A quick rundown of the day’s hottest topics in the gay and lesbian community.
Church of England to reconsider stance on gay bishops – The Church of England has said it is reviewing its approach to same-sex relationships and whether gay priests in civil partnerships should become bishops, its most significant work on the subject for years.
According to a statement from the House of Bishops, there is a “theological task to be done to clarify further understanding of the nature and status of these partnerships”.
The bishop of Norwich, Graham James, said the “last substantive engagement” with the issue of homosexuality was in 2005.
Gay marriage now law of state – After years of wrangling, the same-sex marriage debate ended late in the day of June 24 when the New York state Legislature passed the Marriage Equality Act. Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the bill into law, which will take effect within 30 days.
Two Hudson Valley lawmakers – state Sens. John Bonacic and William Larkin – voted against the bill. The Senate vote to pass the historic legislation 33-29. The bill sailed through the Assembly 80-63.
N.Y. Town Clerk: I Won’t Sign Gay Wedding License – New York’s gay weddings victory lap has not extended to all parts of the Empire State, with a rural town clerk determined to not sign any same-sex marriage licenses.
Barbara MacEwen, the town clerk in upstate Volney who is responsible for signing marriage licenses in the town, said she’s morally opposed to same-sex weddings and does not intend to affix her signature to any marriage documents for gay or lesbian couples.
Maine seeks to regain marriage equality – For the first time in history, LGBT activists are initiating a ballot measure to win marriage equality.
EqualityMaine and Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) announced Thursday, June 30, that they are taking steps to place a citizen’s initiative on the November 2012 ballot. The measure will ask Maine voters to approve a law giving same-sex couples the right to marry.
The move comes a year and a half after a referendum in November 2009 overturned a law passed by the legislature and signed by Governor John Baldacci (D) in May 2009. Because repeal activists immediately began petitioning for a “People’s Veto” against the law, the law was put on hold and ballot Question 1 asked voters if they would like to repeal that law.
Couple Asks Ninth Circuit to Rule on Gay-Marriage Ban – Just days after the Justice Department filed an appeal of a ruling declaring the federal ban on gay marriage unconstitutional, lawyers for a same-sex couple at the center of a bankruptcy dispute upped the ante by asking the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to take the case.
The Justice Department appealed the bankruptcy-court ruling Monday that declared the Defense of Marriage Act as unconstitutional. Such appeals of bankruptcy-court decisions would be heard by the U.S. District Court.
But lawyers for the couple involved in the bankruptcy case are seeking to skip that step and go right to appeals court.
Anti-Gay Tweet From Red Bull NASCAR Member Crashes And Burns – If only Red Bull gave you brains, a former tire changer for the energy drink’s NASCAR team would still have his job.
Red Bull recently sacked Jeremy Fuller from their NASCAR team for tweeting a picture of a rainbow sign for SF pride (pictured) and commenting, “This is way (sic) I don’t live here.”
Later, a fan tweeted in response “if we could get rid of them, it’d be a lot better” to which Fuller replied, “lol… don’t we all wish.”
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