Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Marriage Equality: A Forum on Proposition 8

Evan Wolfson speaks at a Proposition 8 forum at Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, California, on October 14, 2008. He explains California's important place in history, why marriage matters to the 11,000 couples who have already legally gotten married in California, and how to explain the intangible benefits and responsibilities of marriage to undecided voters.

The talk is followed by a Q&A.

mp3

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Evan Wolfson - Securing the Freedom to Marry: What Next?

On September 15, 2008 Evan Wolfson spoke to the Philadelphia Bar Association at a program presented by the Family Law Section, Legal Rights of Unmarried Cohabitants, Civil Rights and LGBT Rights Committees.

He discussed how our current landscape mirrors Perez v. Sharp, when the California Supreme Court, in a 4-to-3 decision, becomes the first court in U.S. history to strike down race restrictions on marriage. He went on to explain the significance of holding on to marriage equality in California, and how marriage has been the context of many human rights fights through the history of our country.

The talk is followed by a Q&A.

mp3

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Evan Wolfson discusses the landscape for marriage in 2008

On June 24, 2008 Evan Wolfson was the guest speaker at the New York office of Dickstein Shapiro LLP. He discussed the landscape for marriage in 2008, and explained why the California Supreme Court's carefully-worded decision affirming the freedom to marry for gay and lesbian couples is one of the most important milestones in gay civil rights history.

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Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Gov. Schwarzenegger opposes ballot initiative to amend California Constitution to ban gay and lesbian marriages

Log Cabin Republicans National Convention
11 April 2008
San Diego

Log Cabin Republicans President Patrick Sammon: "Our organization started here in California in 1978 and grew out of a ballot initiative -- the Briggs Initiative -- which would have prohibited gay and lesbian people from teaching in California public schools. And during that campaign, former Gov. Reagan spoke out against it. And here we are 30 years later and we're looking ahead to November, where there very well could be a ballot initiative that's meant to forever ban same-sex couples from having the same responsibilities through marriage that other couples do. Can we count on your opposition to this effort to ban gay people from having marriage equality?"

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger: "Well, first of all, I think that it would never happen in California because I think that California people are much further along with that issue. And, number two, I will always be there to fight against that. I think we need a constitutional amendment so that foreign-born citizens can run for president, but not about gay marriage.

That's a total waste of time."

mp3


Tuesday, February 26, 2008

RADIO AD: Help

RADIO AD: Help
Garden State Equality
February 2008

Listen to Garden State Equality's radio commercial about how civil unions don't work, produced by Tom Oppel of All Points Communications.



Thursday, February 21, 2008

New Jersey’s Chief Opponent of Marriage Equality Says Letting Same-Sex Couples Marry Would Not Affect His Marriage

New Jersey’s Chief Opponent of Marriage Equality Says Letting Same-Sex Couples Marry Would Not Affect His Marriage
February 20, 2008

New Jersey's chief opponent of marriage equality, John Tomicki of the New Jersey Coalition to Preserve and Protect Marriage, stated yesterday that marriage equality for same-sex couples would not affect his marriage. His sweeping, quite puzzled response, "Why would it?" demolishes the argument that ending discrimination in marriage would destroy the institution.


Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Lizz goes one on one with Evan Wolfson

Lizz goes one one one with Evan Wolfson
Shoot the Messenger
February 11, 2008

Evan Wolfson breaks it down for the good folks at Shoot The Messenger. Shoot The Messenger is a satirical wrap-up of the week's news from the brain of Daily Show Co-creator Lizz Winstead. A live sketch-comedy show incorporating multi-media elements, it gives us the world as seen through the filters of the fictional producers and on-air talent at Wake-up World - America's first and only 6 hour Morning Show which is coincidentaly on 24/7 America's first and only infonewsment network.

42:03 min

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Evan Wolfson talks about Freedom to Marry Week on Coach Sappho's Live Podcast

Evan Wolfson on Freedom to Marry Week
Coach Sappho's Live Podcast
February 13, 2008
Wolfson discusses how Freedom to Marry Week is meant to prompt conversations about the inequality and exclusion that exists across our country, conversations we need to have every day of the week, every week of the year, until we end marriage discrimination. He notes there are a record number of actions and events taking place across the country with great press coverage and blog commentary. Wolfson also discusses the history of the marriage movement and the drive this year for the next state to win the freedom to marry.

60:00 min

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

WAMC New York Vox Pop: Governor Spitzer 2/12/08

In an hour-long call-in show called “Vox Pop” on WAMC Northeast Public Radio in Albany, Governor Spitzer talks about marriage equality. You can hear this three-minute discussion with “Vox Pop” host Alan Chartock beginning at 2’45” on the audio clip.

The Governor sharing his views in response to a caller named Phil who identified himself as man in his upper 70’s who has been in a relationship for over twenty years. He said about his partner and himself: “We Pay taxes, we vote, we pay our dues to our community.” His question for the Governor: “Do you have any sense that within our lifetimes the state will recognize our relationship so that we can benefit from the privileges and responsibilities that other married couples enjoy in New York State?”

Thursday, December 20, 2007

PODCAST: Tom Little on the recent VT marriage hearings

Vermont Public radio interviews Commission on Family Recognition chair Tom Little for a progress report on the ongoing hearings addressing a move from civil unions to full marriage. He talks about how people come forward to talk at the hearings as overwhelmingly supportive of the freedom to marry for gay and lesbian couples.

Friday, November 09, 2007

PODCAST: Marriage for all with Evan Wolfson and Freedom to Marry Pt2

On part two of Evan Wolfson's conversation on A Closer Look with Minister Gerald Palmer, callers continue to express religious opposition to gay people and marriage equality. Minister Palmer reminds the listeners that religious teaching benefits, and is not harmed, by honest discussion about tough issues. Wolfson explains that many religious leaders are voices of equality for the freedom to marry.

17 min

PODCAST: Marriage for all with Evan Wolfson and Freedom to Marry Pt1

van Wolfson explains on A Closer Look with Minister Gerald Palmer that civil marriage is a legal institution, and the government has a legal obligation not to exclude or discriminate against one group of Americans. Listeners called in to express confusion about the difference between religious ceremonies and legal marriage licenses. Wolfson reminds listeners that it's very important as Americans that people respect other people's religions, and nobody is trying to force religions to do anything they don't want to do. Conversely, our government should not impose any one religious view on the rest of us, and religion should never be used as an excuse to deny American citizens equal rights.Fair-minded people do not want the government discriminating against other citizens, or imposing one religion's rules on everyone else.

17 min

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

PODCAST: Interview with Evan Wolfson from Freedom to Marry

A Shanty No Lemon's Anthony Anselmo interviews Evan Wolfson about the importance of telling our stories and explaining why marriage matters to each of us. By talking about values and making it personal and emotional, you can touch people's hearts as well as their minds -- and we all need to do that now to create space for politicians, candidates, and judges to rise to fairness.

21:56 min

Thursday, August 02, 2007

PODCAST: Evan Wolfson discusses how marriage is important to the civil rights struggle for gay people nationwide

Evan Wolfson joined John Selig on OutSpoken Tuesday, July 31, 2007. He discussed what drives him in the fight for marriage equality, how it felt to be named one of Time's 100 most influential people, why the word "marriage matters," and how exclusion from the freedom to marry unfairly punishes committed same-sex couples and their families by depriving them of critical assistance, security, and obligations in virtually every area of life from the birth of children to death.

1hr 2min

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Freedom to Marry: The Road Ahead

Equality is not just a gay issue! Marriage discrimination infringes upon the civil rights and freedom of every American, gay and non-gay. Listen to Evan Wolfson discuss the freedom to marry movement in its historical context, and underscore the urgency of galvanizing the hearts and minds of Californians. CA, the first state to strike down racial discrimination in marriage, was also the first to pass a historic marriage equality bill in both houses of its legislature in 2006, before its veto by Gov. Schwarzenegger. The people's representatives in the most populous state continue to do the good work that, up until now, judges have done in other states.

1hr 19min