Wed in the World: August/September

Good news here in the U.S. and in Ireland, protests in Italy and Australia, and the World’s smallest democracy goes gay.

The United States of America

In the landmark case of Obergefell v. Hodges, Justices Kennedy, Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor and Kagan ruled that all states must allow same-sex couples to marry and recognize same-sex marriages from other states. This overturned a lower court’s ruling, which suggested that elected officials (rather than the courts) should decide gay marriage. The majority opinion emphasized the importance of marriage as a fundamental right for both individuals and families, and suggested that the Constitution exists in part because some rights are too important to leave up to the democratic process. The ruling means that same-sex couples have the exact same right to marry in the U.S. as opposite-sex couples — nationwide. In a moving speech just after the decision was announced, President Obama remarked, “Today, we can say in no uncertain terms that we’ve made our union a little more perfect.”

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Australia

Australian anti-gay-marriage activist Nick Jensen caused an uproar when he wrote an op-ed for the Canberra CityNews in which he declared he and his wife would “as a matter of conscience, refuse to recognize the government’s regulation of marriage if its definition includes the solemnization of same-sex couples” — apparently threatening to end his own marriage if Australia recognizes gay marriage. Fellow Canberra resident Jesse Mount responded to the piece by creating a Facebook event inviting nearly 300,000 people to “The Divorce of Nick & Sarah Jensen.” As of press time, over 182,000 “guests” have confirmed they will attend.

Italy

Over 300,000 people came together to protest same-sex unions in Rome, challenging gay unions and the teaching of gender theory in Italian schools. Protesters waved banners that read, “The Family Will Save the World” and “Let’s Defend Our Children,” as the Italian Senate examined a civil union bill. The Italian daily La Stampa posted a survey revealing 51% of Italian voters support gay marriage while Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano ordered mayors to stop recognizing gay marriages performed outside of the country.

Pitcairn Island

With a population of 56, the world’s smallest democracy has passed a law allowing same-sex marriage. Though the tiny Pacific island apparently has no gay residents, Deputy Governor Kevin Lynch announced that the country welcomes the gay community with open arms.

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Ireland

Good news from the Emerald Isle! at a Dublin Castle press conference, it was announced that over 1.2 million people voted to
make Ireland the first country in the world to approve gay marriage by popular vote.

Washington, D.c.

Gay celeb Ross Mathews officiated at the wedding of George Carrancho and Sean Franklin as part of Marriott’s #LoveTravels campaign during D.C.’s Capital Pride. The couple have been together since 2007. According to Marriott International, the campaign “not only encourages travelers to explore their personal passions but also celebrates their unique stories.”

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