Last year, Governor Snyder was asked about revising Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to extend coverage to members of the LGBT community. The fact that it currently doesn’t means that people like me can be fired from our jobs simply because we are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. Governor Snyder’s response was, in effect, “it’s not on my agenda” and […]

Now let’s just call it “marriage” THIS is fantastic news: Federal Judge Timothy Black says he will issue a ruling April 14 striking down Ohio’s gay marriage ban passed by voters in 2004. Attorney Al Gerhardstein, representing plaintiffs in a lawsuit about birth certificates, amended his request to ask Black to declare all aspects of Ohio’s gay marriage ban unconstitutional. […]

This shall not deter our fight An Ypsilanti Township woman who was married during the 24-hour window when same-sex marriage was legal in Michigan a week and a half ago was assaulted on Monday, the victim of an anti-gay hate crime. The day of unbounded joy was, apparently, a catalyst for brimming hatred to overflow into the tragically violent attack. […]

Hallelujah! Photo by Anne C. Savage, special to Eclectablog The nearly 300 same-sex couples who were married last Saturday in Michigan will have their marriages recognized by the federal government. The Snyder administration has said that they will NOT recognize them or give the couples the benefits afforded heterosexual married couples even though they believe the marriages are legal. The […]

We shall know you by the company that you keep As Michigan Attorney General and 2018 gubernatorial candidate Bill Schuette continues his crusade to deny gay and lesbian couples their civil rights and equality under state law, he finds himself with interesting company. It turns out the white nationalist Kyle Bristow has filed an amicus brief (pdf) in support of […]

Pretzel logic at its finest This afternoon Governor Snyder acknowledged that the nearly 300 same-sex marriages that were performed last Saturday are legal. He then said his administration won’t recognize them. With respect to the marriages, we believe those are legal and valid marriages. The stay being issued makes it more complicated. Because of the stay, we won’t recognize the […]

Photo by Anne C. Savage, special to Eclectablog After District Court Judge Bernard Friedman ruled Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional last Friday afternoon, he did not stay his own decision pending the outcome of any appeals. Because of this, Republican Attorney General Bill Schuette, acting on behalf of Gov. Rick Snyder, filed an emergency request to stay the decision. […]

I’m verklempt April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse, the Michigan lesbian couple whose lawsuit against the state of Michigan led to the overturning of our state’s discriminatory same-sex marriage ban weren’t notified of the District Court Judge Bernard Friedman’s decision ahead of time. Instead, like the rest of us, they and their attorney Dana Nessel had to wait until it was […]

Republicans on the wrong side of history yet again Governor Rick Snyder is refusing to recognize over 300 same-sex marriages that took place on Saturday. None of the rights and privileges extended to heterosexual married couples will be given to these newlyweds as Gov. Snyder and Attorney General Bill Schuette pander to their homophobic base in an election year. Unfortunately […]

“We are changing the world today.” “I feel like I can breath now,” Diane VanDorn told me on Sunday after being married to her partner Connie Greer on Saturday at the Washtenaw County Clerk’s office in Ann Arbor. Diane and Connie were one of the first of 300 same-sex couples that were married in Michigan that day. Diane and Connie, […]

Same-sex marriage makes people cry [All non-Twitter photos by Anne C. Savage, special to Eclectablog.] Around 300 same-sex Michigan couples took advantage of a one-day window when they were allowed to marry legally yesterday. Four County Clerks — Nancy Waters in Muskegon, Barb Byrum in Ingham, Lawrence Kestenbaum in Washtenaw, and Lisa Brown in Oakland — opened their offices on […]