House panel moves ‘gay marriage’ ban
By Judith R. Tackett, jtackett@nashvillecitypaper.com
March 24, 2004
 Tennessee lawmakers, following national attempts to ban gay marriage, want to amend the state constitution to define marriage as a “historical institution” and “legal contract” between a man and a woman. The House Children & Family Affairs Committee took up a resolution asking for the explicit definition of marriage Tuesday and recommended the bill to the House Finance Committee, where it could be discussed as early as next week.


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Same-sex hearing set tonight
 BY ROB SHAPARD : The Herald-Sun
rshapard@heraldsun.com
CHAPEL HILL -- A public hearing tonight will take up the question of whether the Town Council should ask the N.C. General Assembly to repeal a 1996 law that says same-sex marriages aren't valid. Councilman Mark Kleinschmidt has asked the council to put that request on its official legislative agenda, which is a list of possible bills the council hopes Orange County's legislators will pursue. The law in question says in part that legal marriage is between a man and a woman, and that same-sex marriages from outside North Carolina aren't valid here. As Kleinschmidt described it, his primary goal is to enable the town of Chapel Hill to recognize a marriage license from a same-sex couple married in other state.


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Dismissal sought of same-sex marriage lawsuit
BY VIRGINIA BRIDGES : The Herald-Sun
vbridges@heraldsun.com
Mar 23, 2004 : 11:09 pm ET
DURHAM -- Durham County Attorney Chuck Kitchen filed a motion Tuesday to dismiss a lawsuit that was filed Monday by two local men seeking a marriage license. Taking the first step in the controversial legal issue, a District Court judge will be asked to decide which court is the most appropriate to rule on whether the county is obliged to issue what would be an invalid marriage license to the men.


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2004 San Francisco Equality Awards
Equality California celebrates same-sex marriage
It's never easy to organize an evening for almost 600 people but, due to U.S. Customs, we had to complicate things a bit more, when we responded to the tremendous honor of Equality California's invitation to accept an award and be the keynote speakers at the 2004 San Francisco Equality Awards. Unable to guarantee that we would be successful in entering the country as a married couple (using one U.S. declaration form), we had to take separate flights into the States, rather than deny our marital status. One of us flew to California via Chicago, while the other arrived via Dallas. One of us landed in glorious sunshine, while the other touched down in the middle of the night.


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Rewording of amendment fails to sway Feinstein
She says latest draft could ban gay unions
Zachary Coile, Chronicle Washington Bureau Wednesday, March 24, 2004
Washington -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein, appearing at a hearing Tuesday on gay marriage, criticized a newly drafted constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage as "highly ambiguous," saying it could prevent states from offering civil unions to gay and lesbian couples. Sponsors of the constitutional ban released new wording on Monday that they say is designed to allow state legislatures to sanction civil unions. Supporters hope the new language will build broader backing for a measure that must be passed by a two-thirds vote in the House and Senate before being sent to the states for ratification. But legal experts who testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday split on whether the new language in the amendment would actually allow state-approved civil unions.


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Anti-Gay Amendment Dies In Iowa Senate
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
(Des Moines, Iowa) Iowa is the latest state to reject amending the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage.  The Iowa Senate Tuesday defeated the measure by one vote. The state already has a so-called Defense of Marriage Act and many senators questioned whether a constitutional amendment wasn't 'overkill'.  Others questioned the cost.  To put a proposed amendment to voters would cost the state some $1.4 million.


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B.C. Liberals put law on hold after concerns about same-sex burial rights
 DIRK MEISSNER
Canadian Press
VICTORIA (CP) - Three Liberal backbenchers were claiming victory Tuesday after challenging a new law they said has the potential to water down same-sex rights in British Columbia. The backbenchers said the new law doesn't ensure same-sex couples will have control of the funeral rights of their deceased partner.