Senate kills attempt to narrow gay marriage amendment
JOHN HANNA
Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. -
An attempt to narrow a proposed constitutional ban on gay marriage proved short-lived Thursday as the Senate killed a version that could have cleared the way for recognition of same-sex civil unions in Kansas. The rejected version was offered by Senate Majority Leader Lana Oleen, R-Manhattan, following more than four hours of debate on a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution. The original amendment has already cleared the House and, if approved by two-thirds of the Senate, would go before voters Nov. 2.


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Women's International League Supports Civil Unions for All, Opposes Constitutional Ban on Gay Marriage
WASHINGTON - March 25 - The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, United States Section, rejects a US constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Such an amendment would set a profoundly anti-democratic precedent in that it would explicitly remove legal rights from a group of its citizens. The administration has crossed the line between church and state and presumes that our secular nation is a religious nation. We believe in the separation of church and state.


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Kentucky same-sex amendment revived
FRANKFORT, Ky., March 25 (UPI) -- Democrats in the Kentucky House have revived a proposed state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage they blocked earlier this week.The bill, which calls for a statewide referendum to decide whether same-sex marriage and civil unions should be constitutionally prohibited in Kentucky, was given a second life by the same House committee that blocked it 24 hours earlier.


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Thousands rally in opposition to gay marriage ban proposal
By ASHLEY H. GRANT Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press - 03/25/2004
ST. PAUL
Three days after more than 3,000 people rallied at the Capitol in favor of a ban on gay marriage, a similar-sized crowd gathered Thursday to oppose the measure.


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Same-Sex Marriage Debate Comes To Fredericksburg
Gay And Lesbian Couples March To City Hall
FREDERICKSBURG. Va. -- Fredericksburg has become the latest, if not also an unlikely, city caught in the struggle over gay marriages. On Thursday, several gay couples went to City Hall to apply for marriage licenses. Meanwhile, about 100 demonstrators marched through downtown Fredericksburg at noon in support of equal rights for gays. “I, myself, am not homosexual but a good number of my friends are, and they’re just like everyone else.” said Caroline Swicegood. “And they have the same types of relationships as we have, and they deserve all the rights as we get.”

Supporters rallied to show their opposition to President George W. Bush's call for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriages. The gay couples were not given marriage licenses Thursday, though some couples have repeatedly tried to get married. “This is the second time we’ve tried this,” said Yolanda Farnum, standing next to her life partner. “We tried it in Richmond on February 14, when it was a nationwide effort, and we’re just going to keep going to every little city and state that we can find that will let us do this.” But they were shadowed by counter demonstrators against the idea of same-sex unions, arguing that the law and the Holy Bible is on their side.


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Range lawmakers sound off on gay marriage
By Candi Walz
The Daily Tribune
ST. PAUL — The House voted on the great marriage debate Wednesday and said voters should be given the opportunity to define marriage as one man, one woman.


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Ore. lawmakers join legal debate over gay marriage
Associated Press
Fifteen state lawmakers want to join a lawsuit over the legality of gay marriages in Oregon. The Republican lawmakers filed court papers Thursday to make their voices heard in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union.