marriage license applications from gay couples.

Thirty one members of the Senate, including two Republicans, have already voted in favor of the bill. In order to officially be approved, there is only one more vote needed. This is the closest New York has come to making same sex marriage legal because of its failure to pass the Senate in recent years. Passing of the bill will make New York the 6^th largest state in the United States to legalize gay marriage and add fuel to the ongoing debate.

While many religious leaders including Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York have continued to speak out against gay marriage and campaign against legislation, Cuomo is working to find a balance between the principles of the state and those of religious institutions.

Republicans are reversing their opposition but have asked that Mr. Cuomo agree to amend the proposal and give greater protection to religious organizations. The bill will exempt religious institutions from any obligation to sanctify or provide facilities for same-sex weddings. It will also protect them from any repercussions from state agencies.

Governor Cuomo recently stated “This state has a proud tradition and a proud legacy as the progressive capital of the nation. We led the way, and it’s time for New York to lead the way once again.” This year more celebrities, renowned business and political leaders are showing support and advocating gay marriage. The governor and the Republicans described negotiations as cordial and productive and expect to extend the duration of the regular legislative session.

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The new constitution recently passed by the Hungarian parliament is matter of concern about some of its articles, which seem to put at risk even fundamental human rights and smooth the way for different kinds of discrimination.

On April 25^th President Pal Schimtt signed the new constitutional text presented by the parliament. The new constitution was passed in parliament without the participation of opposition parties, voted only by Fidesz, the right-wing party that has the parliamentary majority and owns the two thirds of the seats, and thus can proceed independently.

The most criticized articles regard abortion, homosexuals’ rights, freedom of religion, freedom of information and expression, and division of powers.

Article 2 is one of the most controversial, it states “The life of a fetus will be protected from conception.” The concern of organizations as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International is that this will provide the basis to restrict the access to abortion or even to ban it completely. Pro-abortion groups are worried about the potential danger of a tougher and stricter abortion law and a restriction of women’s rights.

Another crucial point is about the ban on gay marriage, and the exclusion of sexual orientation from the protected grounds of discrimination. The new constitution recalls the idea of the Christian traditional family and traditional marriage, defined as a union of a man and a woman. Disappointment on this question has been expressed by Amnesty International, and homosexual right’s groups are very critical.

Also freedom of information and expression seem to be undermined. In fact, the rights of being informed about the public interest’s acts and to freely express the personal opinion have been restricted, together with the independence of media. This will be controlled by the National Media and Infocommunication Authority (NMHH), that has strong sanctioning powers and is under the majority party’s control.

Also the powers and the autonomy of authorities and of independent bodies as the Constitutional Court, the regular courts and the ombudsmen, would be rather weakened, scaling down the whole system of checks and balances.

There is another point which has a marked ideological nationalistic connotation. It regards the reference to a broadened Hungarian nation. This model of new Hungary would include also the Hungarians whom don’t reside on the national territory – for example the Hungarian minority groups that live in Romania, Slovenia and Slovakia – that are being considered as member of the nation with the right of participate in the elections. This could appear an actual definition of ethnic nation instead of political, which could even create frictions with the neighboring countries.

The new constitutional document strongly reflects only a one-sided vision of the nation. All the symbols and the elements recalled are ideologically and politically clear expression of the right-wing part. The lack of neutrality and of warranty of normal political balance, competition and change among the parts sounds somewhat anomalous for a modern democratic country.

In a country as Hungary marked by a long and hard history made of totalitarianism, whether black or red, this removal from democratic values rouses worry and the criticism even of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe. Meanwhile, Europe looks with concerns at this situation as Hungary waits for 2012 when the new constitution will come into force.

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