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Content about Marriage Equality USA

May 2, 2013
Delaware State Senate to vote on gay marriage bill next week

Bill has already passed House and Governor Jack Markell has promised to sign into law

Delaware could become the 11th state in the US to legalize gay marriage when its State Senate votes on a marriage equality bill next week.

A committee on Wednesday (1 May) voted to send the bill on to the full Senate for a vote. Senate passage is likely since that legislative body is dominated by Democrats 13-8.

Governor Jack Markell stated last month that he will sign marriage equality into law if it passed both houses of the legislature.

April 23, 2013
Delaware House of Reps approves gay marriage bill

Legislation now goes to State Senate for consideration

The Delaware House of Representatives on Tuesday (23 April) voted 23-18 to pass a marriage equality bill that now moves on to the State Senate for consideration.

Senate passage should be promising since that legislative body is dominated by Democrats 13-8.

Governor Jack Markell stated earlier this month that he will sign marriage equality into law if it passed both houses of the legislature.

April 8, 2013
Support for gay marriage rises across all US states

Same-sex marriage has become more widely accepted across the US in the last year.

Support for marriage equality has grown across all 50 US states over the past eight years, a new report has found.

Published by the UCLA's Williams Institute, 'Public Support for Marriage for Same-Sex Couples by State', it found with an average increase of 13.6%. 

March 29, 2013
Rights groups to challenge Northern Ireland's gay marriage ban

The Rainbow Project and Amnesty International warn Northern Ireland’s government that it will face court action if it continues to ban same-sex marriage

Amnesty International in partnership with a local LGBT group warned that Northern Ireland's power-sharing government will soon face a human rights legal case over its continual refusal to legalize marriage equality.

In October 2012 members of Northern Ireland's Stormont assembly rejected a motion by the Greens and Sinn Féin to legalize marriage equality.

March 14, 2013
Global medical students forum backs marriage equality

A global meeting of medical student associations has backed marriage equality at a conference in Baltimore in what may be the first time that a global body has voted to support the rights of same-sex couples to marry

The International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) has endorsed a policy statement in favor of marriage equality at its global conference in Baltimore, Maryland.

The conference voted to support a motion put forward by the Australian Medical Students Association (AMSA).

AMSA president Ben Veness presented the ‘Marriage Equality and Health’ policy statement to the IFMSA General Assembly in Baltimore.

March 5, 2013
Poll reveals Delaware backs gay marriage

Poll result show a large majority of Delaware residents back marriage equality

Delaware residents favor a legislation enacting marriage equality by a large marjority, according to a new poll commissioned by Equality Denver.

The poll, conducted on behalf of Equality Denver by polling firm Global Strategy Group, found a clear over-all majority in the small east coast state.

A clear majority of Delaware residents (54%) support the legalizing gay marriage, while 37% oppose it.

Support was even higher amongst Democrats (65%) and independents (61%).

March 1, 2013
Support for gay marriage among Californians is now highest in state history

New poll shows 61% now favor marriage equality in the state that passed Proposition 8

A new poll released today shows a record 61% of California voters now approve of gay marriage.

The results come just four years ago after voters in the state passed Proposition 8, a ballot measure that made same-sex marriage illegal in California. The law is being challenged in a case before the US Supreme Court next month.

The latest Field Poll results are a dramatic reversal in public opinion since the first gay marriage poll in the state in 1977. At that time, just 28% favored marriage equality while 59% were against it.

January 27, 2013
Hundreds of thousands protest for gay marriage in France

Hundreds of thousands protestors have gathered for a mass rally to support marriage equality in Paris, France

Initial estimates indicate that over 250,000 people gathered at the opening of the rally which is expected to reach much bigger numbers by the end of the afternoon, say rally organizers.

Tens of thousands of participants have also been reported in other French cities, such as Lyon and Montpellier.

January 23, 2013
Scotland politician resigns over gay marriage

Scottish National Party official quits over the party's leadership support of gay marriage

Andrew Walker has left the Scottish National Party (SNP) stating the one of the reasons was Alex Salmond’s, Scotland’s First Minister and party leader, support of gay marriage.

Walker who resigned also resigned from his post as secretary of the SNP branch in the Western Isles, said that the party's and Salmond’s support of marriage equality ignores Scotland’s ‘majority views’.

December 15, 2012
Illinois next to move on marriage equality

Two Illinois lawmakers have announced that they will move a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in the state following comments by state Governor Pat Quinn that he would like to sign marriage equality into law in the state as soon as January

Illinois looks set to become the next US state to legalize same-sex marriage, with two Democratic lawmakers announcing they will put forward a bill to create marriage equality in the state in 2013.

The move by Senator Heather Steans and Representative Greg Harris follows comments by Illinois state Governor Pat Quinn that he would like to see marriage equality legislation passed in the state as soon as January next year.

November 26, 2012
Human Rights Campaign's Chad Griffin outlines next steps in US gay marriage battle

'We still have a lot of work to do but the momentum is on our side'

It's been nearly three weeks since three US states made history by passing marriage equality laws through a vote of the people.

Now Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, is looking to other US states to add to the nine where same-sex couples can get married.

November 18, 2012
Anti-marriage rights group’s funding drops by a third

The leading group fighting same-sex marriage in the US may be a spent force financially after it spent millions in a financial year where donations to it dropped by 32 percent

The leading group campaigning against the rights of same-sex attracted Americans to marry has revealed that donations to the group dropped by 32 percent in the financial year leading up to US elections where it spent more than it raised.

In financial year 2011-2012 the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) raised only $6.2 million – down nearly $3 million on its funds raised in financial year 2010-2011.

Three quarters of that $6.2 million came from just two donors.

November 7, 2012
Gay couples can now marry in Maryland

State of Maryland approves same-sex marriage on a public ballot

Maryland says ‘I do’ to marriage equality after a public referendum.

Victory for marriage equality campaigners was declared in Maryland with 57.9% of the public vote in favour and 42.1% against, according to Politico.

October 19, 2012
Marriage equality advocates send message to Tasmanian legislator

Rally outside office of independent MLC Adriana Taylor in Hobart, Tasmania today

Tasmanian marriage equality supporters protested outside the office of a legislator who voted against a same-sex marriage law last month.

A marriage equality bill was narrowly defeated in the Tasmanian upper house on 27 September, when eight members of the legislative council (MLCs) opposed the bill to six who supported it.

October 9, 2012
See Jesse Tyler Ferguson sing marriage equality song

Tune lists the states in the US that allow gay marriage - it's a short song

Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Emmy nominated this year for his role on ABC's Modern Family, delighted the crowd at the Human Rights Campaign dinner on Saturday (6 October) in Washington DC with his spirited little song about marriage equality.

He sang: 'These are the states with marriage equality: Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont.'

Then he added: 'Second verse, same as the first.'

But after repeating the verse, he was able to add, with great flourish: 'Washington DC -eeeeeeeeeeeeeee.'

September 4, 2012
Scottish plan same-sex marriage bill in next 12 months

The Scottish parliament is likely to debate gay marriage equality within the next parliamentary session, First Minister Alex Salmond has announced

The Scottish government is due to debate same-sex marriage equality within their 2012 to 2013 session, it has been announced.

It will be part of a package of 15 bills brought forward to the Holyrood chamber in Edinburgh over the next 12 months.

First Minister Alex Salmond has just announced details of his legislative program for the next year and paved the way for a referendum in 2014 on Scottish independence from Britain.

Same-sex marriage equality will also be brought forward in a Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill.

August 23, 2012
Australian Senate debates marriage equality

Australian senators have held a debate on same-sex marriage but the chances of success for a bill remains unclear

A short debate on marriage equality in the Australian Senate has been held but has failed to shed light on the prospects if a vote is held on the issue, with only four senators speaking during the allotted time.

First to speak was the bill’s author, Greens party Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who told the parliament that the bill had been amended to further address the concerns of religious opponents who feared that they would be made to solemnize marriages that weren’t in accordance with their faith.

August 23, 2012
Gay marriage poll suggests many people don’t care

A poll created by Conservative peer Lord Ashcroft suggests 75% of British people will vote for parties who support marriage equality

A large amount of British people are indifferent or even oblivious to the gay marriage issue, according to a poll published on Wednesday (22 August).

Influential Conservative peer Lord Ashcroft created the poll to dismiss claims Prime Minister David Cameron’s decision to push ahead with marriage equality would cost him votes at the next election.

According to the polling data, around 31% of respondents were opposed to gay marriage but within that third of the population only 12% said it would affect their vote.

August 19, 2012
Catholic cardinal snubs talks with Scottish government due to gay marriage

Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic cleric, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, is suspending direct talks with the Scottish government

Britain's most senior Catholic, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, is now refusing to talk to Scottish ministers in protest about their plans for gay marriage equality.

According to the BBC, the cardinal made this decision following the Scottish government support for the introduction of same-sex marriage and ahead of the resumption of parliamentary session in September.

August 16, 2012
Heartbreaking gay marriage video set to go viral

Love Is Love tells the story of a lifetime of two women in love and already has thousands of views

A new marriage equality video, which already has thousands of views, is set to go viral.

‘Love is Love’, posted last Sunday (12 August), was inspired by an Australian advert which has over six million views on YouTube.

Creator of ‘Love Is Love’ Amanda Deibert said she was inspired by the hit marriage equality video from GetUp! and its first-person camera view.

Deibert’s video tells the story of a lifetime of two people in love, from living together to raising a child, and ends at the point where all couples have to part.

August 12, 2012
Democrats add marriage equality to national platform

The US Democrats have added marriage equality to their party’s national platform and have pledged to give the same federal benefits to married same-sex couples as married heterosexuals

The United States’ Democratic Party has added marriage equality to its national platform after it was endorsed by the party’s platform committee on Saturday and has called for the federal government to provide the same benefits to married same-sex couples as it does opposite sex married couples.

The committee was meeting in Detroit and endorsed a draft of the platform which had been put together by a working group two weeks ago in Minneapolis.

August 11, 2012
Australian states revolt on marriage equality

The state South Australia looks set to become the second Australian state to legalize same-sex marriage while the territory that houses the Australian capital will restore official ceremonies to its civil unions scheme

A second Australian state government has announced it will move to legalize same-sex marriage at a state level on a day that thousands of protestors marched in cities all over the country calling on federal parliamentarians to deliver on reform.

At a rally in the South Australian capital of Adelaide, state Labor Party leader and premier Jay Weatherill declared his government would support a Greens party bill legalizing same-sex marriages at a state level.

‘I support the principle of marriage equality,’ Weatherill told a cheering crowd of protesters.

August 9, 2012
Comedian Skylar Stone protests Chick-fil-A by making out with another straight guy

Raising Hpe co-star makes statement with video called Chicken With a Side of Hate

Skyler Stone is best known for his role on the Fox comedy Raising Hope.

Now he can become known as an activist for LGBT equality with this new video called Chicken With a Side of Hate.

Stone recruited fellow comedian Mike Smith for this video where this pair of straight pals head to a Chick-fil-A and have a big, sloppy make out session to protest the chain’s stance against gay marriage and millions of dollars in donations to anti-gay organizations.

August 9, 2012
Gay marriage rallies across Australia on Saturday

Advocates are turning to people power as latest poll shows highest support for gay marriage yet

Advocates for gay marriage in Australia are calling on supporters to gather in cities across the nation on Saturday to call on politicians not to leave the country behind.

Australia is the only country in the English-speaking developed world where both the head of the government and the leader of the opposition are against same-sex marriage.

August 7, 2012
US marriage campaign leader speaks in Sydney

The leader of US national campaign group Freedom to Marry told GSN the story of how the fight for marriage equality had begun in the US, where it will be going in the year to come, and why we will win in the end

US civil rights lawyer Evan Wolfson spoke to a packed room at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, on Tuesday night about the progression of the struggle for LGBT marriage rights in the United States, and the lessons that struggle has for other countries around the world.