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Archive Version of
Partners Task Force for Gay and Lesbian Couples Online from 1995-2022 Demian and Steve Bryant originally founded Partners as a monthly newsletter in 1986. By late 1990 it was reformatted into a bi-monthly magazine. Print publication was halted by 1995 when Demian published Partners as a Web site, which greatly expanded readership. In 1988, the Partners National Survey of Lesbian & Gay Couples report was published; the first major U.S. survey on same-sex couples in a decade. In 1996, Demian produced The Right to Marry, a video documentary based on the dire need for equality that was made clear by the data from the survey mentioned above. The video featured interviews with Rev. Mel White, Evan Wolfson, Phyllis Burke, Richard Mohr, Kevin Cathcart, Faygele benMiriam, Benjamin Cable-McCarthy, Susan Reardon, Frances Fuchs, Tina Podlodowski, and Chelle Mileur. Demian has been the sole operator during the last two decades of Partners. Demian stopped work on Partners Task Force in order to realize his other time-consuming projects, which include publishing the book “Operating Manual for Same-Sex Couples: Navigating the rules, rites & rights” - which is now available on Amazon. The book is based on the Partners Survey mentioned above, his interviews of scores of couples, and 36 years of writing hundreds of articles about same-sex couples. It’s also been informed by his personal experience in a 20-year, same-sex relationship. Demian’s other project is to publish his “Photo Stories by Demian” books based on his more than six decades as a photographer and writer. |
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Marriage Project-Hawaii Support for Baehr v. Anderson, the legal marriage suit The Project expects to achieve equal marriage rights in Hawaii for all people, regardless of their sex or sexual orientation. It is expected that, due to the “full faith and credit” clause of the U.S. Constitution, same-sex marriage in Hawaii will facilitate successful legal recognition by other states. Marriage Project-Hawaii was organized in 1993 to help fund the legal costs in Baehr v. Lewin (which became Baehr v. Miike and is now called Baehr v. Anderson). In this case, three same-sex couples filed suit against the State of Hawaii for refusing to issue them marriage licenses. The Project has since involved into three different organizations (see addresses below) that informs the public, the media and the legislature about the court case and about the civil rights issues involved in same-sex marriage. While the Hawaii Supreme Court made a final ruling in December 9, 1999 which denied legal marriage to same-sex couples, the Project expects to continue fighting for all other forms of equal treatment and benefits in Hawaii. [note: For a review of the pursuit of marital legal status in the U.S., please see Legal Marriage Court Cases — A Timeline.]
Dan Foley is a prominent civil rights attorney and partner in Partington and Foley. He served in the Peace Corps from 1969 - 1970 in Africa. After receiving his law degree from the University of San Franciso, he spent eight years in Micronesia working on sovereignty issues and helping to write Micronesian constitutions. In recognition of his work on the Baehr case, Dan received the American Civil Liberties Union - Hawaii Lawyer of the Year Award for 1993. Honolulu Magazine named him Islander of the Year in 1995. Evan Wolfson, senior staff attorney of the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, joined as co-counsel in June 1993.
Ninia Baehr writes grants for a nonprofit organization and Genora Dancel is a pre-med student at John Hopkins. They have been together since 1990. Patrick and Joseph Melillo, partners since 1968, own silk-screen, floral-design, and catering business in Honolulu. Tammy Rodriguez & Antoinette Pregil live happily on Oahu.
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© 2022, Demian None of the pages on this Web site may be reproduced by any form of reproduction without permission from Partners, with the exception of copies for personal, student, and non-commercial use. Please do not copy this article to any Web site. Links to this page are welcome. |