GLAD DOMA Stories: Federal Marriage Discrimination Hurts Families
Posted on Mar 16, 2010 at 10:24 am
"I Owe It to Her Memory to Continue Fighting This"
Months after Eleanor Vasapollo’s death in August 2008, SSA reversed its previous denial of disability payments during her cancer treatment. But SSA also ruled that unlike other surviving spouses Jacqueline Murphy was not eligible to receive Ellie’s retroactive Social Security disability payments—payments that could have made a difference as she struggled to pay bills after Ellie died.
Cynthia Nixon Joins Fight To Oust Anti-Freedom to Marry Senators
Posted on Mar 11, 2010 at 10:22 am
Cynthia Nixon has joined the fight to oust senators who voted against a freedom to marry bill in New York.
The openly lesbian Nixon stars in a new video for Fight Back NY, the political action committee that is targeting anti-gay senators.
Soon-to-wed D.C. same-sex couple shares their journey
Posted on Mar 09, 2010 at 09:08 am
They met in grad school.
Angelisa Young and Sinjoyla Townsend were assigned to debate opposing sides of the same issue in a constitutional law class at the University of the District of Columbia, and both were so nerdily over-prepared -- typical Washingtonians -- that the other members of their group decided the debate was a draw.
Sandra Bullock Oscar Acceptance Speech: A Nod to the Freedom to Marry?
Posted on Mar 08, 2010 at 04:49 pm
Following up on our Oscar Challenge, do you think Sandra Bullock was referring in part to the freedom to marry when she thanked her late mother for teaching her that there is "no race, no religion, no class system, no color, no sexual orientation that makes us better than anyone else"?
Watch the video and give us your comments!
GLAD announces debut of DOMA Storybook
Posted on Mar 08, 2010 at 03:03 pm
In its DOMA case, Gill v OPM, GLAD (Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders) represents 8 couples and 3 widowers who are harmed in various ways by the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act". But with over 1,000 marriage-related laws and program, and with more and more same-sex couples getting married every day in the United States, DOMA hurts many more people than GLAD can represent in a single lawsuit.
So today, GLAD is debuting a DOMA Storybook on their website, in which new stories will be told every week of couples harmed by DOMA. Over time, it will highlight the cumulative, destructive impact of DOMA. They open this week with the story of Judi and Rebecca, who live in Western Massachusetts and are raising their daughter Beau.
A Freedom to Marry Postcard from Africa
Posted on Mar 08, 2010 at 11:29 am
An American student in Cape Town sent this link about her celebration of the freedom to marry being honored in Washington D.C. -- which took place among the LGBTQ community in South Africa.
"It’s Pride Week in the rainbow city of Cape Town! South Africa legalized marriage equality in 2006. Today, March 3, 2010, my nation’s capital voted to legalize the freedom to marry within it’s city’s borders. I dedicate this post to those worldwide who experience sexual oppression, and to those who choose to challenge it."
Valerie Harper
Posted on Mar 06, 2010 at 03:10 pm
Valerie Harper is an American actress, best known for her role as Rhoda Morgenstern on the 1970s television show The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and for her starring roles on the sitcoms Rhoda (a spin-off of The Mary Tyler Moore Show) and Valerie.
Video: HuffPo Impact Premiere: A New Documentary from Immigration Equality
Posted on Feb 15, 2010 at 01:52 pm
Steve Ralls, Director of Communications for Immigration Equality, tells the story of Shirley Tan, a mother of two, originally from The Philippines, who answered a knock on her door at 7am in January 2009. She was getting her 12-year-old twin sons ready for school, and preparing to see her partner of 23 years, Jay Mercado, off to work. When Shirley answered, ICE agents produced an order of deportation, which Shirley had never seen before, then handcuffed her and threw her into a waiting van.
"The lack of recognition for lesbian and gay couples under immigration law is, literally, ripping loving families apart," said Rachel B. Tiven, Immigration Equality's executive director. "For every day that passes without action from Congress, another family faces separation and another child is put in jeopardy of losing a parent." Beginning today, house parties across the country will screen the group's new documentary, which is premiering exclusively on HuffingtonPost Impact. You can make an impact in the lives of Shirley, Jay and their sons - and tens of thousands of other families like theirs - by watching the video, passing it along and visiting www.immigrationequalityactionfund.org to learn more.
Remembering a “Loving Spirit” This Valentine’s Day
Posted on Feb 15, 2010 at 12:57 pm
Rev. Irene Monroe takes the occasion of Valentine's Day to remember the 1967 Loving v. Virginia U.S. Supreme Court decision that "set the stage for defining marriage as a civil right. May the 'Loving -spirit' of Mildred Loving and the justice acts of St. Valentine be with us on this day."
Voice for Equality: Amity Pierce Buxton
Posted on Feb 03, 2010 at 10:00 am
Amity Pierce Buxton, Ph.D. is the founder of Straight Spouse Network and author of The Other Side of the Closet: The Coming-Out Crisis for Straight Spouses and Families.She served as Executive Director of SSN from 1991 until 2007. SSN is a nonprofit organization that offers support and information to empower straight spouses of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans partners and mixed-orientation couples to lessen their hurt, to cope with coming-out issues constructively, and to rebuild their lives. Its mission is reaching out, healing, and building bridges of understanding between spouses, within families, and with the larger community.
Amity is also a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Bisexuality and the Journal of GLBT Family Studies. Amity served on the board of Family Equality Council (FEC), and currently collaborates with them as well as with Parents Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), the Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Human Rights Campaign (HRC), The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) (GLAAD), and Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere (COLAGE ).
She continues to publish articles on various aspects of the mixed-orientation relationship phenomenon for journals and edited books. See her blog post for Freedom to Marry here.
Freedom to Marry salutes Amity Pierce Buxton as a Voice for Equality! Learn about other Voices for Equality here.
If Ms. Buxton's support inspires you - get involved.
**Make your NOMINATION for a Voice for Equality today!