Article by Liz Goodwin / Yahoo's The Ticket

As the Supreme Court’s unpredictable swing vote, Justice Anthony Kennedy often finds himself the subject of scrutiny before big, controversial Supreme Court cases. But next week, when he hears arguments in two cases with the potential to transform the way gays and lesbians are treated in the country, Kennedy watchers have two landmark opinions written by the justice to mine for clues as to how he will rule.

Starting Tuesday, judges will hear oral arguments over whether California’s voter-approved ban on gay marriage, Proposition 8, violates the constitutional rights of gay people in the state; and over whether the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which states that only marriages between people of the opposite sex are federally valid, is legal.

The former, called Perry v. Hollingsworth, could be especially significant as the justices, in theory, could either declare all state gay marriage bans unconstitutional—or say that gay couples have no constitutional claim to marriage at all.

Kennedy, a 76-year-old Sacramento native and Ronald Reagan appointee, most often votes with his four conservative colleagues. But the devout Catholic has broken with that pattern to side with the more liberal wing of the court in some key cases, such as when he affirmed Roe v. Wade’s holding that women have a right to abortions in 1992, and when he ruled in 2005 that states may not sentence criminals to death if they committed their crimes as juveniles.

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This story is so very heartfelt and touching!  It is wonderful that more and more parents (and medical professionals) are recognizing gender identity as a very real phenomenon.  Hopefully soon the language will evolve from calling it 'gender identification disorder' instead to something less like a disease or illness.  In my humble opinion, gender is a spectrum... and there is no wrong place to be on that spectrum.  -There is only the right place, for each individual and their own body and their own sense of self-expression, and of course their own happiness.

Read this touching article, watch the video... It's worth the few minutes!

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/colorado-transgender-girl-banned-grade-school-bathroom/story?id=18607443

Lately we've had a good deal of press coverage for our ongoing tour of LGBT Wedding Expos!  Deservedly so, many might say :)  We are similar to a Rock n Roll Tour as we make our way from city to city:  Las Vegas, Tacoma, NYC, Philadelphia, Chicago - Outrageous fun, gay flair and changing the world!

Thanks for all the support you've given us!  Enjoy the articles below-

http://www.epgn.com/view/full_story/21839902/article-Resources-abound-at-wedding-expo?instance=home_news

http://www.lvrj.com/living/-same-love-same-rights-enjoys-new-venue-191579401.html

It is SO EXCITING to see momentum like this (statement below) as we move ahead with EQUALITY for all LGBT Americans, and those who wish to become citizens of our country!  Again, our applause to President Obama for his vision and commitment to articulating the cause of LGBT equality as being a CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE.  Period.  Exciting history is being made!

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January 29th, 2013:  National lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights organizations, including the National Center for Lesbian Rights, today released a joint statement reiterating the call for a comprehensive immigration policy that ensures fair and just treatment for all those currently impacted by our failed immigration policy. The statement includes the following:

"Any legislation must include the ability of couples in same-sex relationships to sponsor their spouse or permanent-partner in the same way opposite-sex couples have long been able to under current immigration law.

We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with those striving for and dreaming of a nation that embraces all who come here seeking a better life. We look forward to working with Congress, the White House and every community harmed by our broken immigration system to finally achieve the comprehensive reforms we all so desperately need."

“Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law — for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well...”  President Obama's words resonate like wildfire inspiring pride and eager anticipation of the road that lies ahead. The moment was almost surreal today as we sat and watched live coverage of the inauguration.  For the first time in history an American President is including the gay community in his definition of equality.  He acknowledged our struggle at Stonewall and has committed to helping create an America where LGBT citizens are truly equal.  It is both awe inspiring and reaffirming to see the progress that has been made!

There are those who like to say that they do legitimate work in the world, and those who actually do.  ...Which one are you?  (Which do you think we've been dealing with a lot here at RWN this week??)

Carrying on the illusion of doing that work takes such a lot of time & energy...  Why not simply get down in the dirt and actually make a difference in the first place??

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As we often say in our speeches at our LGBT Wedding Expos throughout the nation, if more facets of the community simply connected and worked together with a team-oriented perspective, sincerely mindful of the ultimate goals rather than the glory or the bragging rights or even sometimes the paycheck... our minority would have achieved full marriage & family rights by now.

Our thanks to our friends at GLYPH FINE PRESS in Havre de Grace, MD!

Not only are owners Joseph & Don choosing to exhibit & showcase their invitations at our upcoming Baltimore LGBT Wedding Expo... they have also taken solid initiative in helping to promote the event.  Networking to the max!

Recent display ads for Glyph (as seen for instance in Gay Life) promote their studio, signature design talents & art gallery... and the ad also invites couples to visit them in person at the upcoming Expo, January 27th at the Tremont Suites Hotel.

This extended exposure for us, as producers of the Expo, is of course much appreciated!  It's also a great reminder to small business owners that cross-promoting within any of your marketing endeavors is always a plus.

THANK YOU, Joseph & Don!  We look forward to seeing you later this month in Baltimore!www.glyphdg.com

This is an interesting read...  Includes some exciting quantitative numbers about the economic impact of marriage seen in states like NY and Massachusetts, and anticipated numbers now that marriage rights have passed in Maine, Maryland and Washington.

Also, a more human side to the article too, in the comments from local Maine business professionals.  And a brief interview with RainbowWeddingNetwork co-founder, Cindy Sproul!

Read on!  And remember, our Portland ME Gay & Lesbian Wedding Expo is set for Sunday April 7th 2013 at the Italian Heritage Center!

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20121209-NEWS-212090349

For several years, I've had the pleasure of working with author/writer Susan Hart Hellman.  She is based in California, and has contributed her talents through many wonderful articles for us here at RainbowWeddingNetwork Magazine.  Her editorial style is always highly informative, 100% accurate and she offers heartfelt insights as well.  Recently, she's completed a new novel; the first in an exciting mystery series, which interweaves marriage rights issues within the main storyline and features a compelling main character who is not your average lesbian!  Read on for more details!  And if you live near Ojai, certainly join the Launch Party on Dec. 9th!

CATCH  'N RELEASE:  THE GAME
When Dr. Savanna Jamison, Southern California behavioral neuropsychologist, defense witness, and unintentional sleuth, uses the insanity plea to help her public defender friend save a death row-bound, brain-damaged killer, Savanna is also as good as dead. She's targeted by the Mafioso drug-lord father of the victim, a socialite, who, along with her sorority sisters, has been playing a deadly new game. 

But CATCH  'N RELEASE: THE GAME, Susan Hart Hellman's first mystery series novel, tells another story too.  Throughout this series, Savanna's friends Michael & Al, partners for 27 years, wish to marry, but their plans are thwarted by ever-changing same-sex marriage legislation.  And Savanna finds love, Giovanna, a woman who catches Savanna's heart.

CATCH  'N RELEASE: THE GAME, now available at www.SusanHartHellman.com, through Amazon, or contact your local bookstore.  For more info, email Susan directly:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

BOOK LAUNCH PARTY, December 9 (1 :00 pm) at  Feast Bistro, 254 E. Ojai Ave. Ojai, CA 93023

(Also watch for Savanna's next case, Ring Master.) 

As a minority, we have much to be thankful for this holiday season!  Earlier this month, we saw amazing triumphs during the election:  Historic votes from the general public in terms of pro-gay legislation in four different states... the election of several congressmen and women who are LGBT themselves or who uphold beliefs in non-discimination... and the re-election of President Obama, the first American President to go on record saying that his stance on marriage has in fact evolved and that he now endorses full marriage equality for the LGBT community.

SUCH MILESTONES!  SUCH MOMENTUM!

As we all know, the sentiment of gratitude propels energy forward.  Enjoy your holiday, and the wonders of your own more personal reasons for being thankful.  It is a beautiful season.

For many years now, our team here at RainbowWeddingNetwork has been eager to add a more comprehensive Parenting section to our family of resources.  The Time is Upon Us!!  We are so excited to share the news that, in the next few days, we'll be adding a fresh tab to our Navigation Bar, with several unique features dedicated to lesbian moms and gay dads.  It's a wonderful addition!  Stay tuned for more info!

Our sincere thanks and acknowledgement to our LGBT veterans!  We appreciate your willingness to serve our great country, and to do so with the even greater challenges involved because of others' perceptions of your sexual or gender identity.  You are all HEROES.

When my partner and I give speeches at our LGBT Wedding Expos... we often talk with couples about how, at times, we each feel powerless to enact real change.  Marriage rights has seemed elusive - for example, being enacted in a particular area such as California in 2008, only to be  overridden just a few short months later.

But there's good news:  I can say definitively, having been immersed in the gay wedding issue for over 12 years now, that marriage & family rights have in fact progressed!  -And by leaps & bounds!  It is getting better, and more and more people are counting it as a civil rights issue - which tells us that the concept is becoming more & more legitimized throughout our society.

I can also say that the feeling of powerlessness is just a perception.  Group dynamics can of course seem complex, but if we each do our part on an individual level... it does become possible to enact real & lasting change.

A prime example is our opportunity to vote.  And while one single ballot may not seem that important - well, I believe that is simply untrue.  It is in fact the case that each and every vote matters.  And perhaps even more important is the choice we make to take part in the political process:  voting rights have not always been afforded to the common people, nor to women, nor to African Americans, nor to the specially abled.  It's good to remember these historical facts, because they too remind us of the importance and sacredness of the opportunity that is before us tomorrow, Tuesday Nov. 6th.

There are such important issues on the ballot tomorrow.  Measures in states like Washington and Maryland, regarding marriage rights for the LGBT minority.  Choices between congressional candidates, whose place in Washington DC will directly affect just how much movement we see in the next few years on matters that affect each of us, every day.  And of course our choice for President - there is such a vast difference between the views of President Obama and Mr. Romney.  I encourage each of us to make it the utmost priority to get out the vote tomorrow.  It matters.

Certainly our thoughts are, for the most part, with the many people affected this week by the superstorm.  There seems so little to say, in the face of such extensive hardship and destruction.

Here at RainbowWeddingNetwork, we have contacted many of the wedding professionals we are aligned with, who are based in NJ and NYC.  Happily, most have responded that they are okay.  A few emails are still unanswered... which of course brings concern.

It seems as if any small effort we extend to help can not possibly be enough.  This brings another realization - obviously if each of us helps in a small way, we can in fact collectively make a big difference.

Our team here at RainbowWeddingNetwork has looked into donating to some of the LGBT community centers in NJ and NY that may have been affected, but instead we have decided that a more immediate (but perhaps sometimes overlooked) need is to offer assistance on behalf of the animals and pets that have also weathered this storm.

We'll be sending a donation to the Humane Society early next week. We'll include 50% of all the donations we receive for Expo ticket reservations this week and through the weekend.

Thank you for your help.

For many years, my partner Cindy & I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Abbie Goldberg, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Clark University.  She has dedicated herself, through the past several years, to legitimizing LGBT families and individuals through research.  By quantifying the experiences of LGBT parents and prospective parents, she and her staff are building real statistics that support us, as individuals, and also legitimize our minority to the broader general public.  It is research like hers that news outlets sometimes quote, to help people understand that children raised by gay and lesbian parents are perfectly well-adjusted, healthy, loved and happy!

Recently, Abbie has published a new book, available through Amazon.  I encourage those interested to check it out, or feel free to email Abbie if you have any interest in possibly participating with her upcoming research projects!
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When gay couples become parents, they face a host of questions and issues that their straight counterparts may never have to consider. How important is it for each partner to have a biological tie to their child? How will they become parents: will they pursue surrogacy, or will they adopt? Will both partners legally be able to adopt their child? Will they have to hide their relationship to speed up the adoption process? Will one partner be the primary breadwinner? And how will their lives change, now that the presence of a child has made their relationship visible to the rest of the world?

 In Gay Dads: Transitions to Adoptive Fatherhood, Abbie E. Goldberg examines the ways in which gay fathers approach and negotiate parenthood when they adopt. Drawing on empirical data from her in-depth interviews with 70 gay men, Goldberg analyzes how gay dads interact with competing ideals of fatherhood and masculinity, alternately pioneering and accommodating heteronormative “parenthood culture.” The first study of gay men's transitions to fatherhood, this work will appeal to a wide range of readers, from those in the social sciences to social work to legal studies, as well as to gay-adoptive parent families themselves.

Abbie E. Goldberg, Associate Professor
Department of Psychology
Clark University
950 Main St.
Worcester MA 01060
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
508.793.7289

Click here to visit Amazon and check out the book!