Asheville, NC City Council moves forward on Benefits for Gay Couples

Asheville Citizen-Times
February 10, 2010
The City Council of Asheville, NC voted 4-2 on Tuesday to have city staff report March 9 on how workers' same-sex domestic partners could get the same benefits as heterosexual employees' spouses, including health insurance, bereavement leave and prescription drug coverage. A majority of council members said they expect to vote for a final measure after the report. [Link]

New Hampshire Panel Recommends Against Repeal of Freedom to Marry

The Associated Press
February 10, 2010
A New Hampshire House committee Tuesday recommended against repealing the state's marriage equality law. The Judiciary Committee also voted Tuesday to recommend that the House kill a proposed constitutional amendment banning the freedom to marry. [Link]

Anti-Gay Iowa Lawmakers Fail in Effort to ban Freedom to Marry

The Associated Press
February 10, 2010
Procedural moves by Iowa Republicans that would have forced a vote on putting an amendment to ban marriage equality in the state constitution failed Tuesday because Republicans could not get enough votes in either the House or the Senate. It will now likely be 2014 at the earliest before voters could decide on the issue. [Link]

60 Members of Congress Call for LGBT-Inclusive Immigration Reform

Immigration Equality
February 8, 2010
Sixty Members of Congress, led by Freedom to Marry Voice for Equality, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), have issued a letter calling on President Obama and Congressional leaders to pass legislation which would end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) immigrant families. “No one,” the letter insists, “should be forced to choose between the person they love and the country they call home. It is time that our immigration laws kept families together instead of tearing them apart.” [Link]

Virginia Delegate Hopes to Reverse Denial of Freedom to Marry

The Gainesville Times
February 9, 2010
Delegate David Englin, D-Alexandria, wants Virginia to repeal its constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages. He says the amendment, which voters approved four years ago, is unfair to gay and lesbian couples. “If we are to take our founding values seriously, where we say that every human being deserves equal treatment under the law, then we cannot enshrine in the Constitution a policy that boils down to nothing but bigotry,” Englin said. [Link]

N.J. Gay Rights Group suspends Political Donations after Denial of Freedom to Marry

nj.com
February 9, 2010
New Jersey’s largest gay rights group is suspending donations to political parties after feeling spurned by Democratic lawmakers who did not pass marriage equality legislation last month. Garden State Equality is also asking its 65,000 members not to contribute to parties. Chairman Steven Goldstein said, "No longer will we let any political party take our money and volunteers with one hand, and slap us in the face with the other when we seek full equality." [Link]

NH Panel to consider Measures that would repeal Freedom to Marry

The Associated Press
February 9, 2010
The House Judiciary Committee will recommend today whether New Hampshire's five-week-old marriage equality law should be repealed and will also vote on whether to support a constitutional amendment denying the freedom to marry. Supporters of these anti-gay measures admit their chance of success is slim, but they want to keep the issue before voters in hopes Republicans will regain control of the Statehouse from Democrats in November. [Link]

Proponents rally in support of Freedom to Marry bill for Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
February 9, 2010
Proponents of the freedom to marry gathered on the steps of the PA Capitol rotunda Monday and chanted, "Pennsylvania can't you see -- what equality means to me." They were supporters of Senate Bill 935, by Sen. Daylin Leach, D-Montgomery, which would honor the marriages of gay couples. Leach said laws outlawing marriage equality are "the last bastion of society-sanctioned discrimination." [Link]

Iowans Rate Politicians Debating Freedom to Marry as Least of Their Concerns

Des Moines Register
February 8, 2010
A majority of Iowans think the issue of marriage equality doesn’t deserve lawmakers’ limited time. Among six hot-button topics, a new Iowa Poll shows questioning the freedom to marry ranks as the least important issue to a majority of Iowans. [Link]

The Van Capelle Legacy

Gay City News
February 4, 2010
Under the leadership of Alan Van Capelle, the Empire State Pride Agenda became a powerful force in Albany. He skillfully led the gay lobbying group and showed the same savvy in leaving it. Yet his resignation is a win-win move — for the LGBT community and the new city comptroller. [Link]

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]

Utah Senator challenges District's freedom to marry law

The Washington Post
February 4, 2010
Sen. Robert F. Bennett (R-Utah) has introduced legislation that would require Washington, D.C. to put marriage equality up for a vote by residents. The legislation is similar to that introduced by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) in the House. [Link]

Signs of Culture Shift on Gay Issues

The Associated Press
February 3, 2010

In the wake of President Obama's comments on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in his State of the Union speech, the Associated Press details culture shifts on issues affecting lesbian and gay people over the last 17 years including: increased legal status for LGBT people as a protected class, the freedom to marry in five states and DC, nine other states with substantial domestic partner rights, more countries worldwide honoring the freedom to marry, increased openly-gay elected officials and the Census Bureau tabulating data on same-sex couples. [Link]

Video: Domestic Partners Rally for New Mexico Rights

KOB.com
February 2, 2010
Supporters of a New Mexico domestic partnership bill rallied at the State Capitol Monday in an attempt to win over legislators who are undecided on the issue. The bill passed in the House of Representatives in 2009, failing in the Senate by only a handful of votes. [Link] See video below:

Voice for Equality: Cummins, Inc. of Indiana

Cummins, Inc. is a corporation of complementary business units that design, manufacture, distribute and service diesel and natural gas engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission solutions and electrical power generation systems. Headquartered in Columbus, Indiana, USA Cummins serves its customers through a network of more than 500 Company-owned and independent distributor locations and approximately 5,200 dealer locations in more than 190 countries and territories. While more than 51% of Cummins' business comes from operations outside of the United States, the company remains one of the largest employers in the state of Indiana. Learn more here.

As the Republican controlled Indiana state senate moved to vote 38-10 for a constitutional ban on marriage for gay couples last week, Fortune 500 member Cummins, Inc. said, "No." The CEO of Cummins sent a representative with his letter stating, "...inequity in marital status has no place in Indiana." [Link] This is not Cummins' first time weighing in on marriage equality. Back in March of 2007, when Indiana was considering a ban on the freedom to marry, an executive from Cummins Inc. said the amendment would make it harder for the big engine maker to recruit quality employees to Indiana. "Anything that makes Indiana less inclusive and less welcoming for our current employees and for our future employees makes it more difficult for Cummins to compete," said Mark Osowick, Cummins' recruiting director. "This amendment would do just that by sending a message that Indiana is not tolerant of diversity." [Link]

Freedom to Marry salutes Cummins, Inc. as a collective Voice for Equality! Learn about other Voices for Equality here.

If Cummins' support inspires you - get involved.

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

Hawaii House Indefinitely Postpones Action on Civil-Unions Bill

Honolulu Advertiser
February 1, 2010
The Hawaii state House voted Friday to indefinitely postpone any action on a civil unions bill in this session unless two-thirds of lawmakers vote to bring the bill back for consideration. [Link]

Hawaii postpones civil unions bill indefinitely

LGBT POV
January 29, 2010
Last year the civil unions bill passed the Hawaii House by a vote of 33-to 17. One week ago, the Senate passed the bill 18-7. But on Friday the House voted to postpone indefinitely the civil unions bill for gay and heterosexual couples. Evan Wolfson, Executive Director of Freedom to Marry, who was co-counsel in the historic Hawaii marriage case, Baehr v. Miike, which started the whole thing, said:

Losing ground? No way. We don’t win every battle, and we definitely need to strengthen our reaching out to more Americans to bring them into our cause (which is what Freedom to Marry’s expansion is all about). But after a decade of inaction, we got both houses of the Hawaii legislature to pass a civil union bill, just not in sync — and remember, when we started this movement in Hawaii, there was no place in the world where same-sex couples could marry. Now we’ve got five states, our nation’s capital, eight countries, and more shimmering within reach.

The Democratic president [Bill Clinton] who signed the so-called “DOMA” as we were doing the trial in Hawaii now supports the freedom to marry and has called for “DOMA”’s repeal, as did the Republican congressman [Bob Barr] who wrote it.

More than a hundred million Americans now live in a state that provides some level of statewide recognition of same-sex couples and their families — up from virtually zero a decade ago.

We have a lot more to do, as Freedom to Marry works to build a majority for marriage, win more states, and build toward a federal victory…but by any historical measure, we’ve gained and are gaining ground, and the future is ours. [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]

Delay of Maryland Attorney General Criticized in Marriage Ruling

The Baltimore Sun
January 29, 2010
Maryland Republicans criticized the state's attorney general Thursday for "playing politics" with the requested opinion on whether or not Maryland will recognize the marriage certificates of gay and lesbian couples married in other states. [Link]

Freedom to Marry Ban Goes to Indiana House Once Again

WISHTV.com (Indianapolis)
January 29, 2010
The Indiana state Senate passed a proposed constitutional amendment to ban marriage equality Thursday. The proposal will go to the state House, where a similar effort was previously blocked and where no action on the matter is expected this year. [Link]