A British island and the Catholic Church reconsider long-held positions against marriage equality, an ambassador and a movie star change their statuses to “Married,” and Kim Davis takes flack for changing her tune.
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
Rufus Gifford, the U.S. ambassador to Denmark, married his partner Stephen DeVincent at the Copenhagen City Hall. Gifford announced their wedding on Twitter, stating: “26 yrs ago the site of 1st legal gay union in the world. Humbled and emotional.” Before President Obama nominated Gifford to his ambassadorship, he worked for the Democratic National Committee, Obama for America, and the Presidential Inaugural Committee.
ISLE OF MAN
Chief Minister Allan Bell announced a public consultation to change the Isle’s laws regarding same-sex marriage. This will essentially bring a close to the Isle of Man’s “dark days,” during which the island’s parliament did everything in their power to crush campaigns to decriminalize homosexuality. Their “Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill” is based on legislation in England and Wales that enables same-sex couples to marry in civil or religious ceremonies. The Isle of Man is a self-governing British Crown dependency in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland.
KENTUCKY
Five pastors met with Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear’s chief of staff to press the governor to accommodate Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis’ “need” to not issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Davis made headlines and spent five days in prison for refusing to issue the licenses per the law. After Davis’ lawyer announced she would no longer interfere with the licensing process, the Westboro Baptist Church picketed outside the Rowan County courthouse where Davis works — declaring her a “fake Christian” for changing her stance.
ITALY
The Catholic Church might be taking baby steps towards a more inclusive stance on marriage equality. Bishops from all over the world met in Rome to start a debate on how the Church will confront the evolving face of the modern family. The meeting is indicative of the ongoing struggle between conservatives and progressives in the Church. Thus far, Catholic conservatives such as U.S. cardinals Raymond Burke and Timothy Dolan have stood firmly by their 12th-century views; however, this meeting is a sign that the Church may be wavering on its historic opposition to same-sex marriage.
TOFINO, CANADA
Victor Garber married his boyfriend, artist and model Rainer Andreesen, this past October in Tofino, British Columbia. Garber — famed for roles in Titanic, Argo, Godspell and Alias — publicly came out of the closet in April of 2012. Garber and Andreesen have been in a relationship since 2000 and announced their marriage on instagram with hashtags including #justgotmarried #elopedintofino #after16years. Congratulations to the grooms!
Last modified: July 27, 2017
