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February6th

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Our Favorite TV Playboy is Happy with His ‘Husband’

Posted in: Featured Articles

If there’s an actor who many men and women admire for being gay, it would definitely be Neil Patrick Harris. After all, he used to play the role of Dr. Doogie Howser, from the early 90s TV series, Doogie Howser, M.D. But if there’s one role of his that really surprised a lot of people, it would definitely be his role for Barney Stinson in the highly acclaimed TV show, How I Met Your Mother. In fact, our beloved NPH plays a role that is the exact opposite of Mr. Stinson—for one thing, he’s a playboy. The real NPH, on the other hand, is happily and loyally (though not yet legally) ‘married’ to his one and only love—David Burtka.

Yes, if you’re a fan of HIMYM and you didn’t know this bit of information, we only have to wonder which planet you’re from.

In fact, NPH’s relationship with DB was featured on the cover of Out magazine, entitled “Love Issue.” They are even considered as ‘the poster boys for traditional gay marriage.’

Coming Out

As part of NPH’s confession in November 2006, he told People.com:

““The public eye has always been kind to me, and until recently I have been able to live a pretty normal life,

“Now it seems there is speculation and interest in my private life and relationships. So, rather than ignore those who choose to publish their opinions without actually talking to me, I am happy to dispel any rumors or misconceptions and am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest and feel most fortunate to be working with wonderful people in the business I love.”

A year later, NPH attended the Emmy awards held in September 2007 together with DB. This was when he finally admitted his 3-year relationship with Burtka on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Twins

Last August 14, 2010, NPH and Burtka announced that they were expecting to have twins via a surrogate mother. On October 12, 2010, they had fraternal twins named Gideon Scott (a boy), and Harper Grace (a girl).

The Engagement

After the New York Marriage Equity Act passed in June 24, 2011, the lovebirds announced their engagement through Twitter. They admitted that they have already proposed to one another 5 years ago, but kept that engagement a secret until the legalization of same-sex marriages in the state.

Before the vote, NPH wrote this on his Twitter account:

When the bill passed, he (again) used Twitter to express his excitement:

Meanwhile, Burtka gave the big news as a tweet to a fan, saying:

“I’ve already purposed, he said yes! Thank god!” he tweeted, before adding, “he proposed to me as well. I said yes! Thank god!”

NPH responded to Burtka’s tweet:

On an interview with AceShowbiz.com, NPH said confirmed the news:

“Yes, I proposed to Neil and he proposed to me.’ Which I think sounded immediate and wasn’t. It’s exactly what we didn’t want to do, because we contemplated getting married in California, before the Prop 8 debacle, and I opted not to immediately because I didn’t want it to be a media event.

“I didn’t want to go marching down the street with camera crews. Oy. To get married? Really? It seems like you have an agenda when you do it that way. I wouldn’t want to get married to be an example. I’m hoping we’ll be able to get married in California soon, but there are no plans afoot.”

Representing Gay Marriage Rights

When asked if he felt responsible to represent gay marriages, NPH had this to say:

“No, everyone has an individual experience. To try to declare yourself a larger representative is dangerous. I just do my thing, we have our life.”
January16th

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Rick Santorum: On Gay Marriages, Abortion, and Faith

Posted in: Gay Marriage News

When it comes to the issue of abortion, faith, and gay marriages, it is no longer a surprise to find Republican campaigns that strongly oppose these issues. This is why many candidates of the presidential contest are asking for the support of their evangelical voters.

Recently, Rick Santorum had a number of boost of support among prominent Christian conservative leaders. This was a last-ditch effort to unite social conservative voters who plan to stop or at least slow down Mitt Romney’s approach to Republican nomination.

However, it was still unclear whether it was the decision of around 150 conservatives meeting in Texas will result to the change the shape of South Carolina’s race. Since the powerful evangelical vote of this state is divided, Santorum is fighting it off with four other candidates as they try to overtake Romney’s current lead.

According to Santorum, his shifting position in such social issues make him insufficiently conservative as the Republican Party’s standard bearer.

”The establishment is trying to ram Governor Romney down the people of South Carolina and everybody else’s throat as if he is inevitable,” Mr Santorum said. ”We’re not a secular nation,” he said. ”We’re a nation that believes in a provident hand.’‘

Meanwhile, other Republican candidates are still trying to scrutinize Romney’s changing position in such social issues.
January11th

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Pope Believes Same Sex Marriages is Risky to Families

Posted in: Gay Marriage News

If there was ever a time the issue of the acceptance of gay marriages in the Catholic Church died down, it would probably have been in another lifetime. Recently, a new noise has been made under the topic as Pope Benedict strongly affirmed his opposition to it, stating that these policies undermined traditional family values and threatened ‘the future of humanity itself.’

The Pope gave out this statement last Monday as he was referring to the education of each generation. According to him, each generation needed a ‘setting,’ which included a family led on by the marriage of a man and a woman.

‘This is not a simple social convention but rather the fundamental cell of every society. Consequently, policies which undermine the family threaten human dignity and the future of humanity itself,’ the Pope said.

As the leader of some 1.2 billion Catholics in the world, it was a bit too much to blame on same sex marriages. What about the number of conventional families who end up in divorce? If Catholics are so concerned about the ‘setting’ a child grows up in, then why doesn’t they concentrate more on the values that broken families produce? If they really want to make the perfect ‘setting’ a child can grow up in, then that should be something they focus on.

The comments made by the Pope were regarded as some of the strongest he has ever said about same sex marriages. Back in 2010, the Pope also criticized the issue just a few days prior to its signing into Portugese law.

Fortunately, there are several other religious individuals who do not follow the remarks left by the Pope. Although Cardinal George Pell, the Catholic Archbishop in Sydney, still has not left a comment, he has been known for his vocal opposition to changing the legal definition of marriages in Australia. At the same time, Alex Greenwich (Australian Marriage Equality) had this to say: ‘The Pope’s comments are not reflective of the entire Christian or Catholic community, many of whom support marriage equality based on their Christian values of love, family and fairness.’ He believes same-sex marriages will strengthen families instead of undermining them.

[Source: SMH]
January7th

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What’s the Gay Divorce Rate Like?

Posted in: Featured Articles

More often than not, the only time gay divorce is mentioned is on the debates as to why gay marriages should be legalized. Many people who are anti gay marriages use divorce as a reason why such marriages should be banned. They use these examples to show how instable gay relationships are. Unfortunately, it is not always true. In fact, gay divorce should be another reason why gay couples should be allowed to marry one another. Because there is a need to create a legal status between gay and lesbian couples, they also need to be given their rights and privileges which marriage is equipped with. When a couple breaks up, they should be given the right to access the courts. But because gay marriages are mostly not yet legalized, there is no existence of gay divorces.

Here’s a look at Gay Divorce Incidents in States Where Gay Marriages are Legal:

Gay Divorces in Massachusetts

Just seven months after gay marriages were legalized in the state of Massachusetts, there have been some couples who sought gay divorce. Because the concept was so unprecedented, couples needed to fill out outdated forms that still referred to both parties as ‘husband’ and ‘wife.’

In the state, the very first gay divorce case documented was in Boston, involving a 39 year old professor and a 33 year old religious educator. The reason for their divorce was cited that the relationship had ‘irretrievably broken down.’ They also stated that their interests had already grown in different directions. Because their marriage was legal, they were able to file for divorce. The settlement included custody of 3 cats, which were decided to live with the professor exclusively.

Another incident of gay divorce was in Middlesex County, involving a 38 year old and 27 year old. The reason for their break up was cited by the older partner as ‘cruel and abusive treatment.’

Gay Divorces in Canada

The very first gay divorce recorded in Canada was filed by one of Ontario’s first gay couples to be wed. After same sex marriages were legalized in Ontario, this couple got married just a week after. Even though they were together for 5 years, their marriage only lasted 5 days.

Because divorce laws were not amended and still referred to both parties as ‘a man and a woman who are married to each other,’ divorce cases were deferred by the court. This was until the legality of gay marriages was ruled by the Canadian Supreme Court.

Why do Gay Couples Divorce?

Even though it seems like gay couples always wait and struggle for a chance to have a legal wedding with their partner, divorce can still happen. This is because they are prone to encounter strong cultural pressures.

While the idea of gay marriages is somewhat a recent one, the divorce rate is not expected to stabilize for a long period of time. However, data has been collected that the gay divorce rate for Dutch lesbian couples were higher compared to gay male couples.
January6th

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Is Gay Marriage Legal in Canada?

Posted in: Featured Articles

With so many people who are wondering whether or not gay marriages are legal in Canada, it is only fair that we give an answer to this. So yes, same sex marriages are legal in Canada. Under the same topic, the nation became the fourth country in the entire world after the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain.

After legalizing gay marriages, it became a controversial issue in all of Canada. In fact, this greatly shaped the way the country treated its gay and lesbian members over the last 50 years. Back in the 1960s, men who were caught engaging in homosexual activities faced criminal charges and imprisonment. Homosexuality was considered a criminal offense back then and once caught, individuals were charged as sex offenders. They could even be imprisoned for a longer period of time.

A Free Man

One suitable example to how Canada has changed in treating their homosexual countrymen is the case of Everett Klippert, who in 1965 was interrogated by the police due to an arson investigation. At the time of his capture, Klippert admitted to being involved in homosexual activities with several men for a couple of years. When his doctors discovered stopping such acts were unlikely for him, Klippert was charged and convicted as a dangerous sexual offender. He was then sentenced to imprisonment for an indefinite period. The case became a huge public ordeal throughout Canada. People everywhere discussed the issue about homosexuality and whether or not it would be just to imprison men for engaging themselves in such acts.

It was in 1969 when the Federal Liberal Government instituted sweeping reforms of the country’s criminal laws. This included decriminalizing homosexuality. Due to the influence of Pierre Trudeau, the Justice Minister during the time, the importance of individual freedom in the context of sexuality was given importance.

“It’s bringing the laws of the land up to contemporary society I think. Take this thing on homosexuality. I think the view we take here is that there’s no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation. I think that what’s done in private between adults doesn’t concern the Criminal Code. When it becomes public this is a different matter, or when it relates to minors this is a different matter.”

A couple of years later, Klippert was released from prison.

Canada and Section 15

15. (1) Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.

Under Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, same sex marriages were found as part of equality. In context, this translated to a judicial ruling to eliminate discrimination based on an individual’s sexuality.

The legalization of same sex marriages in Canada proves that the country has matured and has accepted this change.

Here is a timeline of the important historical dates centering the topic of sexuality and equality:

[Source: CBC]
January3rd

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The Definition of Marriage

Posted in: Featured Articles
In the pursuit of getting same sex marriages approved and legalized, the issue of the sanctity of marriage is always being brought up. This is because, if people look at marriage as a sacred vow and commitment, then why is it that divorce has been legalized in several countries? At the same time, if the reason why people get married is because they love each other, then how come gay couples can’t do so too?

This issue has challenged us into coming up with a post of defining what marriage is really all about.

As a generalization, marriage is defined as ‘a social contract between two individuals that unites their lives legally, economically, and emotionally.’ At the same time, ‘marriage gives legitimacy to sexual relations’ between the two people involved.

If you ask any child why people get married, they will answer: “because they love each other.” This only goes to show how innocent marriage should be. If there is no love, then what’s the point of getting married? Does it really matter if the two individuals happen to be the same gender? What if they both just happened to have deep feelings for one another, feelings they do not feel with other people?

Here are other definitions of marriage according to the appropriate parties:

How the Bible Defines Marriage:

Jesus attended a wedding John 2

Despite the lack of specific details on marriage ceremonies, weddings have been mentioned in several incidents in the Bible. However, it does mention how sacred these events are.

‘Marriage is a holy and divinely established covenant.’

With regards to the Bible’s positions on weddings, it simply requires the following:
1. The couple is married in the eyes of God when the physical union is consummated through sexual intercourse.
2. The couple is married in the eyes of God when the couple is legally married.
3. The couple is married in the eyes of God after they have participated in a formal religious wedding ceremony.
Marriage, according to Malachi 2:14, is a holy covenant before God. Even in the Jewish custom, God’s people affixed their signature on a written agreement during a wedding in order to seal this covenant. As such, marriage ceremonies are meant to be a ‘public demonstration of a couple’s commitment to a covenant relationship.’ In any marriage, the ceremony is not the one that’s most important. The biggest part of a wedding is the couple’s covenant commitment before God and men.

How the Law Defines Marriage:

The legal status, condition, or relationship that results from a contract by which one man and one woman, who have the capacity to enter into such an agreement, mutually promise to live together in the relationship of Husband and Wife in law for life, or until the legal termination of the relationship.

Here are some quotes to support the definition of marriage:

“Marriage… is the civil status of one man and one woman united in law for life, for the discharge to each other and the community of the duties legally incumbent on those whose association is founded on the distinction of sex.”
- Black’s Law Dictionary, dating back to 1891

“Marriage is a sacred institution between a man and a woman.”
-Former President George W. Bush

“Marriage has ‘more to do with the morals and civilization of a people than any other institution.’”
-U.S. Supreme Court

“We need to protect traditional marriage. We should not allow some States to impose their definition of marriage on other States.”

-Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison

“[M]arriage is a gift that society bestows on its next generation. Marriage (and only marriage) unites the three core dimensions of parenthood — biological, social and legal — into one pro-child form: the married couple.”
-David Blankenhorn

“When men and women fail to form stable marriages, the result is a vast expansion of government attempts to cope with the terrible social needs that result. There is scarcely a dollar that the state and federal government spends on social programs that is not driven, in large part, by family fragmentation: crime, poverty, drug abuse, teen pregnancy, school failure, mental and physical health problems.”
-Maggie Gallagher

Repeatedly, these politicians refer to marriage as an act between a man and a woman.

How marriages are defined in the US: http://www.clgs.org/marriage/state-definitions

How Does Society Define Marriage:
- It brings significant stability and meaning to human relationships.
- It remains the ideal for the raising of children.
- It plays an important role in transmitting culture and civilization to future generations.
We choose to go with society’s definition as it is more open and accepting to gay couples. As long as divorce is legal, we strongly believe gay couples have the right to be married too.
January1st

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The Catholic Church’s Views on Gay Marriages

Posted in: Featured Articles

If there’s anyone who plays a very strong influence on how people see same-sex marriages, it would be the Catholic Church. Just like any major religion in the world, this is something they have a strong emotion against. As such, it is important to know why they treat it in this manner instead of just wondering why they have a very high vindication for it.

The biggest reason why the Catholic Church is not Pro-Gay Marriages is because it has a very high regard for both marriage and human sexuality. Taking into consideration what the Bible said,

‘So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them’ (Genesis 1:27 NIV),

God created only two genders. Other passages used as reference for this include:

”Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ Matthew 19:4

”But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female’” Mark 10:6

After creating man after his own image, God decided that ‘it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit or him’ (Genesis 2:18). This is how God decided to create women, as a companion of man. Based on these scriptures, the Catholic Church believes that God did not create gays.

As for marriage, the Church believes that it is a sacred union in which God’s grace flows to the couple and to their children. Marriage is a holy vocation for Catholics and is only granted to those who have received the sacrament. One reason why Catholics do not believe man should get married to another man is because of a passage in the Bible, which reads

‘therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall join to his wife: and they shall be one flesh.’ (Genesis 2:24).

Because of how sacred marriage is, the Catholic Church believes that it needs to be treated with respect. Since it sees marriage as basic to a society’s health, it is a public institution that needs to be protected against harm. For them, the act of marriage is not simply a private matter of emotion between two people. Because it is a public institution, it has a direct impact on society.

This is one reason why they prohibit gay marriages. It is simply not a fairness issue. Since they respect the Bible, they follow it.

[Sources: Topical Bible | Bible | Catholic]
December29th

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Queen Latifah: On Gay Marriage

Posted in: Featured Articles

A few years ago, we were shocked by rumors that Queen Latifah had plans of getting married to her ‘live in’ trainer, Jeanette Jenkins. Prior to the rumor, she was spotted on board a yacht with her arms around her lady; to which, the Queen simply brushed off as a hug between friends.

When Glamour asked what her views are on the subject of gay marriage, the Hip-Hop singer replied:

“I don’t think that it should be called marriage. But the idea of it is the same, and you should have the same quality of rights that a married person has. People think of marriage as something that is between a man and a woman, because it was created by God. Well, let God handle the judgment, too. You stay out of it,”

After making such statements, Dallas Voice further asked:

‘Did you know that when states prohibit gays to marry, it can threaten same-sex couples being protected by domestic violence laws?’

Unfortunately, the wedding didn’t happen.

In 2010, Queen Latifah has been spotted with a mystery girl when she was vacationing in Europe.

As for her previous relationship with Jenkins, there was a report earlier this year that she [Jenkins] was willing to take Queen back, providing she kicks away her nasty habits. This certainly proved that the gay wedding rumor might have been true.

However, the 41 year old singer/actress still hopes to be a mother someday.

‘I’m definitely going to adopt – or have – a child. I’ve wanted to adopt since I was 17 or 18 years old.’

[Source: Hello Beautiful]
December28th

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Does Arnold Schwarzenegger Support Same Sex Marriages?

Posted in: Featured Articles

Is ex-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger pro or against same sex marriages? This is one of the many questions people ask about the former Governor of California. Since Schwarzenegger had varying views on the huge issue, it is only understandable why people are curious on what his current stand is.

Even though the former Governor refused to sign a law that would legalize same sex marriages, he quickly changed his mind in 2010. Prior to this, he was quoted during his campaign saying ‘I think that gay marriage is something that should be between a man and a woman.’ Although many grew fond of his humor, this was one joke that the LGBT community in California did not hope for. In fact, Schwarzenegger had previously vetoed the legislation that would have legalized such marriages. He vetoed on this twice.

Seven years later, Schwarzenegger changed his mind. It was the first time he finally spoke out against Prop 8. He even filed an official brief for ending Judge Walker’s ruling that the Prop 8 is unconstitutional. This brief states ‘there is no government or public interest in continuing a ban on gay marriage after Walker’s decision.’ It was then people knew Schwarzenegger was in favor of gays and lesbians to be granted a legal wedding.

Another surprise this development produced is the fact that Schwarzenegger is a Republican. Going back to our previous post on whether or not Republicans support gay marriage, the answer is no. Perhaps Schwarzenegger is one of those few Republicans who disagree on this ruling. During the remainder of his stay in power, Schwarzenegger made a commitment to end the waiting period gay couples had to endure before they could obtain a marriage license.

Luckily, the new Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. is a Democrat and he is fully supportive of gay marriages. We’re only hoping the best for California! *Fingers crossed*

[Source: Change | NY Daily News]
December26th

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5 Reasons Why Gay Marriage Should be Legal

Posted in: Featured Articles
Traditionally speaking, marriage has always been defined as a ‘legal and sacred bond between a man and woman.’ But because it is also expressed as ‘the ultimate expression of love’, the former definition of marriage is being questioned. The issue of legalizing same-sex marriages is raised. If marriage is ‘the ultimate expression of love,’ then how come gays are not allowed to wed? What happens if a couple is in love with one another—however, it just happens that they are of the same gender? With the number of homosexual relationships gaining acceptance in the world, it is only reasonable why they would question why they are not permitted to marry each other.

The issue has been heard by politicians and they are already taking action on it. Because they want people to have equal rights, many politicians have left this decision to individual states. Currently, there are 6 states that have legalized gay marriages in the United States. The next question is: ‘should this form of union be legalized in the entire country?’

Here are some of the reasons why same sex marriages should be legalized:
- It is a violation of religious freedom
Denying gay couples to wed is a violation of religious freedom; considering the fact that religious and civil marriages are different institutions. The biggest reason why gay couples are being denied to get married is because major religions regard homosexuality as a sin. Contrary to this, the First Amendment of the Constitution states that ‘an individual’s religious views or lack thereof must be protected.’ If gay couples decide to forego church weddings and instead, have a civil union, the government needs to adhere to their request. State marriages are a secular activity. Just because religion depicts otherwise, does not mean the government should make such laws.
- It is a form of minority discrimination
The main foundation of the United States is the concept that the majority should rule, however, the rights of minorities should also be protected. This is the reason why the Bill of Rights was established along with equal protection and anti-slavery amendments. As such, denying marriage to a gay couple is the same as denying marriage to a bi-racial couple.
- Love matters
As earlier mentioned, marriage is the ‘ultimate expression of love.’ The only reason why gay couples get married is because they love one another. If love isn’t the foundation of marriage, then all marriages; gay or not, should be criticized and examined. Each couple planning to get married should undergo a test to prove that they really love each other.
- It does not hurt anyone or society
Marriage is the union between a couple. If gay couples are getting married, they are not making a commitment to the rest of the world; instead, they are committing themselves to one another. Since they do not care about other people’s choices, society should not dictate what they should do as well.
- It will increase child adoptions
Since gay couples cannot procreate naturally, they have the option to adopt a child. Because of their love, they will support the child and accept him as their own. They will send him to school, feed him, buy him clothes, and provide shelter to him; just like any loving parents would. This will lessen the number of unloved children who do not have a place to stay.

Apart from the ones mentioned, there are other arguments as to why gay marriages should be legalized. These are only the ones that truly prove there is no reason not to legalize same-sex marriages in the United States.

[Source: Balanced Politics]