Legislation to protect same-sex and interracial marriages crossed a major Senate hurdle Wednesday, putting Congress on track to take the historic step of ensuring that such unions are enshrined in federal law.
Read More: Newsmax
Tag Archives: same-sex marriage
FRENCH PROTESTANT CHURCH APPROVES GAY MARRIAGE BLESSING
France’s main Protestant church on Sunday approved a measure giving its pastors the possibility of blessing the marriage of same-sex couples, two years after France’s government legalised gay marriage.
In France the legal marriage ceremony takes place at the Mayors office beforehand, but until now a church blessing has not been possible.
The United Protestant Church of France, adopted the reform during a national synod held in the Mediterranean city of Sète meant to coincide with the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.
Ninety-four representatives of the protestant group voted in favour of the measure, with only three voting against it, a church spokesman told the press on Sunday.
“The synod has decided to go a step forward in supporting those couples by opening the possibility of holding liturgical celebrations when they are requested,” the Church leader Laurent Schlumberger said.
“It’s an option, not an obligation,” Schlumberger noted. “Every pastor and every parish is free to implement this change.”
France’s Socialist-led government legalised marriage and adoption by same-sex couples in May 2013, but the reform sparked massive protests which were led, in part, by some of the country’s most prominent Catholic institutions.
SUPREME COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF GAY MARRIAGE
The Supreme Court’s landmark decision on gay marriage today will see same-sex married couples in States who already have gay marriage, given the same constitutional rights as heterosexual couples. The case means that it is unconstitutional for the federal government to define marriage as only between a man and a woman.
The Supreme Court also dismissed California’s ban on same-sex marriage, under Proposition 8, meaning same-sex marriages conducted in California will be reinstated.
The DOMA decision split the Supreme Court down lines of liberal and conservative, with the centralist Justice Anthony Kennedy having the swing vote, on this occasion voting with the liberals.
The courts decision is seen as a reflection on the changing face of America. Within a decade Americans have gone for only 21% being in favor of same-sex marriage, at the time of George W Bush’s re-election, to 30% when President Obama first took office in 2009, and the most recent polls place support for gay marriage at 51%.
The full impact of these decisions will become apparent to ALL Americans, in the coming days and months ahead.
Read More: The Telegraph
SUPREME COURT EXPECTED TO PASS PROP 8 AND DOMA RULING TOMORROW
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It is expected that the Supreme Court will announce it’s decision on the Prop.8 and Defence of Marriage Act tomorrow morning. The Prop. 8 case will decide if California’s ban on same-sex marriage is constitutional or not. In the DOMA case law makers will decide if it is constitutional to withhold state benefits for same-sex couples who are married, whilst heterosexual couples are in receipt of them.
The two cases could in effect pave the way for same-sex marriage to be legalized nation wide. Many religious and other civil liberties groups are concerned with what the wider implications could be for free speech, if the Supreme Court rules in favour.
Read More: NBC Southern California
MAN COMMITS SUICIDE IN NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL IN PARIS, OVER GAY MARRIAGE LAWS IN FRANCE
A historian has shot himself in the head at the altar inside Notre Dame Cathedral, in central Paris. 78 year old Dominique Venner is known for his right wing publications and essays. Venner placed a letter on the altar before taking his own life. At the time he shot himself the cathedral was full of around 1500 visitors.
The historian had earlier written on his website about the French government’s decision to legalise same-sex marriage and called for “spectacular action”. He called the laws “vile” and added, “There will certainly need to be new, spectacular, symbolic gestures to shake off the sleepiness… and re-awaken the memories of our origins.
“We are reaching a time when words must be backed up with acts.”
The French government formally legalised gay marriage at the weekend, amidst protests from the Catholic church and social conservatives.
The impact of such a dramatic suicide will not be lost on the French people. Notre Dame Cathedral is a powerful symbol in France, and Interior Minister Manuel Valls said “We are fully aware of the repercussions of such an act.”
This is the second dramatic suicide in Paris within a week. A 50 year old man also committed suicide in Paris, near the Eiffel Tower. This suicide occurred inside a primary school in front of a class of traumatised children.
Read More: Sky News
PARIS RIOTS AFTER GAY MARRIAGE VOTE
Police fought running battles with protesters in central Paris last night after the French parliament approved legislation authorising same-sex couples to marry and to adopt children.
The vote, which made France the fourteenth country in the world to legalise gay marriage, was hailed by supporters as an epoch-defining commitment to equality. But it sparked fury among opponents.
As protest marches turned violent, stones, bottles and iron bars rained down on riot police units brought in to protect parliament.
FRANCE LEGALIZES SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
The French parliament have voted today to legalize same-sex marriage. The bill was passed 331-225, and it is thought weddings could begin as early as June.
The vote was almost a foregone conclusion given that parliament has a Socialist majority, who along with their allies the Green party, had been pushing for the bill. President Hollande made same-sex marriage a key manifesto promise in last year’s election.
However, the nation is deeply divided over the bill, with mass rallies in Paris over the last few weeks. The protests are expected to continue, as they seek to convince President Hollande not to sign the bill into law, or to remove the part of it, which currently will see gay couples given the right to adopt.
The leader of the right leaning party UMP has promised another large scale demonstration in Paris on May 26th, with UMP leader Jean-François Copé wanting to send a “message of very strong disapproval to the government.”
This morning, before the vote it was reported that, Claude Bartolone, president of the lower house, received a package containing gunpowder and a note saying, “Citizen Bartolone, with this letter we formally ask you to delay the vote on same-sex marriage…Our methods are more radical and direct than demonstrations. You wanted war, you’ve got it.” The message was sent by the group calling themselves Interaction of the Forces of Order.
PARIS TO SEE LARGE SCALE PROTESTS AGAINST SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BILL
Tens of thousands are expected to take to the street of Paris today to protest against the government’s bill to legalise same-sex marriage and gay adoption.
The parliament are expected to pass the bill on Tuesday. The bill was one of President Hollande’s key manifesto promises.
This latest protest is expected to see between 30,000 to 50,000 protesters converge on the streets of Paris; a similar rally in March saw around 300,000 people attend.
Protesters are angered by the way the government has pushed the bill through parliament, using a fast track procedure, which means the bill has only received 25 hours of debate.
Another protest is planned for May 26th, to demand the bill be withdrawn and a referendum called on same-sex marriage.
DOMA – WHAT IS YOUR OPINION?
Over the last 2 days, the Supreme Court have heard the arguments for and against the Defense of Marriage Act, 1996, which currently defines marriage as between one man and one woman.
The main issues raised in the Supreme Court this week touched on the role of individual State decisions to allow gay marriage, (so far in 9 States), and the 1100 federal laws which affect all States and define marriage in the traditional way.
If federal law redefines “marriage”, what happens in the 41 States who have voted against same sex marriage?
Would they be forced to accept it? The majority have not yet decided…..
Therefore, the argument to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act, seen as the “problem” area in terms of the law, became the central issue.
The question raised by the judges were essentially, “How can we get around this definition, to embrace all “types” of marriage so they are all treated the same under the law”.
Simple: If this is about money/taxes and benefits – which the court case seemed to be saying – then call “marriage” between a man and a woman “marriage” and any other type of union a “civil partnership” within the DOMA definition. Add those words to the federal law and it’s done.
But isn’t it instead about the longer term consequences on our society, to change it beyond recognition?
…are we allowed to say “No” or “lets just wait and see” without offending somebody? Do we have a choice?
Consider this;
1. If marriage is redefined, where will it stop? If the criteria is sexual orientation based, rather than biological (one man/ one woman), other groups who think differently about marriage could demand “equal rights”.
For example: Could marriage then become legal between one man and two or more woman, as in Muslim societies? Could they bring a challenge under Sharia Law regarding marriage in the US in States which have strong Muslim communities?
2. Lesbian, gay, transgender relationships, are very new to society compared to the traditional marriage set up as defined for hundreds of years. Children are secure in families and parents try to protect them from minority group influence they may disagree with.
Events such as the Folsom Street Fair, which allows all those with “different” ideas of sexual deviance, to display their “affections” in public. Psychologists are now suggesting pedophilia is becoming likened to homosexuality. These developments of “freedom of expression” could become common-place in our local communities as “normal” behavior.
Will those who disagree with the same-sex marriage ruling now be penalized if they don’t comply? Will church Pastors who disagree be sued if they don’t marry same-sex couples? This has already happened in parts of Canada.
Most of the push toward gay marriage began in San Francisco and so it is not surprising that the challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act started with Proposition 8, (the ruling of the people banning same-sex marriage) being challenged from California.
After World War II the US military dropped off it’s embarrassing gay recruits in San Francisco around Haight & Ashbury. At the same time the Hindu invasion lead by the Beatles and several Yogis entered our society. It is important to note here, this was all happening right after the fall of Hitler and his friend the Dalai Lama.
This was a spiritual invasion into western society that very few understand, but everything we are seeing is exactly what happened in Germany before “Nazi” Germany… it too was a “spiritual” invasion of these eastern deities.. This level of Occult is exactly WHY China kicked the Dalai Lama out and indeed fights anyone to this day, who promotes him.. but that’s another story.
Today in this same region of San Francisco it is normal to see naked people walking the streets in bondage and live anal sex acts performed for a world audience all streamed live to subscribers, being created and broadcast from the San Francisco Armory. NOTE: the court, government buildings and the federal reserve are all in the same neighborhood, and those who work in them, live work and play with their neighbors. Yes indeed this government sold the San Francisco Armory to the sex bondage company and were/are very aware of what they are doing in these “Upper Room” sexual debauchery events.
It is also important to note that during Arnold Schwarzenegger reign as Governor of California, Maria Shriver, under the tutelage of the Dalai Lama was brought in to influence “Woman’s Groups” and indeed first hand accounts of Maria putting the screws to Arnold, to sign Gay marriage or else… Once he did, and was no longer Governor, Maria let it fly about the child Arnold had 10 years prior and divorced to gain 250 million dollars to further invest in setting up his un-holinessines the Dalai Lama as the new Pope of the world…but this too is another story.
Harvey Milk, played by Sean Penn, was a close friend of the infamous Jim Jones, who used his sexual christian cult and black followers, to indeed, vote and re-vote, by busing them around to different precincts, getting elected those who would block the feds from investigating him. Harvey Milk indeed diverted a federal investigation away from Jim Jones. What bed fellows? forgive the pun, but facts are facts.
Their focus were “Seats of Power”, Government, San Francisco Supreme Court, and Media Manhattan New York.
Important to note that despite the good citizens of California striking down gay marriage, out of San Francisco Supreme Court the Gay judge, involved with his neighbors and friends, as described above, over turned millions of voters in favor of the sexual deviance coming out of his neighborhood, to indeed affect the entire world.
Fox recently asked “Why do the muslims hate us?” Could it be the immorality we push via our media to an unsuspecting world?
Marriage as an institution has already suffered at the hands of historical social “norms”. In western society today we are reaping the legacy of the “progressive” 70’s and 80’s era of drug addiction and sex outside of marriage, with abortion used as the latest form of birth control today. Where does someone’s moral opinion count?
Who is paying the price? Our children of course !
The court mentioned that this was very much in the experimental stage – to see the affects long term requires a 40 year span of time before the affects on children and family could be measured effectively.
So,…..will we see more mentally mixed up and abused children grabbing guns and mass shootings? Who can tell…
Where is the nurturing mother in a sodomite male on male union who adopt children? Nature made women nurturers……so how will this work?
Our future generations are at stake, and therefore the Supreme Courts decision will be life changing for us all .
3. The country is already in crisis from a financial recession and on the verge of breakdown – Has the cost of this decision really been calculated?
In financial terms – who will pay the extra benefits and cover the loss of revenue, if this opens the floodgates for every “type” of “challenge” to federal law, decided by a minority group?
Note: California is on the verge of collapse and it is the largest economy in the USA. Depending on how this case goes, it could take California over the edge…
Has the cost been counted?
Isn’t this case about more than discrimination to a minority group who wish to achieve benefits for themselves?
Isn’t the real issue brought before the Supreme Court fundamentality challenging the solid principles of our society?
Legal discussions take no account of the implications on our society in general, because they decide on the individual outcome on a case by case basis usually. However, with the DOMA question, their vital decision will rule over the desires of ALL individual States, (the majority of whom have not embraced gay marriage), and shows clearly that the Law will not protect our nation from erosion and harm, where moral or spiritual issues are at stake. Let us hope they make a decision for the greater good, rather than just the legal dilemma brought before them.
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT? – DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT V FIFTH AMENDMENT OF CONSTITUTION
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This week in Washington DC, the United States Supreme Court will hear arguments on Tuesday 26th and Wednesday March 27, for and against the Defense of Marriage Act 1996 (DOMA) and Proposition 8 in 2 separate cases, before 9 Supreme Court Judges, who will listen to 50 minutes of arguments from both sides and then make a final decision over the coming months.
Tuesday 26th – at 10am – Hollingsworth v Perry, which is the California Marriage Proposition 8 discussion, brought by the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER).
Wednesday 27th – at 10am – Windsor v. United States brought by the ACLU, and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison LLP with super lawyer Roberta Kaplan from their New York office leading the arguments.
For more information about Windsor click here
The Gay, & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders group (GLAD), located in Boston, MA, under the direction of Civil Rights Project Director Mary L. Bonauto, have coordinated the amicus strategy, (meaning sympathisers of the strategy write to support the legal case arguments), for the challenge to DOMA in the Supreme Court.
Essentially the arguments will revolve around the Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA), which is being challenged in separate individual cases as not standing up to higher scrutiny, and therefore controversial to the principles of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution on equal rights and protection under the law.
The Fifth Amendment has an explicit requirement that the Federal Government not deprive individuals of “life, liberty, or property,” without due process of the law and an implicit guarantee that each person receive equal protection of the laws”.
The challenge appears to have been brought as a result of cases where gay and lesbian individuals have not had the same protection under the law as married heterosexual couples, in the event of death of a partner and their right to inherit their estate.
On Tuesday morning, lawyers will present their arguments challenging the constitutionality of California’s ban on same-sex marriage for support/opposition of Proposition 8 in the case of Hollingsworth v Perry.
On Wednesday morning lawyers for Windsor v United States will argue before the 9 Supreme Court Justices on the brief:
“Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) defines the term “marriage” for all purposes under federal law, including the provision of federal benefits, as “only a legal union between one man and one wom- an as husband and wife.” 1 U.S.C. 7. It similarly defines the term “spouse” as “a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife.” Ibid.
The question presented is:
Whether Section 3 of DOMA violates the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection of the laws as applied to persons of the same sex who are legally married under the laws of their state.
The Justices final decision is expected in June, though some opinion is expected by their initial private vote this Friday.
GLAD has two other challenges to DOMA, Gill v. OPM and Pedersen v. OPM, which will be held pending a ruling on Windsor.
US SUPREME COURT TO HEAR PROP 8 AND DEFENCE OF MARRIAGE CASES THIS WEEK IN WASHINGTON D.C.
This week the US Supreme Court will begin to hear the cases of the Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA) in Washington D.C.
On Wednesday March 27th, the court will begin to hear the case as to the constitutionality of DOMA. The 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act’s Section 3. The Act’s pertinent part, reads as follows:
In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of the various administrative bureaus and agencies of the United States, the word ‘marriage’ means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word ‘spouse’ refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife.
DOMA HISTORY
The court will begin to hear the case of Prop 8 on March 27th.
UK PARLIAMENT VOTES TO LEGALIZE GAY MARRIAGE
The House of Commons, in London, voted today to legalise same-sex marriage. The Prime Minister won the vote with a comfortable margin of 400 to 175 against. The bill will now pass to the House of Lords, where it is expected to face stiffer opposition.
The bill has divided David Cameron’s Conservative party, with more than half of his own MPs voting against the bill, and the Prime Minister relying on support from the Liberal Democrats and Labour to win the vote.
Although the bill is likely to face a tougher challenge in the Lords, it is predicted that the bill will become law, by May.
SAME-SEX MARRIAGE PASSES FIRST PARLIAMENTARY VOTE IN FRANCE
Lawmakers in France passed the first part of the Marriage Equality Bill today. They voted on the most controversial article of the bill which redefines marriage as an agreement between two people of the same or opposite sex. The article was passed with an overwhelming majority of 249-97.
The Marriage Equality Bill also seeks to grant same-sex couples equal adoption rights as heterosexual couples.
Over the Channel in Britain, parliament is also set to debate gay marriage next week. The UK government are keen to legalise same-sex marriage, and are expected to win the vote this week. However, the bill will face stiffer opposition in the House of Lords. A final vote in the Commons is expected in May.
IT IS CLAIMED DAVID CAMERON’S WIFE IS “DRIVING FORCE” BEHIND GAY MARRIAGE PUSH IN THE UK
As British Prime Minister David Cameron continues to push ahead with his government’s plans to legalise same-sex marriage in the UK, many in his party are feeling alienated. The majority of grass roots Conservatives are opposed to the plan.
A minister has now suggested the driving force behind the policy is the Prime Minister’s wife, Samantha Cameron.
Mrs Cameron is the daughter of a baronet, and is known for her socially liberal views. She is said to be horrified by the socially conservative views of America’s Republicans.
The suggestion came out, at the same time as Mandrake asked David Cameron’s mother why her son was so determined to go ahead with a policy, that so many conservatives are opposed to. Mary Cameron, a former Justice of the Peace, replied, “I know, but David just won’t be told.”