Prop 8 News from Stop8.org: AP

Court won't force Calif officials to defend Prop 8 Friday, 09/03/10
AP

Presiding Justice Arthur Scotland did not explain why the appeals court turned down the request filed two days earlier by the Pacific Justice Institute.

The institute now plans to take the matter to the California Supreme Court, Chief Counsel Kevin Snider said Thursday.

"We are disappointed that the appellate court showed indecisiveness in trying to prevent a constitutional crisis," Snider said. "They didn't want to deal with it."

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Legal group seeks to compel Calif to defend Prop 8 Wednesday, 09/01/10
AP

A conservative legal group is trying to force Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown to defend California's gay marriage ban in court.

The Pacific Justice Institute petitioned the 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento on Monday for an emergency order that would require the two officials to appeal a ruling that overturned Proposition 8.

Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker struck down the voter-approved measure as unconstitutional last month.

Its sponsors have appealed. But doubts have been raised about whether they have authority to do so because as ordinary citizens they are not responsible for enforcing marriage laws.

The state has until Sept. 11 to challenge Walker's ruling in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Both Brown and Schwarzenegger, who also refused to support Proposition 8 in Walker's court, have said they do not plan to.

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Schwarzenegger calls for same-sex weddings Friday, 08/06/10
AP

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown have filed motions calling for resumption of same-sex weddings in the state.

The officials filed the motions after U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker previously overturned Proposition 8, California's voter-approved gay marriage ban.

Resuming gay marriage "is consistent with Californias long history of treating all people and their relationships with equal dignity and respect," Schwarzenegger said in his legal filing.

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Hawaii lawsuit seeks equal rights for gay couples Thursday, 07/29/10
AP

Six gay couples in Hawaii are filing a lawsuit Thursday asking for the same rights as married couples, three weeks after Gov. Linda Lingle vetoed a same-sex civil unions measure.

The lawsuit doesn't seek the titles of "marriage" or "civil unions" for gay partners. Instead, it requests that the court system extend them the benefits and responsibilities of marriage based on the Hawaii Constitution's prohibition against sex discrimination.

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Gay marriage issue affects Calif. GOP Senate race Friday, 04/02/10
AP

Former congressman Tom Campbell, a supporter of gay marriage, finds himself under attack and his previous front-runner status reduced to a statistical tie with former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina in one poll. Another poll taken about the same time showed Campbell clinging to a narrow lead.

The National Organization for Marriage is spending $300,000 on television ads that liken Campbell to Boxer on taxes and gay marriage, calling them two peas in the same liberal pod.

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Evidence skirmish could delay end of Prop 8 trial Wednesday, 03/17/10
AP

Walker heard more than 90 minutes of arguments Tuesday and said he would issue a written ruling later.

Three groups that opposed Proposition 8 are challenging U.S. Magistrate Joseph Spero's order earlier this month requiring them to hand over all documents "that contain, refer or relate to arguments for or against Proposition 8," with the exception of private communications between their core leaders.

At Tuesday's hearing, lawyers for those groups contended the disputed e-mails and memos were irrelevant to the case, and it was unfair to make the groups sift through tens of thousands of documents because they were not officially part of the litigation.

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Prop 8 Backers Voiced Fear Of Polygamy, Bestiality Monday, 01/25/10
AP

It appeared the lawyers were introducing the material to demonstrate the campaign for the ban appealed to religious-based, anti-gay bias to scare voters into supporting the measure.

The trial, being held in San Francisco, is the first in a federal court to examine if states violate the U.S. Constitution by preventing same-sex couples from marrying.

Proposition 8 sponsors objected to the video, saying the content of the simulcast was not controlled by campaign managers or leaders.

However, Chief U.S. Judge Vaughn Walker allowed the material to be put into the record because the coalition of religious and conservative groups behind Proposition 8 paid for Garlow's work.

In the six-minutes of video shown for Walker, various people opined on the negative consequences of legalizing gay marriage. One unidentified speaker compared the potential social impact of "this social reengineering of marriage" to the way the 9/11 terrorist attacks made the world "a fundamentally different place."

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AMA votes to seek repeal of 'don't ask,don't tell' Thursday, 11/12/09
AP

The American Medical Association on Tuesday voted to oppose the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, and declared that gay marriage bans contribute to health disparities.

The nation's largest doctors' group stopped short of saying it would seek to overturn marriage bans, but its new stance angered conservative activists and provides a fresh boost to lobbying efforts by gay-rights advocates.

"It's highly significant that the AMA as one of this country's leading professional associations has taken a position on both of these issues," said Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, a Washington-based advocacy group.

The health disparities measure "in the long run, will certainly help efforts to win marriage equality," Carey said.

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Wis. AG won't defend domestic partnership law Saturday, 08/22/09
AP

Wisconsin's attorney general says he won't defend a law that grants same-sex couples spousal benefits.

Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said Friday that a law extending legal privileges such as hospital visitation and inheritance to gay and lesbian couples is unconstitutional.

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Gay marriage fight, 'kiss-ins' smack Mormon image Monday, 08/17/09
AP

National organizers say Saturday's broadly held gay rights demonstrations were not aimed specifically at the Mormon church. But observers say the church's heavy-handed intervention into California politics will linger and has left the faith's image tarnished.

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Gay legal groups want in on Calif court case Friday, 07/10/09
AP

But the newly formed political group funding the case, the American Foundation for Equal Rights, is opposing the request. The foundation scored a public relations coup when it persuaded the high-profile lawyers who squared off over the disputed 2000 presidential election to take on the lawsuit.

In a letter to the legal groups sent Wednesday, board president Chad Griffin, a Los Angeles-based political consultant, said the show of solidarity was coming too late since the same groups originally criticized a federal civil rights claim as premature.

"You have unrelentingly and unequivocally acted to undermine this case even before it was filed. Considering this, it is inconceivable that you would zealously and effectively litigate this case if you were successful in intervening," Griffin said. "Therefore, we will vigorously oppose any motion to intervene."

Getting more lawyers involved also would delay and unnecessarily complicate the proceedings, Griffin wrote. He said the public interest groups were welcome to continue participating as consultants.

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Judge favors trial soon on Calif. gay marriage ban Wednesday, 07/01/09
AP

Ordinarily, a civil lawsuit could take a year or more to be heard in court. Given Walker's favoring a faster timeline, it would not be unreasonable to expect him to hear the Proposition 8 challenge by the end of the year, Olson said.

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White House: Census to better count gay couples Sunday, 06/21/09
AP

U.S. Census Bureau officials said Friday that married same-sex couples will be counted as such in the 2010 national tally, reversing an earlier decision made under the Bush administration.

Steve Jost, a spokesman for the Census Bureau, said officials already were identifying the technical changes needed to ensure the reliability of the information, but remained committed to providing an accurate tally of gay spouses.

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Gay bias killings highest since 1999 Thursday, 06/18/09
AP

"What we're also seeing, more disturbingly, is the increase in the severity of violence," said Sharon Stapel, executive director of the New York City Anti-Violence Project, which coordinates coalition.

Stapel theorized that at least some of last year's violence was backlash against issues that arose during the during the presidential campaign. She cited debates about same-sex marriage, the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, and federal legislation that would ban employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity as possible flash points.

"The more visibility there is the more likely we're going to see backlash, and that's exactly what we see here," Stapel said.

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Maine equal marriage foes to use Calif. Prop 8 firm Thursday, 06/18/09
AP

Schubert Flint Public Affairs will manage the campaign to repeal Maine's equal marriage law, just as it did in California. Organizers of the veto effort are trying to collect the signatures of more than 55,000 registered Maine voters to put the question on the November ballot.

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Gay couples forced to flee US over immigration law Thursday, 06/11/09
AP

Bills have been introduced in Congress to treat same-sex partners like heterosexual spouses for the purposes of immigration but are likely to face a strong fight, both from equality opponents and anti-immigration groups. The 1996 Defense of Marriage Act prevents immigration officials from recognizing gay marriages, even from states where they are now legal.

Proponents see the issue as a basic rights question, and Steve Ralls, a spokesman for Immigration Equality, said he believes the best chance for the legislation is as part of a larger immigration bill.

But other immigration advocates want to keep the issues separate, fearful of bogging down an already tough fight. Kevin Appleby, migration policy director for U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said the push for same-sex partners in immigration is about getting recognition in federal law for equal marriage -- which he opposes.

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New Hampshire governor signs equal marriage law Wednesday, 06/03/09
AP

Gov. John Lynch was Surrounded by cheering supporters of the move as he signed the three bills about an hour after the key vote on the legislation in the House.

The law will take effect in January, exactly two years after the state legalized civil unions.

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New Hampshire Legislature approves equal marriage Wednesday, 06/03/09
AP

New Hampshire legislators approved a measure Wednesday that would make the state the sixth to allow gay couples, and Gov. John Lynch said he would sign it later in the afternoon.

He had promised a veto if the law didn't clearly spell out that churches and religious groups would not be forced to officiate at gay peoples' marriages or provide other services.

The Senate passed the measure Wednesday, and the House -- where the outcome was more in doubt -- followed later in the day. The House gallery erupted in cheers after the 198-176 vote.

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Nevada Senate backs partnership bill over gov Sunday, 05/31/09
AP

The 14-7 Senate vote Saturday -- the required two-thirds majority with no votes to spare -- must be affirmed by the Assembly to enact the measure into law over the governor's objections.

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Poll: Majority of RI voters favor equal marriage law Saturday, 05/30/09
AP

A survey released Wednesday shows that more than half of Rhode Island voters favor a law allowing equal marriage, leading advocates to point out to state leadership that it's what residents want.

A Brown University poll showed 60 percent of registered voters in the state said they would support a law allowing gay couples to marry, and 75 percent said they would support a law allowing civil unions. Thirty-one percent said they would oppose an equal marriage law.

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Gay equality group: Maine diocese violating tax law Thursday, 05/21/09
AP

The Empowering Spirits Foundation said its challenge was filed Wednesday at an Internal Revenue Service office in Dallas. The San Diego-based group said the diocese is engaging in political activity by collecting signatures for the referendum, violating IRS rules applying to nonprofits.

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5 years later, gay marriage accepted in Mass. Saturday, 05/09/09
AP

At the time of those first weddings, the debate was red-hot -- protests were frequent, expectations ran high that legislators would allow a referendum on whether to overturn the court ruling ordering same-sex marriage. Now, although Roman Catholic leaders and some conservative activists remain vocally opposed, there is overwhelming political support for same-sex marriage and no prospect for a referendum.

According to the latest state figures, through September 2008, there had been 12,167 same-sex marriages in Massachusetts -- 64 percent of them between women -- out of 170,209 marriages in all. Some consequences have been tangible -- a boom for gay-friendly wedding businesses, the exit of a Roman Catholic charity from the adoption business -- and some almost defy description.

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Gays say Maine marriage law can be 'unbearable' Sunday, 05/03/09
AP

Since 2004, Maine has had a domestic partner registry, which is supposed to grant some legal rights similar to those enjoyed by married couples. But it's largely useless when it comes to wills, workers' compensation, guardianship and retirement benefits, Wriggins said.

This week, the state House of Representatives is expected to take up a same-sex marriage bill that was endorsed by the state Senate. Democratic Gov. John Baldacci is undecided on the bill.

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Iowans unsure of benefits gay marriages will bring Sunday, 04/26/09
AP

Just what tangible benefits those couples will gain from marriage remains uncertain.

Gay marriage advocates said some advantages are clear, including shared employer benefits, streamlined life and other insurance policies, and the ability for couples to make health care and end-of-life decisions for one another.

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Vote caps decade-long gay marriage fight in Conn. Thursday, 04/23/09
AP

A decade-long battle for marriage equality in Connecticut ended when the General Assembly voted to update the state's marriage laws to conform with a landmark court ruling allowing gay and lesbian couples to tie the knot.

"It feels so good. It really does feel like the book is closing," said Anne Stanback, president of Love Makes a Family, a gay-rights group that has led the fight for same-sex marriage in the state.

A spokesman for Gov. M. Jodi Rell said she will sign the bill, which passed 28-7 in the Senate and 100-44 in the House of Representatives late Wednesday, into law. While Rell, a Republican, signed the state's 2005 civil unions law, she has said she believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman.

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Vermont legalizes gay marriage with veto override Tuesday, 04/07/09
AP

The vote came nine years after Vermont adopted its first-in-the-nation civil unions law.

It's now the fourth state to permit same-sex marriage. Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa are the others. Their approval of gay marriage came from the courts.

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NH House approves bill to allow gay marriage Thursday, 03/26/09
AP

The chamber voted 186-179 to send a gay marriage bill to the Senate.

The bill's future is uncertain in the Senate. Also, Democratic Gov. John Lynch has said he opposes gay marriage, but hasn't said whether he would veto the legislation if it made it to his desk.

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Vermont Senate panel approves gay marriage bill Friday, 03/20/09
AP

The full Senate is expected to take up the bill next week.

Gov. Jim Douglas has said he opposes the measure, but has not indicated whether he would veto it.

If approved, Vermont would join Massachusetts and Connecticut as the only U.S. states that allow gay marriage.

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Gay marriage gets recognition - in the dictionary Thursday, 03/19/09
AP

A spokesman of the Springfield, Mass., company says the change was made in 2003 to reflect the popularity of the term "same-sex marriage" in print and common usage.

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Support for Hawaii civil union vote wavering Tuesday, 03/10/09
AP

Legislators could also compromise by approving a watered-down version of civil unions that affirms gay partnerships but reserves some marital rights for heterosexual couples only. That version would permit same-sex couples or family members to enter into a relationship that provides hospital visitation, inheritance and auto insurance benefits but denies adoption and other parental rights. Additional rights such as health and tax benefits could be added.

Sen. Will Espero, who suggested the amendment and would vote against the current civil unions bill, said the compromise means opponents couldn't argue that civil unions are the same as marriage.

"There's not a sense of rushing and immediacy. We want to do it properly and in a manner we can all get behind," said Espero, a Democrat. "We understand how sensitive the issue is."

Other senators have said amending the bill would ruin its chances of passage because that would open a new round of negotiations in committee.

A compromise also may be untenable to the gay community, said Alan Spector, co-chair of the Family Equality Coalition.

"How does one compromise on equality and civil rights? We're being asked to accept less than equality," Spector said.

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Committee deadlocks on Hawaii same-sex unions bill Wednesday, 02/25/09
AP

Democratic Senate leaders have said that if the panel became deadlocked, they would yank the measure from its committee and force a vote before the full Senate. That is allowed under a rarely used provision of the Hawaii Constitution if more than one-third of senators approve.

At least 18 of the 25 senators have said they favor civil unions. The measure already has passed the Hawaii House, but with one vote less than would be needed to override a veto.

Republican Gov. Linda Lingle has not stated her position on the bill, which would make Hawaii the fifth state to allow same-sex civil unions. Under the state constitution, the earliest the bill can be pulled to the Senate floor is March 10.

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Gay couples protest at marriage bureaus across US Thursday, 02/12/09
AP

Same-sex couples seeking to wed showed up at marriage license counters nationwide Thursday to highlight a right they don't have in 48 states, part of an annual protest that took on renewed urgency given recent election setbacks.

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Vermont moves closer to legalizing gay marriage Wednesday, 02/11/09
AP

Nine years after becoming the first state to permit civil unions, Vermont moved a step toward legalizing gay marriage Friday.

A bill that would allow same-sex unions was introduced in the Legislature, causing a crowd of about several hundred supporters to gather at the Statehouse in celebration.

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N.Y. senate leader committed to gay marriage legalization Monday, 02/09/09
AP

New York Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith said Saturday that his Democratic conference lacks enough votes to legalize gay marriage this year, but he's committed to passing a gay marriage bill soon.

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Judge: Pair married in Canada can divorce in NJ Friday, 02/06/09
AP

Gay marriages performed outside New Jersey are recognized in the state for the purpose of divorce, according to a ruling Friday by a judge deciding whether a lesbian couple married in Canada can split.

The wider implications weren't immediately clear, but Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson said New Jersey has a long history of recognizing marriages that are valid where they were performed.

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Colorado group lobbies in Wyoming on gay marriage Wednesday, 01/21/09
AP

A national conservative Christian group has begun a telephone lobbying campaign in Wyoming in support of a gay-marriage ban in the state Senate.

Focus on the Family Action, of Colorado Springs, Colo., is pushing to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot that would stop the state from recognizing same-sex marriages performed elsewhere.

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Anti-gay violence feared rising Monday, 12/15/08
AP

...we are witnessing what appears to be an increase in both the occurrence and severity of violence motivated by racism, homophobia, and transphobia.

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Birth certificates to reflect NY gay-marriage move Friday, 12/12/08
AP

The decision, which echoes similar provisions in states that allow gay marriages or civil unions, is one of many changes since Gov. David Paterson ordered state agencies in May to respect out-of-state gay marriages.

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