Just Married, After 51 Years Together
Activist Gay Couple Accepts Leading Role
By Anne Hull
Washington Post Staff Writer
SAN FRANCISCO -- The bride on the left wears a lavender pantsuit. The other bride carries a gold-chained purse. As the music starts, they begin making their way toward the stage. They walk slowly, not because they want to, but because this is how they walk at age 83 and 79. The white-haired one in lavender is Del Martin. The one with coral lipstick is Phyllis Lyon. They are arm in arm.


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Culture war being reshaped
Conservatives lower expectations
James Sterngold, Chronicle Staff Writer Los Angeles -- America is stumbling headlong into a new political season bitterly divided -- once again -- by the updated version of "culture wars" over such issues as same-sex unions, abortion, religion and depictions of sex and violence in popular culture. President Bush, with his call Tuesday for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages, threw himself into the front lines, standing alongside those who insist they can turn back the tide of change.


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Same-sex Marriage: A History of the Law
From the Nolo.com Marriage & Living Together Center.
The same-sex marriage battle intensifies: A history of the law and the latest news.

A common dictionary definition of family is "the basic unit in society having as its nucleus two or more adults living together and cooperating in the care and rearing of their own or adopted children." Despite this all-inclusive definition, a lesbian or gay couple -- with or without children -- has historically not been the image conjured up when many people picture a family.

Nevertheless, lesbian and gay couples (and their children) are families and consider themselves such. And over the past several decades, same-sex couples have sought societal recognition of their families. It began in the early 1970s, when lesbian and gay couples applied for marriage licenses, asked courts to allow one partner to adopt the other, and took other steps to legally cement their relationships. Many of these efforts failed, but some progress was made. By the mid-1980s, same-sex couples were seeking "domestic partnership" recognition from municipalities and private companies. This effort continued with increasing strength in the 1990s and on into the new century. In 2003 and 2004, same-sex couples have made enormous strides toward equal recognition of their families.


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Gays' political clout facing test
by James G. Lakely
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
    The clout of the homosexual voting bloc has grown significantly in the past decade, and its influence will be put to the test this presidential-election year with the debate over same-sex "marriage." In the 2000 presidential contest, about 6 percent of voters described themselves as homosexual or lesbian to pollsters for the Voter News Service, an increase from 1.3 percent who said so in 1990.