Freedom to Marry Week 2008 News
Gay couples hold ‘Demonstration of Love’ in W. Palm FL
About 40 people, most of them couples, gathered at the historic Hibiscus House in downtown West Palm Beach at 6 p.m. on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14. The occasion was advertised as “A Demonstration of Love” and was sponsored by Equality Florida and Fairness for All Families.
Happy Belated Freedom to Marry Week!
Do you believe that people who love each other and are committed to each other also deserve to be able to marry each other? Then 
! Sign the Marriage Resolution! And watch Julie Goldman and Kate McKinnon in the music video for Julie’s song Commitment Ceremony, which is both hilarious, and inspiring.
WA State House Passes DP Bill
"It is indeed symbolic that this vote comes as the 11th annual National Freedom to Marry Week comes to a close," Equal Rights Washington's Connie Watts said in a statement. "Equal Rights Washington and the prime sponsors of the Domestic Partnership Expansion Bill have been clear and unequivocal in stating that we are seeking full marriage equality for families formed by gay and lesbian couples."
Friends of the Court: Cities, counties push for change
In all, over 20 California cities and counties, including seven of the 10 largest cities in California, signed onto this amicus brief. In recognition of Freedom to Marry Week, Marriage Equality USA is featuring this cities and counties' amicus brief, along with an amicus brief filed by Professor M.V. Lee Badgett and senior research fellow Gary Gates, which analyzes U.S. Census data on same-sex couples in California. In partnership with the Bay Area Reporter, MEUSA is highlighting each of the 30 amicus "friend of the court" briefs submitted by hundreds of supportive organizations, professional associations, and religious institutions filed before the California Supreme Court in favor of same-sex couples' freedom to marry.
Video: Freedom to Marry Rally
Love was certainly in the air for some couples in Harrisburg Thursday. Same sex couples gathered along Front Street for a Freedom to Marry Rally. Two couples even exchanged vows as a sign of their love.
YouTube Video of the Harrisburg Freedom to Marry Rally
Unitarian church rally for the right to marry in Harrisburg, PA.
Freedom to Marry
We spent nearly all of our savings on expenses related to Noah’s adoption, particularly with the unexpected fact of having to move to a new county after being assigned to the one judge in our county who flat out refuses to grant same sex couples second parent adoptions. But it was worth it to have the security that provides.
Gay couples request marriage licenses in Richmond, VA
Each Valentine's Day for the past several years, gay couples have gone to the court clerk to request permission to marry, knowing that they'd likely be turned away. Virginia law does not allow same-sex couples to obtain marriage licenses.
Happy Valentine's Day. Now can I please marry my partner?
Ah yes, love is in the air. My sweetie and I will be going out to dinner tonight to celebrate this international day of love. We've been together for almost 10 years, through graduate school, career changes, unemployment and underemployment, no health insurance, home buying, surgery, family deaths and births. In other words, through sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy.
Gay couples keep hope for marriage someday
Today, for the third time in their seven years together, Yvonne Wilson and Rita Cisneros will mark Valentine's Day with a trip to the Dauphin County Courthouse to ask in vain for a marriage license. "My ultimate goal is to have the right to marry this woman I have pledged my love and committed my life to," Cisneros said. Wilson and Cisneros, of Harrisburg, are among gay couples around the country who are seeking licenses that they know will be denied as part of Freedom to Marry Week, organized 11 years ago by gay-rights advocates.
Love In The Air From Bondi to Bangkok to Beijing
Twenty gay and lesbian advocates in Beijing celebrated Valentine's Day by handing out roses to promote awareness about gay issues, including marriage equality.
Evan Wolfson on Freedom to Marry Week
Wolfson discusses how Freedom to Marry Week is meant to prompt conversations about the inequality and exclusion that exists across our country, conversations we need to have every day of the week, every week of the year, until we end marriage discrimination. He notes there are a record number of actions and events taking place across the country with great press coverage and blog commentary. Wolfson also discusses the history of the marriage movement and the drive this year for the next state to win the freedom to marry.
Lambda's 'Freedom to Marry' Draws 400
C.C. Carter, of the Center on Halsted, was the emcee and explained why she now had stakes in the fight for marriage equality.“I said ‘yes’ because I love her. I love her enough to want to include her in all the boring work that I do. (I want her to) listen to the speeches that I make and the unnoticed accomplishments that I’ve done and enjoy the limited success that I have. In essence, I want to weave her into the ordinary mundane details of my daily life."
Freedom to Marry
And so, it is ironic that the anniversary of our non-wedding is the same week as Freedom to Marry Week. Actually I don’t really know if it is ironic or appropriate or nothing at all or what. I do know that Mike and I still feel chagrined that our family is protected in ways that other families aren’t. Until they are, we will keep trying to make some change by voting for folks who can make a difference and supporting our gay friends and their families and making sure the issue doesn’t go away.
Reflections on an Anniversary
"We had gone to City Hall that Thursday, February 12, 2004 because my partner had the insight to figure that since the Mayor had said that he wanted to marry a same sex couple by the end of the week, it only made sense he would do it before the annual marriage equality demonstration that was scheduled for that day."
Here come the brides
"A couple who has been together for 30 years isn't given the same status as someone who has eloped in Vegas," said College sophomore Anna Aagenes, pointing out adoption and hospital visitation rights as examples of disparities in rights conferred to straight spouses and not to same-gender partners. Aagenes said she hopes Freedom to Marry Day will raise awareness and encourage discussion. "I've seen a lot of new faces coming up to sign the petition," she said, "and that's really promising."
Freedom to Marry Week
When it comes to my opinions on gowns, flowers, and lighting, I don't hesitate to share, I love to share! When it comes to my other leanings... well, I have always been told not to talk about sex, religion, or politics with strangers (or some of my relatives). This philosophy has served me well and kept me out of trouble for the most part. So even though I know that there are strangers reading this and maybe even some relatives, I'm going to go out on a limb and share a particular leaning that I feel very strongly about.
"Freedom to Marry Day" Inspires Us!
Evan Wolfson over at FreedomToMarry.org is celebrating "Freedom to Marry" day and inspiring the LGBT community across the globe while doing so. In a poignant essay on the role words play in our fight for equality, Wolfson points out just why we should stop using the terms "gay marriage" and "same-sex marriage". ACD's writers and editors are listening, and you should too!
Even-seeking Evan on status of Freedom's fight
Freedom to Marry's Evan Wolfson has written a thoughtful new piece on the battle for gay marriage marriage equality and the semantics behind it. Go have a read.
Today is Freedom to Marry Day – Just Don't Say "Gay Marriage"!
As Americans across the country celebrate Freedom to Marry Day today, seizing the opportunity to have conversations with family members, friends, and coworkers about the importance of ending same-sex couples' exclusion from marriage, hopefully they'll talk a lot about gay couples and why marriage matters – without saying “gay marriage” and “same-sex marriage.”
Freedom to Marry Week Is Here
The organization Freedom to Marry is celebrating the 11th annual Freedom to Marry Week from February 10-16.
Awareness week to break stereotypes
"We have worked with a lot of different organizations and through that we have gotten things like a panel on Tuesday talking about LGBTQ individuals who are of different races and religions," Sutton said. "We even have Wednesday set up to watch 'Dearly Beloved,' about the 2004 marriages in San Francisco since Feb. 14 is freedom to marry day."
Out4Immigration Supports National Freedom to Marry Week
The 11th annual Freedom to Marry Week (February 10-16) is here, and while some gay and lesbian Americans see this as a cause to celebrate how far the issue of marriage equality in the US has advanced, one sector of the community has good cause to say that domestic partnerships, civil unions and state marriage laws are not enough.
Freedom to Marry
Today began Freedom to Marry Week — an outgrowth of Freedom to Marry day (February 12). It may not be important to everyone, but to me and several of my Siblings of the Soul it’s an important time we come together to celebrate how far we’ve come instead of bemoaning how far there is yet to go.
TypePad Featured Blog: To Form A More Perfect Union
As Valentine’s Day nears and couples around the country celebrate love and romance, we’d like to salute Marriage Equality News, a blog designed to deliver “information, news, and discussion about the legal recognition of same-sex couples and their families.”
Film advocates for gay couples’ freedom to marry
Marriage is more than a collection of legal rights — it’s a proclamation to the community that two people love each other and are starting a family. Laura Saunders and Ozlem Camli of Wethersfield are fighting to make that proclamation. Like any other family they pay taxes, take the garbage out and take their children to school. The only difference is they are a same-gender couple. They refuse to have a civil union because they want to wait until marriage is legal nationwide. They’re featured in the documentary, “Marriage Makes a Word of Difference,” which will premiere Sunday at 6:30 p.m. at Central Connecticut State University’s at Founders Hall in the Davidson Building.
Freedom to Marry Week - Coming Soon!
For many more PFLAGers, you will be celebrating this week in your local community. Please talk about the importance of this week with your newspapers, in your speaking engagements, etc. Tell your loved ones how you plan to take part in the week. Plan an event for your chapter and open it up to the community. Be vocal about the hope and excitement that Freedom to Marry Week holds for GLBT people across the country.
BLOG: Home
A non-gay ally comments on upcoming Freedom to Marry Week and why people should support the week and the freedom to marry: "A few weeks back, I received an e-mail from an organization I support — Freedom to Marry, which promotes equal marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples — asking this question: What would I be doing to mark the 11th Annual Freedom to Marry Week, Feb. 10-16, 2008?... Gay or straight, everybody ought to be able to play by the same rules, have the same legal protections and be required to live up to the same obligations. That's what that whole "equality" thing is all about."
Blogging for Freedom to Marry Week
Freedom to Marry loves our blogger pals
Daily blog posting for Freedom to Marry Week on marriage equality and encouraging friends and readers to do the same.
[TOP]
Why Marriage Matters America, Equality, and Gay People's Right to Marry.
By Evan Wolfson
Read reviews! Purchase the book or receive a signed copy as a thank you for your donation!
Read families’ stories about how marriage discrimination affects everyday life. These stories communicate, in concrete ways, how the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage hurts families and helps no one.
Start in The Marriage Basics to get short answers to your big questions about the freedom to marry, and learn more about the protections and responsibilities of marriage, the historical background for this civil rights movement, why separate is not equal, and so much more.
