Box Turtle Bulletin

Catholic Charities Ends Spousal Benefits

In a bid to avoid inadvertently providing spousal benefits to gay men and women who happen to be employees, Catholic Charities of Washington, D.C. , has taken the extraordinary step of ending spousal benefits for all of its employees, the Washington City Paper reports.

Catholic Charities President and CEO Edward Orzechowski sent a memo out to employees yesterday informing them that spouses’ who have already been enrolled in the health plan would continue to receive care under a grandfather clause, but that new employees or newly married employees would no longer be eligible to obtain coverage for their spouses through Catholic Charities.

The change goes into effect today. The District of Columbia will begin granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples beginning on March 4.

According to the Washington Post, Catholic Charities employs 850 people in the District and five surrounding Maryland and Virginia counties, but fewer than 100 use the spousal benefits option.

Cyprus government to consider marriage equality

From the Cyprus Mail:

The Government will soon examine the issue of making same-sex marriages legal in Cyprus, Interior Ministry Permanent Secretary Lazaros Savvides has told the Sunday Mail.

Savvides said that the intention is to hold a meeting next month involving the Attorney-general’s office, Law Commissioner Leda Koursoumba, Ombudswoman Eliana Nicolaou – who also heads the Authority against Racism and Discrimination – as well as senior representatives of the relevant government ministries.

Should Cyprus enact marriage equality, it could have an impact on the area. Israel does not have civil marriage laws and those who wish to marry must either do so according to Orthodox rules or leave the country to marry elsewhere. Those who aren’t Jewish or aren’t religious often go to Cyprus. Israel does currently offer some limited recognition to foreign-married gay couples, so a change in Cyprus would be a benefit for gays in Israel as well.

Cyprus is one of the most religious nations in the European Union, primarily Greek Orthodox, as well as being its furthest east. Although discussions will occur, there is no certainty that equality will result.

Startling discoveries about Lauren Ashley

When the Pop Tart at Fox News first broke the story about how Lauren Ashley, the self-titled “Miss Beverly Hills”, opposed marriage equality, they played into her quest for that elusive minute and a half of fame.

Since then she’s been denounced by the city of Beverly Hills and pretty much anyone else with a blog and a sense of humor.

But now she has spoken with NBC Ch 4 to clarify that she does really mean that the Bible should be taken literally. And in the process sh revealed a number of exciting revelations to report.

There’s the discovery that Lauren seems not to be able to quote the scripture she “quoted” to Fox News. In fact, she doesn’t know much about it other than that it was “from Leviticus”.

There was the exciting news that in Christianity there is “forgiveness and receipt* from Jesus, himself” which gives new meaning to “be sure to keep your receipt.” But she was a bit stumped when asked, “if they get to know Jesus, can they remain gay?”

But perhaps the most startling revelation of all is that apparently, Lauren Ashley seems to only own one top!

UPDATE:

No, Timothy, no. Jesus doesn’t give a receipt, he gives mercy. Mercy.

Sigh. It was so much more fun when I thought she said ‘receipt’.

Gays Gain Right To Cheapen Marriage Just Like Straight People

Straight people have been turning weddings into cheap stunts for eons, whether it’s a nude wedding in the Berkshires or a wedding chappel in Las Vegas featuring Elvis impersonators. While most of those who have been fighting for marriage equality have taken the ideals of marriage very seriously, we shouldn’t be too surprised to see that, much like out straight families and friends, not all see it as the dignified and solemn occasion that most of us would envision. Yes, there are tacky gay people too, and quite a few of them are apparently completely clueless of what a precious a gift their stunt will be to our opponents, free for the asking:

The largest gay wedding in history is scheduled for Saturday, March 20th in Washington, DC. Up to 400 couples will exchange vows breaking the current Guinness World Record.

Event Emissary is the company organizing this stunt and shamelessly cashing in on the hard work of LGBT advocates in DC. But there you have it. Real equality also means the right to cheapen marriage for publicity and commercial purposes just like the straights have been doing. Cue Maggie Gallagher…

The great Lutheran schism that wasn’t

When the Episcopal Church confirmed Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire even though Robinson was in a long-term committed relationship with a man, it resulted in a world-wide shake-up of the Anglican faith. Several congregations, including some with historical reverence, separated from the denomination. Three dioceses voted to leave the church, and legal battles have warred over church property. In total, the Episcopal schism included as many as 700 congregations and in excess of 100,000 congregants.

Internationally, this decision was catalyst for a split between more liberal Western members of the Anglicanism and the churches in the Global South. Primates in Africa and Asia, which have more congregants but are poorer and traditionally less influential have seen this as an opportunity to redefine the global power structure of the Anglican Communion and to redirect the flow of Anglican Christianity in a more conservative direction.

The Episcopal Church, and other western bodies of the union, have shown no inclination to rethink their liberal understanding of Christianity or to adopt anti-gay attitudes or rules that the Bishops of Nigeria and Uganda (among others) sought to dictate. But having had a taste of international prominence and influence, conservative African Anglican leaders are unlikely to “allow” Anglicans in the United States, Canada, or even the United Kingdom to set their own policies. It seems inevitable that the corporate structure of the third largest Christian community in the world will fracture.

So when the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the seventh largest denomination in the nation, came together in August of last year to consider several changes to the way in which the church would recognize gay Lutherans, some pointed to the Episcopal schism and warned of the same. And after the ELCA voted to adopt a new social position on sexuality that included as valid those who advocate for full civil marriage, changed their rules to allow gay partnered pastors, and authorized blessings of same-sex unions (all with significant majorities), dissenters warned of a great consequence that the church would have to pay.

Six months have passed since the denomination chose a more inclusive stance towards gay Lutherans. And while several local newspapers have carried stories about positions and actions of specific congregations, it has not been immediately clear to what extent the changes have impacted the body. But an article in the Washington Post has now provided the answer: not much.

Since August, congregations have not left the ELCA in huge numbers. The denomination has about 10,000 congregations, and in all 220 have taken at least one of two required votes to leave. So far, only 28 congregations have actually approved leaving, which requires two separate votes that each attain a two-thirds supermajority.

“Even if that number doubles or triples, it would still be less than 5 percent of the ELCA,” said Bishop Peter Rogness of the St. Paul, Minn. synod. “So it’s not as though a schism has happened, where we’re a denomination split in half. Nothing on that magnitude is in the offing.”

So the great Lutheran schism exists more in the minds of those who are theologically anti-gay than in reality. Considering that Lutherans, on the whole, are less liberal on the grand scale of religious ideology than Episcopalians, this might come as a surprise to some.

But there are several reasons why the ELCA is not fracturing over the issue of homosexuality in the church.

First, there are far fewer ELCA member with sharp ideological differences but a long affiliation to the history of the denomination.

Unlike the Episcopal Church, there is not one official historical organizational body for Lutherans. While ELCA is the largest Lutheran community, there are many others including the traditionally more conservative Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod (the nation’s eighth largest denominational body). And the ELCA has only been in existence since 1988, when it was the result of a merger of three smaller Lutheran groups. And those who were somewhat similar in thought probably would not have merged at that time.

Secondly, leaving the ELCA is not administratively easy. It requires a two-thirds agreement of congregants in two votes separated by 90 days. It is not easy to keep a sense of anger whipped up for three months.

And Lutherans are not known as a divisive or confrontational bunch. The “oh, sure, you betcha” stereotypes are not without a basis. In more than one instance, church leadership got all fired up only do discover that the members just didn’t care that much.

Next, there is no unified schismatic organization to lobby for continued division.

Unlike the Episcopal offshoot, The Anglican Church in North America, those who left or are leaving the ELCA have a number of options with whom to affiliate. The Lutheran Core, which sought to be the anti-ELCA, moved too slowly to create their own new community and with so many Lutheran groups focused on the positive who are ready to welcome breakaways, it is less easy to organize around anger and discontent.

Finally, there is no sense of international outrage and thus no feeling of entitlement in breakaways or any sense that they are the “real” Lutherans.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is part of the Lutheran World Federation. But unlike the Anglican Church, Lutherans are more dominant in Northern Europe and have a much lesser presence in the developing world (other than Ethiopia, which seems to have been a religious anomaly for millennia). As the ‘official church’ of a number of Scandinavian countries, Lutherans in Sweden, and Norway, Denmark have long since become accustomed to ever more inclusive theology.

Going forward, other denominations may be well served by looking at the resulting situation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America rather than that of the Episcopal Church. The Lutheran model is probably much closer in structure and international presence to most other mainline churches.

Australia’s Senate rejects marriage equality

The Australian Senate voted to reject a marriage equality bill by a lopsided 45 to 5 vote. But procedure allows that the actual support for the vote may have been greater than the vote suggests. Some senators may have elected to be absent from the party-line vote to register their opposition to their party’s position. (The Age)

Senator Hanson-Young seized on the absentee rate to declare the major parties split.

”There may have been a group of senators voting to keep discrimination against same-sex couples being able to marry the one they love, but well over one-third of all senators were absent for the final vote, presumably the only form of protest open to them,” she said.

This is an issue that is unlikely to go away in Australia until equality is achieved.

NOM latches onto “Miss Beverly Hills”

Oh you saw coming, didn’t you? You just had to know that Maggie Gallagher would see the lovely Lauren Ashley, hear her opposition to marriage equality, and see an opportunity to create a new martyr. (Fox News)

And while the City of Beverly Hills is shunning the pageant princess, she has garnered strong support from the National Organization for Marriage.

“I’m not surprised that Miss Beverly Hills, Lauren Ashley, opposes gay marriage — after all 45 percent of young Californians voted for Prop 8, as did 7 million Californians generally,” the organization’s president, Maggie Gallagher, told us. “But I have to say, I am impressed with her courage in coming forward and for speaking up for Carrie. The elected officials of city of Beverly Hills are not demonstrating tolerance or kindness by continuing the avalanche of hatred against supporters of Prop 8.”

Ah, such courage it took to fill out the paperwork, claim a city she doesn’t live in, call up a news reporter for a conservative network, and desperately beg for attention. Yeah, courage, un-huh.

But Maggie should be careful. The last time she latched onto a paragon of heterosexual-only virtue it turned out that she had her own sex tape. Who knows what this little delusional attention-starved girl has in her closet?

Maryland recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere

Earlier today Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler released a report that seemed to suggest – but not state – that the State of Maryland could – but perhaps didn’t have to – recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages. For much of the day confusion reigned.

Now he has clarified (WaPo)

Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler (D) said Wednesday that effective immediately, and until challenged in court, the state recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere and that Maryland agencies should begin affording out-of-state gay couples all the rights they have been awarded in other places.

“State agencies in Maryland will recognize out-of-state gay marriages as of right now,” Gansler said at a news conference explaining the effect of a long-awaited opinion he released Wednesday morning.

This will be particularly relevant next week when the District of Columbia will allow same-sex couple to begin to marry. Most of the residents of Maryland are within a short drive of the District and it would not be a incapacitating inconvenience to plan weddings there.

Beverly Hills condemns “Miss Beverly Hills”

When I first saw the pictures of Lauren Ashley, Miss Beverly Hills, I thought, “You’ve got to be kidding me!” I’ve seen many a girl from Beverly Hills and, well, let’s just say that her look, her style, and her (ahem) body image are not really what Beverly Hills might consider to be appropriate for a beauty queen. Just saying.

So I went searching for any notice of Miss Ashley winning a local competition; but no success. Then I tried the Miss California USA site – where I saw that one could apply on their own without a city sponsor, which I thought was peculiar.

But I remember that Carrie Prejean was legitimately Miss San Diego so perhaps…? Anyway, I gave Lauren the benefit of the doubt.

Now I just have to laugh at myself.

Because when Lauren decided to go for her minute and a half of fame, she went all out. Not only did she declare her opposition to marriage (sure to get attention) but she also adopted a high profile city.

Alas, poor girl. The City of Beverly Hills was not as amused. They issued a press release:

City of Beverly Hills Disavows Miss California USA Contestant\’s Statements

Beverly Hills, CA – The City of Beverly Hills today denounced statements made by Miss California USA contestant Lauren Ashley, the self-described Miss Beverly Hills. Ms. Ashley resides in Pasadena and is currently a contestant for the Miss California USA title. She does not represent Beverly Hills in any capacity.

The City of Beverly Hills strongly condemns Ms. Ashley\’s recent statements and has contacted pageant officials to determine ways to formally prevent any beauty contestants claiming the title of Miss Beverly Hills in the future. The City of Beverly Hills does not sponsor a beauty pageant and has no association with Miss California USA. As such, there should be no individual claiming the title of Miss Beverly Hills.

“The City Council was shocked to see statements made by a beauty pageant contestant under the name of Beverly Hills who does not live in nor represent our city. We are dismayed by any potential association with the City of Beverly Hills, which has a long history of tolerance and respect,” said Beverly Hills Mayor Nancy Krasne.

Ya see, Beverly Hills likes its gay marriages. It voted 66% to 34% against Proposition 8 and isn’t really known for its conservative Christian population. And I am sure that Mayor Krasne took one look at Ms. Ashley’s lovely ensemble of red stretch top, ill-fitting jeans, white wedges and floppy hat and thought, “What’s going on? We don’t have any trailer parks within city limits!”

But I see another problem lurking. Now Pasadena is implicated in Ms. Ashley’s publicity prank. And while not as liberal as Beverly Hills (they voted against Prop 8 by 58% to 42%), they do pride themselves in having good taste.

Second Argentine couple granted right to marry

We followed the tale of Jose Maria Di Bello and Alex Freyre and their efforts to marry which ended in a joyous celebration in Tierra del Fuego. Now another couple has been declared entitled to marriage equality. (AFP)

A judge on Tuesday authorized two men to marry in Buenos Aires in what would be the country’s second same-sex marriage.
…
Judge Elena Liberatori gave her approval to the second couple, two men whose names were not immediately released, to set a date to wed at the Civil Registry.

However, considering the complicated tango which Di Bello and Freyre had to dance, we should not expect that this marriage will go any more smoothly.

Mexico City Marriages survive court challenge

After the city government of Mexico City legalized same-sex marriages, a number of challenges were raised. (from anti-gay website: LifeSite)

Five Mexican state governors are suing the nation’s Federal District, Mexico City, for legalizing homosexual “marriage” in December of last year.

The governors of the states of Jalisco, Tlaxcala, Guanajuato, Morelos, and Sonora say that the law is unconstitutional, and will require their state governments to recognize “marriages” between people of the same sex, despite the states’ rejection of such unions.

They have been declared invalid (LifeSite)

The Mexican Supreme Court has rejected lawsuits filed by several states to overturn Mexico City’s new homosexual “marriage” and adoption law.

The court stated that states need not recognize the marriages conducted in the capital. A suit brought by the Attorney General of the federal government is still pending.

WV House Shoots Down Gay Marriage Ban

West Virginia House Democrats shot down a GOP attempt to force a vote on a state  constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. The vote to force a discharge of the bill from committee to the floor of the House of Delegates failed 68-30. The vote was part of a larger effort by the Republican minority to force a vote on contentious issues. One Democrat, Delegate Tom Louisos (D-Fayette), joined the Republicans on the failed attempt to force a vote.

Family Policy Council of West Virginia is planning a rally at the Capital on Thursday to encourage the state Senate to pass a similar measure. Fifteen of thirty-four Senators have signed on as co-sponsors of the proposed amendment, but a spokesman for Fairness West Virginia believes the Senate will not pass the bill.

Miss Beverly Hills thinks gay people should “surely be put to death”

This is Lauren Ashley, the Miss Beverly Hills contestant to the Miss California USA beauty pageant. Yes, that Beverly Hills. I kid you not.

And following in the shoes of Carrie Prejean, Lauren wants everyone to know that she too opposes marriage equality for gay people. But if we take her at her words, she wouldn’t stop there. (Fox News Pop Tarts)

“The Bible says that marriage is between a man and a woman. In Leviticus it says, ‘If man lies with mankind as he would lie with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death and their blood shall be upon them.’ The Bible is pretty black and white,” Ashley told Pop Tarts.

“I feel like God himself created mankind and he loves everyone, and he has the best for everyone. If he says that having sex with someone of your same gender is going to bring death upon you, that’s a pretty stern warning, and he knows more than we do about life.”

Ashley, who says, “There’s no hate between me and anyone” doesn’t explain whether this “bringing of death upon you” also applies to her “lot of friends that are gay”, or only to those who want to get married. Somehow I just don’t think she’s ever really thought about what it would mean to live according to Leviticus.

I’m sure that this poor foolish girl is all delighted that she’s found an issue that will give her an additional minute and a half of fame. And no doubt she’ll try and latch onto Carrie’s martyrdom when she doesn’t make the first cut.

But sadly for Lauren, she does not yet know the cost of selling your soul to a campaign of discrimination. And she doesn’t realize that she doesn’t quite have what it takes to headline a Family Values dinner. No one is impressed that you’re a champion of virginity when, well, they can’t fantasize about taking it from you.

Religious Groups in UK beg for religious marriage freedom

Marriage equality is a freedom of religion issue. Currently, in most US states, the voters have acted under pressure from some religious entities to deny the rights of other religious entities to have their sacraments accorded the same respect and legal standing. Your Congregational Church or Reformed Synagogue may conduct holy vows and say sacred prayers that have been a part of their faith for centuries, but socially conservative Christian denominations have convinced civil government that they, and only they, get to determine what is defined as marriage.

In the United Kingdom, things are both better and worse. Better, because the civil government does allow for civil partnerships that are in most ways identical to marriage. And better because most of the citizenry sees these unions as being weddings.

But the UK is worse in that civil partnerships cannot take place in premises that are either designed for, or are in use mainly for, religious purposes. And they cannot include language that is sacramental and churches are barred from offering blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples.

That is an unequivocal violation of the religious freedoms of those churches which wish to sanctify, solemnize, and bless the union of their same-sex parishioners. And three have come forward to protest.

In July of last year we informed you that the Quakers (the Society of Friends) in Britain formally requested that the government change the law to allow them to worship in accordance with their faith. And last month Liberal Judaism joined the Quakers and the Unitarians when Baroness Neuberger, president of Liberal Judaism, called for a change in the law to allow civil partnership ceremonies for same-sex couples to be held in synagogues.

Now these minority religions have received the backing of some powerful allies. A number of leaders in the Church of England have issued a letter in which they call for religious freedom.

Sir, The Civil Partnership Act 2004 prohibits civil partnerships from being registered in any religious premises in Great Britain. Three faith communities — Liberal Judaism, the Quakers, and the Unitarians — have considered this restriction prayerfully and decided in conscience that they wish to register civil partnerships on their premises.

And in their call for religious freedom, these Englishmen turn for moral authority to a most curious document:

To deny people of faith the opportunity of registering the most important promise of their lives in their willing church or synagogue, according to its liturgy, is plainly discriminatory. In the US it would be unconstitutional under the First Amendment: Congress shall make no law . . . prohibiting the free exercise . . . of religion.

The wording of the First Amendment is clear to our friends across the pond; a powerful religion cannot usurp the spiritual independence of smaller communities. Let’s hope that American jurists and political leaders can come to find the obvious meaning in our Constitution.

WV House GOP To Force Vote on Gay Marriage Ban

Republicans in the West Virginia House say that voting on a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage is an “urgent” issue and should be voted on by the full 100-member House:

They also argue that the House leadership is keeping the issues away from a vote because it doesn’t want Democrats on record opposing measures that are appealing to conservative-leaning West Virginians or because conservative-leaning Democrats might break away. …Republicans admit the bills they want considered have little chance of passing the Legislature, but they say the issues are urgent enough that West Virginians deserve to see action on them, one way or another.