Menstuff® has information on The White Knot campaign. The White Knot is the symbol for marriage equality. It takes two traditional symbols of marriage—white and tying the knot — and combines them in a simple way to show support for the right of gays and lesbians to marry. All loving couples deserve the same legal rights, benefits, and respect that civil marriage bestows.
Visibility is the goal. Whether you are gay or straight, please show your support by wearing the knot and telling people why you are wearing it. It may seem like a small thing, but imagine the white knot gaining the pervasiveness and instant recognition of the AIDS Ribbon.
White Knots (symbolizing the campaign for marriage equality) were worn at the Oscars by winner Dustin Lance Black, Josh Brolin, Guillaume Canet, Bruce Cohen, Emile Hirsch, Richard Jenkins, Dan Jinks, Cleve Jones, Anne Kronenberg, Gus Van Sant, Anne Hathaway's father/Oscars date Gerard Hathaway (Anne has worn the Knot to several events in the past).
White Knots worn at the Spirits: Christina Applegate, Padma Lakshmi, Lucy Liu, Kerry Washington, Rosie Perez, Jessica Alba, Taraji P Henson, Rainn Wilson, Elizabeth Banks, Dana Delaney, Dustin Lance Black, Amy Armstrong, John Malkovich, Richard Jenkins, Tom McCarthy, Haaz Sleiman, Robyn Hitchcock, Bruce Cohen, John Waters, Zooey Deschanel, Steve Coogan (the Spirit Awards host who also spoke about his White Knot during the show)
We recommend a visit to the White Knot campaign at WhiteKnot.org
Save Marriage, Ban Divorce!
Laws of Hate Against Same-Sex Partnerships in the
United States
Levi's sports white knots in support of gay
marriage
Why Vermont, Iowa & DC Matter More Than You
May Think
Arguments Against Marriage Equality are
Laughable
Gay Marriage Killed the
Dinosaurs
Marriage Equality in Iowa!Prop.
8 Hearing Links
Prop. 8 Hearing: The Waiting
Begins
As We Head Into the Prop. 8 Hearing, Some
Positive LGBT News
Prop. 8 Hearing Begins March
5th
Gay marriage equality activists shift focus
to service
Newsbytes
Why Vermont, Iowa & DC Matter More Than You
May Think
The Vermont state legislature has overridden the Governor's veto and made same-sex marriages legal in the state.
The Iowa legislature has refused to take up a proposed amendment to the state Constitution to outlaw same-sex marriage and overturn the Iowa Supreme Court decision which legalized it in the state.
The D.C. City Council has unanimously decided to legally recognize same-sex marriages from states where they are legal.
It's easy to see the immediate import of each of these, but here is a bit more on why they have so much impact beyond the obvious.
The Vermont legislature's override marks the first time that the decision to legalize same-sex marriage was made by a legislative body, rather than a judicial ruling. The right wing has attacked the judicial decisions for marriage equality as "activist judges" pushing a liberal agenda, stating that those decisions should be made legislatively. Now Vermont has a legislative decision to make marriage equal, and since marriage equality has already been upheld by their state Supreme Court, it is unlikely to be undone. It also paves the way for other state legislatures (we're looking at you, California!) to take the step of legislating marriage equality.
The Iowa legislature's refusal to take up the proposed amendment to the state Constitution means that for at least the next two years, same-sex marriage will be legal in one of the heartland states of America. As during the Presidential primary season, Iowa is used to track how the country as a whole feels on important issues. The fact that the state legislature (or at least Iowa Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal) is unwilling to put discrimination into their state Constitution says a lot. And with two years of legal same-sex marriage behind them, Iowans are likely to see that allowing loving couples to wed doesn't lead to an upheaval of society, just invitations to weddings with better catering.
The D.C. Council's decision is important for two reasons. The first is that recognition of same-sex marriages legal in other states adds to the momentum against the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which allowed states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages from other states. Several decisions recently have started to question the constitutionality of the DOMA, and D.C.'s decision builds on that. Secondly, this sets the stage for D.C. to legalize same-sex marriage, and since decisions of the D.C. Council have to be ratified by Congress, it will bring the issue of marriage equality to a national forum.
While we wait for the California State Supreme Court's decision on
Prop. 8, we can take heart that marriage equality is moving forward
across the country.
Laws of Hate Against Same-Sex Partnerships in
the United States
Purple: Same-sex marriages
Green: Unions granting rights similar to marriage
Violet: Unions granting limited/enumerated rights
Cyan: Foreign same-sex marriages recognized
Yellow: Statute bans same-sex marriage
Orange: Constitution bans same-sex marriage
Red: Constitution bans same-sex marriage and other kinds of same-sex
unions
Levi's sports white knots in support of gay
marriage
The White Knot program encourages people to demonstrate their solidarity with marriage equality by wearing a small piece of knotted white ribbon. A subtle symbol, white knots have appeared on the clothing of celebrities ranging from New York's Mayor Michael Bloomberg to comedienne Kathy Griffin. And now, of course, they are appearing on hundreds of Levi's mannequins.
This is an interesting move for the company. While Levi's once represented the pinnacle of jean fashion, it has long since been replaced by an endless procession of other brands.
Current favorites, including Rock & Republic, Diesel, 7 For All Mankind, and True Religion are priced far out of the range of most Levi's. Moreover, the company's decision to launch its "Signature" line, which is primarily marketed through Wal-Mart and other discount retailers, could be regarded as an admission that the company is permanently positioning itself as a mass-market brand.
Although the more cynical among us might argue that Levi Strauss' move to support gay marriage is part of a plot to gain more gay customers, this seems reductive. After all, in recent years, the company has aggressively moved to gain a significant portion of the gay market.
On television, they have released ads directly targeted at gay consumers and sponsored programs on Logo. More substantively, it was the first Fortune 500 company to offer health benefits to "domestic partners of unmarried employees." Late last year, Levi's gave $25,000 to the coalition leading the fight against California' Prop 8, and its chairman emeritus gave $100,000.
Earlier this month, as part of the company's "501 Day," Levi Strauss let employees take off the day from work to volunteer with nonprofit organizations in their communities. Levi's then gave cash grants to the organizations that their employees endorsed.
In San Francisco, where the company is headquartered, these organizations included the San Francisco LGBT Center, Out of the Closet, and the AIDS Memorial Grove. Later in May, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) honored Levi Strauss for its inclusion of gays in advertising and its attempts to foster LGBT-friendly workplaces.
Part of the reason that Levi Strauss is able to make this commitment to supporting LGBT rights is because it is still family-owned. However, in a broader context, the company's moves demonstrate that LGBT rights might not be quite as controversial as the past eight years may have suggested.
After all, while one might expect gay marriage to gain traction in Massachusetts and California, Iowa's decision to make it legal demonstrates that inclusive policies are not the sole purview of coastal America.
In fact, given the passage of Proposition 8 in California and New York's slowness in pushing for marriage equality, it seems that America's most avowedly liberal states may have much to learn about inclusion!
While it seems likely that Levi's might lose a little bit of market share in some of the country's more conservative areas, its move to embrace gay rights suggests that this issue has become more about civil rights than about religion. In this context, it seems like the move for universal marriage rights may have turned a corner.
Arguments Against Marriage Equality are
Laughable
And speaking of ridiculous arguments against marriage equality,
here are the laughingly named folks at NOM, the National Organization
for Marriage, engaging in fearmongering at its worst. Following that
you can see some of the mocking that has already started.
The original defendant, the Polk County registrar and recorder, will not ask for a rehearing, meaning the decision will take effect in twenty-one days.
The unanimous decision came much more quickly than expected, which bodes well for progress on marriage equality.
Although lobbying has already begun in the state legislature to
amend the Iowa constitution and outlaw marriage equality for same-sex
couples, it is unlikely that the Democratic majority in the State
Senate will move the legislation forward.
Californians Against Hate has sent the Fair Political Practices Committee (FPPC) a letter supplementing their complaint against the Mormon church in the Prop. 8 campaign. Among other things, the supplemental complaint gives evidence that the church established the National Organization for Marriage as a front group to campaign for the passage of Prop. 8.
The Human Rights Campaign delivered 46,000 signatures to Ken
Starr's office in protest of his support of Prop. 8, and is
continuing to add to their End The Lies campaign against deceptive
portrayals of the marriage equality movement in the press.
Read the liveblog from Malinda Lo of 365Gay.
Read Air America's Ana Marie Cox's liveblogging of the hearing.
Read the liveblog from That is So Queer.
Prop. 8 Hearing: The Waiting Begins
I didn't find the Sacramento Bee broadcast until later, and I'm still looking for a transcript of the hearing. The Sacramento Bee is going to be doing another broadcast covering the hearing at 1 p.m., for those of you who didn't catch the original broadcast, or just want to hear the commentary.
For those of you who missed it, the "Yes on 8" side really does boil down to, "Minorities only have the rights the majority wants to give them, and we can take them away at any time."
Here's the direct quote:
"Minority rights exist only because the majority decided to protect them by adopting a constitution," Folsom attorney Andrew Pugno said. "If the court misinterprets those rights, it's the people's job to correct that by clarifying the constitution."
We'll be providing links throughout the day to video, news,
commentary and more.
As We Head Into the Prop. 8 Hearing, Some
Positive LGBT News
Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) has filed a lawsuit challenging the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which denies same-sex married couples any Federal benefits related to marriage. As we reported a month ago, DOMA has already taken a substantial hit, and this lawsuit may be the final piece in overturning the statute.
People around California will be gathering this evening to support
the overturning of Prop. 8. You can join one of the statewide events.
Read more of our analysis of the Prop. 8 case.
Prop. 8 Hearing Begins March 5th
The Justices will also determine the fate of the 18,000+ same-sex marriages which occurred while same-sex marriage was legal in California.
While the argument against Prop. 8 is complex, it boils down to
one simple thing: upholding Prop. 8 would indicate that a simple
majority vote of the public is all that is necessary to take
court-ordered rights away from a protected minority group. For this
reason, numerous disparate human rights organizations (including
California NOW) have filed amicus briefs in the case.
Since it appears that the homophobic heteros of the US are hell-bent on writing discrimination into their state constitutions, I think it’s high time that the GLBT community stand up for marriage and start pushing for the BAN ON DIVORCE!
“Sanctity of Marriage” has been thrown around more freely than the Bush Administration threw money and contracts at Halliburton after “Shock and Awe” and it’s quite apparent that approximately 50% of the marrying heteros hold NO respect for that sanctity. Let’s help our homophobic hetero bretheren (HHB’s) to regain their rightful place as committed, monogamous, till-death-do-us-part married couples.
If you would like to join this site as a contributor, simply email info@noondivorce.com with your reasons and an initial post. Once approved, you will receive your Author access credentials and be able to join in the fight for the Sanctity of Marriage!
We fully expect ALL religions to support this measure in EVERY state as it’s in line with their doctrines and teachings.
Gay marriage equality activists shift focus to service
Every day since Election Day, thousands have protested up and down streets in cities across California, including in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento. A national, grassroots coalition of LGBT activists have followed in their footsteps. Now gay citizens and their allies are teaming up to show America and the world how we can love.
On December 10 the gay community will take a historic stance against hatred by donating their time to a variety of different causes in order to raise public awareness of the need for LGBT equality in marriage and in other civil rights.
To search or post a volunteer opportunity, visit daywithoutagay.org
Gay Marriage
Killed the Dinosaurs from Facebook - Top 17 Reasons Why Gay
Marriage is Wrong
16. Gay culture is a new fad created by the liberal media to undermine long-standing traditions. We know this is true because gay sex did not exist in ancient Greece and Rome.
15. There are plenty of straight families looking to adopt, and every unwanted child already has a loving family. This is why foster care does not exist.
14. Conservatives know best how to create strong families. That is why it is not true that Texas and Mississippi have the highest teen birthrates, and Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire have the lowest. This is a myth spread by the liberal media.
13. Marriage is a religious institution, defined by churches. This is why atheists do not marry. Christians also never get a divorce.
12. Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why our society has no single parents.
11. Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in America.
10. Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.
9. Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children.
8. Gay marriage should be decided by the people and their elected representatives, not the courts. The framers checked the courts, which represent mainstream public opinion, with legislatures created to protect the rights of minorities from the tyranny of the majority. Interference by courts in this matter is inappropriate, just as it has been every time the courts have tried to hold back legislatures pushing for civil rights.
7. Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Britany Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.
6. Civil unions, providing most of the same benefits as marriage with a different name are better, because "separate but equal" institutions are a good way to satisfy the demands of uppity minority groups.
5. Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can't marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.
4. Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.
3. Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.
2. Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.
1. METEORS and VOLCANOES
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