Matt Baume: Marriage News Watch

Lots of good news this week.

New York Episcopal Bishop Orders Gay Clergy To Marry Their Partners

That's a headline you probably didn't expect.

Long Island Episcopal Bishop Lawrence Provenzano has put his foot down against gay clergy who residing in homosexual relationships, and has given a nine month deadline for them to either get married or stop living together, according to the News Observer. “I need to be mindful that the church has always asked people to live in committed monogamous, faithful relationships. I won’t allow heterosexual clergy to live in a rectory or church housing without the benefit of marriage. When one puts it in that context, then you see how it all begins to make sense,” said Provenzano. Reverend Christopher Hofer, pastor of the Episcopal Church of St. Jude agrees with Provenzano, “I think his statement was not only fair, but beyond generous. It gives people time, acknowledging that there’s a financial component involved and recognizing that some may not choose to live together.

Bigoted NY Town Clerk Tells Her Story

Note how NOM once again rips off a local news clip, retitles it and posts it to their own channel. They did the same thing with my original video of their Bronx hate rally.

Quote Of The Day - Brian Brown

"We've already met the first victims of this new gay marriage regime. Town clerks, charged with a duty to issue and record marriage licenses, are faced with a stark choice: give up stable employment in the midst of a troubled job market, or give up their religious convictions about marriage. Two clerks have already resigned; others have been warned that failure to comply with the new law could land them in jail. Who will the next victims be? A wedding photographer or owner of a reception hall? Parents of public school children who object to curriculum changes this fall? How long before the new law impacts you and your family? The answer from Albany is clear: We couldn't care less." - NOM president Brian Brown, in a blog post announcing the four locations of their anti-gay hate rallies.

Archbishop: Maryland Isn't New York

The Archbishop of Baltimore, Edwin O'Brien, has a message for Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, who earlier this week vowed to support the renewed push for marriage equality.

“Maryland is not New York,” wrote Archbishop Edwin O’Brien of Baltimore in a statement to LifeSiteNews Tuesday. “During the 2011 session, Maryland lawmakers chose not to redefine marriage because they listened to their Maryland constituents and stood by their deeply-held moral convictions.” “Government’s interest in marriage has been to promote the procreation of children, protect the best method of raising children and therefore protect society for future generations,” he said. “There are many ways to protect basic human rights; sacrificing marriage is not one of them. The successful coalition that upheld the time-honored definition of marriage in Maryland, which includes many leaders of African-American churches throughout the state, remains intact and will continue to be vigorously involved in upholding marriage in Maryland,” said the archbishop.

HomoQuotable - Andrew Sullivan

"For a long time, gays and lesbians braver than I was were effectively married and lived together, risking violence and opprobrium and isolation. For decades these bonds existed, and we knew of them even if we never spoke of them. I saw them up close as a young man in the darkest years of the AIDS plague. I saw spouses holding their dying husbands, cradling them at the hour of their death, inserting catheters, cleaning broken bodies, tending to terrified souls.

"This proved beyond any doubt for me that gay couples were as capable of as much love and tenacity and tenderness and fidelity as heterosexual couples. And when I heard their bonds denigrated or demonized, dismissed or belittled, the sadness became a kind of spur. For so long, so much pain. For so many, so much grief compounded by stigma. But we did not just survive the plague. We used it to forge a new future. And in the years of struggle, as more and more heterosexuals joined us, we all began finally to see that this was not really about being gay. It was about being human." - Andrew Sullivan, writing for Newsweek.

NEW YORK: Hate Group Offers Free Legal Defense To Anti-Marriage Town Clerks

The anti-gay Alliance Defense Fund is offering free legal defense to any New York town clerk who refuses to license same-sex couples. NOM began promoting the offer today on their blog.

MD Gov Vows Marriage Support

As Maryland's activists gear up to take another run at marriage equality, Gov. Martin O'Malley has pledged his full support.

"I certainly plan to be very active in support of it, and we'll have other announcements in upcoming months," O'Malley said at the National Governors Association meeting in Salt Lake City. O'Malley has long supported civil unions and has said that if lawmakers passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, he would sign it. But Friday marks the first time O'Malley has made same-sex unions a legislative priority. The Democratic governor said he would favor a measure in Maryland that mirrors the same-sex marriage law recently enacted in New York, which protects religious organizations from being required to ordain same-sex marriages.

NEW YORK: Hate Group Predicts Numerous Employment Lawsuits

"I believe that at that point, there will be many more people who will realize, whether it's a limo driver, a caterer, a D.J., photographer, town clerks or justices, they will come face-to-face with the fact that they've got to choose between their faith or supporting their families. So I think we'll be looking at a lot of religious freedom cases in New York State." - Jason McGuire, director of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms.

Quote Of The Day - Rudy Giuliani

'I think the Republican Party would be well advised to get the heck out of people's bedrooms and let these things get decided by states. We'd be a much more successful political party if we stuck to our economic, conservative roots. I think it's wrong [gay marriage], but there are other things that I think are wrong that get decided by democratic vote. I see more harm, however, by dwelling so much on this subject of gays and lesbians and whether it's right or wrong in politics." - Rudy Giuliani, speaking today to CNN.

NEW YORK: Another Town Clerk Quits

Another New York town clerk has (partially) resigned rather than officiate at any same-sex marriage.

The Guilderland Town Clerk, who also serves as the town's official marriage officer, has submitted a letter of resignation saying her religious beliefs prevent her from marrying gay couples. Rosemary Centi advised the town supervisor of her decision earlier this week. Citing her Catholic Faith, Centi will no longer be marrying same-sex couples when the Marriage Equality Law takes effect July 24. Centi will remain on as the town's clerk and continue to issue marriage licenses to all eligible couples. Her resignation only affects her appointed position as marriage officiant.

What's with this half-assed quitting, Rosemary?

Tony Perkins On Polygamy Lawsuit: We Warned You This Was Coming

Last night the Family Research Council's Tony Perkins sent out a bulletin about the lawsuit filed by the cast of Sister Wives. It goes as you'd expect.

There are times when groups like FRC don't enjoy being right. And the fallout from the New York same-sex "marriage" law is one of them. Those of us who have spent years in the fight for marriage have cautioned Americans where this brave new world could lead. And it isn't to "equality." Once marriage is redefined, we warned, polygamy and open infidelity won't be far behind. People accused us of exaggerating the stakes. Yet within days of Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signing his name to the New York law, a man and his four wives felt emboldened enough to launch a challenge to Utah's polygamy ban.

In the suit, they argue that the law violates the equal protection clauses of the 14th Amendment. In an interview with the New York Times, Kody Brown said, "We only wish to live our private lives according to our beliefs." Sound familiar? Homosexual activists have used this same "privacy" argument for decades. And while I believe in those rights, these acts are not constrained to the bedroom. They have devastating implications for society and the culture as a whole. For homosexuals, this has never been about "benefits" or "equality." It's about a devastating strategy meant to destroy innocence, religious freedom, and ultimately, the family.

Have a great day destroying innocence, everybody!

Matt Baume: Marriage News Watch

Quote Of The Day - Laura Fortusky

"The Bible clearly teaches that God created marriage between male and female as a divine gift that preserves families and cultures. Since I love and follow Him, I cannot put my signature on something that is against God. Deuteronomy 10:12 says, 'What does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.’ I would be compromising my moral conscience if I participated in the licensing procedure. Therefore, I will be resigning as of July 21. I wanted you to know my position as I understand the marriage law goes into effect on July 24." - Laura Fortusky, town clerk of Barker, New York, announcing her resignation.

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MARYLAND: Another Run At Marriage

A coalition of LGBT and civil rights groups are working together to take another run at marriage equality in Maryland.

Equal rights organizations are joining forces today at 11 a.m. at Baltimore City Hall to launch a coalition that seeks to secure marriage equality in Maryland during the 2012 legislative session. The organizations comprising Marylanders for Marriage Equality are Equality Maryland, Progressive Maryland, the American Civil Liberties Union, Communication Workers of America, Service Employees International Union, the Human Rights Campaign, and Freedom to Marry. According to a press release issued by HRC, "press conference will include coalition members, state and local elected officials, Maryland couples who are currently being denied access to marriage equality and clergy leaders who support the freedom to marry."

Massachusetts Town To Pay Married Gay Employees To Offset Tax

Marriage gay city employees of Cambridge, Massachusetts will become the first in the nation to be paid a small stipend to cover a federal tax that their heterosexual colleagues don't have to pay.

Like many people, these 22 school and city workers chose to put their spouses on their employer-provided health insurance. Because they're in a homosexual relationship, the value of that health coverage is considered taxable income by the federal government. But starting this month, Cambridge will become what is believed to be the first municipality in the country to pay its public employees a stipend in an attempt to defray the cost of the federal tax on health benefits for their same-sex spouses. The city employees hit by the extra tax pay an additional $1,500 to $3,000 in taxes a year and officials estimate the stipends would cost the city an additional $33,000. "This is about equality," said Marjorie Decker, a Cambridge city councilor. "This is a city that models what equality really means."

Quote Of The Day - Kathleen Rice

"Recently, a local clerk in upstate New York made headlines when she said she would not issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The Marriage Equality Act provides that an application for a marriage license cannot be denied on the grounds that the applicant parties are of the same sex and the law affords no discretion to public officials charged with granting marriage licenses. Therefore, any such refusal may be subject to criminal prosecution.

"The religious exemptions in the Marriage Equality Act are inapplicable to town and city clerks serving in their license-granting roles, and a public official’s intentional refusal to issue marriage licenses to qualified same-sex couples may constitute Official Misconduct, a Class A misdemeanor defined in section 195.00 of the New York State Penal Law." - Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice, in a letter sent to town and city clerks in her jurisdiction.

NOM To Hold Anti-Gay Hate Rallies On First Day Of Legalized New York Marriages

NOM has announced that it will hold anti-gay hate rallies around New York state on Sunday, July 24th - the first day of legalized same-sex marriage. Will they dare appear at Manhattan's city clerk office?

BROOKLYN: Catholic School Rejects Gift From Gay-Friendly Politician

New York state Assemblyman Joe Lentol voted in favor of same-sex marriage. Which means a Brooklyn Catholic school has to send back his $50 donation.

Officials at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Williamsburg sent back a $50 gift from Assemblyman Joe Lentol (D-Brooklyn) - following Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio's edict to refuse any honors from pols who backed same-sex marriage. DiMarzio also told pastors and principals not to invite any state lawmakers to speak - whether or not they voted for the bill - because the diocese objects to the bill's dead-of-night approval. Lentol said he's been giving small donations around graduation time at the church's Queen of the Rosary Academy for the last 20 years - and was "disappointed" to have it sent back last week. "This was a civil issue involving equality for all people," Lentol said.

A diocese spokesman endorsed sending the money back, saying it was "preposterous" for his school to give pro-gay people a platform.