Go to Video Blog for all the footage of the hearing.
MORE VIDEO FROM MT SUPREME COURT HEARING OF DONALDSON V. STATE OF MT
Go to Video Blog for all the footage of the hearing.
MT Supreme Court Hearing: Donaldson v. State of MT
The first video installment from the hearing of Donaldson v. State of MT before the Montana Supreme Court on Friday, April 13, 2012. Anthony Johnstone of the University of Montana Law School introduced the arguments in the case prior to the Court convening. Six same-sex couples are suing the state for denying equal protection as guaranteed in the state constitution. Montana has a marriage amendment defining marriage between one man and one woman; therefore, Donaldson is seeking domestic partnership status.
Go to Video Blog for all the footage of the hearing.
Videography by Tonya Easbey, TIP production manager
Thanks to ACLU of MT for the use of their video equipment.
FAIR IS FAIR IN MONTANA TOUR VIDEO
Highlights and interviews from the Fair is Fair in Montana Tour
10 days, 7 cities, and 1300 miles
The tour was co-sponsored by Truth in Progress & ACLU of Montana to gain and organize support for FAIRNESS for domestic partnerships in Montana.
As we traveled across the state, Truth in Progress spoke with members of the LGBT and Two Spirit communities as well as allies about the intersection of race, sexual orientation, gender identity, and religion. Here is some extraordinary footage representing the diversity of Montana and insights from those who fight for fairness and equality.
By TiP Production Manager Tonya Easbey
TiP and the “Gay Agenda”
Marilyn discusses the tangible contributions Truth in Progress and the Fair is Fair in Montana Tour make to the larger LGBTQI equality movement and whatever the so-called "Gay Agenda" is. The discussion on race, sexual orientation, gender identity, and religion is a key element of the national work as well as church and clergy organizing.
Ninia Baehr, LGBT Advocacy Coordinator for the ACLU of Montana, describes how we were able to expand the conversation beyond those who are already supportive of it.
Just tuning in to Truth in Progress. Click here to get more information about the Fair is Fair in Montana Tour co-sponsored with the ACLU of Montana.
TEAM FAIR IS FAIR: Marilyn describes Gil this time
We've had a few videos from the Fair is Fair in Montana Tour of Gil and Ninia describing their tour cohorts. I want to take this opportunity to describe Gil, his strategic work on the tour, some behind the scenes incidents, and his amazing unflagging commitment to the LGBT equality movement.
I've included stories of our time in Helena so let's get some fun facts about Helena before the video clip!
-Helena was founded with the July 14, 1864 discovery of gold in a gulch off the Prickly Pear valley by the "Four Georgians". About $3.6 billion (in today's dollars) of gold was taken from Helena's main street over a 20-year period.
-In 1888 Helena had more millionaires per capita than any other city in the world.
More fun facts:
-Gary Cooper (1901 - 1961) was born in Helena.
-In Helena, Montana it is illegal to throw an item across a street.
-In 1884, the citizens of Montana Territory were fed up with lawlessness and forming a large-scale vigilante force, they executed thirty-five horse and cattle thieves that year. Helenans, stil celebrate "Vigilante Day." Helena teenagers every spring get a day off from school to build floats for the Vigilante Parade, which the longest running, non-corporate sponsored parade in the United States.
Just tuning in to Truth in Progress. Click here to get more information about the Fair is Fair in Montana Tour co-sponsored with the ACLU of Montana.
TiP with jazz musician Eden Atwood and composer Claude Pineault
We met with Eden and Claude in their Pinewood Studios during our time in Missoula. What an amazing and magical time we had!
Gil has come up with a new FAIR IS FAIR IN MONTANA TOUR question: if you were to choose a karaoke song that represents your justice struggle/perspective, what would it be? Here's ours though we found professionals to sing while Gil and I moved, and I realized that I cannot spell R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
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WHY MONTANA?! WHY NOT MONTANA?!
Truth in Progress is co-sponsoring with the ACLU of Montana the FAIR IS FAIR Montana Tour September 17-26, 2011, to promote same-sex relationship recognition. Why are we focusing on Montana? Here are some reasons!
Laura W. Murphy, Director of ACLU Washington Legislative Office, talks about why legislative action on social issues in the state of Montana is significant to the rest of the country.
Footage by Robin Marlowe
TIP Coverage of District Court Hearing of Donaldson and Guggenheim vs. State of Montana in front of the Honorable Judge Jeffrey Sherlock, January 25, 2011.
Montana has no statewide system for recognizing same-sex relationships. As a result, same-sex couples and their families are denied access to the basic protections that the state grants to opposite-sex married couples. The ACLU is working to remedy the unfairness through Donaldson and Guggenheim v. State of Montana, a lawsuit seeking domestic partnerships for committed, loving couples. The case is in front of the Montana Supreme Court.
by Tonya Easbey
Plaintiff in Donaldson and Guggenheim v. State of MT speaks out
Together Mary Leslie and her partner Stacey Haugland of Bozeman, MT, make up one of six couples filing a suit against the state of Montana for denying their rights of privacy, dignity, pursuit of life's necessities, equal protection and due process as guaranteed in the state constitution. Basically the goal of the lawsuit Donaldson and Guggenheim v. State of Montana is to see that same-sex couples are able to protect their families with the same kind of legal protections that opposite-sex couples are offered through marriage.
Mary Leslie speaks here about why she is involved in the lawsuit and what has been the public's reaction to her.
Video footage by Robin Marlowe.
TRUTH IN PROGRESS is documenting this lawsuit through the eyes of Jan Donaldson and Mary Anne Guggenheim. We'll have exciting news to announce very soon about how TiP will be joining forces with ACLU MT to educate the public about relationship recognition.
Montana joins Selma and Birmingham, AL, and soon San Francisco and New York City as ongoing story lines of the larger LGBT Equality Movement that TiP is following!
