Tag Archives: marriage equality

EXCLUSIVE! Lisa Vanderpump Marries Gay Couple – See The Vander-perfect Pics!

Posted on by Jonathan
Mar 17

EXCLUSIVE! Lisa Vanderpump Marries Gay Couple – See The Vander-perfect Pics!

Restaurateur, reality TV star, and… ordained minister?! Yup, Lisa Vanderpump officiated her first gay wedding, and only perezhilton.com has the Vander-perfect pics and wedding day details. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star wed Magno and Dominic Salva (above far left to right) on November 8 in the garden of her newest restaurant PUMP.

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Laws to Stop Marriage Equality Grow Increasingly Weird

Posted on by Jonathan

HufPost Gay Voices – Laws to Stop Marriage Equality Grow Increasingly Weird

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Texas is pushing a proposed law that would let the state overrule the Supreme Court. There’s just one problem: they can’t actually do that. Alabama judges have decided that they don’t have to obey federal courts either, except that in reality, they do. And Oklahoma politician wants to switch from marriage licenses to marriage certificates, which would accomplish … not very much.

Let’s start in Texas this week, where first time State Rep Molly White has introduced a bill that would require the state to ignore any Supreme Court ruling that legalized marriage.

 

Can she do that? Nope, that’s not how laws work. Or the Supreme Court. Or America in general. For better or for worse, Texas is still part of the United States, so Texas can’t just say “no thanks” when the Supreme Court tells them to do something. White’s only been in office for two months, so hopefully she’ll get the hang of it soon.Over in Alabama, the state Supreme Court is experiencing similar confusion. They’ve ordered probate judges to ignore the federal ruling that they have to issue marriage licenses. So now it’s state law versus federal law, and nobody knows who will win. Just kidding! Federal law will win. That’s the basis of our entire legal system.

Then there’s South Carolina, where a couple of politicians want to amend the US Constitution to ban marriage equality. This has no chance of happening. But State Senator Larry Grooms says that it’s necessary for “the propagation of our species.” Contrary to what Grooms seems to think, reproduction does not, in fact, originate in the U.S. Constitution.

And in Oklahoma, State Rep Todd Ross has solved the marriage debate with a new bill that stops the state from issuing marriage licenses, and instead requires marriage certificates. And this is different because… well, it’s actually pretty much the same, it’s just slightly less paperwork. So, okay.

Finally this week a new national survey shows support for marriage soaring to 59 percent, with just 33 percent opposed. This means that the freedom to marry is slightly more popular than the Pope.

Marriage Equality: Oklahoma Attempting To Take Government Out Of Marriage

Posted on by Jonathan

Oklahoma lawmakers says no to marriage license's
This spring, the Supreme Court will hear arguments on marriage equality, and 17 states have petitioned the lifting of the gay marriage ban, which the Inquisitr covered.

With the heated debate on marriage equality, Oklahoma is now attempting to take the federal government out of the institution of marriage altogether. On March 10, a bill was passed in the state of Oklahoma that would abolish marriage license’s altogether. Rep. Todd Russ, R-Cordell, who authored the legislation, removed all wording pertaining to marriage license of the books.

Marriage essentially is a contract that two parties enter in that are of consenting age, and with that comes certain benefits granted by federal law. The gay community in Oklahoma is not happy about this bill since they feel that they would then not be afforded the benefits of being married. This bill truly is seen by some people as real marriage equality.

The bill is in an attempt to protect the clerks of court who are caught in the middle of the federal government and the state. Last year, a federal appeals court struck down a marriage ban in the state that Russ and Governor Mary Falin believe overstepped their constitutional authority.

Russ does recognize that the bill is a way to counteract the constitutional overreach by handing the power back to the states. Russ states that the federal government does not have the power to “force its new definitions of what they believe on independent states.”

This bill takes the power of marriage and puts it into the hands of the clergy. If the clergy does not want to marry someone, they have the power to deny them a marriage license. Americans United, who oppose the bill, said that it discriminates against gay couples who are not religious. Russ states that is not so and that there are options.

“They don’t have a spiritual basis for a marriage and don’t want to have a clergy member or a priest or someone involved in the spiritual aspect,then they can file an affidavit of common-law marriage.”

There are some Democrat opponents to the bill that feel that this could open up a plethora of other issues. The Democrats feel that by taking government out of marriage and placing the responsibility of it in the hands of the clergy, this will allow polygamous marriages.

The LGBT community feels that this bill is discriminatory by protecting the clergy and not their rights. The other side of the coin is that this puts the power back into individual rights. Now the federal government cannot force people to marry someone who they do not want to. This does not just have to apply to the LGBT community, but also to those who do not practice certain religions, by making them marry those outside of their faith. To some people, this is the first real marriage equality bill.

Oklahoma Bill Would Give Clergy Power Over Marriage Licenses Religion News Service – Huffington Post

Posted on by Jonathan
12 Mar

Oklahoma Bill Would Give Clergy Power Over Marriage Licenses
Religion News Service | By Greg Horton
Posted: 03/12/2015 4:18 pm EDT Updated: 03/12/2015 4:59 pm EDT
OKLAHOMA CAPITOL

OKLAHOMA CITY (RNS) — In an effort to block the state’s involvement with gay marriage, the Oklahoma House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday (March 10) to abolish marriage licenses in the state.

The legislation, authored by Rep. Todd Russ, R-Cordell, amends language in the state law that governs the responsibilities of court clerks. All references to marriage licenses were removed.

Russ said the intent of the bill is to protect court clerks caught between the federal and state governments. A federal appeals court overturned Oklahoma’s ban on same-sex marriage last year. Russ, like many Republican legislators in the state, including Gov. Mary Fallin, believes the federal government overstepped its constitutional authority on this issue.

Acknowledging that his bill is partially in response to the federal court ruling, Russ told ABC News affiliate KSWO that the federal government lacks the power to “force its new definitions of what they believe on independent states.”

Russ said the federal government is attempting to change the traditional definition of marriage, so his legislation would place the Oklahoma State Capitol (Oklahoma City, Okalhoma)responsibility for officiating marriages in the hands of clergy.

“Marriage was historically a religious covenant first and a government-recognized contract second,” Russ told The Oklahoman.

The legislation has sparked controversy, both in the Legislature and with groups such as Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Oklahoma Democrats are concerned that the legislation will lead to a “Pandora’s box” of issues, including polygamy, once the government’s authority to regulate marriage is removed.

Americans United released a statement opposing the bill, saying it is biased against same-sex couples and nontheists, including atheists. Russ has been unapologetic in defending his exclusion of nontheists from the right to marry.

“They don’t have a spiritual basis for a marriage and don’t want to have a clergy member or a priest or someone involved in the spiritual aspect,” Russ told KSWO, “then they can file an affidavit of common-law marriage.”

The bill would require court clerks to issue certificates of marriage signed by ordained clergy or affidavits of common-law marriage.

The Senate has not yet voted on the measure. Nor has Gov. Fallin indicated what she will do if the bill passes the Senate.