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Religion | Politics

Obama, McCain and Gay Marriage

Presidential contenders Barack Obama and John McCain appeared Saturday on the same stage for the first time in months, although they overlapped only briefly. In a forum moderated by Pastor Rick Warren in Lake Forest, Calif, the two men shared their views on a range of moral, foreign and domestic issues as they near their respective nominating conventions. Both men said marriage is a union between a man and a woman. Obama added that he supports civil unions for gay partners, which would give them rights such as hospital visits with one another. He said he opposed a constitutional ban on gay marriage, calling the matter a state issue. McCain's answer was less clear. If a federal court ordered his state, Arizona, to honor gay marriages allowed in Massachusetts, he said, "then I would favor a constitutional amendment. Until then, I believe the states should make the decisions within their own states." Read the full Associated Press report.

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Gay Marriage | Religion | Politics

TV | People

Ellen and Portia tied the knot

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi tied the knot

"Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi were married tonight in an intimate ceremony at their home in Los Angeles," their spokesperson tells PEOPLE exclusively. The intimate ceremony was attended by 19 guests, including DeGeneres's mom Betty and de Rossi's mother Margaret Rogers (who flew in from Australia for the occasion), who witnessed the couple exchange handwritten vows. The couple have been dating since December 2004. Ellen DeGeneres, 50, announced her plans to wed Portia de Rossi, 35, when the state of California ruled in favor of gay marriage in May 2008.

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Gay Marriage | Ellen DeGeneres | TV | People

Religion

Gay couples reflect the love of God

Archbishop of Canterbury compares gay relationships to marriage. In private correspondence, seen by the Daily Telegraph, Dr Rowan Williams, leader of the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion refutes the Church's traditional teaching that homosexuality is sinful. Furthermore, he expresses his hope that the Church will change its position to be more accepting of gay partnerships. His comments – made in a letter written shortly before he became Archbishop of Canterbury – will infuriate the conservatives who boycotted the recent Lambeth Conference in protest at the presence of liberals who elected Anglicanism's first openly gay bishop. Leading evangelicals have claimed that he is in an "untenable position". "The Bible does not address the matter of appropriate behaviour for those who are, for whatever reason, homosexual by instinct or nature," Dr Williams writes. "By the end of the 80s I had definitely come to the conclusion that scripture was not dealing with the predicament of persons whom we should recognise as homosexual by nature. I concluded that an active sexual relationship between two people of the same sex might therefore reflect the love of God in a way comparable to marriage, if and only if it had the about it the same character of absolute covenanted faithfulness." Read the full article here...

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Religion | Gay Marriage

Society | Politics

Massachusetts & out-of-state gay weddings

Massachusetts on Thursday opened the door for gay couples from across the country to marry in the northeastern state, reports AFP. Governor Deval Patrick (picture) signed a bill with immediate effect allowing homosexual non-residents to tie the knot there, circumventing bans in their own states. "Today, by repealing a nearly century old law, we affirm the right of same-sex couples from out-of-state to marry in Massachusetts, to enjoy all the protections of our good laws," Patrick said in comments provided by his press office. Massachusetts in 2004 became the first US state to allow gay marriage, followed by California this year. Non-residents can also marry in California. A spokeswoman for Patrick, the state's first black governor, said the now-repealed law against gays coming to marry in Massachusetts had originally been passed in 1913 to prevent inter-racial marriages. Thousands of same-sex marriages have taken place since the ban within the state was lifted.

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Gay Marriage | Society | Politics

Sports | Politics

Matthew Mitcham, the SX interview

In August, diver Matthew Mitcham will become the first openly-gay Australian to compete in an Olympic Games. A casual remark to a journalist during an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald led to a flurry of international publicity (see previous post). Speaking to Australian gay magazine SX during a break from training at the Sydney Aquatic Centre in Homebush, Matthew Mitcham is nonplussed by all the fuss. "It’s not really a big deal," he says. "It’s not like I’m a different person. It’s not like I was straight before. So nothing really has changed." In fact, Mitcham doesn’t even agree that he "came out" last month. "I came out years ago. All that happened recently was that I was doing an interview with the Herald and there was a pretty innocuous question, 'Who do I live with?' and I just said 'my partner Lachlan'. Mitcham is aware that other people do see it as "a big deal" and he’s happy to wear the mantle of "role model" for young gay guys.

When asked for his view on same-sex marriage, he has no compunction slamming Prime Minister Kevin Rudd: "I’m not happy with Kevin Rudd," he says, bluntly. "Kevin Rudd’s opinion of marriage as something that’s only between a man and a woman is quite narrow-minded. During the election campaign he was all about appearing young and cool, but his views on gay marriage make him look quite old-fashioned." But of course, gay politics is not Mitcham’s primary focus right now. "All my energy is focused on Beijing right now," says a tenacious Mitcham. "I’ve been diving since I was eleven, so it’s been nine years of work leading up to this." Read the full interview here.

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Gay Marriage | Sports | Politics

Politics

Obama supports Gay Marriage in California

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama is opposing a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in California, taking a liberal stand on an issue in the midst of a move to the center on others in recent weeks, reports the Washington Post. In a letter sent to the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club of San Francisco this week, the Illinois senator said "I oppose the divisive and discriminatory efforts to amend the California Constitution, and similar efforts to amend the U.S. Constitution or those of other states." Conservatives in the state are pushing a constitutional amendment following a California Supreme Court decision that overturned the state's ban on same-sex marriage. Presumptive GOP nominee John McCain backs the proposed amendment. Obama aides emphasized he has opposed similar state bans in the past. They said the Illinois senator does not support gay marriage, but believes that federal and state constitutional amendments banning gay marriage can also threaten rights that couples have under civil unions and domestic partnerships, which Obama supports. His position comes as a shift for Democrats, as 2004 presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry backed amendments to ban gay marriage in some of the states in which he campaigned.

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Gay Marriage | Politics

Politics

Europe still needs to fight homophobia

Equal protection by EU anti-discrimination law remains an ideal not a fact for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transsexuals living in many parts of the European Union . Greater legislative protection and wider support within the EU is required, reports the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA). The Agency identifies differences in treatment and protection by the law and a lack of full and equal enjoyment of rights in areas of EU competence, particularly with regard to same sex partnerships. As the European Union begins its debate on non-discrimination with the publication of a new Communication by the European Commission on 2 July, the FRA believes that the equal right to equal treatment should underpin the legislative direction. FRA’s legal analysis is the first of two reports related to homophobia and discrimination experienced by members of the LGBT community. The second report detailing the social aspects will be released later in the autumn. Read the report here.

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Gay Marriage | Politics

Politics

Obama's wife speaks to Gays

On Thursday evening, potential first lady Michelle Obama (picture) appeared in New York City to facilitate post-primary healing among members of the LGBT community and to appeal for their financial support. On the verge of the weekend’s massive Gay Pride celebrations, she was the keynote speaker at the annual gala for the Democratic National Committee’s Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council, the group that aims to advance LGBT priorities within the party. “Barack is not new to the cause of the LGBT community,” Obama said. “It has been a conviction of his career since he was first elected to public office.” “Barack has made crystal clear his commitment to ensuring full equality for LGBT couples,” she said. “That’s why he supports robust civil unions. That is why he has said that the federal government should not stand in the way of the states that want to decide for themselves how best to pursue equality for gay and lesbian couples, whether that means domestic partnerships, civil unions or civil marriage.” She noted his opposition to the November ballot initiative in California that would overturn the recent court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage in the state, reports the Village Voice.

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Gay Marriage | Politics

TV | Religion | Politics | Fun

Jon Stewart on Gay Marriage in California

Following the first gay marriages in california, Jon Stewart made his comments on Comedy Central's The daily Show. The first gay marriage takes place thanks to a recent ruling from the state Supreme Court, and yet the state of California continues to... exist, starts Jon Stewart. Watch a video...

Society | Politics | Events

California's first Gay Marriages

California officials began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples Monday evening after a state Supreme Court ruling legalizing the ceremonies took effect. The May 15 ruling took effect at 5:01 p.m. (8:01 p.m. ET) Monday. Gay and lesbian couples had lined up for hours outside county clerk's offices in anticipation of the decision coming into force. Lesbian rights activists Del Martin, 87, and Phyllis Lyon, 84, were the first same-sex couple to receive a marriage license in San Francisco on Monday June 16th, with Mayor Gavin Newsom presiding over their wedding ceremony (picture). "This is an extraordinary moment in history," Newsom told a cheering, standing-room-only crowd at City Hall. "I think today, marriage as an institution has been strengthened." Watch an AP video...