San Francisco Chronicle February 9, 2010 The San Francisco Chronicle editorial board counters arguments of those who claim Judge Vaughn Walker's sexual orientation will make him biased: "Walker did not think his private life was relevant to his ability to preside with fairness in the Prop. 8 trial. There is nothing in his long and laudable career to suggest otherwise." [Link]
Equality California February 9, 2010 Equality California will host canvasses across the state in celebration of Freedom to Marry Week (February 8-14). As part of the weekend outreach efforts, same-sex couples will be joining EQCA volunteers and staff to discuss the freedom to marry with local community members. Enclosed is a list of the statewide canvasses. [Link]
Saturday, February 13
Fresno: 1055 N. Van Ness Ave., Ste. C 11 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Los Angeles: Holy Faith Episcopal Church, 260 N. Locust St., Inglewood 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Riverside: 1410 3rd St., Suite #7 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
San Francisco: 2370 Market St. 2nd Floor 12 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Bloggers are encouraged to come to this canvass. Visit www.eqca.org/bloggercanvass for more information.
Sacramento: 1722 J Street, second floor, Ste 9 Second Saturday Art Walk between 6 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
San Diego: 4506 30th Street 12 p.m. -5 p.m.
Sunday, February 14
Orange County: 1601 South Grand Ave, Suite F, Santa Ana 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.
San Francisco Chronicle February 8, 2010 The biggest open secret in the California Prop 8 trial being heard in San Francisco is that the federal judge who will decide the case, Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, is himself gay. He didn't seek out the case - it was assigned to him at random - and many local politicians and lawyers don’t believe his sexual orientation will influence how he rules on the case. [Link]
MarriageTrial.com February 4, 2010 John Ireland and the folks at MarriageTrial.com have delivered the first day (3 chapters) of testimony in their word-for-word reenactment of the Prop 8 Trial. Coverage features an overview of each day's proceedings, a first-hand account from the trial and photos of all participants in the trial along with the actors who are portraying them. Each chapter is about an hour in length. [Link]
The Associated Press February 4, 2010 A large number of groups and individuals in support of both the plaintiffs and the defendant-intervenors in the Proposition 8 trial submitted amicus briefs on Wednesday, the deadline that Chief U.S. Judge Vaughn R. Walker had set for filing briefs. [Link]
By Amity P. Buxton Founder, Straight Spouse Network www.straightspouse.org Author, The Other Side of the Closet: The Coming-Out Crisis for Straight Spouses and Families
At the end of the testimony phase of the current federal trial regarding the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8, David Boies, a leading lawyer for the plaintiffs, stated that there is “no societal benefit to denying gays and lesbians the right to marry" (New York Times, January 28, 2010). The reverse of that point is also true. Based on the experiences of married, presumably heterosexual spouses where one turns out to be gay, there is a societal benefit to allowing same-sex couples the right to marry. The testimony of the straight spouses in these mixed orientation marriage couples, -- up to two million, according to recent data -- offers a unique argument that legalizing marriages for same-sex couples can actually strengthen the experience of marriage for all.
Let me explain -- from my 23 years of research and observation. "A straight spouse" is the bride or groom who unwittingly marries a gay man or lesbian, who, following societal, family, and faith community expectations, marries an opposite sex partner as the "right thing to do." At the time of the wedding, the gay or lesbian spouses may not be aware of or ignore, deny, or hide their same-sex attraction. Once married, most gradually experience an internal struggle of attraction, identity, and integrity. Some secretly act on the same-sex attraction. Others repress those feelings and project the resulting frustration and anger on their spouses. Many eventually come out or are found out. The disclosure (or the straight spouse's discovery) is devastating. The straight spouse's judgment and trust are betrayed. While some couples work out a way to stay married, the vast majority divorce. Since most of the couples have children, families are torn apart. One by one, these divorces and family breakups undermine the experiences of marriage for many – not just the affected couple.
If gay men and lesbians were able to marry partners of the same sex to whom they are committed and assume all the legal rights and responsibilities of marriage, with no sexual orientation and partial truth impediments, there would be fewer divorces and family breakups. Stating this outcome is a strong addition to Boies’ point. After the statement, "There is no societal benefit from denying gay and lesbian persons the right to marry,” let's point out the reverse and positive side: "In fact, there is a societal benefit to giving gay men and lesbians the legal right to marry the person they love."
Whether in court or in the public debate about the freedom to marry, the voices of straight spouses who have faced their partners' disclosure, divorce, and a broken family need to be heard to illustrate the negative effects of depriving gay men and lesbians of this right. Their testimony will make it clear that what is at stake is the legal right of all persons, gay and non-gay alike, to marry with the optimum chances of success.
The San Francisco Chronicle February 1, 2010 The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus embarked on its Freedom Tour into the heart of Proposition 8 territory over the weekend. In the upcoming months, they'll visit Bakersfield, Fresno and Tracy, all strongholds for Prop. 8, the measure that banned the freedom to marry. They hope their music will help personalize the issue of marriage equality. [Link]
Psychology Today February 1, 2010 The assumption that children need both a mother and a father has been used by proponents of Proposition 8 to argue against the freedom to marry. To what extent does this assumption match the findings from scientific studies? In a new study, researchers found no evidence of gender-based parenting abilities, noting that very little about the gender of the parent has significance for children's psychological adjustment and social success. [Link]
Towleroad January 31, 2010 Joseph Gordon Levitt's production company, HitRECord, produced this short animated clip about new media and getting the word out on the Prop 8 trial in the face of its broadcast ban. It's a cute clip, though slightly inaccurate in that it was the Supreme Court and not the state which ultimately foiled plans for the broadcast after anti-gay Prop 8 supporters filed a petition with Justice Anthony Kennedy. [Link] Watch video below:
Slate January 29, 2010 William N. Eskridge Jr. and Darren Spedale write about the Proposition 8 trial, reviewing the arguments of both the plaintiffs and defendant-intervenors, and laying out the various possible findings by Judge Vaughn Walker. [Link]
San Francisco Chronicle February 1, 2010 California state Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) has introduced a bill that would allow religious leaders to refuse to perform any marriage that conflicts with their religious beliefs, stating that such a decision "shall not affect the tax-exempt status of any entity." Supporters of the freedom to marry want to alleviate concerns of those with religious objections while emphasizing the separation between civil and religious recognition of marriages. [Link]
The Sacramento Bee January 30, 2010 The Prop 8 trial ended its witness testimony in San Francisco this week. The defense argued that even if Proposition 8 harms gays and lesbians and any children they may have, voters had a right to exclude gays from marriage because of concerns, despite numerous studies to the contrary, that children are best raised by their biological mothers and fathers. "Fourteen years later [than the 1996 Hawaii freedom to marry case] and tens of millions of dollars later, they [the opposition] haven't come up with anything else," said Evan Wolfson of the group Freedom to Marry. [Link]
California Watch January 29, 2010 The Courage Campaign has filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission against Prop 8 lead defense attorney Andy Pugno over using state resources to communicate with a Mormon attorney about an anti-gay marriage initiative. [Link]
365GAY.com January 29, 2010 On Thursday, 365gay readers had the opportunity to chat live with Evan Wolfson of Freedom to Marry and Rick Jacobs of the Courage Campaign about the Prop 8 trial and what’s next for gay marriage. Both Wolfson and Jacobs stressed that we need to continue to tell our personal stories and come out to family, friends and strangers. If this case winds up before the Supreme Court, we are more likely to win if we have helped turn the tide of public opinion. Learn more and read a transcript of the entire discussion here.
Don Imus is an American radio host, humorist, writer, and philanthropist. Imus’s sometimes controversial statements and colorful language have often drawn the attention of the press and have gotten him into several well-publicized battles, one of which resulted in his show being pulled from the air. The current version of his nationally-syndicated talk show, Imus in the Morning, returned to television on October 5, 2009 and is currently seen on Fox Business Network from 6:00-9:00 EST Monday-Friday. Learn more here.
On January 27, 2010, Imus in the Morning featured David Boies, co-counsel with Ted Olson for the pro-freedom to marry side in the Prop 8 Trial in California. In the course of the discussion, Don Imus expressed support for the freedom to marry, saying: "I supported—not that it’s important, but I support it [the freedom to marry] on the basis of the philosophy of my friend Kinky Friedman, who thinks that they [gay couples] have a right to be as unhappy…as anybody...It's great that you and Ted are doing this, and I hope you win, good luck." During the interview, Mr. Boies explained the constitutional and civil rights issues at stake in the case. Watch the video of the Don Imus/David Boies interview below:
Freedom to Marry salutes Don Imus as a Voice for Equality! Learn about other Voices for Equality here.
If Mr. Imus' support speaks to you - get involved.
**Make your NOMINATION for a Voice for Equality today!
The Wall Street Journal January 28, 2010 The Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy's Stephen Levy says that estimates by economists on the economic toll of Proposition 8 "miss the big picture" and that the greatest potential cost the California marriage ban has is on the state's reputation as a haven for a diverse group of workers. [Link]
The Associated Press January 28, 2010 Testimony in the Proposition 8 trial ended Wednesday and Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker gave no time line for his ruling but said he will take time to review evidence before hearing closing arguments. [Link]
Prop 8 Trial Tracker January 27, 2010 Brian Leubitz discusses "expert" Prop 8 witness, David Blankenhorn, who was taken apart by David Boies during cross-examination. "If you'd like to see what Rick was talking about with Blankenhorn’s demeanor, check out this video of a gay marriage debate between Evan Wolfson, of Freedom to Marry, and Mr. Blankenhorn...Keep in mind, Wolfson wasn’t cross examining him, and Boies was nowhere in site." [Link]
Waking Up Now January 24, 2010 The Prop 8 trial has showcased the anti-gay opposition repeating lies about the LGBT community being more likely to molest children. But the best cure for dishonesty is truth. We all need to be able to debunk these lies. Watch the video below citing studies and experts on the subject of child abuse: [Link]
Freedom to Marry is the gay and non-gay partnership working to win marriage equality nationwide.
We encourage dialogue with Americans thinking through the need to end discrimination in marriage, provide support to targeted state and local efforts, and promote fairness for all families, including same-sex couples and the children raised by gay parents. By working to secure equal access to marriage, we help reinforce our country's historic commitment to freedom, the pursuit of happiness, and equal justice for all.
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