Freedom to Marry Podcast

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?”

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

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

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

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.

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

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