Supreme Court Issues Order List—No Word Yet on Proposition 8 Case

 Today, the United States Supreme Court issued an Order List revealing certain cases considered at its November 30 Conference that have been granted review.   Hollingsworth v. Perry (formerly Perry v. Brown), the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8, was not on the list.    

Enacted in November 2008, Proposition 8 eliminated the fundamental freedom of gay and lesbian Californians to marry.  The Supreme Court is expected to release another Order List from the November 30 Conference on Monday, December 3, at 9:30 a.m. EST/6:30 a.m. PST.

On July 30, 2012, the proponents of Proposition 8 asked the Supreme Court to review the February 2012 decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which affirmed the historic August 2010 judgment of the Federal District Court that found Proposition 8 unconstitutional.  The Ninth Circuit held:

“Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples.  The Constitution simply does not allow for ‘laws of this sort.’”

Proponents’ request for Supreme Court review, known as a petition for a writ of certiorari, is only granted upon an affirmative vote of four Justices.

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U.S. Supreme Court to Consider Tomorrow Whether to Hear Proposition 8 Case

Prop. 8 and DOMA Cases Distributed for Nov. 30 Conference

  Tomorrow, the United States Supreme Court will consider whether to grant review in Hollingsworth v. Perry (formerly Perry v. Brown), the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8.  The Perry case, along with several cases challenging the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), have been distributed for discussion at the Justices’ private Conference scheduled for Friday, November 30, 2012.

Enacted in November 2008, Proposition 8 eliminated the fundamental freedom of gay and lesbian Californians to marry.  DOMA, which was enacted by Congress in 1996, nullifies the marriages of gay and lesbian couples for all purposes of federal law.

The Perry case was filed on May 22, 2009, in Federal District Court on behalf of two California couples, Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, and Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo.  On February 7, 2012, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a landmark ruling upholding the historic August 2010 decision of the Federal District Court that found Proposition 8 unconstitutional.  On July 30, 2012, the proponents of Proposition 8 asked the Supreme Court to review the Ninth Circuit’s judgment.  A request for Supreme Court review, known as a petition for a writ of certiorari, is only granted upon an affirmative vote of four Justices.

Should the Court grant review, the Justices will go on to consider whether Proposition 8 violates the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.  If the Court denies review, the February 2012 decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that struck down Proposition 8 is made permanent, ending four years of marriage inequality in California.

The Supreme Court is expected to release an Order List with its decisions on cases it has granted or denied review from its November 30 Conference by Monday, December 3.  In the event that the Court neither grants nor denies review in Perry by December 3, the Justices will discuss the case again at a future Conference.

The American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER), the sole sponsor of the Perry case, will hold a national media conference call after the release of the Order List to discuss significance and impact of the Supreme Court’s decision to grant or deny review in Perry.

Speaking on the call will be Plaintiffs’ lead co-counsel Theodore B. Olson and David Boies; plaintiffs Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, and Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo; AFER co-founder Chad Griffin; and AFER executive director Adam Umhoefer.

To listen in to the call, please dial (866) 535-6106.  Enter conference ID 76518722.


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"The Wise Kids" , Well done....

You simply can't help but fall in love with the characters in The Wise Kids. Such a well done indie that deals with the ever present complexities of love and religion.

Director Stephen Cone’s (In Memoriam) thoughtful and evocative Southern coming-of-age drama The Wise Kids debuts on DVD January 8th from Wolfe Video and will be available early across all digital platforms on December 11th. The film stars Tyler Ross (Nate & Margaret), Molly Kunz (Something Better Somewhere Else) and Allison Torem (Scrooge & Marley) as three teenage friends contemplating their next stage of life following graduation. A critical and popular success on the festival circuit, The Wise Kids has won numerous awards, including the Grand Jury Awards for “Outstanding U.S. Narrative Feature” and “Outstanding U.S. Screenwriting” at 2011 Outfest, the Audience Award for “Best Narrative Feature” at NewFest, and the Jury Awards for “Best Narrative Feature” and “Best Ensemble” at Atlanta’s Out on Film. 



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Morgan Freeman Lends Voice to HRC National Marriage Equality Television Ad Campaign

 

The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, today announced a national television ad campaign following on the historic victories for marriage equality at the ballot box this year.  The ad titled "Dawn of a New Day" and voiced by Academy Award Winner Morgan Freeman, began running today. 

“This year proved to be a pivotal turning point in the movement for marriage equality and now we press onward with renewed vigor and public opinion squarely on our side," said HRC President Chad Griffin.  "As we continue the march toward full equality in legislatures and the courts, it is crystal clear that the prospect of an equal future is no longer up for debate; the question now is how soon it will arrive. While we celebrate today, we will keep fighting until full equality has reached every single person in every corner of this vast country.”

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Andrae Gonzalo Launches "The Andrae Conversation"

Intent on concluding the Project Runway chapter of his life, designer & fashion philosopher, Andrae Gonzalo is launching The Andrae Conversation, a new, interactive forum & retail experience designed inspire & empower fashion enthusiasts. The site will host conversations about men & women's real fashion & design struggles while revealing the relevance fashion has within our culture. Playful discussions will result in a series of completely original, one-size-fits all accessories that get people talking in 2 distinct ways.

Each accessory will be the result of compelling conversations with Gonzalo’s fans.
The styles, when worn, will command attention & start conversations.
“Fashion is about more than whether one is ‘hip’ or ‘square’, ‘in’ or ‘out’. It reveals social trends & breaks life up into enjoyable, digestible chucks”, says Gonzalo. In response to a current redefining of nerd culture & growing nostalgia for the early 20th century, Gonzalo's first design contribution to The Andrae Conversation will be an ingenious line of Quadri-Loop Bowties. Andrae gave fans a sneak peek of the bowtie on Lifetime’s current season of Project Runway All Stars. The designer, hungry to innovate his work further, added new elements to the accessory. These bowties are completely new to the marketplace because they:

• are made with colorful, durable grosgrain ribbon.
• contain 4 symmetrical loops (instead of 2)
• are modular, can be mixed & matched with other Quadri-Loop bowties.

Since fashion can also make a statement, there is already a series of sleek, politically minded accessories ready to be launched for the upcoming presidential inauguration. For more on this, visit andraegonzalo.com.

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OUT Magazine unveiled the covers of their annual OUT100 issue

OUT, through its partnership with Buick, will host the OUT100 Presented By Buick. This marks the third consecutive year that Buick will be the presenting sponsor of the OUT100 program, which extends across the print and online versions as well as its annual gala.   The OUT100 is a panorama of the most compelling people of the year. To learn more about the OUT100 and to view their portraits by photographer M. Sharkey, please log on to www.out.com/OUT100.   

The OUT100 issue will be available on newsstands starting on November 20th.

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FINDYOURFACEMATE.COM™ SHARES ITS TIPS FOR LGBT DATING

Dating Website Matches Singles Based on Similar Facial Features

Christina Bloom, the founder and CEO of Find Your FaceMate (www.findyourfacemate.com), a free dating Website that helps singles find love based on similar facial features, is sharing her tips on spotting instant attraction amongst LGBT singles.  Using facial recognition software to match couples, Find Your FaceMate’s theory is supported by scientific research that proves that chemistry is often ignited when we spot someone whose facial features are similar to our own.

Find Your FaceMate pairs couples after examining 67 different points on the face from an uploaded photo.  Christina Bloom was inspired to create the Website because she was always told how much she looked like her partner.  Bloom believes that identifying facial similarity between LGBT couples is simple because they are of the same sex.


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MIAMI BEACH GAY PRIDE LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE

 Miami Beach Gay Pride has launched a new website to keep fans apprised of activities and developments as the popular Pride event gets ready for its fifth annual installment, announced Babak Movahedi, chairman of the Pride board of directors.  The new website is more interactive and more informative than before and can be updated in real time as details are finalized, he said.  The URL remains the same:  www.miamibeachgaypride.com.

“The mission of LGBT Creative is to develop effective marketing strategies to assist LGBT organizations with their growth,” said Scott Bader, co-founder of LGBT Creative.  “For Miami Beach Gay Pride, we created an easy-to-navigate, engaging and colorful site with a Content Management System so that the Pride team can easily implement updates and the community at-large can stay informed about new developments and announcements as they are confirmed.  These website enhancements can help Pride grow not only in attendance, but also in sponsor support and community participation, which are the organization’s goals.”

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One in Five Same-Sex Couples in the U.S. Now Live in a Jurisdiction Where They Can Marry

 On Tuesday, November 6, 2012, the residents of Maine, Maryland, and Washington affirmed that their states will recognize marriages for lesbian and gay couples. In addition, Minnesota voters rejected a constitutional amendment barring same-sex couples from marrying.

Williams Institute analyses of Census 2010 data suggests that approximately 35,000 same-sex couples live in Maine, Maryland, and Washington, and that over 17,000 will marry in the next three years.  Many of these couples are raising children, ranging from 14% of same-sex couples living in Maine to 20% in Maryland.   

After yesterday’s vote, same-sex couples can now marry in nine states in the U.S. and the District of Columbia.  As a result, 20% of same-sex couples now live in states where they can marry. Overall, 16% of the U.S. population lives in states where same-sex couples can marry.

If the U.S. Supreme Court affirms or let’s stand the 9th Circuit opinion striking down Proposition 8 in California, 35% of same-sex couples in the U.S. will live in states where they can marry; and 28% of the U.S. population will live in states where same-sex couples can marry.

Further data about same-sex couples in these states, and all 50 states and D.C., can be found in the US Census reports on the Williams Institute website.
 

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Senator-Elect Tammy Baldwin Makes History as First Openly Gay U.S. Senator

Upon the Wisconsin Senate Race being called for Tammy Baldwin, Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin released the following statement:

“Tammy Baldwin has always been a trailblazer, but with her victory tonight Senator-elect Baldwin has again earned her spot in the history books. As the first openly gay person elected to the United States Senate, Tammy Baldwin is a role model for LGBT youth and all young women across the country.

“With a relentless focus on the issues that matter most to Wisconsin voters — economic security, access to healthcare, and fairness and inclusion for all. As a result, she’s earned the respect of all her constituents, gay and straight. It was HRC’s privilege to be part of the broad coalition that helped ensure her victory, and we can’t wait to work with her and her team as she takes on this new role.”

HRC is proud to have been part of Tammy's campaign from the beginning. To ensure her victory, we raised and contributed over $500,000 for her campaign. We featured Tammy in nine fundraising emails reaching a total audience of more than 2.5 million. And we sent staff and volunteers to support Tammy's successful campaign and the campaigns of other pro-LGBT candidates like Mark Pocan, who is also openly gay and was elected tonight to succeed Tammy in the House.

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90% of Gays and Lesbians Vote for Barack Obama

The Community Marketing & Insights (CMI) pre-election poll showed that 90% of gay men and lesbians voted for Barack Obama.

The election poll of 6,625 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) United States citizens was administered November 2-4, 2012 and responses were received from all 50 states. LGBTs represent an estimated 5% of United States voters and an overwhelming majority supported the coalition that produced Barack Obama’s victory. 90% support for Obama was seen in all Battleground States and the percentage was similar to the level that Obama received from the African American community.

Demonstrating the importance of the election, 95% of LGBTs indicated that they would vote in the election and 41% indicated that the had already voted before election day.

Final data indicated that 90% supported Barack Obama, 6% for Mitt Romney and 4% a third party candidate.

41% of gays and lesbians gave money to the Obama campaign.

Respondents were part of CMI’s international research panel of 70,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) people. Community Marketing is a an LGBT market research firm providing market intelligence and insights to over 100 corporate brands globally. For more information, visit CommunityMarketingInc.com 

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LGBT Voters May Make Difference in Close Election

In what political observers see as an historically close election heading into the campaign’s final weekend, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) voters are breaking even more toward President Barack Obama in a new pre-election poll released by Logo TV and conducted by Harris Interactive.

In the online survey completed October 23–28, 2012, following the third presidential debate, 72% of LGBT voters now report their initial support for the re-election of President Barack Obama, up 7% from Logo TV’s benchmark poll conducted by Harris Interactive August 10-15, 2012, prior to the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. In this new poll, Mitt Romney receives support from 20% of LGBT voters, statistically the same support he received in the pre-conventions poll of 21%. When the LGBT vote is looked at with those who “lean” toward one candidate or the other, Obama’s margin over Romney increases from +44 in the August benchmark (67%-23%) to +53 now (73%-20%). This contrasts with the national vote, in which Obama’s lead over Romney, including leaners, moved from +6 lead (48%-42%) before the conventions to -2 deficit (43%-45%) immediately following the debates.

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Gay Travelers Find Their Perfect Philly Neighborhood With New Facebook Quiz

One Participant Will Win Overnight Stay In Philly, Including Lady Gaga Tickets

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) today debuted a new personality quiz on facebook.com/visitgayphilly that will help LGBT visitors figure out which Philadelphia neighborhood best suits them and give them a chance to win a weekend stay in Philadelphia, including tickets to a Lady Gaga concert. A part of GPTMC's popular Philadelphia – Get Your History Straight and Your Nightlife Gay® campaign, the fun Facebook-based quiz asks questions about participant's dining, shopping and nightlife preferences and then determines which of five Philly neighborhoods—the Gayborhood, Old City, Rittenhouse Square/Benjamin Franklin Parkway, East Passyunk and New Hope—meshes best with their mood.

Those who complete the personality quiz between now and November 13 will be entered to win a weekend stay in Philadelphia, which includes:

A pair of premium tickets to Lady Gaga's show at the Wells Fargo Center on February 19, 2013
A $100 giftcard for a meal at Valanni, located in Philadelphia's Gayborhood
Overnight accommodations at the brand new Hotel Monaco Philadelphia
To take the quiz and enter the sweepstakes, participants must "like" facebook.com/visitgayphilly. Participants may take the quiz as many times as they like, but they're permitted jut one contest entry throughout the duration of the sweepstakes.

TWEET IT: Want a chance to win a gay old time in Philly? Take a personality quiz, & you'll be entered to win: https://www.facebook.com/VisitGayPhilly.



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