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Pentagon working to restore benefits to LGBTQ+ veterans forced out under ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’
Thanks for checking out our Blog! We're the team of RainbowWeddingNetwork (Marianne, Cindy, Kendra & Ira) - Enjoy the posts, and always feel free to message us with any feedback through Facebook or email us directly. If you do reach out, be sure to request a copy of our latest e-newsletter! ...and remember to check your spam filter for any reply from us, if you don't see a response in your inbox.
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RainbowWeddingNetwork.com, National Tour of LGBTQ+ Wedding Expos, Sees Immediate Surge in RSVPS
Couples & LGBTQ+ friendly Wedding Professionals Motivated to Take Substantive Action in Response to Today’s SCOTUS Ruling
Vermont – Today's SCOTUS ruling marks a decision that many in the LGBTQ+ community have foreseen since Obergefell, but hoped would not come to pass.
“It’s not so much the fact that certain business professionals are now able to openly discriminate, protected by what has been very strongly worded as 'First Amendment' rights… it’s the precedent this sets. To write discrimination into law is a dangerous thing, and the LGBTQ+ minority is wise to what kind of backlash such politics might create. So they are continuing to find substantive ways to take action, and claim a place in this nation," says RainbowWeddingNetwork.com co-founder Marianne Puechl.
In September 2000, nearly a quarter of a century ago, Puechl and her partner Cindy Sproul founded an online wedding resource committed to the LGBTQ+ community, serving as a bridge between those couples and businesses that uphold a policy of non-discrimination. Since that time, their company has continued to grow the services of their website and also has produced over 300 signature LGBTQ+ Wedding Expos in 37 states all across the United States. Their event calendar for this year features 24 events.
"We've met hundreds of thousands of LGBTQ+ people who are planning weddings, and we've met with an even higher number of small business professionals who are allies of the community, simply wishing to serve ALL couples with respectfulness and civility. Treat all couples the same. It has been heartening this past 23 years to see the enthusiasm of heterosexual allies with regard to this very important issue, and I believe rulings like the SCOTUS decision today will only serve to motivate these advocates to come forward with even more rigorous support."
Couples too are continuing to take action. From RainbowWeddingNetwork.com's vantage point, the company's team can point to an uptick in RSVPs for all their LGBTQ+ Wedding Expos since the recent swell regarding anti-LGBTQ+ policies and proposed legislation, such as the 'Don't Say Gay' laws in Florida, attempts to ban drag performances, and unrelenting anti-trans rulings. "The Respect for Marriage Act late last year was a positive and bipartisan moment," Puechl goes on to say, "but couples knew even then that it was simply a placeholder. They are more committed than we've ever before seen this past quarter century to move ahead with their wedding plans and their married lives together, and to do it with pride and fearlessness.
"As a collective of LGBTQ+ individuals, and advocates of equality," Puechl continues, "we must use decisions like 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis to energize our resolve. Our community’s rights for fair treatment under the law also matter: I don't think there's any doubt anymore that it's our own responsibility to stand up for those rights and make sure they too are counted."
For Further Information: Marianne Puechl or Cindy Sproul, co-founders
O: 828-672-6377
www.RainbowWeddingNetwork.com / www.SameLoveSameRights.com
DID YOU KNOW...??
Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance at New York City’s historic Stonewall Inn this past Monday to commemorate LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Harris’ appearance marked the first time that a sitting vice president visited the space, the site of the 1969 June uprising that is largely credited as a turning point in the modern gay rights movement.
For Immediate Release: April 12, 2023
Media Contact:
Brandon Wolf ; Press Secretary
Equality Florida Issues Advisory Warning For Travel
ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- Today, Equality Florida took the extraordinary step of issuing a travel advisory, warning of the risks posed to the health, safety, and freedom of those considering short or long term travel, or relocation to the state. The move comes in response to a wave of safety inquiries Equality Florida has received following the passage of laws that are hostile to the LGBTQ community, restrict access to reproductive health care, repeal gun safety laws, foment racial prejudice, and attack public education by banning books and censoring curriculum. The full travel advisory can be found here.
“As an organization that has spent decades working to improve Florida’s reputation as a welcoming and inclusive place to live work and visit, it is with great sadness that we must respond to those asking if it is safe to travel to Florida or remain in the state as the laws strip away basic rights and freedoms,” said Nadine Smith, Equality Florida Executive Director. “While losing conferences, and top students who have written off Florida threatens lasting damage to our state, it is most heartbreaking to hear from parents who are selling their homes and moving because school censorship, book bans and health care restrictions have made their home state less safe for their children. We understand everyone must weigh the risks and decide what is best for their safety, but whether you stay away, leave or remain we ask that you join us in countering these relentless attacks. Help reimagine and build a Florida that is truly safe for and open to all, and where freedom is a reality, not a hollow campaign slogan.”
Governor Ron DeSantis, who has made the extremist policies the centerpiece of his presidential campaign strategy, has weaponized state agencies to silence critics and impose sanctions on large and small companies that dissent with his culture war agenda or disagree with his attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Already, the adopted and proposed policies detailed in the travel advisory have led Florida parents to consider relocating, prospective students to cross Florida colleges and universities off their lists, events and conferences to cancel future gatherings, and the United States military to offer redeployment for service members whose families are now unsafe in the state. Businesses have spoken out against the governor’s abuse of state power to punish dissent, with Disney CEO Bob Iger calling DeSantis “anti-business and anti-Florida.” The worsening attacks, especially those targeting transgender youth, have also led to the proposal of policies around the country to provide refuge for those fleeing states like Florida.
The Florida Immigrant Coalition, a statewide immigrant rights coalition of 65 member organizations and over 100 allies, also issued a travel advisory today, urging reconsideration of travel to Florida and providing critical information about where immigrant travelers can learn more about their constitutional rights. And just weeks ago, Florida chapters of the NAACP voted unanimously to request similar warnings to the Black community about the risk of traveling or relocating to the state.
Equality Florida's full travel advisory can be found here.
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Equality Florida is the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for Florida’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community. Through education, grassroots organizing, coalition building, and lobbying, we are changing Florida so that no one suffers harassment or discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
For Immediate Release: January 18, 2023
Media Contact:
Brandon Wolf, Press Secretary
Jon Harris Maurer; Public Policy Director
Florida State Board of Education Adopts New Rules Designed to Confuse & Intimidate Educators
TALLAHASSEE, FL -- Today, the Florida State Board of Education voted to adopt two vague rules that threaten to remove the professional licenses of teachers if violated (proposed rule number 6A-10.081 and proposed rule number 6A-5.065). While designed to create confusion and chill efforts by educators to affirm their LGBTQ students, the rules do nothing to compel teachers to out those students against their will.
“It's clear that the DeSantis Administration continues to weaponize state agency rules with one goal in mind: sow fear and uncertainty around how best to care for and respect LGBTQ Floridians,” said Jon Harris Maurer, Equality Florida Public Policy Director. “In this case, the State Board of Education’s rules are designed to create confusion about how best to address the needs of LGBTQ youth. However, these rules do not require teachers to out students against their will and do not compel educators to be less inclusive or welcoming of all students. Florida school districts have followed comparable policies for years that have allowed LGBTQ youth to continue building relationships and sharing information about their identity with those they trust. LGBTQ students, like all students, deserve to be protected from harm and treated with respect. Education professionals are tasked with continuing to provide safe, affirming environments for all young people in their care.”
The newly adopted rules threaten the licenses of educators who fail to notify families if the services a student receives change or if they require additional monitoring of their wellbeing. However, the simple knowledge of a student’s sexual orientation or gender identity does not constitute a change in services, nor does it require additional monitoring. Similarly, a student’s LGBTQ identity doesn’t automatically raise concerns about their mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being. In that way, these rules do not compel teachers to take any new action when a student discloses information about their identity.
These rules continue a series of politically motivated anti-LGBTQ attacks from the DeSantis Administration and state agencies over the past year. Emboldened by bigoted policies to censor LGBTQ people from classrooms and bar transgender young people from participating in sports with their classmates, the Governor and his appointees have weaponized agency rulemaking and enforcement processes to further discriminate against the community. The state’s Medicaid agency recently stripped transgender Floridians of coverage for gender affirming care and the Boards of Medicine and Osteopathy are proposing to ban that care for transgender youth. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation has been wielded as a weapon against LGBTQ-inclusive small businesses, targeting popular community gathering places that dare to host drag performances. And the Department of Education’s review of key provisions in the dangerous Don’t Say LGBTQ law is ongoing.
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Equality Florida is the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for Florida’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community. Through education, grassroots organizing, coalition building, and lobbying, we are changing Florida so that no one suffers harassment or discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Great news from Amy Grant! -Our congratulations to her niece & her fiancee on their upcoming wedding plans!
https://pridesource.com/article/amygrantgaywedding/
The Respect for Marriage Act - a great bipartisan milestone! The bill, which passed just this week in the US Senate, now returns to the House for another vote before it proceeds to the President to be signed into law. The Act will provide protections to LGBTQ+ couples at the federal level, specifically to ensure that our marriages cannot be annulled should the US Supreme Court at some point in the future overturn the Obergefell v. Hodges decision of 2015 which provided national marriage equality.
Again, The Respect for Marriage Act is a great achievement! However, it is not a guarantee of ongoing marriage equality throughout the country. Individual states are poised to disallow LGBTQ+ couples to marry, should the Supreme Court overturn Obergefell v. Hodges. This would likely mean that in the future couples who reside in certain states might have to cross borders to legally marry... and it opens the door for individual states to find ways to limit state protections after the couple is married, even though federal protections will remain intact.
The Respect for Marriage Act also does not provide any further protections to guard against discrimination from particular wedding vendors.
So... there is still work to do on behalf of full equality for our community!! Celebrate this victory... and continue to keep yourself informed as future legislation is considered. And most of all, continue to stay active in the community and VOTE in all elections to do your part to forward EQUALITY for us all.
As always, if you have questions about the specifics of the law and how it applies to you and your committed relationship with your partner and/or your family, RainbowWeddingNetwork encourages you to seek out legal counsel from someone who is experienced with LGBTQ+ issues.
Nov. 16, 2022 - The United States Senate is set to vote on the federal Respect for Marriage Act today. The federal law, which is expected to pass, would ensure marriage recognition between states should Obergefell be overturned at some point in the future by the conservative-leaning Federal Supreme Court. The law would ensure that states not recognizing or barring same-sex marriages in a post-Obergefell world would be required to recognize legal marriages from other states, at least with regard to federal rights and responsibilities. It would not, however, have an impact on rights at the state level. The law is designed to ensure some degree of protection in a worst-case scenario for marriage equality, while still on a firm states' rights standing to guard it from future legal challenges. It is arguably the most important milestone for LGBTQ+ rights since the June 2015 Obergefell vs Hodges ruling.
Do you have concerns about how the current political climate may impact your marriage or marriage plans?
Join our discussion in our Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/LGBTQWeddings.
For Immediate Release: October 19, 2022
Media Contact:
Brittany Link ; Communications Director
Joe Saunders; Senior Political Director
Florida Board of Education Passes New Sweeping Anti-LGBTQ Rules
New rules target school districts that have LGBTQ-Inclusive policies, teachers, and transgender youth
ORLANDO, FL -- Today, the Board of Education voted unanimously on new rules designed to intimidate school districts and teachers that affirm LGBTQ students — including expanding the enforcement of HB 1557, the Don’t Say LGBTQ law. One rule passed today threatens teachers with termination of both their job and education certificate if they are found to have engaged in “classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity”. As passed, the discriminatory Don’t Say LGBTQ law allows conservative parents to sue school districts but is silent regarding individual educators. Proponents of the Don’t Say LGBTQ law failed to heed the objections of Equality Florida and other civil rights groups who shared deep concern with the law’s vague and undefined reference to “classroom instruction”. The rule passed today does nothing to clarify what families teachers can acknowledge, what supports can be provided to LGBTQ students, or what speech is exempt from this categorical ban even as it threatens teachers' jobs and licenses.
“The Board of Education’s move to target individual teachers' jobs and licenses is another cruel attack from an administration that has spent months punching down at Florida’s LGBTQ youth and families,” said Joe Saunders, Equality Florida Senior Political Director. “Qualified, effective teachers are fleeing the profession in Florida thanks to the constant politicization of their roles and discrediting of their characters by the DeSantis Administration. Rather than help to clarify the Don’t Say LGBTQ laws scope, the Board of Education has taken this bigoted law to yet another extreme, threatening teachers if they dare to acknowledge LGBTQ families in the classroom. This escalation in deference to the far right agenda of the governor makes our schools less inclusive -- and less safe.”
The rule also directly contradicts recent interpretations of the Don’t Say LGBTQ law’s scope offered in a ruling from federal judge Allen Winsor. In his September 29 ruling granting the state’s motion to dismiss a case challenging the Don’t Say LGBTQ law, Judge Winsor repeatedly pointed to the responsibility of school districts to determine what teachers may or may not teach, writing "The law is enforced against school districts—not individual teachers. Fla. Stat. § 1001.42(8)(c)7.b.(I)-(II). With or without the law, school districts direct teachers as to what they may and may not teach."Today’s rule further shifts the burden of interpreting the vague and sweeping law to teachers.
Another rule passed today targets school districts with policies that allow transgender students safe access to bathrooms and locker rooms. While not denying those facilities to transgender and nonbinary students, the new rule requires school districts notify parents in the district if they have a policy allowing bathrooms or locker rooms to be separated on a basis "other than biological sex at birth."
“The Board of Education’s facilities separation rule does not and cannot prevent transgender students from accessing facilities aligned with their gender identity — we know Federal law and the constitution protect these rights. Florida school districts have been following federal law for more than a decade, establishing policies we know will continue to work long after this politically-motivated proposed rule. What it does do is attempt to bully and intimidate districts that are providing these accommodations. Ron DeSantis’ war on transgender Floridians must end. All students deserve access to school facilities that are inclusive and safe,” added Saunders.
Nearly 100 pro-equality advocates attended the Board of Education meeting today in Orlando, and over 1,000 people sent messages to board members in support of teachers, families, and LGBTQ students.
These rules come in the wake of other attacks on LGBTQ students by the Department of Education. Last year, the department acquiesced to DeSantis’ anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, scrubbing its website of anti-bullying resources aimed at improving the mental and physical health of LGBTQ students. Newly appointed Education Commission Manny Diaz, a former state senator who sponsored the Don’t Say LGBTQ law, wasted no time wielding the Department against LGBTQ students. In July he issued a memo instructing school districts to ignore Title IX nondiscrimination protections for transgender students, threatening costly penalties even though federal law and case law require accommodations for transgender youth.
The Board of Education is just one of a number of state agencies being weaponized against the LGBTQ community by Governor DeSantis and his administration. Florida’s Medicaid agency (the Agency for Health Care Administration) recently created a rule ending Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care in the state. The Board of Medicine is currently undergoing a similar rulemaking process that could threaten the licenses of health care professionals for providing gender-affirming care to transgender youth. And in July, the governor weaponized the Department of Business and Professional Regulation against an LGBTQ-owned small business in Miami, threatening to strip the restaurant of its liquor license after they hosted a drag performance at their weekly Sunday Brunch.
Despite these new attacks by the DeSantis Administration, LGBTQ-inclusive school district policies are still supported by federal protections that exist to provide safe, welcoming spaces for all students. The Biden Administration has issued guidance instructing schools to comply with Title IX protections against discrimination on the basis of sex, which is inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity. School districts must continue supporting LGBTQ students, creating safe, inclusive environments, and implementing the bigoted Don’t Say LGBTQ law as narrowly as possible to mitigate the harms it is inflicting on students and families.
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Equality Florida is the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for Florida’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community. Through education, grassroots organizing, coalition building, and lobbying, we are changing Florida so that no one suffers harassment or discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Check out Billy Eichner's new film "BROS", premiering this week: Hilarious romantic comedy with all-LGBTQ+ cast!
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 18, 2022 Delphine Luneau | Human Rights Campaign Urges Federal Lawmakers to Pass Bipartisan Respect for Marriage ActLegislation Would Repeal 1990s-Era ‘Defense of Marriage Act’ That Was Later Rendered Unenforceable By Supreme Court, Affirms Obergefell v. Hodges WASHINGTON — The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) — the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization — today marked the introduction and urged the passage of the bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act in Congress. This legislation would guarantee the federal rights, benefits, and obligations of marriage s in the federal code, repeal the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), and affirms that public acts, records and proceedings should be recognized by all states. HRC is urging federal lawmakers to move forward with passage of this important legislation. In response to the introduction of the bill, HRC Interim President Joni Madison issued the following statement: “The Defense of Marriage Act — which excluded legally married same-sex couples from accessing the federal rights, benefits, and obligations of marriage — is a stain upon our nation and deserves to be relegated to the trash bin of History. With the Respect for Marriage Act, Congress has the opportunity to right this wrong by creating an inclusive law that also standardizes the mechanism for evaluating when a marriage should be given federal recognition and affirms that public acts, records, and judicial proceedings should be honored across this country.” Key Provisions of the Bill The Respect for Marriage Act would ensure that marriage equality is protected nationally through several provisions:
More Than Two-Thirds of People Support Marriage Equality The latest survey from PRRI this year on support for LGBTQ+ rights showed nearly seven in ten Americans (68%) favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry legally. Support has increased by 14 percentage points since 2014 (54%). Republicans are now nearly evenly divided over same-sex marriage (48% support, 50% oppose), while 81% of Democrats and 73% of independents favor marriage equality. Today, majorities of most religious groups favor marriage equality. White evangelical Protestants (35%) and Latter-day Saints (46%) remain the only major religious groups with less than majority support for same-sex marriage. The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ+ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community. ### |
Here is a press release from the HRC... It of course is vital that we, as members of the LGBTQ+ community (and our allies), rally and educate ourselves with regard to voting as well as volunteering and finding ways to support one another... and to support other communities when we can. During tumultuous times such as these, we don't have the option to remain on the sidelines. As possible, here at RainbowWeddingNetwork, we will post information like this - in line with the 'networking' part of our name. As always, thank you to each of you for your efforts, large and small, toward greater equality for all.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 6, 2022
HRC Staff |
Human Rights Campaign Endorses 14 Pro-Equality Champions for U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC – Today, the Human Rights Campaign PAC (HRC PAC) announced its endorsement of 14 pro-equality candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives running for election in 2022.
Across the country, HRC PAC works every day to elect pro-equality leaders who will advocate for policies that will support the rights and lives of LGBTQ+ people. This year alone, more than 320 anti LGBTQ+ bills are under consideration in state legislatures. Of those, at least 140 directly target transgender people. It is critical now more than ever to elect leaders that are ready to stand up for equal rights for all Americans.
Human Rights Campaign Interim President Joni Madison released the following statement:
“The Human Rights Campaign is proud to endorse pro-equality leaders that are ready to step up as champions for equal rights in the House of Representatives. We know that this group of candidates will help deliver meaningful and impactful change, which can only happen when our leaders are as diverse in their experiences and backgrounds as the people they represent. They represent the broad spectrum of diversity of the American people and their election into office would increase representation of LGBTQ+ people, women, and people of color.
These leaders have an exemplary record of advancing equality in their respective states, and we’re confident that they will advocate for nationwide policies that work for all Americans, including the LGBTQ+ community.”
During the 2020 election cycle, HRC staff on the ground recruited 5,800 individual volunteers nationwide who completed 28,500 hours of voter contact in more than 2,650 volunteer events. HRC engaged in robust digital and online GOTV efforts, including sending over 2.7 million person-to-person text messages, a massive increase from 2018 when approximately 500,000 texts were sent. HRC sent over 2.5 million mail pieces, had over 930,000 phone conversations with voters, and engaged more than 200,000 voters through HRC’s voter dashboard at hrc.org/vote.
HRC-Endorsed U.S. House Candidates Seeking Election
Daniel Hernandez (AZ-6)
Will Rollins (CA-22)
Robert Garcia (CA-42)
Jay Chen (CA-45)
Brittany Pettersen (CO-7)
Yadira Caraveo (CO-8)
Christina Bohannan (IA-1)
Liz Mathis (IA-2)
Wiley Nickel (NC-13)
Jackie Gordon (NY-2)
Greg Landsman (OH-1)
Emilia Sykes (OH-13)
Jamie McLeod-Skinner (OR-5)
Becca Balint (VT-AL)
The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ+ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.
It was Albert Einstein who said, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity."
Well, Albert, we are certainly in the middle of rather tumultuous difficulty!!
Roe v. Wade has been overturned, there have yet again this year been hundreds of newly proposed anti-LGBTQ+ legislative bills all across the USA, minor gun control legislation may pass but at the same time a sweeping open carry law has been put into effect via a Supreme Court ruling...
...And so many in our community are gravely concerned that LGBTQ+ marriage equality will be next.
Will it be overturned by the Supreme Court next year?? I'm one of the founders of RainbowWeddingNetwork, and for 22 years my partner and I have been witness to and actively involved with the saga of marriage equality throughout the country. We have seen states and locales extend marriage access, and then rescind. In June 2015, when the Obergefell v. Hodges decision came down, we were elated and the whole experience for our community changed: it felt like we went from being a ping-pong-ball minority to something a little bit more accepted; a little bit more validated.
And in my humble opinion, having walked this road for 22 years... that is all about to change once again.
In some ways, we can understand that the founding of our nation was based upon a back-and-forth, push-and-pull momentum, wherein differing viewpoints compete for control and dominance both at the legislative level and the societal level. In many ways, this is a healthy ideal.
But, it's been overtaken in recent years -for the past few decades perhaps- and has become not a framework for vigorous discourse... but instead has become a battleground. -Wherein differing viewpoints are not permitted nor idealized, but instead made into matters of utmost suspicion that lead to extreme divisiveness and either hatefulness or the appearance of it, used for politicized purposes. The ideals of our founding fathers and mothers have been weaponized. For political gain. For money. For power. Capitalism at its low point? Maybe. But I suppose that is for polical analysts, sociologists and other academics to decide.
As for our experience, it is a "difficulty" to say the least. But wherein lies the opportunity??
Well, to put it simply: that opportunity remains, as it ever has, in our own hands. As citizens of this "last great experiment" (to quote yet another genius), it is within our own power to enact the change we desire.
The LGBTQ+ community has, throughout the years since Stonewall, remained one of the most politically active minorities in the USA. We march. We protest. We also attend zoning meetings, and planning hearings, town meetings and district gatherings. We write letters to our political leaders, we call, we speak up on behalf of others in our community and on behalf of our children. We march further. We vote. We encourage others to do so also. We make our voices known.
But in recent years, many of us have become more complacent. It's been hard to stay energized, midst the challenges of a worldwide pandemic and before that, midst the onslaught of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, legislative proposals and violence that we have experienced since June 2015. The promise of Obergefell v. Hodges, for many, fell short, simply because a new Presidential administration took hold shortly thereafter, and the wave of chaos that ensued felt overwhelming.
But now the latest difficulty that faces us requires great rigor and renewed commitment. We have to muster strength and stand up - we must march again, get out the vote again, perhaps run for office ourselves even despite the violence, frustration and heartache. We must remember that we will not establish a more perfect union, unless we ourselves keep up the discourse in ways that are non-aggressive yet mightily productive.
Every action matters. Come out. As LGBTQ+... as a climate activist... as an animal rights advocate... as a fan of the arts... as a helpful neighbor and friend... as a citizen of a country that requires each of us to be as active as we possibly can be, and to keep hold of the lfesaving belief that, even within the depths of this challenging time, we can still find the very real opportunities to give ourselves a stronghold and rise to meet the moment.
Our minority definitely has an opportunity in this time and in this place. We can become a beacon of non-violence and productive momentum, for greater equality for all minorities and for all people. Because we know the truths of what inequity feels like, we can easily commit ourselves to the ideal that equality for all, and in every circumstance, is a cause worth standing up for. - A cause worth standing for together.
-Marianne Puechl, co-founder / RainbowWeddingNetwork.com
Here at www.RainbowWeddingNetwork.com, we are certainly proud to note that it's been 22 years since the launch of our website. We have been witness to so much history these past two decades!
Back in 2000, we began our site because there were no other such resources available for our community. My partner, Cindy, and I were planning our own commitment ceremony and saw firsthand how limited services were that helped LGBTQ+ couples navigate the process of planning a wedding. Cindy had the foresight then to realize that there was no registry anywhere in the world that offered the simple header of "Partner & Partner" instead of "Bride & Groom"... so we started one! RainbowWeddingNetwork.com was officially launched in September 1999, with no budget, no investors... and only grassroots marketing efforts. Yet within six months the site attracted over 1 million hits!
Not long after, we survived the dot com crash, a devastating flood, then the recession... all midst the backdrop of various progressions on the political scene regarding LGBTQ+ marriage equality. We had the opportunity to meet so many amazing and courageous couples and advocates of non-discrimination, as well as wedding vendors and political figures who worked and served on behalf of our community. When we marketed our new idea back in 1999 at Pride celebrations and other events, most people we talked to did not then agree with us that the issue of marriage equality is a civil rights issue, and even midst the crazy buzz of Y2K deserved our attention. And so, day after day, year after year, we watched and worked on behalf of this cause and this ideal... and witnessed its evolution from idea to belief.
In 2003, our little company began producing LGBTQ+ Wedding Expos, with our first in Minneapolis that November. The next year, we produced events in Boston and San Francisco... and today we produce between 22 and 26 events each year and have had the honor to visit 37 different states with our expos. Amazing!
In 2006, we began publication of the world's first-ever LGBTQ+ Wedding Magazine, Rainbow Wedding Network Magazine, and saw distribution throughout the nation.
Our website continued to grow and change, of course, but our mission always remained the same: to bridge LGBTQ+ couples with wedding, home and travel professionals who uphold a policy of non-discrimination. And to continue to hold on to the belief that equality for our minority is a right, and nothing less.
Today, we continue to adapt and grow during the unprecedented times of COVID-19, grateful that our events are once again taking place on various weekends somewhere across the country. We continue to hold the faith that, despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic and the chaotic political climate, we will be able to continue effectively assisting couples in finding those wedding, home and travel professionals who wish to serve them with respect and joy. And we strive to continue to serve our friends who own small businesses, such as photographers and DJs, bakers and floral designers... trying our best to offer affordable marketing opportunities both at the expos and also online so that they can efficiently book new clients during this challenging time.
THANK YOU to all those who have supported our company - either twenty years ago or in recent days... We appreciate each of you for helping Rainbow Wedding Network in its efforts to support LGBTQ+ couples and our allies, as successfully as possible, now and for many years to come.
-Marianne Puechl & Cindy Sproul, founders
RainbowWeddingNetwork.com / SameLoveSameRights.com / RainbowFamilySeries.com / AuthorinVermont.com
Check out this interesting article by BBC.com contributor Sean Coughlan:
A diary written by a Yorkshire farmer more than 200 years ago is being hailed as providing remarkable evidence of tolerance towards homosexuality in Britain much earlier than previously imagined.
https://www.bbc.com/news/education-51385884?utm_source=pocket-newtab