Get Off Your Barstool

Candles Across Our Commonwealth

The Kentucky Fairness Alliance

A Stonewall Candlelight Vigil
“Candles Across Our Commonwealth”

Sunday June 28th · 8:00pm-9:00pm
Dr Martin Luther King Jr Park
corner of 6th St and Chestnut St, in the shadow of the Mazzoli Federal Building
Join as cities across the Commonwealth, mark
the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.
On this night we will honor the historical struggles which have brought us
to where we are today and the struggles ahead as we begin to address many
issues in our immediate future

· Fairness ordinances across the Commonwealth
· Statewide Fairness law
· Repeal of the Defense of Marriage act
· Passing of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act
· Repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
· …and so much more

 

One More

New Hampshire joins Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, and Maine as states where same sex marriage is legal. I’m glad that bigotry has been struck down in one more state — at least legalized bigotry. It’s still there in the hearts and minds of  some citizens.

What troubles me though is that these marriages aren’t recognized by the federal government. The legally married are forced to file their taxes as singles. Move to a state like Kentucky, and your marriage isn’t recognized at all. I’m also fairly sure that it doesn’t entitle you to the social security benefits under your spouse. To be honest, I’m not at all sure what other rights are at the federal level, but I do know that piece mealing marriage state by state isn’t the answer.

We need a sweeping, landmark decision by the federal government — as has been done with other civil rights legislation. We need the president and congress to stand not only on the side of love but on the side of righteousness. We need the branches executive, legislative, and judicial to speak with one, strong, clear voice, that hatred and discrimination are wrong and will not be tolerated in or by the United States. If we are to be that City on the Hill, then we cannot — must not — hold any of our citizenry in bondage.

To be truly free we must unfetter the shackles from all our neighbors. We must make our voices heard and speak for what will make us Righteous Among Nations.

So on this day, I am happy for my brothers and sisters in New Hampshire. I dance in spirit at all their weddings. But I call for the greater good. I call for true equality. I call for federal recognition of same sex marriage in these United States.

Straight

 

Many thanks to Randal.

Married in Iowa!

In Iowa a judge has overturned the ban on same sex marriage as unconstitutional. In the middle of America, same sex couples have earned the right to get married and enjoy the same civil rights as everyone else. While it’s a fantastic day when marriage equality is declared anywhere, I can hardly wait until there’s no longer a question. According to MSNBC.com “Friday morning, the Rev. Mark Stringer declared the two [Sean Fritz and Tim McQuillan] legally married in a wedding on Unitarian minister’s front lawn in Des Moines.”

I want — no I demand — the federal, state, and local laws recognize and protect the sanctity of my marrige — beginning with the wedding in a big church with lots of ushers in tail coats, reports and photographers, but as always I digress.

In Iowa it may be short lived depending on the rulings by the Iowa State Supreme Court. But even if it was just a few couples, for one fine day, marriage was equal in the Heartland.

Married in Canada

It’s always a good time to promote civil marriage as a civil right.

To Love and Honour Yes, but Not Obey

It’s that time of year when I, again, try to convert the converted and preach to the choir about marriage equality.  Do your part, speak up. Speak out. Let your voice be heard proclaiming that until all people have equal marriage rights  under the law all marriages are in jeopardy and suspect.

I’m glad to have a President who supports LGBT rights, but I’m hurt that he doesn’t support same sex marriage. At one point, as I overcame my Marxist views on marriage, I thought that civil unions were okay as long as they granted the same rights. Then I recalled Brown v Board of Education, and I realized that separate but equal is still a means to discriminate. Someone else’s relationship would be considered better than mine, and that, my friend, is unacceptable. So, while President Obama has my support, I see a lot of room for improvement.

We’ve come a long way since Harvey Milk first ran for office in San Fransisco, but we’ve got a long, long way to go. We need our allies, our our sibling queers, and yes maybe even a few neo-cons (who understand fairness) to stand up for Fairness, Civil Liberty, and Equality. After all, you can’t hold anyone in a ditch without getting muddy yourself.

Civil Marriage is a Civil Right

Freedom to Marry Day is February 12, 2009.

Were the World Mine

I found this trailer at Queer Beacon.

Freedom to Marry

 

Today began Freedom to Marry Week (http://www.freedomtomarry.org/) — 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. Yes, heterosexual couples are still allowed to get married in Las Vegas on a drunken whim and have it annulled three days later as, well, a drunken whim. We children of a less god, to borrow a phrase, are left “living in sin” in most parts of the country.

Both my religious and spiritual traditions will allow same sex marriage; I assume that the church to which I belong would have someone perform a same sex marriage ceremony as we have a banner about civil marriage on the front of the building. But it’s not the same. There 1100 rights and responsibilities given to the legally married that wouldn’t be given to us. My husband wouldn’t automatically be given say in my care, treatment, or burial method. I would not share in his Social Security benefits — at all. I work for a company that offers same sex domestic partner benefits, so he could sign up — but those benefits would be subject to taxes because he’s not legally my spouse, and he’s not entitled to use funds from my Health Savings Account. These are both IRS stipulations not from my employer. And should the Lily Prince be a military man, we can live in total secret, break it off, or he can leave the service — not winning choices in the least.

But we have come further than we were ten years ago. Marriage is recognized in Massachusetts. An appellate court in New York ruled that “valid out-of-state marriages of same-sex couples must be legally recognized in New York.” In New Jersey registered same sex partners are eligible for same sex domestic partner benefits regardless of where the employer is domiciled. Al Gore has championed the freedom to marry cause — gotta love liberal Southerners. These are all major wins.

I’m not some wide eyed, ingénue, Pollyanna by any means. We have far to go. If we never try, we’ll never get there. You know the platitudes about single steps and winning races. If we sit back bemoaning what we don’t have, we’ll only get more of the same. By celebrating our success, we energize ourselves to continue the push for equality — if not for ourselves, then for the generation coming after us. It’s important to be who we are, celebrate what we are, and work for equality for everyone. Civil Rights are to protect everyone, exclude no one, and ensure that if you’re sitting in the back of the bus, you chose that seat of your own accord.

Peace,