UPDATE: Today's Freedom to Marry Action in Beverly Hills

Unlike many places in the nation where National Freedom to Marry sit-ins were performed yesterday, Beverly Hills received their sit-in today, where Robin Tyler and Diane Olson will celebrate the day by repeating their marriage vows.

UPDATE: NEW FOOTAGE.



Some footage from Beverly Hills has already come in:

URGENT ACTION: Call Legislature to Overturn 8

Equality California is asking us to counter the numerous phone calls that are flooding California's Capitol from the anti-equality groups who are opposing the two resolutions that would put it on record that the Legislature would support overturning Prop 8. They are demanding members of the Senate and Assembly Judiciary committees to not vote in favor of these resolutions.

Our strong support for equality cannot go unheard, and EQCA is asking we IMMEDIATELY contact the legislators who have supported LGBT equality in the past. Here is the sample script and contact information EQCA has provided.

Sample Script

Thank you for past support for equality. My name is [Your Name] and I am calling to ask for you to vote in favor of SR 7 / HR 5 because Prop 8 is a drastic and radical revision to the California Constitution that puts all Californians at risk. I believe in equal protection under the law and do not want a simple majority of voters to be able to take fundamental rights away from any minority.

Thank you. [Your Name]

If you live in Northern California, please call:

Senate Judiciary Committee members (for SR 7)

* Senator Ellen Corbett, chair: (916) 651-4010
* Senator Dean Florez: (916) 651-4016

Assembly Judiciary Committee members (for HR 5)

* Assembly Member Noreen Evans: (916) 319-2007

If you like in the Central Valley, please call:

Senate Judiciary Committee members (for SR 7)

* Senator Ellen Corbett, chair: (916) 651-4010
* Senator Dean Florez: (916) 651-4016

Assembly Judiciary Committee members (for HR 5)

* Assembly Member Dave Jones: (916) 319-2009
* Assembly Member William W. Monning: (916) 319-2027

If you live in Southern California, please call:

Assembly Judiciary Committee members (for HR 5)

* Assembly Member Mike Feuer, chair: (916) 319-2042
* Assembly Member Julia Brownley: (916) 319-2041
* Assembly Member Paul Krekorian: (916) 319-2043
* Assembly Member Ted W. Lieu: (916) 319-2053

Yesterday's Marriage Equality Action in San Francisco

Michigan TV Station Ditches Plans to Air Antigay "Infomercial"

"Speechless: Silencing Christians", an anti-gay infomercial produced by the infamous American Family Association known for its obsession with the "Homosexual Agenda", was canceled from airing on a Michigan TV station.

Here is the infomercial.

PART 1



More...

PART 2 (Ann Coulter and the homosexual agenda in this part)



PART 3 (Their objections to gay history in schools)



As I have blogged before, the AFA cries foul when they're told to be quiet and cry censorship, but if we are seen on television in any ad or medium in which we are treated as equals, they'll boycott. Here's an example of an ad they complained so much about, it was immediately pulled off the air in the UK (yes, they attack outside of America, too):



I do agree with one aspect of the AFA's infomercial title - I'm "speechless."

National Freedom to Marry Day: Same-Sex Couples Engage in National Marriage Counter Actions

On National Freedom to Marry Day, Thursday, February 12, 2009, at local marriage counters in cities all over the country, same-sex couples will request marriage licenses at their local County Clerk’s Offices to raise awareness of the harms and impact the inability to marry causes on their families.

“This feels like ground hog year in California,” said Molly McKay, Marriage Equality USA Media Director, “It was this time last year when we looked to the State Supreme Court to declare marriage equality the law of the land and here we are again, veil in hand, asking the State Supreme Court to protect the minority against the tyranny of the majority and stand for fairness for all. Over 18,000 same-sex couples married in California last year. We had hoped to retire this annual action once and for all, but alas…we lost our fundamental right to marry the person we love by a 2% vote of the majority and until Proposition 8 is repealed, we are back to the marriage counters to once again highlight the discrimination that the county clerk must enforce for now. I’m thankful to be married, but afraid that our lives are once again on the chopping block. When will this end, so we can just all live our happily ever afters and move on with our lives?”

“Whether we are married, domestic partnered, civil unioned or legal strangers under our particular state law, all same-sex couples are denied the 1,138 federal rights of marriage,” said Amy Balliett, founder of Join the Impact. “With the support of President Obama and with the growing sea change towards supporting protections for same-sex couples, we are hopeful that we can finally turn our attention to overturning the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), passed in 1996, and work together to uphold the American tradition of fairness and equality by ending marriage discrimination once and for all.”

“Since 2001, Marriage Equality USA chapters have engaged in these annual marriage counter actions to render visible the discrimination that is enforced every day. It is an affront to our basic dignity as fellow human beings when same-sex couples are turned away from the marriage counter, but it gives us the opportunity to tell our stories and show that we live in every community and want to honor and protect our families like everyone else,” said McKay. “Marriage discrimination is wrong and harms real-life families. All Americans deserve equal treatment under the law. The time has come.”

For a list of marriage counter actions happening across the country on Freedom to Marry Week go to Marriage Equalityand/or Join the Impact.

Marriage Equality Week - Wednesday: Button Up for Equality

As part of Marriage Equality week, Wednesday's action is to wear a button showing your support for marriage equality. Anything will do! You can even make your own.

One of the more noticeable items you can pin to your lapel is the White Knot which is spreading fast and gaining recognition for our cause.

Find out what you can do each day of this week at Freedom to Marry.

Uniting American Families Act

Currently, thousands of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Americans face the terrible choice of separating from the person they love or leaving their country because of discriminatory laws that don't allow same-sex couples to sponsor their partners for immigration.

The Uniting American Families Act will be introduced in the House of Representatives on Thursday, February 12, 2009, by Rep. Jerrold Nadler NY-8. If passed, this Act would immediately remedy 1 of the 1,138 federal rights denied same-sex couples.

A national coalition of LGBT-rights groups, including Immigration Equality, Marriage Equality USA, Out4Immigration, Join the Impact and Love Exiles, is asking everyone to take a moment to call your representative in Washington to ask that they join Rep. Nadler as a cosponsor of this bill.

Find out who your representative is at CongressMerge.com then call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to your U.S. Representative.

Tell your representatives staff:

"I am calling to ask Representative ________________ to be an original cosponsor of the Uniting American Families Act of 2009. To cosponsor, he/she must contact Rep. Jerrold Nadler who is the lead sponsor.

"The U.S. government discriminates against gay and lesbian binational couples by not allowing them to sponsor their foreign-born life partners for immigration. Because of this, they face the terrible choice of separating from the person they love or leaving the country. As Americans, they should not have to choose between family and c! ountry. Please ask Rep. _________________ to cosponsor the Uniting American Families Act of 2009 by reaching out to Rep. Nadler right away."

Marriage Equality will keep a growing list of co-sponsors for this bill on their Bi-National Outreach Director's page.

Dear UTF Readers

I am currently visiting a sick family member. I will return to blogging as usual on Tuesday.

Stay United!