With 118 days until election 2012 we have encouraging news for our LGBT community. First is that at the Episcopal General Convention in Indianapolis, the House of Bishops voted 111-41, with 3 abstentions, to authorize a provisional rite for same-gender unions for the next 3 years. The liturgy next goes to convention's deputies for their authorization. Monday the national convention also cleared the way for transgender ordination. Then out of Washington State where gay marriage is on the November ballot Washington United for Marriage (WUM), the broad coalition working to defend the bipartisan marriage law & Approve Referendum 74, announced this week that the campaign raised $952,267 in June, driven in large part by new in-state donors & representing the highest monthly intake for the campaign, bringing total contributions to over $2 million. At the same time, WUM now has more than 1,000 volunteers actively working to Approve Referendum 74, with 20 phone banks operational each week resulting in hundreds of conversations with voters every night. Then on to Maine where gay marriage is also on the ballot. However, this time the anti-gay group, the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) decided to obey Maine election law & has filed as a PAC. In the 2009 election NOM spent $1.9 million in Maine & refused to register as a PAC. It broke Maine’s longstanding campaign finance laws by not reporting any of its contributions or expenditures. This contributed to why marriage equality lost in that state last time it was on the ballot. Though gay marriage in the US seems to be moving forward nicely we must never become complacent. Minnesota is also faced with gay marriage on their ballot in November & that fight is really heating up. If it’s all about money in that state, the anti gay Amendment opponents, Minnesotans United for All Families, have raised $4.6 million in contributions & are going for a streak of 30 states passing a gay marriage ban. The umbrella group fighting for the amendment, Minnesota for Marriage, reported $1.4 million in donations. It’s still remains obscene however, that in this country the government allows the majority to vote on the rights of a minority. Updates to Come…:)
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