Opponents Of Gay Marriage Rally At Safeco Field
By KOMO Staff & News Services
SEATTLE - Thousands of people arriving for a rally against gay marriage faced chanting, sign-carrying protesters as they made their way into the city's baseball stadium Saturday.

The "Mayday for Marriage" worship service and rally drew people from conservative Christian churches around the state, who arrived by busloads at Safeco Field. Organizers were hoping for 35,000 people.

"We believe marriage was designed for a man and a woman," said Bill Hanford, 46, of Redmond. "We think the biblical concept of marriage is important and people should take a stand on that side of the argument as well as the one that's in the media right now."

About 1,500 gay rights protesters waved signs and chanted, "Bigots go home!" as they marched back and forth in front of the stadium. A 60-piece marching band performed and passing cars honked in support.


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GAY LEADERS DRAFT STATE BY STATE PLAN TO WIN MARRIAGE EQUALITY    
By Sean Kosofsky  
Washington D.C. -  In an unprecedented move, leaders of statewide gay rights organizations gathered in the nation's capitol to draft the plan to fight for marriage equality in every U.S. state and territory. The meeting was called by the Federation of Statewide Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Advocacy Organizations in Washington D.C. and took place April 22-26.

The Federation called an emergency "Marriage Summit" that brought together some of the top GLBT leaders working on marriage related civil rights work in over 30 states and territories. Also at the meeting were experts in the areas of polling research, political campaigns, law, internet activism and more. The leaders returned to their respective states with a clear picture of what challenges to face and community resources to win marriage equality in every state. This strategy will be integrated with the existing strategies used by national GLBT organizations.

"I have returned home with renewed hope and stronger resolve than ever that we will win," said Michael Mitchell, Executive Director of Equality Utah and an Executive Committee member of the Federation. "I am certain that in Utah, incredible things will happen for the GLBT community in terms of education, voter mobilization and new volunteers coming into our movement because we are under attack. The Federation Summit was exactly what I needed to connect with other seasoned activists around the country who have run and won campaigns."

"In our courtrooms and legislatures state organizers are winning battles every day," said Andrea Hildebran, Executive Director of Kentucky Fairness Alliance and an Executive Committee member of the Federation. "We are better positioned than every before to make dramatic strides toward marriage equality in the South. Our stories need to be told and the real fight for marriage equality is on the ground in the states. Our work in Kentucky will only improve because of the planning, analysis and networking we have done with other Federation members in Massachusetts, Hawaii, and other states."


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Marchers anticipate upcoming gay marriage date
By ADAM GORLICK
Associated Press Writer
NORTHAMPTON, Mass.- Throngs of people lined the downtown streets of this western Massachusetts city on Saturday as hundreds of same-sex couples - some of whom plan to marry - marched in the city's annual gay and lesbian pride march.

Led by two all-women motorcycle groups from Boston and New York City, marchers - most of them women, and many with children in tow - carried balloons, rainbow flags and signs celebrating the upcoming legality of gay marriage in Massachusetts.

Thousands of observers along the two-mile parade route, and the rally that followed, chatted about the upcoming day - May 17 - when same-sex couples will be first able to apply for marriage licenses in the state. It's the 23rd year for the march.

During the march, the Freedom Trail Band of Boston broke into a rendition of the Dixie Cups song "Chapel of Love" as the parade proceeded down Main Street.


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State bill reaffirms stance on adoptions by gays
By Judy Gibbs Robinson
The Oklahoman
After being passed between various relatives for years, 18- year-old Brittney Collins is thriving in a home with two grownups who really take care of her.

They check to see that her homework is done. They make sure she's home by curfew. And they talk to her about school, politics and life in general.

The fact they are gay means nothing to the Norman High School senior, who has become an A student with college ambitions since moving in with her uncle, Tim Miller, and his partner, David Ray.

"I've learned more living with them than living with any of the straight couples in my family," she said.

Although thousands of Oklahoma gays are raising their own and other people's children, the Oklahoma Legislature reaffirmed its position Monday that gay couples should not be allowed to adopt.

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Reverend marries two gay women
Minister joins protest against states that forbid same-sex nuptials
By Kim Kozlowski / The Detroit News
PONTIAC — With her white robe flowing behind her, the Rev. Deb Dysert walked through the Oakland County Courthouse with no intention of letting a clerk’s denial of a marriage license stop her from marrying a lesbian couple.

She stood outside the court and called on God to bless the union of Clarkston residents Heidi Barnette and Angela Kurtz. It’s a ceremony that is becoming more common and high profile as the debate around gay marriage intensifies.

Dysert, pastor of the predominantly gay Divine Peace Metropolitan Community Church in Clarkston, joined other ministers across the country Thursday to highlight International Day of Clergy Support for Same Sex Marriage.

The church is part of Metropolitan Community Churches, a worldwide fellowship of Christian churches that reaches out to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities.


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Gay union ban inches ahead
BY DION LEFLER
The Wichita Eagle
TOPEKA - House and Senate conferees will try today to break an impasse over a proposed constitutional amendment to outlaw same-sex marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships.

Representatives and senators on a six-member conference committee have reached a tentative agreement over the language of the amendment itself, but are hung up over how it will be explained to voters on the ballot.

Senate negotiators want the explanatory ballot note to include an explicit statement that Kansas law already defines marriage only as a union between one man and one woman.

House members proposed adding a statement that, without a constitutional change, the law could be changed by the Legislature or modified by a court decision.


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New Jersey will become the fourth state in the nation to legalize domestic...
Associated Press
New Jersey will become the fourth state in the nation to legalize domestic partnerships when the law takes effect on July 1. California and Hawaii have partnership laws and Vermont has legalized civil unions for gay couples.

The Garden State's domestic partnership act is similar to the California law, which was recently expanded to give gay partners more legal rights. The changes in California will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2005.

Partnership laws give gay couples access to some of the legal rights that married couples already get. Civil unions allow homosexual couples to have a ceremony and be legally united but not married.


Gay marriage remains illegal in all 50 states but in the past year, local officials from California to New Jersey have defied laws to marry gay and lesbian couples. In Asbury Park, two men were married in March by the town's deputy mayor. The marriage license was later deemed invalid by New Jersey Attorney General Peter Harvey.