Equality On Trial

Rhode Island’s same-sex marriage debate is often cast as a civil rights issue, but a new study suggests legalizing gay weddings could have a measurable economic impact as well.

The new study released by UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute argues that extending marriage rights to same-sex couples in Rhode Island would bring an estimated $7 million into the Ocean State’s economy, primarily through the local wedding and tourism industries.

The study predicts that in the first three years after legalizing same-sex marriage, Rhode Island’s wedding and tourism businesses would see total spending increase by $7 million, including $5.5 million in additional wedding spending and $1.5 million in tourism expenditures made by out-of-town guests.

Testimony.  Immigration reform chapter.

Where things stand in Illinois.

Hundreds of Colorado gay and lesbian couples put an official government seal on their relationships in the early hours of Wednesday morning, after the state’s civil-unions law took effect….

Mayor Michael Hancock performed many of the first ceremonies, along with U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Denver, municipal judges and religious officiants at multiple stations to move through the crowd in the early morning hours.

Colorado knows how to throw a party.

All over the internet now…what I found intriguing about this article  is who is tweeting:  Bill Clinton, Martina Navratilova, Kobe Bryant, Neal Patrick Harris…

Journeyman NBA center Jason Collins bombshell announcement – he’s believed to be the first active athlete in a major American professional sport to publicly identify himself as homosexual – has people within the sport, in other sports and throughout the world talking about his revelation.

An ally worth watching.

When the Rhode Island State Senate tallied up the votes against a same-sex marriage bill passed there on Wednesday, something was missing: Republicans.

All five of the chamber’s Republican lawmakers had voted for the bill, stunning opponents and sending the measure to the governor’s desk and almost-certain victory next week.

The vote reflected not only the rapidly shifting tides of public opinion on same-sex marriage, but also the influence of a new Republican advocacy group called the American Unity Fund, which spent weeks helping the state’s gay rights organization cultivate Republican senators.

In a scathing blog post written the day after Rhode Island became the thenth marriage equality state, the radical-right anti-gay organization MassResistance takes National Organization for Marriage to task for “drop[ping] the ball” in the effort to keep marriage discriminatory….

Think Progress reports that HB75, a proposed marriage equality bill in Delaware, is likely to pass out of the Senate Executive Committee when it is considered next Tuesday.  The bill’s fate in the full Senate remains unclear.  From their report:

Seven of the Senate’s 21 members are official sponsors or co-sponsors of the measure. They include Senate President Pro Tempore Patricia Belvins, Majority Whip Margaret Rose Henry, and Senators Harris McDowell III, Karen Peterson, Nicole Poore, and Bryan Townend — all Democrats. Senate Majority Leader David McBride (D) told ThinkProgress today that he will also vote YES on the bill and Sen. Brian Bushweller (D) pledged his support earlier this week.

Of the four other Senate Democrats, two conservatives voted against the state’s civil union’s law in 2011 and have vocally opposed same-sex marriage: Sens. Bruce Ennis and Robert Venables. Sen. Robert Marshall and Sen. Bethany Hall-Long have not yet made their positions clear.

Of the Senate’s eight Republicans, Sen. Catherine Cloutier is considered by observers the most likely to back the bill. Sen. Ernesto Lopez is also considered to be a possibility.

The six-person executive committee includes supporters Blevins, Henry, McBride, and McDowell. This means the bill will pass 4-2, regardless of the votes of Republican Minority Leader F. Gary Simpson and Minority Whip Gregory Lavelle.

In the full Senate, the bill would require 11 votes (2 more than currently pledged) should all Senators be present. In the event of a tie, marriage equality supporter Matt Denn (D), the state’s Lt. Gov., could cast the deciding vote. Gov. Jack Markell has promised to sign the bill should it reach his desk.

The Senate Executive Committee will meet 5/1 at 2:30 PM to consider HB75. There are 6 members on the committee, but I don’t know their current leanings.

New York’s legislation, which will be introduced on Friday, is modeled after a new California law that bans licensed therapists from using the practice, sometimes called conversion therapy or sexual orientation change efforts, on minors.