Alabama: 13 Counties Are Still Refusing To Issue Same-Sex Couples Marriage Licenses

Southern Equality reports that 13 counties in Alabama are still refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Come on, kids. What's it gonna take to get you to do your duty as an elected official? You can't  pick and choose what parts of your job you will or will not do.

Across the 13 impacted counties, projected annual lost revenue totals $132,106.50 due to probate judges closing county offices.

A total of 330,236 people live in the 13 Alabama counties that are not issuing marriage licenses to any couples. Additionally, an estimated 313 same-sex couples live in the impacted counties, with an estimated 18% of them raising children.

More at the Campaign for Southern Equality.

On This Day In 1967

Arkansas: Judge Orders The State To Recognize Same-Sex Marriages Performed Last Year

Pulaski County Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen issued a ruling today instructing Arkansas state officials to recognize same-sex marriages that were performed in-state last year during a window of time that marriage licenses were issued to same-sex couples.

The result of the order means those 500+ couples will have access to many benefits such as filing taxes jointly and enrolling in state health insurance plans.

From ABC News:

Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza struck down as unconstitutional a 2004 voter-approved same-sex marriage ban and an earlier state law defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Justices suspended his decision a week later, halting the marriages.

The attorney general's office argued before Griffen Monday that the marriages weren't valid because Piazza's initial ruling didn't specifically strike down a state law barring clerks from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Piazza struck down that law in a subsequent ruling six days later.

Griffen rejected that argument, saying it was clear that Piazza meant to strike down any prohibition on same-sex marriage.

"Put simply, Judge Piazza's intent in his May 9 order was to stop the state of Arkansas from prohibiting same-sex couples from being married," he wrote.

HRC Arkansas State Director Kendra R. Johnson issued this statement:

"Virtually every day, we continue to see tremendous signs of progress toward realizing the dream of marriage equality for gay and lesbian Arkansans.

“While we await a final decision by the United States Supreme Court to resolve the issue of marriage equality nationwide once and for all, Judge Griffen’s ruling demonstrates yet again the unmistakable momentum of LGBT equality in the Natural State."

New Read: "It's Not Over" By Michelangelo Signorile

LGBT activist and author Michelangelo Signorile has written a powerful new book, It's Not Over.

A long-time personal hero of mine, Signorile chronicles the gay rights movement in regard to not only where we've been, but where we go from here. The book serves cautionary notice that the fight is far from over, noting in Chapter One - "Victory Blindness," that folks can suffer from what he calls "Victory Blindness."

Speaking to the Huffington Post, Signorile shares this:

"Victory blindness is something we all succumb to at times. It's a term I use to describe the phenomenon in which we focus on the wins, so starved for validation, that we allow them to blind us to the continued bigotry we face. We become enthralled, intoxicated -- spellbound by even a little bit.

"The effect is that it obscures our reality -- literally our vision -- and it makes us lose our gumption, not wanting to rock the boat, fearful that we'll lose what we've gained and not get what little bit we think we need, when in fact we need a lot and we should be strong and confident knowing our allies will stay with us.

"In that chapter I use a vivid example, in a section titled "A Story of Victory Blindness," in which too many activists, claiming that we'd gotten a lot and had a banner couple of years, asked us to accept a situation that validated bigotry and urged us to be "magnanimous," fearful that the right would portray us as going too far -- but in fact this only allowed the backlash to grow because we seemed disjointed and that made us seem weak. We were and are still hated and despised by many -- despite having so many allies now -- and we have no rights in most states nor federal protections.

"So this is victory blindness, and it can have the terrible effect of actually allowing the backlash to grow because it telegraphs that we will back down.

Other chapters include "We Don't Serve Fags Here," "Hiding In Plain Sight," "Not Up For Debate" and an epilogue "Charting A Path Forward."

The entire book is required reading in my opinion. Eye-opening, compelling, and powerful, Signorile is exhilarating in his honesty, and illuminating with his insight.

A definite "must-read." Period.

Available online and in major book stores today.

Matt Baume: St. Patrick's Day Parades March Toward Equality

LGBT folks have fought for decades for the right to march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Boston. And this year - they did!

(Well, two LGBT groups got to...)

Some people wonder why it's important that gays get to take part in the annual Irish parade. And there is a reason. A very good one.

Matt Baume explains in this quick, easy and rather Irish video. It's actually more than you think.

Birmingham News: "It Is Time For Gay Men And Women In America To Stand Equal"

Bravo to the editorial board of the Birmingham News.

I encourage you to read the entire editorial, but for now, just the big finish:

We believe the Supreme Court will rightly hold that the unalienable rights of Americans include the right to marry, for all. Since the legal framework of marriage is provided by our governments, it must provide for equality.

Some argue that when the Declaration and Constitution were written, the framers did not conceive that their notion of rights extended to gay men and women, and marriage. No doubt true. For many at that time, such thinking did not even extend to equality for America's black citizens.

But when America moved to right that wrong, Alabama stayed on the wrong side of history for too long (and our own 1901 state constitution purported to forbid interracial marriage until 2000, long after that had been rendered unenforceable by the Supreme Court.)

Alabama should consider whether it wishes to be in that place again. Times change, and the notion that laws should be interpreted within the nature of those times is also part of America's Constitution. The first words of the Declaration of Independence are: "When in the course of human events..."

In the course of human events, it is time for gay men and women in America to stand equal. Laws that impede this are not in line with our Constitution, and must fall.

I hadn't seen that point made about the Declaration of Independence in regard to marriage equality.

"When in the course of human events..."

Yeah. That works for me.

Forward.

Same-Sex Marriage Begins In Scotland!

Congratulations to everybody taking part in the first same-sex marriage ceremonies in Scotland tonight #equalmarriage pic.twitter.com/ttbJbGf6yC
— LGBT Labour (@LGBTLabour) December 30, 2014

Check out Joe and Malx, who were the very first gay couple to marry in Scotland last night at the stroke of midnight. Congratulations Scotland!

International Olympic Committee Adds Sexual Orientation To Principle 6

From Buzzfeed: On Monday, the International Olympic Committee voted unanimously to add sexual orientation to the list of traits for which an athlete can not be discriminated against.

Recommendation 14 was to add sexual orientation to the 6th Fundamental Principle of Olympism, which currently reads:

“Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement.”

The issue of LGB discrimination in the Olympics has been a hotly debated subject since the 2014 Sochi Olympics due to Russia’s many discriminatory laws.

Modern Family stars on the Straight-Gay Alliance for Straight-Gay Marriage

Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet play a gay couple on "Modern Family" and they've kind of become spokespeople for the same sex marriage movement.

Eric is actually straight, but that hasn't stopped their characters from becoming positive role models for same sex couples.

Watch their "PSA" for the "Straight-Gay Alliance for Straight-Gay Marriage."

Two years ago today: President Obama supports marriage equality

Two years ago today, President Obama sat down with Robin Roberts of ABC News and announced for the first time that he supported marriage equality.

Thank you Mr. President.

"At a certain point, I've just concluded that-- for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that -- I think same-sex couples should be able to get married.

Now -- I have to tell you that part of my hesitation on this has also been I didn't want to nationalize the issue. There's a tendency when I weigh in to think suddenly it becomes political and it becomes polarized.

And what you're seeing is, I think, states working through this issue -- in fits and starts, all across the country. Different communities are arriving at different conclusions, at different times. And I think that's a healthy process and a healthy debate.

And I continue to believe that this is an issue that is gonna be worked out at the local level, because historically, this has not been a federal issue, what's recognized as a marriage."

Google sends a message to Sochi Olympics

Check out the homepage for google.com

Tweet of the day: Chelsea Clinton supports Chris Kluwe

We should never punt when it comes to equality, @ChrisWarcraft is a great example
— Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) January 4, 2014

Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance

Established in 1999, the Transgender Day of Remembrance began as a way to memorialize Rita Hester, a trans woman who was brutally murdered the year before. Her murder remains unsolved, as do many of the crimes committed against transgender and gender-nonconforming people.

Here in Las Vegas, a week long series of events is being billed as the first Trans Pride Week.

Every year, hundreds of transgender people around the world are brutally slain for being who they are.

Openly gay Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims posted an essay on his Facebook page about the day and what it means.  Here's just an excerpt:

If you don't think you know any transgender people, I'm guessing you may be mistaken. Even if you don't know that you do, take my word for it: Transgender men and women are just as normal (or abnormal) as every one of us! Like you and me, they want to be treated fairly, with respect and dignity and they deserve to be.

I hope you take a moment today to reflect on your own hardships and how your friends, family and neighbors have help to protect you and guide you in those times, and then think about how you can offer more protection and guidance yourself.

Thanks to Brian and all the folks out there trying to make a positive difference in the world, and to help bring equality for all Americans.

Only rich white gay men care about marriage equality?

Meme of the day: Vladimir Putin "God created us equal..."

via Memeographs

Skyy Vodka - "Cheers to Equality"

Riffing on the #DumpRussianVodka campaign, Skyy Vodka points out their US origins AND support for the LGBT community in a recent tweet.

Ohio: Gay couple seeks to have state recognize their marriage

Two men who traveled from Cincinnati to Maryland last week to marry, John Arthur and Jim Obergefell,  are now asking Ohio to recognize their marriage based on equal protection:

The suit, filed by the couple, states the way the law treats marriages between opposite-sex couples is unfairly different from the way it treats marriages between same-sex couples.

"It's blatant discrimination," said the couple's attorney Al Gerhardstein. "It's a denial of equal protection."

The suit points to an example of a marriage between first cousins. In Ohio, it is illegal. But if first cousins go to another state and marry where it is legal, Ohio will recognize their out of state marriage as valid.

"Equal protection demands that opposite-sex couples and same-sex couples should be treated the same," Gerhardstein said in a release. "John and James were validly married in Maryland. If they were an opposite sex couple, Ohio would recognize their marriage. Being a same-sex couple is no longer a good enough reason to deny them equal rights."

Gerhardstein says the suit filed Friday has importance beyond the law. The couple is running out of time.

Two years ago, Arthur was diagnosed with ALS, also referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. There is no known cure or treatment today that halts or reverses ALS.

(via NewsNet5.com)

Happy Endings - Edie Windsor and her $638,000 IRS refund

In all of the hoopla over Edie Windsor's big win at the US Supreme Court, it's possible we lost focus on why she even started the lawsuit that changed so many of our lives.

 Her fight with the IRS.

From CNN:

Normally, surviving spouses are entitled to inherit the estate of their late husband or wife tax free.

But because DOMA only recognized marriage between a man and a woman as legitimate for the purposes of federal law, same-sex spouses have not been entitled to the same privilege.

As a result, Windsor had to pay the federal government roughly $363,000, as well as $275,000 to New York state, where estate tax rules track the federal ones.

That money has been in limbo since Windsor sued to get it back in November 2010. Her case first went before a federal trial court judge in New York, then to the Second Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, and finally to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Windsor will also be paid interest on her refunds. Paul, Weiss, the law firm that represents her, estimates she will receive about $45,000 in interest on her federal refund and $25,000 on her New York State refund.

The other good news for the 83-year-old Windsor? Her lawyers won't be getting a cut because Paul, Weiss took the case pro bono.

New campaign for gay marriage in Australia - "What are you having?"

Commissioned by Shelley Argent of the Australian National Spokesperson for PFLG, this new video is part of a new campaign down under:

The campaign's theme is that: "Any child can be born gay. So marriage equality is every family's issue."

Spokeswoman for PFLG Shelley Argent told News Limited the campaign was designed to build support for gay marriage on the grounds that gay children were "born that way".

"Being a lesbian or gay is not a choice," she said. "It's just the way you are."

Visit www.whatruhaving.org for more information about the campaign.

Openly gay former Eagle Scout James Dale has a message for Boy Scouts of America

From GLAAD:

Tomorrow, 1400 members of the Boy Scouts' National Council will converge in Dallas to vote on a resolution critical to the Boy Scouts' longstanding ban on gay members.

James Dale — an openly gay former Eagle Scout whose membership was revoked by the BSA — has a special request:

Show your support for equality in the Boy Scouts: Change your profile pic now.

Now more than ever we all must speak up about why gay youth and parents should be able to participate in the Boy Scouts.