Same-Sex Marriage

 

Links to States:  California, Canada, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia,  Washington & Wisconsin

National Organizations

 

Civil marriage is a basic and fundamental right as well as a private and public commitment of love and support by adult couples. Marriage provides a gateway to hundreds of protections, responsibilities and benefits established by the State. The choice of whether or not to marry is a personal decision in our society, except when the State forbids adults from marrying because of their sex and sexual orientation.

 

Please continue to read the information and get the real facts on why marriage matters. Many people, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, religious affiliation and sexual orientation, agree that marriage matters for all loving couples, even gay and lesbian couples. Please click here for a list of religious organizations that support this important civil right.

 

At A Crossroads

The struggle for gay civil rights is at a crossroads in America, and even within the GLBT community there are differences of opinion about how the struggle for equality should proceed. While many committed leaders are continuing the long march toward full equality, including equal marriage rights, others are arguing that we have gone too far, too fast, and that we should wait for society to catch up. In determining our path going forward, we should look to the past and learn from the leaders of the civil rights battles that have come before us.

Domestic Partnerships and Same Sex Marriages

Various links to news and cases about domestic partnerships and marriage for same-sex couples sponsored by:

Carnegie Mellon University Information

DontAmend.com

DontAmend.com - Jerry Falwell and Senate Republican leaders want to write their personal religious beliefs into our US Constitution. Using the scare tactic of 'same sex marriage,' they want to deny civil rights and equal benefits to millions of people. For the first time in our history, other than Prohibition, a constitutional amendment would take rights away from Americans rather than defend their freedoms. Don't let that happen. Sign the pledge and promise not to vote for, or support, any politician who favors adding anti-gay prejudice to the US Constitution.

 

Welcome to Faces of Family

This site was created to provide a public display of support for the institution of marriage for all families. It is our hope that this public display acts as a tribute to all those who support equal marriage rights for all people regardless of their sexual orientation.  We strongly believe that it's time to recognize and respect  the love and commitment of all people under law.  

Please browse through our galleries and search for families who support equal marriage rights in your neighborhood.

 

 

America is engaged in a crucial conversation, a conversation about basic values of love, commitment, fairness, and freedom. In every state, in many families, good people are thinking and talking about how excluding same-sex couples from marriage harms them, their kids, and our country.

How can you add your voice to this conversation?

Get Started Here

 

bands

 

Gay Marriage - Holy Union

At the present moment, no state in the U.S. legally recognizes gay marriages. Nevertheless, more and more same-sex couples realize the importance of publicly proclaiming their love. Until the day gay and lesbian relationships are accorded full legal status and holy unions are as commonplace as straight marriages, non-traditional couples have both the burden and the privilege of finding new ways to formally express their commitment to one another.

 
This site is designed specifically as a resource for all such couples.

Gay Marriage Tips

This site provides 100 tips about gay marriage. The topics range from gay marriage facts and statistics to gay marriage laws by state and country to gay marriage adoption and divorce.
 

Marriage and Relationships

Articles about marriage and relationships, from the Independent Gay Forum collection.

 
International
Commitment
Ceremonies
 Registrar™

All Couples Welcome! The International Commitment Ceremonies Registry (ICCR) is an official organization that collects and stores searchable records of Commitment Ceremonies that have been performed all over the world.

The ICCR provides Commitment Ceremonies Registration Services. This service is used to create a permanent historical record of one the most important events in a couples life. Many governments do not recognize these unions. The ICCR was created to recognize all these unions on an international level. You can have your commitment registered by ordering a commitment ceremony certificate in the Certificate Center.

Margaret Cho's Marriage Equality Resource Site

OUR APPROACH

Education
Speaking engagements, forums, and outreach functions provide our greatest opportunity to educate people on same-sex marriage. Our educational material gives us the opportunity to explain ALL the issues. Using our Marriage Declaration as a vital tool, we meet with organizations and individuals, explaining why marriage matters. Through these meetings, we build coalitions with other gay and non-gay organizations, which increases the number of individuals who believe in equality through marriage. We also provide training classes.

Media Campaigns
Greater awareness lessens the fear many people have around same-sex marriage. That is why MEUSA actively sponsors and engages in letter-writing to publications, large media events and press conferences, statewide rallies, speak-outs, and other high-profile activities. We believe exposure through film, TV commercials, and print ads are extremely effective. By putting same-sex marriage in the news, we can ensure visibility of the issue.

Partnerships
Organizing and building coalitions and alliances with social and civil groups, churches and individuals (gay and non-gay) are key to getting our message out. Co-sponsoring events, discussion groups and outreach to the business community are just some of the ways to get the greater community involved with marriage equality.

 

While suits are being filed and courts are upholding the right of same-sex couples to marry, it is causing a backlash with the public.

By forcing states to allow gay marriage, we are angering the general public, many of whom may vote otherwise if properly educated on the issue.

The goal of MarriageFairness.org is add the other piece to the equation. While the legal routes are being taken we want to take an educational path; showing the average american the effect a ban would have and the real people that are being denied their basic rights. Many americans don't personally know any gay couples and therefore don't fully understand the results of a law or constitutional amendment.

Help us put a human face on the issue. Tell us about a current or past love where you would have liked to be married. If you have been denied rights due to a lack of a legal recognition of your relationship or if you would just like to tell the world about someone special in your life .....

Same-Sex Marriage is a Feminist Issue

In the battle for lesbian and gay rights, the issue of equal marriage rights has taken center stage. In a crucial election year, and with many other issues on the table affecting women, why are feminists advocating for same-sex marriage rights?

Partners Task Force for Gay & Lesbian Couples
An International Resource for Same-sex Couples

 

All families deserve equal treatment. Partners Task Force supports the diverse community of committed gay and lesbian partners through a variety of media. This Web site contains more than 400 essays, surveys, legal articles and resources on legal marriage, ceremonies, domestic partner benefits, relationship tips, parenting, and immigration.

Demian, director, Partners Task Force, Box 9685, Seattle, WA 98109-0685
 

The Queer Wedding Webring was created to celebrate the Weddings, Unions and Commitment Ceremonies of Lesbian and Gay couples.

It began when a lesbian couple were searching the net for ideas and information when planning their own wedding... They came across many wonderful sites, but found they were scattered everywhere and difficult to find. That's how the idea of our own queer wedding webring came about.

Some sites contain a couple's perspective on their special day, and are wonderfully uplifting. These are a valuable resource for those planning their own ceremonies. By joining our sites together we can express our pride and show that true love occurs all over this planet, without regard to gender or current laws.

Other sites are commercial businesses that are *exclusively* for or about gay and lesbian weddings. These businesses are there to help you make your wedding day as fabulous as possible.

Welcome to RainbowWeddingNetworkMagazine.com!
The Online Home of the Nation's First GLBTQ Wedding & Family Magazine

Launched in Aprill 2006, RainbowWeddingNetwork Magazine is your inside source for all the current events, planning resources, trends, home and family ideas and other vital issues for GLBTQ couples, our families, advocates and allies.  Exclusive interviews, community connections, poitical dialogue, fashion and fun.  RainbowWeddingNetwork Magazine is commited to bringing you the information you need for a stress-free union, happy family life and bright future!

Religious Support for Equal Marriage Rights

Marriage information supplied by"

 

SAME-SEX MARRIAGES (SSM) & CIVIL UNIONS

All Sides to the Issue

Marriage Project symbol 1

Heterosexual-only marriage symbol 2

 

iples
 
SUPPORT GAY MARRIAGES!

Category: Gay, Lesbian & Bi

Type: Public Membership
Founded: Jul 6, 2004
Location:: Los Angeles,
California - US
Members: 110,871

Why You Should Give a Damn About Gay Marriage

State & Local Organizations

California
 

D O M E S T I C   P A R T N E R S  R E G I S T R Y

Provisions governing domestic partnerships are found in the California Family Code, commencing with section 297.

A domestic partnership is established when persons meeting the criteria specified by Family Code section 297 file a Declaration of Domestic Partnership (Form NP/SF DP-1) with the Secretary of State. A copy of the declaration and a Certificate of Registration of Domestic Partnership will be returned to the partners after the declaration is filed.

 

 

Equal Protection - Equal Marriage is a grass-roots organization made up of people who are fed up with being denied our equal rights and the freedom to live and love as we choose. We don't have offices or officers. We have no official status. What we do have is a deep and unshakeable belief that we are all created equal and that each of us has the right to choose who we love and how we love and to enjoy identical rights and responsibilities as every other American.

 

Canada

Colorado

Welcome!
Explore our website to learn more about
the issue of equal civil marriage and
parenting rights for LGBT families and how
you can be involved in this growing
movement.

Connecticut

 

Love Makes a Family (LMF) is a statewide non-profit advocacy organization
working for equal marriage rights for same-sex couples in Connecticut. We carry
out our mission through community education, grassroots organizing and
legislative advocacy and lobbying.

Hawaii

 

The Hawai`i Gay Marriage Bureau
provides a registration, referral and
informational forum for those interested
in same-sex marriage registration,
marriage certificates, related services
and updates on the legal front.

 
 

Marriage Project Hawaii

What is the scope of  couples' rights as "Reciprocal Beneficiaries" in Hawaii?  

This is not an easy question to answer.  In broad terms, RB couples have all the rights of marriage that Hawaii can grant as a state, except anything to do with family court (alimony, divorce, child custody resolution, etc.) and fair access to health insurance.  There are NO federal benefits (social security, federal income tax deduction, immigration, immunity from testifying against your partner in federal court, etc.)

We've written a 200-page book listing the laws.  To help people digest this book, we've also prepared three summaries of progressively shorter lengths.  All four texts are available here.  Please consult an attorney for the interpretation of any of this material, particularly the summaries.

 
 

Reciprocal Beneficiary Relationships

A reciprocal beneficiary relationship is a legal partnership between two people who are prohibited from marriage (HRS §572C-2). Certain rights and benefits which are presently available only to married couples are extended to the two individuals who enter into a reciprocal beneficiary relationship. Those persons entering into a reciprocal beneficiary relationship must register their relationship as reciprocal beneficiaries with the Department of Health.

The Department of Health is responsible only for registering the relationship. The Department of Health neither makes any determination of the validity of the reciprocal beneficiary relationship nor is an information source on the rights and benefits extended to reciprocal beneficiaries.

 

Massachusetts

 

About Us

Since 1993, The Freedom To Marry Coalition of Massachusetts has been engaged in grassroots education, advocacy, and lobbying in support of civil marriage rights for same-sex couples.

While marriage is not the only form that family takes in our society, the union of two people in a long-term, committed, and loving relationship has long been considered by many to fulfill basic human needs for sharing, commitment, and love.

There are over 1,000 rights and responsibilities associated with civil marriage. These rights are intended to protect and promote the relationships which are the core of our society.

We believe that marriage rights are not only essential to protect families formed by same-sex couples but we also believe that marriage is a central issue in the struggle for equality for all gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals. Only when we have the freedom to choose marriage will we be equal in the eyes of the law and society.

Your active support at this critical time in history will definitely make a difference to future generations of Americans.

 

MassEquality.org is a coalition of local and national organizations defending equal marriage rights for
same-sex couples in Massachusetts. We are working to protect the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial
Court's decision on marriage equality and to defeat any discriminatory amendment to the Massachusetts
state constitution in the Legislature.

 

Who We Are
 

The Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry is a group of more than 700 rabbis, ministers, and faith leaders, as well as congregations and faith-based organizations from 23 faith traditions.  We support civil marriage rights for same-sex couples and families as a matter of religious freedom and civil rights.  We help citizens understand the distinction between civil and religious marriage.  We provide religious support and pastoral care for same-sex couples and families as well as educational programs and projects that support the full inclusion of same-sex families into our society. 

 

New Hampshire

New Hampshire Freedom to Marry Coalition

To provide the grassroots effort and support necessary to successfully advocate for the passage of legislation that will provide same sex couples the legal right to marry in the state of New Hampshire.
 

New Jersey

New York


The Wedding Party has created the most visible expressions of the marriage movement. Leading the charge since June 2000, The Wedding Party ceremonies have kicked off the NYC gay pride parade. These landmark ceremonies have brought to the forefront the existing inequality that committed same-sex couples endure while creating a positive and realistic face for same-sex couples across the nation. The Wedding Party events consistently provide high profile media to local, national and international networks and their affiliates.

The Wedding Party is an all volunteer nonprofit* organization that supports and celebrates same-sex partnership, and educates the public on the need for equal marriage rights. The Wedding Party is comprised of skilled professionals in the areas of marketing, media, special events and the law. We produce unique, high profile events that bring the community together to give testimony on a national level to the importance of family, commitment and equality.

Pennsylvania

Western Pennsylvania Freedom to Marry Coalition

Because marriage is a basic human right and individual personal choice,
RESOLVED: the state should not interfere with same-gender couples who choose to marry and share fully and equally in the rights, responsibilities, and committment of civil marriage.

The marriage resolution

Rhode Island

MERI is a grassroots movement that seeks legal recognition of same-sex couples through civil marriage in Rhode Island.

We believe that a civil society guarantees to all of its citizens certain civil rights; civil marriage is one of these fundamental rights. Each and every adult in Rhode Island - regardless of socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, or sexual orientation - deserves the opportunity to attain the legal protections and safeguards gained through civil marriage.

Vermont

Vermont Civil Union Resource Guide

What to do and see when you go to Vermont for a civil union.

Vermont Freedom to Marry
 

Action Committee, Inc.
Vermont's marriage equality lobbying organization

The Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force (VFMTF) represents a coalition of individuals and associations in Vermont who support the freedom for same-gender couples to enter into civil marriages. Our aim is to educate Vermonters regarding the issues surrounding the freedom to marry. We're proud of the step forward Vermont has taken in passing the civil union law, and we're working with our fellow Vermonters to complete the journey to full marriage equality.

 

 

The Vermont Guide to
Civil Unions
 

 

Virginia

Stand Up For Equality
Virginians, It's Time to Stand Up for Equality!

On July 1, 2004, gay and lesbian couples in the Commonwealth of Virginia lost all rights to enter any contract that would convey legal protections granting rights automatically included with civil marriage. House Bill 751, an amendment to the 1997 Affirmation of Marriage Act that already prohibits gay marriages, prohibits civil unions, domestic partnerships, and all contracts to duplicate any of the legal protections of civil marriage.

Washington

 

The Legal Marriage Alliance of Washington (LMA) is a nonprofit organization educating the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered community and the general public on how to advance the civil right of same-sex couples to legal marriage. We serve as a resource for same sex marriage information in Washington state. We offer speakers, resource materials, volunteer opportunities, and a public voice for the freedom to marry. LMA was founded in October 1995.

 

The Religious Coalition for Equality is an interfaith association of lay persons and clergy committed to this twofold purpose: to educate Washington State citizens about and to advocate for marriage equality for all couples and the civil rights of all.

 

Wisconsin

Christians for Equality in Wisconsin

is an interdenominational group of clergy and lay people:

 

•  working to defeat the ban on civil unions and marriage

•  working to protect all Wisconsin families

 

Christ's command, "Love your neighbor as yourself”, leads us to demand fairness and justice for all Wisconsinites.

The constitutional ban would not only deny civil unions and marriage for many of our neighbors, but would also threaten basic legal protections such as: the right to visit loved ones in the hospital; bereavement leave in the case of a death in the family; and shared health and retirement benefits.

Fair Wisconsin and the Fair Wisconsin Education Fund

Fair Wisconsin has two divisions:

Fair Wisconsin is a statewide organization dedicated to advancing and protecting the civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.

We carry out this mission through education, legislative advocacy, grassroots organizing, coalition-building and electoral involvement. These efforts are designed to educate the general voting public, sensitize the media, promote a politically active and effective organizational membership, and better inform policy makers on issues of concern to our members.

The Fair Wisconsin Education Fund (FWEF) aims to educate the public about the consequences of anti-LGBT discrimination and foster civic engagement around issues of importance to LGBT equality.

Fair Wisconsin and FWEF were originally known as Action Wisconsin and the Action Wisconsin Eduction Fund. In March 2006, Action Wisconsin first launched Fair Wisconsin as the political campaign that worked to fight a constitutional amendment banning marriage and civil unions for gay couples that appeared on the November 2006 statewide ballot. Following the election, with input from statewide supporters, leaders of Action Wisconsin and AWEF decided to officially change the names of both organizations to Fair Wisconsin and FWEF.

Action Wisconsin was founded in 1994, and the Action Wisconsin Education Fund was founded in 2002.

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