Breaking: Federal Appeals Court Finds the Key Component of DOMA Unconstitutional

Awesome! The Boston Federal Appeals Court declared today that Section Three of the Defense Of Marriage Act is unconstitutional.

From AP News:
 

BOSTON (AP) -- A federal appeals court Thursday declared that the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutionally denies federal benefits to married gay couples, a ruling all but certain to wind up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

In its unanimous ruling, the three-judge panel of the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston said the 1996 law that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman discriminates against gay couples because it doesn't give them the same rights and privileges as heterosexual couples.

The court didn't rule on the law's other politically combustible provision, which said states without same-sex marriage cannot be forced to recognize gay unions performed in states where it's legal. It also wasn't asked to address whether gay couples have a constitutional right to marry.

And here's part of the ruling via Metro Weekly:

[M]any Americans believe that marriage is the union of a man and a woman, and most Americans live in states where that is the law today. One virtue of federalism is that it permits this diversity of governance based on local choice, but this applies as well to the states that have chosen to legalize same-sex marriage. Under current Supreme Court authority, Congress' denial of federal benefits to same-sex couples lawfully married in Massachusetts has not been adequately supported by any permissible federal interest.

Minnesota Hate #22: Marriage is Only Religious Really

As usual, Kalley is full of santorum. My favorite moment is when she explains how marriage has NEVER BEFORE been separated from Religion, since the dawn of existence, and it has been in the last 10 years that the evil gays have started doing it. Never mind that the Church wasn't hip on marriage until the middle ages, and that most other places in the civilized world have a ratio of less than 50% of couples actually bothering with any religious ceremony for their civil marriage...

European Parliament Denounces Consideration of Anti-LGBT Legislation

Good times with politics. The European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning every country that has or is debating anti-LGBT legislation. With 403 for, and 105 against, the resolution specifically talks about Russia, Moldova, Latvia, Lithuania, and Ukraine. Of those, only Latvia and Lithuania belong to the EU and have any reason to care, but it's a very good thing none the less, and I like the difference in voting too.

Check Pink News for more.

Minnesota Hate #21: Hating Gays? Who, us?

As usual, both dear old Kalley and her fabulous haircut fail to address any possible argument against gay marriage, other than "it just isn't good!" And they totally don't hate gays by the way. It's all about the rest of society!

Dharun Ravi's Sentence

So finally, Dharun Ravi - found guilty on all charges in the case of spying on his dorm roommate Tyler Clementi who then ended his life - got his sentence. A month of prison, 3 years of probation, 300 hours of community service, no deportation and a $10 000 fine. I was among the people who didn't want him to get the book thrown in his face, but even so this sentence seems insultingly gentle. I would likely not give him more than 6 months of jail time, but the fine and community hours are laughable.

What do you think?

Video: Freedom to Serve, Freedom to Marry: The Story of Monica and Naomi

Another video in my "Tales of Inequality" series (check tag for previous one). I think anyone who believes this to be a just situation, needs to be put through the same hell. Yunno, for the sake of justice...

Come For The Crazy Lady, Stay For The Dude In The Back!

Watch it. Watch the whole thing. Let yourself be drowned in the lisping lull of her speech, the hypnotic magic of her voice... or just observe the reactions of the guy behind her...

I promise you, this is by far the dadaist thing you'll see today.

Breaking: President Obama Endorses Marriage Equality

The news world just exploded an hour ago, as Barack Obama just became the first President in the history of the United States to publicly come out in support of marriage equality while in office. You can find news about it everywhere, and meanwhile here's the video.


While you're at it, go sign this thank you note as well.

This is a tremendous victory for marriage equality worldwide, and I only want to say: in your face, North Carolina!

North Carolina Amendment 1 Has Passed

Amendment 1, banning same-sex marriage, civil union and ANY other protection for same-sex couples has just passed. The results are still coming in, but even so, the estimated numbers are in the high 50s FOR the Amendment.

Congratulations, North Carolina! Welcome to the Middle Ages!

Video: It Could Happen to You

Take the time to see this video. It is heartbreaking and had me choking back tears... both of sadness and outrage. That people can be so monstrously bigoted. And that we still have to argue about whether it's right or wrong to discriminate against others if you don't like them.

Clash of the Titans: Brian Brown VS Dan Savage

If you've been following the gay drama in the last week or so, where Dan Savage gave the "stop believing the bullshit in the Bible" speech, and all the hate groups got their panties in a twist about it (details and video here, plus more coverage here and here). Well, today Brian Brown - the leader of NOM - issued this hilarious challenge:

"Let me lay down a public challenge to Dan Savage right here and now: You want to savage the Bible? Christian morality? Traditional marriage? Pope Benedict? I'm here, you name the time and the place and let's see what a big man you are in a debate with someone who can talk back. It's easy to make high-school girls cry by picking on them. Let's pick on someone our own size! I'm here, any time, any place you name, Dan Savage. You will find out out how venal and ridiculous your views of these things are if you dare to accept a challenge."

As you could imagine, only a few hours later, and in the spirit of total awesomeness, Dan responded with this:

I can't wait to see if Brown will actually go through with it, because I firmly believe this challenge was never meant to be actually accepted. Either way, stay tuned for more hilarity.

P.S. - Few things are funnier than the word "nomblog", and at the moment I can't think of any of them.

Civil Unions Bill Clears Colorado House Committee

In a deliciously ironic twist, Republican-led Colorado House Judiciary Committee passed the Senate-approved civil unions bill, thanks to a 6-5 majority led by the Republican Rep. B. J. Nikkel who was originally against it.

The bill still has a few committees to go before it reaches the House itself, but the 33-32 Republican majority there means that once it does, chances are strong it will be passed. From there, it's smooth sailing as the Democrat Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper has promised to sign it.

The true beauty of this (you know, other than all that equal rights thing) is that Colorado is the home state of one of America's leading hate groups, Focus On the Family.

More at Prop 8 Trial Tracker.

Minnesota Hate #18 - Gay Marriage Will Force Everyone To Have an Open Relationship!

Kalley Yanta dumps another portion of "studies" with scary percentages and unspecified sources, to tell us that because some couples are not monogamous, we should not let "the gays" marry or LIFE ON EARTH WILL BE DESTROYED!

If Thy Child is Gay, Beat It Out of Them

Second Good as You link for the day, and this is excruciatingly disgusting. A video of Sean Harris, the Senior Pastor of Berean Baptist Church in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Here's the transcript:

So your little son starts to act a little girlish when he is four years old and instead of squashing that like a cockroach and saying, “Man up, son, get that dress off you and get outside and dig a ditch, because that is what boys do,” you get out the camera and you start taking pictures of Johnny acting like a female and then you upload it to YouTube and everybody laughs about it and the next thing you know, this dude, this kid is acting out childhood fantasies that should have been squashed.
Can I make it any clearer? Dads, the second you see your son dropping the limp wrist, you walk over there and crack that wrist. Man up. Give him a good punch. Ok? You are not going to act like that. You were made by God to be a male and you are going to be a male. And when your daughter starts acting to Butch you reign her in. And you say, “Oh, no, sweetheart. You can play sports. Play them to the glory of God. But sometimes you are going to act like a girl and walk like a girl and talk like a girl and smell like a girl and that means you are going to be beautiful. You are going to be attractive. You are going to dress yourself up.”
You say, “Can I take charge like that as a parent?”
Yeah, you can. You are authorized. I just gave you a special dispensation this morning to do that.

It's what Jesus would want...

Jon Stewart on Obama and Tony Perkins

Via Good as You. A definite mus, especially Cam 3!