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Quoting Evan Wolfson
When a Nod’s Not Enough
If the Obama administration is anything like the Obama campaign, expect to see few leaks and a well-executed, patient game plan. But this political savvy has a potential downside, in that it may lead the administration to manage (read: play down) disagreement from its various constituencies. In that case, gay advocates will need to stand firm no matter how hard they may find the task of voicing complaint about a Democratic president. “It may be, in a given round of engagement, that we don’t get what we ask for,” Evan Wolfson says. “But if we ask for less than we deserve we are guaranteed to get less than we deserve.”
Your Handy Activist To-Do List
"We need you to help sway legislators and work with organizations to get us over the threshold," says Evan Wolfson. For example, if the New Jersey legislature passes a law recognizing gay marriage, Gov. Jon Corzine has said that he would sign it. And New York governor David Paterson has directed his state's agencies to revise policies so they recognize same-sex marriages performed in Massachusetts and Connecticut. "Linking up with groups like Garden State Equality and taking their specific action-steps is a great way people can help," Wolfson says.
No bargaining over marriage in N.Y.
"Certainly, civil rights and human rights and the well-being of all New Yorkers should not be subject to any kind of political deal," he said. "I continue to believe that the New York Legislature will consider and pass a marriage bill, and the governor will sign it, provided we do our work of lining up more votes and continuing to add to the majority of New Yorkers who favor the freedom to marry."
New Gay Protesters Reject Checkbook Activism
"Leaders of established organizations who resist welcoming new energy, new creativity, new involvement make a mistake," Evan Wolfson said in a statement. "We need more people speaking to more people ... It is conversations -- person to person, group to group -- over time that creates the needed climate for true social and legal change for justice."
Marriage Ban Inspires New Wave of Activists
Prop. 8's passage has motivated a new crop of LGBT advocates using "freshly minted grass-roots groups and embracing not only new technologies but also old-school methods like sit-ins and sickouts" in their work towards equality. Evan Wolfson said he applauded the sudden involvement of 'people who were either complacent or not reached" during the campaign against Proposition 8. But he cautioned that the advances and methods of older groups should not be discounted. "Let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater," Mr. Wolfson said. "It's not so much a failure of leadership; it's an opportunity to bring more people in."
NY Dems throw gays under the bus
Evan Wolfson comments, "We should not get distracted by trial balloons or rumors, and not be deflected by politicians' maneuvering or invitations to surrender. We must keep doing our part -- constituent visits, engaging the key additional votes we need, shaping the public climate, supporting the groups leading the fight -- and hold the leadership to do theirs, as well."
On a Scale of 1 to 5...
"[Evan] Wolfson asserted during our talk that the 'recipe for social change is simple: information over time.' He explained that framing the opposition to Prop 8 as a matter of equality and civil rights is only half of the discussion that needs to take place. He emphasized that we, as members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community need to keep having multiple conversations with our friends, family, co-workers and others in our circles about how the right to marry impacts us as individuals. We need to exercise patience and persistence, understanding that someone might need to hear from us four or five or 15 times before they can find common ground with your cause."
Marriage Likely Headed to Courts in California
Supporters of marriage equality have pointed out that if a majority eliminated the right of Catholics or Latinos to marry, for example—two other constitutionally protected groups—there would be no question about the initiative's illegality. "There's something deeply wrong with putting the rights of a minority up to a majority vote," said Evan Wolfson, a gay-rights lawyer and executive director of Freedom to Marry. "If this were being done to almost any other minority, people would see how un-American this is."
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What Happens If You're on the Gay "Enemies List"
According to eyewitness reports published on the Internet, racial epithets have been used against African-Americans at protests in California, directed even at blacks who are fighting to repeal Proposition 8. Said Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, "In any fight, there will be people who say things they shouldn't say, but that shouldn't divert attention from what the vast majority are saying against this, that it's a terrible injustice."
Will Paterson Leave Gays at the Altar?
"The economy is going to be a problem with us for quite a while," says Freedom to Marry chief Evan Wolfson. "It can’t be an excuse forever."
Angrier response to Prop. 8 steps up
"Too many of us . . . gay and not gay, didn't get engaged enough in the conversations . . . about the real harm that discrimination inflicts," said Evan Wolfson, executive director of the nonprofit group Freedom to Marry.
Two Contradictory Emotions
As for the amendment defeats this week, Evan Wolfson said, "The most important message, as painful as it is, is this is not the last word, even in California." The issue of fairness made solid progress in nearly every demographic relative to the first vote on this issue there in 2000, and, he said, "thousands and thousands" of straight allies put their hearts into our cause this year.
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A pastoral letter to the LGBT community
In a pastoral letter to the LGBT community, two ministers with the United Church of Christ write, "Even in disappointment, there are many things about which we can be proud and hopeful. The election results may not feel like progress now, but as Evan Wolfson of Freedom to Marry says, 'If we lose, we must lose forward.' That is, we must continue to learn and grow from all of our efforts, the relationships that have been built and the amazing organizing networks that have been created."
Gay activists jarred by California marriage defeat
"There's something deeply wrong with putting the rights of a minority up to a majority vote," said Evan Wolfson, a gay-rights lawyer who heads a group called Freedom to Marry. "If this were being done to almost any other minority, people would see how un-American this is."
NY: Local Support for Gay Nups in Calif.
New York Gov. David Paterson and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom headlined a local fundraiser last week to defeat Proposition 8. "Hearing Gov. Paterson speak so passionately and persuasively was really inspiring," said Evan Wolfson. "Here is a non-gay man who understands the importance of this battle."
For Arizona, Three's a Crowd
In the end, gay rights activists are hoping for a hat trick, though that seems unlikely given the odds facing Arizona. But Evan Wolfson insists that one victory is paramount. "Holding California is an outright win," he says, whereas in Arizona and Florida "we will not have advanced -- but simply beaten back an attack."
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Calif. fight called 'Gettysburg' for gay movement
“The Civil War didn’t end with the Battle of Gettysburg. It took another year and a half of bloody fighting and great uncertainty. But when we look in retrospect, with the eyes of history, we can see that Gettysburg was the turning point of the Civil War. California is Gettysburg.”
New York Gay Couples Head to Massachusetts With Marriage in Mind
In an article discussing whether couples will travel from NY to MA to marry, Evan Wolfson said "that many people he talked to wanted to be able to marry at home, 'and I count myself among them. I don't think New Yorkers should have to go to Niagara Falls, Canada, to have what we should have in Niagara Falls, New York.'"
Census asked to recognize gay couples' marriages
Evan Wolfson called out the Census Bureau this week for "airbrushing same-sex couples out of the picture." "It's bad enough that the federal government denies legal respect and protections to same-sex couples and their kids, even those legally married in their home states," he said. "Now it is also going to deny their existence."
N.J. group makes waves in Calif. marriage fight
Evan Wolfson said groups like NOM are fighting an uphill battle as people see how gay marriage works in Massachusetts and California."It's become clear to most Americans that there is no real good argument against allowing gays to marry," Wolfson said. "They can see with their own eyes that the gays didn't use up all the marriage licenses."
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Poll shows slim majority opposes Prop 8
"The only thing that worries me is that anybody feels any complacency or believes that someone else will take care of the whole thing," Evan Wolfson said. "The scale of the campaign, the amount of money needed and the sheer size of California mean that we need all hands on deck and we each must do our personal part."
Some say Calif. draining money from Fla. amendment fight
Evan Wolfson said he hopes supporters of marriage equality would "all dig a little deeper and support important work in Florida." But he called California an "absolutely top priority" and said all supporters should contribute to the campaign because a victory there would "tremendously benefit" the nationwide fight for marriage.
Gays cry foul as Vitter, Craig sponsor anti-gay marriage amendment
Evan Wolfson said that it is ironic that the Marriage Protection Act is co-sponsored by two senators who did not honor their own marriages. "These two senators in some ways are perfect spokespeople for this cause because they are showing the same contempt for the Constitution that they showed for their own marriages," Wolfson said.
Couples not just California dreamin', but marryin'
Evan Wolfson said Paterson's announcement rightly recognizes the equality under the law of gay marriages. "When same-sex couples get married in California or Canada, they are as married as any couple on the planet," he said.
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Some county clerks in CA refuse to perform gay couples' ceremonies
Evan Wolfson points out that, "no religious or church official should be compelled to perform any marriage ceremony they do not wish to perform. And I would support their constitutional right not to do that. But we’re talking about government employees here. People who step into a job like that should perform their job without discrimination."
Political Perspective: Same-Sex Marriage & November Election
It's been about four years since Massachusetts affirmed gay couples' marriages and the state has yet to fall into the Atlantic Ocean. Said Evan Wolfson, "...the opportunity to see that real families are helped and no one is hurt is opening hearts and minds."
Religious views and free society can co-exist
"Our society has done a pretty good job balancing personal views, including religious views, with the need to have basic rules protecting everyone against discrimination in the public sector, and there is no need now for a special gay exception," says Evan Wolfson.
The State-by-State Marriage Race? (Second of Two Parts)
Wolfson says that as more people see same sex couples marrying and as they realize that no one losing out as a result, the movement towards marriage equality will gain generational momentum.
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Historic Ruling Has National Significance
The attorneys general of 10 states banded together to ask the California justices to issue a stay of their decision. Evan Wolfson called the request from the attorneys general an example of "breathtaking hypocrisy."
The Marriage Race: Which State Will Be Next? Part 1
"The California ruling is of enormous importance both because it is so powerful and solid coming from a careful, cautious and highly respected court," said Evan Wolfson. "The influence that will that this decision will have in helping Americans to see families helped and no one hurt couldn’t be bigger," he said.
NY Gov.: No gay exception on marriage recognition
“The governor is saying, ‘We're not going to have a gay exception to that law,'” said Wolfson. “He's not making new law, but he's squarely putting the moral authority of the New York State government on the side the state assembly's already taken –on the side of gay couples. And as you can see from all the coverage around the country, it's a big deal politically and culturally.”
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Thinking About California. Maybe Gonna Get Married.
Kim Severson asks why bother adding another piece of paper to the file, especially with talk of a referendum in California to overturn the court decision? It's a patchwork application, Evan Wolfson responded, but it is the best we have. "Getting married in California doesn't solve your day-to-day problems but that's what civil rights looks like," he said.
CA marriage decision may help Republicans
"If (McCain) comes out in favor of discrimination, he will be in stark contrast with the single most popular Republican in the country — his good friend, Gov. Schwarzenegger," said Evan Wolfson.
A Different Time
As couples flock to California to get married, even more Americans will be exposed to the "lived experience" of same-sex couples and families, says Evan Wolfson, of the Freedom to Marry project, an advocacy group. "It's much easier to whip people up over the hypothetical."
CA court stands against discrimination
"As with their courageous past stands against discrimination in marriage, we will all be the better and history will vindicate them," Evan Wolfson said in a statement.
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Turning point: California Supremes open door for marriage equality
"I could not be happier," said Evan Wolfson. "This is the turning point. This is the absolute statement by the nation's most respected state supreme court, and a chief justice who is universally considered to be fair and cautious, affirming that the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage is wrong and must fall."
Michigan court ruling puts gay people in a quandary
Evan Wolfson said the court decision demonstrates how these amendments are “cruel and unfair and have no place in the laws of this country. The important thing for all us is to fight them to educate the public about why denying marriage and all other family protections is wrong,” he said.
Marriage breakthroughs may be ahead, with luck and hard work
According to Evan Wolfson, "In this chicken and egg of silence, we are failing to give our non-gay circles what they need and deserve to rise to the better angels of their nature. We must break that silence and we must do it now."
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Calif. may be headed for epic marriage battle
Evan Wolfson told the Blade that defeating the referendum in California is the “single most important challenge” facing marriage supporters this year.
After the primaries: LGBTs split in Indiana and North Carolina
In response to a question about the discriminatory DOMA from six LGBT publications in Indiana, Barack Obama said DOMA is a well-settle law. Evan Wolfson pointed out that, "No, it is an open question as yet unresolved by the U.S. Supreme Court."
Mildred Loving, a pivotal figure in civil rights history, is remembered
Washington Blade
May 6, 2008
Said Evan Wolfson, "The defenders of the discriminatory laws invoked the Bible, invoked their own view of morality and made similar kinds of claims about the disastrous consequences if interracial couples were treated the same."
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McCain's Catholic Committee Full Of Controversial Figures
Sam Stein of Huffington Post profiles McCain’s Catholic Committee and quotes Evan Wolfson: "Their role has been to try to give the veneer of scholarship and objectivity onto what is really an attack effort to cement discrimination against gay couples into the law."
Gavin Newsom awaits his answer
As the gay marriage bells rang in San Francisco, the right wing had a field day... When Bush won reelection in 2004, the pundits were quick to say that the marriage licenses issued to gay men and lesbians in San Francisco; Multnomah Country, Ore.; Massachusetts; and elsewhere had swayed the election. That turned out to be a myth, argues Evan Wolfson: "Research has shown that it actually didn't have an effect." But what it did stir up, he adds, was "a White House and a Republican Party mechanism with an anti-gay industry to consciously stoke this and to try to divide and polarize gay people and marriage."
Same-sex breakup perplexes courts
A lesbian married in Massachusetts has filed for an annulment from her partner in a Missouri court, creating a legal challenge in a state that has an anti-gay constitutional amendment. Increasingly, such cases are popping up in courts across the country, and as they do, will turn public sentiment against the “gay exception” in both marriage and divorce. “I think people in Missouri are fair, and the more they learn and hear about real couples like this and ask themselves, do they really hate gay relationships so much that they won’t let gay people out of them?” Evan Wolfson said.
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Civil Unions Aren’t Enough
As a case is pending in the Connecticut Supreme Court which seeks to end CT’s exclusion of lesbian and gay couples from marriage, a legislative committee holds a hearing to discuss how the state’s civil union law has not delivered equality for same-sex couples and their families. The New York Times interviews Evan Wolfson: Civil unions require constant "haggling, litigation and explanation,” he said. Being married means “you don’t have to fumble for documents. You don’t have to hire an attorney, and you don’t have to consult a dictionary. You’re married. You know what it means, and everyone else knows what it means.”
NY's Next Governor: Lauded as Consensus Builder
Paterson is considered a strong consensus builder, a man whose lifelong disability and status as a racial minority have made him sensitive to others' needs and a clear and empathetic communicator. Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, described Paterson as a staunch ally of the LGBT community. "He's been a long-time supporter of ending discrimination in marriage and I'm confident he would also be a strong advocate in the battles to come," Wolfson says.
California court ponders marriage case
Questioning whether separate is equal, the California Supreme Court this week considered ending the exclusion of same-sex couples and their families from marriage. Said Evan Wolfson, "As several questions and answers underscored, California has already conceded these families exist, that they should have protections and responsibilities akin to married people. The state is trying to claim that they’re already being treated, quote unquote, equally. If all that is true, what is the reason to deny them the freedom to marry, especially in light of testimony and evidence that the denial makes their life harder?”
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CA court set to hear marriage case
“Believing you can do it is a prerequisite to getting it done,” said Evan Wolfson. “But hope alone is not enough and legal briefing is not enough. It’s our job to generate discussion in California so the judges are not just reading briefs but are feeling a sense that if they rule right, they will be sustained and history will vindicate them.”
3 gay couples settle in as parents
Outside the three households, an American culture war rages over the rights of gay men and women to raise children. Inside, these three have been raising theirs for as long as a decade…Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, said the ruling [in NY to recognize out of state marriages by same-sex couples] will mean more to the children of gay couples than how the bills get paid. "Beyond the tangible legal consequences, there's the intangible security that matters a lot to kids," Wolfson said. "Children whose parents are married have a legal relationship to both parents and are given a strong, clear confirmation from society that they and their parents form a family and that family is worthy of respect."
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Evidente efecto de dominó
El director ejecutivo de Freedom to Marry, en Nueva York, Evan Wolfson, indicó a este diario que “los puertorriqueños gay, sus seres queridos y sus familias necesitan el matrimonio y un trato justo bajo la ley como cualquier otra persona”. “La Cámara de Representantes debe detener ese ataque cruel y divisivo a las parejas del mismo sexo y sus hijos, así como el Gobernador debe reconsiderar su decisión de permitir que el referéndum se lleve a cabo”, dijo Wolfson.
Bloomberg a wildcard in presidential race
Evan Wolfson said a Bloomberg presidential candidacy could benefit the cause of same-sex marriage rights. “Having an independent candidate coming out in an unequivocal way for the freedom to marry may tug the debate in the right direction,” Wolfson said. “That will make it easier for the other candidates to follow.”
Best Of The Dish 2007: A Married Man
The Daily Dish
December 27, 2007
Andrew Sullivan writes about his pending wedding, "My old friend and marriage advocate Evan Wolfson reassured me as well: You're supposed to be in a zombie-state till the beauty of it breaks through.' Are zombies nervous? They never seem to be. They just stagger forward. Oh, well. Here goes ..."
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LGBTs need to step up in marriage fight
The Bay Area Reporter
December 20, 2007
With an estimated six-month window of opportunity until the California Supreme Court is expected to issue its decision in the same-sex marriage case, advocates with the statewide Let California Ring campaign are urging community members to step up activity in an effort to move public opinion in their direction. "The challenge to us in California is: will we use every day between now and the summer to make the same powerful case for the freedom to marry in the court of public opinion," Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, told the Bay Area Reporter during an interview last week. "The clock is ticking."
Gearing up for battle in FL
Washington Blade
December 19, 2007
Activists are gearing up to oppose the proposed Florida anti-marriage amendment. While some express hope that non-gay retirees will believe the amendment will harm them, Freedom to Marry's Evan Wolfson advises activists to explicitly support marriage equality with a steady drumbeat of local faces and voices. Wolfson said opponents of the amendment must make it clear to Floridians that the fight isn't about lofty ideological arguments, but that, if approved, the amendment will hurt same-sex couples and their children in practical, everyday ways.
MassEquality celebrates historical marriage victory
The magnitude of winning marriage equality in Massachusetts was best summed up at MassEquality's Dec. 5 victory gala by Evan Wolfson, the eternally optimistic head of the national organization Freedom to Marry. Standing onstage in the center of the Cyclorama in the South End, Wolfson praised the work of the army of marriage equality activists that surrounded him, raised an arm in victory and proclaimed, "We are one down, forty-nine to go!"
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New England tries for fairness with patchwork of laws
Freedom to Marry executive director Evan Wolfson affirmed the conclusion that marriage remains the only solution for gay and lesbian couples. "The creation of a separate state-level legal status, whether called civil union or partnership, unnecessarily complicates the lives of the families and the businesses and others they deal with. The easiest and right solution is to end exclusion from marriage itself, rather than constructing new legal mechanisms that present equal treatment and inclusion."
BLOG: Follow-up thoughts on the LGBT debate
E. J. Graff writes, "In questioning the focus on marriage, Obama revealed his lack of knowledge on the issue and his lack of well-informed LGBT advisors. This discussion is over, except among academics, where it is--excuse the pun--academic. Marriage is a major goal. It's not the only thing worth talking about, but it cannot be dismissed."
Democratic candidates address gay issues
Evan Wolfson said the good newsin his view is that all the Democratic candidates support fairness for same-sex couples. "The bad news is they haven't yet grasped that equality in marriage is how you achieve that fairness," Wolfson added. "There is no substitute. They wouldn't trade their marriage for a civil union. Why should gay Americans?"
NM gay people married in MA face uncertainties
The problems that gay couples from New Mexico and Rhode Island face in getting their Massachusetts unions recognized are unusual. "The right wing has carved a gay exception into that tradition of respect and stability," Evan Wolfson said. "New Mexico and Massachusetts are moving in the direction of treating committed same-sex couples the same as any other couple."
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Marriage front and center at CNN/YouTube debate
Senator Barack Obama (Illinois) drew ire from national Freedom to Marry Executive Director Evan Wolfson for interjecting into the discussion of marriage rights for gay couples the proposition that religious denominations should be free to refuse to perform ceremonies. "He implied that marriage is a religious term and denominations should be able to decide for themselves, but I'm for equality," said Wolfson. "But marriage is a governmental term that provides status a license. That's the distinction he should be drawing."
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CA Supremes delve into marriage case
"I see [these questions] as an encouraging sign that the court is taking this important question of ending discrimination in marriage very seriously and thoughtfully," said Evan Wolfson. He said it is crucial that gay and lesbian Californians take action now "to create the climate in California that enables the court to do the right thing" in the marriage case.
Another new polls show gay acceptance on the rise, especially with younger people
Evan Wolfson said differing attitudes about marriage equality could be because the younger respondents grew up in a time of greater visibility and open discussion of gays and lesbians. "The key to changing hearts is getting people to hear from and about real people," he said, "rather than approach it in the hypothetical or with just scary rhetoric or abstractions. That's why getting gay and non-gay people to talk about why marriage matters for real couples and kids, reaching out to the people around us and asking them for their support is so crucial."
Australian PM urged to grant gay couples the protections and responsibilities of marriage
SX
July 4, 2007
Evan Wolfson said: "Like many people around the world, in places as diverse as Canada and Colombia, Western Europe and South Africa, and even states in the USA, fair-minded Australians are taking a fresh look at how the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage hurts families and helps no one. The politicians are lagging behind the people in the recognition that fundamental freedom and basic fairness are undermined when couples who have made a commitment in life are denied the equal commitment under the law. That commitment is called marriage."
Elizabeth Edwards' Pride appearance dubbed historic
New York Blade
June 29, 2007
Evan Wolfson said Edwards broke new ground in terms of a candidate's spouse coming out comfortably, publicly and deliberately in favor of marriage equality. Then again, he said, it could be a way for a candidate to have the best of both worlds. "It could be a way for candidates to let their spouses signal to the world and say, 'I may not be where you are, but you can take comfort in knowing I'm surrounded by people who are.'"
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VIDEO: Edwards on the Leno couch: Wife's support for marriage equality was a surprise to him
CNN's The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer looks to Evan Wolfson to give the Edwards' disagreement some context — and included footage of the couple's couch chat with Leno. Thanks in part to Mr. and Mrs. Edwards, national attention on where the presidential candidates stand on marriage isn't going away anytime soon.
NY State Assembly approves marriage law
In an historic vote late in the evening on Tuesday, June 19, the New York State Assembly approved legislation guaranteeing marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples. The measure was approved by a vote of 85 to 61 after a floor debate that lasted more than three hours. "Fresh from the historic Massachusetts victory last week, we now have a state that many thought couldn't do it become the second legislative body in the country to step toward marriage equality," Evan Wolfson said. "The fact that states such as New York, California, and New Jersey are so dramatically within reach ought to inspire all of us, gay and non-gay people, funders, and allies to go the extra mile now, and really work for what is now within our reach."
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Marking the Loving anniversary
Evan Wolfson, the founder of Freedom to Marry, said, "America is involved in a civil rights conversation right now across kitchen tables, courts, and legislatures as people grapple with the questions we have addressed here today. It begins with understanding that real people's lives are at stake."
Civil rights advocates celebrate '60s interracial marriage case
Civil rights organizations gathered at the Capitol Tuesday to celebrate a landmark Supreme Court case. "Loving v. Virginia didn't just happen overnight. People had to fight for it," said Evan Wolfson. "Some said it was too soon, that it was against God's will, that it was impractical, that it just wasn't worth it. Fortunately, couples and advocates spoke up and our country changed."
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AUDIO: Evan Wolfson discusses Loving v. Virginia on TalkBack! with Hugh Hamilton
June 12th marks the 40th anniversary of Loving v. Virginia, the landmark Supreme Court decision that advanced racial equality and the freedom to marry in America. Evan Wolfson discusses this landmark case and the celebration to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Loving decision spearheaded by a coalition of organizations including Freedom to Marry.
The significance of NY's gov. submitting marriage bill
"The fact that an intelligent, ambitious, strong politician like Eliot Spitzer feels he can do this and that he will be vindicated by history shows the momentum toward marriage equality," said Evan Wolfson. This is the first time any U.S. governor has authored and introduced a marriage-equality bill to a state legislature.
Spitzer vows to push NY marriage bill
"Introducing the bill is a good, crucial, exciting first step," said Evan Wolfson. "But New York advocates, gay and non-gay, as well as the governor and legislators, have to really focus now on getting this bill through first the Assembly, then the Senate and to the governor's desk. And thats going to take a lot of work and even more leadership."
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WA gov. signs domestic partnership law
Evan Wolfson said domestic partnerships such as in California and Washington are an important "first step" toward marriage equality. But he said both contain aspects that are "diminishing" of their meaning to gay couples. Both, he noted, have very limited benefits hospital visitation, authorizing autopsies, and inheritance rights when there is no will. Both also allow seniors to register as domestic partnerships, conveying an impression that the law is not so much to recognize same-sex couples as to handle some legal issues for pairs of people who live together and share expenses.
Hats off to Governor Spitzer, advocates, & allies
Now, with marriage proponents building impressive legislative support, especially in the Democratic-controlled Assembly, Spitzer has put his formal imprimatur on the push for full equality. He is to be congratulated, as is the committed team of top advisers around him who have responded to a politically sensitive challenge - make no mistake about that - with a bold public posture.
NH set to approve civil unions
In 2003, a University of New Hampshire poll found that 54 percent of state residents supported civil marriage licenses for same-sex couples, a number that gradually increased to 58 percent in February. When asked in February if civil marriage for same-sex couples "bothers you," 74 percent said no and 26 percent said yes. Evan Wolfson said: "Clearly, New England is our engine. The classic pattern of a civil rights movement is a patchwork -- some states advance toward equality faster. We see New England out front again."
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2008 hopefuls pledge support for civil unions, but ignore issue of federal marriage benefits
With the 2008 presidential election already drawing widespread publicity, Evan Wolfson said gay advocacy groups and their allies should be asking the candidates to spell out what they mean when they express support for equal rights and benefits for same-sex couples through civil unions. "When they try to do that, they will realize that there is only one system for doing it and that is marriage," he said.
AUDIO: Evan Wolfson on Wisconsin Public Radio
Evan Wolfson joins Peter Donalds to discuss ongoing state cases involving marriage equality, and how the issue is playing out in the 2008 presidential campaign.
VIDEO: Public Policy Lecture Series: Should State Legislatures Approve Same-sex Marriage?
Evan Wolfson refutes the arguments David Blankenhorn of the Institute for American Values makes regarding parenting, drawing on the leading experts (American Academy of Pediatrics, Family Law Quarterly) who say ending discrimination in marriage would help families and hurt no one. This debate was held on Wednesday, March 14, 2007 at Pace Law School.
Sen. Clinton dodges question on gays, immorality
"I assume that Senator Clinton -- who has spoken out strongly against military discrimination, who stands for civil unions and respect for same-sex couples -- understands that gay Americans are not immoral, and she ought to say so clearly," said Evan Wolfson.
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VIDEO: Evan Wolfson on Sen. Clinton sidestepping 'immoral' question
Evan Wolfson responds to Senator Clinton's statement on the morality of same-sex relations, that she would "leave that to others to conclude," following General Pace's discriminatory statement on the issue. Mr. Wolfson expresses hope that Senator Clinton would make her stance clear.
Lawmakers debating civil unions, marriage across U.S.
Evan Wolfson said civil union advocates in Oregon did well to counter an anti-gay amendment with an assertive plan. "They boldly declared that they intend to get marriage, and intend to get there by way of what's available now, which is civil unions, and will not allow that to be a stopping point," he said.
Number of 'out' gay and lesbian couples increasing
Evan Wolfson says communities in the United States would be stronger if people supported all families including the ones with LGBT citizens. "The conversation about how gay people are being unfairly treated has gotten much greater in the years, and people have understood how important it is to reach out to their neighbors and say, 'We're here, we're part of this community, and we want fair treatment for our families,'" he said.
Portsmouth, Somersworth reps testify on unions bills
"'Marriage' is an important word," Evan Wolfson said. "The law is called 'marriage.' Legal protection for parents and kids is called 'marriage.' New Hampshire has a legal institution for the protection of couples and we are asking for them to stop excluding us. If marriage and civil unions are the same, why do we need two lines at the clerk's office?" asked Wolfson. "And if marriage and civil unions are not the same, what is being withheld from us?"
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BLOG: Marriage equality advocates gear up for battles in New England, other states
"It all comes down to one question: Either civil unions and marriage are the same, in which case why do we need two lines at the clerk's office, or they are not the same, in which case, what is the government withholding, and why should it," Evan Wolfson told PageOneQ. "And I think our opponents have no answer to that question."
OPINION: The right to marry: who is really at risk?
Today the GLBTA community celebrates National Freedom to Marry Day. Though it is not an election year where the right to have one's love legally recognized is at risk, the goal of educating people on GLBTA issues and facilitating open-ended discourse is as important as ever. Even those in the community who do not believe marriage is an institution of which they want to be a part, the ideal of social equality in the near future fuels their drive to fight for what they feel is right.
Marriage battle heats up in Connecticut
Wolfson said they specifically chose the February time period to allow organizers to hold events in conjunction with Lincoln's birthday and Valentines Day, "to reflect the ideas of equality and love, which adds up to the freedom to marry." "Of course, every week needs to be freedom to marry week until we have won the freedom to marry. It doesn't stop on Feb. 17," he said. "But, it is another opportunity to have the all important conversations that help people move toward fairness."
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BLOG: Freedom to Marry vs. Justification to Discriminate
People are slowly catching on to thing those of us on this side of the issue have always known, which is that they will say almost anything to justify their gay bias! Initiatives like the inspired Washington proposal will only help America connect the dots.
In OR and around the country, gay couples grow optimistic about legislation
"On this question, the fever has broken in our country," said Evan Wolfson. "People are really thinking again about fairness and the way gay people are treated when it comes to marriage and family relationships."
Activists predict progress in NY, CA, WA, this year
Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, said there is also reason for hope in Massachusetts. "The new legislature has more pro-marriage legislators combined with a new pro-marriage governor," he said. "This will allow wiser heads to prevail. If it gets on the ballot, we will defeat it, but I would rather spend our resources for other states in their battles for marriage equality."
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Why Marriage Matters America, Equality, and Gay People's Right to Marry.
By Evan Wolfson
Read reviews! Purchase the book or receive a signed copy as a thank you for your donation!
Read families’ stories about how marriage discrimination affects everyday life. These stories communicate, in concrete ways, how the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage hurts families and helps no one.
Start in The Marriage Basics to get short answers to your big questions about the freedom to marry, and learn more about the protections and responsibilities of marriage, the historical background for this civil rights movement, why separate is not equal, and so much more.
