Movement toward same-sex marriage (SSM), LGBT equality etc.

2013-MAY: Accelerating steps towards
same-sex marriage (SSM), LGBT equality etc.

Sponsored link.

We use the acronym "SSM" throughout this section to represent "same-sex marriage"
We use the acronym "LGBT" to refer to lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender persons
and transsexuals. The acronym "LGB" refers to lesbians, gays, and bisexuals.

See also the previous essay describing events during late 2013-APR

• 2013-MAY-02: RI: Same-sex marriage comes to Rhode Island: The House passed the SSM bill with a vote of 56 to 15. Fifty-five Democrats and 1 Republican voted for the bill. 3 Republicans and 12 Democrats voted against the bill. Three Democrats and 1 Republican did not vote. When the results were posted, cheers broke out from observers in the House galleries and representatives on the floor of the House. Legislators broke out into a singing of "My Country, 'Tis of Thee." Very shortly thereafter, Governor Chafee (I) publicly signed the bill on the south steps outside the House. Same-sex couples will be able to pick up their marriage licenses on 2013-AUG-01. Rhode Island thus became the 10th state to attain marriage equality.

  Those couples who have entered into a civil union in Rhode Island will have the choice of remaining in a civil union or marrying. No future civil unions will be performed. More details.

• 2013-MAY-07: DE: Same sex marriage comes to Delaware: House Bill HB 75 had earlier been introduced to the Legislature, passed by a House committee, by the full House, and by a Senate committee. The Senate commenced debate on the bill on MAY-07 at about 2 PM local time. The roll call commenced at 5:07 PM. Results were 12 Yes and 9 No. The bill passed. The governor signed the bill into law less than an hour after the Senate vote was completed, saying: "I do not intend to make any of you wait one moment longer." Delaware thus became the 11th state to attain marriage equality, only five days after Rhode Island. More details.
  
  
• 2013-MAY-08: USA: Bethany Blankley writing in The Christian Post predicts promising near-term future for SSM: Blankley wrote:

  "With Delaware legalizing gay marriage yesterday, the total number of states to now legally recognize such unions is eleven, nearly doubling the number of states in which same-sex marriage was legal last year.

  Delaware joined its neighbor Maryland and nearby District of Columbia as jurisdictions that have recently approved same-sex marriage. Last week, Rhode Island became the 10th state to allow gay and lesbian couples to wed. Independent Governor Lincoln Chafee signed the bill within an hour after the bill passed, as a chorus sang "Chapel of Love" and crowds cheered.

  To date, 37 states ban same-sex marriage through constitutional amendments or legislative initiatives, while New Jersey and New Mexico neither ban nor permit same-sex marriage.

  Eyes now turn to California, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Oregon, as these states stand poised to override voter mandates at the ballot through legislation. ₁

• 2013-MAY-09: MN: Same-sex marriage bill is considered by the Minnesota Legislature: Earlier, a Senate committee, and a House committee had passed a bill to implement marriage equality. On MAY-09, it arrived in the House where it was amended so that the text made it clear that it referred to "civil marriages" and not "religious marriages." It contained the usual clause granting immunity to clergy and congregations so that they could freely discriminate against the LGBT community by refusing to marry their loving, committed couples. The amendment extended this immunity to organizations like the Knights of Columbus who are affiliated with religious groups.
  
  The bill passed comfortably with a vote of 75 to 59: Four Republicans and 71 Democrats voted for the bill. Two Democrats and 57 Republicans voted against the bill. A vote in the Senate is scheduled for MAY-13. The governor has committed to sign it into law if it arrives on his desk. More details.

  Commenting on the attainment of marriage equality in recent weeks by both Rhode Island and Delaware, an editorial in the Star Tribune stated:

  "Minnesotans should be proud to be in such good company. It speaks volumes about our sense of fairness to be among the pioneering states on this important equal-rights issue."

• 2013-MAY-13: MN: Same-sex marriage bill is passed by the Minnesota Senate: During a debate lasting a little over three hours, Senators presented the familiar arguments for and against marriage equality -- generally in a surprisingly sympathetic, caring manner. All of the speakers seemed to be aware of, and humbled by, the watershed decision they were about to make. The gallery of the Senate chamber was packed. Capitol staff members lined the wall at the back of the Senate chamber. More details.

  The vote was taken at approximately 3:15 PM local time. It was 37 in favor vs. 30 opposed. Only one Republican voted for the bill. The bill was passed. The bill lacks only the governor's signature to make Minnesota the 12th state -- and the 13th political jurisdiction when the District of Columbia is added -- to have achieved marriage equality. Minnesota will probably be the third state in day to have achieved marriage equality, after 2 Rhode Island on MAY-02, and Delaware on MAY-07.

• 2013-MAY-14: Brazil makes it 14 countries with SSM: Brazil's National Council of Justice ruled that notaries public must perform same-sex marriages, register same-sex marriages performed elsewhere, and convert same-sex civil unions into marriages when requested. This decision effectively legalizes same-sex marriages across the country effective MAY-16, making Brazil the 14th country to do so. ₄
  
  
• 2013-MAY-16: Fox News' coverage of marriage equality: During May, a unique event occurred in the drive towards equality by the LGBT community: three states legalized same-sex marriage: Rhode Island, Delaware and Minnesota. Media Matters monitored the news coverage of these events and found:
  • Rhode Island: MSNBC discussed the event for 10 minutes, 27 seconds; CNN for 1 minute, 6 seconds; Fox News for 16 seconds.
  • Delaware: MSNBC discussed the event for 1 minute, 52 seconds; CNN for 57 seconds; Fox News did not mention it at all.
  • Minnesota: MSNBC discussed the event for 37 minutes, 31 seconds; CNN for 2 minutes, 4 seconds; Fox News for 44 seconds. ₂
    
    
• 2013-MAY-17: France: The Constitutional Court in France determined that the law to allow same-sex couples to marry and adopt is valid.
  
  
• 2013-MAY-18: France: President Francois Hollande signed the bill into law that the Parliament had passed in April. France became the 15th country to legalize SSM, The law becomes in effect ten days after signing, on MAY-28. More details.
  
  
• 2013-MAY-20: USA: Gallup's annual Values and Beliefs Survey issued: Gallup asked whether a list of 20 activities "in general" are "morally acceptable or morally wrong". The largest percentage change between 2001 and 2013 has been "Gay and lesbian relations"which increased from 40% to 59% -- an average increase of 1.5 percentage points per year. At this rate, the ratio of acceptability to immoral will reach 2 to 1 by mid-2018. The morality of same-gender sexual relations is now on a par with having a baby outside of marriage, buying and wearing clothing made of animal fur, and medical testing on animals. ₃
  
  
• 2013-MAY-23: USA: The 1,400 members of the Boy Scouts of America's (BSA) National Council voted today by a very comfortable margin of 61% to 38% to terminate the BSA's existing discriminatory policy against gay youth. That policy resembled the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy that was abandoned in 2011-SEP. The new BSA policy will allow gay youth to join the organization and stay in it until they become adults. On their 18th birthday, they will be expelled. More details.
  
  
• 2013-MAY-23: NV: The Assembly passes Bill SJR 13 by a wide margin. This is the first step towards appealing the clause in the state constitution that bans same-sex marriage. SJR 13 has to be passed again in 2015 before a referendum can be scheduled for 2016. If the referendum is passed by the voters, then marriage equality will be achieved in the state.

  If current polling data trends continue, then the margin between public's support and opposition will probably have widened by another 10 percentage points, so the referendum's passage is almost certain.

• 2013-MAY-24 (approx.) DC: Hate group VP suggests possible armed attack on the LGBT community: Kenyn Cureton is the Vice President for Church Ministries at the Family Research Council (FRC) The FRC is included on a list of active anti-gay hate groups maintained by the Southern Poverty Law Center. _6,7 Cureton lectured on the evils of homosexuality at a recent "Watchmen on the Walls" pastors' conference sponsored by the FRC. According to a blog by John M Becker, Cureton told the pastors that they need to start a new "spiritual revolution" to fight against LGBT equality. He said:

  "Some might ask, 'Are you calling for armed conflict?' No I’m not. Not yet." ₈

  One interpretation of his comment is that the FRC realizes that it is losing the battle trying to maintain the LGBT community in an oppressed, unequal state. They might have to resort to assassinations. Once they abandon persuasion and even consider genocide they have lost all moral leadership, and their cause is lost.

• 2013-MAY-28: Scotland: The Marriage & Civil Partnerships Bill is to be introduced to the Scottish parliament during 2013-JUN.
  
  
• 2013-MAY-29: France: Vincent Autin and Bruno Boileau became the first same-sex couple to marry under France's new marriage law. 500 guests attended the ceremony. 200 journalists covered the wedding. See the menu.
  
  
• 2013-MAY-29: The movie "Blue is the Warmest Color" won the top prize, the Palme d'Or, at the Cannes Film Festival. It is called "La Vie d'Adele: Chapitre 1 & 2 in France. It involves the developing intimate love story between two lesbians, and is the first film that involves a same-sex relationship to win this prize. It may be difficult to find in the U.S. because it will probably receive the dreaded NC-17 rating because of its many explicit love scenes. Many movie theatres will not show films with that rating and many newspapers will not carry advertisements for them.
  
  
• 2013-MAY-31: IL: Debate and a vote on a same-sex marriage bill were expected today in the Illinois House -- the last day of the legislative session. Apparently, there were not quite enough to assure passage of the bill. It is expected to be resurrected in November. The Governor is anxious to sign it into law. If the bill becomes law, it would make Illinois the 13th U.S. state to legalize SSM. See the menu.

See events during 2013-JUN

References used:

The following information source was used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlink is not necessarily still active today.

1. Bethany Blankley, "With Delaware, Gay Marriage Now Legal in 11 States; Five More Likely to Follow," The Christian Post, 2013-MAY-08, at: http://www.christianpost.com/
2. "REPORT: Fox News Spent One Minute Covering Marriage Equality In Three States," Media Matters, 2013-MAY-15, at: http://mediamatters.org/
3. Frank Newport and Igor Himelfarb, "In U.S., Record-High Say Gay, Lesbian Relations Morally OK," Gallup Politics, 2013-MAY-20, at: http://www.gallup.com/poll/
4. Julie Deisher, "Brazil justice council effectively legalizes same-sex marriage," Jurist, at: http://jurist.org/
5. "Championing Pastors to transform America," Family Research Council, 2013, at: http://www.watchmenpastors.org/
6. "Intelligence Files: Family Research Council," Southern Poverty Law Center, 2013, at: http://www.splcenter.org/
7. "Intelligence Report, "18 anti-gay groups and their propaganda," Southern Poverty Law Center, Winter 2010, Issue #140, at: http://www.splcenter.org
8. John M. Becker, "Chilling: Hate group leader says we don't need armed anti-LGBT revolution 'Yet'," 2013-MAY-31, at: http://www.johnmbecker.com/

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Copyright © 2013 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance.
First posted: 2013-MAY-02
Latest update: 2013-JUN-04
Author: B.A. Robinson

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