Maryland Chooses Love

In a remarkable act of decency and understanding, the voters of the state of Maryland approved legal status for same-sex civil marriage. In a political year marked by hate speech and fear-mongering, it’s a significant triumph for tolerance and love.

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New Year for the GLBT Museum

Among the many celebrations this season, the museum of San Francisco’s GLBT Historical Society marks its first year of operation. From the website:

“Often referred to as San Francisco’s ‘queer Smithsonian,’ the GLBT Historical Society houses one of the world’s largest collections of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender historical materials. The society’s new GLBT History Museum is the first full-scale, stand-alone museum of its kind in the United States.”

More:

“GLBT museum celebrates fight for social justice.” Steven Short, KALW-FM

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Wedding Bells in New York

“Hundreds of same-sex couples say ‘I do’ in New York,” Patrick Wall, Christian Science Monitor

“Hundreds of gay, lesbian couples wed in New York on first day same-sex marriage is legal,” Lukas I. Alpert, New York Daily News

“After Long Wait, Same-Sex Couples Marry in New York,” Thomas Kaplan and Michael Barbaro, New York Times

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Gay Marriage Law Passed in New York

The New York State Senate has passed the Marriage Equality Act legalizing same-sex marriage, and Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed it into law. Same-sex marriage is legally recognized in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Iowa and the District of Columbia.

Congress Repeals ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

The Senate voted to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that prohibits openly gay people from serving in the U.S. military. The policy forced 14,000 men and women to leave military service since 1993. 10,000 of these personnel were language specialists, so it’s no wonder that we have no idea what is going on in Iraq or Afghanistan.

“I don’t care who you love. If you love this country enough to risk your life for it, you should be able to serve as you are. Today the Senate has the opportunity to be on the right side of history. ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ is a wrong that should never have been perpetrated.”
– Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Both houses of Congress have passed the measure, and it will now go to the White House for the President’s signature.

 

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Closet Veterans

 

The Washington Post is observing Veterans Day with a story previewing the Pentagon report on the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy:

“More than 70 percent of respondents to a survey sent to active-duty and reserve troops over the summer said the effect of repealing the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy would be positive, mixed or nonexistent, said two sources familiar with the document. The survey results led the report’s authors to conclude that objections to openly gay colleagues would drop once troops were able to live and serve alongside them.”

– “Sources: Pentagon group finds there is minimal risk to lifting gay ban during war,” Ed O’Keefe and Greg Jaffe, Washington Post.

The chief authors of the study are Pentagon General Counsel Jeh Johnson and the Commander of U.S. Forces in Europe, General Carter Ham.

 

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Senate Fails to Repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

A motion to debate a defense bill which containing a measure repealing the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy failed in the Senate on Tuesday.  Arkansas Democrats Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor joined the Republican filibuster. Several Republicans claim they might eventually vote to end DADT but want to hear the results of a Pentagon review of the policy, due on or about December first, too late to realistically allow for further Senate consideration.

 As Igor Volsky points out, 70 percent of Americans favor repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” while the 42 senators stalling the bill represent only 36 percent of the U.S. population.

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Rush Limbaugh’s Traditional Marriage

Radio commentator Rush Limbaugh believes in traditional marriage so much that he’s had four of them. The staunch defender of marriage celebrated his fourth nuptials in Palm Beach on June 5th with music by Elton John. We do not know if Sir Elton’s partner David Furnish was in attendance.

 

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Historic Wedding Day in DC

Several same-sex couple who obtained District of Columbia marriage licences last week were married Tuesday.

Details:

“First same-sex marriages celebrated in DC,” Washington Post

“Same-Sex Couples Say ‘I Do’ in DC,” Russell Berman, AOL News

“Same-Sex Couples Wed in Washington, DC,” VOA News

“First Same-Sex Couples Get Hitched in DC,” DCist

“Washington weddings begin for same-sex couples,” AP via Salon

 

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Gay Marriage in DC. John Roberts, Best Man.

Same-sex marriage becomes legal in the District of Columbia today, March 3rd. Chief Justice John Roberts declined to issue a stay requested by busybodies who don’t even live in the jurisdiction. The DC Court of Appeals refused to stand in the way of love.

The new gender-neutral marriage license application is online. The marriage bureau (Moultrie Courthouse, 500 Indiana Avenue NW, room  4485) opens at 8:30 AM. DC florist shops will open much earlier.

 

Hat tips: Mike DeBonis, Amanda Hess, GLAA Forum.

Image (“The Wedding Couple, after Abbot Handerson Thayer and Richard E. Miller”) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

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