Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Same-sex marriage will remain legal in Pennsylvania, with no threat of a higher court reversing the decision made by a US District Court Judge yesterday who said the state’s ban was unconstitutional. Governor Tom Corbett decided today that he will not appeal Tuesday’s decision. Corbett said he still opposes same-sex marriage but believes an appeal would be extremely unlikely to succeed. Pennsylvania is the 19th state to recognize same-sex marriages, and the last in the northeastern U.S. to legalize it. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released the following statement on the ruling that Pennsylvania’s law banning same-sex marriage is unconstitutional: “I’m pleased that the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania today struck down the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. This was the right decision and is a step forward for equality in our Commonwealth and in the Nation. As a U.S. Senator representing Pennsylvania, I have heard from many LGBT Pennsylvanians and their families who want nothing more than equal rights under the law. As one mother from Pennsylvania said in a letter to me: ‘My kids have two proud and loving parents who are honest [and] work hard. I want my kids to know they are equal and our family is equal . . . I just want my family to be treated equally and with respect by my state and federal government.’ I believe this decision is a critical step toward achieving equal rights for all Pennsylvanians.” The news lead...

A federal judge declared Pennsylvania's ban on gay marriage unconstitutional today, making Pennsylvania the last Northeast state to allow same-sex marriage. In his 39-page written opinion Judge John E. Jones III said, "We are a better people than what these laws (banning same-sex marriage) represent. It is time to discard them into the ash heap of history." State Attorney General Kathleen had had declined to defend the ban in court, but the Corbett administration went ahead, arguing that states have the right to determine the definition of marriage. The state could still challenge the decision before the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

PHILADELPHIA – Against the backdrop of Love Park, state Reps. Brian Sims, D-Phila., and Steve McCarter, D-Montgomery/Phila., were joined by supporters in announcing the introduction of H.B. 1686, the Pennsylvania Marriage Equality Act. "The majority of Pennsylvanians now support marriage equality, and that support continues to grow," Sims said. "Neighboring states, including New York, Maryland and Delaware, have all decided to be on the right side of history and have granted equal rights to their LGBT citizens. The time has come for Pennsylvania’s legislature to stand up and let our citizens know we see them as truly equal members of society and they have the right to choose whom they marry. "With the Supreme Court ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act, it became apparent that Pennsylvania cannot continue to be stuck in the past. This is a civil rights issue facing our LGBT community. Furthermore, this issue is holding back Pennsylvania’s economy. People and busin...

NORRISTOWN, Pa. – D. Bruce Hanes, an elected county clerk in the suburbs of Philadelphia, has become something of a gay rights hero for granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples in defiance of Pennsylvania law. But the Civil War buff and married father of two says he is only doing what’s right. “I don’t see myself as a crusader,” said Hanes, 66, who issues marriage licenses as Montgomery County's register of wills and clerk of the county orphan’s court. Read more at NBC.com . Jeff Fusco photo / Getty Images for NBC News The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947