It only takes a spark to start a fire that turns into an inferno, which become difficult to put out.

2003
November 18: United States: Massachusetts: decision in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health

2004
February 12: United States, California: Newly-elected San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom issues the first same-sex marriage certificates in the US, purely as an exercise of executive power. These certificates were later nullified by the California Supreme Court.
February 20: In New Mexico, Sandoval County clerk Victoria Dunlap issues marriage licenses to more than 60 same-sex couples until stopped by the state attorney general later that day, declaring them invalid; 26 couples were married by local pastors on the courthouse steps that day, and most of the other couples who received licenses married elsewhere. A district court later issued an injunction prohibiting Dunlap from issuing licenses to same-sex couples. Dunlap’s motion to the state supreme court to lift the restraining order was rejected on July 8.
May 17: United States: Massachusetts – first legal same-sex marriages in the US performed.
September 18: United States: Louisiana voters ratified a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as only between a man and a woman.
October: United States: Louisiana – District Judge William Morvant of Baton Rouge struck down the amendment, approved by voters in September, on the grounds that it violated a provision of the state constitution requiring that an amendment to cover only one subject; the amendment prevented the state from recognizing any legal status for common-law relationships, domestic partnerships and civil unions between both gay and heterosexual couples.
November 3: United States Results of November 2 vote confirms that state constitutional amendments prohibiting same-sex marriage are passed in eleven states: Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, Oregon, and Utah. The measures in Oregon, Mississippi, and Montana bar same-sex marriage only; those in the other states bar civil unions and domestic partnerships as well; and Ohio bars granting any benefits whatsoever to same-sex couples.

2005
January 19: United States: The Louisiana Supreme Court reinstated the anti-gay marriage amendment that had been struck by a District Judge in October, 2004.
March 14: United States: Judge Richard Kramer of San Francisco County Superior Court said California’s ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional.
April 7: United States: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg orders city agencies to recognize legal same-sex marriages from other states and countries. This order will give same-sex couples who married in places such as Massachusetts or Canada rights that couples recognized under the city’s existing domestic partnership law do not have, including the power to make life-or-death medical decisions. Same-sex spouses will also be able to collect worker’s compensation if a partner dies.
April 7: United States: The Connecticut State Senate passes legislation that legalizes same-sex civil unions. On April 13, the bill is passed through the Connecticut House of Representatives with the added "marriage is between a man and a woman" definition. The bill is sent back to the Senate for approval. Finally, on April 20, the State Senate approved the amended bill by a vote of 26-8 and Republican Governor Jodi Rell signed the same-sex civil union bill into law.
May 12: United States: A federal judge in Omaha strikes down Nebraska’s sweeping ban on same-sex marriages, civil unions, domestic partnerships, and other same-sex relationships. U.S. District Judge Joseph Bataillon ruled that the ban, known as Initiative 416, violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. This is the first state constitutional provision banning same-sex marriage to be ruled unconstitutional.
November 8: United States: Texas becomes the 18th state to write a ban on same-sex marriage into its constitution, defining marriage as "the union of one man and one woman" and prohibiting the state from "creating or recognizing any legal status identical or similar to marriage," when voters approved the amendment in the November elections.

2006
July 6: New York State Court of Appeals rules that the NYS Constitution does not mandate recognition of same sex marriage.
July 26: Washington State Supreme Court issues its decision upholding state DOMA laws
October 25: New Jersey Supreme Court unanimously rules in favor of marriage equality; 4–3 say decision whether to rewrite marriage law or write civil union law for homosexuals (separate but equal debate) is left to the legislature in the next six months. The three dissenting justices dissented because they believed same-sex couples should have the full right to marry.
November 7: In the U.S. elections, Arizona rejects an initiative banning gay marriage. The first state in the country to do so. However, seven other states pass marriage amendments.

2007
April 21: The state of Washington legalizes domestic partnerships. The law went into effect on July 22, 2007.
May 9: The state of Oregon legalizes domestic partnerships. The law will go into effect on January 1, 2008 (but was delayed 48 hours prior to coming into affect, then after a Court Case in February it was allowed to come into affect from 1 February 2008).
May 31: The state of New Hampshire legalizes civil unions, to take effect on January 1, 2008.
June 14: In the Massachusetts legislature, a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same sex marriage is defeated in a vote of 154 against and 46 in favor. 50 votes in favor would have been required for the amendment to go on the ballot for a popular vote in the 2008 elections.
August 30: Iowa’s Defense of Marriage Act was struck down as unconstitutional as a result of a legal challenge. The state has announced plans to appeal, but couples began applying for marriage licenses immediately in anticipation of an injunction. About 20 couples obtained marriage licenses and one couple married before the judge issued a stay of his ruling pending appeal.
September 18: Maryland Court of Appeals upholds state law banning same-sex marriage, overturning a lower court ruling.

2008
January 1: Civil unions in New Hampshire take effect.
February 1: Domestic partnership in Oregon take effect after court rescinds injunction.
May 15: Supreme Court of California legalizes same-sex marriage in the landmark In re Marriage Cases ruling.
May 22: Maryland governor Martin O’Malley signs into law two bills establishing limited domestic partnership rights in that state.
June 16: California state supreme court’s ruling on Same-sex marriage in becomes effective at 5:01 pm.
July 1: Maryland domestic partnership laws become effective.
October 10: Supreme Court of Connecticut legalizes same-sex marriage

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_same-sex_marriage

Continue reading The Gay Marriage Inferno

The World Youth Day event starts next week in Sydney Australia. Australia is a interesting country that I’ve had the pleasure of visiting. The only way I can describe the place is that it’s America with a twist.

When the Pope came to America a few months ago he appeared to be warmly welcomed by not only the nation but also by our media. As much as the media likes to jab at the Catholic Church with biased and uninformed reporting the American media seemed to revert to a fascination with the Pope once the Roman Pontiff finally arrived.

I wonder if the same will be true for the Australian media? At this point, a week from Benedict’s arrival, the Australian media can’t seem to produce enough stories about papal protests or labor strikes that are to occur next week. If I hadn’t visited Australia I would think that whole nation is made up of gays and lesbians from the reporting.

The Australian media seems to be trying to building up a “Rumble, Down Under” as if they want to show riots in the streets. And if such events happen the media will be sure to place blame on the Vicar of Christ. I’m pretty sure God has other plans.

Here is an example of what is being printed on a daily basis in the Australian newspapers [my comments in red]

Gays to protest at Pope’s arrival
The Sydney Morning Herald
July 8, 2008 – 9:05PM

(AAP) – Gay and lesbian Christians will protest the Pope’s condemnation of homosexuality ahead of World Youth Day, labeling his beliefs as right-wing propaganda. [Do they really think the Pope cannot affirm 2000+ years of teaching on homosexuality and since when did believing homosexual acts as being wrong become right wing?]

The protest, calling for equality [equality? The Church teaches we are all equal before God, God loves us all equality. They are equal, their actions are not.] for gay and lesbian followers, will take place at the Pitt Street Uniting Church this Sunday, coinciding with Pope Benedict XVI’s arrival in Sydney.

Catholic writer [I question how "Catholic" he is] and educator Michael Kelly said gay and lesbian people had been marginalised and condemned by mainstream churches, particularly the Catholic Church. [Homosexual acts are to be condemned, we are to hate the sin and love the sinner which we don’t always do, but one cannot accept mortal sin as normal or okay, if we do the devil has done his job]

He labeled the “version of Christianity that is coming to Sydney” as propaganda. [don’t you love one sided articles]

“We call on gay and lesbian Christians … to join us in standing up for the goodness of being gay, and not allow right-wing [believing homosexuality is wrong is now right wing didn’t you know] religious propaganda to silence our faith, hope and love,” he said. [seems to me there is no silence on this issue, I certainly can’t keep them from talking]

Reverend Dorothy McRae-McMahon said churches were happy to benefit from the hard work of gay followers, but demonized them in public. [So I guess the Church should never correct its followers when they are doing wrong and we should all just come together and sing kumbaya every Sunday]

“We need to claim our place and give witness to the grace of God in our lives as lesbian and gay people,” she said. [God is in your lives for sure but he is not in homosexual acts]

“The churches are happy to use our gifts and our hard work [an example of an all about us mentality] – it’s time we celebrated all the richness and wisdom that we have offered the Christian community [PRIDE], and show that the negative messages about us are based on fear and ignorance.” [that’s it I must be ignorant for following God’s teachings]

Pope Benedict is due to land at Richmond air base on Sunday before being whisked [as if he’s hiding from the protesters] off to the Kenthurst Study Centre for some relaxation [he’s going to need some relaxation if he’s spending a week anywhere near these people] ahead of his first official engagement for the Catholic World Youth Day event.

Dear Lord Jesus we pray for Pope Benedicts Health & Safety. We pray that your truth may be spoken and heard by all those in Australia and around the world. Amen

World Youth Day appears to be causing the Devil some real fits. I mean after all a few million youth gathering together with the Vicar of Christ to praise God doesn’t sit well with him. It appears the evil one has called upon some of his minions to hand out condoms to the youth at World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia and ask them to take up the “campaign” for the Catholic church to “promote” condoms. Rachel Evans a spokeswoman for the group referred to the Pope as a “bigot” and said that the Pope condemned millions of people worldwide to getting AIDS through his anti-condom policy.

The Pope condemns no one, he is a beacon of light and truth in a mixed up and sometimes pathetic world. The Pope embraces our dignity as human beings. Contraception and artificial birth control is for animals not for people who are made in the image of God. Humanity was created with the gift of self-control even though we many times choose to ignore or develop it.

Protesters to hand Catholics condoms as pope visits Australia

SYDNEY (AFP) — Catholics attending a mass by Pope Benedict XVI in Australia will be handed condoms by protesters angered by his opposition to contraception, homosexuality and abortion, organisers said Tuesday.

The protest will be staged by the NoToPope Coalition of Christians, atheists and gay groups during Catholic World Youth Day celebrations expected to draw hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to Sydney next month.

“We will march to be with the pilgrims to hand out condoms to the pilgrims, the Catholic youth,” spokeswoman Rachel Evans told a news conference.

“(We will) say to them, ‘Take up the campaign within the Catholic church to allow the Catholic church to promote condoms’,” she said.

The pope condemned millions of people worldwide to getting AIDS through his anti-condom policy, Evans said.

Apart from condom use, the peaceful demonstration would also protest the pope’s stance against homosexuality and abortion, she said, describing the pontiff as “a bigot” over same-sex relationships.

A pastor from Sydney’s Metropolitan Community Church, Karl Hand, said the pope was misrepresenting Christian views.

“I’m compassionate towards people who need condoms, who need abortions, who need all sorts of recognition of their relationship and it’s just not being provided by this massive worldwide church,” he said.

“A lot of the views being taken up by the pope are anti-humanity in general, so that’s upsetting.”

The coalition includes the Metropolitan Community Church, Atheists Sydney, Community Action Against Homophobia and the Socialist Alliance, among other groups, the statement said.

The coalition plans to hold a public rally in the city on July 19 and then march toward Randwick Racecourse, where pilgrims will be gathering for a papal mass the next day which is expected to draw 500,000 people.

The five-day celebration of Catholic youth has been billed as a major boost to the economy of Australia’s largest city, attracting up to 125,000 international visitors.

But there has been a stream of grumbles over the event’s cost, its impact on businesses as well as the inconvenience it will cause the city’s residents.

The coalition said it would also protest state funding of almost 110 million dollars (104 million US) for an event staged by the Catholic Church, saying it should be spent on community services instead.

About 26 percent of Australia’s 21 million people described themselves as Catholics in the most recent census, while 19 percent said they had no religion.

Pope Benedict XVI is due to arrive in Australia on July 13 and will take a four day holiday before joining the World Youth Day celebrations culminating in the papal mass on July 20.