Full Hawaiian Senate is Voting on Marriage Equality

From Joe.My.God: The Full Hawaiian Senate is discussing and voting on marriage equality. State #15 is coming into view in terms of marriage equality.

Planning on being in Hawaii in December-January, 2013-14.

Here's the link: http://www.joemygod.blogspot.com/2013/10/live-video-full-hawaiian-senate-to-vote.html

Pax!
Brett

NOM: You'd have to create this group if it didn't already exist

NOM: the National Organization for Marriage.

You'd have to create this group if it didn't already exist.

What they do for us in the pro-equality movement is simply remind us where we were and what we are not.  They are helpful.  They are the proverbial straw person that exists for us to NOT be like them.

Maggie Gallagher is now linking marriage equality to incestuous marriages!  The horrors!  And Maggie Gallagher is sure that the U.S. Supreme Court is going to force the states (all 50) to allow for marriage equality.  That would be refreshing but I doubt it is going to happen any time soon.

 Click here for me: http://www.goodasyou.org/good_as_you/2013/10/holy-crap-nom-attempts-to-link-same-sex-marriage-to-incestuous-marriage.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GoodAsYou+%28Good+As+You%29

Pax!

Brett

State Nuymber 14: NJ Welcomes and Invites Civilization Home

Marriage equality came to NJ today.

It is state number 14 (along with DC, that would be 15).

1/3 of the population allows marriage equality, with states like IL and HI coming soon to the table of equality.

I lived in NJ as a young boy, between 1959-1967, and then as a student at Princeton Seminary in 1980-83. It is wonderful to know that such progress was made today, even with a conservative medieval-like Governor.

Here's the link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/18/new-jersey-gay-weddings_n_4124145.html

Love you, NJ!

Pax,

Brett

The Video of Breaking the Law in Buncombe County, NC!

Here you go: the link.

Mr. Reisinger spells it out well: he swore to uphold the constitution of NC, but he also swore to uphold the constitution of the US, which treats LGBTQ couples as equals, unlike NC law/constitution. Which one wins?

You know.

So do I.

Whoop!

The roller coaster ride begins!

Watch it here: http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20131015/NEWS01/310150005/Same-sex-marriage-applications-accepted-Asheville

Times they are a'changing.

Pax!

B

Hero in NC's Buncombe County: A Clerk Says Yes

Buncombe County Clerk of Deeds is welcoming LGBTQ/same sex couples' marriage licenses!  This is it!  We found someone who is willing to break the law.

Drew Reisinger of Buncombe County Clerk of Deeds office is now giving out marriage licenses to straight and LGBTQ couples alike.

Let the lawsuits begin!

While our Attorney General Roy Cooper loves us (he really does), because of the law he nonetheless must work with what the law is, and the law (both the law of the state and the constitution) forbid and outlaw and ban LGBTQ couples from marrying (the state has DOMA and the constitution was amended). So he, as the chief law officer of the state has to defend the law, even though personally he is offended by it (did I say he's running for Governor?).

With the breaking of the law, now there is a possible law suit that could go through the court system based on the fact that the federal DOMA has been gutted with abandoning section 3, making us LGBTQ couples equal to straight couples.  And which has more power: state or federal courts?  Federal, of course.

The lawsuit, please, the lawsuit!

Here's the article link: http://www.towleroad.com/2013/10/north-carolina-county-official-accepting-gay-marriage-license-applications-tomorrow.html 

Pax, B

Russian Government Simply Doesn't Like Us

Russia says "nyet" to us.

I understand that one of the people that brought Uganda the "kill the gay bill" has also been playing in Russia.  This is an American evangelical paid for by the same people who brought us "C St." in DC, and the evangelical "Christianist" politics of some Republicans.

So Mr. Putin doesn't like us. The government is not only harassing LGBTQ people, threatening to take children away from LGBTQ parents, but now are stepping in concerning surrogacy. No LGBTQ propaganda, check; harassing LGBTQ people, check; denying us our children, check; now denying surrogacy, check.

When will the IOC/Intl. Olympic Committee wake up and get a spine?

Here's the article from thinkprogress.org: http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2013/10/10/2766201/russia-gay-surrogacy/

NC Pride and Blue Ridge Pride: Family is "In"!

I had a rare experience of being present in two different Pride events recently: First, there was NC Pride on Duke's East Campus, in which I walked with the group of students and faculty of NC Central University.  The sun was out, we had more students than usual, and the floats were magnificent.  The booths had lots of information or something to buy (especially for dogs) for that person who just needs one more rainbow magic wand.

This last weekend I happened to be in Asheville during Blue Ridge Pride.  If there was a parade, I missed it. But the grounds of Pack Park were packed with booths and small tents all over the green lawn. Again, there were those who had information or offered us something to buy for that person who needed one more rainbow suspenders.

What was striking about both Pride events was FAMILIES. We are "in", the next "big thing" to focus on. While I saw some people with pug dogs in baby carriers in Durham, I was amazed at all the children in strollers with hetero- and lesbian and gay couples pushing the baby.  I kidded friends in Asheville that I saw more lesbian and heterosexual couples pushing baby strollers than gay men.

LGBTQI families, attention please!  This is our time!  Our moment has arrived at Pride!

Families rule!

Pax, Brett

Hospitals and Us

I recently gave a paper on hospital care and LGBTQ people at the annual meeting of TPAS: Texas Alliance on Patient Services (San Antonio, TX, Sept. 26-27, 2013). While I'm aware of the changes brought about by the DHHS (Department of Health and Human Services) under President Obama--such as designating others to be our advocates and being there with us--we still have to have papers, "just in case.

One of the discussions points after the talk was the sense of vulnerability that comes in the hospital. She shared that someone's HIV status (positive) was shared in the hospital room with members of this gay man's family WITHOUT his permission.

I was reminded of the sense of freedom I had to come in and out of a hospital room when I was in a heterosexual marriage and dad.  While I could walk in and out of a hospital room with my children, I was always worried I didn't have that kind of privilege with my partner were he in the hospital.

Needing to work on hospital care and LGBTQI people.

Pax,

Brett