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February 27th, 2019
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Starting May 3, ceremonies in Cook County's downtown Marriage Court can be performed by Zoom
CHICAGO (April 30) — Marriage and civil union ceremonies at Cook County's downtown Marriage and Civil Union Court (Marriage Court) may be performed via Zoom videoconference, as well as in person, starting next week, according to ...
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Illinois Senate passes proposal removing gendered language from marriage certificates
--From a press release
On April 21, on its third reading, the Illinois Senate passed (by a bipartisan vote of 44-13) a proposal that amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act to allow the removal of gendered language ...
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Russian leader Putin officially bans same-sex marriage
On April 5, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a series of constitutional amendments that, among other things, formally defines marriage as between a man and a woman in the country, The Washington Blade reported. ...
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Michigan Court recognizes same-sex parents have parental rights
--From a NCLR press release
DETROIT, MI — Yesterday, the Michigan Court of Appeals recognized two unmarried women as parents where one parent is a genetic parent and the other parent gave birth. LaNesha Matthews and Kyresha LeFever were a same-sex ...
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Global momentum for marriage equality surges,"Freedom to Marry Global" website created
--From a freedomtomarry.org press release
April 1st marks twenty years since the Netherlands ended the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage, becoming the first of so far 30 countries worldwide to affirm the freedom to marry for same-sex couples. Now, two ...
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LETTER The Vatican's words and actions do not echo love
The LGBTQA community is responding with shock, anger and frustration at the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith statement concerning same-sex unions. Many in our community can't understand why Pope Francis would allow such a ...
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DignityUSA: Vatican denying same-sex blessings "Exacerbates pain and anger"
--From a press release
March 15, 2021. DignityUSA, the organization of Catholics working for justice, equality, and full inclusion of LGBTQI people in the church and society, is deeply disappointed by the Vatican's statement unequivocally denying blessings to same-sex coupl ...
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Vatican won't bless same-sex unions
The Catholic Church said it cannot bless same-sex unions, adding that it is "not licit" to bless relationships that involve sexual activity outside of marriage, according to an NBC News item. The Congregation for the Doctrine ...
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Commission: Jamaica should repeal same-sex ban
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the top rights body of the Americas, said in a symbolic landmark ruling on Feb. 17 that Jamaica should repeal its colonial-era gay sex ban, Reuters reported. Two Jamaicans ...
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Leading groups submit amicus briefs against discrimination against LGBT surviving spouses
--From a press release
WASHINGTON D.C.—AARP, AARP Foundation, SAGE and the American Society on Aging (ASA) filed amicus briefs today in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit arguing that the ...
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Switzerland's parliament okays marriage equality,
residents to have final say
On Dec. 18, the Swiss parliament approved a bill allowing same-sex couples to marry, finally bringing the nation in line with much of Europe on LGBTQ rights, TheLocal.ch reported. However, the Swiss residents themselves will have ...
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WORLD Canada museum, gay NZ leader, marriage items, 'Drag Race'
The embattled Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) said it's planning sweeping changes to rebuild the organization more than four months after staff came forward with shocking allegations of racism and LGBT censorship, CBC.ca reported. The ...
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Jennifer N. Pritzker, Erin E. Solaro wed
--From a press release
Jennifer N. Pritzker and Erin E. Solaro were married in a private ceremony in Chicago on Oct. 31, 2020. Ms. Pritzker is President & CEO of TAWANI Enterprises Inc., Lieutenant Colonel U.S. Army, Retired, and Founder ...
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WORLD Taiwan marriages, Nigeria court, protests, GQ Awards
Two women became the first military officers to marry their same-sex civilian partners at a mass military wedding in Taiwan—marking another landmark for LGBTQ+ rights in Asia, CNN.com reported. The island's defense ministry called it an ...
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LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus co-chairs bring resolution affirming court's marriage ruling
--From a press release
Washington, D.C. - Tomorrow the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus Co-Chairs, Chris Pappas (NH-01), David Cicilline (RI-01), Angie Craig (MN-02), Sharice L. Davids (KS-03), Sean Patrick Maloney ...
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LGBT HISTORY: The Intersection Of LGBTQ History And Disability
Disabled people have long been hidden from history, and unsurprisingly, disabled LGBTQ historical figures too have been hidden. The LGBTQ community itself has been slow to address disability as an issue, yet some of the most ...
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NATIONAL Marriage support, GLSEN, LGBTQ voting campaigns
Seventy percent of Americans support same-sex marriage, according to the 11th annual American Values Survey—the highest percentage recorded by a major national poll, NBC News reported. The results found just 28 percent of respondents oppose the ...
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Pope calls for same-sex civil unions in documentary (UPDATED)
In a departure from the position held by the Vatican's doctrinal office, Pope Francis called for the passage of civil union laws for same-sex couples in a documentary that aired in Rome, NBC News noted. "Homosexuals ...
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Threat to marriage equality looms at Supreme Court, Lambda Legal responds
--From a press release
(Washington, D.C., October 5, 2020) — Today, in a statement in Davis v. Ermold, authored by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and joined by Justice Samuel Alito, the Justices indicated a desire to overturn Obergefell v. ...
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WORLD Vancouver protest, dating apps, Budapest Pride, N. Ireland marriages
In Canada, protesters held a beach dance party in Vancouver's West End night in a bid to disrupt an event by a Toronto preacher who has been accused of anti-LGBTQ hate speech, CBC.ca reported. David Lynn, ...
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NATIONAL Bakery situation, tribal marriage, anti-LGBTQ crimes, Penn. lawmakers
Extreme right-wing organization the Church Militant requested that Detroit bakery Good Cakes and Bakes co-owner April Anderson (who's LGBTQ) put on a cake, "Homosexual acts are gravely evil. (Catholic Catechism ...
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Ken Ilio, one of the first gay men to marry in Illinois, dies at 63
Keneth Yerro Ilio—who became one of the first gay men to wed in Illinois when he married Ron Dorfman in December 2013—has died in Chicago. He was 63. Windy City Times reported that on Dec. 16, ...
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Chicago church that hosted historic same-sex event demolished
Following an extended effort to save the building, Misericordia Homes recently demolished the former Chicago Town and Tennis Club/Unity Church building at 1925 W. Thome Ave., in the West Ridge area of the city. Originally designed ...
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Consulates holding Pride talk June 30
On Tuesday, June 30, at 12 p.m., the Australian and Irish consulates of Chicago will hold a Pride virtual panel. Participants will celebrate the marriage equality campaigns of both countries and discuss the ongoing work to ...
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NCLR celebrates five-year anniversary of Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality
WASHINGTON, DC — The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) today joins with millions of LGBTQ people and allies in celebrating the five-year anniversary of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling establishing marriage equality in all ...
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Study says LGBT emotional well-being improved post marriage equality ruling
A new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds that the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which extended marriage equality nationwide in June 2015, had a positive impact on ...
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Report: Same-sex weddings boost state economies $3.8 B since marriage equality ruling
More than half of all married same-sex couples in the United States married after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which extended marriage equality nationwide in June 2015. Wedding spending by these 293,000 ...
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Costa Rica celebrates marriage equality
As of midnight on May 26, Costa Rica became the first country in Central America (and the 28th United Nations member state) to legalize same-sex marriage after a groundbreaking court ruling came into effect. Reuters reported ...
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WORLD Mass wedding, 100-year-old gay actor, Kenyan archive, Russian activist
Earlier this month, more than 140 LGBTQ couples tied the knot in a collective wedding organized by Rainbow Caravan, a Mexico City government campaign aimed at eliminating discrimination against LGBTQ people, NBC News reported. On the ...
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Yarbrough officiates special Valentine's Day wedding
On Valentine's Day, Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough officiated the wedding of Bronzeville couple Ivan Bujan, 34, and Charles Long, 40, in the Cook County Clerk's Vital Records Bureau office downtown. Their marriage date fells on ...
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WORLD Marriage in Mexico, European report, arrests in journalist's murder
The Congress in the Mexican state of Sonora is now getting pressure from federal legislators to approve a measure allowing for same-sex marriages, Fronteras reported. More than six months have passed since that measure was introduced ...
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Talks on Feb. 16, March 1 about issues in 'The Cake'
Buffalo Theatre Ensemble presents The Cake, written by Bekah Brunstetter and directed by Steve Scott, now through Sunday, March 1, in the Playhouse Theatre at the McAninch Arts Center (MAC), 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. The ...
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WORLD Swiss vote, Northern Ireland wedding, Tanzania report, bishops convene
In Switzerland, voters backed a referendum to extending anti-racism legislation to cover sexual orientation—defying critics who had claimed such a move would be an infringement of free speech, The Guardian reported. Unlike many of its western ...
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Judge rules for same-sex partners in Social Security case
On Jan. 31, federal magistrate judge recommended striking down as unconstitutional the U.S. Social Security Administration's (SSA's) denial of survivor's benefits to surviving same-sex partners who were barred from marrying ...
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Federal court ruling benefits same-sex couples
A federal appeals panel of Republican appointees ruled Jan. 17 that the state of Indiana must treat same-sex married couples the same as male-female married couples when determining who to list on a child's birth certificate. ...
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Indiana same-sex parents can list both names on children's birth certificates
On Jan. 17—after more than two and a half years—the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that married same-sex couples in Indiana can list both parents on their children's birth certificates, CNN.com reported. In so ...
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2019 global roundup, from Toronto to Taiwan
There was no shortage of the good, the bad and ugly regarding global LGBTQ developments. Below are just a few of media reports (highlights and lowlights): —Bus attack: In London in late May, a group of ...
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NATIONAL Anti-LGBTQ crimes, Richard Grenell, two-spirit marriage, Adam Rippon
A transgender man driving a taxi in McAlester, Oklahoma, was fatally shot early New Year's Day, Advocate.com reported. Dustin Parker, 25, leaves a wife, Regina, and four children, was a founding member of the McAlester chapter ...
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UMC may split over same-sex marriage, inclusion
A schism is expected within the United Methodist Church (UMC) over same-sex marriage and LGBTQ inclusion, media outlets reported. UMC leaders signed a proposal that outlines the separation, and this could be approved at a general ...
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WORLD Marriage status in Cuba, Shigella outbreak, anti-LGBTQ crime
Cuba Justice Minister Oscar Silvera Martinez announced the Family Code—the law that could establish marriage equality in the country—will not be introduced in the National Assembly until December 2021, when ...
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Memoir profiles lesser-known sides of Edie Windsor
Mention the name Edie Windsor, and many LGBT residents would correctly associate her with the landmark litigation that ultimately paved the way for the United States Supreme Court declaring marriage equality to be the law of ...
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WORLD Marriages in Brazil, chemsex, couple attacked, Gus Kenworthy
The state Institute Brazilian Geography and Statistics said that same-sex marriages in Brazil grew 61.7 percent in 2018—a trend that grew from October, after President Jair Bolsonaro's victory in the last elections, Vanugardia reported. At the ...
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Cook County Clerk's office celebrates marriage equality milestones
To commemorate the upcoming 15,000th marriage license for same-sex couples in Cook County—and the sixth anniversary of then Gov. Pat Quinn signing marriage equality into law—Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough hosted an event Nov. 19 at ...
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Same-sex marriage overturned in Caymans
The Cayman Islands Court of Appeal has ruled in favor of the government, overturning Chief Justice Anthony Smellie's previous ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in the Cayman Islands, the Cayman Compass reported. ...
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WORLD Marriage news, Oscar Wilde, Ugandan activist dies, Iris Prize
People of the same sex are now allowed to get married in Northern Ireland, the BBC reported. It's been legal in England, Wales and Scotland since 2014; now the rules have changed for Northern Ireland, too. ...
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NATIONAL Marriage advocate divorcing, Black gay couple, trans death
A Utah state lawmaker who filed a lawsuit that successfully overturned the state's ban on same-sex marriage is separating from his husband, U.S. News & World Report noted. State Sen. Derek Kitchen announced in an Instagram ...
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Kol Hadash Congregation embraces LGBTQ inclusivity
Kol Hadash Humanistic Congregation, which is housed inside North Shore Unitarian Church in Deerfield, has been a leader in LGBTQ-inclusivity since its founding in 2001. The congregation emerged from the now-defunct Congregation Beth Or and celebrates ...
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WORLD Japanese case, Jamaica event canceled, Putin's law
A Japanese court awarded damages to a woman who broke up with her same-sex partner because of infidelity—recognizing their common-law partnership despite same-sex marriage not being legal in the country, Kyodo News reported. After acquiring a ...
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WORLD Gay leaders, Mexican trans women, Czech marriage bill
In a notable meeting between two out heads of government, Prime Minister Xavier Bettel of Luxembourg hosted his counterpart from Serbia, Ana Brnabic, and discussed the possibility of Serbia joining the European Union, along with other ...
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Arizona Supreme Court grants Phoenix stationary shop license to discriminate
(Phoenix, AZ, September 16, 2019) — The Arizona Supreme Court today issued a 4-3 decision reversing a lower court ruling that had denied a Phoenix business owners' request that they be exempt from the City of ...
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Same-sex couple sues State Dept. for treating daughter as born out of wedlock
BALTIMORE, MD—Today, Immigration Equality, Lambda Legal, and pro bono counsel Morgan Lewis filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Maryland against the U.S. Department of State for refusing to recognize the citizenship of Kessem ...
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WORLD South African judge, China on marriage, teens plead not guilty
In South Africa, after 25 years in the judicial arena, Edwin Cameron has retired as a Constitutional Court judge, TheSouthAfrican.com reported. According to the article, Cameron—who is openly gay and ...
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WORLD Fleeing Russia, Cuban activist, UNAIDS, Magnum ad
Gay married couple Andrei Vaganov and Yevgeny Yerofeyev were forced to flee Russia over concerns their adopted children could be taken away, NewNowNext.com reported. The couple married in Denmark in 2016, and Vaganov adopted the couple's ...
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WORLD Beijing couple, Dutch man attacked, Ecuador murder
A same-sex couple in Beijing have become the first in the city to complete the process of being named as each other's legal guardian in what is being seen as a major step forward in the protection of LGBT rights, the ...
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WORLD Librarian's death, Baja OKs marriage equality, parade news
The National Human Rights Commission of Myanmar will investigate the death of gay librarian Kyaw Zin Win, Gay Star News noted. The librarian, 26, shared details of homophobic bullying from colleagues in a Facebook post before ...
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WORLD Mexican marriage bill, Sir Elton John, global Pride events
In Mexico, Sinaloa lawmakers voted against a measure that would have legalized same-sex marriage in the state, with 20 votes against and 18 in favor, Mexico News Daily reported. Most of the "yes" votes came from ...
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Ecuador approves same-sex marriage
By a vote of five to four, Ecuador's highest court approved same-sex marriage in a landmark ruling in the small and traditionally Catholic country on June 12, AlJazeera.com reported. Pro-LGBTQ activists celebrated the decision in the ...
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WORLD Filipino survey, Eurovision remarks, North Macedonian march
The Philippines House of Representatives is conducting an online survey on same-sex unions, CNN Philippines noted. The poll, posted on the chamber's website, asked whether the respondents are in favor, against, or undecided about the proposal ...
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Taiwan becomes first Asian country to OK same-sex marriage
On May 17, Taiwan's legislature became the first in Asia (by a vote of 66 to 27) to fully legalize same-sex unions. The law—which allows for same-sex couples to apply for "marriage registration" as part of ...
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WORLD Extremists charged, Virgin Mary controversy, Taiwan marriage bill
Eight Islamist extremists from a banned group were charged by Bangladesh police for the 2016 murders of two prominent gay-rights activists, AFP reported. Dhaka police's counterterrorism unit filed the charge sheet against the eight men, saying ...
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Majority of Public Favors Same-Sex Marriage, Divisions Persist
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 14, 2019) — After years of generally steady increases, opinions about same-sex marriage are mostly unchanged since 2017. Today, a majority of Americans (61%) favor allowing gays ...
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WORLD Trans woman threatened, Ecuador marriage bill, equality coin
Armenia's first registered transgender woman, Lilit Martirosyan, has received death threats after making a historic speech in her country's national assembly, The Guardian reported. After speaking out against discrimination at ...
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WORLD Taiwan marriages, Indian prince, gay Mexican candidate
A total of 157 same-sex couples in Taiwan plan to register to get married at household registration offices on May 24—the day that the Constitutional Court set for same-sex marriages to be legalized, Central News Agency ...
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WORLD Mexican marriage bill, Luxembourg PM, China watching Buttigieg
In a secret ballot, the plenary of the Yucatan state congress in Mexico voted against a marriage-equality bill that was forwarded by a committee, YucatanExpatLife.com reported. Fifteen lawmakers voted against the measure, with nine in favor ...
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Cayman Islands court blocks marriage equality
Days after Cayman Islands Chief Justice Anthony Smellie allowed a same-sex wedding to take place, the Court of Appeal blocked Chantelle Day and Vickie Bodden-Bush from getting married, on April 10, Cayman 27 reported. The appeal ...
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New alderperson Maria Hadden weds
Newly elected Chicago Ald. Maria Hadden wed partner Natalia Vera on March 18. Hadden told Windy City Times that the ceremony took place "on our eighth anniversary in a private ceremony. We are so excited to ...
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WORLD Elton John, Caymans OK marriage, Grindr
Elton John supported George Clooney's call for people to boycott a string of the world's most luxurious hotels following Brunei's new laws over gay sex, Business Insider noted. From April 3, Brunei is bringing in new ...
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Pritzker officiates Huberman wedding
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker officiated the wedding of friends Ron Huberman and Darren DeJong on March 23, Politico noted. Huberman is the former chief of staff to Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and held jobs at ...
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New Landmark Survey of 50 States Finds Broad Support for LGBT Rights
WASHINGTON — A landmark national survey of over 40,000 Americans, including results for all 50 states, released today by PRRI finds approximately seven in 10 (69 percent) Americans support nondiscrimination ...
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Donald Strzepek on jewelry business,
early Lgbtq activism
Lifelong Chicagoan Donald Strzepek has been in the jewelry business for more than 30 years and is currently the owner of Tucker Inc., in the heart of Jeweler's Row in the Loop. "I grew up on the Northwest Side of Chicago, ...
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Marriage Equality around the world
The world is changing for the better! Since Marriage Equality officially became the law of the land in 2015, other nations have followed suit, granting marriage rights to their LGBTQ citizens. Here are a few of ...
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Happy anniversaries, some marriages older than marriage itself
Even before gay marriage became official, some couples did it anyway. One couple celebrates a marriage older than gay marriage itself. The path toward marriage equality was unpredictable at times, frustrating at others. As policy shifted ...
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Hiring a Wedding Consultant/Coordinator/Planner:
How it all works
By Frank J. Andonoplas, MWP, Frank Event Design
Many couples know that hiring a wedding consultant is the right thing for them from the very start. Other couples think this is an unnecessary expense and that they can do it all on their own. ...
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Methodists retain ban on pro-LGBT measures
During a special session of its General Conference on Feb. 26, leaders of the United Methodist Church rejected the One Church Plan—a measure that would have eased restrictions on gay and lesbian clergy as well as ...
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After landmark decision, ABA issues guidance for judges performing same-sex marriages
CHICAGO, Feb. 14, 2019 — The American Bar Association Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility released today a formal opinion giving judges guidance related to their options for performing same-sex marriages under the Model Code ...
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