News Round-Up: June 22, 2017

Javier Baez

Some news stories you might have missed:

• Check this sneak peek from the upcoming ESPN Body 2017 issue featuring hottie Chicago Cub Javier Baez. The issue is on newsstands July 7.

• Cincinnati plans to name a street after marriage equality plaintiff/hero Jim Obergefell and his deceased husband, Jim Arthur.

• Trans activist Janet Mock says "very privileged" Caitlyn Jenner is NOT a spokesperson for the trans community.

• Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt is getting his own show on MSNBC even as liberal hosts Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell lead the network in ratings. The good news, though, is out news anchor Thomas Roberts will now host a two hour news block on Saturday evenings from 7-9PM.

• Two years after SCOTUS made same-sex marriage the law of the land, Gallup reports that 10.2% of LGBT adults in the U.S. are married to a same-sex spouse, up from 7.9% before the ruling. Additionally, Gallup estimates 61% of same-sex, cohabiting couples in the U.S. are now married, up from 38% before the Obergefell ruling.

• Crystal Griner, the Capitol Police officer who took down the shooter at a Republican baseball practice threw out the first pitch yesterday at the Congressional Women's softball game.

Capitol Police officer Crystal Griner threw the 1st pitch at Congressional Women's Softball game Wed. She was hurt in GOP baseball shooting. pic.twitter.com/M4PMI0zSfN

— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 22, 2017

NOM President Brian Brown Is "Outraged" Over Jim Obergefell's Invite To State Of The Union Address

Virulently anti-gay Brian Brown, president of the ironically named National Organization for Marriage, is super-mad y'all.

Brown is upset (and begging for money) because Jim Obergefell will be sitting with the First Lady at tonight's State of the Union address.

As you probably know, Obergefell was the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit that led to the historic marriage equality decision by SCOTUS last summer.

Via press release:

“It’s an outrage that President Obama is honoring the extermination of true marriage in our nation’s laws as a result of an anti-constitutional, illegitimate ruling of the US Supreme Court,” said Brian Brown, NOM’s president.

“President Obama is trying to honor something that is completely dishonorable because it strips from the law the truth of marriage as the union of one man and one woman, and substitutes a fiction from the left that marriage can be anything you want it to be.”

I wasn't aware that heterosexual marriage is now "exterminated?"

Of course, what he's really mad about is his six-figure annual salary is about to go bye-bye.

News Round-Up: January 11, 2016

Michael Bloomberg

Some news stories you may have missed:

• Multi-billionaire Michael Bloomberg, three-term mayor of New York City, is mulling over a possible independent run for president. The former Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-Independent is worth $37 Billion.

• Statistics show the number of Grindr and Tinder-related crimes (rape, attempted murder) has soared by 700% over the last two years in the UK.

• Donald Trump thinks the NFL has "gone soft."

• Jim Obergefell, whose case at the U.S. Supreme Court brought marriage equality to the entire country, will sit with the First Lady at tomorrow night's State of the Union address.

• Just because she won a Golden Globe last night for her acting turn in American Horror Story doesn't mean she's leaving music behind. Gaga announced to reporters last night she'll be releasing a new album this year.

• Ellen DeGeneres says Hillary Clinton is "everything I want in a president."

"You stand for everything that I want in a president.” —@theellenshow https://t.co/3vzhY5huZk

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) January 12, 2016

Jim Obergefell Supports Hillary Clinton For President

Jim Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in the U.S. Supreme Court case that brought marriage equality to all of the U.S. has thrown his support for the 2016 presidential campaign to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Via the Washington Blade:

“We have fought to not only change laws, but to change hearts, and now we need a president who will help us fight to eliminate the injustices that occur regularly in our community, and the best person to do that is Hillary Clinton,” Obergefell said. “Hillary is a proven leader who will not only ensure that states are implementing marriage equality, but will work to end discrimination in our community whether it’s by passing the Equality Act or through state measures. I refuse to let Republicans undo the progress that we’ve made, and that is why we need Hillary Clinton in the White House because she will be by our side as we break down barriers and finally reach full equality for all.”

The Clinton campaign issued this statement:

“Jim made history and changed America for the better by fighting for marriage equality all the way to the Supreme Court,” said Hillary Clinton “There are still too many places where LGBT Americans are targeted for harassment and violence, and there are too many young people who are uncertain and scared of what their future might hold. Right now in America, you can get married on Saturday and be fired from your job on Monday just because of who you love. I see the injustices that are happening in our country, and that is why I’m committed to working with Jim and others to end discrimination against the LGBT community once and for all.”

This news comes on the heels of a Public Policy Poll published after the second Democratic debate this past Saturday which showed 67 percent of respondents thought Clinton won, followed by 20 percent for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and 7 percent for former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley.

Jim Obergefell Pens Open Letter To Anti-Gay County Clerk Kim Davis

Jim Obergefell, whose lawsuit led to the historic U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of marriage equality, has penned an open letter to Kentucky County Clerk Kim Davis regarding her opposition to issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in her county.

Via the ACLU:

“As you may know, when you fall in love with someone, you hand your heart and soul over to them. Anyone who has committed to sharing their life with another human and forming a family unit knows that it is the biggest and most rewarding adventure you will ever take. You know that all of the laughs and all of the tears won’t fall on the echo of an empty room, but will instead be received in the warm embrace of someone who has pledged to see you at your best and love you at your worst. You know that person is there to help pick you up on those days when the odds are stacked against you. You know that you never have to do the dishes alone.

“When I met John, I had no idea that I would spend the next two decades building a life with the man who would one day inspire me to demand our right to be recognized by our country. I earned the right to lawfully call him my husband, just as you have a right to call your husband such. Love transcends gender. You’re imposing the same indignities on couples in Rowan County that John and I suffered when Ohio would not legally recognize us as a married couple. Thankfully, the law is now changed so that nobody should ever have to experience the injustice that John and I endured. No one is above the law, Kim, not even you.

“I joined the fight to have our love treated equally precisely because our love is equal. The love that any family shares is no more or less worthy than that of any other, and it’s not fair for you, or anyone, to judge. It’s your job to simply do your job. Issuing a marriage license at work is not a personal endorsement of my marriage any more than recording a deed is an endorsement of my home ownership.

“It’s simply following the rules in this civil society in which we’ve all agreed to be members. What truly matters is the kindness and compassion we share with our families and with those around us. Love makes a family. And as of June 2015 the federal government agrees. I did not fight for my right to call John my husband in vain. I stand today in his memory and proudly declare him my legally wedded spouse. Do not stand in the way of others seeking their legal right to have their love recognized. Sincerely, Jim Obergefell for ACLU Action.”

President Obama Calls Jim Obergefell To Offer Congratulations

SCOTUS Watch - June 25, 2015

Early morning, with smart phones, at #SCOTUS. Jim Obergefell is first in line. pic.twitter.com/ThtI8I2X7J

— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) June 25, 2015

Jim Obergefell Is First In Line, Awaiting Supreme Court’s Word On His Marriage: http://t.co/9M7vAeS34W #SCOTUS

— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) June 25, 2015

Sen. Cory Booker Speaks from The Floor Of US Senate On The Story Of Jim Obergefell

Today, Senators Cory Booker and Sherrod Brown spoke on the floor of the US Senate sharing the story of SCOTUS plaintiff and longtime HRC Supporter Jim Obergefell.

“Jim and John’s story is moving, heartbreaking, inspiring, and unfortunately, all too common,” Sen. Booker said during his remarks on the Senate floor.

“Their story is about love conquering indifference and equality conquering inequality—but it is also about a larger question: whether our country will live up to the ideal of equality under the law it was founded under, or whether we will allow ourselves to be a land that denies some citizens fundamental rights while granting them to others, so, when we consider the rights of Jim Obergefell and John Arthur, we aren’t just talking about “gay rights.” We are talking about my rights. We are talking about your rights. We are talking about Constitutional rights. We are talking about human rights.”

Booker just rocks.

Sen. Sharron Brow, Jim Obergefell, HRC pres Chad Griffin and Sen. Cory Booker

Ohio Widower Continues Fight To Have Marriage Recognized

Excellent, in-depth article on the impact of marriage equality on Ohio couple Jim Obergefell and John Arthur by Buzzfeed's Chris Geidner.

The piece begins:

Jim Obergefell and John Arthur had wanted to marry for a long time. In 2013, after the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, they decided this was the time to do it — even though Arthur was very, very ill. He had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2011, a fatal neurological disease that paralyzes the body. He was confined to his bed.

The couple could not get married in their home state of Ohio. They could, however, get married in one of the handful of states that did allow same-sex couples to marry. So their wedding took place aboard a small, specially equipped medical plane with two pilots, a nurse, and Arthur’s aunt — she performed the ceremony.

“We landed at Baltimore, sat on the tarmac for a little bit, said ‘I do,’ and 10 minutes later were in the air on the way home,” Obergefell said.

The marriage performed there on the tarmac of Baltimore-Washington International Airport has become iconic within the marriage equality movement and beyond, a testament to a couple’s commitment and to the absurd lengths the law required them to undertake for a simple ceremony.

After Arthur died in 2013, Jim sued to have the death certificate show they were married. He initially won in court, then lost in appeals court.

Now it heads to the Supreme Court.

I really encourage you to read the entire piece. All the moving pieces of a story that explain why this issue is so important.