Tag Archives: LGBT

LGBT, Same-sex Marriage

LGBT COMMUNITY’S NEW BATTLE CRY: ‘DIVORCE EQUALITY NOW’

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O'Donnel, right, and second wife Michele Rounds
O’Donnell, right, and second wife Michele Rounds

SAN FRANCISCO, California  (The Adobo Chronicles) – The soon-to-leave The View host Rosie O’Donnell was a poster child (or adult) for marriage equality, having married her spouse Kelli Carpenter  at San Francisco’s City Hall in 2004.

That marriage didn’t last long. In 2012, she married another girlfriend, Michelle Rounds.

O’Donnel, 52, has confirmed that she and Rounds have been living apart for at least three months and have finally decided to divorce.

The problem is, while same-sex marriage is now allowed in 36 U.S. states, same-sex divorce has yet to be legalized.

Many same-sex couples who are married or in civil unions or registered domestic partnerships may not be able to get divorced. All states have some residency requirement for divorce: at least one spouse must be a resident of a state that recognizes their union in order to dissolve it. Same-sex couples who live in states that do not recognize their relationships may not be able to divorce.

Because of the increasing number of married gay couples deciding to part ways, LGBT organizations and advocacy groups are now scrambling to advocate for state legislation that would legalize same-sex divorce.

Same-sex divorce may be the next big battle in the U.S. Supreme Court, which is expected to rule this year on what could be a federally-mandated gay marriage in the next few months.

In San Francisco’s gay Castro Street last night, members of Equality California blocked entrances to the Muni station, shouting: “What do we want? Divorce Equality! Whe do we want it? Now!”

International, Language, LGBT

BIG CHANGES COMING TO MISS UNIVERSE PAGEANT NEXT YEAR

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Donald Trump with 2012 Miss Universe Olivia Carpo of the United States.
Donald Trump with 2012 Miss Universe Olivia Carpo of the United States.

DORAL, Florida (The Adobo Chronicles) – While the world is anticipating the final results of the 2014 Miss Universe Pageant now being held in Doral, Florida, Donald Trump has announced major changes in the international competition starting next year.

The business mogul and Miss Universe Pageant owner spoke with reporters tonight while he was busy assisting the 10 finalists put on their evening gowns in the dressing rooms.

Specifically, he announced three major changes:

1. The Miss Universe organization will now actively recruit transgender contestants to this international competition which originally only allowed contestants who were born women.

2. Because of the perennial outstanding performance in the pageant of contestans from Latin America (including Venezuela, Argentina, Colombia and Brazil), the pageant will adopt a new official language which will be used throughout the competition, from the preliminaries to the finals.  That language, of course, is Spanish.  Non-Spanish speaking contestants will still be allowed to engage the services of a language interpreter.

3. Trump will have to personally approve the final decision of the pageant’s panel of judges to ensure that his favorite contestants win the crown.  After all, he’s paying for it.

The LGBT community and Spanish-speaking countries immediately praised Trump’s new policies.  The government of the Philippines, meanwhile, has mandated the teaching of Spanish in schools and universities — from kindergarten through college, especially among women and girls to increase the country’s chances of winning more Miss Universe crowns.

 

Business, International, LGBT, Technology, The Media

MICROSOFT’S BILL GATES: “I’M STRAIGHT!”

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Gates, left, and Cook
Gates, left, and Cook

Seattle, Washington (The Adobo Chronicles) – What a ‘National Coming Out Month’ October was!

First, Apple CEO Tim Cook officially came out as a proud gay man, confirming what many in his inner circles already knew about the successor to the late Steve Jobs.

Today, Microsoft’s founder and chairman Bill Gates announced at a developers forum in Seattle that he was ‘straight.’

“Most everyone already knows that,” Gates said, ” but I wanted to make it official in the hope of inspiring young people who are unsure of their sexuality to come forward and categorically state their preference. Being straight should not be a barrier to success.”

While Cook has become the first openly gay leader of a major U.S. company, Gates’ announcement makes him the richest man in the U.S. to come out.

Now, there is hope for young gay or straight men and women to break the glass ceiling and become billionaires — thanks to role models Cook and Gates.