Kate Pierson Gets Married

Via the Daily Mail:

Kate Pierson, co-founder of the new wave party band The B-52s, has married her longtime lover Monica Coleman in Hawaii. The 67-year-old singer/songwriter took to her Facebook page on Tuesday to share photos of her and her new wife with the caption: ‘#itsofficial!’ A series of snaps show the happy couple post-ceremony as they don chic wedding gowns with Pierson’s in pink with a elegant Victorian style. A rep for Pierson told E! News: "The wedding was attended by the entire B-52s band, Sia Furler and husband Erik Anders Lang were the witnesses. Sia performed the song she wrote for the couple Crush Me With You Love on Pierson's first solo album Guitars and Microphones and was accompanied by the famous Hawaii music group the Lim Family who serenaded the attendees during the event. Fred Schneider made the best man speech."

RELATED: B-52s member Keith Strickland married his longtime boyfriend in Key West shortly after Florida legalized same-sex marriage in January.

Headline Of The Day

Via press release:

A New York farm that hosts wedding ceremonies for profit does not have a “religious freedom” right to discriminate against same-sex couples, Americans United for Separation of Church and State says. In a friend-of-the-court brief filed yesterday with the New York Supreme Court’s appellate division, Americans United argues that the First Amendment does not permit the owners of Liberty Ridge Farm in Schaghticoke, N.Y., to refuse service to gay couples. This brief is part of AU’s Protect Thy Neighbor project, an initiative that fights on behalf of victims of religion-based discrimination.

“If you run a for-profit business in New York, you have to be open to all comers,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “And if you think the First Amendment gives you the right to turn away LGBT persons, you may soon find yourself in legal trouble – just like the owners of Liberty Ridge Farm.” The case has been ongoing since 2012, when the farm refused to allow Jennifer McCarthy and Melisa Erwin to rent the property for their wedding ceremony. The farm’s owners cited their religious beliefs as justification for the refusal. In response, the rejected couple filed a complaint.

Last year the farm was ordered to pay a $10K fine.

Anti-Gay Oregon Bakers Reap $352,000 From Christian Crowdfunding Site

Via the Washington Times:

A crowdfunding campaign for the Oregon bakery Sweet Cakes by Melissa has set a site record by raising $352,500 in about two months after being kicked off the GoFundMe website, far exceeding the initial goal of $150,000. Jesse Wellhoefer, founder of Continue to Give, said the Sweet Cakes effort has raised more than any previous campaign on behalf of individuals in the three-year-old crowdfunding website’s history. Mr. Wellhoefer said his company had received “lots and lots” of complaints about the Sweet Cakes crowdfunding campaign, but that he has refused to remove it. “Lots of people have been asking us to take it off,” Mr. Wellhoefer said. “Our response has been, ‘Thank you for your concern, have a great day and God bless you.’” Launched May 5, the Sweet Cakes crowdfunding campaign has received 7,651 donations and thousands of messages of support such as, “Keep on fighting,” “God bless you,” and “Don’t back down!! We are standing with you.”

The amount raised is nearly triple the fine. Plus it appears the Kleins get to keep the $110K raised before GoFundMe pulled the plug. (Tipped by JMG reader Blair)

OHIO: Defendant In Obergefell V Hodges Attends Same-Sex Wedding

Via the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

Rick Hodges, head of Ohio's Department of Health and named defendant in the landmark case that ended last week with the U.S. Supreme Court legalizing gay marriage nationwide, gave a Bible reading Thursday at a gay wedding. Hodges stood at the Columbus nuptials of Steve George and Jeff Gatwood. "Steve's been my friend for 25 years, and I am looking forward to celebrating with him," Hodges said by telephone shortly before the ceremony began.

A number of top Republicans, including Gov. John Kasich and his wife, Karen, were on hand for the celebration. It's the wedding Kasich mentioned earlier this year when asked by a reporter if he would attend a gay wedding. Kasich, who will announce his candidacy for president this month, has said he was disappointed in the Supreme Court ruling and believes that marriage is between a man and woman.

Obergefell v. Hodges combined six lawsuits filed by 32 couples, widowers and children in four states that don't recognize gay marriage, including Ohio. Several Ohio plaintiffs in the case -- including James Obergefell of Cincinnati -- were widowed after being married in other states and wanted to be listed as surviving spouse on their partners' death certificates. Others filed suit over losing marital protections when they moved to states that didn't recognize their unions.

(Tipped by JMG reader Lynne)

GEORGIA: Altanta Gay Couples Marry In Mass Fulton County Ceremony

GEORGIA: Gay Marriages Commence!

Seychelles To See First Gay Wedding

The former British colony of Seychelles will see it first same-sex wedding tomorrow when two men marry at the British consulate. The local clergy is very unhappy. Pink News reports:

Same-sex marriage is not possible in the island nation, and the two men will be wed in technically British territory, by the British High Commissioner, Lindsay Skoll. Anglican Bishop James Wong, however said according to Today in Seychelles: “I believe Mrs Skoll is conducting this ceremony at the end of her mandate to do something that is illegal in Seychelles. The wedding of two men in Seychelles is illegal and shameful”. He also described it as “disrespectful to Seychelles”. However, the High Commission released a statement to say: “The High Commissioner is emphatic that this is in no way intended to show any sign of disrespect to the laws, values and beliefs of the people of Seychelles, but is hopeful that, as well as being a joyful occasion, it will also contribute to a healthy dialogue on the rights of non-heterosexual people in Seychelles.”

Seychelles comprises 115 islands off the eastern coast of central Africa. About 75% of its 92,000 residents identify as Roman Catholic. Tomorrow's ceremony is believed to be the first legal same-sex wedding in the 54-member African Union other than those conducted in South Africa. Homosexual acts between males in Seychelles are punishable by up to 14 years in prison, but the law is not known to be enforced. (Tipped by JMG reader Murray)

Chinese Gays Marry In West Hollywood

Via the Los Angeles Times:

For seven Chinese gay couples, a trip to California offered something that wasn't legal at home: marriage certificates. The couples were among hundreds who entered a high-profile online contest offering an all-expenses-paid American dream wedding. On Tuesday, they wed at the West Hollywood Library — the same place where, two summers ago, gay couples married en masse after same-sex marriage became legal in California. As camera crews surrounded her, Xue Mengyao sneaked a look at her bride-to-be, Xu Na, getting her makeup done and wearing a long white dress with lace and pearls. Asked how Xu looked, Xue couldn't answer. She said if she did, she would start crying and ruin her own makeup. “First sight,” she said, recalling when she first knew she would fall in love with Xu. “First sight.” The women, both in their 20s, met while volunteering at the Beijing LGBT Center. They were in a crowded, noisy room, but there in the middle, Xue spotted a woman who just radiated beauty and confidence.

Hit the link for much more. And get a tissue.

They Do: Wedding Web Giant Goes Gay

Online marketplace WeddingWire boasts over two million reviews of  200,000+ wedding vendors in more than a dozen countries. Today the company announced the acquisition of GayWeddings.com. Via press release:

“From the day each site was launched, WeddingWire and GayWeddings.com have shared a commitment to providing needed resources to all couples,” said Timothy Chi, co-founder and CEO, WeddingWire. “Same-sex weddings have been transforming the way wedding professionals think about their businesses and how engaged couples think about executing their wedding vision. We look forward to continued growth in creating a positive and helpful wedding planning experience for all couples and their wedding professionals as they plan the biggest day of their lives.” “Partnering with and now being acquired by WeddingWire has been a seamless extension of our mission,” said Kathryn Hamm, the former President of GayWeddings.com, who will continue as Publisher of GayWeddings.com.

WeddingWire calls itself "the Yelp of wedding providers."

UTAH: Marriage Plaintiffs Get Hitched

Via Salt Lake City's Fox affiliate:

Theirs was a marriage made in litigation. Derek Kitchen and Moudi Sbeity, the couple involved in the landmark case that led to same-sex marriage in Utah, tied the knot in a downtown ceremony Sunday. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to love you,” Kitchen said in his vows. “Derek Kitchen, I love you,” Sbeity said in his vows. After the two were pronounced “husband and husband,” the crowd of about 500 at the Gallivan Center erupted in cheers as they kissed and marched down the aisle, hand in hand. “It was a long time coming and it feels like, the best accomplishment I’ve ever made in my life is marrying him,” Moudi Sbeity-Kitchen (the last name the couple has chosen) said in an interview with FOX 13 afterward.

In February, Kitchen announced his plan to run for the Salt Lake City city council.

Maggie Gallagher: MARFAs Not RFRAs

"State RFRAs are bad vehicles for this fight, because they are broad and vague and their outcome is uncertain. It is very unlikely that a state RFRA will protect anyone from any gay equality wrath, precisely because courts uniformly view equality as a compelling interest, and because there is no way to make sure everyone gets treated equally while permitting some people to refuse to serve gay weddings. A better vehicle is some version of a Marriage and Religious Freedom Act (MARFA), which prevents governments from punishing individuals and small businesses for refusing to participate in a wedding they do not approve of. If you ask me, I would carve out an exception for race and leave it at that. The protection is narrow, but tight and clear; they can be crafted to be viewpoint neutral (meaning you can refuse Maggie’s wedding if you object to it, too). And they can be narrowed to apply to small businesses, so that the big corporations have no excuse to getting involved unless they want to be mean to the little guy." - Maggie Gallagher, writing for The Pulse. (Tipped by JMG reader CM)

RBG Emphasizes The Word "Constitution" As She Officiates Third Gay Wedding

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg coyly poked the haters this weekend as she officiated her third same-sex wedding. Via the New York Times:

Wearing her black robe with her signature white lace collar, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg presided over the marriage on Sunday afternoon of Michael Kahn, the longtime artistic director of the Shakespeare Theater Company in Washington, and Charles Mitchem, who works at an architecture firm in New York.

The gilded setting was elegant: Anderson House in the Embassy Row neighborhood, the headquarters in Washington of the Society of the Cincinnati, a club for the descendants of the French and American soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War. During the ceremony, the couple slipped black and gold Harry Winston rings onto each other’s fingers.

But the most glittering moment for the crowd came during the ceremony. With a sly look and special emphasis on the word “Constitution,” Justice Ginsburg said that she was pronouncing the two men married by the powers vested in her by the Constitution of the United States. No one was sure if she was emphasizing her own beliefs or giving a hint to the outcome of the case the Supreme Court is considering whether to decide if same-sex marriage is constitutional. But the guests began applauding loudly, delighted either way.

I guess it's too late for the wingnuts to demand that she double-extra recuse. (Tipped by JMG reader Ed)

LUXEMBOURG: Gay PM Gets Married

Via Reuters:

Luxembourg's prime minister on Friday becomes the first serving leader in the European Union to marry someone of the same sex, and only the second worldwide -- and all in a tiny, mostly Catholic country often considered rather conservative. Xavier Bettel, 42, and his civil partner Gauthier Destenay are among the first gay men to exercise their right to wed since the Grand Duchy in January become the latest EU state to extend full rights to same-sex marriages. A lawyer who became mayor of the city of Luxembourg at 38, Bettel has long been open about his sexuality and plays down its significance. He notes that his coalition deputy is also gay. Five years ago, Johanna Sigurdardottir, then the prime minister of Iceland, became the first serving leader in the world to marry a same-sex partner.

RELATED: The European Union currently has 28 members. Same-sex marriage is legal in eleven of them: Belgium, Denmark, Finland (effective 2017), France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia (effective date pending), Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland.)  Civil unions are legal in eight EU nations: Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia (effective 2016), Germany, Hungary, Ireland and Malta. No partnership recognitions exist in nine EU nations: Bulgaria, Cyprus*, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia.

*A civil unions bill advanced in Cyprus last week.

Rush Limbaugh Has Gay Cake Solution

"Let’s say that you own the ABC Wedding Cake Bakery. The only thing you do is you bake wedding cakes, and as such, militant gay activists target your bakery. They’re gonna take you out. They’re gonna take you down. They’re gonna walk in there, they’re gonna tell you they’re gonna get married, and of all the bakeries in the world, yours has been recommended to them because that’s all you do. Instead of telling the gay couple that you refuse bake the cake because you disapprove of homosexuality, you should now say you are not going to bake a cake for the gay wedding because you fear Muslim backlash. Or, due to your respect for Islam, you cannot bake a cake for a gay wedding. See how that flies. Don’t say anything about your religion. Don’t say anything about it’s your religion that prevents you from doing it. Say it this way. You respect Islam or you’re afraid of Muslim backlash. Why on the one hand do we respect their wishes when it comes to cartoon renderings of the prophet Muhammad and ignore their wishes and ignore what they claim upsets them and angers them when it comes to gay marriage?" - Rush Limbaugh, speaking yesterday on his radio show.

Reuters Poll: 56% Of Republican Voters Would Attend Same-Sex Wedding

Via Reuters:

A majority of U.S. Republicans would attend the same-sex wedding of a loved one, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed on Wednesday, highlighting the political risks for Republican presidential candidates who stake out positions against gay marriage. Though some Republican White House hopefuls have tried to insert nuance into their positions on gay marriage - something that polling shows most Americans back - their opposition is clear. Adamant opposition is popular with the party's conservative wing, whose support is critical in the presidential nominating process. The poll showed 56 percent of Republicans would attend the gay wedding of a loved one if invited. That compares with 80 percent of Democrats and 70 percent of independents, who said they would go. Overall, 68 percent of Americans would attend, the poll showed, while 19 percent would not and 13 percent were unsure. The poll's results suggests Republicans who stake out strong opposition to gay marriage could be on shaky political ground if their ultimate goal is to win the White House.

Stand by for the FRC's answer poll.

GEORGIA: Print Shop Refuses To Print Wedding Invitations For Lesbian Couple

Citing his religious beliefs, the owner of an AlphaGraphics print shop franchise in suburban Atlanta has refused to print wedding invitations for a lesbian couple. Via Atlanta's NBC affiliate:

Paige Beckwith says throughout her wedding planning process she has been open with vendors that there would be two brides on the wedding day. She says none of the vendors seemed to care, but him. Beckwith says she contacted the company after being referred by a friend. They were trying to go with a train theme. Their engagement photos, taken by Snap Shots By Allie, were on railroad tracks. Their reception would be at an old train depot in Lawrenceville. They wanted the invitations to look like a train ticket, so she needed a company that could design and print them. "The owner called me back and let me know that he's not going to print our invitations because he does not support same sex marriage," said Beckwith. "I kept asking him how, why, how he could do this? He just basically stood on his religious beliefs, referenced the Bible, called it a sin, and I was basically in tears saying how could you treat me this way?," she recalled.

The AlphaGraphics main office has denounced its franchisee and promised to print the invitations at no charge. They have also issued a statement:

We do not condone discrimination of any kind, and wish to make clear that customers of any race, religion, nationality, ethnicity or sexual orientation are welcome at our franchisees' locations nationwide. We also wish to apologize to the customers who were impacted by the actions of this franchisee, and hope that our response conveys the level of commitment we feel toward upholding our company's standards of inclusion, and that all members of the Suwanee community continue to feel welcome at AlphaGraphics.

Georgia does not protect LGBT residents from business discrimination. (Tipped by JMG reader Todd)

Rick Perry: I'd Probably Attend A Gay Wedding But That's A Gotcha Question

I've included Perry's infamous anti-gay ad from 2012.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker: I've Been To A Same-Sex Wedding Reception

NBC News reports:

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has attended a wedding reception for a gay couple, he said Sunday, though the potential 2016 contender still believes marriage should be between a man and a woman. “That’s certainly a personal issue. For a family member, Tonette and I and our family have already had a family member who’s had a reception. I haven’t been at a wedding,” Walker said when msnbc asked whether he would be willing to attend a gay wedding. “That’s true even though my position on marriage is still that it’s defined between a man and a woman, and I support the constitution of the state. But for someone I love, we’ve been at a reception.” The Wisconsin state constitution had banned gay marriage until a federal judge ruled the ban unconstitutional in 2014. Wisconsin newspapers reported that Walker attended a reception for his wife’s cousin, Shelli Marquardt, shortly thereafter. After a brief period, an appeal halted gay marriages in Wisconsin — but they resumed late last year when the Supreme Court rejected the appeal.

Walker has not yet formally announced his presidential bid.

Maggie Gallagher: I Can't Support Sin By Attending A Same-Sex Wedding

In response to recent gay wedding questions posed to Sen. Marco Rubio and other GOP candidates, Maggie Gallagher has penned an open letter to a gay friend which we're sure totally exists. Via the National Review:

The problem for me in celebrating your gay wedding, as much as I love you, is that I would be witnessing and celebrating your attempt not only to commit yourself to a relationship that keeps you from God’s plan but, worse, I would be witnessing and celebrating your attempt to hold the man you love to a vow that he will avoid God’s plan. To vow oneself to sin is one thing, to try to hold someone you love to it — that’s not something I can celebrate. And I would be party to the idea that two men can make a marriage, which I do not believe. On your happy day you should be surrounded by people who can honor your vow and help you keep it. I can’t do that. 'Porneia' is a word in the Bible that has been much mistranslated. But I think it means a sexual relationship that cannot by its nature become a marriage. That’s why Christ said that marriage is forever, unless it is porneia. I understand that you might well want to rupture our friendship over this, my honest view. I choose to love you both and keep you in my life. But let us somehow against all odds find a way to love each other as we are, and not how each of us would wish the other to be.

From Wikipedia: "The Greek term porneia (πορνεία) which means 'illicit sexual intercourse' was translated as 'fornication' in the 1611 King James Version of the bible and has also been translated as 'whoredom'."

Frothy Mix: Unlike Sen. Marco Rubio, I Would Never Attend A Gay Wedding

And we all heave a sigh of relief.