Target

U.S. retailer Target has jumped back into the debate on marriage equality. You can now buy PRIDE t-shirts on their website, with 100% of the proceeds going to support a group working to bring marriage equality to Minnesota.

This isn't the first time Target has been involved with the debate on equal rights; two years ago the company came were under fire after financially supporting a gay-marriage opponent running for political office. Fortunately, this time they're on the side of equality and are supporting the LGBT community.

YOU can get involved and support equal rights in Minnesota too! Simply order your PRIDE tshirt here! They're only $12.99 and every penny will support what should already be a reality - the right for every individual to marry the person they love.

You can read more about this here.

- Candice

p.s. HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!

 

It is official: Obama is on our side!

Marriage equality is once again at the forefront of the political arena in the United States. While the issue has always been emotionally and politically charged, it's taken on a new intensity since Obama announced that he supports gay marriage.

For those of us on the pro-equality side, this is a huge step. Obama has officially separated himself from every other sitting US President with his support. Thank you, Barack Obama, for living in the present and recognizing the future, rather than obsessing over the past. Thank you for NOT being a homophobic bully, and thank you for supporting equal rights for the LGBT community.

Obama's announcement has triggered intense reactions from all sides. Politicians, celebrities, religious leaders and the American public alike are all weighing in. Mitt Romney, the republican most likely to challenge Obama in the 2012 Presidential race, was quick to remind us that he is opposed to same-sex marriage. This has provided a rallying point for conservative Christians in the US, and given them new leverage in their anti-Obama attacks. It's also provided a reinforced point of support for Romney's bid for President.

“So many people were rather lukewarm toward governor Romney and were really looking for some more tangible reasons to support him,” said Phil Burress, president of Citizens for Community Values, who led the ballot drive that banned gay marriage in Ohio in 2004. “Then lo and behold, it just fell out of the sky when Obama came out and endorsed same-sex marriage. . . . We are going to make this our key issue: the attack on marriage.” (The Washington Post, May 11, 2012)

Regardless of the political turmoil, Obama's support has offered renewed life to the fight for marriage equality. Not only has Obama supported marriage equality at full strength, he's offered a clear path for others to publicly endorse it as well.

"Voters and elected officials who might have wanted to step up and have been afraid, they will be less afraid do to do so now," said Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in a conversation.

Obama, she said, has cleared "political space for other elected officials who may have felt they could not be as clear" as they now can be. She added: "I predict that every person running for office this year will be asked this question." (BBC News, May 10, 2012)

Given the reaction to Obama's announcement over the past few days, it's easy to see that the coming weeks and months are going to be interesting, to put it mildly. Whether this will be helpful or detrimental to Obama's campaign for re-election is yet to be determined. For now, I'm holding onto faith that Americans will opt for progression rather than regression. Fingers crossed!

Candice

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P.S. Want to read more about this issue?

NPR.org: Reaction To Obama's Same-Sex Marriage Support: From Serious to Silly

NPR.org: Obama's Gay Marriage Stance Stirs Black Community

Huffington Post: Obama's Same-Sex Marriage Stance Welcomed by Hollywood Executives

AlterNet.org: It's Great That Obama Endorsed Same-Sex Marriage -- But Now What?

Zee News: Most approve Obama's same-sex marriage decision

BBC News: Gaga and Glee star back President Obama on gay marriage

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Same Sex Marriage = Civil Rights

I read this article today, and it warmed my heart. Like the author, I believe that same-sex marriage equality is inevitable. Sooner or later (I vote for sooner ... now would be good), we will get there!

Please share widely!

Candice :)

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How Governors Are Leading the Way on Same-Sex Marriage

By: Thomas A. Roberts, MSNBC Anchor

Posted on The Huffington Post, January 31, 2012

Is supporting marriage equality contagious? The governors of Maryland and Washington, D.C. believe it is, as they support same-sex marriage legislation. More on that in a moment.
We focus a lot on social justice issues during my 11 a.m. hour on MSNBC, particularly marriage equality. I take great pride in shining a light on this issue, and why not? We're at a pivotal moment in our country when it comes to LGBT issues.

For instance, last year, for the first time ever, a national poll showed that 53 percent of America feels same-sex marriage should be recognized as law. That same poll reveals that Republicans and older Americans remain at odds with marriage equality.

However, most people, young people, feel that full marriage equality is just a matter of time. Specifically, you can thank college kids for that one. A new poll by UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) finds that 71.3 percent of college freshmen support same-sex marriage equality. So if 7 out of 10 college kids feel that way now, then it is logical to think that marriage equality is inevitable.

Is it bold for governors to support same-sex marriage now? It's certainly not unheard of, but nationally, it is bold. Consider this: only six states and Washington, D.C. recognize marriage equality. Safety in political numbers, right? Or is it the needed proof to demonstrate that marriage equality is not a threat to what is now dubbed "traditional marriage"?

Now more than ever, governors are tackling the basic "fairness" of this issue and are evolving, personally, to understand marriage equality as a civil rights issue. Civil rights.

Politicians are realizing they want to be remembered for standing on the right side of history. Just look at this recent trend and what certain elected officials are willing to do now.

Gov. Chris Gregoire of Washington State wasn't always in favor of marriage equality. Gregoire was admittedly conflicted because of her Catholic faith, but she admits to a "personal journey" that convinced her to support it. She is also not running for a third term.

Gov. Martin O'Malley, also a Catholic, is putting his political neck on the line and, on a personal level, his religion, too. Catholic church leaders in Baltimore have urged O'Malley against supporting such a bill. I know personally and professionally about the strong Catholic church lobby in the Maryland State Legislature. Strong. O'Malley seems genuine, willing, and more than likely to get marriage equality passed on his watch. Will it cost him, or is this a calculated risk that will help make him a presidential contender in 2016?

Whatever the political calculations, the outcome is the same: the fight for marriage equality is on the move, on the march, and getting results. And as President Obama declared in his State of the Union address, "We've come too far to turn back now."

That gets us to the big interviews of Jan. 27. For months we have been aggressively trying to book Gov. Martin O'Malley to talk about marriage equality in Maryland. The week before last, we finally got him! It just so happens that O'Malley became available the same day we had already booked Gov. Gregoire. She was recently a guest on the show to talk about her bill for marriage equality. We invited her back on Jan. 27 because she has the votes needed to get it passed. Enjoy!

** Click here to view the original article, accompanied by video

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Same-Sex Equality: An Uphill Battle

I am happy to say that we are one step closer to same-sex equality in the United States. In a 10-8 vote, a bill in favour of same-sex rights has cleared the Senate. This bill would entitle same-sex married couples to the same rights and liberties as their opposite-sex counterparts; it would see the 15-year old (and very discriminatory) Defense Of Marriage Act (DOMA) replaced by a more liberal Respect for Marriage Act.

The 10 Senate members to vote in favour of the bill were Democrats, while the 8 to oppose were all Republicans. No surprise there! And yet the simple fact that Republicans are - to date - not supportive of this bill could lead to its eventual defeat. It needs to be passed by the House of Representatives, and at this point, that house is dominated by Republicans.

Regardless of whether this bill makes it through this time, I'm confident that we will get there! Americans will, sooner or later, see equal rights extended to gay and lesbian couples, just as we have done in Canada. I'm excited for the day that happens and you can be sure I will be announcing it loudly!

The article I've gleaned this information from is well worth a read, and you can do so here: The Australian Times - US same-sex laws clear Senate hurdle.

- Candice

Race, Religion and Same-Sex Marriage

I am going to be completely honest ... in considering the issue of same-sex marriage equality, the notion of race has never been prominent in my mind. Religion, most definitely; many, if not most, arguments against same-sex marriage are based on some aspect of religion. But race? Not something I'd ever thought about.

Fortunately, I've been enlightened, even if the enlightening was both surprising and a little disappointing. It turns out that many black Americans are less likely to support same-sex marriage than their white or hispanic counterparts. According to an article posted on The Huffington Post, entitled Race, Religion and Same-Sex Marriage:

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(emphasis added)

"Last April, as the successful push for same-sex marriage in New York picked up speed, a survey of state voters by the Siena College Research Institute found that 62 percent of white voters and 54 percent of Latino voters favored it. Only 46 percent of black voters did.

And in Maryland, which is almost certain to debate same-sex marriage next year, a recent poll by Gonzales Research & Marketing Strategies depicted a split among the state’s residents, with 48 percent in favor and 49 opposed. Among black Marylanders, though, support fell to 41 percent and opposition rose to 59."

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I won't claim to understand the complex dynamics underlying the feelings of these - or any - same-sex marriage opponents. That said, I do wish to enlighten you with what I have read:

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"Like Burns, many African-Americans who oppose same-sex marriage do so on religious grounds. “This is a community composed of many Biblical literalists,” Bond said in a recent phone interview, adding that they put a “wrong and wrong-headed” emphasis on certain Biblical references to homosexuality.

But it’s also important to recognize that people lobbying for gay rights have at times given African-Americans pause by appropriating “civil rights” language and arguments in too broad a manner.

Wade Henderson, the president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, noted the existence of phrases like “gay is the new black” and said that attempts to equate the persecution of gay and black Americans can be “deeply offensive.”

African-Americans were enslaved. And during their brutal struggle for justice, they couldn’t make a secret of what set them apart from others, said Henderson, who supports same-sex marriage, during a phone interview Friday.

When gay men and lesbians glide over such details, he said, it feels “inherently disrespectful to the black experience in this country.” "

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In response to the clear lack of support for same-sex marriage amongst black Americans, an organization known as the Human Rights Campaign (H.R.C.) has launched a new effort, called "Americans for Marriage Equality". To date, the H.R.C. has posted three videos - all of which feature prominent black Americans. The key message is simple: Marriage is ... LOVE, FAMILY, COMMITMENT.







You can view the entire article by clicking this link: The Huffington Post: Race, Religion and Same-Sex Marriage

- Candice

Kid meets first gay couple

This video is going viral, and it's easy to see why.  It features an adorable kid going through the process of figuring out what marriage, love and relationships are all about.  My favourite part is when he realizes that being married means you love each other, regardless of whether you're husband and wife or husband and husband (or wife and wife, of course!).

 

It took a while to find this video, and it was worth it.  Enjoy!

Video: Kid meets gay couple for the first time