Recently in Marriage Category
Greeting card giant Hallmark has just introduced a line of wedding cards specifically designed to celebrate the unions of same-sex couples. According to the Associated Press, Hallmark added the cards after California joined Massachusetts as the only U.S. states with legal marriage for all couples. The language inside the cards is neutral, with no mention of wedding or marriage, making them also suitable for a commitment ceremony. Hallmark says the move is a response to consumer demand, not any political pressure.
"It's our goal to be as relevant as possible to as many people as we can," Hallmark spokeswoman Sarah Gronberg Kolell said.
The interior of the one pictured here reads, "Two hearts. One promise." Awwww!Hallmark started offering "coming out" cards last year, and the four designs of marriage cards featuring same-sex couples are being gradually released this summer and will be widely available by next year.
It's been a big week for weddings, what with Ellen and Portia getting married on Saturday night.
Planning your special day? Why not tell your neighbors about it?
Today, we're really excited to release a brand new list of inclusive newspapers as part of our Announcing Equality campaign. The change has been dramatic -- now there are 1,049 daily newspapers that will accept announcements from same-sex couples, and for the first time, in nine states (Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maine, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vermont) and the District of Columbia, every daily newspaper will accept and print announcements for gay and lesbian couples.
It's amazing to see the level of progress that our community has seen in such a short time, and the numbers really speak to the ways in which our stories and our lives are being seen and shared with our friends and neighbors more than ever before. Unfortunately, less than a third of those papers have actually printed an announcement from a same-sex couple, because they've never received one before. It underscores just how vital it is that we take the opportunities to share our stories to make our voices heard and our lives visible in our communities.
Every day in my work at GLAAD, I hear stories from LGBT people, our families, our friends and allies -- stories of happy celebrations, but also of tremendous challenges and roadblocks. I also see firsthand how these stories play such an important role in changing hearts and minds about our lives and our issues. Stories can break down barriers and help people to find common ground. It's one of the reasons we made a new resource for everyday people to share their stories: Announcing Equality. You can also find out if your local daily runs announcements and pick up downloads for MySpace and Facebook pages -- lots of easy, everyday ways that you can talk about your life. We all have a responsibility to not just come out, but take the next step and share our story -- it's an important way that all of us can make a difference.
Guest blogger Rashad Robinson is Director of Media Programs
Michael Phelps wasn't the only one celebrating Saturday night. People is reporting that Ellen DeGeneres, 50, and Portia de Rossi, 35, married in an intimate ceremony at their Beverly Hills home on Saturday night. The ceremony was attended by 19 guests, including Ellen's mom Betty and Portia's mother Margaret Rogers, who flew in from Australia for the occasion.
In May, after the California Supreme Court overturned a ban on marriage by gay couples, Ellen announced on her talk show that she and Portia would wed after four years together. The emotional news was met with an overwhelming standing ovation. In June, after winning her fourth consecutive Daytime Emmy for talk show host, she told reporters that she would show "a tiny bit" of the nuptials on her show when it returns from summer hiatus.
Ellen and Portia have put a very public face on something that so many have fought so long to achieve. While we send the happy couple our heartfelt congratulations, they are also to be commended for showing the world that gay couples deserve to have the same legal rights, responsibilities and respect given to all married couples.
"One of my favorite people of all time is Ms. Ellen DeGeneres," Grey's Anatomy's Katherine Heigel told AP Television at a Hollywood charity event on Saturday night. "So I wish all the best, all the happiness, all the joy that comes with that certificate ... just the joy of being able to stand up and say that. In front of everyone you love and care about in front of each other and to walk away legal is huge."
Our congratulations go out to actress Heather Matarazzo (Welcome to the Dollhouse, Exes & Ohs, The L Word) and musician Carolyn Murphy, who just announced their engagement! According to AfterEllen, the women have been together for over a year and took turns proposing to each other. So cute...
If you were among the thousands lining the route of New York City's Pride March on Sunday you might have got a glimpse of recently-engaged couple George Takei and Brad Altman.
George and Brad joined the GLAAD contingency at the parade and happily talked to the press about the California marriage decision, their upcoming nuptials, NY Governor Patterson, and about marriage for gay couples coming to the state of New York.
The couple rode in the parade in a decorated convertible and managed to weather some intense thundershowers while continuing to beam* with pride.
*Star Trek pun intended.
George and Brad joined the GLAAD contingency at the parade and happily talked to the press about the California marriage decision, their upcoming nuptials, NY Governor Patterson, and about marriage for gay couples coming to the state of New York.
The couple rode in the parade in a decorated convertible and managed to weather some intense thundershowers while continuing to beam* with pride.
*Star Trek pun intended.
On Friday's Daytime Emmys on ABC, Ellen DeGeneres took the gold a fourth time for Outstanding Daytime Talk Show Host. Before taking to the stage, Ellen kissed fiancée Portia de Rossi, thanked her from the stage and dished about Portia's pink diamond engagement ring backstage. Take a look...
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will officiate at his first marriage
ceremony for a gay couple today at Los Angeles City Hall, the Los Angeles Times reports. The mayor was out of the country when marriages began on Tuesday.The ceremony will join movie producer and Academy Award winner Bruce Cohen, whose films include American Beauty, and art consultant Gabriel Catone. The two have been together for five years.
Cohen, who is a producer of the upcoming Milk starring Sean Penn, is a friend of Villaraigosa and asked the mayor to perform the afternoon ceremony, a mayoral spokesman said.
Following Tuesday's press juggernaut about the first day of marriage in California, it's no surprise that frequent Howard Stern Show guest George Takei was a topic of conversation this week on the popular Sirius Satellite Radio show. "Are you going to George Takei's wedding," Robin Quivers asked Stern on Wednesday. "I don't know if I'm invited," he replied. "I got an impression that we're all going to be invited," Quivers added.
Access Hollywood reported on Tuesday that the radio duo would be attending the Takei-Altman nuptials in September, although invitations have yet to go out for the event to be held at the Japanese American National Museum, a venue that holds only 200 guests.
Stern was impressed about how news spread internationally of George and Brad receiving the first marriage license ever issued by the city of West Hollywood. "He's in every newspaper. He's huge now," Stern said, taking credit for a resurgence in George's popularity. "How soon before we see the reality show Brad & George?"
Ah, ideas hatched on the Stern show have a way of taking hold in the outside world. "Now that you said it on the air, George will have a deal with NBC tomorrow," co-host Artie Lange pointed out.
Access Hollywood reported on Tuesday that the radio duo would be attending the Takei-Altman nuptials in September, although invitations have yet to go out for the event to be held at the Japanese American National Museum, a venue that holds only 200 guests.
Stern was impressed about how news spread internationally of George and Brad receiving the first marriage license ever issued by the city of West Hollywood. "He's in every newspaper. He's huge now," Stern said, taking credit for a resurgence in George's popularity. "How soon before we see the reality show Brad & George?"
Ah, ideas hatched on the Stern show have a way of taking hold in the outside world. "Now that you said it on the air, George will have a deal with NBC tomorrow," co-host Artie Lange pointed out.
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart has a strong track record of reporting fairly and accurately on LGBT issues. In fact, the Comedy Central series was honored with a special recognition at the 16th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in 2005.However, the show took a rare misstep on Tuesday when covering marriage equality in California. UK-born field reporter John Oliver (pictured) proudly told the host that he was joining in on the celebrations in California by obtaining a marriage license. Though Oliver is not gay, he was happy to marry a man to obtain his green card and stay in the U.S. The joke was that he chose to marry fellow Daily Show correspondent Jason Jones, who is Canadian and also looking for a green card.
The unfortunate part of this piece is that this situation is entirely inaccurate. Gay blog Citizen Crane writes:
Well, actually fellas, the joke's on us -- us being the thousands of gay Americans in relationships with foreign citizens. Not only are jokes on national television about fake gay marriages to get green cards decidedly unhelpful to our cause, they're also a gross distortion of reality. As we know all too well, marriage licenses issued to gay Americans and their spouses in California, Massachusetts, Canada or anywhere else have absolutely no effect on our spouses' immigration rights because they are completely unrecognized by the U.S. federal government. (In fact, they could get a partner on a temporary visa deported because it's evidence they intend to live here long term.)
Be sure to read the entire argument over at Citizen Crane, learn the real deal about Immigration Equality and check out the segment below.
Working with George Takei and Brad Altman to coordinate the media surrounding the longtime couple getting their marriage license has been a delight. And when I saw this photo of them being interviewed on the happy day I had to chuckle.On the right of the photo, there I stand, GLAAD's Director Entertainment Media, all business that day, part publicist, part security.
And on the left of George is my GLAAD predecessor Scott Seomin, now VP Public Relations at FX. Why is he smiling from ear to ear? He just received his marriage license as well. Congrats Scott!
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