United Nations
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced the organization will recognize the same-sex marriages of its employees and offer all benefits given to opposite-sex spouses. The change covers 43,000 United Nations employees but does not cover the employees of affiliated organizations like UNICEF or UNESCO. Those organizations will continue to discriminate against their gay and lesbian employees.
In addition, the United Nations continues to adopt anti-gay measures and promote anti-gay perpetrators. The UN General Assembly recently elected the Ugandan Foreign Minister as its next president. Saudi Arabia, which executes gays, was elected to the UN Human Rights Council.
Florida
Newspapers in Florida are lining up behind marriage equality. The Tampa Bay Times was the first.
The attorney general “should follow her counterparts in Nevada, Virginia and Pennsylvania who have refused to defend their states’ same-sex marriage bans. The law once upheld slavery, denied women and blacks the right to vote, segregated schools and banned interracial marriage. In time, the courts will continue to act as they did in those situations and overturn all discriminatory same-sex marriage bans. It makes no sense to defend them, and Florida should abandon a fight it cannot win legally or morally.”
Next was the Miami Herald.
“The fight to defeat a ban on same-sex marriage in Florida is picking up steam,” the Miami Herald wrote. “Progress is slowly, but steadily, being made.”
Today, the Sun Sentinel, which serves Broward and Palm Beach counties came out in favor of equality.
“Florida shouldn’t be digging in its heels against committed gay couples who seek only the same recognition and benefits as straight couples. And Florida shouldn’t be wasting time and money pursuing the right to discriminate,” the paper editorialized.
Bypassing trial
Both sides in two Arizona marriage equality cases requested the judge bypass a trial and issue a ruling. Both cases are scheduled in the same court and all parties agree the judge can rule based on briefs that will be filed.
Plaintiffs in the South Dakota marriage equality case asked the judge to rule without a trail as well.
This is an indication the opposition is running out of stupid, indefensible arguments.
Pennsylvania
Marriage equality came to Pennsylvania on May 20 when a judge overturned the state’s marriage ban and the governor decided not to appeal. However, a Pennsylvania clerk has asked the Supreme Court to stay the ruling while she appeals on behalf of the state.
If a stay is granted, this would make Pennsylvania the fifth state that issued marriage licenses after a judge ruled and before a court ordered a halt until appeals have been completed. The other four states with couples whose marriages are limbo are Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and Utah.
When Pennsylvania became marriage-equality state No. 20, it became the first state that doesn’t have employment nondiscrimination laws. So couples may have to choose between getting married and getting fired for getting married.