Results tagged “gay”

Remember these people at the Oscars? It's the infamous Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church and they are protesting various locations in Los Angeles tomorrow including Fairfax High School, a Jewish temple, a community center and the Anti-Defamation League's headquarters, according to the LA Times.

As this week marked the bittersweet one-year anniversary of legal gay marriage in California, two political leaders made big moves in the advancement of gay rights. In California, Governor Schwarzenegger on Tuesday decided not to defend the constitutionality of Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage, in a federal court case. Disappointing traditional marriage advocates, he said it will be up to the courts to decide because the case "presents important constitutional questions that require and warrant judicial determination."

For California's gays and lesbians, today marks the bittersweet one year anniversary of the California Supreme Court's decision to allow LGBT folks to get married in the Sunshine State. Of course, things didn't turn out exactly as planned and in November, Proposition 8 passed, leaving gays and lesbians high and dry at the aisle. Cue the scenes of protesters marching on the Mormon Church, the streets of Silver Lake and Downtown and ultimately, last month's decision by the Supreme Court to uphold Prop. 8 while allowing the approximately 18,000 couples who were hitched to stay that way.

                     

This weekend marked the 39th year for L.A. Pride, which for many was one of the more positive years, considering the climate due to the current status of Prop 8. It may have been one of the largest with more than 100,000 people attending.

                     

The annual Dyke Day L.A. march and celebration took place Saturday, moving from the top of the hill in Barnsdall Art Park to Edgecliff Dr in Silver Lake. "Dyke Day L.A. is a day in the park for all self-identified dykes and allies, including gay families, transgender dykes, and dykes of all ages. The mission of Dyke Day L.A. is to create an inclusive space that brings together the past, present, and future of our east side Los Angeles dyke community," explains their Facebook contingency.

Is New England the new California? New Hampshire became the sixth state, the fifth in New England, to legalize gay marriage today. After months of back and forth revisions, the legislature approved it this morning following by Governor John Lynch approval this afternoon when he signed it into law.

       

About 3,000 people descended upon on Fresno Saturday for the Meet in the Middle 4 Equality to protest Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in California and was upheld by the state Supreme Court last week. First, a group marched 14.5-miles from Selma to Fresno's city hall followed by a rally with speakers including Charlize Theron, T.R. Knight, Eric McCormack, Cleve Jones, Rick Jacobs, Robin McGehee and Robin Tyler.

       

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"At one time, prom may have been a big popularity contest where the best-looking guy or girl were crowned king and queen. Things have changed and it's no longer just about who has the most friends or who wears the coolest clothes," said Sergio Garcia, who beat out girls to be this year's prom queen, in his campaign to become prom queen, something he said was more of a stunt in the first place. "Sure, I'm not your typical prom queen candidate. There's more to me than meets the eye." At the prom, he'll be wearing a suit.

                     

Last night's large Day of Decision protest and march went peacefully through nearly six and half miles of West Hollywood and Los Angeles streets. There was lots of frustration, but also chants of encouragement, statements written in yellow chalk on the sidewalks and streets and people to meet.

In an e-mail yesterday from Protect Marriage, the official Yes on Prop 8 group, they are not too worried concerned about the 18,000 gay couples whose were marriages untouched in the state Supreme Court's ruling. Why? Cause, apparently, a lot of gays will divorce, they say: "if California goes as Massachusetts did after legalizing gay marriage, a substantial portion of the still-recognized gay marriages will be dissolved by divorce within a few years." Jeeezzz.

Two top attorneys who argued Bush v. Gore on opposite sides have now joined forces to strike down Prop 8 in federal court, filing for a preliminary injunction against same-sex marriage ban until the case is resolved, which would immediately reinstate the right for all Californians to marry. Theodore B. Olson and David will officially announce their case tomorrow morning in downtown, according to the American Foundation for Equal Rights.

              

One of the first protests of many in the Los Angeles area today took place at the East Los Angeles Recorder Office on Cesar Chavez Avenue. Around 100 people, who would have preferred to be celebrating, were prepared with Repeal Prop 8 in 2010 signs. They chanted in front of news cameras while a few couples waited in line to get marriage proposals, an exercise in purposeful futility. After being denied, the couples refused to leave saying they would wait until gay marriage is legal in California. Eventually, they left shortly after 3 p.m.

Speaking from Sacramento today as he works with legislators on our failed state budget (they want to take money away from cities), gay marriage supporter and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villariagosa addressed today's Prop 8 ruling in a statement.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has always been a supporter of gay marriage, but his duty is to uphold today's ruling. However, he believes that someday gay couples will get the right to marry in California. Here's what he said in a statement today: "While I believe that one day either the people or courts will recognize gay marriage, as governor of California I will uphold the decision of the California Supreme Court. Regarding the 18,000 marriages that took place prior to Proposition 8's passage, the court made the right decision in keeping them intact. I also want to encourage all those responding to today's court decision to do so peacefully and lawfully.''

Stop8.org founder and contributor to LAist's sister site to the north, SFist, Matt Baume put together this nice video. To him, it's not all that bad... here's to continuing the positive conversation for ultimate change.

After this morning's ruling that gay marriage will remain illegal in California, things outside the California Supreme Court in San Francisco started to get a little out of hand. Locally, the LAPD announced logistics to the media about tonight's permitted protest in Hollywood. They advised reporters of media staging areas, the route and what to do if the march is declared as an unlawful assembly.

At 10 a.m., the California Supreme Court will announce their decision on Prop 8, a ballot initiative that banned gay marriage last November. Two questions will be answered: will Prop 8 be upheld or struck down and if the former, what is the fate of the 18,000 couples already married in the "Rainbow Window," between at three outcomes

The long awaited day will finally come. The Supreme Court will announce their decision on the validity of Prop 8, which banned gay marriage in California, on Tuesday at 10 a.m. Such rulings are generally made on Mondays and Thursdays, but due to the Memorial Day holiday, the ruling will come on Tuesday. Depending on the outcome, celebrations or protests are planned for Tuesday night and a large one next week Saturday in Fresno, of all places. The court's full announcement is below:

A state senate bill that would allow gay couples to enter into a domestic partnership is making its way through the Nevada legislature. After passing through the Senate, the state's Assembly followed suit, but only after some amendments, last Friday. It now goes back to the Senate for approval, but even if passed, Gov. Jim Gibbons has already said he would use his vetoing power. Meanwhile, back in California, the state Supreme Court still deliberates over Prop 8 as the decision deadline approaches. Rulings are are only announced on Thursdays and Mondays with a advance notice the day preceding. Last Friday, an erroneous rumor began on Twitter saying a decision had been made.

The city council has once before stepped into world affairs by denouncing the War on Iraq. Tomorrow, Councilman Bill Rosendahl will ask his fellow politicians to support a resolution to "condemn the Iraqi government for failing to stop, and call on the United States government and the mainstream, media to draw attention to, the systematic and brutal torture and murder of gay men in Iraq," according to a news brief sent out today. “This an outrage,” said Rosendahl, who is the only gay councilmember. “The annihilation of our people, ordered by religious decree in a nation where our troops have sacrificed their lives to restore religious freedom, is appalling. The Iraqi government must stop it, and the United States government must exert its leadership and pressure the Iraqi government to do so in a loud and unequivocal voice... The media has a moral obligation to draw attention to this torture and genocide. It is unconscionable to sit by silently.” The resolution is embedded below:

As expected, the Miss California USA pageant held a press conference today to announce the fate of Carrie Prejean's crown after four-year-old semi-nude photos--a breach of contract--surfaced on the internet. But instead of a simple yes or no, they said that runner-up Tami Farrell would act as the de facto Miss California at appearances because "every time they reach out to [Prejean], they are confronted by an army of her handlers and haven’t been able to talk with her," reported the LA Times. Additionally, Donald Trump, who owns the Miss USA pageant and is the only one who can made the decision, will announce tomorrow. Prejean gained her celebrity status after opining against gay marriage, which probably led to the release of her semi-nude photos.

Miss California Carrie Prejean, 21, has been quite the hot topic lately. She was practically an unknown until she said this about gay marriage: "I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that's how I was raised."

Just a quick update from this morning. After the Maine legislature approved gay marriage, Governor John Baldacci, who was thought to be undecided on the issue, signed the bill into law. "I have read many of the notes and letters sent to my office, and I have weighed my decision carefully," he said in a statement. "I did not come to this decision lightly or in haste." Meanwhile, the California Supreme Court this morning posted their notice for a ruling tomorrow, but it is not Prop 8, therefore, the wait continues.

Today the state of Maine Legislature gave their approval of gay marriage. Although there were enough votes to pass the measure, there were not enough to override the "undecided" Gov. John Baldacci, who has 10 days to take action on the bill, if he chooses to veto. However, if he signs it into law, Maine would join Massachusetts, Iowa, Connecticut and Vermont.

The California Supreme Court is rumored to announce their ruling on the fate of gay marriage as early as Monday. But as they figure things out, New York Governor David Paterson yesterday introduced legislation to legalize same-sex marriage. "There is clearly a problem in that those individuals who are gay or lesbian who would live in a civil union are still not entitled to somewhere between 1,250 and 1,300 civil protections" that are afforded to married couples, he said. A similar same-sex marriage bill was knocked down in the New York state Senate in 2007 when former Gov. Eliot Spitzer brought it to the table.

On the heels of Iowa's ruling last week, now comes Vermont. "The Legislature voted to override Gov. Jim Douglas' veto of a bill allowing gays and lesbians to marry," reported the Associated Press.

As the California Supreme Court decides the fate of gay marriage, the Iowa Supreme Court comes out stating that a same-sex ban on marriages violates the constitutional rights of gays and lesbians. The unanimous ruling "upheld a 2007 Polk County District Court judge's ruling that the law was unconstitutional," reported the Associated Press.

As California awaits the state Supreme Court's decision on Prop 8's validity, New Hampshire's state house approved gay marriage today in a narrow vote. Since last year, civil unions for gays has been on the books in that state, but if today's bill passes through the state senate and other formal procedures, civil unions would be considered marriage under state law only as federal does not recognize same-sex marriage.

Between now and August 17th, the group Yes on Equality needs to collect nearly 700,000 signatures to qualify to put a proposition on a ballot that would rescind Prop 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California last November, the Associated Press is reporting. Also circulating are petitions from two straight college student friends--one from UC San Diego and another from California Institute of the Arts--to replace the word "marriage" with "domestic partnership." They have until August 6th to collect same amount of signatures. All this comes as the state Supreme Court considers overturning Prop 8, which will be announced within the next couple months.