marriage equality Archives - Page 3 of 11

Respect for Marriage Act Passes Congress, But Queer Families Still Need Protections

December 9, 2022

The Respect for Marriage Act (RMA) has passed the U.S. House and now heads to President Joe Biden for his signature. The RMA is important legislation that clarifies rights and protections for same-sex and interracial marriages—but does not guarantee that all states will continue to let same-sex couples marry. It also does not remove the need for many LGBTQ parents to take additional steps to secure their legal parentage.

Massachusetts marriage equality quote, Chief Justice Margaret Marshall

November 18: the Queerest of Days

November 18, 2022

Sixteen years ago today, my spouse and I got legally married after 13 years together—three years to the day after the ruling that made Massachusetts the first U.S. state to have marriage equality. And today, the U.S. Senate could act on a bill to ensure that our marriage will remain legal. I can’t believe that’s even in question, but here we are. It’s a propitious date, however, for even more reasons.

U.S. Senate to Vote This Week on Respect for Marriage Act: Call Your Senators Now!

November 15, 2022

The U.S. Senate is expected to vote this week on the Respect for Marriage Act, which would clarify important rights and protections in the face of threats to marriage equality. Please contact your senators NOW and urge them to pass this bill. Here’s why and what to do.

Contact Your Senators Right Now About the Respect for Marriage Act

July 27, 2022

The U.S. Senate could vote this week on the Respect for Marriage Act, legislation that would codify important rights and protections in the face of threats to marriage equality. NOW is the time to contact your senators and urge them to pass this bill. Here’s why and what to do.

LGBTQ Parenting Roundup

July 22, 2022

We’re full of stories today: personal stories of forming families, reflections from grown children of LGBTQ parents, and the political stories impacting LGBTQ parents and our children. Have a read of what I haven’t covered elsewhere.

“Our Bodies, Our Lives, Our Rights”: Celebrating the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia

May 17, 2022

Today is the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT)—but it’s really more than that, with two other key civil rights events also happening on this day in history!

Why November 18 Is a Very Queer Day

November 18, 2021

November 18th marks three very queer events: the ruling that made Massachusetts the first U.S. state to have marriage equality; the repeal of the anti-LGBTQ Section 28 law in England and Wales; and (of less broad significance) the “Massaversary” of when my spouse and I legally wed after 13 years together.

Watch: Two Moms on Their Civil Union, Marriage, and Family

July 1, 2021

Fran and Anna Simon were the first same-sex couple in Colorado to get a civil union in 2013 and the first in Denver to get a marriage license in 2014. For Pride, they spoke with the City of Denver’s “I Am Denver” project about their family, their activism, and the protections LGBTQ families still need. Watch the video here.

May 17: Celebrating the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia — and More

May 17, 2021

Today, May 17, is the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOTB). Why this date? And what two other key events in the history of civil rights also happened on this day?

Two Grooms on a Cake: The Story of America's First Gay Wedding

“Two Grooms on a Cake” Is a Tasty Piece of LGBTQ History

May 4, 2021

The first legal marriage of a same-sex couple in the United States wasn’t in 2004, when Massachusetts began allowing them to wed. It was in 1971—and a new picture book tells the story of this little-known event in queer history!