GLOBAL COCKTAILS

After postponing a vote on civil unions back in January, the Hawaii House of Representatives
has finally approved same-sex civil unions, sending the measure to the governor.
The House voted 31-20 to give final legislative approval to civil unions Thursday.
The bill passed the Senate in January. Republican Gov. Linda Lingle hasn't said
whether she'll sign it. The measure grants gay and lesbian couples the same rights
and benefits the state provides to married couples. [AP]

Congrats to all the couples in Washington D.C. who finally got married today after waiting the designated three-day wait after filing a marriage license! As the signs that waved proudly outside of the court house today read, "LOVE WINS!" If you want in on the same-sex marriage action, plan your trip to DC.


[Photo from GayToday]
Watch the first same-sex marriage in DC!

Last night's vote by the House of Lords to end the ban on religious civil partnerships is "another advance for gay equality and religious freedom," said human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell of the LGBT rights group OutRage! The vote has furthered the support of an amendment to the Equality Bill next month that will lift the ban on civil partnership ceremonies in religious premises. The amendment would allow churches to choose whether they can register civl partnerships by removing legislation that says they can't.

Tatchell says:

"Allowing faith organizations to make their own decisions on whether to conduct same-sex civil partnerships is the democratic and decent thing to do. By banning religious civil partnerships, the current law is denying religious bodies the right to treat gay couples equally. It is forcing them to discriminate, even when many of them do not want to. The Quakers, Unitarians, Metropolitan Community Church and liberal synagogues wish to conduct civil partnership ceremonies and should be allowed to do so. Following a change in the law, we expect civil partnerships will be conducted by gay-affirmative religions, including the Unitarians and Quakers, and some Anglican churches and liberal synagogues. Our next goal is to secure marriage equality, to end the prohibition on lesbian and gay couples having a civil marriage in a registry office. Already, 61% of the British public believe that same-sex couples should be able to have a civil marriage, according to an opinion poll conducted by Populus and published by The Times in June last year. [Times]

An Italian Lesbian couple pleaded with the mayor of Turin, Italy to institutionalize their nine-year relationship. Despite same-sex marriage being illegal in Italy, Mayor Sergio Chiamparino wanted to show his support for the couple anyway. He agreed to oversee a symbolic ceremony between the two at Rotonda de Valentino on Saturday.

"I cannot marry you because Italian law does not allow it. But I wanted to attend this beautiful ceremony in the hope that my presence would serve to tell everyone that you are first-class citizens, like all of us...I'm here to put a symbolic seal on this union. It's a moment that sends a powerful message of happiness and suffering. Happiness because it is obvious that you love one another so much—suffering, because you cannot fully recognize that love," Mayor Chiamparino said. [TR]

The NYC-based group Queer Rising is promising a "significant act" of civil disobedience in front of the New York City Marriage Bureau office on Friday morning from 8-10 A.M., according to their Facebook.

The action will include, "A gathering of same-sex marriage equality proponents for a press conference and rally in the park opposite the bureau; The application – and subsequent rejection – of several same-sex couples hoping to obtain a marriage license inside of the bureau; The application – a subsequent approval – of a lesbian and gay man, whom according to New York State law may legally marry each other, for a marriage license; and a significant act of civil disobedience to rival the lunch-counter sit-ins of the 1960s, in which black Americans asserted their rights of equal treatment by society at large."

Immediately after the announcement that Mexico City officials voted in favor of same-sex marriage, the country has been in heated debate. The conservative, federal government's argument is that same-sex marriage violates the constitution, while the liberal Mexico City Government argues the unconstitutionality of not granting equal rights to gay citizens. Despite this, marriages will begin to take place in March, almost two months before the Supreme Court will hear appeals. Check out some more details about the debate and some personal stories in this fabulous New York Times article.

While Hawaii may be missing the gay tourists, the House today, in a voice vote, decided to postpone a vote on civil unions, indefinitely killing the bill for the session.

The bill would have provided the equal rights and responsibilities that married couples in Hawaii are afforded to thousands of non-married couples in the state.

“We’re sorely disappointed that the Hawaii State House refused to take action on the Civil Unions bill,” said Tambry Young, Co-Chair of Equality Hawaii. “Today, the House put its own political interests before the interests of Hawaii’s families and that’s bad policy and bad politics. We pledge that this fight is not over, and we will continue in our efforts to see true equality in our state.”

Despite an appeal by federal prosecutors to block the same-sex marriage bill that would redefine the city's code's definition of marriage to include same-sex partners, Mexico City's mayor says he will defend the capital's gay-marriage law, and insists the ordinance will take effect in March despite an appeal by federal prosecutors.

Mayor Marcelo Ebrard says that the federal government has no constitutional grounds to challenge the law. Nothing in the constitution prohibits same-sex marriage or adoption by same-sex couples.

While the Supreme Court hears the case in early May, the first gay marriage will be performed, according to the city's legal adviser, Leticia Bonifaz.

Francesco Zanard, 39, and his partner Manuel Incorvaia, 22, have begun a hunger strike in order to draw attention to same-sex marriage in Italy. In order to raise greater awareness to their cause, they chose to document their campaign online through a 24-hour webcam.

The couple's popularity is evident by their large following on the Internet. More than 1,500 fans have shown their support on Facebook and according to GLBT TV, thousands more are following the webcasts every day. In Rome, the couple's supporters recently organized a vigil of about 200 people. Activists of all ages silently gathered outside the Parliament building. Within the crowd was Europe’s first transgender legislator, Vladimir Luxuria, who served in the Italian Parliament for one term in 2006. [GP]

Check out the live webcam here.

It has only been three weeks since New Hampshire legalized same-sex marriage and opponents have already asked a House committee to repeal the law and let New Hampshire constituents vote to amend the constitution to define marriage between a man and a women.

Many observers feel that the House will reject the measure when it is brought to the floor in the next few weeks, but the opponents plan to push for a vote in November. [WP]