GERMANY'S TOP COURT GRANTS TAX EQUALITY TO SAME-SEX COUPLES

The Federal constitutional Court in Karlsruhe ruled today that treating civil unions and marriages differently for tax purposes is "unequal treatment because of sexual orientation," and thus violates the country's guarantee of equal rights for its citizens. The court saw right to the heart of the matter:

The court acknowledged that married couples enjoy special privileges because the partners also accept a strong responsibility for each other, including financial, but it argued that the civil union implies the same duties and responsibilities for gay partners.

German court rules gay couples in civil unions deserve marriage tax breaks

Gay rights campaigners won a victory over the German government Thursday as the country’s top court ruled that same-sex couples in civil unions should receive the same tax benefits as heterosexual married couples.

The Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe ruled that treating the two forms of partnership differently for tax purposes violates the country’s guarantee of equal rights.

SENATOR LANDRIEU PERSONALLY BELIEVES IN MARRIAGE EQUALITY BUT WON'T BACK IT

Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA), one of the four senate Democrats yet to back marriage equality, told CNN that she personally believes in it but won't take an official position because Louisiana has laws against gay unions:

Landrieu told CNN National Political Correspondent Jim Acosta in an interview Friday that she personally believes "people should love who they love and marry who they want to marry," but that her obligation rests with the people of Louisiana who elected her.

"My state has a very strong constitutional amendment not only against gay marriage but against gay partnerships. So I'm looking at the people of Louisiana trying to represent their interests," she said.

Colorado governor signs same-sex civil unions bill into law

'Once and for all, LGBT Coloradans are not strangers to the law'

A new era of rights and responsibilities for the state’s gay and lesbian community began March 21 after Colorado Gov. John W. Hickenlooper signed into law the Colorado Civil Union Act.

Colorado House Passes Civil Unions

he Colorado house approved a bill to legalize civil unions for same-sex couples on Tuesday, and Gov. John Hickenlooper is expected to sign the bill into law.

Passing the legislation was a key move for Democrats, who took control of the House in the 2012 election. The house chamber erupted in applause when House Democrats and two Republicans voted in favor of the bill, with the final count at 39-26.

"We really do stand on the edge of history," Rep. Pete Lee said, according to the Associated Press. "For some in this chamber, this is the reason why we are here."

The Colorado Civil Union Act is a particular landmark, as the state voted to constitutionally ban same-sex marriages seven years ago.

Link GOP Memo and other Marriage News

Rhode Island House Judiciary Panel Hearing Three Bills on Gay Marriage Today

Three separate bills dealing with same-sex marriage will be considered by the Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee today, WPRO reports:

The first of the three sponsored by Rep. Larry Valencia (D, Richmond, Charlestown, Exeter) will allow couples legally married elsewhere to divorce in Rhode Island regardless of whether the marriage would have been legal in the state.

The second bill sponsored by Rep. Frank Ferri (D, Warwick) would remove an amendment added to the civil union bill last year allowing individuals and organizations to refuse to provide service to a civil union if they oppose on religious grounds.

The third bill sponsored by Rep. Arthur Andy (D, Cranston) provides for same-sex marriage in Rhode Island and recognizes previously performed civil unions as marriages.

Gays Should Choose Jesus Instead Of Their Spouses

Two Christian state senators debating Colorado’s civil union bill – Senate Bill 2 – yesterday decided to quote Bible passages and proselytize from the Senate floor, including telling gay people to choose Jesus over their same-sex partner.

“I truly believe Jesus is a better answer than Senate Bill 2,” Senator Scott Renfroe told his colleagues – and every Colorado citizen. Choose Jesus over the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, Renfroe says. Because, apparently, Senator Renfroe is under the mistaken idea that Colorado citizens elected him to minister to their lives, to be a theocrat, to make his interpretation of the Bible the law of the land in Colorado.

“This bill tears at the very fabric of our morality and our society,” Renfroe added.

72 House Lawmakers Urge Obama to Sign Executive Order Protecting LGBT People in the Workplace

A letter signed and sent yesterday by 72 House lawmakers urges President Obama to sign an executive order approving federal non-discrimination protections for LGBT people in the workplace, the Washington Blade reports.

“This order would extend important workplace protections to millions of Americans, while at the same time laying the groundwork for Congressional passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), a goal that we share with you,” the lawmakers write.

The executive order is similar in its goal to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, legislation that would bar job bias. The directive has sometimes been referred to as the “ENDA” executive order, although the order would be more limited in scope because it only affects federal contractors.

The letter recalls that President Johnson in 1965 issued Executive Order 11246, which similarly banned discrimination among federal contractors for workers based on color, religion, sex and national origin, and says this order “continues to stand as an important protection.”

Notably absent from the letters signers are Nancy Pelosi, who told the Blade that not signing group letters has been a “longstanding custom since she has been in leadership", as well as Steny Hoyer and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz.

Source Claims Obama Considering Marriage Equality Endorsement Before November

With Democrats increasingly vocal about including marriage equality in their official party platform, it's looking more likely that President Obama may "evolve" toward full acceptance of same-sex nuptials before the election.

Well, that's what an insider told Chris Johnson at the Washington Blade:

The chances that Obama will make such an announcement before the election are looking better than in previous months as the issue receives growing media attention and voters in a handful of states face ballot initiatives this year.
An informed source, who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity, said “active conversations” are taking place between the White House and the campaign about whether Obama should complete his evolution on marriage and that the chances of him making an announcement are about 50-50.
According to the source, the administration would like to unveil another major pro-LGBT initiative before the November election, and an endorsement of marriage equality could fit the bill. But concerns persist on how an endorsement of same-sex marriage would play in four or five battleground states.
“We’re talking about the Michigans, the Ohios, the Illinois of the world; the real battleground states in which voters are already conflicted and may factor this into their judgment,” the source said.

Thomas Roberts Asks NOM's Brian Brown if He is 'Exhausted' by Constantly Opposing Equality

Music director at Catholic church fired for marrying partner of 23 years

The popular music director at a Charlotte Catholic church has lost his job because he married his partner of 23 years in New York, one of seven states to recognize same-sex marriages.

Steav Bates-Congdon was fired from St. Gabriel Catholic Church in south Charlotte in January, more than six months after he and his spouse Bill Bates-Congdon married, reported the Charlotte Observer.

On Jan. 19, just back from a honeymoon trip to Mexico, followed by an emergency stay at Carolinas Medical Center for a ruptured appendix, he checked out of the hospital and dropped by St. Gabriel.

There, he was handed a note by the Rev. Frank O’Rourke, the pastor with whom he had closely worked for more than four years.

It read: “Employees of St. Gabriel … are expected to live within the moral tradition of the Church…Your civil marriage stands in direct opposition to the teaching of the Catholic Church, therefore ending your employment with us, effective today.”

Steav Bates-Congdon said that he informed the pastor of his marriage plans, and that O’Rourker said he was happy for him but could not give him his blessing. He said he doesn’t understand why O’Rourke didn’t warn him that he could be fired.

Bates-Congdon, 61, a former Methodist minister and now an Episcopalian, joined St. Gabriel in 2004, and parishioners say he’s been open about his sexual orientation since his first interviews.

David Hains, a spokesman for the diocese, told the Oserver that “Mr. Congdon’s ‘civil union,’ is a public statement in direct opposition to the teaching of the Catholic Church on marriage as a lifelong, exclusive covenant between one man and one woman.”

North Carolina does not recognize same-sex marriages, and a constitutional amendment to define marriage between one man and one woman goes before voters in May.

The state’s non-discrimination and hate crimes laws do not provide any protections for sexual orientation or gender identity. A Supreme Court in January allows churches and their schools to hire and fire ministerial employees without government interference.

New Hampshire legislature expected to vote on repealing gay marriage law

A senior legislative assistant, speaking on the condition of anonymity, indicated that a vote on the measure has tentatively been scheduled for next Wednesday, Jan. 18.

Both sides of the same-sex marriage debate expect the Republican-controlled House to pass a bill that would replace the law legalizing same-sex marriage with civil unions for any unmarried adults. The measure would also allow anyone to refuse to recognize civil unions.

The measure is also expected to pass in the Republican-controlled Senate.

Democratic Governor John Lynch, who, in 2009, signed the bill legalizing same-sex marriage in New Hampshire, has publicly stated he will veto any effort to repeal the law.

Vote Against

The Vote Against Project - Welcome! from Vote Against Project on Vimeo.

On May 8, North Carolina voters will choose whether or not to ban same-sex marriage in their home state. Raleigh-based photographer Curtis Brown, determined to “defeat discrimination” with the help of a team of dedicated volunteers has begun The Vote Against Project.

Hawaii same-sex couples celebrate new year by exchanging vows

For Donna Gedge and Monica Montgomery, the path to becoming a legally recognized lesbian couple took 33 years. One hour after midnight Hawaiian time in the New Year, their dream became a reality as they and another couple became the first same-sex couples to enter into civil unions in Hawaii under a new law that took effect with the New Year.

House GOP Classifies Pizza As A Vegetable To ‘Prevent Overly Burdensome’ School Lunch Regulations

Earlier this year, the USDA made an attempt to bolster the nutrition guidelines for the federal school lunch program. Under the new guidelines, for instance, school lunches would be limited to one cup of starchy vegetables a week and the ability of schools to count tomato sauce on pizza towards their fruit and vegetables requirement would be scaled back. But House Republicans, in a new spending plan unveiled yesterday, have done away with those changes:

The spending bill also would allow tomato paste on pizzas to be counted as a vegetable.

Michigan panel votes to ban domestic partner benefits

"A committee in the Republican-led Michigan Senate has approved legislation aimed at blocking the offering of taxpayer-paid health insurance to domestic partners living with public employees."

Efforts To Repeal Colorado's Gay Marriage Ban Dropped

Efforts to gather approximately 86,000 signatures to repeal Colorado’s gay marriage ban with a ballot measure has been dropped by gay marriage activists, The Denver Post reported last week.

Activists had been gathering signatures since July for the measure, that if passed, would have allowed for a vote to amend the state constitution to allow same-sex marriage.

Despite this setback, there appears to be momentum building for gay and lesbian rights in Colorado with state Senators like Mark Udall wholeheartedly endorsing marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples, but it may come in the form of civil unions first, rather than marriage.

One of the most influential LGBT rights organizations in Colorado, One Colorado, is focusing its energy on passing civil unions legislation -- a bill that would be voted on by state Senators and Representatives -- rather than a a ballot vote by Colorado citizens.

In Chile, Proposal for Civil Unions

Chile’s conservative president proposed civil unions legislation Tuesday that would give unmarried partners many of the rights now enjoyed only by married couples in the South American nation.

Gays and lesbians lauded Sebastian Pinera’s signature on the proposal that he is sending to Congress as a big step toward equality

Moderates try to push GOP toward center in California

Conservative Republicans flexed their newfound muscle in Capitol Hill’s chaotic debt showdown, but in left-leaning California, moderates are trying to push the party toward the center on immigration, guns and gay rights as the 2012 elections come into view.

The latest friction in a long tussle between conservatives and centrists in California comes as leaders search for ways to make their candidates more competitive in a state where Democrats control the Legislature, hold every statewide office and enjoy a growing registration advantage. It also mirrors tensions playing out nationally as presidential contenders maneuver in advance of next year’s primary season.

A proposed rewrite of the California Republican Party platform retreats from opposition to same-sex adoption, domestic partner benefits and child custody, avoids any mention of overturning Roe v. Wade and drops a demand to end virtually all federal and state benefits for illegal immigrants.

Alarmed conservatives say the party’s core principles are under assault.

“It’s castrating conservative ideas,” said longtime party activist Mike Spence. The proposed changes suggest “the Republican Party doesn’t believe in anything.”

The proposed changes come as Washington conservatives have displayed new clout in the budget and debt debate and appear out of step with some ascendant leaders in the GOP who have been pulling the party to the right on fiscal and social issues.

Yet advocates for the changes say the California party needs a makeover – it’s outnumbered in registration and appears poised to lose control of more legislative and congressional seats after a once-a-decade recasting of district boundaries.

To them, the platform should be primarily focused on the economy and jobs – the top concern for voters.

The draft does not erase opposition to abortion rights or support for traditional marriage and gun rights, but it gives them less visibility.

The current platform, adopted in 2008, says state guns laws “disarm law-abiding citizens” and calls for the end to waiting periods to purchase firearms and inclusion of a right to carry concealed weapons in the state constitution. In the proposed version, a single sentence is included on gun ownership, saying the party supports Second Amendment rights.

A detailed section titled “The Right to Life” vanishes, including a call to reverse the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion. It would be replaced with a single sentence on the protection of innocent human life, and the word “abortion” never appears.

The proposed platform states the party “supports traditional marriage,” a significant rewrite from 2008, when the platform said marriage should be defined as between a man and woman, and schools should not teach homosexuality as an “acceptable … lifestyle.” Californians have twice voted to outlaw same-sex marriage, but a federal judge last year declared the latest ban, known as Proposition 8, unconstitutional. The ruling is being contested in court.

It also drops a sentence opposing assisted suicide, as well as a line saying the party supports stem-cell research “that focuses on cures, not destroying innocent human life.”

The draft platform “is pro-life, anti-tax, pro-family,” said Leonard Lanzi, a member of a party advisory committee that endorsed the proposal, which is expected to be reviewed at a state Republican convention in September.

“It’s brief, yes, but it’s not complicated,” Lanzi added. “I think this is a platform that will appeal to a broader group of folks.”

In a state as large as California, it’s never been easy to define a typical Republican. Is it former conservative Rep. Bob Dornan, known as “B-1 Bob” for his support of military programs, or Meg Whitman, the politically moderate billionaire who ran the most costly campaign for governor in U.S. history in 2010 and lost? Is it a conservative icon like President Ronald Reagan, or former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a political chameleon who called himself an “Arnold Republican” and talked about transcending party labels?

State GOP Chairman Tom Del Beccaro said he considered the platform dispute routine but declined to discuss specifics of the proposed changes.

“It’s been approved by the drafting committee. It’s got to make its way up the ladder,” Del Beccaro said. “I don’t think the ultimate result, when we adopt our platform, will be much different than it was four years ago.”

On immigration, the tentative changes represent an acknowledgment of the state’s changing face. Hispanics accounted for about 80 percent of the increase in registered voters in the state over the last decade, according to pollster Mark DiCamillo of the independent Field Poll. Broadening Hispanic support “is the single most important matter that faces the California Republican Party,” DiCamillo said.

The current platform calls for the denial of most benefits to illegal immigrants, would require immigrants to learn English and makes English the official language of the government. In the retooled version, it says the federal government should secure the border and reach an agreement on immigration reform.

The latest numbers for the California GOP are not encouraging.

In 2010, when Republicans scored big victories in Congress and statehouses around the nation, California Democrats made a clean sweep of eight statewide contests.

Despite a booming population, California counted more registered Republicans in 1988 than it does today. The party is in danger of slipping under 30 percent of registered voters statewide – Democrats hold 44 percent, or an edge of 2.3 million voters. Independents outnumber Republicans in 14 of the state’s 53 congressional districts.

Hispanics could eclipse non-Hispanics and comprise the largest racial or ethnic group in the state by 2020, and they tend to vote Democratic. Independents – about 2 of 10 voters – generally tilt left in California, too.

The last Republican to carry the state in a presidential election was George H.W. Bush, in 1988.

Ultimately, it’s not clear how much good a remade platform will do at the ballot box. It’s candidates who win or lose elections.

To political scientist Jack Pitney, the party has been divided by bickering factions since 1854, its founding date.

“It’s possible to have a broadly conservative party that doesn’t agree on every specific,” said Pitney, who teaches at Claremont McKenna College. “The guy who was able to thread the needle on this was Reagan – he was able to include the moderates.”