Celebrate The Coming Of Marriage Freedom With Images Of Love

Celebrate The Coming Of Marriage Freedom With Images Of Love

tumblr_navhc8kc9s1tymjivo1_1280As we wait with bated breath for the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on marriage equality, our friends at SKYY Vodka have partnered with Freedom to Marry to create Toast To Marriage, a campaign celebrating marriage equality.

So we’re encouraging everyone–gay, bi, trans, married, single, whatever–to post pictures to your social media pages depicting what marriage means to you. It could be wedding pictures, engagement photos, family portraits, your pink poodle–you name it.

Just hashtag the photos #ToastToMarriage on Instagram. We’ll be keeping a close eye on your pictures and posting some of our favorites on Queerty in the coming weeks.

Let’s raise a toast to the freedom to marry.

Cheers!

Scroll down for some ideas… 

A photo posted by JoseAGuzmanColon (@glamgender) on May 31, 2015 at 2:13pm PDT

A photo posted by Kia Comedy (@kiacomedy) on May 30, 2015 at 9:23am PDT

A photo posted by Devon Mainville (@maincommadev) on May 29, 2015 at 12:01pm PDT

A photo posted by @staceyrae28 on May 17, 2015 at 9:19pm PDT

A photo posted by @wedocracy on Nov 22, 2014 at 6:37pm PST

A photo posted by H&H Weddings (@handhweddings) on Oct 11, 2014 at 9:05am PDT

A photo posted by Shane F (@sfronde3) on May 29, 2015 at 2:50pm PDT

Graham Gremore

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/j_Qw_wIUg0w/celebrate-the-coming-of-marriage-freedom-with-images-of-love-20150611

Op-ed: Dear Gay Ambassadors, Be Straight About Trade Deal

Op-ed: Dear Gay Ambassadors, Be Straight About Trade Deal

Activists Cleve Jones and Jerame Davis ask: Why are America’s out ambassadors arguing in favor of giving special ‘favored nation’ status to virulently anti-LGBT countries, including one that stones gays to death?

read more

Jerame Davis and Cleve Jones

www.advocate.com/commentary/2015/06/11/op-ed-dear-gay-ambassadors-be-straight-about-trade-deal

Australian Couple Says They'll Get Divorced If Same-Sex Marriage Is Legalized

Australian Couple Says They'll Get Divorced If Same-Sex Marriage Is Legalized
A Christian couple in Australia has vowed to get divorced if marriage equality becomes legal.

In an op-ed for the Canberra CityNews, Nick Jensen wrote that he and his wife, Sarah, would, “as a matter of conscience, refuse to recognize the government’s regulation of marriage if its definition includes the solemnization of same sex couples.”

“Marriage is the union of a man and a woman before a community in the sight of God. And the marriage of any couple is important to God regardless of whether that couple recognizes God’s involvement or authority in it,” Jensen wrote.

‘Marriage is simply too important:’ Christian couple vows to divorce if gays allowed to wed t.co/chhTRsJzur pic.twitter.com/gJkEbQeIPh

— Raw Story (@RawStory) June 10, 2015

Jensen and his wife have been married for 10 years and have children together. But according to him, the Australian government would essentially be nullifying their marriage contract if it chooses to legalize same-sex marriage.

“For us, fundamentally, when we got married we signed a contract with the state and that contract was around the current definition of marriage and all the things that comes with it. Man and woman for life, for the sake of children,” Jensen told Buzzfeed News. “If it came to be that the definition of the contract was changed, the contract is now null and void.”

The op-ed has triggered a wave of backlash on social media, as people accused both the writer and CityNews of homophobia.

But Jensen, who works for the Australian Christian Lobby’s Lachlan Macquarie Internship, insists that his position does not stem from bigotry.

“This has been a big decision for my wife and I. Some will accuse of us being bigoted or too hateful to share. But this couldn’t be further from our intentions,” he wrote in his op-ed. “The truth is, ‘marriage’ is simply too important. It is a sacred institution, ordained by God … Any attempt to change the definition of marriage by law is not something in which we are able to partake.”

The magazine has defended its decision to print the op-ed piece. Editor Ian Meikle told News.com.au that “the article does not reflect the opinion of the paper,” but does offer “an interesting angle” to the debate about same-sex marriage legalization.

The Australian parliament is set to vote on marriage equality legislation by year’s end. According to a recent Guardian Australia survey, politicians remain divided on the issue.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/11/couple-divorce-marriage-equality-australia_n_7558506.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Report Attacks African Nations' Justifications For Anti-Gay Laws

Report Attacks African Nations' Justifications For Anti-Gay Laws
In response to the increasing criminalization of homosexuality throughout Africa in recent years, an international team of researchers released a scientific report countering every government justification for enacting anti-gay laws.

A group of scientists shredded every argument used by African governments to justify the recent glut of anti-gay laws across the continent in a new, scathing report.

The report published Wednesday by the Academy of Science of South Africa excoriated leaders for unscientific claims that homosexuality is contagious, unnatural, learned or a medical condition.

“As variation in sexual identities and orientations has always been part of a normal society, there can be no justification for attempts to ‘eliminate’ LGBTI from society,” the report authored by 11 South Africans, one Ugandan and one American said. “Efforts should rather be focused on countering the belief systems that create hostile and even violent environments for those who are ‘othered’ within ‘heteronormative’ societies.”

Anti-gay laws are on the books in 38 of 53 African countries, the report said, including four of seven countries worldwide where same-sex activity is punishable by death.

Homophobic sentiments intensified in Africa in recent years, the journal Nature reported, with Uganda, Gambia and Nigeria introducing anti-gay legislation last year.

The reports findings are already accepted globally in the scientific community as fact. But the authors’ argued the reports must come from Africa to root out illegitimate ideas like sexual orientation being a choice or that homosexuality is a contagious disease while extolling public health benefits of tolerance.

“It had to be Africa-led,” Glenda Gray, co-chair of the report panel, told Nature. “If it were American-led, African governments would say that it was Western propaganda.”

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/10/africa-anti-gay-report_n_7557742.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

22 Stunning Same-Sex Wedding Photos That Are So Full Of Love

22 Stunning Same-Sex Wedding Photos That Are So Full Of Love
June may officially be LGBT Pride Month, but here at The Huffington Post, we prefer to celebrate all year round.

In that spirit, we present 22 gorgeous gay wedding photos that are brimming with life, laughter and love.

Keep in touch! Check out HuffPost Weddings on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Sign up for our newsletter here.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/10/stunning-same-sex-wedding-photos_n_7556952.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

News: McKinney, Michelle Kwan, Surfers' Butts, Mars

News: McKinney, Michelle Kwan, Surfers' Butts, Mars

RoadAn economics professor breaks down how the Empire built the Death Star.

Andre-hamann-shirtless-06102015-lead01-600x450 RoadMcKinney, Texas police officer who assaulted and threatened black teenagers leaving a pool party resigns. The local Chief of Police calls his actions “indefensible.”

RoadObama administration to deploy 450 more troops to Iraq to combat ISIS. 

RoadDoes Joyce Carol Oates think this Jurassic Park photo is real? 

RoadHumpday hotness courtesy of German model André Hamman. 

RoadIan McKellen and Patrick Stewart share a smooch.

RoadAfter 26 years of marriage, Homer and Marge Simpson are calling it quits. And Lena Dunham is to blame. 

2015-06-03-16-36-10 RoadSpeaking of The Simpsons, The Simpsons game “Tapped Out” celebrates Pride month.

RoadMichelle Kwan joins the Clinton campaign.

RoadRaven Symone joins The View.

RoadGet ready, Pitches: Pitch Perfect 3 is in the works.

RoadJared Leto looks positively frightening as the Joker in Suicide Squad

RoadScientists are going to study surfers’ butts to measure levels of pollution in the world’s oceans. 

O-IMPACT-GLASS-MARS-900 RoadViolence against gays and lesbians is down while violence against trans women and LGBTQ people of color is on the rise. 

RoadPope Francis creates tribunal to judge cases where bishops are accused of failing to protect children in from predators within the Church.

RoadFranklin Graham: President Obama and the gays are to blame for the end of times. 

RoadNasa Orbiter finds glass on Mars.


Sean Mandell

www.towleroad.com/2015/06/news-6.html