All tag results for 'civil union'

Reason #72,831 why all couples in love should be afforded the right to marry:

Police were called when Roger Gorley refused to leave the bedside of his sick partner, Allen, in a Missouri hospital on Tuesday — cops sided with Allen's family because he and Roger were unmarried.

The cops put Roger in handcuffs, escorted him off the hospital grounds, and even issued a restraining order against him — all because he wanted to be near the man he's been in a civil union with for five years.

Roger and Allen even filled out paperwork legally allowing them to make medical decisions for one another, but none of those documents mattered when Allen's family and the hospital forced Roger to leave.

After being dragged from his lover's bed, Roger sadly admitted:

Tags: civil union, gay, gay gay gay, gay marriage, handcuffs, health, homophobia, hospital, legal matters, missouri, roger gorley, sad sad, same sex marriage

Yay!

Just in time for Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes (left) to marry his longtime love, Sean Eldridge (right), in New York City last Saturday, the social networking website has introduced marriage status icons that depict same-sex couples.

When openly gay couples changed their status to "married" in the past, an icon of a man and woman appeared in the timeline. Now, however, the icon will represent two men or two women accordingly.

The recent update follows last year's addition of

Tags: chris hughes, civil union, domestic partnernship, facebook, gay, icon, relationship, relationship status, sean eldridge, the social network

Such a proud moment for the state, and the country!

This morning, gay and lesbian couples were able to receive the state of Illinois' first civil union licenses for the first time ever.

Check out the video of the first couple in line in Cook County, Lakeesha Harris and Janean Watkins, having their application processed at the Daley Center in Chicago (above)!

Wonderful! We tear up a little seeing how happy they are!

Congratulations, you two!

This is a big step in the right direction - now we just need to continue making these moves FORWARD!

EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL!

Tags: application, chicago, civil union, cook county, couple, gay, granted, illinois, inspiration, janean watkins, lakessha harris, process, video

Ugh.

Unfortunately, this one is all the ignorant, depressing sadness of Eat Da Poo Poo, without any of the 'did they really just say that?' awkward HIGHlarity.

Check out this unbelievable clip of 76-year-old Rosina Kovlar's recent testimony before the Colorado Senate on the state's civil unions bill (above)!

Soo ignorant and effed up on so many levels.

Also - how the hell are gays responsible for the increased number of unwed mothers? Infuriating!

EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL.

Tags: civil union, colorado, eat da poo poo, equal rights, gay rights, grandmother, gross, hearing, homophobic, rosina kovlar, sad, senate, testimony

Another massive step in the right direction!

Neil Abercrombie, the governor Hawaii, made history yesterday when he approved a measure to legalize same-sex civil unions in the state - the seventh state in the country to do so and the first bill signing of his career!

He explains:

"For me, this bill represents equal rights for everyone in Hawaii — everyone who comes here. This is, to me, the essence of the aloha spirit."

Rep. Blake Oshiro elaborates:

"I think it's amazing that we've joined a small, but ever-growing group of states that are recognizing equality. I'm proud that we've taken that major step forward."

Although it's not marriage, the new law allows same-sex couples the legal status with all of the rights and benefits of one!

Equality Hawaii's co-chairman, Alan Spector, says:

"Civil unions are not marriage, but they at least provide — on a state level — the concrete, tangible, legal rights and responsibilities of marriage. We still don't have the social significance and the social meaning of marriage … but getting us to civil unions — psychologically and legally — is such a major barrier to cross."

Exactly! We think Lady GaGa says it best: You're on the right track, baby!

Congratulations, Hawaii! Your residents should be very proud!

Equality for ALL!

[Image via AP Images.]

Tags: amazing, civil union, equal rights, gay rights, governor, hawaii, inspiration, legalization, neil abercrombie, same sex couple

It's about time!

Facebook has finally added "domestic partnership" and "in a civil union" to their relationship status options.

Users in the U.S., Canada, France, the U.K., Australia, and several other countries were able to choose from the new options on Friday.

Facebook's manager of public policy communications Andrew Noyes says:

"This has been a highly requested feature from users. We want to provide options for people to genuinely and authentically reflect their relationships on Facebook."

This has been a positive change for the LGBT community and many people are speaking out about it. Michael Cole-Schwartz, a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign says:

"As LGBT people face a patchwork of relationship recognition laws, this gives people more tools to adequately describe their relationship. Facebook has been a company that has tried to be inclusive of the LGBT community and this just one sign of it."

And president of Equality Matters, Richard Socarides, added:

"Facebook has always been an empowering place for gay people–it's a place you can be yourself in relative safety. This is a natural progression of that. In most places, gay Americans can't yet marry but they may be able to formalize their relationship short of marriage. This change reflects that reality. Well done."

This is definitely a positive change in the right direction.

What do U think?

Tags: change, civil union, domestic partnership, relationship status

Top Gun actress Kelly McGillis has married longtime girlfriend Melanie Leis in a civil union in Collingswood, New Jersey.

The two met 10 years ago when Leis was a bartender at a restaurant owned by McGillis and her husband at the time, Fred Tillman.

You may remember, McGillis came out back in 2009, saying, "That was one of those moments when somebody asked me a question, my kids had gone from home, so I really didn't have to protect anyone by skirting the question, and I just decided to be absolutely honest."

We're so happy she found the courage to come out!

Congratulations to the happy couple!

[Image via New York Times.]

Tags: civil union, coming out, kelly mcgillis, married, top gun