Transgender Murder Trial Witness Breaks Down On Stand
HAYWARD, Calif. -- The murder trial of three men accused of killing a transgender teenager came to a temporary halt this morning when a key witness broke down on the stand.

Nicole Brown tearfully declared she could not testify today. In previous testimony, Brown had said she exposed the victim, Gwen Araujo, as biologically male.

That led to a chain of events that ended with the 17-year-old Araujo being beaten and strangled in 2002.



Calif. Churches Lobby For Gay Marriage 
by Mark Worrall
365Gay.com Newscenter
(Sacramento, California) A group of California clergy lobbied California legislators Monday on behalf of same-sex couples.

The California Council of Churches and ministers from the Unitarian Universalist, Baptist, United Methodist, and MCC faiths told lawmakers they support legislation proposed by Assembly Member Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) that would make marriage licenses available to same-sex couples.

" Each and every religion should have the right to determine for themselves what marriages they want to solemnize and the State, in authorizing religious leaders to perform marriages, should recognize the marriages performed by religious leaders regardless of the gender of the individuals involved." Geoffrey Kors, Executive Director of Equality California.

" When the State refuses to recognize the marriages performed by leaders of certain faiths it is doing nothing less than condoning discrimination against the couples and the religions who married them," Kors said.


~

Miami Beach Considers Gay Partner Registry
by Fidel Ortega
365Gay.com Newscenter
(Miami Beach, Florida) Miami Beach is examining the creation of a domestic partner registry for gay and lesbian couples.

The registry, which would be mostly symbolic, would allow same-sex couples to have their relationships recorded in the  city clerk's office. Partners would need to be over 18, not related by blood and live together in Miami Beach. There would also be a termination form if the partnerships dissolve. 

The proposal being put together comes after months of prodding by SAVE Dade, the LGBT rights group that successfully fought off attempts to curb gay civil rights in Miami-Dade.

The group also wants Miami Beach to create an incentive program to reward companies that offer employee benefits to same-sex couples.