Freedom to Marry puts Mexico City at Center of Debate

The New York Times
February 6, 2010
A new Mexico City law goes into effect March 4 that will honor the marriages of gay couples and allow them to adopt children, propelling the city to the forefront of the global gay rights movement. [Link]

Malawian police have arrested a man for putting up gay-rights posters

BBC News

February 3, 2010

Malawian police have arrested a man for putting up gay-rights posters, amid a national debate over homosexuality - which is banned in Malawi. Peter Sawali had put up posters saying: “Gay rights are human rights”, on a main road in Blantyre, police said. A controversy has erupted in the country after a gay couple was prosecuted for public indecency because they got engaged. [Link]

Mexico prosecutor challenges freedom to marry law

Agence France-Presse (Mexico)
January 29, 2010
Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard called an appeal against the city's marriage equality law by the country's Attorney General "a grave mistake." Ebrard said that it is not the job of the attorney general to decide the city's laws. [Link]

Malawi Court Denies Gay Couple Bail For Second Time

Reuters - Malawi
January 29, 2010
Malawi’s High Court refused on Thursday to release on bail a gay couple from a maximum security prison where they have been held for a month, saying it had denied their request for their own safety. Police arrested Steven Monjeza, 26 and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20, in late December for getting engaged in a traditional ceremony. This week, 34 British members of parliament joined Amnesty International in calling for their unconditional release. [Link]

Irish Official: Public offices cannot deny gay couples' rights

Irish Times
January 22, 2010
Irish Minister of State for the Office of Public Works Martin Mansergh said that public facilities should not be closed to gay and lesbian couples who wish to obtain a civil partnership. He maintained that doing so would amount to discrimination. [Link]

Nepal to Honor Freedom to Marry on Everest

Daily Telegraph (Nepal)
January 20, 2010
Nepal will begin to honor marriage equality starting in May 2010 and the country's LGBT community will host a tourism conference to explore how to attract wealthy gay visitors. A legislator has already launched a travel company that will offer packages that stage weddings of gay couples on Mt. Everest. [Link]

Lawyers for Gay Malawi Couple Seek Change to Law

Reuters
January 12, 2010
The lawyers representing two men who were arrested in Malawi after becoming the first gay couple to marry publicly in the country filed papers on Monday asking for a review of the country's law which makes it illegal to be gay. [Link]

Europe's Gay Leaders: Out at The Top

Time.com
January 11, 2010
Buoyed by liberal attitudes, politicians across Western Europe are stepping out of the closet and into their country's highest political offices. Eleven openly gay men and women now serve in the British Parliament, for example, including two in the Cabinet. [Link]

The World Moves Forward: Portugal Parliament votes to honor the freedom to marry

The Associated Press
January 8, 2010
Portugal's Parliament has passed a bill embracing marriage equality in the mostly Roman Catholic country. The proposed law now goes to conservative President Anibal Cavaco Silva who can ratify or veto it, but a veto can be overturned by Parliament. Its approval would make Portugal the sixth European country to honor marriages between same-sex couples. [Link]

Amnesty International Urges Release Of Detained Gay Malawi Couple

Reuters
January 6, 2010
Amnesty International urged Malawi on Wednesday to release two men arrested last week after becoming the first gay couple to wed in the conservative southern African state, where it is against the law to be gay. [Link]

Catholic Portugal Set to Embrace Freedom to Marry

Agence France Presse
January 6, 2010
Portugal, traditionally one of Europe's most socially conservative countries, is expected to approve marriage equality legislation on Friday. "I think the Portuguese people have learnt one of the fundamental tenets of democracy: respect for the rights of the individual," Miguel Vale de Almeida, Portugal's first openly-gay lawmaker who was elected in September, told AFP. [Link]

Malawi Denies Bail to Men Arrested for Marriage

Reuters
January 4, 2010
A court in Malawi on Monday denied bail to two men arrested last week on charges of public indecency after becoming the first gay couple to marry in a country were homosexuality is illegal. Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza were married in a traditional but symbolic ceremony in southern Malawi last month, attracting hundreds of curious onlookers. [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]

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)

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]