In an historic vote, Minnesota has become the latest state to approve equal marriage. Today's vote in the state senate means that Minnesota will join 11 states and the District of Columbia to allow same-sex marriage.
The Senate vote of 37-30 came four days after the House passed the bill on a 75-59 vote. When the tally was announced after more than four hours of debate, a huge cheer erupted in the chamber and gallery, where spectators stood and applauded. Minnesota will become the first state in the Midwest to make gay marriage legal via a legislative vote. Iowa legalized same-sex marriage in 2009 through a court ruling.
Last week, Dayton, a Democrat, called the bill "one of those society-changing breakthrough moments." His staff scheduled a signing ceremony for 5 p.m. Tuesday on the Capitol steps.
It's a rapid turnaround for gay marriage supporters, who just six months ago had to organize a massive effort to defeat a constitutional amendment that would have banned gay marriage. The groups who defeated the amendment quickly turned their attention to legalizing gay marriage, and their efforts were aided by Democrats capturing full control of state government in November.
Three Democrats voted against the bill. One Republican voted yes.
Minnesota joins Delaware and Rhode Island to becomes the third state to approve marriage equality in the last two weeks. Minnesota and Rhode Island's laws become effective August 1.
One of the leading players in the WNBA says she will wed her girlfriend next year and will become more vocal about LGBT equality.
Seimone Augustus (right) is a guard for the Minnesota Lynx, a three time WNBA All-Star and won gold medals in women's basketball at the London and Beijing Olympic games. Augustus will wed her fiancee LaTaya Varner (left) in May. The November vote on a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage in Minnesota prompted her to "speak out ... now", the openly lesbian athlete told the AP.
"I felt like it was the perfect time for me, being on a platform where I can make a change with my voice and my situation," Augustus [said]. "Maybe inspire someone else to come out and be comfortable with themselves. Or maybe someone else's parents will see my parents saying that it's OK to be with your child and love your child unconditionally regardless of your sexual preference."
Augustus came out to supportive parents when she was still in high school and has never hidden the fact that she's lesbian. But it wasn't until she proposed to Varner on Miami Beach that she started feeling comfortable with the idea of taking things public.
"I just never understood why someone else's love life and who they love and who they choose to be with affects so many other people's lives," Augustus said. "Is it a scare of, 'Gay people are going to be running around and everyone's going to turn gay?' I never understood the whole point of opposing or hating someone else's happiness."
Augustus and Varner met in June 2007 There's a beautiful feature in today's Star-Tribune that describes how they met, their first date ("Chicken and waffles") and how they fell in love. "I couldn't see myself with anybody else than her," said Varner.
The couple talks more about their relationship and the marriage amendment in a video interview. Note: Augustus erroneously says that "if it passes" in November, their marriage would be legal. Not true. Same-sex marriages are prohibited by statute in Minnesota. With that aside, it's still a great interview. Watch it AFTER THE JUMP ...
Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann dismissed a constituent's question about the rash of anti-gay school bullying in her Minnesota district: It's a matter of state's rights, the candidate said at a weekend campaign rally in California, reports CBS News.
Alex Limon says he came to a Michele Bachmann rally here for one reason: To ask the Republican presidential candidate what she intends to do about school bullying in her district that reportedly targets gays. He got to ask his question, but he didn't get a lengthy answer. "That's not a federal issue," Bachmann said, before moving on to the shake the hand of the next person waiting to speak to her.
The federal government and a growing number of civil rights and education advocates say otherwise, reports the Washington Blade.
Over the past two years, nine youths have committed suicide in the Anoka-Hennepin school district, the largest in Minnesota. At least four suicide victims were victims of bullying because they were gay or perceived to be gay.
In July, the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the Southern Poverty Law Center filed a lawsuit against the district on behalf of students who say they experienced harassment and violence as a result of an anti-gay environment. The Education and Justice departments are also investigating the district over the issue. ...
Additionally, the White House held a bullying summit in March. Next week, the Education Department is hosting its second annual bullying prevention summit at the Washington Hilton Hotel in D.C.
Bachmann's dismissive remarks came only one day after the mother of a gay teen who committed suicide in her district met with campaign staffers to urge the lawmaker to speak out against bullying, reported The Advocate. The campaign says Bachmann will "review" the issue. Priorities, priorities
That was fast. Former Minnesota Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty becomes the first casualty of the 2012 GOP nomination.
Only hours after his distant third-place finish at the Iowa Straw Poll in Ames, the anti-gay Republican announced that he was dropping out of the race. Pawlenty earned less than half the votes of Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, the winner of the Straw Poll.
Pawlenty's move comes one day after Texas Gov. Rick Perry entered the race. Perry says that he hoped to win Pawlenty's endorsement in his presidential bid.
Recent weeks have seen a renewed focus on the relentless homophobia of GOP presidential candidate Michele Bachmann and husband Dr. Marcus Bachmann, the Christian counselor who believes there is a "homosexual agenda" and has referred to gays as "barbarians." Bachmann's "counseling" clinic receives substantial public funding and claims it can cure homosexuality through prayer.
Rep. Michele Bachmann appeared on FOX News Sunday to discuss her presidential campaign, the economy and Friday night's historic marriage equality vote in New York. "In New York state, they have passed the law at the state legislative level," said the Minnesota Republican. "Under the 10th amendment, the states have the right to set the laws that they want to set."
Bachmann added that she supported the ballot initiative process and a federal marriage amendment, which would invalidate the state laws. "Every time it's going on the ballot, the people have decided to keep the traditional definition. After all, the family is the fundamental unit of government."
The statement is apparently a contradiction by Bachmann, who is a consistent defender of state's rights. At the New Hampshire debate for 2012 GOP presidential hopefuls on June 13, Bachmann said she does support a constitutional amendment but "would not be going into the states to overturn their state law."
In recent months, the anti-gay founder of the U.S. House Tea Party Caucus praised conservative Iowa voters for ousting three justices involved in the unanimous Iowa Supreme Court ruling that brought marriage equality. Bachmann also supported the Minnesota legislature's May vote to send a constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage to voters.
Building on the success of the path to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal, finding more effective strategies to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and including transgender individuals in ENDA and immigration reform were among the strategies discussed at the 2011 Netroots Nation Strategy Session.
The LGBT caucus and strategy session had over 80 attendees, says Mike Rogers, the director of the Netroots Nation LGBT Netroots Connect program. Rogers has brought more than 50 attendees to Netroots Nation 2011 as part of a LGBT pre-conference and scholarship program.
Dr. Jillian T. Weiss facilitated the 90-minute conference. Weiss is a professor of law at Ramapo College of New Jersey, and a management consultant on transgender diversity. Weiss is also well known across the LGBT movement and virtual community as a contributor at Bilerico.com and for her work pushing ENDA.
The goal of the strategy session was to "capitalize upon what worked and didn't work" in pushing for DADT and DOMA repeal, as well as "synthesizing momentum" around the introduction of ENDA and the United American Families Act, said Dr. Weiss.
The session was divided into two groups: Those who worked with policy and on the "inside" track and those who worked in media, blogging and the "outside" track. Chief among the frustrations: Finding an "optimum" narrative to win passage of ENDA.
"I can say what worked best on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'," said Freedom to Marry's New Media Director Michael Crawford, who co-facilitated one of the breakout sessions. "That was the personal narrative. I can say how we will win marriage, state by state, or a court strategy or even a DOMA repeal in Congress." But the movement "has yet to develop" a winning "narrative" on ENDA.
"And that's a shame because ENDA would effect 150 million people," added Weiss.
It's also important to keep ensure that our "media representatives are diverse" when buillding a narrative, added Pam's House Blend Editor Pam Spaulding.
Another chief concern: Transgender inclusion. "We obviously didn't have that in DADT because it was an 'LGB' issue but some of the organizations" were fearful around using trans case studies and spokespersons to push for ENDA, said Jos Truitt, the transgender activist and blogger at Feministing. Truitt and others said the need for trans inclusion was more imperative around ENDA, the United American Families Act and immigration reform.
Some images from the LGBT Strategy Session are HERE:
The Daily Kos Lounge in the lower level of the Minneapolis Convention Center has become the gay e-telligentsia's de facto mobile office at Netroots Nation 2011. To the right are Scott Wooledge (aka @Clarknt67 from Daily Kos and Pam's House Blend), Joe Jervis and Jeremy Hooper. That's my laptop and BlackBerry on the table.
Still haven't figured out the inflatable kiddie pool.
I'm no longer anonymous! Last night, the Netroots Nation registration desk printer "went back online" and a staffer texted me to pick up my badge. As usual, the spelling is wrong, but no worries. I'm happy to be here.
The stylish Netroots Nation 2011 tote bag is filled with progressive swag from condoms to t-shirts, magazines and wristbands. Check it out WHEN YOU JUMP ...
Viktor Kerney is a Los Anegles-based collegiate student affairs administrator. He is also the blogger and activist behind the Black Weblog Award-nominated Southern4Life. Viktor is known across the Twitterverse as @Wondermann5—and has been critical on the lack of the diversity in LGBT media and organizations.
"I'm hoping Netroots Nation will change that," Kerney tells R20. "[LGBT media] will go to a few voices but there are many others as well. They need to challenge themselves and see what other people are writing,"
"I'm happy [some of us] are here," Kerney tells R20. "But [the relative few] shows that we have to encourage our own to attend these events. I would like to see more Black LGBT leadership on the boards of major organizations. And more outreach towards finding more LGBT leaders of color."
This is Viktor's first Netroots Nation. He is one of about 40 bloggers and activists recruited on a scholarship program developed by the fabulous Mike Rogers and Netroots Nation. Listen:
The Senate vote of 37-30 came four days after the House passed the bill on a 75-59 vote. When the tally was announced after more than four hours of debate, a huge cheer erupted in the chamber and gallery, where spectators stood and applauded. Minnesota will become the first state in the Midwest to make gay marriage legal via a legislative vote. Iowa legalized same-sex marriage in 2009 through a court ruling.
