A couple Amendments to watch out for folks….

In California, they are putting Proposition 8 on the November ballot.  We had talked about this before but let’s bring it up again.  This is a proposed consititutional amendment that would ELIMINATE THE RIGHT OF SAME-SEX COUPLES TO MARRY!  The Attorney General, Jerry Brown, just recently changed the wording to say that.   But be on your toes for ANY and ALL types of wording that may come up.  The wording is what usually screws people up when they are going to vote because sometimes it’s hard to decipher.  So be prepared ahead of time and try to find out what the wording is so you know which way to vote.

In Florida, Amendment 2 will appear on the November ballot.  This is a constitutional amendement which would ban marriage for gay and lesbian couples but it would also ban civil unions and domestic partnerships in the state.  Thankfully, U.S. Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, has pledged to fight this proposed constitutional amendment but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get out there and vote and let your voices be heard!   Again, be careful with the wordings of these amendments, sometimes they are hard to decipher and you may not know which way you are suppose to vote if you don’t understand how it’s worded.  Try to get the wording to the amendment prior to voting.

Does anyone else know of any amendments folks should be on the look out for?

Gay Marriage Good for America?

I was just reading this post called Gay Marriage Is Good For America by Jonathan Rauch and I have to say I was rather impressed with how he explained certain things.  And how he asked heterosexual folks to go back through their life and to imagine that they never, ever had any hope of marriage.  He makes an awesome, awesome point with that but he and I know that…….

The truth of the matter is it IS hard for someone (i.e. heterosexuals) who have never had to question not being able to marry one day in their lives to now think about not being able to marry.  Right?  I mean how can you possibly be able to understand ones right to want to marry so badly when you’ve never ever had to question your right to marry…..EVER.   I mean you are born, you’re a kid and dream of that wedding day with the white dress and black tux and throwing rice, you become a teenager and adult and date and voila YOU GET MARRIED!  That’s just the way it is for heterosexual folks…you never think “oh my…I met the girl (or boy) of my dreams and I am not allowed to marry them.  What are we gonna do?”  That thought doesn’t run through your mind because it doesn’t have to…you could have met yesterday and you can STILL get married (although that’d be pretty dumb, but hey you are still allowed to lol)

So, when that is your life I can understand sometimes how it’s hard to not think about gay and lesbian Americans and their fight to get married because well quite frankly, it doesn’t affect you, does it?  Nope.  Because you are still allowed to marry whether gays and lesbians are or not, right?  Right.  BUT since you know that you’ve never, ever had to worry one second about your ability to marry in your life, from the time you were a little child and dreaming about your wedding day to the time you were a young adult and realized that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with the person you were dating, well maybe, just maybe you can take THAT feeling and try to understand that we, as Gay and Lesbian Americans, are fighting every single day just for that!  Imagine that gets taken away from you and you can’t rely on the fact that regardless of anything you will marry the person you want to spend the rest of your life with………don’t say you can, imagine you CAN’T as Jonathan Rauch asked you to do!  That is what gay and lesbian Americans struggle with every single day.

The bottom line is that we love and feel and live just like every heterosexual couple does.  We are no different.  The only thing that makes us different is who we love, but that in itself should be irrelevant because we ALL (straight or gay) love different people and it doesn’t matter if the person is irish, asian, brunette, blonde or heck even an alien darn it!  We each love different people.

Since gays and lesbians NOT being able to marry didn’t affect your ability to marry nor your thought process and dreams of marriage….guess what?   Gays and lesbians being ABLE to marry won’t affect your ability to marry nor your thought process and dreams of marriage either.   It will just make the world a place filled with MORE LOVE and that is never a bad thing, is it?<br>

Perhaps soon out of state residents can marry in Massachusetts?

I just read that the Massachusetts state legislature is about to strike up a bill that will repeal a law from 1913 that prevents non-resident same sex couples from marrying in the state.  It most likely will happen before the close of the legislative session at the end of July.

Massachusetts Governor DeVal Patrick said he has long supported repealing this law and looks forward to signing the new legislation should it reach his desk.  Governor Patrick has a daughter who happens to be a lesbian  

California High Court says Same-Sex Couples can Marry!

You read that right. California’s Supreme Court ruled today that it is UNCONSTITUTIONAL to deny same-sex couples the right to marry.

But listen….California residents who are GLBT and also California residents who are friends or family members of the California GLBT community….there are those major opponents who are attempting to get an amendment going by November that will BAN SAME-SEX MARRIAGE.

Sooooo, be happy and proud and breathe a quick sigh of relief in regards to the ruling today but then GET BACK TO BUSY and to what you know you and your family and friends need to do to keep protecting your rights as GLBT individuals.

For more information in regards to what is going on in your state and how you can keep up to date with this potential amendment and other issues….check out this link.

Take Action Pennsylvania!

Equality Advocates Pennsylvania had sent me the following email. I’m asking everyone in PA to read it and to try to head out there if they can and to meet with your senators.

Here is the email word for word:

“Dear Carey,

Equality Advocates Pennsylvania is working hard to defeat SB 1250, the “Marriage Protection Amendment” (the Constitutional Amendment that would ban marriage for same-sex couples, civil unions and potentially more). We are coordinating a number of activities in the state and we need as many people as possible to attend and show their opposition to this legislation that could harm so many families.

April 29: Appropriations Committee Hearing, Harrisburg – Capitol Building, Room 8E-A, East Wing, 9:00 AM

It is critical that as many people as possible who oppose Senate Bill 1250 attend the hearing. The hearing is being held to discuss the potential impact of the legislation.

There was a great turnout at the Judiciary Committee Hearing in Pittsburgh last week and we need to do it again. Supporters of the bill packed the first hearing in Harrisburg and bused people in from across the state. We need our people to arrive at the hearing early and bring as many people as they can with them. We really must have a sizable presence at this hearing and demonstrate to these Senators that Pennsylvanians do not support putting discrimination in our state’s Constitution. Testimony is limited to five issue experts on each side.

There will be lapel stickers at the hearing. Please wear one to show you oppose the marriage amendment.

Visit your state Senator and Representative after the hearing and tell them you oppose the legislation. To find out the name of your state legislators, visit our Legislator Locater.

May 5: Rally for All Families, Harrisburg – Capitol Building, Rotunda 1:00

Join Equality Advocates Pennsylvania, the Value All Families Coalition and the Faith Coalition for Pennsylvania Families at a rally against the anti-family constitutional Amendment. Last session, we held the largest LGBT rally at the Capitol with more than 400 people in attendance. Our goal this year is to have more than 500 Pennsylvanians attend. Legislators and organizations opposing SB 1250 will speak against the legislation and the media will be invited to cover the rally.

All attendees are encouraged to visit their legislators that day. There will be a training session at 11:00 AM to discuss the legislation and visiting your elected officials. The training location will be announced soon — please visit our website for an update on the location.

There may be buses or vans from different areas of the state leaving that morning and due to arrive in Harrisburg in time for the training. More information will be on our website as this develops. If you have any questions about transportation, email Equality Advocates at info@equalitypa.org.

If you have any questions about the hearing, Rally for All Families or SB 1250 moving forward, contact me at ssobel@equalitypa.org or at (215) 731-1447 ext 11. Thank you.”

****It’s me again……I’m going to do my best to head out there on the 29th, even though I have a lot going on in my life. Why do you ask will I take time out of my schedule to go there even though I have so much going on? The answer is quite simple people….OUR FUTURES depend on it. We all MUST take action. Sitting back and complaining will NOT get anything accomplished. Let’s all take some action and SPEAK UP.

Gay Marriage support coming from Former Iowa Lt. Governors

2 former Lt. Governors from Iowa, one a republican and one a democrat, submitted a brief to the Supreme Court stating that the court and not the legislature or voters should decide if same-sex marriage is constituional or not.

Read the rest of the story here.