United Kingdom: BBC Recaps Marriage Equality Battle

France: Traitor Of The Republic Dominique Venner’s Suicide Note

An anti-gay marriage kook shot himself in the head inside Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Even Catholics went “WFT?”.

Joe.My.God. reports:

“I believe it is necessary to sacrifice myself to break with the lethargy that is overwhelming us. I am killing myself to awaken slumbering consciences.” - French anti-gay marriage activistDominique Venner, from the suicide note found near his body at the altar of Notre Dame Cathedral. 

Venner’s suicide remains headline news across France today and the ruling Socialist Party has issued a denouncement of his action.  Party head Harlem Desir: “The bill has been approved and opponents of marriage for everyone need to understand that it is now the law of the republic.”

RELATED: The BBC has more on Venner: “Venner was once imprisoned for activities with the Secret Army Organization (OAS), which opposed Algerian independence in the early 1960s and tried to assassinate President Charles De Gaulle.”

United Kingdom: House Of Commons Passes Gay Marriage Bill By 366-161 Vote

The Huffington Post UK reports:

MPs were encouraged to be “proud” after the government’sgay marriagebill easily cleared the House of Commons on Tuesday evening.
However,David Camerononce again failed to convince the majority of his own backbenchers to back the legislation and had to rely on Ed Miliband’s support.
The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill received its third reading by 366 votes to 161 - a majority of 205. Early reports suggested around 133 Tories voted against the bill with 117 voting in favour.
Culture secretary Maria Miller, who had the difficult job of piloting the bill past through the Commons and past more than half of her own backbenchers, said the party should be “proud” of bringing in gay marriage.
“We will look back on the passage of this bill as we now look back on the introduction of civil partnerships. We will be in no doubt that equal marraige is right and we will be proud that we made it happen,” she said.
Miller’s message may well have been aimed at several Tory MPs who voted against civil partnerships when they were introduced in 2005 - but have since changed their minds.
Recognising the wounding split the bill has opened up in the party, she added: “Let us make equal marriage possible because it is the right thing to do, and then, let us move on.”
Having secured its third reading the bill will now be scrutinised by the House of Lords - where opponents of the bill hope to still be able to kill it off.
David Cameron has come under intense pressure from backbench MPs and grassroots party activists to drop the bill. Former Conservative cabinet minister Norman Tebbit told the prime minister he had “really fucked things up” by changing the law on marriage as it would open up the possibility of a lesbian queen and fathers marrying sons.
Yvette Cooper, the shadow equalities minister, said MPs should be pleased they were able to deliver “joy” for gay couples who wanted to get married. “No one has any excuse to ditch or delay this legislation,” she said.
In February, 136 Tories voted against the bill’s second reading while 127 voted in favour. In total the bill passed 400 votes to 175 - a majority of 225 - but it needed Labour and Lib Dem support to overcome Tory opposition.
Highlighting the necessary role Labour played in getting the bill through, Cooper encouraged anti-gay marriage Tory MPs to “stop talking abot the anger and start talking about the joy”. And she dismissed objections that gay marriage would in any way impact on heterosexual couples.
“The idea that two brides tying the knot says anything about their neighbours next door is simply ludicrous,” she told the Commons. “It’s not a definition its a discrimination.”
Writing for The Huffington Post UK on Tuesday, Ed Miliband said Cameron was being pushed around by his “backward” MPs.
“This week we have watched the prime minister looking desperately over his shoulder at the MPs behind him over the issue of same-sex marriage,” he said.
Former Tory police minister Nick Herbert, the leading pro-gay marriage backbencher, said the bill “will do no harm but a very great deal of good by celebrating love and commitment”. He added that his Tory colleagues who opposed the move would be shown to be wrong in time, just as those who opposed the decriminalisation of homosexuality had been.
Fellow Tory Charles Walker, who supported the bill, enthusiastically told MPs: “I didn’t come into politics to be defined by what I am against, I ame into politics to be defined by what I am for.
“Tonight is a good night.”

USA: Updated Gay Marriage Map

Minnesota: Celebration In The State Capitol Rotunda

The DOMA Project: Missing Husband

More on this couple’s story is here.

Minnesota: Senate Passes Marriage Equality Bill 37-30

Joe.My.God. reports:

The Minnesota Senate will begin debate on its marriage equality bill at noon local time (1pm Eastern).   The bill is expected to pass and Gov. Mark Dayton is likely to sign it in a ceremony presently scheduled to take place tomorrow.  You can watch today’s proceedings live on the website of theStar-Tribuneand on the Senate’s official page.  You’ll probably want to save both links as high traffic often makes these streams crash.  Zoom, zoom, zoom, y’all.

AFER’s Matt Baume: Marriage News Watch

Northern Ireland Rejects Marriage Equality

The Telegraph reports:

A bid to legalise same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland has failed.
Unionists voted down a motion at Stormont’s Assembly which called on the power-sharing ministerial Executive to legislate.
Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK without marriage rights for gay couples.
The issue sparked impassioned debate, with protests outside the legislature and verbal clashes between campaigners in favour of or opposed to the change. Amnesty International has warned of a likely legal challenge.
Sinn Fein South Down MLA Caitriona Ruane said: “Attitudes in Ireland are changing because people do not want to see people discriminated against.
“The gay community has said enough is enough, they are standing up for themselves and their communities.”
She claimed young people were turning to suicide by because of the taunts.
“If they don’t have an alternative voice to the vitriolic gay bashing they will internalise it,” she said.
“There is no room for sitting on the fence on this, this is about fighting for all our children’s rights.”
Church leaders had urged Assembly members to vote against the legislation, with the Catholic church asserting marriage was between a man and a woman.
However, Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty’s orthern Ireland programme director, said: “States may not discriminate with regards to the right to marry and found a family, on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.”
Yesterday’s petition of concern at the Assembly tabled by the largest unionist party, the Democratic Unionists, ensured Sinn Fein’s motion would be defeated after a majority of unionists failed to back the change.
John O’Doherty, director of the Rainbow Project health organisation for gay men and a rights campaigner, said he would continue to press for change.
“This will be won slowly so we appreciate every vote that we got. We are disappointed with the outcome. It has always been a difficult march towards equality here but we will continue to fight the good fight.”

France Holds First Gay Wedding Fair

New Zealand: MP Maurice Williamson Delivers Great Speech During Debate

New Zealand: Gay Marriage Passes

And thus, becoming the 13th nation in the world where gay marriage is legal. 

UPDATE: The song is Pokarekare Ana, a “traditional New Zealand Maori love song” and the nation’s unofficial national anthem.

Uruguay: History Made by Legalising Marriage Equality

Marriage Equality Nations

FRANCE: Senate Approves Section One Of Marriage Bill By 179-157 Vote

Towleroad reports:

The French Senate today approved Section 1 of its marriage equality billin a vote of 179 to 157. Section 1 removes the requirement for different genders as a condition of the right to marry.
The bill was adopted after more than 10 hours of discussion. The National Assembly has already passed it 329-229 and according to AFP will not need to see it again.
Looks as though marriage equality is going to happen in France!
There are mostly French news reports right now so if anybody would like to fill in the details of what happens next, please feel free in the comments.