Ask Attorney General Candidates to Fight DOMA

Defend The Law has launched a petition campaign asking all of the 2010 candidates for New York Attorney General if they will pledge to sue the federal government to overturn DOMA, as is being done by Massachusetts AG Martha Coakley.

Tell the candidates for NY Attorney General that overturning DOMA should be a priority.

State Senator Eric Schneiderman (D): (212) 242-5301, friends@schneiderman.org

State Assemblyman Richard Brodsky (D): (914) 332-4940, campaign@richardbrodsky.com

Eric Dinallo (D): (212) 944-9640, info@ericdinallo.com

Sean Coffey (D): (212) 557-6100, seancoffey@coffey2010.com

Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan (R): (718) 876-6300, info@dandonovan.org

H/T to Joe My God.

Tell Congress that Nixing DOMA is about Cutting Taxes!

Today is April 15th, tax day in the United States and thousands are rushing and worried making sure they complete their forms on time. Same-sex couples though have more to worry about than the average American family because tax inequity is a financial burden on millions of LGBT families because of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

Same-sex couples are unable to file joint tax returns and must check off the single category because the federal government does not honor their relationships even for those legally married. This means that LGBT people will not receive inheritance benefits, divorce settlements, medicaid survivor benefits, social security benefits, and pension benefits from their partners.



Contact your congressperson and senators and tell them to support the Respect for Families Act which would repeal DOMA.

Tell Congress to Support the Respect for Marriage Act

It’s official — the Respect for Marriage Act has been introduced and now it’s time to repeal the discriminatory “Defense of Marriage Act.”

Go to www.RepealDOMAnow.org and tell your member of Congress to join on as a co-sponsor.

Crossposted via Burning Or Building Bridges in the Community.

Act to Repeal DOMA Now

Legislation to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) may be introduced in the House of Representatives as early as next week. We must ensure that the President, congress, and our senate leaders speak out and co-sponsor a repeal of this discriminatory legislation. DOMA denies same-sex couples from receiving federal benefits, even in states where marriages, civil unions, and domestic partnerships are legally sanctioned.

The momentum is on our side with the recent slide of victories in favor of equality, the time is now with a more progressive majority in place to eliminate DOMA.

Go to www.repealDOMAnow.org and join in the campaign for equal rights for all families.

Student Led National Marriage Boycott Gains Steam

The National Marriage Boycott is a student-driven movement to urge Congress to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). DOMA states that the federal government may not treat same-sex relationships as marriages for any purposes, limiting the rights and scope of same-sex marriages in states that allow them.

Participants boycott marriage by signing the online pledge, wearing an equality ring, vowing not to marry, and by organizing and recruiting new members. New chapters are being created weekly including ones being currently organized at UCLA, UCSB, Florida State University, San Diego High School, and Williams College.

Learn more and join the movement at National Marriage Boycott.

AG Richard Blumenthal Urged To Defend State Law: Marriage Equality

Massachusetts became the 1st state to sue the U.S. government on July 8, 2009 over the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which denies married same-sex couples all 1,138 federal marriage benefits. Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley contends in the lawsuit that DOMA “constitutes an overreaching and discriminatory federal law.” You can view the full complaint here.

Marriage Equality has also been the law of the land in Connecticut since November 12, 2008. The Attorney General of Connecticut, Richard Blumenthal, states prominently on his website, “As the public’s lawyer, I am here to defend state laws.” Since marriage equality is indeed the law in Connecticut, we strongly urge Attorney General Blumenthal to follow Massachusetts’ lead and stand up for the citizens and laws of his state by filing a lawsuit against the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

In addition to Attorney General Richard Blumenthal having a duty to defend state law, defending marriage equality just so happens to be the politically expedient thing to do as well. The majority of Connecticut citizens support marriage equality and those numbers continue to grow.

Actions to take during August 10th-14th:

Call: (860)-808-5318 & Fax: (860)-808-5387

Email: attorney.general@po.state.ct.us

The Attorney General’s office is located at 55 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106. Feel free to stop by in person and relay your message urging Blumenthal to file a suit against DOMA.

http://defendthelaw.org/

Bill Clinton Comes Out in Favor of Gay Marriage

Former President Bill Clinton who signed the Defense of Marriage Act into law which bars federal recognition of same-sex couples has come out in favor of marriage equality. He has been considering and "evolving" on the issue for some time.

"After speaking at the Campus Progress National Conference in Washington, DC, on July 8, the former president was asked if he supported same-sex marriage. Clinton, in a departure from past statements, replied in the affirmative.

Asked if he personally supported same-sex marriage, Clinton replied, "Yeah." "I personally support people doing what they want to do," Clinton said. "I think it's wrong for someone to stop someone else from doing that [same-sex marriage]" (The Nation).

This statement is a major kick to the already unstable legislation. Growing numbers of democrats and even republicans are coming out in support of repealing DOMA.

Tell Obama to Dump DOMA Now!

DOMA stands for the Defense of Marriage Act which prohibits federal recognition of same-sex unions. President-elect Barack Obama has vowed to overturn DOMA.

In light of the increasing pressure the administration has felt over the recent Department of Justices defense of this antiquated legislation, the time is now to let Obama know we demand he keep his campaign promises to the LGBT community to repeal DOMA.

The Dump Doma campaign is urging us to pressure the house speaker Nancy Pelosi, majority leader Harry Reid and the rest of congress to act quickly to send the bill to the president for him to sign.

Please fill out the action alert at dumpdoma.org and tell your friends!

Open Forum: Did Obama Learn From Clinton's Mistakes?

When former president Bill Clinton came into office, he was considered a saint for the gay community. He was the first president to mention gays and lesbians in his inauguration and he promised to allow gays in the military. The LGBT community saw his election as a major shift to come in government policy towards sexual minorities.

What happened was far less than we would have expected, and the administration now gets looked back on as the era when gays were thrown under the bus. His promise of letting gays join the military was met with controversy and as a result he instituted the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy. During that time period Hawaii was seen as the first state to likely legalize gay marriage. As a result under Clinton's watch the Defense of Marriage Act was passed, which barred federal recognition of same-sex marriage, and ensured that states did not have to accept other states marriage laws.

President Barack Obama has now come into office with what is seen as the most progressive list of issues relating to the LGBT community. His campaign promises include everything short of marriage equality. The LGBT community is angered that Obama has done little to nothing thus far to meet these campaign promises. Is Obama just another politician with empty promises, or did he learn from Clinton's mistake of acting too hastily, and wants to ensure that when he acts it will go through succesfully?

President Obama Say Federal Gov't Has No Business Regulating Marriage

Barack Obama in an interview with Brian Williams of MSNBC said that "gays have a friend in the White House" and that the "federal government shouldn't have a role in regulating marriage"



President Obama should heed his own words. If he believes the federal government should butt out, demand a full repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act now which bans any federal recognition of marriage, no words on the books are better than those.

E-contact form for White House

Switchboard: 202-456-1414

Operation DOMA Flip Flop

The government was served with a lawsuit the week of April 27th regarding the Defense of Marriage Act which bars federal recognition of same-sex couples. Now the Department of Justice, under President Obama's authority, has till the week of June 22nd to respond. They can either carry out on with the lawsuit defending DOMA, or choose not to defend an unconstitutional law.

Presidents have the option refusing to defend a law they view as unconstitutional on its face, of which there is no clearer example than DOMA (Defense Of Marriage Act). President Obama himself has called the law “abhorrent” and he’s a constitutional law professor. Given these premises, we feel that President Obama refuse to defend DOMA and should instead instruct his Department of Justice to join GLAD in this historic lawsuit. There is a deadline of June 29th for President Obama to make his decision.



1. Print out your very own FLIP FLOP CARD (with writing on it) or print out a blank FLIP FLOP CARD and write your own message on it.

2. Join the Facebook page .

3. Mail your Flip Flop Cards to the White House from now until June 29th (which is the deadline for President Obama’s decision).

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Get active now with Operation DOMA Flip Flop.

Open Forum: Taxes and the LGBT Community

April 15th was the last official day to file taxes for all income earning American citizens. Tax Day has always been a source of stress and frustration for households across the nation rushing to file their forms, and get through the legal mumbo jumbo in time.

The day has also been one of protest by groups who are opposed to government policy. The LGBT community has been dealt an unfair hand when it comes to taxes.

Same-sex couples cannot enjoy the benefit of filing joint taxes, because the Defense of Marriage Act does not allow federal recognition of same-sex relationships. Each partner must expend more time and resources to file their taxes individually. LGBT people are forced to pay taxes on their partners health care benefits as if it were additional income, because the government regards gay and lesbian people as single.

There are also many financial inequities that result from the current federal law that prohibits recognition of same-sex marriage and civil unions, such as denial of social security benefits and inheritance rights.

What do you make of the ill treatment LGBT people suffer through when it comes to taxes? Have you personally had any obstacles in the process? What can be done to help LGBT families until state and federal laws change?

9th Circuit Court says Defense of Marriage Act is Unconstitutional!

A ruling by Judge Stephen Reinhardt of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals says the Defense of Marriage Act is discriminatory and unconstitutional because it denies partner benefits to spouses of gay federal employees.

"The denial of federal benefits to same-sex spouses cannot be justified simply by a distaste for or disapproval of same-sex marriage or a desire to deprive same-sex spouses benefits available to other spouses in order to discourage exercising a legal right afforded them by the state," Reinhardt wrote in his Feb. 2 order....

Both orders are internal employee grievance decisions. Both found in favor of the gay employees, directing court administrators to give health insurance benefits to their spouses. The orders also represent direct challenges to DOMA, the 1996 act that forbids the federal government from treating same-sex relationships as marriages for any purpose.

A lawyer for the staff attorney said this is believed to be the first time federal employees will get benefits covering a same-sex spouse (Pam's House Blend).

Tell Obama to follow the lead of the 9th circuit court and to act on his promise to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.

White House E-Contact Form.

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414

FedEx Invokes Defense of Marriage Act to Deny Benefits

FedEx a mega logistics and delivery company has actively resisted providing benefits to gay families, even in states where gay people can marry. In a letter to a legally married employee in Massachusetts, FedEx actually invokes the Defense of Marriage Act to justify why it won’t provide benefits to its LGBT employees’ families in Massachusetts! FedEx’s tortured legal argument goes something like this:

"We have a federally regulated health insurance plan and since the federal government defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman we are free to ignore your marriage in the provision of employee benefits." (HRC Backstory)

Use their customer service form to issue a complaint.

"Love and Marriage" - Frank Sinatra Had It Right!

Love and marriage, love and marriage
Go together like a horse and carriage
This I tell you brother
You cant have one without the other

Love and marriage, love and marriage
Its an institute you cant disparage
Ask the local gentry
And they will say its elementary

Try, try, try to separate them
Its an illusion
Try, try, try, and you will only come
To this conclusion

Love and marriage, love and marriage
Go together like a horse and carriage
Dad was told by mother
You cant have one without the other

Today as we protest the hate-filled legislation, "The Defense of Marriage Act", I couldn't help but think about this song.

Our opponents tell us that we want to destroy the institution of marriage, but our love is strong, our lives are real, and it really is "elementary" when you think about it. Two people who love one another should be able to start a family and have all the same protections under the law as anyone else. Our fight seeks to strengthen the bonds between "love and marriage", and after all "it's an institute you cant disparage" no matter how much our opponents "try to separate them, it is an illusion" based on lies and bigotry.

END DOMA 2009!

Nationwide DOMA Protest Today!

Today is the nationwide protest against the 'Defense of Marriage Act'

DOMA is pure discrimination written into our law by stating that:

1. No state (or other political subdivision within the United States) need treat a relationship between persons of the same sex as a marriage, even if the relationship is considered a marriage in another state.

2. The Federal Government may not treat same-sex relationships as marriages for any purpose, even if concluded or recognized by one of the states.

Check the listing for an event in a city near you!

Nationwide DOMA Protest Jan 10th 2009

National Rally to be held at city halls everywhere in the United States on Jan 10th at 1:30pm EST/10:30am PST. The LGBT community is protesting the Defense of Marriage Act and urges President-Elect Barack Obama to repeal this act.

Goto Join The Impact for more information on your specific location.

Write to Marry Day 10/29/08

It's a gay holiday in the blogosphere, yay. Happy Write to Marry Day!

In all seriousness this is an important opportunity for myself and fellow bloggers to post about why we support marriage equality, and what we have done to fight the marriage amendments across this country.

I support marriage equality because I believe in family values, (a word that has been hijacked by the un-religious right). I believe that whether a couple is gay or straight, trans or cisgender, that people should be able to commit to one another and support each other emotionally as well as financially. Marriage equality provides over 1,400 rights and benefits and varies from state to state. Marriage rights allow couples to have access to state and federal rights and benefits. Currently the federal rights are blocked by the "Defense of Marriage Act" but by granting marriage rights to same-sex couples we are helping to create a system of change and to topple the former anti-gay piece of legislation.

I think it is absurd to contemplate that in a country where according to the Bill of Rights:

"No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

Radicals who claim to be strict constructionists not only not want to follow the law of the land, they also want to change state constitutions to fit their ideology of hate. Regardless about how one feels about marriage, it is wrong to eliminate fundamental rights, like the right to visit a spouse in the hospital, or for a couple to file joint tax returns. It is wrong when one parent can't co-adopt a child and if something happens to one partner (the legal guardian) the kids are tossed into foster care when they already have a loving mother or father.

Proposition 8 in California, proposition 2 in Florida, and proposition 102 in Arizona all seek to ban the right of same-sex couples to marry, and some of these amendments even go so far as to eliminate any legal protections that could be provided through civil unions or domestic partnerships.

If we truly want to follow the law we must grant the "life and liberty" part to all Americans. It is our life and our liberty to choose who we want to marry and our right to support our families. And according to the fourteenth amendment no state shall make any laws which take away our fundamental rights.

Marriage equality transcends the gay rights movement, this is a human rights issue.

Regardless of your orientation or gender identity I urge you to join me in encouraging the blog world to vote NO on the marriage amendments.

It is critical that we stand on the right side of history at this time when we are in the epicenter of another civil rights movement.

Please join me in donating to fight proposition 8, volunteering on the ground, and phonebanking (regardless of your state).

Since I am personally not in California I cannot join in the rally's and demonstrations, which is a shame! I have though spent hours calling on behalf of the No on 8 campaign. I urge you to make phone calls as well. If not for the cause, do it for the laughs.

Here are some of the responses I got:
"yeah, uh, I know gay people, I mean I love Ellen."

"I don't want dem gays doing that stuff near my children."

"Only Bob, and Luke have this number, you are the third person I have chatted with ever."

Interesting people out there! Most fair minded Californians would not eliminate fundamental rights, so we must urge them to vote no on prop 8.

Please tell all your friends and family to VOTE NO on the marriage amendments, email them, post a message on myspace, and get the word out!

NO on Prop 8 - California

NO on Prop 2 - Florida

NO on Prop 102 - Arizona