91 "Lgbtq" Category Articles Page 3

Happy Marriage Equality Day! Celebrating 8 years of marriage equality: On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v Hodges that same-sex couples had a legal, constitutional right to marry, protected by the 14th Amendment, and struck down all remaining state bans that prohibited same-sex marriages. Today, we celebrate this win for love and the LGBTQIA+ community, and take a look at what's next.

Learn inclusive, gender-neutral alternatives for common wedding terms for the couple and their wedding party, and help make the wedding industry more welcoming to LGBTQ+ couples and their friends and families! This list includes simple gender-free substitutes for commonly gendered terms like bridal, bride or groom, bridesmaid, best man, and more.

Proposed drag bans like the one in Tennessee impact LGBTQ+ weddings, ministers and wedding officiants, and the entire queer community. Drag performers belong at weddings! Learn ways to protect LGBTQ+ ministers and wedding performers. (TN SB0003 ; U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker)

Learn about Clela Rorex, the Boulder County Clerk who became a hero to the LGBTQ+ community and their allies when she issued a marriage license to a gay couple in 1975 in Colorado, and two resolutions introduced in the US House and Senate to honor her with a holiday, 'Clela Rorex Day.' (HR 248 / SR 118 ; same-sex marriage; marriage equality)

Learn how HB878 and 2019’s paused anti-online ordination law work together in an ongoing attack against marriage equality in Tennessee. These bills would allow a person to refuse to solemnize (conduct) a marriage they object to based on their ‘conscience or religious beliefs,’ and make it illegal for an officiant ordained online to perform marriage. If passed, it will be easier for clerks and officiants to discriminate against same-sex, LGBTQ+, interfaith, and interracial couples in TN. (House Bill 878 / 2023 ; HB0213 / 2019)

Learn what HB878 might mean for the future of marriage equality in Tennessee. The bill, which recently passed the House, would allow a person to refuse to solemnize (conduct) a marriage they object to based on their ‘conscience or religious beliefs.’ Opponents believe the bill would make it easier for clerks and officiants to discriminate against same-sex, LGBTQ+, interfaith, and interracial couples in TN. (House Bill 878 / 2023)

Learn about matelotage, which many believe to be an early form of gay marriage honored among pirates of the 1700s and 1800s. These legal civil unions bound two sailors together in an informal partnership, uniting one's fortune and future to the other's, and were respected by ship captains and pirate crews. (Same-sex marriage, queer history, history of marriage)

Iowa legislators introduced a joint resolution this week that proposes a state ban on same-sex marriage by amending the Iowa Constitution. Learn about House Joint Resolution 8 (H.J.R. 8 ; 2023) and recent concerns over the future of marriage equality in Iowa and around the country.

Free ‘sip and see’ wedding planning event for same-sex and other LGBTQ couples in the Dallas Fort Worth area will bring together local LGBTQ+ wedding vendors and allied businesses on February 19, 2023. The LGBTQ+ Sip & See Spring Wedding Planning Event is organized by the North Texas LGBTQ Wedding Network and Chevy Chey Photography, and will be held at Apricus Venue in Corinth, TX.

Asked to officiate a same-sex wedding ceremony for the first time? Looking for a same-sex wedding ceremony script, or for what to say during the pronouncement? These 4 tips for officiating same-sex, same-gender, and other LGBTQ+ weddings are a great start. Let couples know you’re an inclusive officiant and plan the perfect marriage ceremony!

Learn about proposed marriage legislation around the country, including important amendments to same-sex marriage bans, interracial marriage laws, the minimum age to marry, who can legally solemnize marriage and officiate weddings, covenant marriage licenses, common law marriage, remote / virtual marriage services, penalties for refusing marriage services to LGBTQ+ couples, remarriage, marriage waiting periods, and more.

Lawmakers in Virginia and Texas propose new legislation in 2023 to protect LGBTQ+ couples and families by repealing same-sex marriage bans from the states’ constitutions. Virginia House Joint Resolution 460 (VA HJR460) and Texas Senate Joint Resolution 15 (TX SJR15)

Candace Cameron Bure made headlines this week for comments against same-sex marriage, telling The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that Great American Family media network plans to keep 'traditional marriage at the core' of its Christmas movies. Read our take on the actor's interview, the exclusion of LGBTQ+ characters and queer families from holiday films, and Hallmark Channel's first gay Christmas movie.

Learn about the Supreme Court Obergefell v Hodges ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in the U.S., the history of marriage equality in all 50 states, and the role of online ordination in ensuring all couples, including LGBTQ+ couples, can choose an inclusive wedding officiant.

Learn about efforts to protect same-sex marriage rights, the upcoming Senate vote on the Respect for Marriage Act 2022, the history of marriage equality in the U.S., and how online ordination plays an important role in non-traditional, LGBTQ+ and interracial weddings.