Puerto Rico will no longer defend the Anti-Gay Marriage Ban

BREAKING: #PuertoRico's government will no longer be defending the marriage ban there
— freedomtomarry (@freedomtomarry) March 20, 2015

#PuertoRican Secretary of Justice announced today that defending the #marriage ban can't be justified any longer
— freedomtomarry (@freedomtomarry) March 20, 2015

The Puerto Rican government are no longer defending the U.S. commonwealth’s gay marriage ban! That's really exciting to hear, right? You betcha!

Washington Blade reports

The announcement coincides with a brief Gov. Alejandro García Padilla’s administration will file with the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, which is hearing a lawsuit against the island’s same-sex marriage ban.

García had previously defended the gay nuptials prohibition.
“The government of Puerto Rico finally recognizes that denying marriage to LGBTT people is discriminatory and cannot be justified,” said Omar González-Pagan of Lambda Legal, which is representing the five same-sex couples in the lawsuit against the U.S. commonwealth’s same-sex marriage ban. “Same-sex partners, LGBTT people and their families are part of the rich Puerto Rican culture and society. The actions taken on this day complete the constitutional promises of justices and equality for LGBTT people in Puerto Rico.”

Moving onward and forward

Judge Martha Craig Daughtry reads her Colleagues for Upholding the Gay Marriage Bans

After these foolish judges upheld the gay marriage ban in four states, folks were livid. But Miss Judge Martha Craig Daughtry wasn't having it! Her dissent was of the 6th Circuit marriage ruling was a read for the Gawds!

See here (via Towleroad)

Gay Marriage Bans Upheld in Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio and Michigan

Bad news on Marriage Equality.

A federal appeals court decides to uphold gay marriage bans in 4 states!

USA Today reports:

The ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit reversed district court rulings that had struck down gay marriage bans in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.

More important, it gives Supreme Court justices an appellate ruling that runs counter to four others from the 4th, 7th, 9th and 10th circuits. Those rulings struck down same-sex marriage bans in Virginia, Indiana, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Utah, Idaho and Nevada and led to similar action in neighboring states.

The six cases before the three-judge panel involved not only whether gays and lesbians should be able to marry, but whether marriages performed elsewhere should be recognized, whether same-sex couples should be able to adopt children, and whether their names should be placed on partners' death certificates.

The Supreme Court refused to reconsider the Utah, Oklahoma, Virginia, Indiana and Wisconsin cases, at least in part because there was no conflict among the federal appeals courts. But Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg told a Minneapolis audience that a ruling against same-sex marriage from the 6th Circuit panel would make Supreme Court consideration more urgent.

If SCOTUS takes on these cases, it could be the final blow to all of this crap and this dumb ass judges. I really hope these cases appear for the Supreme Court.

Federal Judge upholds Puerto Rico's Gay Marriage Ban

Oh man...

U.S. District Judge Perez Gimenez dismissed a challenge to the gay marriage ban in Puerto Rico.

Citing Baker v. Nelson and the First Circuit Court of Appeals decision striking down Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) a judge in Puerto Rico has dismissed a challenge to its same-sex marriage ban.

In that DOMA case, Massachusetts v. HHS, the First Circuit had said that Baker v. Nelson is binding precedent on the issue of whether there’s a right to same-sex marriage; they then found that Baker didn’t prevent them from ruling on DOMA, which didn’t involve the states’ regulation of marriage.

The Puerto Rico case can be appealed to the First Circuit, which hasn’t had an opportunity to review challenges to same-sex marriage bans since all the states in that circuit allow same-sex marriage.

Lambda Legal said they will appeal this foolishness. Until then, stay strong folks, change is coming.

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In Arkansas: Federal judge won’t delay challenge to the state's Gay Marriage Ban

More good marriage equality news!

A federal judge has denied Arkansas’ request to delay marriages in the state.

Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel hoped that he could put proceedings on hold, but U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker rejected the request.

Now couples can prepare to move forward.

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Say What? Louisiana's State Judge Ruled the State's Gay Marriage Ban Unconstitutional

This is a flip!

A Louisiana state Judge Edward Rubin ruled that gay marriage ban is unconstitutional, violating the due process and equal protection clauses of 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Remember, dumb ass District Judge Martin Feldman upheld the ban using junk science and 4th grade beliefs. It's going to be interesting to watch now that this has happened.

More to come!

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In Florida: Gov. Scott wants to Appeal the Marriage Ban

Oh, Florida...

After the hateful gay marriage ban was dropped in the state, Gov. Rick Scott and friends want to appeal that decision.

From the Florida ACLU press release:

Today, defendants in two federal lawsuits challenging Florida’s marriage ban – Governor Scott appointees John Armstrong (Surgeon General) and Craig Nichols (Secretary of the Department of Management Services), and Washington County Clerk of Court Harold Bazzell— filed a notice that they are appealing the August 21 ruling by U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle overturning Florida’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples.

The ruling, a result of two separate federal lawsuits—one brought by the ACLU of Florida, the other brought by Jacksonville attorneys William Sheppard and Sam Jacobson—made Florida the 16th state in which a federal court has found a marriage ban unconstitutional since the Supreme Court’s ruling striking down the main provision of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

This is so stupid! Really? They want to waste money on this? Good luck, NOT!

In Louisiana: Federal Judge UPHOLDS the Gay Marriage Ban

This is some bull right here!

A federal judge decided to uphold Louisiana’s ban on same-sex couples’ marriages!

U.S. District Court Judge Martin Feldman is first one to do this and when you read the ruling, you will be shocked. This cretin is upholding the ban due a lot foolishness like, comparing us to incest and saying our existence is a lifestyle choice.

See here:

"This national same-sex marriage struggle animates a clash between convictions regarding the value of state decisions reached by way of the democratic process as contrasted with personal, genuine, and sincere lifestyle choices recognition."

And this mess:

"And so, inconvenient questions persist. For example, must the states permit or recognize a marriage between an aunt and niece? Aunt and nephew? Brother/brother? Father and child? May minors marry? Must marriage be limited to only two people? What about a transgender spouse? Is such a union same-gender or male-female? All such unions would undeniably be equally committed to love and caring for one another, just like the plaintiffs."

There's more mess in the ruling, however, how can this man use such silly reasons to justify this ban? Especially, when it's being dropped elsewhere!

I hope they appeal this stupid ruling, in fact, take it to SCOTUS. Time to nip this in the bud.

READ the ruling

2:13-cv-05090 #131

Marriage Equality Cases involving Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee are Happening Today

This is going down today!

The 6th district court will hear challenges to the gay marriage bans in Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio and Michigan! A lot folks are already there for this historic hearing.


I will try to keep this updated. Hopefully, my two homestates, Tennessee and Kentucky will have a victory.

Fourth Circuit Court just Struck Down Virginia's Gay Marriage Ban

Funny, I just asked which state was next...

Anywho, a federal appeals court panel ruled 2-1 in our favor, saying we have the constitutional right to marry in the state. And get this, the panel has jurisdiction over Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

It will most likely be appealed, I mean, it is Virginia. But isn't it nice to see these states getting on board?

For more info, go here

Question of the Day

Which state will drop the gay marriage ban next?

Judges seem Divided over Utah's Gay Marriage Case

Today, judges on a federal appeals court panel seemed to be divided on whether to uphold a lower court's ruling that stifled Utah's gay marriage ban. This case could change the course of things to come.

This is what I got from ABC News:

One of the three judges, Carlos F. Lucero, compared the state's argument that the ban should stand to the U.S. Supreme Court's infamous Dred Scott decision that denied citizenship and constitutional protections to blacks before the Civil War.

"To argue that public policy can trump a declared constitutional right would be a remarkable proposition," Lucero said.

But Judge Paul J. Kelly Jr. suggested Utah does have the right to reaffirm what has been a centuries-long tradition of heterosexual marriage.

"You are just taking the position they are wrong on this. .... We'll just ignore what the people have decided and the Legislature has done," Kelly said.

The swing vote in the case appeared to be Judge Jerome A. Holmes, who had pointed questions for both sides. He at one point compared Utah's same-sex marriage ban to Virginia's ban on interracial marriages that was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1967.

But in addressing the plaintiffs' attorneys, Holmes said gay marriage is a new and novel concept. He challenged them to explain why the state's voters should be prevented from defining marriage the way they want.

The hearing comes after a remarkable winning streak for gay marriage supporters, who in the past nine months persuaded federal judges to strike down eight states' bans on gay marriage or on recognizing gay marriages from elsewhere.

Those rulings, including the Utah one under discussion Thursday and a similar one in Oklahoma that will be heard before the same panel next week, came after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act last summer. The high court found that the law violated gay couples' due process rights by preventing the federal government from recognizing their marriages.

More to come

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Kentucky AG Jack Conway states that he won't Defend the Marriage Equality Ban - WATCH

He gave a heartfelt speech

Rick Perry is Hurt about the Texas Marriage Ban Ruling

Ricky was so hurt about this that he put out an official statement

"Texans spoke loud and clear by overwhelmingly voting to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman in our Constitution, and it is not the role of the federal government to overturn the will of our citizens. The 10th Amendment guarantees Texas voters the freedom to make these decisions, and this is yet another attempt to achieve via the courts what couldn't be achieved at the ballot box. We will continue to fight for the rights of Texans to self-determine the laws of our state."

Hush up, Rick!

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US Attorney General Eric Holder said the AGs Don't have to Defend Gay Marriage Bans

Eric Holder has dropped another bomb today. In a speech to the National Association of Attorneys General, he said that they don't have defend marriage bans.

Here is some of his speech:

The essential duty to which all of us – as attorneys general – have been sworn: not just to win cases, but to see that justice is done. This is the cause that brings us together in Washington this week – working to confront the threats and seize the opportunities before us. And this is the extraordinary task with which the American people have entrusted the leaders in this room – and the challenge that all justice professionals are called to address: not merely to use our legal system to settle disputes and punish those who have done wrong, but to answer the kinds of fundamental questions – about fairness and equality – that have always determined who we are and who we aspire to be, both as a nation and as a people.

These are the questions that drove President Obama and me to decide, in early 2011, that Justice Department attorneys would no longer defend the constitutionality of Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act. As I’ve said before, this decision was not taken lightly. Our actions were motivated by the strong belief that all measures that distinguish among people based on their sexual orientation must be subjected to a heightened standard of scrutiny – and, therefore, that this measure was unconstitutional discrimination. Last summer, the Supreme Court issued a historic decision – United States v. Windsor – striking down the federal government’s ban on recognizing gay and lesbian couples who are legally married. This marked a critical step forward, and a resounding victory for equal treatment and equal protection under the law.

More recently – and partly in response to the Windsor decision – a number of state attorneys general, including those in Pennsylvania, Nevada, Virginia – and, just last week, Oregon – have reached similar determinations after applying heightened scrutiny to laws in their states concerning same-sex marriage. Any decisions – at any level – not to defend individual laws must be exceedingly rare. They must be reserved only for exceptional circumstances. And they must never stem merely from policy or political disagreements – hinging instead on firm constitutional grounds. But in general, I believe we must be suspicious of legal classifications based solely on sexual orientation. And we must endeavor – in all of our efforts – to uphold and advance the values that once led our forebears to declare unequivocally that all are created equal and entitled to equal opportunity.

Is America changing? Yes, boo, it is.

Virginia's Gay Marriage Ban is Unconstitutional!

Something's in the water!

Federal Judge Arenda Wright Allen ruled that Virginia's marriage ban is unconstitutional! No word about gay marriage right now, but this is really something serious!

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UPDATE In Texas: Federal judge could strike down the State's Same-Sex Marriage Ban

Look out!

U.S. District Judge Orlando L. Garcia will hear arguments that could remove the same-sex marriage ban in Texas... Yes, I said TEXAS! There are two same-sex couples who are seeking to end this mess on the grounds the ban violates their rights for marriage and for equal protection under the constitution.

This may be an up-hill battle, but it should amazing to watch as this comes to together, or apart, considering how the Republicans could stir things up.

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UPDATE The Judge doesn't Rule! Read here

Indiana Marriage Bill UPDATE: House passes HJR-3

The Indiana House has passed HJR-3 with a 57-40 vote. The bill moves to the Senate, however, they have to approve new language to replace the second sentence that was struck from the amendment yesterday.

So, even if the Senate passes the amended version, it won't be ready for the 2014 ballot. Who knows how this is going to go down.

Will keep y'all posted.

Indiana House strips Key Language from HJR-3

This is interesting.

The Indiana House voted 52-43 to snatch key language from the House Joint Resolution 3 (HJR-3). That vote struck down the second sentence of the amendment that would've banned legal recognition of any relationship that is “identical or substantially similar” to marriage.

Because of that removal, HJR-3 can't go to the ballot for a while. This is considered a victory for our community.

But I can't help but to wonder if the haters have something up their sleeve.

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Six Same-sex Couples file Lawsuit hoping to Overturn the Gay Marriage Ban in Florida

Go Florida!

Six same-sex couples and Equality Florida Institute are trying to overturn the gay marriage ban in the state. They have filed a lawsuit in Florida state court in Miami in hopes of gaining Marriage Equality.

The couples involved are Catherina Pareto and Karla Arguello; Dr. Juan Carlos Rodriguez and David Price; Vanessa and Melanie Alenier; Todd and Jeff Delmay; Summer Greene and Pamela Faerber; and Don Price Johnston and Jorge Isaias Diaz. Some of these couples have families and one couple has two grandchildren.

They are represented by the law firm Carlton Fields Jorden Burt, attorney Elizabeth F. Schwartz, attorney Mary B. Meeks, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

Please go here for more