Small Arizona Town Approves Civil Unions

The small Arizona town of Bisbee (population 6000) legalized civil unions last night. At least, they say they did.

The City Council pushed aside legal warnings from the state’s attorney general and a conservative advocacy group and voted 5-2 to become first city in the state to offer civil-union certificates for all couples that would extend to same-sex partners some of the same rights as married couples within the Bisbee boundaries. The ordinance, which goes into effect in 30 days, would cover joint property ownership, property inheritance, guardianship and adoption rights.

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne, who was exposed last year as an adulterer (by the FBI, no less) has fired off a letter to town leaders.

“The ordinance seeks to change seven separate State statutes within the boundaries of the city, dealing with issues such as community property, inheritance of property, and appointment of personal representatives,” Horne said in a news release. “The only proper way to change a statute is through the Legislature, not through actions of the City Council.  I emphasize that I am not expressing any opinion on the policy of the ordinance. My job is to enforce the laws that exist and I am obligated to respond to complaints from state legislators.”

The right wing Center for Arizona Policy also sent Bisbee a letter. Theirs threatens to bankrupt the town in a lawsuit.  (Tipped by JMG reader Homer)

RELATED: Last year Horne filed a lawsuit with the U.S. Supreme Court, demanding that Arizona be allowed to repeal domestic partners insurance for state employees. In his suit, Horne claimed that rescinding benefits for gay employees would be good for Arizona tourism because doing so "furthers the State’s interest in promoting marriage."

Marriage Opponent And Former NY Sen. Hiram Monserrate Is Going To Prison

Convicted Friday on felony charges of campaign finance improprieties, former NY Sen. Hiram "Slasher" Monserrate has become the second Democrat from his chamber to be sentenced to prison this year. Last month former Sen. Carl "Closet Case" Kruger was sentenced to seven years for corruption and bribe-taking. Both senators were part of the notorious "Democratic Eight" who bucked their party leadership and sank marriage equality in 2009.

A crooked pol who avoided prison time for beating his girlfriend won’t catch the same break for swindling city taxpayers. Disgraced ex-state Sen. Hiram Monserrate pleaded guilty yesterday to corruption charges yesterday in a deal that calls for him to spend 21 to 27 months behind bars. Monserrate, 44, admitted scamming more than $100,000 in City Council “slush” funds approved by Speaker Christine Quinn to help fund a failed campaign for higher office while he served on the council in 2006. Reading from a prepared statement, Monserrate said he got the city to fund a nonprofit known as the Latino Initiative for Better Resources and Empowerment, or LIBRE. The group got about $300,000 in public money during 2005 and 2006, ostensibly so it could work with “churches, civil- rights organizations and community organizations . . . to counsel and assist individuals to secure their legal rights.”

RELATED: And about to make it a prison hat trick for Senate Democrats is former NY Sen. Pedro Espada, who is currently on trial for embezzling as much as $14M in public funds from a Bronx health clinic. Espada, you may recall, hijacked the entire New York Senate in the summer of 2009, temporarily joining the GOP in a wild-eyed bid to become the Majority Leader.

NOM Complains To Starbucks (Full Video)

Here's the full clip from NOM's own channel.

Hate Groups To Rally At Iowa Capitol

A coalition of anti-gay hate groups will rally today at Iowa's Capitol Building to demand the right repeal same-sex marriage by a public vote.

Officials with the Family Leader, CatholicVote.org and the National Organization for Marriage announced plans to host a “Let Us Vote” Marriage Rally in the state Capitol’s rotunda Tuesday aimed at keep attention on an issue that has festered at the Statehouse since the Iowa Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in April 2009 declaring a state marriage law as unconstitutional. That paved the way for same-sex marriages to take place in Iowa for nearly three years now. Organizers say the purpose of Tuesday’s rally is to demonstrate to state senators that marriage is important to Iowans and that Iowans want to exercise their constitutional right to vote on the definition of marriage via the Iowa marriage amendment, which would indicate the only recognized form of marriage in the state would be between one man and one woman.

Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal has long been the hate groups' major obstacle to forcing a public vote on the issue.

NYC: Protest At Iraq Mission Over Murders Of Gay Men In Iraq

Led by activist Brendan Fay, today a small group of LGBT activists protested in front of NYC's Iraq Mission over the recent spate of gay men murdered in Iraq. What would have been a relatively low-key demonstration turned somewhat ugly due to the NYPD, who at first refused to allow activists to stand on the public sidewalk in front of the Iraq Mission, then threatened to arrest anyone who attempted to ring the building's bell and deliver a formal letter of protest.

Reporter Andy Humm of Gay City News vehemently objected, shouting, "You can't ring a bell and deliver a LETTER in NYC?" Eventually two men appeared from inside and a man who identified himself as Yassar Mohammed accepted and read the letter but said he would have no official comment, as the Mission was observing "Great Friday." Below is my slideshow of the protest and my video of Brendan Fay's passionate speech in support of LGBT people in Iraq.

UPDATE: Wayne Anderson at World Of Wonder has his post up with more photos.