NY Celebrates First Marriage Ceremonies!

Equality Pennsylvania wants to, once again, congratulate our colleagues in New York State for their legislative victory in favor of same-sex marriage last month. After a 30 day waiting period, marriage licenses were first issued Sunday. In New York City alone, 1,143 couples got their licenses or were wed at marriage bureaus. Across the state, municipalities welcomed this turning point in the LGBT rights movement with mayors, city council leaders, and judges helping officiate or attending ceremonies.

While certainly a political victory, the ceremonies which took place yesterday also lent a human face to the struggle for LGBT rights, justice, and equality. Children finally saw their parents’ love and their families’ strength legitimatized by their government; parents were able to see their children marry the partners to whom they had remained loyal for decades, and LGBT youth were offered a vision of the future filled with hope and recognition.

Perhaps most heart-warming were the ceremonies recognizing the love and commitment of elderly couples who vowed to cherish each other so long ago. The New York Times highlighted two particular instances of this pure, human joy: “We feel a little more human today, “ [said] Ray Durand … after marrying his partner, Dale Shields, 79, whom he met 42 years ago by a jukebox in a West Village bar.” In fact, the first couple wed by the Manhattan clerk consisted of seventy-six year old Phyllis Sigel and eighty-four year old Connie Kopelov, partners for 23 years. “As Mr. McSweeney declared to the couple, “I now pronounce you married,” Ms. Siegel held Ms. Kopelov's head and kissed her on the left cheek.”

As we continue to work diligently against Representative Metcalfe’s proposed marriage amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution which would not only ban same-sex marriage indefinitely but also nullify existing partnerships, we are rejuvenated by the bliss emanating from New York. We thank our supporters for helping carry us this far and urge all Pennsylvanians to stand up for the right of all human beings to love freely and be recognized in the eyes of the law.

The NYTimes referenced in this post
A slideshow of NY Marriage Ceremonies and recently married couples

D-Town Unity Concert

On July 24th, come out to Siren Records in Doylestown for a night of great music for a great cause! The D-Town Unity Concert will bring a variety of talented area musicians together to raise money for the Rainbow Room, Bucks County's only center for LGBT youth and allies. Admission is $10, and will help support the Rainbow Room's activities. You'll also be supporting Marlene Pray, the founder of the Rainbow Room, in her campaign for Doylestown Borough Council. Marlene is a committed advocate for social justice, and will make sure that the rights of all of Doylestown's citizens are protected. Come say hello to Marlene, meet her campaign team, and enjoy some local bands! The event will run from 5 to 9 PM. For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=116128841813260.

Shopping for Equality

The team at Equality PA has been working hard this summer to secure equal rights for Pennsylvania's LGBT citizens. Now it's possible for you to contribute to our efforts simply by doing a little online shopping! Paul Nardone, one of our board members, has partnered with the Places & Pages Book Festival in Scranton to create an exciting new way to support Equality PA. Simply go to www.scranthology.com and use the site to buy anything that you'd normally buy from Amazon.com, be it shoes, gardening supplies, or books. A percentage of every purchase you make will then be donated to Equality PA. We established a fundraising goal of $100,000 to help cover travel and operating costs. Every purchase you make helps bring us a little closer to reaching that goal, and it's so easy to do! Be sure to tell your friends and family about this exciting opportunity to support a great organization while you shop.

Q Fest to Kick Off in Philly Tomorrow

Tomorrow, July 7th, marks the start of the 17th annual Philadelphia Q Fest, a film festival that brings the best new LGBTQ films to the City of Brotherly Love. Q Fest will run through Monday, July 18th, and will feature over 100 feature-length and short films at the Ritz East and Ritz at the Bourse theaters in Center City. Every type of film will be represented at Q Fest, from science fiction ("Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same") to dark comedy ("Mangus!") to romance ("eCupid," "Jamie and Jessie Are Not Together," etc.). Q Fest is distinctively international; the films come from places as diverse as Argentina, Lebanon, and Iceland, in addition to a wide variety of domestic releases. More information about the festival can be found here: http://www.qfest.com/index.cfm Come discover your new favorite movie!