Band of Thebes

Born May 5: Del Martin

Del Martin died in August 2008 at 87, widowing a wife with whom she spent 55 years championing the rights of the denigrated and disenfranchised. In 1955, when homosexuality was illegal, she, her life partner Phyllis Lyon, and six other lesbians founded the Daughters of Bilitis in her native San Francisco. By 1960 DOB chapters were active in nine cities nationwide and their magazine, The Ladder, was thriving despite most readers' need for secrecy. Even in friendly waters, they had to fight the tides against lesbians, both among straight women in NOW and gay men in the queer equality movement. Martin addressed the latter situation in her landmark article, "Goodbye, My Alienated Brothers," which appeared in the Advocate in 1970. Two years later, she and Lyon were instrumental in forming the Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club, and they published their seminal book Lesbian/Woman. In 1979 they were honored by a group of medical professionals who wanted to start a clinic for lesbians who lacked health care, and they chose the name Lyon-Martin Health Services. In 1995 they were named separately as delegates to the White House Conference on Aging. Ever the trailblazers, Martin [above right, left left] and Lyon were the very first gay couple to be married in San Francisco in February 2004. If there is anything good about her death, it's that she did not have to see Prop 8 pass three months later. Click here to watch them describes the early hurdles they faced in forming and growing DOB during a time when they could not advertise their existence.

 

Marriage Equality: France, RI, DE, NV, Santa Fe, Colombia

Defying antigay mobs outside, and antigay protesters in the gallery (about whom the Speaker said, "Get these enemies of democracy outside parliament!"), the French Assembly approved marriage equality by a wide margin, 331 to 225. It is the 14th nation to legalize same-sex marriage. Three other countries (Mexico, Brazil, and the US) have marriage equality in some states.

Yesterday, Rhode Island's senate passed 26-12. Previously, the house passed a similar measure 51-19, but because the senate bill differs it has to go back to the house. The governor says he will sign it. 

When that bill becomes law in August, 16.1% of US citizens will live in states that recognize marriage equality.

On Tuesday, Delaware's house approved a marriage equality bill in a 23-18 vote. Now it goes to the senate where a close vote is expected. 

Also Tuesday, the Nevada senate voted 12-9 to begin the process to reverse the state's ban on marriage equality. During the debate, lawmaker Kelvin Atkinson came out.

Last night, the Santa Fe City Council voted 5-1 (with two abstaining) to approve marriage equality and urge county clerks to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The mayor supports the measure, which is seen as largely symbolic .

Yesterday, Colombia's parliament rejected a marriage equality bill 51-17. Armando Benedetti, who drafted the bill, said, “Those who vote against this project ... would have voted in favour of slavery.”

Uruguay, New Zealand Will Be 12th, 13th Nations with Marriage Equality

Following last week's overwhelming victories in the senate (23-8) and house (71-21) passing marriage equality in Uruguay, a similar bill yesterday passed on its third try in New Zealand's parliament, 77-44. Watch the video below to see the happy gallery and politicians SINGING in celebration. The law will take effect in about four months. NZ and Uruguay will become the 12th and 13th nations with marriage equality. The first was The Netherlands in 2001.

(Other than showering with a kiwi rugby team, by far the best introductions to queer New Zealand are Chris Brickell's book Mates and Lovers and the awesome documentary Topp Twins.)

In France, the contested bill has passed tough votes in the senate and assembly and faces only the final vote next week. The pro-equality government moved that date earlier from May to avoid more mass protests against gay marriage.

The ten countries that currently enjoy marriage equality are Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Iceland, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Canada, and South Africa.

In the US, the next likeliest state to get gay nups is Delaware, which introduced a new bill earlier this month. (Fast work for the Small Wonder that only got civil unions in 2011.) Illinois, Minnesota, and Rhode Island are also working toward passage of similar measures. Advocates in California, New Jersey, and Hawaii, all previously cheated from their right to marry, continue their fights, too.

Anchorage United for Marriage Equality

  click to enlarge

Alaska is still stuck in the Bronze Age of lgbt rights -- not even a city-wide non-discrimination clause; one of only two states that has never elected an openly lgbt politician at any level of government -- so this afternoon's United for Marriage demonstration in Anchorage was doubly thrilling. A robust crowd of 120 people waved signs at passing cars, and drivers very often waved back, flashed a thumbs up, or honked their support. In the entire hour, the total number of antigay comments shouted back to us was zero. Earlier today, longtime ally Sen. Mark Begich announced his support for marriage equality. That's a courageous stand for someone representing voters overwhelming against it.

Co-host Christopher Constant shared some photos. The event was one of 170 nationwide, many of which can be seen on this tumblr page.

SCOTUS has posted the day's oral arguments. Thankfully, Buzzfeed ranked the 60 best signs outside. At #13: "Jesus had 2 Dads and He turned out fine."

Watch Live: Parliament Debates Gay Marriage Ahead of Tonight's Vote

Facing a revolt from his party but bolstered by late support from five 'Cabinet Heavyweights' turning pro-equality, the Conservative PM's gay marriage bill heads to a crunch vote tonight. Watch Parliament debate it here, or scroll the live-blogging recaps at Pink News.

Portraits of LGBT Couples in Vietnam

 

Despite a history of homophobia, Vietnam celebrated its first pride parade in August and it may become the first nation in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. Photographer Maika Elan, 26, has been documenting queer couples in her native country for two years. The NYT reports:

"Most took some time to warm up to her. But after being around her subjects for a few days, she got a sense of their routines at home. In fact, the idea of home became integral to the work. When she followed one couple outside, she watched how their posture changed in public. They weren’t comfortable. At a flower market, where she was photographing the two men together, onlookers stopped to ask why two men would hug. She sought private moments instead — where her subjects would be free from stares and criticism, and less inclined to dramatize their relationship. Moments when they forgot she was there."

You can see a portfolio of her images on her website. 

Thank Lesbian Jennifer Cast for Jeff Bezos' Huge Gay Marriage Support

Like most of us, Jennifer Cast said she figured her former boss, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, was well aware of the threat to gay marriage in Washington State by the upcoming the ballot iniative and wrote to him, "I figured that if you felt the desire to support marriage equality, you would do it." But, unlike many of us, this time she spoke up with a direct ask, and for the first time in twelve years working on the issue, Cast, 50, partners of 20+ years with Liffy Franklin, 63, emailed Bezos, "I beg you not to sit on the sidelines and hope the vote goes our way. Help us make it so." She wrote, "We need help from straight people. To be very frank, we need help from wealthy straight people who care about us and who want to help us win." She asked the billionaire for a contribution of $100,000 to $200,000. Within thirty-six hours he replied, "Jen, this is right for so many reasons. We’re in for $2.5 million. Jeff & MacKenzie"

This is the largest ever donation in support of marriage equality and it only happened because a lesbian spoke up and asked for it. Learn from her. The announcement also inspired other gifts, according to the Seattle Times, which reports, "Cast said she has received hundreds of emails since news of Bezos' gift broke early Friday from well-wishers and those who suddenly wanted to give. One donor pledged $25,000."

Jeff Bezos is worth $18.4 billion. Although William Lynch, the CEO of Barnes & Noble, isn't a billionaire, his compensation last year was $10 million, going up to $15.3 million this year. He doesn't have a connection to Washington State, but some of the Amazon haters need to ask Lynch for a significant donation. He can give to Maryland's or to Maine's campaign.

What she said: I beg you not to sit on the sidelines and hope the vote goes our way. 

Contribute here.

First Ice Crystals Forming in Hell

Two weeks ago, Washington DC's GOP platform became the first Republican platform in the country to call for LGBT equality in "Family & Marriage":

'We, the Republicans of the District of Columbia, support the belief that all individuals, without regard to sexual orientation, are entitled to full and equal protection under the laws and the Constitution and that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect.''

Now, Freedom To Marry has formed an offshoot group called Young Conservatives for the Freedom To Marry, "a new campaign to highlight and build support for the freedom to marry among young people across America who identify as conservative." Leadership committee member Margaret Hoover says, "Freedom and family are core conservative values. We have a historic opportunity to reaffirm these important values by supporting the fundamental freedom to marry for all Americans. Now is the time for a rising generation of voters and leaders to embrace these virtues and join Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry."

Does this moderation mean anything in a Tea Party era? Does it make you happy that change is a-comin' or does it leave you feeling co-opted and hijacked?  

Gate to Hell image by Wibben.

Gay Marriage Around the Globe

Happily, this graphic by Mark Braswell needs to be expanded.

Denmark's gay marriage law, which passed by a vote of 85-24 on earlier in the month, went into effect on June 15.

Scotland: The Scottish government will decide on July 10 whether or not to legalize marriage for same-sex couples. The BBC says a majority of Scots now support gay marriage.

France: Reuters reports "France's new Socialist government is to legalize marriage and adoption for same-sex couples, Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Friday, reflecting a shift in public attitudes in the majority Catholic nation... a law on gay marriage and adoption would be passed within a year...In addition, the government would hold discussions in the autumn on ways of making life easier for trans gender individuals, whose dealings with French administration are often complicated by their change of name and sex."

Is Ireland is having a Joe Biden moment? No, but the Deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore just came out for gay marriage, calling it the civil rights issue of this generation. As you know, Britain's PM and Deputy PM announced their support for marriage equality last year.

Rodger Streitmatter's Outlaw Marriages

How happy am I that Rodger Streitmatter's new book from Beacon,  Outlaw Marriages: The Hidden Histories of Fifteen Extraordinary Same-Sex Couples [Kindle], features gilded illustrator J.C. Leyendecker and his chiseled boyfriend Charles Beach? And decorator Elsie de Wolfe and Bessie Marbury! If only he could have added Marguerite Yourcenar and Grace Frick to the baker's dozen of more familiar queer couples.

So far reviews have been good to fair, "...absorbingly details the public and private lives of notable same-sex couples, deftly examining affairs, betrayals, and disappointments, as well as the enabling power that the right marriage, recognized or not, provides" and "While his topic is undeniably interesting, journalist Streitmatter adheres to his journeyman's formula too much; however, his book might be a nice gift for just the right couple, for he clearly loves his story." 

Streitmatter's complete list of subjects is:

Walt Whitman & Peter Doyle

Carey Thomas & Mamie Gwinn

Ned Warren & John Marshall

Jane Addams & Mary Rozet Smith

Elsie de Wolfe & Bessie Marbury

J.C. Leyendecker & Charles Beach

Gertrude Stein & Alice B. Toklas

Janet Flanner & Solita Solano

Greta Garbo & Mercedes de Acosta

Aaron Copland & Victor Kraft

Tennessee Williams & Frank Merlo

James Baldwin & Lucien Happersberger

Robert Rauschenberg & Jasper Johns

Ismail Merchant & James Ivory 

Audre Lorde & Frances Clayton

Longer Than Yours

Seven months late, but still happy news: New Yorkers Lou Halsey, 88, and John Spofford Morgan, 94, met in 1947 in a gay bar called The New Verdi on West 72nd, and after 64 years together they married in November. John was an economist. Lou was a barber. Both men are Navy vets. New York mag has more.

Another Federal Judge Rules Against DOMA

AP via WSJ:

A federal judge in Manhattan joined a growing chorus of judges across the country Wednesday by striking down a key component of a federal law denying benefits to partners in a gay marriage.

U.S. District Judge Barbara Jones said the federal Defense of Marriage Act's efforts to define marriage "intrude upon the states' business of regulating domestic relations."

"That incursion skirts important principles of federalism and therefore cannot be legitimate, in this court's view," the judge said.

Judge Jones said the law fails because it tries to re-examine states' decisions concerning same-sex marriage. She said such a sweeping review interferes with a system of government that places matters at the core of the domestic relations law exclusively within the province of the states.

 

Unanimously Against DOMA

For the first time, a federal appellate court — immediately below the Supreme Court — ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional for prohibiting federal recognition of same-sex marriages that are valid in the states where they are performed. All three judges (appointed by Reagan, Bush, and Clinton) agreed, writing:

"Many Americans believe that marriage is the union of a man and a woman, and most Americans live in states where that is the law today. One virtue of federalism is that it permits this diversity of governance based on local choice, but this applies as well to the states that have chosen to legalize same-sex marriage. Under current Supreme Court authority, Congress’ denial of federal benefits to same-sex couples lawfully married in Massachusetts has not been adequately supported by any permissible federal interest."

This case will surely go to the Supreme Court and almost certainly get there before Perry, meaning the Court's landmark gay marriage case will not be the one argued by the unbeatable team of Olson and Boies. Writing on the New Yorker's blog, Richard Socarides explains:

"...this is the result favored by the old guard of gay-rights litigators who prefer a more incremental strategy of Supreme Court review. (Although they will not like the language in today’s decision that suggests that states can decide on a case-by-case basis who can get married; but this is the risk of incrementalism.) In this case, a Supreme Court ruling in favor of the plaintiffs would not require any kind of finding that there exists a hitherto-unrecognized constitutional right to same-sex marriage—only that the federal government must recognize marriages validly preformed in states that choose to do so."  

BYU Queers Say It Gets Better as LDS Works To Repeal Gay Marriage

All weekend the internets swooned over these lesbian, gay, and bi students at Brigham Young University making an It Gets Better video. Although it may be useful as a suicide prevention PSA and helpful in bringing incremental change to some of their families and friends, the students are willingly or unwillingly being used as part of the Mormon PR blitz promoting the false claim that LDS isn't homophobic. The attractive, articulate gay kids play up the university's "tolerance" but they forget to mention they're not allowed to have sex. Ever. Mandatory lifelong celibacy is not acceptance. Nor is excommunication. Don't attack me for calling them church apologists. One of these boys complains to the Salt Lake Tribune, "I feel like there’s been a very negative light cast on Mormons when it comes to LGBT issues."

After their success stripping gay couples of marriage equality in California and Maine, now some Mormons are forming a coalition of several faiths trying to repeal Maryland's new gay marriage law. This week the Blade reports on their process:

“We need to collect approximately 200,000 signatures by the end of May,” the email states. “We are looking for people to gather signatures within the LDS community.”

I respect the BYU students' youthful optimism, their efforts to reach suicidal teens, and their desire to bring change to a bigoted instution. The time to trumpet LDS tolerance is after they've reversed the church's official position, not now. Here's a Los Angeles Times photo of some Mormons and others who had worked to undo marriage equality, reacting to Prop 8's victory.

Gay Italia

Sponsored by Arcigay and AGEDO, this video of a gay couple who get married and a lesbian couple who get engaged at their wedding took four months to make. It will take you four minutes to watch.

Grizzly Bear's Ed Droste Marries Chad McPhail

After getting engaged in September, Ed Droste and Chad McPhail married last month and released this wedding photo. Grizzly Bear's most recent album Veckatimest (named after one of the tinier Elizabeth Islands southwest off Cape Cod, northwest off the Vineyard) debuted at #8 on Billboard's Top 200 chart and was named the #1 album of 2009 by the music critic at the Wall Street Journal. The NYT ranked it #6 and Time #8.

The band's next album is due this fall.

Mixed Marriages For/Against Gay Marriage

Even if you assume these political crumbs are pure posturing it's an interesting switch that strategists now believe a spouse supporting gay marriage is a useful pose. On 60 Minutes this week, the atrocious Eric Cantor sat by his Democrat(!) wife Diana as she explained she supports same-sex marriage. She may really feel strongly about marriage equality, but the careful public announcement was no accident. It is calculated to soften his image -- moderation by association -- while not actually changing his own hardcore antigay actions an iota. Nevertheless. The more political families who are vocal and visible in their support of gay marriage, the harder and less viable it eventually becomes for the ever-shrinking yet still intransigent antigay minority to make their case. The Cantors now join a long list of couples who publicly differ on the issue, chief among them, the Bushes, the McCains, and the Clintons (he for, she against). Both of the Cheneys went on the record for gay marriage while in office. Even conservative spokesmodel Elisabeth Hasselbeck supports gay marriage. As do the majority of Americans. Both of the Obamas oppose same-sex marriage.

On Sunday, after years of battles and reversals, Hawaii and Delaware began registering same-sex civil unions. Today, Governor Christine Gregoire proposed legislation to legalize gay marriage in Washington state. Tomorrow, the AFL-CIO of Maryland with 300,000 union members, will announce their support for gay marriage in that state. Last year a gay marriage bill passed the Maryland senate but was pulled from the house before a vote; it is on the legislative docket again this year.

Later this month Republicans in the New Hampshire legislature will bring a vote trying to repeal the state's gay marriage law which passed in 2009.

CNN on Gay Couples Paying Higher Federal Taxes Due to DOMA

In January 2009 when we had a democrat president and majority in the house and senate, the top gay priority ought to have been undoing DOMA, not slow-walking DADT or ENDA. Instead, we had HRC telling us 2015 2017 really wasn't that long to wait. Bad strategy. Yesterday CNN ran this familiar story that because the nefarious Defense of Marriage Act prohibits the government from recognizing gay marriage, queer couples "can't combine their income and deductions to take advantage of lower tax rates." The article runs a scenario showing the imbalance to be as high as $6,043. That's a lot extra to pay to a government that rejects you. Yet it's peanuts compared to far more costly travesties of DOMA that CNN ignores: a surviving queer spouse can't get her/his partner's Social Security. In July, USA Today reported that same-sex couples are blocked from "1,049 federal rights that heterosexual couples receive."

[Yes, in 1996 Clinton could have vetoed DOMA for symbolic purposes. The bill passed 85–14 in the Senate and 342–67 in the House, certain of an override.]

Interracial Gay Wedding, Corporate Drama at Archie Comics

Comic book character Kevin Keller followed in his father's footsteps, joined the army, was injured in Iraq, came home to a rehab center, and fell in love with his physical therapist, Dr. Clay Walker. Now, they're getting married. The gay wedding issue (#16) goes on sale in bookstores January 4 and at newsstands January 10.

Jonathan Goldwater followed in his father's footsteps as CEO of Archie Comics and said if the wholesome, all-American series hadn't embraced LGBT characters it would risk becoming irrelevant. He said Kevin's initial coming out resulted in a mere seven canceled subscriptions but added "hundreds and hundreds" of new subscribers.

Goldwater's bigger problem is his co-CEO Nancy Silberkleit, 57, who assumed the job after her husband's death in 2009. The two families have run the Archies empire since its creation by Goldwater's father in 1941. Now, the company is suing Silberkleit for harassment. The New York Post cites a few allegations:

* Barging into a meeting, pointing at four men in the room, and screeching, “Penis, penis, penis, penis!”

* Complaining her “balls hurt” and she needed to “adjust my balls because they are irritating me.”

* Shouting, “All you penises think you can run me out,” and telling a new employee to “stand up and pull down your pants.”

* told a female worker that the only reason anyone in the company liked her was because she had “big boobies.”

Of the gay issue, CNN casually mentions the most appalling fact: "The Comics Code Authority, an industry body, explicitly banned any mention of homosexuality in comics until 1989."

News: Presbyterian Clergy, Navy Chapels, DADT, Delaware

After 33 years of grappling with the issue of lesbian and gay clergy, the Presbyterian Church (USA) will ordain openly queer people in committed relationships. Since 1997, three similar amendments have passed in the church's general assembly only to fail at the regional level, where a majority of 173 presbyteries must approve it. On Tuesday, the Twin Cities presbytery returned a yes vote, giving the amendment a majority. The Presbyterians join Lutherans, Episcopalians and United Church of Christ members in allowing gay clergy. Combined, those churches have just under 11 million members. The four largest churches that don't allow gay clergy -- Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, and Mormons -- have more than 100 million members.

You have a friend in Rear Admiral Mark Tidd, the head of all chaplains in the US Navy, who issued a directive that as of this summer Navy facilities and Navy chaplains would be available for gay weddings in states that allow it. Predictably, the memo was leaked to a conservative site and Congress freaked friggin out. Yesterday, the Navy released a statement putting the earlier directive in reverse, saying they need more time to consider the matter. Last night, the House Armed Services committee passed an amendment from Rep. Akin (R-MO) demanding that military installations comply with anti-gay DOMA.

The same committee also passed a delaying tactic amendment from young Duncan Hunter (R-CA) to slow-walk the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Hunter argued that the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman and the Secretary of Defense are not qualified to make military decisions because they lack his own level of combat service. While two Republicans voted against it (Gibson-NY, Platts-PA), one Democrat voted for it (McIntyre-NC). It's easy to blame the reactionary GOP, but if the administration hadn't back-burnered DADT for a year and a half, we wouldn't be here now. Gay pundits say it's unlikely the Senate will pass the Hunter amendment; if somehow they do, Obama will have to decide whether or not to veto.

Yesterday, governor Jack Markell signed Delaware's civil unions bill into law. The bill passed both chambers with nearly a 2 to 1 margin. Effective January 1, Delaware will become the eighth state to grant comprehensive same-sex relationship rights.