A Major Milestone? DOMA Repeal Advances in Senate | News | The Advocate

I don't like to 'copy and paste', but this information needs to be disttributed as quickly as possible, so here it is from the ADVOCATE.COM:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to move forward a bill that would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.

The Senate Judiciary Committee's Nov. 10 meeting

The committee voted 10-8 along party lines in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act. Its prospects on the Senate floor remain unknown, however. Introduced in the Senate in March by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the bill currently has 30 cosponsors.

In opening remarks, Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said that as a result of DOMA, "thousands of American families are now being treated unfairly by the federal government. They are shunted aside — singled out from all other marriages recognized by the states."

But Republican senators including Ranking Member Chuck Grassley of Iowa criticized the intent of the legislation. Grassley used common arguments against marriage rights for same-sex couples including concerns about child welfare — rhetoric discordant with the body of social science research.

As expected, there was no GOP support for the bill among committee members. Grassley said it was unlikely that the full senate has sufficient time to vote on the bill and doubted adequate support for the bill exists. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) concurred, and asserted in remarks that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has no intention of bringing the legislation to the floor in the current session.

Click on the header for the full story...

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New Hampshire House Panel to Vote on Gay Marriage Repeal | New Hampshire | The Advocate

As we reported earlier, the Republican controlled New Hampshire House is attempting to repeal the laws that made NH the 5th state to allow same-sex marriage in 2010. On Cotober 25th the New Hampshire House Judiciary Committee voted 11-6 along party lines today to send a bill restoring the definition of “marriage” as the union of one man and one woman to the full House after Christmas.

The bill — HB 437, sponsored by Rep. David Bates — would also expand the state’s civil-union law to any two unmarried adults, even if they’re related.

“If we’re going to create a legal status for individuals with rights and responsibilities for the special relationship they have, there’s no good reason to make that exclusive to homosexuals,” Bates countered. “We’ve heard for years how it’s none of the state’s business what people do in their own homes and how we have to get the government out of people’s bedrooms. That’s exactly what this legislation does. We created a civil- union status where there does not need to be any expectation of a sexual relationship. It’s more similar to a limited-liability corporation, where people enter into partnerships for a variety of relationships all the time. This bill doesn’t encourage incest any more than an LLC law.”

Hopefully the governor will remember his veto power when it comes across his desk for certain signature.

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New Hampshire GOP to try and Repeal 2009 Same-sex Marriage Bill

This coming Tuesday the NH House Judiciary Committee will vote on a bill sponsored by Rep. David Bates, a Republican from Rockingham, that would essentially not only repeal the 2009 bill making NH the 5th state to allow same-sex marriage, but might even send civil unions back into the closet.

The 2009 bill was passed by a predominately Democratic Legislature and Governor, and a current poll by the WMUR Granite State poll from the University of New Hampshire Survey Center found that only 27 percent of 500 randomly selected adults reached by telephone support repealing the law, while 50 percent are strongly opposed to repeal.

NH Governor John Lynch has indicated already that if this repeal bill passes he will veto it.

What's amazing, even in a conservative state such as New Hampshire, is that politicians are more concerned about who's getting married than jobs, the economy, and our high poverty rate. Or...then again, maybe the Republican controlled state isn't all that concerned about those things. I think the people know what's more important with the current unemployment rate at 5.4% (October 2011) and 7.6% living under the National Poverty Rate.

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Vote on a Bill Repealing DOMA

The Senate Judiciary Committee next month will hold a mark-up and vote on a bill repealing the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman, committee chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said Friday.

His announcement sets up a collision course for the Senate and House over the issue of gay marriage. House Republicans this month tripled to $1.5 million the amount they’re authorized to spend on legal fees to defend the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, a response to President Barack Obama’s decision to stop fighting lawsuits seeking to end it.

“The march for equality continues, and now is the time to ensure equality for gay and lesbian Americans who are lawfully married,” said Leahy, one of 29 co-sponsors of the Respect for Marriage Act. The bill “would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which prevents thousands of American families from being protected by laws that help secure other American families. This is part of the nation’s continuing fight for civil rights for all Americans.”

The Judiciary Committee held the first congressional hearing on efforts to repeal DOMA, shortly after Obama announced his support for the Respect for Marriage Act. The legislation, authored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), is expected to be approved by the committee given that all 10 Democratic members are backing it.

Senate Judiciary Committee set to repeal DOMA

 The Senate Judiciary Committee next month will hold a mark-up and vote on a bill repealing the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman, committee chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said Friday.

His announcement sets up a collision course for the Senate and House over the issue of gay marriage. House Republicans this month tripled to $1.5 million the amount they’re authorized to spend on legal fees to defend the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, a response to President Barack Obama’s decision to stop fighting lawsuits seeking to end it.

“The march for equality continues, and now is the time to ensure equality for gay and lesbian Americans who are lawfully married,” said Leahy, one of 29 co-sponsors of the Respect for Marriage Act. The bill “would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which prevents thousands of American families from being protected by laws that help secure other American families. This is part of the nation’s continuing fight for civil rights for all Americans.”

The Judiciary Committee held the first congressional hearing on efforts to repeal DOMA, shortly after Obama announced his support for the Respect for Marriage Act. The legislation, authored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), is expected to be approved by the committee given that all 10 Democratic members are backing it.

US House group files motion in gay marriage suit - KiiiTV3.com South Texas, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend

Posted: Oct 15, 2011 4:56 PM EDT  
Updated: Oct 15, 2011 7:26 PM EDT  
By SUDHIN THANAWALA
Associated Press 

It's getting confusing when it comes to whether the White House is defending or supporting DOMA. This is the case they apparently have based the order not to defend DOMA on, yet it seems to be being enforced in many circumstances. Hopefully this case will produce some sort of direction when it comes to DOMA and lead to its repeal, allowing those who have married (same-sex) to be recognized in every state.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Gays and lesbians are not entitled to the same heightened legal protection and scrutiny against discrimination as racial minorities and women in part because they are far from politically powerless and have ample ability to influence lawmakers, lawyers for a U.S. House of Representatives group said in a federal court filing.

The filing Friday in San Francisco's U.S. District Court comes in a lesbian federal employee's lawsuit that claims the government wrongly denied health insurance coverage to her same-sex spouse. Karen Golinski says the law under which her spouse was denied benefits - the Defense of Marriage Act - violates the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equal protection.

Golinski's case has received support from the Obama administration. In a brief filed in July that urged the court to find DOMA unconstitutional, the administration argued that it reflected Congressional hostility to gays and targeted an immutable characteristic - sexual orientation - that has nothing to do with someone's ability to contribute to society.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press

SPLC's Christine Sun Wants You to Tell All the Public Figures You Know About This Weekend's Hate Fest: VIDEO

I normally wouldn't copy an article and then refer to it just to save work. However, this is an important date, time and place that must be send out concerning the gathering of the gay-hate groups that are meeting this week to spew more hatred and misinormation about the LGBTQ community.


SPLC's Christine Sun Wants You to Tell All the Public Figures You Know About This Weekend's Hate Fest: VIDEO. Listen to her message, AFTER THE JUMP...



The Values Voter Summit is this weekend, and attorney Christine Sun of the hate watchdog Southern Poverty Law Center wants you to be aware of the hate that's about to be spewed. Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, and Rick Santorum are all scheduled to speak, along with John Boehner, Eric Cantor, Ann Marie Buerkle, Ted Cruz, Ken Cuccinelli, Vicky Hartzler, Bobby Jindal, Jim Jordan, Steve King, Mike Pompeo, Gen. William Boykin, former Commander of Delta Force, and Gen. Benjamin Mixon, former Commander, Multi-National Division, Iraq. Also speaking are Glenn Beck, Lou Dobbs, Laura Ingraham, Gary Bauer, Bill Bennett, Tony Perkins, Phyllis Schlafly. The list goes on.

Daily Kos: House Republicans ignore jobs bill while tripling funding for defense of anti-gay legislation

Once again the House Republicans are showing their true colors. They have voted to increase their legal defense of DOMA by one (1) million dollars to a firm of attorneys (probably friends) and refuse to discuss the creation of jobs in America. This is out and out war on the LGBTQ community, an outright illogical move, and shows the true side of what the GOP is all about. Misdirection, lies, ignorance, and lack of care about the 98% of Americans that need help the most.

Apparently they don't read the media they so love to control that is saying that America is in trouble economically and every other way. They would rather divert money to fighting a dead battle and their rich cronies while demanding cuts from social services to the needy to pay for it.

Once again I say to the people, WAKE UP! If you don't get involved soon the rights you think you have will not exist any longer and we will be ruled by a small group of people who will command when you live and when you die!

Signorile Demolishes Sponsor of NC SuperDOMA Amendment :: EDGE Dallas

James Forrrester (R) NC

Popular radio host Michelangelo Signorile’s of Sirius XM radio recently hosted North Carolina's (R) Senator James Forrester, sponsor of the recent ballot initiative to legislate away any equality for gay rights, including civil partnerships and same-sex marriage. In the interview Senator Forrester repeatedly attempted to back up his baseless reasons for the bill. Primarily, that gay people die 20 years younger than heterosexual people. Unfortunately for him, Michelangelo knew more about the facts than Forrester did and clearly debunked every single argument that Forrester based his bill upon, including the fact that there was a higher incidence of AIDS among heterosexuals than homosexuals worldwide.


Faced with the "real" facts, Forrester attempted to pull the usual GOP avoidance of answering questions and repeatedly cited baseless studies supposedly backed by scientific fact. Once again the radio host, armed with the actual facts and statistics, quickly threw out Forrester's false claims and replaced them with real data gleaned from the NIH and other national, factual based organizations.

"He eventually credited a Christian activist named Frank Turek (who is associated with Maggie Gallagher and the National Organization for Marriage) as his source of this bogus public health information," Signorile wrote.

When it was all said and done the radio host had clearly thrown out every single argument Forrester based his legislation on with real information, and thoroughly discredited Forrester and his position on gay rights. Forrester was left with no response (except to not answer the question) when Signorile noted that America is in the grip of an obesity epidemic that threatens life spans of heterosexual Americans. "Should laws be put up against [obese people] because they are dying earlier?" Signorile asked.

"They are certainly dying at earlier ages because they eat too much." Forrester then changed his tack, telling Signorile that he had not sponsored the bill due to mortality rates associated with AIDS, but rather, "to preserve marriage between a man and a woman."

Signorile wondered why, in that case, Forrester’s argument in the town hall address made a point to mention diseases and life spans of gays. Signorile then played an audio clip in which Forrester accused gays of "practic[ing] an unhealthy lifestyle."

Forrester then told Signorile that he was "too biased" in his viewpoint (the approved Republican response to questions that make them squirm.)

Apparently the GOP (a.k.a. Koch-backed) machine of dis-information continues to roll down the halls of America spewing its endless amount of wrong, mis-leading information. However, it has become more clear that their facts are baseless and easily debunked by real studies and statistics, hopefully making people more aware of the real agenda of the GOP. equality for heterosexual, rich Americans. To hell with everyone else!

Pentagon Will Certify DADT Repeal Wednesday, DOMA Continues Screwing Over Gay Soldiers Indefinitely

from: gayagenda.com

Wednesday signifies the end of DADT in the armed forces of the US. It will allow LGBT soldiers to finally serve openly in the armed forces with their comrades. As predicted by supporters, the pentagon has noted that there seem to be no changes in the general moral of servicemen.

HOWEVER, with DOMA still in effect the positive change in the elimination of DADT is negated by the severe restrictions enforced by DOMA. As we reported last week in this blog,  out soldiers are still denied the benefits of same-sex marriage while enlisted. THis means that partners cannot receive military benefits, cannot be told where their partner is or, if they are killed in action, cannot be told anything. DOMA ensures that hate and bigotry fostered by the anti-gay GOP agenda will continue to restrict young men from enlisting in the service.

Bottom line is that in all reality, NOTHING HAS CHANGED for the gay soldier other than that they can now be killed in action, out, alone, and hated!

Record Number of House Cosponsors for DOMA Repeal Bill

[NY D-Rep. Nadler]

A House bill to repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act has now attracted 122 cosponsors—two more than the total number of sponsors from the previous congressional term, when the legislation was first introduced.

“The coalition working for LGBT rights in the congress and the nation as a whole is larger than ever before, and we gain new allies every day. And, just this year, New York State enacted marriage equality, hammering one more nail into the coffin of bigotry and discrimination against gays and lesbians. Dumping DOMA is simply not a question of if but when,” Nadler said.

D-Maryland senator Barbara Mikulski has said that she would sign onto the bill after the LGBT groups Freedom to Marry, Courage Campaign, and Equality Maryland delivered 3,000 constituent signatures in favor of the legislation to the Democratic senator’s district office in Baltimore.

It's nice to know that some Senators are listening to their constituents instead of pocketing lobbyist and special interest money for voting against the people who put them in office. As one comment noted, it's time for LGBTQ adults to take action and become involved in the movement in this country to gain equality and equal rights for our community. Too many are quick to comment but not follow with action. Get involved with your time, financially support gay equality groups that are effectively fighting for rights on our behalf, blog, spread the word however you can.

As several other comments noted, there is no outspoken, up-front leader in this country taking charge of this movement for equality like Gov. Cuomo did in New York state. We need a leader to effectively excite and gather the groups and people together into one, single agenda-EQUAL RIGHTS for LGBTQ people!

DOMA Trumps DATA: Don't rush to sign up yet!

According to an Associated Press story, when DADT is repealed, gay servicemembers will still be treated like second-class citizens.

Somehow I think that this was known all along and is the reason that repealing DADT by the oppressive right-wing has not been as big an issue as it would have been if these opposing restrictions were known.  It's easy to tell what the agenda is here.

Thanks to 1996′s Defense of Marriage Act—which defines the institution as a legal union between a man and woman—the Pentagon claims the Defense Department is prohibited from extending partner benefits that “ease the costs of medical care, travel, housing and other living expenses” to gay couples, even if they were legally wed in a state that honors same-sex marriages.

That means housing allowances and off-base living space for gay servicemembers with partners could be decided as if they were living alone. Base transfers would not take into account their spouses. If two gay servicemembers are married to each other they may be transferred to two different states or regions of the world. For heterosexual couples, the military tries to avoid that from happening. Same-sex partners cannot receive military IDs, so they can’t shop in commissaries, receive treatment at military medical facilities or even be allowed on base unescorted. They can be listed as the person to be notified if a soldier is missing, injured or killed, but cannot be told any details about the death. And if their partner is killed, the military won’t pay for them to go collect the body.

Should DOMA be repealed, the military’s policy regarding same-sex partner benefits could change. But for now I suggest any potential recruits think twice before signing up to (not) be all they can be.

Obama administration to deport gay spouse of AIDS patient | News Blog from 365gay.com

This is NOT RIGHT! This damn administration is so wishy-washy. First Obama says they won't defend the DOMA act, and yet they continue to enforce it. After being together for 19 years and then getting legally married this administration is going to deport this guy...unbelievable!

Minn. School District Takes It On All Sides | News | The Advocate

Minnesota, the home state of (R) Michelle Bachmann, is coming under heavy fire from all sides finally in the Anoka-Hennepin school district. This area, and particularly this school district, has the highest rate of teen suicide in the state. Bachmann, thus far, has not commented or faced the issue in an open forum, deciding instead to wait until the presidential debates where I'm sure she will hopefully be blasted for encouraging and defending legislation and policies that promote hate crimes and gender based violence.

Since mid-2009, six Anoka-Hennepin students have killed themselves. Some have said a lax policy toward antigay bullying is partly to blame. It was in 2009 that the district revised its longstanding policy that stated "homosexuality will not be discussed as a normal or valid lifestyle." The policy was revised to state that "staff in the course of their professional duties shall remain neutral on matters regarding sexual orientation."

It's time she and others of the Republican party who have recently signed onto the Defense of the DOMA Act realized that they are not going to get very far running against the wishes of a majority of the population regarding LGBTQ rights and fair and equal rights for  everyone.

The coalition of Republican candidates signing on with the National Organization for Marriage has just grown by one with the addition of Tim Pawlenty.

The former Minnesota governor had originally appeared to skip the anti–gay marriage pledge, with TheWall Street Journal  reporting that he preferred to use his own words rather than sign pledges. But if Pawlenty suddenly changed his mind after NOM singled him out for criticism, he's not copping to the flip-flop.

"They had a deadline that we couldn't meet because of the governor's travel schedule, so we told them that," a spokesman for Pawlenty told  Politico. "When the governor reviewed it, he wanted to sign it and we told the group that, even though their deadline had passed."

Pawlenty now joins Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum, and Mitt Romney in signing the pledge. The only gay candidate for the nomination, Fred Karger, said they've opted to associate the presidency with a shady group.

Judge Forces DOMA Defenders To Answer Two Very Easy Questions / Queerty

Seems that Senator Boehner was unable to justify his own ignorance and hate to a judge who asked just two simple questions concerning Boehner's defense of DOMA:

1. “What, if anything, do you contend are the compelling justifications for section 3 of DOMA?”
2. “What, if anything, do you assert are the legitimate government interests rationally advanced by section 3 of DOMA?”

Seems that Boehner stammered and stuttered, but couldn't answer the questions. This is the part where we get to say "I told you so!" This guy's only agenda is to further his and his cronies' political and personal agendas of hate and bigotry while padding their pockets with the money they've taken from the poor.

Wake up Americans..."we told you so!"