Peachy Keenum

I'm Off to the March for Gay Marriage in DC

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Taking some time off because I'm heading to DC for a week.

I'll post pics from the MARCH ON DC on Monday.

Other than that I'll be back to this blog on Thursday, Oct. 15.

Gay Marriage: National Equality March in DC, Oct 11

From the National Equality March website: On October 10-11, 2009, we will gather in Washington DC from all across America to let our elected leaders know that now is the time for full equal rights for LGBT people. We will gather. We will march. And we will leave energized and empowered to do the work that needs to be done in every community across the nation.

Our single demand: Equal protection in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states.

Our philosophy: As members of every race, class, faith, and community, we see the struggle for LGBT equality as part of a larger movement for peace and social justice.

Our strategy: Decentralized organizing for this march in every one of the 435 Congressional districts will build a network to continue organizing beyond October.

Cleve Jones

“We will continue this fight in every state, in every county, every city and every town, but we are now determined to take this fight to the federal government, to our President Barack Obama, to the Congress and the Supreme Court of the United States.”

Cleve Jones, May 31, 2009, Fresno, California

(I shot these photos at San Diego Gay Pride - July 18, 09)

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Microsoft Donates 100k to Defeat Referendum 71

And I'm still running an old version.

From AP: Microsoft Corp. has donated $100,000 to the campaign supporting more partnership rights for Washington state gay couples.

That's the largest single donation in favor of Referendum 71, which asks voters to approve or reject a new law that expands domestic partnerships for gay and lesbian couples. Microsoft is based in Redmond.

The "approve" campaign committee, called Washington Families Standing Together, has raised about $780,000 overall, and spent about $200,000.

The "reject" campaign, called Protect Marriage Washington, has raised about $60,000, and spent about $35,000.

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Gay Divorcee in Texas: I'm No Posterboy

The other side of gay marriage...

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Gay Marriage: National Equality March in, OCt 11

From the National Equality March website: On October 10-11, 2009, we will gather in Washington DC from all across America to let our elected leaders know that now is the time for full equal rights for LGBT people. We will gather. We will march. And we will leave energized and empowered to do the work that needs to be done in every community across the nation.

Our single demand: Equal protection in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states.

Our philosophy: As members of every race, class, faith, and community, we see the struggle for LGBT equality as part of a larger movement for peace and social justice.

Our strategy: Decentralized organizing for this march in every one of the 435 Congressional districts will build a network to continue organizing beyond October.

Cleve Jones

“We will continue this fight in every state, in every county, every city and every town, but we are now determined to take this fight to the federal government, to our President Barack Obama, to the Congress and the Supreme Court of the United States.”

Cleve Jones, May 31, 2009, Fresno, California

(I shot these photos at San Diego Gay Pride - July 18, 09)

George Takei & Brad Altman Tape 'Newlywed Game'

Ah, ain't they sweet!!! Obvs this is the first gay couple to ever appear on the Newlywed Game. It airs on GSN October 13th! Next I want to see them on Family Fued cuz you just know there is a crazy gotta-be-seen mother-in-law in there somewhere.

 

Nevada Issues First Domestic Partnership Certificates

In a state where gambling and prostitution is legal you'd think... oh nevermind.

From AP: Nevada's secretary of state issued domestic partnership certificate No. 1 at the state Capitol on Thursday as a state law providing many of the same legal rights as marriage to gay and straight partners went into effect.

The first couple to be issued the certificate — Lee Cagley and Larry Davis — shared tears and laughter and were congratulated by Secretary of State Ross Miller.

"This gives us the legal rights to act for each other's benefit," said Davis, a funeral home director. "It's a wonderful privilege and we're grateful."

While Nevada's constitution bans same-sex marriage, the domestic partnership law extends rights similar to those held by married couples — including community property and the right to seek financial support after a breakup — to cohabitating couples.

Nevada's law permits, but doesn't require, employers to extend insurance benefits to domestic partners.

The measure was vetoed by Gov. Jim Gibbons, but overridden by lawmakers in May. Couples, both gay and straight, were allowed to pre-register between Aug. 24 and Sept. 24 to receive their certificates on Oct. 1. Registration is ongoing, and about 750 couples had applied as of midday Thursday.

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'Hair' to go Dark to Attend Gay Marriage March in DC

"We starve, look at one another short of breath..."

Photo: Sara Krulwich/The New York Times

From New York Times: ...the Broadway musical "Hair" is expanding the concept of stage activism by taking to the streets and urging audiences to follow. The producers canceled a Sunday matinee so that the cast and crew could attend and perform at a march for gay rights in Washington on Oct. 11.

That unusual — and expensive — decision to skip a popular weekend performance at the beginning of the theater season originated with the show’s star, Gavin Creel. "I said, 'My God, we have to go, we have to go,'" Mr. Creel recalled when he first heard about the rally late last spring.

Although Mr. Creel, 33, stars in a show that is associated with ’60s-style activism and sexual liberation, he personally wasn’t much interested in politics before Barack Obama ran for president. On Election Day last November, he said, he was ecstatic that his candidate won, but was crushed by the victory of Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California. So he decided to help create the activist organization Broadway Impact to mobilize the theater community.

Further: ...Broadway Impact is organizing at least 20 free buses to take people from New York to the rally and back. Performers like Sutton Foster, Audra McDonald, Jonathan Groff and Neil Patrick Harris, as well as the casts of "Hair" and another Broadway musical, "Memphis" (opening Oct. 19), have each donated the $2,400 needed to rent a bus.

The tribe will be on one of them. "We get on the bus at 11 at night after the show and get there in time for the sound check at 4:30 in the morning," Mr. Creel said. The added Monday performance means the cast will perform 16 shows in a row without a break.

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Gay Marriage: National Equality March in DC, Oct 11

From the National Equality March website: On October 10-11, 2009, we will gather in Washington DC from all across America to let our elected leaders know that now is the time for full equal rights for LGBT people. We will gather. We will march. And we will leave energized and empowered to do the work that needs to be done in every community across the nation.

Our single demand: Equal protection in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states.

Our philosophy: As members of every race, class, faith, and community, we see the struggle for LGBT equality as part of a larger movement for peace and social justice.

Our strategy: Decentralized organizing for this march in every one of the 435 Congressional districts will build a network to continue organizing beyond October.

Cleve Jones

“We will continue this fight in every state, in every county, every city and every town, but we are now determined to take this fight to the federal government, to our President Barack Obama, to the Congress and the Supreme Court of the United States.”

Cleve Jones, May 31, 2009, Fresno, California

(I shot these photos at San Diego Gay Pride - July 18, 09)

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(Banner designed by Fabian Ojeda)

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(Banner designed by Fabian Ojeda)

Gay Marriage: National Equality March in DC, Oct 11

From the National Equality March website: On October 10-11, 2009, we will gather in Washington DC from all across America to let our elected leaders know that now is the time for full equal rights for LGBT people. We will gather. We will march. And we will leave energized and empowered to do the work that needs to be done in every community across the nation.

Our single demand: Equal protection in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states.

Our philosophy: As members of every race, class, faith, and community, we see the struggle for LGBT equality as part of a larger movement for peace and social justice.

Our strategy: Decentralized organizing for this march in every one of the 435 Congressional districts will build a network to continue organizing beyond October.

Cleve Jones

“We will continue this fight in every state, in every county, every city and every town, but we are now determined to take this fight to the federal government, to our President Barack Obama, to the Congress and the Supreme Court of the United States.”

Cleve Jones, May 31, 2009, Fresno, California

(I shot these photos at San Diego Gay Pride - July 18, 09)

Gay Rights Up for VOTERS to Decide in 3 States

Can someone please tell me when and where I can vote on heterosexual rights?

From AP: Nearly a year after California voters overturned same-sex marriage, voters in three other states will weigh in this fall on whether to reverse gay rights initiatives ranging from anti-discrimination measures to marriage benefits.

In Maine, voters will decide whether or not to uphold the state's legalization of same-sex marriage. In Washington state, a so-called "everything but marriage" law that expands the state's current domestic partnership law will be on the ballot. And in Kalamazoo, Mich., voters will decide on an ordinance that prohibits discrimination against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender individuals.

Further: In Maine, opponents of gay marriage had raised more than $343,000 through the end of the last quarterly reporting period in July, with $160,000 from the National Organization for Marriage, one of the groups that backed Prop. 8. Supporters of gay marriage raised $143,290 in that same period.

In addition to the loss in California, gay-rights supporters suffered setbacks elsewhere last fall, with amendments banning gay marriage being approved in Arizona and Florida. Arkansas voters approved a measure banning unmarried couples from serving as adoptive or foster parents.

Further: Lawmakers in Washington state have taken an incremental approach to increasing gay rights without actually taking on the state's marriage ban, which was upheld by the state Supreme Court in 2006. The following year, lawmakers passed the state's first domestic partnership law granting a handful of rights, like hospital visitation, to gay and lesbian couples.

In 2008, that law was expanded to add more rights, and this year the latest law added such partnerships to all remaining areas of state law where currently only married couples are mentioned. The statutes range from labor and employment rights to pensions and other public employee benefits.

Nearly 12,000 people in Washington state are registered as domestic partners, and while the underlying law that was passed in 2007 allows some older heterosexual couples to register as domestic partners, most of the couples are gay.

Conservative Christians rallied to get Referendum 71 on the November ballot, arguing that Washington state's latest move is the last step before full civil marriage for gay and lesbian couples in the state.

Further: While Maine and Washington state will get most of the focus in November's election, a gay rights ordinance in the southwestern Michigan city of Kalamazoo is getting national attention from groups on both sides as well.

The city's ordinance, which outlaws employment, housing and public-accommodation discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identification, took effect July 9 but was suspended once opponents turned in enough signed petitions to force a public vote.

Hey, Bill Clinton Finally Supports Same-Sex Marriage

Woefully too late.

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Gay Marriage: National Equality March in DC, Oct 11

From the National Equality March website: On October 10-11, 2009, we will gather in Washington DC from all across America to let our elected leaders know that now is the time for full equal rights for LGBT people. We will gather. We will march. And we will leave energized and empowered to do the work that needs to be done in every community across the nation.

Our single demand: Equal protection in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states.

Our philosophy: As members of every race, class, faith, and community, we see the struggle for LGBT equality as part of a larger movement for peace and social justice.

Our strategy: Decentralized organizing for this march in every one of the 435 Congressional districts will build a network to continue organizing beyond October.

Cleve Jones

“We will continue this fight in every state, in every county, every city and every town, but we are now determined to take this fight to the federal government, to our President Barack Obama, to the Congress and the Supreme Court of the United States.”

Cleve Jones, May 31, 2009, Fresno, California

(I shot these photos at San Diego Gay Pride - July 18, 09)

Gay Marriage: Measure Submitted to Overturn Prop 8

I'm in the camp that thinks 2010 is too soon. We'd be better served in 2012.

From AP: A group pushed ahead Thursday with a campaign to repeal California's same-sex marriage ban, even though some other gay rights organizations think it's too soon for another expensive ballot fight.

Los Angeles-based Love Honor Cherish proposed ballot language to strike the ban approved by state voters in November as Proposition 8.

The new ballot proposal says religious institutions would not be required to perform same-sex unions if it conflicts with their beliefs.

"The refusal to perform a marriage under this provision shall not be the basis for lawsuit or liability, and shall not affect the tax-exempt status of any religious denomination, church or other religious institution," reads the exemption, an attempt by Love Honor Cherish to defuse one of the arguments Proposition 8 sponsors used to garner support last fall.

Submitting wording to the California attorney general is the first step in qualifying a measure for an election. Once the language is approved, backers would have until mid-April to gather the 695,000 signatures needed to put the initiative on the November 2010 ballot.

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(Banner designed by Fabian Ojeda)

Gay Marriage: National Equality March in DC, Oct 11

From the National Equality March website: On October 10-11, 2009, we will gather in Washington DC from all across America to let our elected leaders know that now is the time for full equal rights for LGBT people. We will gather. We will march. And we will leave energized and empowered to do the work that needs to be done in every community across the nation.

Our single demand: Equal protection in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states.

Our philosophy: As members of every race, class, faith, and community, we see the struggle for LGBT equality as part of a larger movement for peace and social justice.

Our strategy: Decentralized organizing for this march in every one of the 435 Congressional districts will build a network to continue organizing beyond October.

Cleve Jones

“We will continue this fight in every state, in every county, every city and every town, but we are now determined to take this fight to the federal government, to our President Barack Obama, to the Congress and the Supreme Court of the United States.”

Cleve Jones, May 31, 2009, Fresno, California

(I shot these photos at San Diego Gay Pride - July 18, 09)

Continue to...

(Banner designed by Fabian Ojeda)