| Marriage Equality | |||||
 |
Robyn and Peg, Married MassEquality Equality California Marriage Equality Advocacy Marriage Equality World-Wide Politics of Marriage
|
 |
|||
|
 Peg and Robyn, Married, May 17, 2004. Photo: Laurie Swope |
|
|||
| Robyn & Peg, Married | |||||
| On May 17, 2004, Peg and I legally married in Brookline, MA. See an inspiring article and video about us in The Washington Post. On September 4th, 2004, we celebrated with family & friends. We believe that the right to marry the person of ones choice is a human right. This issue is important to us, and we hope to stem the backlash and help the United States catch up with progress made in many countries around the world. |
|||||
|
|||||
| "Surrounded as I am now by wonderful children and grandchildren, not a day goes by that I don't think of Richard and our love, our right to marry, and how much it meant to me to have that freedom to marry the person precious to me, even if others thought he was the "wrong kind of person" for me to marry. I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people's religious beliefs over others. Especially if it denies people's civil rights. "I am still not a political person, but I am proud that Richard's and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That's what Loving, and loving, are all about." – Mildred Loving, plaintiff in Loving v. Virginia the Supreme Court case that struck down race restrictions on the freedom to marry, on the 40th anniversary of this landmark case, June 12, 2007 |
|||||
 |
|||||
|
MassEquality | |
|||
| I am on the Board of Directors of MassEquality. We achieved a major victory on June 14, 2007 when we won a 3 1/2 year fight to defeat a constitutional amendment in the legislature, 151-45! We need to hold the ground we have gained by making sure that supportive legislators are re-elected and by making sure a new amendment is not re-introduced. MassEquality works to ensure that every lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender person in Massachusetts is protected from cradle to grave—with equal rights and opportunities in school, in marriage and family life, at work and in retirement. Please click here to find out more about MassEquality and what you can do to help. "People often ask why Massachusetts is so out of step with the rest of the Nation. And I say that we are as out of step today as we were at the village green of Lexington and Concord, we are as out of step today as we were when Boston was the center of the abolitionist movement, or as out as step as we were when the first woman's rights convention convened in my home town of Worcester. Massachusetts has always been the conscience of the nation, that is our role." – Massachusetts State Senator Ed Augustus at the Constitutional Convention, September 14, 2005 |
|||||
|
|||||
|
Equality California | |
|||
| On November 4th 2008, California voters, in a 52% to 48%, vote, decided that same-sex couples are not equal citizens. It is unclear at this time what this means for the 18,000 couples who have already married, and whether the amendment can be overturned in the courts, or whether it must be overturned by the voters. Justice will untimately prevail. My heart goes out to the people of California. Visit the website of Equality California for more information. | |||||
|
Marriage Equality Advocacy | |
|||
| Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders: These are the folks who have brought us equal marriage in Massachusetts and civil unions in Vermont. New England's leading legal rights organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, HIV status and gender identity and expression. Providing litigation, advocacy, and educational work in all areas of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights and the rights of people living with HIV, GLAD has a full-time legal staff and a network of cooperating attorneys across New England. Lots of great information on this website. Freedom to Marry: A national US organization working to win marriage equality nationwide. Freedom to Marry encourages dialogue with Americans thinking through the need to end discrimination in marriage, provides support to targeted state and local efforts, and promotes fairness for all families, including same-sex couples and the children raised by gay parents. By working to secure equal access to civil marriage licenses from the government, we help reinforce our country's historic commitment to freedom, the pursuit of happiness, and equal justice for all. Lambda Legal: A national legal group committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of, and combating the discrimination against, the GLBT community and people with HIV/AIDS, through impact litigation, education, and public policy work. HomoWeddings.com: a website based in the Netherlands that collects articles about marriage equality throughout the world. If you live in the United States and want to locate your state's equality group, ask Google: type in the word "equality" and the name of your state and your state's group will show up. Magic! And they need your help – get on their email list, if you can, send money to support their work, and when they ask people to contact your elected representatives, please do so. |
|||||
 Robyn and others advocating for marriage equality inside the Massachusetts State House, 2004 |
|||||
|
Marriage Equality World-Wide | |
| WORLD | YEAR | UNITED STATES | ||
| Denmark | Registered Partnerships | 1989 | ||
| Norway | Registered Partnerships | 1993 | ||
| Sweden | Registered Partnerships | 1994 | ||
| Hungary | Domestic Partnerships | 1995 | ||
| Iceland | Registered Partnerships | 1996 | ||
| France | Civil solidarity pacts | 1999 | Hawaii | Reciprocal Partnership Benefits. Info: Hawaii Gay Marriage. |
| Brazil | Stable Partnerships | 2000 | Vermont | Civil Unions. Info: Equality Vermont |
| Germany | Life Partnerships | 2001 | ||
| The Netherlands | Marriage Equality | |||
| Portugal | Civil Unions | |||
| Finland | Registered Partnerships | 2002 | ||
| Belium | Marriage Equality | 2003 | ||
| Croatia | Domestic Partnerships | |||
| New Zealand | Civil Unions | 2004 | Massachusetts | Marriage equality. Info: MassEquality |
| Switzerland | Domestic Partnerships | New Jersey | Domestic Partnerships (see also below!) | |
| Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul | Civil Unions | |||
| Luxembourg | Civil Unions | |||
| Canada | Marriage Equality | 2005 | California | Domestic Partnerships . Info: Equality California. See below. |
| Spain | Marriage Equality | Connecticut | Civil Unions. Info: Love Makes a Family | |
| United Kingdom | Civil Partnerships | |||
| Czech Republic | Civil Partnerships | 2006 | Washington DC | Domestic Partnerships. Info: DC for Marriage |
| South Africa | Marriage Equality | |||
| Australia, Australian Capital Territory | Civil Unions | |||
| Slovenia | Civil Partnerships | |||
| Mexico, DF (Mexico City) | Civil Unions, Nov. 2006. Marriages performed in the Federal District (Mexico DF are recognized throughout Mexico. | |||
| Coahuila, Mexico | Civil Unions, Jan. 2007 in this northern state bordering Texas | 2007 | New Jersey | Civil Unions. info: Garden State Equality. |
| Colombia | Feb 2007: court rules same-sex couples entitled to inheritance /property rights; June 2007: Colombia's Congress passes legislation giving same-sex couples most of the same rights as opposite-sex married couples, including social security & inheritance. President Alvaro Uribe says he will sign the bill into law. | |||
| Israel | Highest court rules November 2006 to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other countries. First marriage recognized February 2007. | |||
| Switzerland | Civil Unions | 2008 | New Hampshire | Civil Unions passed April 2007. Went into effect January 2008. Info: NH Freedom to Marry Coalition. See below for more and better news. |
| Uruguay | Civil union legislation offering unmarried couples of any sex property ownership & inheritance rights takes effect January 1, 2008. | Oregon | Domestic partnership law passed May 2007, and went into effect February 2008. Currently on hold pending litigation. Info: Basic Rights Oregon. | |
| Hungary | 12/08: Hungary's Constitutional Court annulled a law giving rights to domestic partners because it would diminish the importance of marriage. The law, passed by parliament a year ago, would have allowed unmarried or gay couples to register domestic relationships beginning 1/109. The court says the new legislation is unconstitutional because it would give unmarried heterosexual couples practically the same rights as married ones, “downgrading” the institution of marriage. The court says in its decision that a law allowing domestic partnerships for gay couples would not be unconstitutional - as long as it applied only to them and not to heterosexual couples, as well. Stay tuned... (excerpted from 365gay.com) | California | On May 15, 2008, the California Supreme Judicial Court ruled for marriage equality !!! On November 4th the voters passsed a constitutional amendment denying same-sex couples equality under the law. Domestic partnerships remain in place. On May 26, 2009, the California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8, but rule that the 18,000 same-sex marriages conducted between May and November, 2009 would remain legal. Marriage equality activists are expected to bring this measure back to the ballot in 2010 or 2012. Info: Equality California. | |
| Norway | On June 11, Norway became 6th country with full marriage equality, by a vote of an overwhelming majority of the legislature | Connecticut | On October 16, 2008, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled for equal marriage in Connecticut, making Connecticut the 3rd US state with marriage equality ! On November 12th, 2008 the first marriages took place. GO CONNECTICUT! | |
| Nepal | Nepal's Supreme Court has ordered the government to scrap laws that discriminate against homosexuals. The court ordered that sexual minorities should be guaranteed the same rights as other citizens. Presumably, this will include marriage equality! | 2009 | Iowa | As the result of a court ruling, same-sex marriage started in Iowa April 27, 2009. |
| Sweden | On April 1st, the Swedish parliament has approved a bill legalizing same-sex marriages effective 1 May. | Vermont | The Vermont General Assembly voted for, and then overrode the governor's veto of same-sex marriage on April 27, 2009. Same-sex couples began marrying on September 1, 2009. | |
| Austria | Civil unions approved Dec. 2009 | Maine | The Maine legislature passes a marriage equality bill and the governor signs on May 6, 2009. Implementation was delayed pending a referendum. Marriage equality defeated 53-47% in November 2009. SEE BELOW!!!!) | |
| Nevada | The Nevada legislature passes legislation establishing domestic partnerships. The governor vetoes, and on May 31, 2009, both houses override the governor's veto. :-) More info: www.eqnv.org. | |||
| Wisconsin | Governor signs domestic partner legislation 6/29/09. More info: fairwisconsin.com | |||
| Ecuador | Legalized by the approval of the 2008 Constitution of Ecuador. 1st same-sex civil unions October 2009. | Washington | statewide "domestic registry" law passed in the House and in the Senate in April 2007 and will go into effect January 2008. Info: Equal Rights Washington. (SEE BELOW !!!!) | |
| Washington DC | ...which already has domestic partnerships, voted in fall 2009 to recognize out-of-districted marriages. In Dec., the City Council voted 11-2 for full marriage equality. Absent action by Congress in the 30 days following, it will be come law and go into effect! | |||
| Iceland | Full marriage equality in Iceland since June 27, 2010. Passed unanimously in Parliament (with some absentions but 0 "no" votes). | Wisconsin | Domestic partnerships enacted in 2009 (some of the benefits of marriage) | |
| Argentina | On July 15, the Senate passed a full marriage equality bill 32-17. The lower house has already passed the bill, and the President is a strong advocate of marriage equality and will sign! | Nevada | Domestic partnerships enacted in 2009 | |
| Colorado | Designated Beneficiary Agreements (some of the rights of marriage) in 2009 | |||
| Lichtenstein | recognition of same-sex unions | 2011 | Illinois | Civil unions (2011) |
| 2012 | Hawaii | Civil unions (2012) | ||
| Maine | Marriage approved by voters 11/6/12 | |||
| Washington | Marriage approved by voters 11/6/12 | |||
| Maryland | Marriage approved by voters 11/6/12 | |||
| Minnesota | Voters reject constitutional amendment on 11/6/12 | |||
| What's next? ... | Your country or city here? | Last updated: July 2010 |