Left introduces gay marriage bill


Paris, France, Jun. 7 (UPI) -- Leftist lawmakers introduced a draft bill to legalize gay marriage Monday, after a mayor performed the country's first same-sex wedding.

The bill was sponsored by National Assembly deputy Noel Mamere and other members of France's Greens Party.

On Saturday, Mamere -- who is also the mayor of the French town, Begles, near Bordeaux -- celebrated the wedding of a gay male couple.

He faces potential legal and administrative sanctions for the marriage, which the conservative government maintains is against the law.


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Anti-Gay Marriage Rally
NewsChannel 19's Melissa Stephens Reporting


As Massachusetts becomes the first state in the country to legalize same-sex marriage, supporters have been celebrating what they see as a civil rights victory. However, a large group in the Shoals sees it as a threat to the traditional Christian family, and Sunday they held a rally to speak out.

Letting their voices be heard was the idea at this rally in downtown Florence on Sunday afternoon. This group of an estimated 2,000 people gathered inside a downtown parking garage, to let the country know how they feel about same-sex marriage.

"San Francisco can do what they want, Massachusetts can do what they want," said one local minister at the rally, but in the Shoals, they want to make a proclamation for the preservation of marriage.

"We want to honor God and his idea of biblical based marriage," said Ann Cink, one of the organizers of the rally. "God had an intent when he created man and woman, and we should honor that," Cink continued.



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France may annul gay marriage
The Associated Press


BORDEAUX, France (AP) - The state prosecutor on Monday began an effort to annul the marriage of a gay couple, two days after they exchanged vows in the first such union in France.

But one of the lawyers for the two men, Stephane Chapin and Bertrand Charpentier, said he would take the matter to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary.

Prosecutor Bertrand de Loze asked to have the couple appear in court. A date was not set.

The couple was married Saturday in the town of Begles, near Bordeaux by the town mayor, Noel Mamere, a Green party lawmaker known as a political provocateur.


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Winston-Salem congressional candidate defends attack ads
Associated Press


GOP congressional Vernon Robinson says his radio ads and fliers scorching Republican competitors for the party's 5th District nomination boost his campaign, though they're unlikely to make any friends.

The Winston-Salem city council member advertises unlike any of the other seven candidates trying to succeed U.S. Rep. Richard Burr, R-N.C. His mailing arguing against gay rights arrived in an envelope with 13 pictures of gay and lesbian couples.

A radio ad designed to sound like the game show "Jeopardy" accused his opponents of supporting gay rights, compared state Sen. Virginia Foxx to U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, and called Jay Helvey and Ed Broyhill "bankrupt businessmen."


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Military losing battle over soaring sexual harassment claims
By Richard Yallop and Michael McKinnon, FOI editor


REPORTS of homosexual harassment in the Army and Navy have soared as confidential documents reveal major failings in the ability of the Australian Defence Force to deal with sexual intimidation.

An internal report obtained by The Australian shows the total number of sexual harassment complaints inside the Defence Forces doubled last year to 122. And out of those 51 were complaints by men against other men.

The previous year there were only 12 complaints of sexual harassment of males by other serving males.

The report on unacceptable behaviour in the Australian Defence Force, obtained under Freedom of Information legislation, reveals an alarming rise in male sexual assaults against females in the Navy, up to 27 in 2002-03.


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Gays celebrate their new married status
By Iliana Limón
Tribune Reporter

Mary Houdek was lounging on the couch when she spontaneously asked her girlfriend of six months to marry her.

"I don't know why it popped into my head, but I knew instantly I wanted to be with her forever," Houdek said. "I just blurted it out because it felt so right."

Norma Vasquez gleefully agreed, but she had to wait nearly 17 years to finally marry the love of her life.

They were the first couple to receive a same-sex marriage license from Sandoval County on Feb. 20. They were married that evening and retreated to their Rio Rancho home riding a cloud of euphoria.


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Gay, lesbian couples hold massive wedding reception
By: Associated Press


(Albuquerque-AP) -- Sunday was a day to celebrate for same-sex couples who were issued marriage licenses by Sandoval County Clerk Victoria Dunlap several months ago.

The couples gathered with family and friends in Albuquerque for a big wedding reception.

Back on February 20th, Dunlap issued some 66 licenses to same-sex couples. She stopped when Attorney General Patricia Madrid issued a letter saying the clerk’s actions were illegal under state law.

Dunlap tried again in March, but the county and Madrid’s office got a temporary restraining order.

Dunlap says she may start issuing the licenses again this week.  Her attorney, Paul Livingston, says that’s because the restraining order is no longer valid.