Freedom to Marry Celebrates A Remarkable Year

Freedom to Marry
December 31, 2009
Advances Across the Country Carry Momentum Into the New Year

2009 was the winningest year yet in the movement to achieve the freedom to marry for gay couples, a year which once again showed that momentum is on the side of equality. More legislatures than ever discussed the need to end the exclusion of gay couples from marriage, and three new states, including the first from the nation’s heartland (Iowa), won the freedom to marry for gay couples. The District of Columbia also enacted its own marriage equality law, which now awaits 30 legislative days of Congressional review. The national conversation continues as more than ever people across the country from all walks of life spoke out in support of the freedom to marry.

“More than 100 million Americans now live in places that provide the freedom to marry or, if not yet marriage itself, at least some state-level measure of recognition for same-sex couples and their loved ones -- up from virtually zero just a decade ago,” said Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry and author of Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality and Gay People's Right to Marry. “2009 saw same-sex couples marrying not just on the coasts, but in America's heartland, and in 2009 the freedom to marry came, too, to our nation's capital. While we didn't win every battle this year, we saw more progress and more momentum. Each time any of us, gay or non-gay, speaks with the people in our lives about why marriage matters and how ending the denial of marriage is the fair way to treat all families as we each would want our own to be treated, we move hearts and minds. Conversations and commitment are the key to more progress in 2010, bringing America closer to liberty and justice for all.”

The year in numbers:

- Five states and the District of Columbia now have the freedom to marry for same-sex couples – tripling the number of jurisdictions that have ended discrimination in marriage. (Watch the Iowa celebration)

- Five state legislatures plus the City Council of DC voted on marriage bills, with 697 legislators voting in support of the freedom to marry (50% more than voted against it).

- Over 113 million Americans now live in a state with relationship recognition for gay couples, equaling over one-third (37-percent) of the United States population. (View the map)

- Every state legislator who has voted to support the freedom to marry and run for re-election since 2005, has never lost re-election due to their vote, representing over 1,100 state legislators. (View the report)

- 107 U.S. Congress members signed on as co-sponsors to the Respect for Marriage Act, which was introduced to repeal the discriminatory so-called ‘Defense of Marriage Act’.

The year in conversations:

- Former President Bill Clinton and former Republican Congressman Bob Barr came out in support of the freedom to marry and joined in the call to pass the Respect for Marriage Act which would repeal the discriminatory law Barr introduced and Clinton signed in 1996, the so-called ‘Defense of Marriage Act’ or DOMA.

- In celebration of the freedom to marry in its home state in 2009, Vermont-based Ben & Jerry’s symbolically renamed its iconic flavor ‘Chubby Hubby’ to Hubby Hubby .

- Phillip Spooner, an 86-year-old Republican World War II veteran gave testimony during Maine’s public hearing on marriage about how he fought at Omaha Beach to protect our nation’s freedoms such as marriage equality.

- United States Senator Chris Dodd wrote a compelling op-ed about how he has evolved his thinking and now supports the freedom to marry for gay couples.

- The U.S. Conference of Mayors passed a resolution in support of the freedom to marry.

- NFL Linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo wrote on the Huffington Post about why he personally supports marriage equality.

- Will Phillips, a 10-year-old from Arkansas, refused to pledge allegiance to the flag until gay people have equal rights. Will said, "I looked at the end and it said 'with liberty and justice for all.' And there really isn't liberty and justice for all. Gays and lesbians can't marry."

With the advent of the new year on Friday and the first moment when same-sex couples can legally wed in New Hampshire, supporters of the freedom to marry will be building on this growing foundation to further the gains made this year. Conversations will be redoubled and the work re-engaged, as together people of conscience move toward returning the freedom to marry to Maine and California, winning it anew in New Jersey and New York, laying the groundwork for wins in other states and increasing support for the Respect for Marriage Act and the now certain realization of achieving the freedom to marry for all across the country. [Link]

When Relationships become personal, Stereotypes fade away

edge Boston
December 28, 2009
Recent high-profile setbacks to marriage equality in places perceived to be liberal (New York, Maine) has been countered by the election of an openly gay woman to the mayorship of Houston, Texas. Freedom to Marry’s Evan Wolfson says, "The fact that an openly gay candidate wins for mayor in the nation’s fourth largest city, in the South, in Texas, shows that when Americans get to know gay people as people, not as stereotypes, their resistance to treating gay people equally reduces." [Link]

Same-sex couples to celebrate New Year saying 'I do' in NH, 5th state to legalize Freedom to Marry

Los Angeles Times
December 31, 2009
Norma Love writes about several same-sex couples preparing to marry as New Hampshire's marriage equality law goes into effect at midnight. "Jeffry Burr and Neil Blair are just hours from their wedding, but there are no typical prenuptial jitters. After all, this is the third time they've exchanged vows." New Hampshire joins Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut and Iowa on January 1, 2010 in legalizing the freedom to marry. [Link]

O.J. treatment for landmark California court case?

New York Post
December 31, 2009
TV is fighting for their right to air California's legal battle over the freedom to marry. Networks are teaming up to try to obtain permission to broadcast federal court proceedings challenging Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot measure that banned marriage equality in California. Earlier this month, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judicial Council decided to take a step forward in allowing the broadcasting of federal trials without a jury. [Link]

NJ Marriage Equality Vote Still Possible

NBC New York
December 30, 2009
A bill that would legalize the freedom to marry in New Jersey isn't technically dead. Advocates of marriage equality are pushing lawmakers to adopt the law before Republican Chris Christie becomes governor. He says he'd veto it. The current governor, Democrat Jon Corzine, says he'd sign it if lawmakers can get it to his desk in time. Supporters of marriage equality have a January 11th deadline -- the last day of this lame duck session of the Legislature. [Link] Click here to support marriage equality in New Jersey!

Voice for Equality: Olivia Wilde

Olivia Wilde is an Irish-American actress. She began acting in the early 2000s, and has since appeared in a number of film and television parts, including roles on the series The O.C. and The Black Donnellys. She currently portrays Dr. Remy "Thirteen" Hadley in the TV drama House. Other film appearances have included: The Girl Next Door, Alpha Dog, Conversations with Other Women, Turistas and Year One. Learn more here.

It was announced on October 14, 2009 that Olivia Wilde would be participating in the Love Unites Shepard Fairey Equality Project, a new marriage equality advocacy project for which 100 celebrities would be signing their names and customizing a Shepard Fairey print titled Defend Equality - Love Unites. Fairey, whose Obama Hope print became the iconic emblem of President Obama’s 2008 campaign, was approached by FAIR, an LGBT grassroots marriage equality organization, to commission an image that would help unite and inspire the marriage equality movement. Fairey: “I am proud to contribute the Defend Equality Love Unites image to the fight for marriage equality, and commend FAIR for putting this image to good use." The signed prints were sold in online auctions through December 9, 2009. [Link]

Freedom to Marry salutes Olivia Wilde as a Voice for Equality! Learn about other Voices for Equality here.

If Ms. Wilde's support inspires you - get involved.

**Make your NOMINATION for a Voice for Equality today!

Video: Two Voices for Equality stress the importance of having conversations

Courage Campaign
December 19, 2009
Two of Freedom to Marry's Voices for Equality, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Eric McCormack, have teamed up with the Courage Campaign to make two videos called Courageous Conversations about talking to friends and family this holiday season about marriage equality. [Link] See their amusing pointers in the videos below:

View From Washington: 2009 and Obama

The Advocate
December 30, 2009
Kerry Eleveld writes, "In assessing the year in LGBT rights, what is most striking to me is the Obama administration’s unwillingness to engage on almost anything related to relationship recognition. Time and again, the administration has had opportunities to lean into the subject, to nudge the nation a little closer to equality for same-sex couples, and it has repeatedly leaned back, seemingly hoping the subject would disappear into the ether." (Link)

Bush advisor and outspoken opponent of freedom to marry is granted second divorce

ChicagoPride.com
December 29, 2009
Karl Rove's second divorce is making headlines because he has been an outspoken opponent of the freedom to marry. Rove is considered the architect behind using marriage equality as a wedge issue during the 2004 presidential election, which helped President Bush defeat John Kerry. [Link]

Marriage Equality passed in Mexico City

Los Angeles Times
December 29, 2009
Mexico City on Tuesday formally put on the books a law allowing same-sex couples to marry and adopt children, with Mayor Marcelo Ebrard rejecting demands he veto the controversial measure. The law was published in the official government newspaper, and will go into effect in 45 days. It was passed by a comfortable margin by this sprawling capital's legislature last week. [Link]

Voice for Equality: Marc Jacobs

Marc Jacobs is an American fashion designer. He is the head designer for Marc Jacobs, as well as the diffusion line Marc by Marc Jacobs. Jacobs is also currently the Creative Director of the prestigious French design house, Louis Vuitton. In 1986, backed by Onward Kashiyama USA, Inc., Jacobs designed his first collection bearing the Marc Jacobs label. In 1987 Jacobs was the youngest designer to have ever been awarded the fashion industry's highest tribute, The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent. Jacobs joined the women's design unit of Tristan Russo in 1989 as Vice President. In addition, Jacobs oversaw the design of the various women's licensees. In 1992, the Council of Fashion Designers of America, once again bestowed Jacobs with a great honor: The Women's Designer of the Year Award. In 1994 he produced his first full collection of menswear. Jacobs is a prominent fixture in the New York City celebrity scene, having become something of a celebrity himself. The audience for his fashion shows typically includes celebrities like Kim Gordon and Vincent Gallo. Most of his collections make references to the fashions of past decades from the forties to the eighties. Learn more here.

Jacobs, who is openly gay, is currently in a relationship with Brazilian advertising executive Lorenzo Martone. In March 2009, Women's Wear Daily reported that the pair was engaged after a year of dating. In June of 2009, the couple announced they would hold their wedding in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

It was announced on October 14, 2009 that Marc Jacobs would be participating in the Love Unites Shepard Fairey Equality Project, a new marriage equality advocacy project for which 100 celebrities would be signing their names and customizing a Shepard Fairey print titled Defend Equality - Love Unites. Fairey, whose Obama Hope print became the iconic emblem of President Obama’s 2008 campaign, was approached by FAIR, an LGBT grassroots marriage equality organization, to commission an image that would help unite and inspire the marriage equality movement. Fairey: “I am proud to contribute the Defend Equality Love Unites image to the fight for marriage equality, and commend FAIR for putting this image to good use." The signed prints were sold in online auctions through December 9, 2009. [Link]

Freedom to Marry salutes Marc Jacobs as a Voice for Equality! Learn about other Voices for Equality here.

If Mr. Jacobs' support inspires you - get involved.

**Make your NOMINATION for a Voice for Equality today!

Photos of Latin America’s first gay wedding

Miami Herald Blog
December 28, 2009
Photos of the first gay couple to marry in Latin America. (Link)

Video: Marching On

Empire State Pride Agenda
December 18, 2009
On December 2, 2009 the New York State Senate rejected a bill that would have allowed same-sex couples to marry. New Yorkers responded to the vote with sadness and anger, but mostly with renewed determination to win. Join the Pride Agenda as we continue fighting for equal rights for all LGBT New Yorkers and our families. (Link)

Editorial: Allow marriage equality to stand in D.C.

Roanoke Times
December 28, 2009
The Virginia based paper writes, "The District of Columbia City Council has voted to allow same-sex marriage in the nation's capital, and the mayor has signed the law. Now it goes to Congress where lawmakers have the authority to override it. They should refrain from doing so." (Link)

A Long Road to Equality

Metro Weekly
December 24, 2009
Marriage equality for gays and lesbians is the latest chapter in the District's history of civil-rights achievements...As Evan Wolfson, the executive director of Freedom to Marry, said, ''It's really hard to overstate the resonance of the nation's capital voting for the freedom to marry and providing the opportunity for the country and the world see families helped and no one hurt when marriage discrimination ends.'' (Link)

Voice for Equality: Matt Groening

Matt Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama. Groening made his first professional cartoon sale of Life in Hell to the avant-garde Wet magazine in 1978. The cartoon is still carried in 250 weekly newspapers. Life in Hell caught the attention of James L. Brooks. In 1985, Brooks contacted Groening with the proposition of working in animation for the Fox variety show The Tracey Ullman Show. Originally, Brooks wanted Groening to adapt his Life in Hell characters for the show. Fearing the loss of ownership rights, Groening decided to create something new and came up with a cartoon family, The Simpsons, and named the members after his own parents and sisters — while Bart was an anagram of the word brat. The shorts would be spun off into their own series: The Simpsons, which has since aired 445 episodes over 21 seasons. In 1997, Groening, along with former Simpsons writer David X. Cohen, developed Futurama, an animated series about life in the year 3000, which premiered in 1999. After four years on the air, the show was canceled by Fox in 2003, but Comedy Central commissioned 16 new episodes from four direct-to-DVD movies. In June 2009, Comedy Central ordered 26 new episodes of Futurama, to be aired over two seasons. Groening has won 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, ten for The Simpsons and one for Futurama as well as a British Comedy Award for "outstanding contribution to comedy" in 2004. In 2002, he won the National Cartoonist Society Reuben Award for his work on Life in Hell. Learn more here.

It was announced on October 14, 2009 that Matt Groening would be participating in the Love Unites Shepard Fairey Equality Project, a new marriage equality advocacy project for which 100 celebrities would be signing their names and customizing a Shepard Fairey print titled Defend Equality - Love Unites. Fairey, whose Obama Hope print became the iconic emblem of President Obama’s 2008 campaign, was approached by FAIR, an LGBT grassroots marriage equality organization, to commission an image that would help unite and inspire the marriage equality movement. Fairey: “I am proud to contribute the Defend Equality Love Unites image to the fight for marriage equality, and commend FAIR for putting this image to good use." The signed prints were sold in online auctions through December 9, 2009. [Link]

Freedom to Marry salutes Matt Groening as a Voice for Equality! Learn about other Voices for Equality here.

If Mr. Groening's support inspires you - get involved.

**Make your NOMINATION for a Voice for Equality today!

Latin America sees its first marriage of a same-sex couple

CNN
December 29, 2009
Less than one month after a Buenos Aires court derailed the marriage of Alex Freyre and Jose Maria di Bello, the couple wed Monday at the southern tip of Argentina, making it the first marriage of a same-sex couple in Latin America. Freyre and di Bello went to the southernmost state of Tierra del Fuego, where a pro-marriage equality governor welcomed the event. [Link]

'Single Man' highlights gay, family issues

CNN
December 24, 2009
For the gay community the story of a closeted college professor mourning the death of his long-time lover reflects the history of the struggle to be open about homosexuality in the 1960s. The same struggle continues today as the gay community fights for equal rights and laws allowing same-sex marriage. Freedom to Marry's Evan Wolfson notes:

The silence and the invisibility the film is portraying was in part why Americans didn't understand the need for the freedom to marry when the first cases for the freedom to marry began by 1971 ... I think the film shows the price people pay for silence and it shows the common humanity and invites people to ask themselves: How would I feel if I couldn't acknowledge the love of my life? [Link]

Marriage Equality a Key Social Issue in Illinois Governor's Race

Chicago Tribune
December 27, 2009
In the crowded Illinois governor's race, only Democratic Comptroller Dan Hynes and Green Party candidate Rich Whitney support legalizing marriage equality, while Gov. Pat Quinn backs civil unions with the same rights as those of married straight couples. None of the seven Republican candidates supports the freedom to marry. [Link]

Op-Ed: A transitional year for marriage equality

Los Angeles Times
December 27, 2009
Jonathan Rauch states: "For the marriage equality debate, 2009 was transitional instead of transformative, but the year was historic nonetheless. To mangle Churchill, it was not the end, nor even the beginning of the end, but it was at least the beginning of the middle." [Link]

Support for Gay Candidates a Barometer of Public Opinion

The New York Times
December 27, 2009
Some political scientists say the rise in openly gay candidates’ winning public office is a better barometer of societal attitudes than are the high-profile fights over marriage equality. One key to victory for gay politicians has been building reputations in their communities as candidates well qualified for the job. Voters who may be uncomfortable with homosexuality in the abstract are often willing to vote for a gay individual they feel they know, political strategists said. [Link]

I've changed my mind about attitudes on marriage equality

guardian.co.uk
December 28, 2009
Melissa McEwan writes about the recent wins for marriage equality in Washington DC and Mexico City, "Two north American capital cities legalizing the freedom to marry within a week of one another – and Ottawa didn't get in on the action only because there's no need – is something I don't believe I imagined would be possible at the start of this decade. [Link]

Voice for Equality: Jessica Biel

Jessica Biel is an American actress and former model, who has appeared in several Hollywood films, including Summer Catch, the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Illusionist and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. She is also known for her television role as Mary Camden in the long-running family-drama series 7th Heaven. Learn more here.

It was announced on October 14, 2009 that Jessica Biel would be participating in the Love Unites Shepard Fairey Equality Project, a new marriage equality advocacy project for which 100 celebrities would be signing their names and customizing a Shepard Fairey print titled Defend Equality - Love Unites. Fairey, whose Obama Hope print became the iconic emblem of President Obama’s 2008 campaign, was approached by FAIR, an LGBT grassroots marriage equality organization, to commission an image that would help unite and inspire the marriage equality movement. Fairey: “I am proud to contribute the Defend Equality Love Unites image to the fight for marriage equality, and commend FAIR for putting this image to good use." The signed prints were sold in online auctions through December 9, 2009. [Link]

Freedom to Marry salutes Jessica Biel as a Voice for Equality! Learn about other Voices for Equality here.

If Ms. Biel's support inspires you - get involved.

**Make your NOMINATION for a Voice for Equality today!

Happy Holidays!

All of us at Freedom to Marry would like to wish you and yours a happy holiday season!

We will be taking a break from posting the news for the next few days, but will return Monday, December 28th.

The Year End Round-Up in Marriage

Huffington Post
December 23, 2009
Let's do a round-up of the extreme highs and the lowest of the lows of marital woes 2009. (Link)

Watch "Park & Recreation"'s gay penguin episode!

After Elton
December 19, 2009
From After Elton, "So you're sitting at home on a Saturday night with nothing to do and nothing to watch? Well, here's a way to kill 22 minutes! Check out NBC's "Pawnee Zoo" episode of Parks & Recreation. In the episode, Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) finds herself caught in the culture wars after she accidentally marries two male penguins. Naturally, the wingnuts of Pawnee will not stand for such depravity." (Link)

DC asks judge to dismiss marriage equality lawsuit

The Associated Press
December 22, 2009
The District of Columbia is asking a judge to throw out a lawsuit by opponents of the freedom to marry. The plaintiffs, led by local pastor Bishop Harry Jackson, are seeking to get their proposed ban on marriage equality on the ballot after the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics turned them down. City lawyers filed a response Friday saying the ballot initiative would violate the city's Human Rights Act because it seeks to deny benefits on the basis of sexual orientation. [Link]

Why I'm (Still) Auctioning Off My Right to Marry

The Huffington Post
December 20, 2009
Jamie Frevele, who put her right to marry up for auction on eBay after the New York State Senate failed to approve a marriage equality bill, writes about her decision to donate the money from the auction to the Point Foundation. [Link]

Gays Excluded From Immigration Bill

Advocate.com
December 21, 2009
Immigration Equality is disappointed with a House immigration bill that doesn't include binational gay couples, but the organization expressed hope that a Senate omnibus bill would include protections for gay and lesbian couples and their families. [Link]

Utah Rep. Chaffetz and Family Differ on Marriage Equality

Deseret News (UT)
December 21, 2009
LGBT advocates are "flabbergasted" that Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, is leading a charge to block marriage equality in D.C., since his family has some close gay and progressive ties. [Link]

Mexico City Assembly Legalizes Marriage Equality

The Associated Press
December 21, 2009
Mexico City lawmakers on Monday made the city the first in Latin America to enact marriage equality. The decision also removes barriers to adoption for gay and lesbian couples. President Felipe Calderon's party has vowed to challenge the law in courts. [Link]

Voice for Equality: Cheyenne Jackson

Cheyenne Jackson is an American actor and singer. He started in regional theater when he moved to Seattle, and after moving to New York City made his 2002 Broadway theatre debut understudying both male leads in the Tony Award-winning musical Thoroughly Modern Millie. In 2005, he originated his first Broadway leading role in All Shook Up earning him a Theatre World Award for "Outstanding Broadway Debut." In films, Jackson portrayed Mark Bingham in the 2006 Academy Award nominated United 93 which earned him the Boston Society of Film Critics 2006 award for "Best Ensemble Cast." He has also appeared in the films Curiosity and Hysteria. On television, he is a recurring series regular, portraying Jack/Danny Baker on NBC's 30 Rock. He also guest starred on several series including; Lipstick Jungle, Life on Mars, and Ugly Betty. Learn more here.

It was announced on October 14, 2009 that Cheyenne Jackson would be participating in the Love Unites Shepard Fairey Equality Project, a new marriage equality advocacy project for which 100 celebrities would be signing their names and customizing a Shepard Fairey print titled Defend Equality - Love Unites. Fairey, whose Obama Hope print became the iconic emblem of President Obama’s 2008 campaign, was approached by FAIR, an LGBT grassroots marriage equality organization, to commission an image that would help unite and inspire the marriage equality movement. Fairey: “I am proud to contribute the Defend Equality Love Unites image to the fight for marriage equality, and commend FAIR for putting this image to good use." The signed prints were sold in online auctions through December 9, 2009. [Link]

Freedom to Marry salutes Cheyenne Jackson as a Voice for Equality! Learn about other Voices for Equality here.

If Mr. Jackson's support inspires you - get involved.

**Make your NOMINATION for a Voice for Equality today!

Marriages of Same-sex Couples a Boon for DC Wedding Businesses

The Tennessean
December 22, 2009
The freedom to marry in the District of Columbia is expected to be a financial boon for the city and for vendors who make much of their money on weddings but who have struggled during the recession. District officials surmise that the regional economy could reap up to $22 million over the next three years as couples from Washington and elsewhere take advantage of the new law. [link]

Senate Health Insurance Bill Keeps "Gay Tax" on Benefits

Pam's House Blend.com
December 22, 2009
The discriminatory "gay tax" on employer-provided health benefits for same-sex spouses or partners would continue under the version of health care legislation formulated by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and accepted by all 60 Senate Democrats over the weekend. Under existing law, health benefits that employers provide to the opposite-sex spouses of employees are exempt from federal income tax. But identical benefits provided to employees' same-sex spouses or partners are taxed as income. [link]

OPM Defies Order on Benefits for Same-Sex Partner

Washington Post
December 22, 2009
With logic only a lawyer -- and perhaps only a government lawyer -- could love, the Obama administration is refusing to obey a federal judge's order that agrees with a position the administration supports -- the repeal of the so-called Federal "DOMA." [link]

Marriage Equality Brings Us Another Step Forward

NJ.com Op-Ed
December 22, 2009
A non-gay retiree analyzes the marriage equality debate in New Jersey and comes down on the side of the freedom to marry [link]

Voice for Equality: Dave Matthews

Dave Matthews is a South African-American Grammy Award-winning musician, and actor. He is best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band. Matthews focused primarily on his work with Dave Matthews Band from 1990 to 2003. Since that period, he has occasionally ventured outside the band in various solo performances and records. Learn more here.

It was announced on October 14, 2009 that Dave Matthews would be participating in the Love Unites Shepard Fairey Equality Project, a new marriage equality advocacy project for which 100 celebrities would be signing their names and customizing a Shepard Fairey print titled Defend Equality - Love Unites. Fairey, whose Obama Hope print became the iconic emblem of President Obama’s 2008 campaign, was approached by FAIR, an LGBT grassroots marriage equality organization, to commission an image that would help unite and inspire the marriage equality movement. Fairey: “I am proud to contribute the Defend Equality Love Unites image to the fight for marriage equality, and commend FAIR for putting this image to good use." The signed prints were sold in online auctions through December 9, 2009. [Link]

Freedom to Marry salutes Dave Matthews as a Voice for Equality! Learn about other Voices for Equality here.

If Mr. Matthews' support inspires you - get involved!

**Make your NOMINATION for a Voice for Equality today!

Mayor Signs DC Marriage Law

Gay City News
December 21, 2009
Washington, DC, City Council on December 15 adopted a marriage equality law which was then signed by Mayor Fenty on Thursday. The 11-2 vote in support of the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act of 2009 was identical to the first-round tally on December 1. Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, the leading national marriage equality advocacy group, noted, “Five of seven African-American City Council members on the majority African-American Council supported the freedom to marry, and Mayor Adrian Fenty, also African-American, has promised to sign the bill.” [link]

Mexico City Moves to Enact Freedom to Marry

LA Times
December 21, 2009
The Mexico City government approved a far-reaching gay-rights bill Monday, voting to allow people of the same sex to marry and to adopt children. Ending a lively debate and turning aside opposition from the influential Roman Catholic Church, this massive city's legislature approved the measure by a 39-20 vote. Mayor Marcelo Ebrard must sign the bill into law, and he is expected to do so. [link]

Colin Farrell Flies to Ireland for Gay Brother's Wedding

Global Cocktails
December 21, 2009
Irish hunk Colin Farrell will fy to Ireland to celebrate the marriage between his brother Eamon Farrell and his partner Steve Mannion. Marriage for same-sex couples is not legal in Ireland, but the two wanted to celebrate their union in Farrell's homeland. According to reports, they were legally married in Canada this summer. [link]

Why I'm Still Auctioning Off My Right To Marry

Huffington Post
December 21, 2009
Jamie Frevele shares all the positive comments others have posted to her "offer" to auction off her right to marry. [link]

Gay Rights and the Natural Law Farce

Huffington Post
December 21, 2009
For years now a culture war has raged between liberal rationalists and religious dogmatists over whether homosexuality should be treated equally by civil law. Having lost ground in recent years as young people grow up in a world far more familiar with the banalities of what it really means to be gay, the right wing has begun taking careful steps to re-brand its homophobia as a rational, secular position, instead of the sectarian prejudice that it is.

This is the latest project of the Princeton professor, Robert George, profiled in this Sunday's New York Times magazine. It's a dangerous trend, and a starkly immoral one, as credentialed, highly educated people who should know better lend their social science credentials to the sloppy thinking and outright bigotry of those who are unable or unwilling to challenge their own dogma. (Link)

As Goes Martha...Martha Stewart Wedding Features Same-Sex Couple for First Time

Good As You
December 21, 2009
Blogger Jeremy Hooper announces the profile of his wedding in the Winter 2010 edition of Martha Stewart Weddings, the first wedding of a same-sex couple to be featured in the magazine. (Link)

Congratulations Jeremy and Andrew!

Firms expect economic windfall from same-sex couples getting marriage in District

Washington Post
December 20, 2009
On Friday, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) signed legislation to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage in the District, a move that is expected to be a financial boon for the city and for vendors who make much of their money on weddings but who have struggled during the recession. District officials surmise that the regional economy could reap up to $22 million over the next three years as couples from Washington and elsewhere take advantage of the new law, and the Williams Institute, a think tank at the University of California at Los Angeles, estimates that the infusion could be $52 million. (Link)

Maine marriage supporters plan to make it 2010 election issue

Seacoast Online
December 21, 2009
Maine marriage equality advocates have regrouped following repeal of the marriage law at the ballot Nov. 3, and they are working to put like-minded legislators in office in 2010. They also are planning to take a more personal approach with voters than they did in the months leading up to November — an approach that focuses less on identifying likely voters than it does on having conversations with people in the more rural, small-town pockets of Maine. (Link)

Heat for a Hero

METROWEEKLY (DC)
December 18, 2009
Frank Kameny, a gay-rights pioneer cited as a forebear of the historic marriage equality legislation signed by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty on Friday, was absent from the signing ceremony for good reason: he was getting his heating system fixed before a winter storm hit Washington. "I would have liked to have been there, but it got signed just as effectively without me," Kameny said with a laugh. "The important thing is it got signed." [Link]

Why two black D.C. pastors support marriage equality

The Washington Post
December 20, 2009
The Rev. Dennis W. Wiley and the Rev. Christine Y. Wiley, pastors of Covenant Baptist Church in Washington D.C.:

Last week, two black D.C. Council members voted against the freedom to marry bill. But five black council members voted for it. Our black mayor signed it on Friday, and our black congressional representative has promised to defend it on Capitol Hill. Although the bill faces the possibility of intervention by Congress, something revolutionary is happening in this city to debunk the notion that homophobia is entrenched in the black community. [Link]

Freedom to Marry wishes happy holidays to all our blog and email subscribers

Freedom to Marry
December 18, 2009
There will be no emails Tuesday, December 22nd through Sunday, January 3rd. Please check our news blog at: http://straighttalkonmarriage.blogspot.com/ for news updates.

District of Columbia’s Mayor Fenty Signs Freedom to Marry Bill

Freedom to Marry
December 18, 2009
Progress in Nation’s Capital Carries Great Advances & Momentum of 2009 into 2010

Statement by Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry and author of Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality and Gay People's Right to Marry, following the District of Columbia’s Mayor Adrian M. Fenty signing a freedom to marry bill which received overwhelming support from the DC City Council, a majority African-American council:

With Mayor Fenty’s signature today, the nation’s capital affirms its commitment to being a fair and inclusive city. We now look to Congress to respect the City Council’s overwhelming support, the Mayor’s signature, and the outpouring of support from the citizens of DC. With the freedom to marry, the District of Columbia will be a place that offers more protection and security to all families, making the community stronger for everyone. We call on all supporters to continue to engage their friends and neighbors in conversations about the freedom to marry in the District of Columbia, and across the country, in order to protect this new law.

A special thanks to all of the groups and individuals who worked so hard to bring the freedom to marry to the District of Columbia, especially D.C. for Marriage, Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance, and the Human Rights Campaign.

[Link]

Voice for Equality: James Rotondi

James Rotondi is a New York musician, actor, journalist and critic; he's the former Editor-in-Chief of Future Music magazine, and his interviews and essays have appeared in Spin, Rolling Stone, Guitar Player, Mojo, and The Boston Phoenix, among others. As a musician, he has played with the rock groups Mr. Bungle, the French band Air, jazz-hop pioneers The Grassy Knoll, and NYC band The Cringe. He also sings, plays and composes for albums and television. His debut solo album, Summer Home, was released under his artist alias "Roto." Raised in a political family, Rotondi is the grandson of three-term Massachusetts governor and former Ambassador to Italy, John A. Volpe. He has lived in Paris, Rome, San Francisco, and Boston, and currently resides in New York City. Learn more here.

On December 8, 2009, James Rotondi posted a blog entry on The Huffington Post entitled, "Same-Sex Marriage: "A Basic Civil Right," which discussed many of the issues involved in the Prop 8, Maine, New York and other marriage equality decisions across the country. Mr. Rontondi wrote: "Why on earth is something as basic to our democracy as full civil rights coming up for a vote at all?" Read full post here.

Freedom to Marry salutes James Rotondi as a Voice for Equality! Learn about our many Voices for Equality.

If Mr. Rotondi's support inspires you - get involved!

**Make your NOMINATION for a Voice for Equality today!

Poll: U.S. Evenly Divided on Marriage Equality

Strange Bedfellows (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
December 17, 2009
On an issue where survey results once registered lopsided disapproval, the American public is now almost evenly divided on same sex marriage—according to a new Angus Reid Poll. The survey found that 43 percent favor same-sex marriage while 46 percent remain opposed. [Link]

Op-Ed: Washingon Archdiocese - Forget We Said All That

Box Turtle Bulletin
December 17, 2009
The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. seems to have reversed course on their claim that they would halt charity work in D.C. if the city council approved marriage equality. They say they are "deeply committed to serving those in need, regardless of race, creed, gender, ethnic origin or sexual orientation. This commitment is integral to our Catholic faith and will remain unchanged into the future." [Link]

Portuguese Govt Aims to Embrace the Freedom to Marry

The Associated Press
December 17, 2009
Portugal's government has drawn up a proposal that would make Portugal the latest European country to enact marriage equality. The law is almost certain to pass in Parliament and if there is no presidential veto, the first marriages could take place in April 2010. [Link]

N.M. Bill Proposes Constitutional Amendment Defining Marriage as Between One Man, One Woman

New Mexico Independent
December 16, 2009
A proposed anti-gay constitutional amendment has been pre-filed in the New Mexico Legislature for the 2010 session. Previous anti-gay legislation attempts have died in the New Mexico legislative process. [Link]

Policy Shift Could Put Prop. 8 Suit on TV

San Francisco Chronicle
December 18, 2009
Television cameras will be allowed for the first time in federal trials under an experimental program approved by the San Francisco-based federal appeals court Thursday. This could lead to TV coverage of a lawsuit challenging California's Proposition 8 that is scheduled to begin on January 11, 2010. [Link]

Historic signing of D.C. Marriage Equality Bill by Mayor Fenty to take place at All Souls Unitarian Church

The Washington Post
December 18, 2009
Washington D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty will sign the recently passed marriage equality legislation Friday at All Souls Unitarian Church, which is being called "symbolic of the strong religious support for this bill in D.C." [Link]

Voice for Equality: Wilson Cruz

Wilson Cruz is an American actor, better known for playing a gay teenager on My So-Called Life and a recurring character on Noah's Arc. After coming out to his parents, Cruz went to Hollywood to seek work as an openly gay young actor. His strategy paid off in 1994, when he was cast as Enrique "Rickie" Vasquez, a troubled gay teen, in the short-lived cult classic TV series My So-Called Life. In one episode (entitled "So-Called Angels") drawn from his own life, Rickie comes out to his family, who throw him out of the house. Other television credits include appearances on: Great Scott!, Sister, Sister, ER, Ally McBeal and The West Wing. His film appearances include: Nixon, Joyride, All Over Me, Supernova, Party Monster and He's Just Not That Into You. Learn more here.

In both his acting and his community work, Cruz has served as a model and mentor to gay youth, especially gay youth of color. Most recently he has volunteered his time as host for the Youth Zone, an online community at Gay.com for LGBT youth.

Mr. Cruz served on the Host Committee for a Hollywood fund-raising party organized by political consultant Chad Griffin and Oscar-winning producer Bruce Cohen which was held on October 20, 2009 to help support the marriage equality campaign in Maine. The invitation read:

While the fate of marriage equality in California makes its way through the Federal court system, the voters of Maine will decide whether or not to take away marriage rights, granted in May by the legislature, on November 3rd…OF THIS YEAR. That is why I am co-chairing, along with Bruce Cohen, a fundraiser for NO ON 1/PROTECT MAINE EQUALITY at Bruce’s house on Tuesday Night, October 20th from 6:30-8:30pm, and we are so hoping you will join us and/or contribute to help fight this important battle. [Link]

Freedom to Marry salutes Wilson Cruz as a Voice for Equality! Learn about our many Voices for Equality here.

If Mr. Cruz's support inspires you - get involved!

**Make your NOMINATION for a Voice for Equality today!

Voice for Equality: Michael C. Hall

Michael C. Hall is an American actor best known for his television roles of David Fisher in the HBO drama series, Six Feet Under, and Dexter Morgan in the Showtime series, Dexter. Hall's acting career began in the theater. In 1999, director Sam Mendes cast Hall as the flamboyant Emcee in the revival of Cabaret, his first Broadway role. Mendes also directed the film American Beauty, written by Alan Ball, and he suggested Hall for the role of deeply closeted David Fisher when Ball began casting the TV drama Six Feet Under. "Everything I opened up for Cabaret," Hall reported in a 2004 interview, "I slammed shut for David." Film credits include: Paycheck and Gamer. Hall has received much critical acclaim for his two primary television roles including multiple Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, AFI and TCA award nominations. He has won both Emmy and TCA awards. Learn more here.

It was announced on October 14, 2009 that Michael C. Hall would be participating in the Love Unites Shepard Fairey Equality Project, a new marriage equality advocacy project for which 100 celebrities would be signing their names and customizing a Shepard Fairey print titled Defend Equality - Love Unites. Fairey, whose Obama Hope print became the iconic emblem of President Obama’s 2008 campaign, was approached by FAIR, an LGBT grassroots marriage equality organization, to commission an image that would help unite and inspire the marriage equality movement. Fairey: “I am proud to contribute the Defend Equality Love Unites image to the fight for marriage equality, and commend FAIR for putting this image to good use." The signed prints were sold in online auctions through December 9, 2009. [Link]

Freedom to Marry salutes Michael C. Hall as a Voice for Equality! Learn about other Voices for Equality here.

If Mr. Hall's support inspires you - get involved!

**Make your NOMINATION for a Voice for Equality today!

Asbury Park, NJ set to OK marriage equality resolution

Asbury Park Press (NJ)
December 16, 2009
The Asbury Park (NJ) City Council said Wednesday night they plan to approve a resolution in support of marriage equality, possibly as soon as a special meeting scheduled for 10 a.m. Dec. 24 on an unrelated matter. The next state-wide action on New Jersey's marriage bill is now expected in January. [Link]

Archbishop Kurtz Takes Lead Role in Catholic Fight Against Marriage Equality

Louisville Courier-Journal (KY)
December 17, 2009
An in-depth profile of Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, who has served as the national point man for U.S. Catholic bishops in the Catholic Church's anti-gay efforts. [Link]

British Prime Minister to Push Civil Partnerships Across EU

BBC News (UK)
December 16, 2009
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is pushing for British civil partnerships to be recognized across the European Union - including Eastern Europe. [Link]

Editorial: With the freedom to marry soon to be legal in D.C., how will Maryland respond?

The Baltimore Sun
December 17, 2009
With marriage equality passing in Washington D.C., The Baltimore Sun editorial board urges Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler to issue an opinion on whether the state is permitted to recognize the marriages of same-sex couples married elsewhere. [Link]

Judge expects Prop. 8 federal trial to stay on schedule

San Francisco Examiner
December 16, 2009
A federal judge in San Francisco said Wednesday he expects to keep a trial on California's marriage equality ban on track for Jan. 11, despite an evidence dispute being heard by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. [Link]

Benefits for same-sex couples advance, quietly

The Washington Post
December 17, 2009
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted Wednesday to advance legislation extending employee benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees. Columnist Joe Davidson calls the humdrum atmosphere surrounding the vote a sign of progress. [Link]

Voice for Equality: The Kardashians

The Kardashians are a celebrity family with their own reality TV show, Keeping Up With The Kardashians that airs on E! The show debuted on October 14, 2007 and will end its 4th and latest season in Spring of 2010. The series documents the lives of the Kardashian/Jenner family, the former of which consists of the ex-wife and children of late attorney Robert Kardashian. In 2009, sisters Khloe Kardashian and Kourtney Kardashian decided to move and shoot their own reality TV show, Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami, in Miami, Florida. Learn more here.

In the fall of 2009, sisters Kim, Kourtney and Khloe posed for a NOH8 Campaign photo shoot and proudly say the whole family strongly supports marriage equality. The NOH8 Campaign is a photo project and silent protest created by celebrity photographer Adam Bouska and partner, Jeff Parshley, in direct response to the passage of Proposition 8 in California. Donations to NOH8 are used for community education tools. [Link] Kim Kardashian wrote about marriage equality advocacy and her involvement with the NOH8 Campaign on her blog:

EVERYONE should have the right to choose who they marry and that we do have the power to make a difference. What I love about the NOH8 campaign is that it symbolizes more than just people's desires to bring down Prop 8... it's about promoting love in general! Stop the H8, people! [Link]

Freedom to Marry salutes The Kardashians as a collective Voice for Equality! Learn about other Voices for Equality here.

If Kim, Kourtney and Khloe's support inspires you - get involved.

**Make your NOMINATION for a Voice for Equality today!

Audio: In Majority-Black D.C., Marriage Equality Vote Speaks Volumes

npr
December 16, 2009
The District of Columbia became the latest U.S. jurisdiction to approve the freedom to marry on Tuesday. Michael Crawford, who leads the marriage equality advocacy group, DC for Marriage, explains the significance of the vote within the D.C. black gay community, given the majority black population of the nation's capital. [Link] Listen to audio below:

Tobias Barrington Wolff: A Test for LGBT Equality - Why I Support Dan Hynes for Illinois Governor

The Huffington Post
December 16, 2009
Democrats in Illinois are preparing to select their candidate for next year's race for Governor, and the primary election presents an important test in the fight for LGBT equality. Dan Hynes's candidacy can be a model for what a positive, pro-equality politics will look like in the Democratic Party. [Link] See video below:

Voice for Equality: Vermont state Senator, Peter Shumlin

Peter Shumlin is an American politician from the State of Vermont, currently serving as President Pro Tempore of the Vermont Senate. Shumlin has represented the Windham Vermont Senate District for 8 terms (1992-2002, 2006-Present). Shumlin is a Democrat. On November 16, 2009, Shumlin announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Vermont in 2010. Learn more here.

On December 8, 2009, following the New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee's passage of a marriage equality bill on to the state Senate, Peter Shumlin wrote a letter published on New Jersey's bluejersey.com and delivered to New Jersey legislators imploring them to: "Just Do It!" [Link] His comments included:

In April of this year, supermajorities of Vermont's Senate and General Assembly voted to eliminate the discrimination against same-sex couples in our marriage laws. A majority of Democrats and a majority of Republicans in our Senate voted for the bill. For some, it was an easy vote; for others, it was a scary vote. But I can assure you that for everyone who voted for the bill, it was among the proudest acts of their careers.

The opportunity to make a difference in the central civil rights movement of this generation-to join the heroes that came before us in shaping the march to a more inclusive and just nation - only comes a once in a political lifetime. Don't let this moment pass you by. And don't be swayed by the fear-mongers. I can tell you from firsthand experience: They're wrong.

As I've begun campaigning to be Vermont's next Governor, I've traveled the state from top to bottom. I don't hear much about the marriage law; the Vermonters I've met have a lot of other things on their minds. Of those who do bring it up, nearly all are incredibly grateful. It seems most everyone has an uncle, daughter, or family friend that's gay.

Freedom to Marry salutes Peter Shumlin as a Voice for Equality! See other Voices for Equality here.

If Senator Shumlin's support inspires you - get involved!

**Make your NOMINATION for a Voice for Equality today!

Editorial: Fallen barrier, little fanfare

The Balitmore Sun
December 15, 2009
The Baltimore Sun editorial board: "Houston voters decided that having a gay mayor is no big deal; perhaps one day they - and the rest of the nation - will think the same about marriage equality as well." [Link]

Study Estimates that Extending Marriage to Same-Sex Couples in New Jersey Would Boost State Economy by $200 Million; Create over 1,400 Jobs

The Williams Institute
December 15, 2009
This week the Williams Institute released a new study estimating the impact of New Jersey extending marriage to same-sex couples. The report estimates that the freedom to marry would boost the New Jersey economy by almost $200 million during the next three years, creating approximately 1,400 jobs and generating over $15 million in revenues for the state budget. [Link]

New Report Documents ‘Decade of Progress’ on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equality in America

Movement Advancement Project and the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr., Fund
December 16, 2009

Study points to dramatic gains between 2000 and 2009

SAN FRANCISCO – As the decade draws to a close, a new report shows the past 10 years have been a period of dramatic gains in equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in America. Two-thirds of the 36 statistical indicators compiled in A Decade of Progress on LGBT Rights showed significant advances, including sharp increases in the number of LGBT Americans protected by nondiscrimination and family recognition legislation at the state level.

Just over a quarter of the indicators were negative, and two showed mixed results. The report is a joint project of the LGBT Movement Advancement Project and the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr., Fund. The report is available at www.lgbtmap.org.

"The remarkable achievements toward LGBT equality tend to be obscured by day-to-day struggles, and overall progress often goes unnoticed nationally” said Linda Bush, Executive Director of the LGBT Movement Advancement Project (MAP). “By looking broadly at the last decade, this report gives a much fuller perspective on where we are today -- and how far we’ve come in just ten years."

"From over 50 years of supporting causes that help advance equality, we understand that making meaningful change requires time. But these facts make it clear that equal rights for gay people are advancing at an exceptional rate,” said Ira Hirschfield, President of the Haas, Jr. Fund. “Gay people and their families deserve equal rights and an equal opportunity to participate in their communities and the institutions that bring Americans together. We are committed to supporting work that brings our country closer to that goal.”

Matt Foreman, a longtime advocate for LGBT equality who now directs the Haas Jr. Fund’s gay and immigrant rights programs, said the Fund is excited by the accelerated rate of change. “While enormous and heart-wrenching inequities remain, progress over the last ten years has been extraordinary.”

Among the report’s key measures of progress:
• Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation: The number of states outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation increased 83 percent, from 12 to 22, between 2000 and 2009. The percentage of the U.S. population living in states banning discrimination based on sexual orientation soared from 24.5 percent to 44.1 percent, an 80 percent increase. In other words, today 134 million Americans are now living in states where discrimination based on sexual orientation has been outlawed, an increase of 65 million over the decade. (When local nondiscrimination laws passed by cities without statewide protections are included, the figure is over 50 percent of the U.S. population.) Fortune 500 companies that protect workers based on sexual orientation grew from 51 percent to 88 percent.
• Discrimination Based on Gender Identity: There was an even more remarkable increase in states outlawing discrimination based on gender identity and expression, which rose from just 1state in the year 2000 to 14 states representing nearly 30 percent of the population in 2009. The percentage of Fortune 500 companies that protect workers based on gender identity jumped even more, from just 0.6
percent to 35 percent.
• Relationship Recognition: Similarly exceptional gains were made in the area of family recognition. In 2000, no state extended the freedom to marry to same-sex couples; one state gave broad recognition to same-sex relationships and one offered limited recognition. Now in 2009, five states extend marriage to same-sex couples (with New Jersey and the District of Columbia pending at press time), six offer broad
recognition, and seven offer more limited recognition. Overall, the number of Americans living in a state that offers some protections to same-sex couples nearly tripled, from 12.7 percent to 37.2 percent.
• Protection from Violence: The 2009 Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act is the first federal law to specifically protect LGBT people.
• LGBT Elected Officials: The number of openly LGBT elected officials in America rose 73 percent between 2000 and 2009, from 257 to 445.
• Public Opinion: The percentage of the public supporting the right of openly gay and lesbian people to serve in the military grew from 62 percent to 75 percent. Support for marriage equality has grown from 35 percent in 2000 to 39 percent today; there has been an even larger increase in support for relationship recognition that involves many of the rights of marriage, from 45 to 57 percent.
• Safer Schools: In 2000, only one state had a safe school law that specifically cited sexual orientation and gender identity/expression for protection; by 2009 that rose to 13 states. The number of Gay-Straight Alliance Clubs in high schools grew from 700 to 4,700, a nearly six-fold increase. The report also includes data on areas with mixed or negative results.
• Marriage Opposition: In 2000, 5 states had blocked marriage equality through a statewide vote; today, 31 have done so, including 29 states amending their constitutions to prohibit the recognition of samesex marriages.
• Homophobia in schools: The percentage of LGBT students reporting hearing homophobic remarks in school has remained above 99 percent and LGBT students who report experiencing harassment in school edged up (up from 83.2 percent to 86.2 percent.)
• HIV/AIDS: New HIV infections among adolescent and adult men who have sex with men grew 10 percent, from 28,000 to 30,800, as did the percentage of new HIV infections overall that occurred among men who have sex with men, which rose from 51 percent to 53 percent.
• Military Service Ban: In spite of overwhelming public support for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the U.S. military continued to discharge hundreds of gay and lesbian service members, with the cumulative number of discharges under the 1993 policy nearly doubling during the past decade. The only “positive” note was that the number of annual discharges decreased from 1,241 in 2000 to 619 in 2008 (the most recent year for which data are available), apparently because of the urgent need for
soldiers to fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2002.

A more in-depth and longer term analysis of progress toward LGBT equality can be found in MAP’s “The Momentum Report – 2009 edition,” which is available at www.lgbtmap.org. MAP is a think tank founded in 2006 that produces and disseminates research aimed at helping speed advancement of equality for LGBT people.

The Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund is a private family foundation created in 1953 which has awarded more than $364 million in grants to support fundamental rights and opportunities for all people. It has invested nearly $42 million in promoting equal rights and opportunities for gays and lesbians since 2002. [Link]

NOM Wants Congress to Overturn D.C.'s New Marriage Law

AMERICAblog Gay
December 15, 2009
Joe Sudbay writes that the anti-gay National Organization for Marriage has said that they want the U.S. Congress to overturn the marriage equality law that was recently approved by the Washington, D.C. city council. NOM:

It's time for Congress to step up and restore the rule of law in the District of Columbia. If the DC Government is going to trample the rights of their citizens, Congress must intervene, invalidating the marriage equality bill unless or until the Council agrees to respect the rights of DC voters to bring an initiative petition.

D.C.'s Human Rights laws prevents public votes on any issue "that authorizes discrimination." NOM's sole mission is to foster discrimination against gay Americans. [Link]

Marriage Equality in Washington, D.C.

The Volokh Conspiracy
December 15, 2009
Dale Carpenter outlines the potential next steps that could be taken by anti-gay activists to overturn D.C.'s marriage equality law and comments that, based on previous events in Calif. and Maine, the longer an electoral vote can be delayed, the "more likely it is that anti-SSM passions will subside." [Link]

Video: D.C. passes marriage equality bill

MSNBC: The Rachel Maddow Show
December 15, 2009
Rachel Maddow reports on Tuesday's passage of a marriage equality bill by the Washington, D.C. City Council. [Link]

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

D.C. Council approves freedom to marry bill

The Washington Post
December 16, 2009
The 11-2 passage of marriage equality in Washington D.C. could pump as much as $22 million into the regional economy. Anti-gay activists vow to step up their effort to get Congress or a court to block the initiative during the 30-day congressional review period. [Link]

Charting a Decade of Progress in Gay Rights

San Francisco Chronicle
December 16, 2009
A study released by the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund and the Movement Advancement Project shows the LGBT equality movement has made remarkable progress in the past decade. [Link]

DC City Council Votes to Legalize Marriage Equality

The Associated Press
December 15, 2009
The Washington D.C. City Council approved marriage equality legislation Tuesday on an 11-2 vote. Mayor Adrian Fenty has promised to sign the bill. Congress has 30 working days to act on the bill, but it has rejected legislation just three times in the past 25 years. Gay couples could begin tying the knot in the district as early as March. [Link]

Voice for Equality: Chris Evans

Chris Evans is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the films Not Another Teen Movie and as the Human Torch in the Fantastic Four films. His other film credits include: The Perfect Score, Cellular, London, Sunshine, Street Kings, The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond and Push with Dakota Fanning and Camilla Belle. Learn more here.

It was announced on October 14, 2009 that Chris Evans would be participating in the Love Unites Shepard Fairey Equality Project, a new marriage equality advocacy project for which 100 celebrities would be signing their names and customizing a Shepard Fairey print titled Defend Equality - Love Unites. Fairey, whose Obama Hope print became the iconic emblem of President Obama’s 2008 campaign, was approached by FAIR, an LGBT grassroots marriage equality organization, to commission an image that would help unite and inspire the marriage equality movement. Fairey: “I am proud to contribute the Defend Equality Love Unites image to the fight for marriage equality, and commend FAIR for putting this image to good use." The signed prints were sold in online auctions through December 9, 2009. [Link]

Freedom to Marry salutes Chris Evans as a Voice for Equality! Learn about other Voices for Equality here.

If Mr. Evans' support inspires you - get involved.

**Make your NOMINATION for a Voice for Equality today!

Op-Ed: In denying marriage equality, the New York Senate betrayed the state's progressive tradition

The National Law Journal
December 14, 2009
By a vote of 38-24, the New York state Senate decided to uphold marriage discrimination in New York state. The vote, had it gone the other way, would have confirmed all that New York is — a model of the diversity that has made this state, and this country, thrive. Instead, the Senate shamed our state by failing to establish the right of all New Yorkers to marry. [Link]

Washington, D.C. Council Overwhelmingly Passes Bill in Support of the Freedom to Marry

A Year of Great Advances Ends with Yet Another Step Forward & Continued Momentum into 2010

Freedom to Marry Statement
December 15, 2009

Statement by Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry and author of Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality and Gay People's Right to Marry, following the District of Columbia City Council's second and final 11-2 vote in support of the freedom to marry:

"Today Washington, DC's elected representatives voted to end the denial of the freedom to marry in our Nation's Capital, amid the cheers of a majority of DC residents and a surge of hope and happiness from the families who will be helped, even as no one is hurt. Five of seven African-American city council members on the majority African-American council supported the freedom to marry, and Mayor Adrian Fenty, also African-American, has promised to sign the bill. Washington's home-rule vote for the freedom to marry builds on the Golden Rule, treating committed gay couples and their families as each of us wants our loved ones to be treated in a country based on liberty and justice for all."

(Link)

Voice for Equality: Pamela Anderson

Pamela Anderson is a Canadian/American actress, sex symbol, glamour model, producer, author, activist, and former Showgirl. Anderson is best known for her roles on the television series Home Improvement, Baywatch, and V.I.P. She was chosen as a Playmate of the Month for Playboy magazine in February 1990. For a time, she was known as Pamela Anderson Lee (or Pamela Lee) after marrying Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee. She holds both American and Canadian citizenship. Learn more here.

Ms. Anderson served on the Host Committee for a Hollywood fund-raising party organized by political consultant Chad Griffin and Oscar-winning producer Bruce Cohen which was held on October 20, 2009 to help support the marriage equality campaign in Maine. The invitation read:

While the fate of marriage equality in California makes its way through the Federal court system, the voters of Maine will decide whether or not to take away marriage rights, granted in May by the legislature, on November 3rd…OF THIS YEAR. That is why I am co-chairing, along with Bruce Cohen, a fundraiser for NO ON 1/PROTECT MAINE EQUALITY at Bruce’s house on Tuesday Night, October 20th from 6:30-8:30pm, and we are so hoping you will join us and/or contribute to help fight this important battle. [Link]

Freedom to Marry salutes Pamela Anderson as a Voice for Equality! Learn about our many Voices for Equality here.

If Ms. Anderson's support inspires you - get involved!

**Make your NOMINATION for a Voice for Equality today!