Gay Marriage Tips
When it comes to Gay Marriage, we've been there, done that, now serving 211 tips in 26 categories ranging from Additional Gay Jewelry to The Gay Marriage Debate.
How to Choose the Best Person to Officiate a Gay Marriage Ceremony
Marriage is a wonderful thing. The ceremony is beautiful and meaningful for the couple. There are so many different types of ceremonies it is hard to determine where to start. Choosing the officiate who will preside over the ceremony is something every couple must think about. Getting someone to perform a gay marriage doesn't have to be difficult.
To find the right officiate for a gay wedding ceremony, one only has to look at the faith of the couple before venturing forth. Jewish couples might have to do a large search, but in the end there is a Rabbi who will perform the ceremony and be proud to do so. The ceremony will not necessarily be orthodox, but it will be a ceremony to remember for the couple. For those couples who practice an alternative faith, such as Pagan, there are priests, priestesses and celebrant who can perform a handfasting without much fuss.
Baptist couples can have a regular ceremony just like any other couple. There is doctrine now available for same-sex couples to be married in the Baptists church. As members of the Anglican church same-sex couples can have no fear walking the aisle. It's easy to do a search for the right church to have a marriage ceremony in. Being Agnostic or Atheist doesn't come with complications on where to have the ceremony or who should preside. A justice of the peace can help those couples be fully entranced in wedded bliss in no time. Always make sure of the legal ramifications of the state before proceeding with the ceremony.
Advice on Writing Stellar Same Sex Wedding Vows
It's a beautiful day for you and your same-sex partner, as you will finally join together in wedded bliss. Whether you're with another woman or a man, you still need to write vows that will link you and your partner together through better or worse. You may find that you want to tailor these vows a little differently than most heterosexual couples' expressions would be. Regardless of your approach, you should follow these five suggestions for vow writing.
- Prepare ahead of time – Just like with any speech that you would give, you will want to have plenty of time to sit down and create the perfect vows. Planning a wedding can be very stressful, but you do need to take the time to think about your vows throughout the process.
- Write from the heart – Just like any couple, you two are in love. When you finally sit down to write your vows, let your heart do the talking and your hand the writing. Speak honestly about what you love about your partner and how excited you feel to spend your life with him or her.
- Don't be afraid to get help – If you get stuck at any point while writing, ask for help. Maybe you have a writer friend who can get you out of a jam. Perhaps you can speak to your partner's friends, siblings, or parents to get ideas and inspiration.
- Memorize the vows a little – You don't have to have every word memorized verbatim, but you should have the bulk of the sentiments down pat. This way when you recite your vows, you can focus on your partner and look into their eyes.
- Enjoy the process – Lastly, you should enjoy writing your vows. You should be overflowing with good to say about your partner, and vice-versa. It should be a joy to pull together all of what you love about him or her into a small speech.
5 Gay Celebrities Who Have Tied the Knot
As the gay marriage movement gains momentum, more celebrities are coming out and openly marrying the man or woman of their dreams. Here are five gay celebrities who have tied the knot in recent years.
Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner
On December 31, 2013, actress and comedian Lily Tomlin married long-time partner Jane Wagner. The two have been together for 42 years. The happy couple met in 1971 after Tomlin watched an after-school special penned by Wagner and invited her to collaborate on a comedy album.
George Takei and Brad Altman
Star Trek actor George Takei married long-time partner Brad Altman on September 14, 2008. Several of Takei’s Star Trek co-stars attended the ceremony. Takei and Altman were the first same-sex couple to apply for a marriage license in West Hollywood and are proud proponents of gay rights.
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi
Comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres wed Australian actress Portia de Rossi on August 16, 2008. The pair met backstage at an awards show and announced their engagement in May 2008. DeGeneres and de Rossi now reside in Beverly Hills with several pets.
Rosie O'Donnell and Michelle Rounds
Ellen isn’t the only gay talk show host to tie the knot. On June 9, 2012, Rosie O’Donnell married partner Michelle Rounds in a private ceremony. Rounds, an executive search consultant, met O’Donnell at a Starbucks. The couple has since adopted a baby girl named Dakota.
Cynthia Nixon and Christine Marinoni
Sex and the City Star Cynthia Nixon married girlfriend Christine Marinoni on May 27, 2012. The pair got engaged in 2009 but waited for New York to legally recognize gay marriage before walking down the aisle. Nixon and Marinoni, an education activist, are now the proud parents of a toddler.
Several other gay celebrities are engaged to be married, so 2014 could prove to be a busy year!
Gay Marriage Gets National Countrywide Press Coverage in 2013
1 -- USA Today -- Emboldened Gay Activists Eye 50 States
Recent successes in the courts are providing new motivation for activists to continue for full rights across the nation.
2 -- Chicago Tribune -- Lawmakers Approve Gay Marriage in Illinois
In a vote that crossed many traditional political divides, Illinois joined the growing number of states approving gay marriage within its borders.
3 -- U.S. News & World Report -- Gay Rights Groups Sue Over Gay Marriage Ban
The American Civil Liberties Union joined with Freedom To Marry to fine suit against the states of Virginia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania to challenge their bans on gay marriage.
4 --Reuters -- Utah Seeks U.S. Supreme Court Suspension of Gay Marriage Ruling
On December 31, 2013, the state of Utah sought the help of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor to overturn the decision of a lower court that would allow gay marriages.
5 -- New York Times-Gay Marriage Battle Nears End In Hawaii
Approval of gay marriage in Hawaii in November of 2013 was the end of a long road for the state where the gay marriage fight began two decades ago.
6 -- CNN -- Same Sex Marriages Start in New Jersey
In October 2013, New Jersey became the 14th state in the nation to recognize gay marriages.
7 -- The Week -- The Year Gay Marriage Won
The Week looks at the many forces, both cultural and political, that spurred the success of the gay marriage fight in 2013.
8 -- Fox News -- Supreme Court Strikes Down DOMA Provision Denying Benefits to Gay Couples
In June of 2013, the Supreme Court dealt a hard blow the Defense of Marriage Act that denies benefits to same sex couples.
9 --The Atlantic -- Being Against Gay Marriage Doesn't Make You A Homophobe
The Atlantic charts the many reasons voters give for standing in opposition to gay marriage.
10 -- U.S. News & World Report - Polyamory Advocate: Gay Marriage Blazing the Marriage Equality Trail
The progress for gay marriage rights is causing many to wonder about the legal prospects for other forms of marriage in the future.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/02/gay-marriage-states-supreme-court/3175799/
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-11-05/news/chi-gay-marriage-illinois-20131105_1_illinois-senate-gay-marriage-gay-lawmakers
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/07/09/gay-rights-groups-sue-3-states-over-marriage-bans
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/31/us-usa-court-gaymarriage-idUSBRE9BU0KS20131231
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/09/us/gay-marriage-battle-nears-end-in-hawaii-the-first-front-line.html?_r=0
http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/21/us/new-jersey-same-sex-marriage/
http://theweek.com/article/index/254466/2013-the-year-gay-marriage-won
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/06/26/supreme-court-strikes-down-defense-marriage-act-provision/
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/12/being-against-gay-marriage-doesnt-make-you-a-homophobe/282333/
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/06/24/polyamorous-advocate-gay-marriage-blazing-the-marriage-equality-trail
The Gay Marriage Debate: Children
Since gay couples are unable to produce their own offspring, this has been the crux of much of the debate against gay marriage. However, gay couples are showing their ability to parent exceptionally well. Not only can gay men parent children with a surrogate mother, but lesbian women can if they so choose opt to become impregnated with donor sperm -- either from a friend or by anonymous donor via a sperm bank. In addition, gay couples are in a wonderful position to adopt abandoned or orphaned children and give them the loving homes they so desperately need.
The Gay Marriage Debate: Tradition
Although the thought of legalizing gay marriage raises controversy due to its obvious refutation of tradition, it should be noted that several other "traditions" in society have also been overturned over the years. Here are just a few:
- Divorce (now legal and accepted)
- Acceptance of interracial marriage
- Allowance of contraception within marriage
- Women are no longer considered property of their husbands
- Polygamy has been outlawed
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| Carma Spence-Pothitt |
