Jackson opposes gay marriage ban
Rejects comparison to blacks' struggle
By Joanna Weiss, Globe Staff
The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, who has stopped short of endorsing gay marriage in the past, yesterday said he opposed a proposed state constitutional amendment that would outlaw gay marriage and create civil unions. "We must measure human rights by one yardstick: Marry who you want to. And leave when you're ready," he said at a meeting with Globe reporters and editors.


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Angela Davis 'Takes Five'
Activist still battling for civil, human rights
The handbill for her appearance described her as a "political activist, human rights advocate, author and poet." It's sometimes hard to believe she was once a fugitive. Angela Davis was in town Saturday to speak at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Journal Sentinel reporter Jamaal Abdul-Alim found Davis, 60, at her reception at Milwaukee's Gay Lesbian Bi-Sexual Transgender Community Center, 315 W. Court St. Davis, who was ultimately acquitted for her suspected role in a failed but deadly 1970 courtroom escape, discussed her views on various subjects, such as the war in Iraq, racial disparities in education and the controversy surrounding gay marriage.
Q. What are your thoughts on all the controversy about whether to ban gay marriage?

A. The gay and lesbian marriage issue has been used to demonize a large community of people in ways that remind me very much of the way black people were demonized, that remind me very much of the way prisoners are demonized. So I think it's important to think about those issues politically and to support those who are pushing for progressive positions.


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Europe has mixture of laws on gay unions


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David Booth: We can learn from debate over slavery
David Booth
What should good Christians think about "gay marriage"?

To many, it feels wrong to stop people who love each other from publicly sanctifying their commitments. Yet Christians base their beliefs on the Bible, and doesn't the Bible condemn homosexuality? So how could a Christian who regards the Bible as a revelation of God's purposes support a gay right


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1,000 Catholics march against gay marriage in San Francisco
The Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Catholic opponents of same-sex marriage held a prayer march Saturday, criticizing city officials who have licensed thousands of weddings for gay couples and calling for a federal amendment banning the unions.


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After U.S. visit, Africa's top Anglican leader denounces Episcopal Church on gays
By RICHARD N. OSTLING
The Associated PressThe spokesman for bishops who claim leadership of a majority of the world's Anglican Christians denounced the gay-rights policies of America's Episcopal Church on Saturday, following a two-day caucus in Atlanta with U.S. conservatives.


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Araujo Murder Trial Scheduled to Begin April 5

On October 3, 2002, 17-year-old Gwen Araujo was slowly and brutally murdered at a party after young men with whom she had previously had sex discovered that she was anatomically male. After finishing their "Tony Soprano-type" hit, they drove the teen's body to a site over 150 miles away and buried her in a shallow grave


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AL-FATIHA CONDEMNS ISLAMIC NATIONS FOR FORCING REMOVAL OF UN GAY RIGHTS RESOLUTION

March 30, 2004 - Al-Fatiha Foundation, a US-based organization dedicated to Muslims who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, questioning (LGBTIQ) condemned the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) for forcing the removal of a United Nations resolution that would have recognized discrimination and human rights abuses based on sexual orientation. The resolution was withdrawn by Brazil at the annual meeting of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) in Geneva. The OIC is a network of predominantly Muslim countries. In the past few years, the organization has been voting as a bloc against reproductive health, sexual and gender minority rights and HIV/AIDS issues.

Bend chamber members threaten exodus over gay rights
Associated Press
BEND, Ore. -- Riled by the organization's stance on gay marriages, longtime business leaders in Bend have broken rank with the city's Chamber of Commerce and are threatening an exodus. The 18-member board of the chamber voted to oppose an anti-discrimination ordinance by the City of Bend -- one which would make it illegal to discriminate against a person based on sexual orientation. On Wednesday night, after the chamber announced its stance, chamber members publicly questioned whether they would remain in the organization -- including Mike Hollern, board chairman at Brooks Resources.

Not Poetry!

Innovative Fiction by Jaime Cortez, Summi Kaipa and Magdalena Zurawski

Tuesday, April 27th at 7:30 pm
It’s poetry month—why not expand your idea of what fiction can be? These writers playfully push the boundaries of prose with writing that is in turn lyrical, pop infused and heartbreaking. Visual artist, writer and cultural worker Jaime Cortez is the editor of Virgins, Guerillas and Locas: Gay Latinos Writing About Love. Summi Kaipa is a poet and playwright at work on her first book length prose piece Was.Or.Am. She is the founding editor of Interlope: A Journal of Innovative Asian American Poetics. Magdalena Zurawski is a converted poet at work on The Bruise, a novel. Along with CAConrad, she edits Frequency, an audio journal of poetry.
 
Modern Times Bookstore
www.moderntimesbookstore.com

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San Francisco, CA 94110
Ph: (415) 282-9246

Gay marriage gets civil treatment
Steven Gardner
Sun Staff
This week, several dozen supporters and opponents of gay marriage met in the same room at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds and were remarkably civil. They debated how to translate the Bible and what kind of impact allowing gay marriages would have on society and refrained from hating one another when it was over.


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Welsh Tory storms out after gay comments
Gay.com UK

A Conservative Welsh assembly member has walked out of a meeting at Cardiff Bay after a minister told him his comments on gay issues were offensive. David Davies, AM for Monmouth, left the equal opportunities committee meeting, protesting at "a total waste of time" after he spoke out against gay adoption and school material on homosexuality.

Activists in gay marriage issue already preparing for elections
By JENNIFER PETER
Associated Press Writer
BOSTON- Gay-rights supporters are training activists to become door-to-door warriors. Conservatives are planning a legislative guide for voters. Both sides are already gearing up for fall legislative elections where they hope to gain ground in their fight over a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage.


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Same sex - same rights
New Civil Partnership Bill heralds a major financial breakthrough for gay and lesbian couples. Mary O'Hara reports
The Guardian
Following a long campaign, gay and lesbian couples are finally to get rights similar to their married counterparts. Among the many measures laid out this week in the government's landmark Civil Partnership Bill were radical changes to key financial issues including rights on state benefits, inheritance and tenancy.


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Battle lines drawn on gay marriage
By JIM THARPE
The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionBoth sides in Georgia's gay marriage battle began plotting their next moves Thursday, one day after the state Legislature approved a Nov. 2 referendum to let voters decide on a proposed constitutional ban on same-sex unions.


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Groups discuss Bible, gays
Speakers say passages open to interpretation
By Javier Erik Olvera, Rocky Mountain News
As the debate over gay issues ripples across the nation - pitting young and old, conservative and liberal - local organizations gathered Tuesday to talk about religion. More specifically, they met to discuss passages about homosexuality in the Bible and to determine if someone who is gay can also be religious.


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The fallacy of the 'anybody but Bush' movement
By Fred Goldstein
All those gripped by the "anybody but Bush" fever should pause to reflect on the actual situation, stripped of fraudulent hype and false hopes.
To be sure, the Bush administration is one of the most reactionary regimes in recent years. Under the false slogan of the "war against terrorism," Bush has invaded Afghanistan and Iraq; expanded U.S. military bases in Central Asia, sent troops to the Philippines, Yemen, Africa and now Haiti; and given the Sharon government the go-ahead to step up its aggression against the Palestinian national movement. Bush pushed passage of the Patriot Act and engaged in wide-ranging repression against peoples of the Middle East and south Asia. Bush has threatened Iran, Syria, North Korea and Cuba. This is only a partial list.

Partner benefits disputed
Backers and foes of gay marriage ban spar over impact on couples' coverage
By TY TAGAMI
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Advocates for gay rights worry that an amendment to the Georgia Constitution to ban same-sex marriage could roll back domestic partner benefits available through some private employers and local governments. Some say the proposed amendment, which will go to voters Nov. 2, could be interpreted as outlawing health insurance and other benefits for partners of gay employees.


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We all fall short

Few people on opposing sides of the gay marriage issue are likely to do 180-degree turns, so we won't even go there. What seems to stick in my craw, however, are the attempts to hide homophobia and gay bashing behind religion.


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Mother with an asterisk
For gay parents, laws on adoption missing the mark
By Javier Erik Olvera, Rocky Mountain News
There are times when biochemist Ashley Frazer-Abel looks into the eyes of the 5-year-old girl who calls her Mama and the fear sets in. If anything should happen to her partner - the child's legal parent - she would have no rights to the little girl she loves because Colorado law doesn't allow her adoption rights.


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Gregoire asked to defend marriage law
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES
King County has asked that state Attorney General Christine Gregoire join its defense of the Washington law that restricts marriage to heterosexual couples.


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UN given tentative go-ahead to gay partner benefits
By Evelyn Leopold
UNITED NATIONS, April 2 (Reuters) - A key U.N. finance committee voted to allow Secretary-General Kofi Annan to grant welfare benefits to unmarried couples, including gays and lesbians, if their home country permits it.   In a compromise resolution on Friday, the panel said Annan had to re-issue his guidelines on the subject and not use words like "family" or "domestic partnership" or "legally recognized marriage" in describing the policy.


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Duke pushes YMCA to recognize gay couples
Duke University is joining an effort to persuade the YMCA to give family membership rates to same-sex couples and has threatened to end its relationship with the agency if it doesn't change its policy. Duke officials said in a letter dated Tuesday that if the organization does not extend family membership benefits to same-sex couples, they will end their relationship with the YMCA of the Triangle. Duke human resources official Mindy Kornberg said the university, Durham, N.C.'s largest employer, has an agreement with the YMCA through September 30. That agreement gives Duke employees and their dependents discounted memberships in exchange for Duke's promotion of the health and fitness agency. More than 200 Duke employees and family members, including gay families, have enrolled under this agreement, the letter said.


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White House Clarifies Stance On Gay Rights
Move Seeks to End Flap Over Federal Staff Policy
By Stephen Barr
Washington Post Staff Writer
The White House, in an apparent effort to put some distance between the president and one of his appointees, has clarified its stance on the protection afforded gay federal employees against discrimination in government workplaces.

"Long-standing federal policy prohibits discrimination against federal employees based on sexual orientation," the new White House statement said. "President Bush expects federal agencies to enforce this policy and to ensure that all federal employees are protected from unfair discrimination at work."

The statement goes further than past White House comments by specifically referring to sexual discrimination. It appears aimed at clearing up a controversy that began several weeks ago when Scott J. Bloch, a new presidential appointee as head of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, removed references to sexual orientation discrimination from his agency's Web site.


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Even in Gay-Friendly Offices, Silences
By ABBY ELLIN
Published: April 4, 2004
ANY employers have gay-friendly policies, offering health benefits to domestic partners of gay employees or mandating diversity training. But sometimes there is a discrepancy between what the employee handbook says and what happens in the office, and that makes a lot of young gay professionals uneasy.


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Greens rally around New Paltz mayor
Challenging laws provides a platform
By Gabriel J. Wasserman
Poughkeepsie Journal
Karl Rabe/Poughkeepsie Journal
Village of New Paltz Mayor Jason West examines a document during a village council meeting this week in village hall. NEW PALTZ -- After he married same-sex couples on Feb. 27, Village of New Paltz Mayor Jason West became something quite rare within the Green Party -- a party member who has both an elected office and a national profile.

MARINE KILLED IN AL ANBAR PROVINCE 4/2/2004
TASK FORCE 1ST ARMORED DIVISION SOLDIER KILLED IN IED ATTACK 4/2/2004

Avowed Rhea County Lesbian Says Facing Persecution
A 26-year-old woman who calls herself the only open lesbian in Rhea County said she is facing persecution. Kristie Bacon said some stores will not let her shop there and she recently lost her job.


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Annan to decide fate of controversial ruling on same-sex partner benefits
By EDITH M. LEDERER
The Associated Press
UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- A U.N. panel asked Secretary-General Kofi Annan Friday to decide the fate of a new policy that allows gay partners of U.N. staffers to receive benefits -- a program that has angered many Muslim and African nations.


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Court Refuses To Hear Gay Marriage Case
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
(Charleston, West Virginia) The West Virginia Supreme Court has refused to hear a case challenging the state's Defense of Marriage Act.

The Christian Taliban
By Stephen Pizzo,
Since 2001 dozens of far-right Christian fundamentalists have been quietly installed in key positions within the Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Drug Administration and on commissions and advisory committees where they have made serious progress. Three years later this administration has established one of the most rigid sexual health agendas in the Western world.


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Teens: Gay marriage OK
By NANCY CUTLER
If a Kansas group protests against gay marriage this weekend in South Nyack, Anya Monisoff and Mikaela Barish say, they will be there, counterprotesting.

Mass. Governor Still Targets Gay Marriage
ADAM GORLICK
Associated Press
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Gov. Mitt Romney has dropped his push for the courts to block same-sex marriages, and said Friday he has no specific ideas how to prevent town clerks from issuing marriage licenses to gay couples.


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Maryland Adopts Life Partnership Law
ANNAPOLIS, Md. --
The Maryland House of Delegates has given overwhelming final approval to a bill that would grant same-sex couples legal recognition as "life partners" with the state health department.


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Gay couples fail to get marriage licenses in Knox Co.
By TEARSA SMITH
6 News Reporter
KNOXVILLE (WATE) -- A national debate hit home Friday as four gay couples tried to get marriage licenses in Knox County. The same-sex couples entered the Knox County Clerk's Office Friday morning with the intent of getting marriage licenses, saying they should have the same right as any other couple to take their relationship to the next level.


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Amendment banning gay marriage a 'mistake': Clinton
by AFP
WASHINGTON - Former president Bill Clinton opposes President George W. Bush's call for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages, a weekly newspaper reported Friday.
Clinton, who signed the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act which allowed individual states to ban same sex marriages, told the Washington Blade gay weekly that a constitutional amendment would be a "mistake".


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SGA endorses plan to protect transgendered
By Kate Slusark
The SGA recently passed legislation to protect transgendered students in response to the state Attorney General's office's decision last month that nixed a similar university-wide policy.


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Publisher Won't Reissue Lynn Cheney Novel
HILLEL ITALIE
Associated Press
NEW YORK - A publisher has canceled plans to reissue a racy novel by Lynne Cheney, wife of Vice President Dick Cheney, after she said the book did not represent "her best work."

The Fast-Changing Status of Same-Sex Married Couples in New York
by Andy Humm
April, 2004

While New York State has yet to allow marriage licenses to be issued to same-sex couples, there has been a sudden explosion of activity toward that goal within the past month.


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from india:

Gay marriages grab attention in US
By Ela Dutt, New York, Apr 1 (IANS):
'Vega' and 'Mala', who are from India, are among thousands of same-sex couples in the US struggling to get marriage licences even as the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender movement gains momentum.


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really what this school board is enforcing is gender specific roles...

School Won't Protect Transgender Rights
Friday April 2, 2004 9:46 PM
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP)
- A school board in conservative Orange County refused to implement a state policy that protects transgender students, saying the measure is immoral and promotes transsexuality.


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City Council opposes gay marriage amendment
The Minneapolis City Council went on record Friday in opposing state and federal efforts to ban gay marriages by constitutional amendments. By a unanimous vote, the 13-member council adopted a resolution that opposes any "amendment to the Minnesota or U.S. Constitution that restricts or jeopardizes the equal rights of members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community or limits the recognition of domestic partnerships or civil unions."





Log Cabin leader says group is flying high after recent exposure
Gay Republican organization’s ranks doubled in the weeks after Bush said he supported a Constitutional amendment denying marriage to gays
By Angela Geralds

The leader of Log Cabin Republicans told Dallas supporters Saturday that the organization’s membership has doubled since President Bush announced his support of a Constitutional amendment that would deny gays the right to marry.


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Same Sex Marriages
Just Say "No" to Prohibition
By Dr. SUSAN BLOCK

Like many Americans, I grew up learning a "queer" was a criminal, a pervert or, probably, both. Not that I was taught this directly. I just picked it up from the embarrassment of my elders, the cruelty of my peers and the writing


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Massachusetts governor exploring options to block gay marriages
Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney acknowledged Thursday that he won't be able to obtain a judicial stay blocking the upcoming marriages of same-sex couples in the state beginning May 17, The Boston Globe reports. But the governor emphasized that he is exploring other options to block the issuance of marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples. "He's made his decision; I'm not going to pursue that further," Romney said of Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly's refusal to seek a stay of the Massachusetts supreme judicial court's ruling legalizing same-sex marriage. "Of course, I'm also considering other options. I don't have anything to report in that regard, but stay tuned." On Monday the Massachusetts legislature approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage and establish civil unions. But lawmakers must pass the measure a second time during the 2005-2006 legislative session--and then voters must approve it--before the constitution would be amended. The earliest the measure could appear on the ballot is November 2006, and gay-marriage opponents are determined to prevent same-sex marriages from taking place between May and that date.


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Conference remembers Howard murder
By NewsRadio WMTW
870/1470 AM and 106.7 FM
PORTLAND -- A conference Friday and Saturday at the University of Southern Maine looks back at the killing of Charlie Howard. Howard was thrown to his death from a bridge in Bangor 20 years ago, because he was gay.

Occupancy changes would give 'domestic partners' equal rights
By Caron Schwartz Ellis
News Story originally published in Boulder County Business Report, Apr. 02, 2004
BOULDER -- For a city that historically has tried to limit the number of unrelated people sharing a home, proposed changes to Boulder's housing occupancy rules actually could increase the number of people living together.
According to a preliminary draft of a city council agenda item to be discussed in April, a motion has been made to amend Boulder's land use regulations in two ways. The first would make the code "marriage neutral" by acknowledging other forms of domestic relationships, such as two gay people living together as a couple.


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Romney admits gay-union stay may be longshot
LITTLETON Gov. Mitt Romney said his administration will continue to seek ways to hold off on allowing homosexual marriage, but did not detail his options or hold out strong hope that he could delay issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The Supreme Judicial Court mandated last year that town and city clerks give marriage licenses to gay couples beginning May 17. Earlier this week, Romney asked Attorney General Thomas Reilly to seek a stay from the court.


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Saudi Gov't Lifts Gay Web Ban
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
(London) -The government of Saudi Arabia has lifted a ban on two gay news websites following the intervention of Reporters Without Borders, an international organization for freedom of the press.


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Methodist group asks for review of lesbian pastor's acquittal
A group of United Methodist Church members who oppose the acquittal of a lesbian pastor at a March church trial want church leaders to take action at an upcoming national meeting. Good News, which represents evangelical Methodists, is asking for a review by the judicial council, the denomination's top court, of the church trial and verdict in the case of the Reverend Karen Dammann. Good News also wants changes that would "close loopholes" in judicial proceedings.

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THE BATTLE OVER SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
Suits challenging state law get OK
Harriet Chiang, Chronicle Legal Affairs Writer A San Francisco judge gave the green light Thursday for two lawsuits that challenge state laws defining marriage as between a man and a woman to go to trial.
Superior Court Judge James Warren consolidated a suit brought by the city of San Francisco with one filed by six same-sex couples and two gay-rights groups that claim that state laws banning gay marriages violate the state constitutional guarantee of equal protection for all Californians.


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Carrboro mayor wants town leaders to support same-sex marriage
Associated Press
The openly gay mayor of Carrboro wants the town to go on record supporting same-sex marriage. Mayor Mike Nelson will submit a petition to aldermen Tuesday night calling on the Legislature to repeal portions of the Defense of Marriage Act. The act defines marriage as a union between a man and woman and specifically says same-sex marriages performed in other states or countries are not valid in North Carolina.


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Former Moseley Braun manager talks women's movement and politics in NH
By JAMES W. PINDELL
PoliticsNH.com

The former campaign manager to Carol Moseley Braun’s presidential campaign and former head largest women’s rights organization said in New Hampshire Thursday that just because it appears that there is progress on women’s issues it doesn’t mean there is equality.


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Domestic partner bill loses ground
By PAUL CARRIER, Portland Press Herald Writer
Copyright © 2004 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.  
AUGUSTA — An inheritance bill backed by gay-rights activists looked like a sure bet in the Legislature two weeks ago, but it has now become so contentious that it is impossible to predict its fate.

The bill won Senate backing Wednesday by only a one-vote margin, and Thursday the House postponed action instead of going along with the Senate version.


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DOMA author Barr testifies vs. FMA, cites states rights
By ADRIAN BRUNE
Anyone who walked into the March 30 congressional subcommittee hearing on the Federal Marriage Amendment and recognized conservative former Rep. Bob Barr (R-Georgia), could have reasonably assumed he was there to testify in favor of the gay marriage ban.

“Certainly, religious conceptions of marriage are sacrosanct and should remain so — the government should have no say whatsoever in how a given faith chooses to recognize marriage among its adherents,” Barr said. “However, how a state decides to dole out hospital visitation rights or insurance benefits, and what it decides to call these arrangements, are and should be a matter of state law.


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‘The forces of hate won’
Marriage ban will go before voters on November ballot
By RYAN LEE
Georgia voters will decide whether the state constitution should ban same-sex couples from marrying, after the state House of Representatives — on its second attempt — approved the anti-gay marriage amendment Wednesday.


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Time for HRC to fight
Cyd Zeigler Jr., is associate editor of the New York Blade

The Human Rights Campaign can silence its critics by putting up a spirited battle against the Massachusetts anti-gay marriage amendment


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protection for the privileged

Two pro-gay bills advance in Maryland

Gender identity dropped from hate crimes measure, angering activists


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Marriage as a civil right
Some straight allies recognize the parallels between the issues behind marriage and the African-American struggle for civil rights.


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Catholic Church condemns gay marriage in Scotland
GLASGOW, Scotland — The Catholic Church in Scotland has urged local authorities to abandon plans for gay marriage ceremonies, according to a report in Scotland’s Herald newspaper. The civil partnerships bill will give all couples who sign up to a committed relationship the same rights, regardless of sexual orientation. Gay couples will be able to register in a procedure similar to a marriage. But local authorities will be left to decide whether couples will, like heterosexual partnerships, have to go through an official ceremony. The Catholic Church has condemned the prospect of the ceremonies as an “absurd” misuse of resources and urged councils not to support them, according to the Herald.


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Students to rally for gay marriage in Washington
By Kate Slusark
About 100 university students are expected to rally for gay marriage rights with other Washington-area schools this Saturday in downtown Washington, university Pride Alliance President Eric Loewenthal said.


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Divorce, adultery a bigger threat to marriage
By: JIM DAIL - For The Californian
One of the great moral and political debates of 2004 concerns gay marriage and whether it would destroy the sanctity of marriage. However, some might say that as far as sacredness and marriage go, the sanctity as already been damaged ---- by heterosexuals, including many Christians.


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Civil unions strongly opposed by lawmakers
By DUREN CHEEK
and ANNE PAINECivil unions and domestic partnerships are overwhelmingly opposed in the state House, a survey by The Tennessean shows.

just got my computor back... and wanted to keep up with the dead..

TASK FORCE 1ST ARMORED DIVISION SOLDIER KILLED IN IED ATTACK 4/2/2004
FIVE U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL KILLED IN IRAQ 4/1/2004
IED KILLS ONE SOLDIER 3/29/2004
MARINE KILLED IN ACTION 3/29/2004
ONE 1ST INFANTRY DIVISION SOLDIER KILLED, TWO WOUNDED 3/25/2004

Gay parents now equal under Tenn. law
Court ruling sets precedent to treat parents equally in custody, visitation disputes
By CHRISTOPHER SEELY An appeals court in Tennessee last week reversed an earlier ruling that prohibited a gay father from “exposing” his son to his “gay lover(s) and/or his gay lifestyle.”


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$30,000 settlement for NYC pupil suspended for `Barbie a Lesbian' T-shirt
NEW YORK (AP) _ An openly gay teenager received a $30,000 settlement from the city over her suspension for wearing a "Barbie is a Lesbian" T-shirt to school, her


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Britain sends out first gay ambassador with partner

BRITAIN’S first openly gay ambassador has been sent to Luxembourg with his partner.


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Board members stand firm on transgender discrimination policy
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP) - The majority of an Orange County school board refused to implement a state-mandated anti-discrimination policy following a raucous meeting where hundreds of parents and teachers protested


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Chrissy Gephardt on the front lines
By Chad Graham
The openly lesbian daughter of former presidential candidate Dick Gephardt, who will be helping to bring gay voters to the polls in 2004, talks frankly about coming out, whether she will marry her partner, and why she feels no ill will toward Mary Cheney. 

Proceeds From Sale of Cheney Book to Benefit National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
WASHINGTON - April 1 - As reported in the April 1 edition of the Washington Post, Left Bank Books of St. Louis, MO is donating 10% of the proceeds from the sale of Lynne Cheney's (wife of Vice President Dick Cheney) 1981 novel about feminism in the Old West, "Sisters," to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Creating Change conference scholarship fund. The Task Force Creating Change conference will be held in St. Louis this year.


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Jury trial sought in transsexual case
By CONNIE PARISH, Times Staff WriterTopeka attorney Pedro Irigonegaray has requested a jury trial on behalf of the transsexual accused of false swearing in applying for a


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Diversity Day cancelled at VHS
by Matt Johnson
The Viroqua School Board voted 4-3, Tuesday, to cancel this year's Diversity Day program at the high school after members of the public lobbied against the inclusion of homosexual speakers at the event. The school board was presented with a petition, including roughly 400 signatures, in which people asked that the homosexual lifestyle not be included in the program


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Ousted gay ROTC student at CU gets help with debt
By Amy Hebert, Daily Camera
BOULDER - Touched by the story of a University of Colorado student who was kicked out of the Air Force ROTC for admitting she is a lesbian, a professor and an alumna are trying to help. Mara Boyd had her military scholarship revoked after coming out to her commander in September 2002 in violation of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Told she would have to pay back the $30,990 for failing to complete her service, Boyd left school and started working as a gardener.


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Gay Soldiers and Teachers
At a time when Massachusetts legislators are scrambling to amend their state's Constitution to ban gay marriages and President Bush supports a federal constitutional amendment to do the same, it is worth recalling the enormous strides made in tolerance toward gay men and lesbians on a wide range of other issues in recent years. The trend gives some reason to hope that gay marriage will eventually be deemed acceptable and no threat to heterosexual Americans.


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Compromise hurts gays
By Cheryl Jacques
The amendment that emerged from the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention would ban marriage for gay and lesbian citizens, permanently denying access to federal benefits and responsibilities for thousands of parents and children in the Bay State.

Mutlnomah Co. commissioners vote to uphold gay marriage policy
By JIM PARKER, kgw.com Staff
Multnomah County commissioners voted Thursday afternoon to support a policy adopted by Commission chair Diane Linn last month to begin issuing gay marriage licenses, a move that caused a public firestorm and set the stage for a fierce legal battle before the Oregon Supreme Court. Commissioners voted 4-1 to approve a resolution affirming Linn’s administrative decision that opponents have charged came without any opportunity for public input.


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Dick Cheney's Wife's Lesbian Tale


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Gay marriage + Vegas wedding biz = $$$


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Log Cabin doubles budget for marriage ad Doubling its modest $1 million annual budget, the Log Cabin Republicans launched a television ad campaign against the proposed anti-gay Federal Marriage Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

I noticed someone from Lynch, Gilardi & Grummer (lgglaw.com) has been visiting my site?...do you have any questions? I can help you wilth?

or if any one knows anything about American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN), and why they would be spending so much timeon my blog... please email me and let me know...

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Town clerk said gay marriage licensing could go forth
State Legislators paved the way for a ban on gay marriage this week, even though gay couples, under a previous decision, were supposed to be able to legally tie the knot in Massachusetts as of May 17.

Norwell Town Clerk Jan Lawson said it's time for some definite answers, as those in her position are required to take a training session on gay marriage licensing prior to May 17.





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N.M. high court extends stay on issuance of marriage licenses
The New Mexico supreme court has extended a stay on the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples, halting a county clerk's plan to begin issuing those licenses beginning Friday, but her lawyer said the clerk may proceed as soon as a judge can be found. Without elaborating, the high court unanimously ruled on Wednesday that the temporary restraining order would remain in effect until a state district court could rule on the merits of the case. Both sides said they were pleased with the court's decision. "In essence, the relief I sought has been granted. It means the case will proceed in an orderly fashion," Attorney General Patricia Madrid said, adding that whatever decision is made probably will be appealed.

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Survivor’ Hatch testifies at gay-marriage hearing
Jim Baron
PROVIDENCE -- After listening for more than three and a half hours to earnest advocates on both sides of the gay marriage debate, the House Judiciary Committee heard from a Survivor.




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Judge Consolidates Some Gay Marriage Lawsuits
The PIXPage Staff
A San Francisco judge consolidated two gay marriage lawsuits pending in California Thursday. State Attorney General Bill Lockyer had proposed grouping all five court challenges to eliminate conflicting rulings. Lockyer also had asked to stay two of the suits that were not already put on hold until the California Supreme Court decides the issue. However, the judge declined to rule on either request.
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French mayors ready to perform same-sex marriages
By Kerstin Gehmlich
PARIS (Reuters) - Gay couples in France may be able to tie the knot for the first time this spring after several French mayors said on Thursday they would be ready to conduct same-sex marriages in their city halls.

ACLU sues Washington state for gay marriage ban
12:40 PM PST on Thursday, April 1, 2004
Associated Press
SEATTLE -- On behalf of 11 same-sex couples, the American Civil Liberties Union sued the state of Washington on Thursday to challenge laws that deny marriage rights to gays.

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NEWS- Gay fraternity gets okay

White House affirms gay workers' rights
It says discrimination against federal employees is barred -- but Democrats aren't convinced

Washington -- The White House forcefully reiterated Wednesday that lesbian and gay federal employees should not face workplace discrimination in light of a mounting controversy over actions last month by one of President Bush's appointees that appeared to reverse part of that policy.
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Hundreds Rally In Springfield For Marriage Definition
Thursday, April 1, 2004, 6:00 a.m.
By Eva Goltermann
Illinois Radio Network
SPRINGFIELD, IL -- Hundreds of Illinoisans rallied at the state Capital Wednesday in favor of a constitutional amendment that defines marriage.
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Editorial: A flawed amendment
Thursday, April 1, 2004
The Massachusetts Legislature's debate over gay marriage was as dramatic as it was important. There were heartfelt words and passionate speeches about respecting marriage and extending civil rights. Demonstrators on both sides of the issue sang songs in the State House corridors and crowded the sidewalks outside. People who couldn't have named their state representative three months ago became lobbyists for their cause. It was, in some ways at least, one of democracy's finest hours.

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Compromise measure would ban courts from defining marriage
By CHRISTOPHER TRUSCOTT
Staff Writer
ST. PAUL — A crowd of cheering supporters greeted Sen. Michele Bachmann as she arrived at the Senate Judiciary Committee meeting room the afternoon of Friday, March 26, for a hearing on her proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. For Sen. Bachmann, R-Stillwater, the problem wasn’t a lack of supporters in the audience — most of those who turned out for the committee hearing were. It was the Judiciary Committee that was less receptive.
After two hours of testimony from supporters and opponents of Sen. Bachmann’s proposal, the Judiciary Committee rejected Sen. Bachmann’s proposal on a 5-4, party-line vote.
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Peisch rejects civil union amendment
Thursday, April 1, 2004
When state lawmakers this week approved an amendment to ban gay marriage and institute civil unions this week, state Rep. Alice Peisch, D-Wellesley, didn't join in.
"I will undoubtedly lose support regardless of the way I vote," Peisch said

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President Bush: Flip-Flopper-In-Chief

BUSH SAYS GAY MARRIAGE IS A STATE ISSUE... "The state can do what they want to do. Don't try to trap me in this state's issue like you're trying to get me into." [Gov. George W. Bush on Gay Marriage, Larry King Live, 2/15/00]

...BUSH SUPPORTS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT BANNING GAY MARRIAGE "Today I call upon the Congress to promptly pass, and to send to the states for ratification, an amendment to our Constitution defining and protecting marriage as a union of man and woman as husband and wife." [President Bush, 2/24/04]
President Bush: Flip-Flopper-In-Chief

Duma committee turns down bills on persecution of gays
MOSCOW, April 1 (Itar-Tass) - Committee for Legislation at the State Duma, the lower house of Russian parliament, has rejected a bill of amendments to the Criminal Code that implied punishment for up to five years in jail for male homosexual relations.

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Univision Talk Show Promotes Reparative Therapy for Gays

On March 25, 'Casos De Familia,' a new talk show produced by Venevision Internacional, aired a segment about reparative therapy through religion. The program was insensitive, unfair and unbalanced. During the taping, the hostess, Judith Grace, insulted the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community by making statements such as: “Would it be that all [homosexuals] have been abused, hence their sexual preference?” -- and -- “Let’s stop our relatives from touching/abusing our own children so they do not end up like this.”

Lawmakers OK bill opposing same-sex civil unions
by Amber McDowell
The Associated Press
NASHVILLE -- A bill to prevent Tennessee from giving legal recognition to same-sex civil unions passed overwhelmingly Wednesday in the state Senate despite being killed a week earlier by a House subcommittee.

Campus Rallies Against Hate After Gay Student Threatened


by Margo Williams
365Gay.com Newscenter
Boston Bureau
Posted: April 1, 2004 2:14 p.m. ET
(Boston, Massachusetts) Hundreds of students at the College of the Holy Cross rallied in support for a gay student who s has been the target of threatening letters.

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Georgia lawmakers send constitutional marriage ban to voters
Georgia voters will decide this fall whether to amend the state constitution to ban equal marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples, even if the same-sex unions are performed in other states. The Georgia house approved the ban 122-52 on Wednesday. Same-sex marriage already is illegal in Georgia, but the matter is not addressed in its constitution. Supporters of the amendment said current law was not enough to prevent a judge from allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry. "We cannot let judges in Boston or officials in San Francisco define marriage for the people of Georgia," said Republican representative Bill Hembree, the amendment's sponsor, referring to other hot spots in the national debate over same-sex marriage.


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Quebec Holds First Gay Wedding
by Jean-Pierre O'Brien
365Gay.com Newscenter
Montreal Bureau
(Montreal, Quebec) A Montreal gay couple who successfully fought for the right to marry were wed Thursday in a jubilant ceremony, becoming the first same-sex couple in Quebec to tie the knot.

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Prohibiting Gay Marriage Not Justified Canada Says
by Ben Thompson
365Gay.com Newscenter
Ottawa Bureau
(Ottawa) Prohibiting same-sex marriage can no longer be justified the Canadian government has told the Supreme Court in a brief asking for direction in writing legislation to fully recognize gay unions.

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Missouri House Passes Anti-Gay Amendment
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
(Jefferson City, Missouri) A proposed amendment to the Missouri Constitution that would ban same-sex union passed the House on Wednesday.

Suffolk University students object to Romney as commencement speaker
By HELENA PAYNE
Associated Press Writer
BOSTON (AP) - A group of Suffolk University students are objecting to the school's likely selection of Gov. Mitt Romney as commencement speaker because of his stance on gay marriage. The school's Rainbow Alliance, an organization serving gay and lesbian students, drafted a letter to Suffolk President David J. Sargent. The group plans to issue the letter next week after collecting more signatures from student groups and individuals.

Talking points on marriage, part 2
In the second of Advocate.com’s series of “talking points” to counter arguments against same-sex marriage, we take on everything from “marriage exists only for procreation” to “doesn’t traditional marriage need to be protected?”
By Michael Rush

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Dear God, it’s me…and I’m gay
A holy father from the Old Catholic Church answers readers’ questions and offers advice about dealing with homosexuality within the context of traditional Christianity.
By Archbishop Bruce J. Simpson, Benedictine Order of St. John the Beloved (an Old Catholic order)

State supreme court rules against permanent block of gay marriage

Location: Santa Fe
Source: KRQE News 13
Late this afternoon the New Mexico State Supreme Court denied the Attorney General's request to permanently blocked the Sandoval County clerk from issuing any more same sex marriage licenses. However, the denial of Attorney General Patricia Madrid's request for what's called a Writ of Mandamus doesn't mean Clerk Victoria Dunlap can start issuing the licenses again as she has threatened. The high court also said the temporary restraining order against Dunlap will remain in effect until a full hearing on the issue can be held in District Court .

Highlights of the Missouri Legislature
Associated Press
Highlights of Wednesday at the Missouri Legislature:
_ The House gave initial approval to a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage.

California school district opposes law to protect transgendered students
Orange County, Calif., school trustee Judy Ahrens knows her stand against a state law that protects the rights of transgendered students might jeopardize more than half of her small district's annual budget. But as far as Ahrens is concerned, the Department of Education's mandate that the Westminster School District update its antidiscrimination policy is a threat to students' values and education. "I'm really sad that the moral compass isn't out there," Ahrens said. "I'm really disappointed that economics is trying to outweigh morality and protecting our kids in this district."
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Singapore activists rally against antigay sex law
Gay rights activists in Singapore are urging the government to do away with a decades-old law that criminalizes gay sex, claiming that the law is archaic and unconstitutional. "Here in Singapore, we continue to demand rapid social changes to support economic development: in education, job retraining, immigration," said Alex Au, founder of gay rights group People Like Us. But the government has been far too slow in allowing changes to the city-state's sex laws, Au said. The criminal code's Section 377 bars men from engaging in "any act of gross indecency" with other men, punishable by a maximum two years in jail. This has been interpreted by courts to cover consensual gay sex. In November the government promised to review the law in response to public outrage over the imprisonment of a police officer for engaging in oral sex--also banned under Section 377. The government has, however, dragged its feet over the promised reforms.

Ga. to Put Gay Marriage Ban to a Vote
KRISTEN WYATT
Associated Press
ATLANTA - The Georgia House voted Wednesday to put a gay marriage ban in the state constitution. The 122-52 vote gave final approval to an amendment that will appear on the state ballot this fall. If voters agree, the state constitution would say Georgia will not recognize same-sex unions, even if they're performed in other states.

Over 120 Jewish Leaders Sign Passover Petition for Marriage Equality
PFLAG'S PASSOVER STATEMENT
"Passover is the Jewish community's celebration of our liberation from slavery. Each year we recall our exodus from bondage and rejoice in our freedom from oppression. We also recognize that we are not entirely free until every human being is free, free from tyranny, free from prejudice, free from discrimination, and free to pursue the fullness of life. There is now an attempt to amend the Constitution of the United States of America in such a way that it would preclude basic civil rights from the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender members of our community. We, all leaders in the Jewish community, deplore such an attempt and instead urge the president and members of Congress to protect the freedom of all that we might all celebrate our freedom together."

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House majority leader announces he is gay, supports same-sex marriage
The Associated Press
INSERTS grafs 8-12 with testimony from Fox and diocese; minor edits; will be led AP Photo mzmstflmgesz By MICHAEL MELLO Associated Press Writer
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - The debate over same-sex marriage is personal for House Majority Leader Gordon Fox, who on Wednesday announced publicly for the first time that he is gay. The Providence Democrat spoke at a Statehouse rally, then again at a House committee hearing on bills on both sides of the issue. Fox said he's been in a committed relationship for six years and that he supports

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Protestors march in opposition to same sex marriages

Miller to campaign with TV ads
Indianapolis, March 31, 2004 (AP) - Republican gubernatorial candidate Eric Miller was expected to air his first television commercial on Monday, a 30-second ad that begins by stating his opposition to gay marriage.

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NIU professor says constitutional amendment has little chance
Proposed same-sex marriage amendment will likely fail
By Dennis Hines
President George W. Bush has proposed an amendment to prohibit same-sex marriages; however, a Northern Illinois University professor feels there is little chance of that amendment being approved.

Gays want human rights, not marriage
By Eloisa Mayers

Gays in Bermuda are not looking to get married - what they really want are the same protections as other people under the Human Rights Act.
Last week Opposition Sen. Leonard Santucci called for discussion on the issue of gay marriage, saying that the current controversy in the US was likely to spread to the Island. But members of the gay community told The Royal Gazette yesterday that what they want to see are protections under the Human Rights Act if they are fired from a job or evicted from their apartment based on sexual orientation.
Gay marriages have been legalised in Canada, Hawaii and Alaska, and will be legalised in Massachusetts in May. The issue made headlines in the US recently when mayors in San Francisco and New York state started marrying gay couples and US President George W. Bush called for a Constitutional amendment establishing marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Lawyer Liz Christopher, who has spoken out on the issue previously in Bermuda, said sexual orientation needed to be added to the protected categories section of the Human Rights Act.

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Marriage amendment proposed
Jeff Laszloffy, president of the Montana Family Foundation, announced Tuesday that his organization will introduce the Montana Marriage Amendment to define marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman.

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Modrell's votes result in recall effort by local group
Political action committee heads recall effort for Commission Chairwoman, Linda Modrell
By Dan Traylor and Peter Chee
The Daily Barometer
Benton County Commission Chairwoman Linda Modrell is facing a recall effort led by a new citizens group following her recent votes in the ongoing same-sex marriage debate.

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House committee hears bills on gay marriage
The Associated Press
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - The debate over gay marriage was to move to the House on Wednesday, with a committee hearing on bills on both sides of the issue. A Senate hearing last week attracted more than 100 people and dozens of speakers supporting or opposing same-sex marriage. Legislative hearings in Rhode Island and other states have been spurred by a November Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling which allows gay couples to marry. Same-sex weddings will become legal in Massachusetts in mid-May.
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Experts Tell House Committee DOMA is Working Fine, A Constitutional Amendment Has Problems
by Bob Roehr
“Liberal activists...rogue judges legislating from the bench...and a handful of elected officials who have disregarded their own state laws regarding marriage” have pushed the issue of gay marriage forward, said Rep Steve Chabot (R-Ohio).
“We are here today because of those actions and events, not because of a political agenda or election year plot,” he declared in his opening statement as chair of a March 30 hearing of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution. That was pretty much the extent of red meat for social conservatives at the hearing.

An uncivil union
Gay marriage supporters and opponents equally incensed by unprincipled political 'solution' in Massachusetts
BOSTON -- Talk about shotgun marriages. The Massachusetts Legislature finally found a way to unite the opponents on either side of the gay marriage debate. These enemies are now wed in anger at the politicians.
On Monday, the Legislature narrowly approved an amendment to the state Constitution that would simultaneously ban same-sex marriages and establish civil unions. This dual deal was taken as a piece of double-dealing. It dismayed the folks bearing posters that read "No Civil Rights for Sodomites" almost as much as those carrying placards that said "No Discrimination in the Constitution."
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Gay marriage ban nears final showdown
The Associated Press - ATLANTA
A gay marriage amendment that has deeply divided the Legislature could be settled Wednesday.

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Rep. Frank Attacks FMA, Mass. Legislature Seeks Ban
by Bob Roehr
2004-03-31
The U.S. Senate’s third hearing on the threat of gay marriage, on March 23, was a strange mix of acrimony and ennui. In the end, it was unclear whether any movement had been made in any direction, or when the committee might again take up the issue. Meanwhile, on Monday, the Massachusetts legislature voted 105-to-92 in favor of a state constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and create civil unions instead. But the state court has said marriages must start May 17—and a state Constitutional amendment can take effect no earlier than November 2006 because it must also pass again in the next legislative session and then in a referendum by voters.

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Gay Couples To Sue After Albany Clerk Refuses Gay Marriage Licenses
03.30.04
(Albany, New York) Two same-sex couples married over the weekend in Albany, New York, were denied licenses Monday when they applied at city hall.

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Gays make case for marriage rights

Gay Discrimination Policy Decision Chided

APARNA H. KUMAR

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - A group of Democratic lawmakers wants President Bush to overturn a decision by one of his appointees to deny gay federal workers protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation.
In a letter to Bush circulated Wednesday for signatures, the lawmakers derided a decision in February by Scott Bloch, head of the Office of Special Counsel, to remove references to sexual orientation from the agency's Web site and complaint forms.

Ministers' stance ignores equality
By BYRON WILLIAMS
Published on: 03/31/2004

I am deeply saddened, almost to the point of embarrassment, about the title of "Rev." that precedes my name. Last week, more than two dozen of my brethren black pastors in Atlanta publicly opted for the safety of status-quo bigotry, in lieu of confronting the nation's more pressing moral issues.
By declaring their beliefs in writing, the 29 pastors added their voices to the critics of same-sex marriage, attempting to distance the civil rights struggle from the gay rights movement and defending marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
The civil rights movement didn't just improve conditions for African-Americans; it made America as a whole better. Every American is an heir to the civil rights movement, if not by birth then by legal inheritance. The moral force of the movement challenged America to be self-reflective by asking: Are we living out the Jeffersonian creed that all are, indeed, created equal?
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Georgia's gay marriage ban too close to call
By JIM THARPE
Cox News Service
ATLANTA -- Georgia lawmakers braced for a final showdown today over a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, one of the most divisive issues to confront the General Assembly in years.

Virginia lesbian couple's goal: Reach lawmakers
They travel to D.C. to say they're 'same as any other family'
BY PETER HARDIN
TIMES-DISPATCH WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT Mar 31, 2004
WASHINGTON - Terry Hayes and Freda Routt traveled to the capital from their home in Chesapeake to help defuse what they consider a politically explosive election-year issue. As a House panel began hearings on "legal threats to traditional marriage," this homosexual couple of six years' partnership arrived to tell what they believe to be their unthreatening story - and head off a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.

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Support for same-sex civil unions hard to find among state senators


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Ads designed to ‘put a face on’ gay marriage
JIM BARON , Journal Register News Service
PROVIDENCE -- Touting the slogan "civil marriage is a civil right," advocates of same-sex marriage have taken their fight to the airwaves with a series of radio spots

Gays to tie knot at 16

GAYS and lesbians will be able to marry at 16 in an historic legal shake-up to be unveiled this week. It will give them the same legal, financial and medical rights as married heterosexual couples. They will sign a legal register that would force them to go to the divorce courts if they split. The changes are in the Civil Partnerships Bill, published on Wednesday.
Tory health spokesman Tim Yeo backed the move, saying: “It’s important that people who have registered a partnership should get the rights that accompany that.”

California Moves To Block Gay Marriage Suits
by Mary Ellen Peterson
365Gay.com Newscenter
San Francisco Bureau
(San Francisco, California) California's attorney general moved Tuesday to have suits challenging the constitutionality of banning same-sex marriage put on hold until the state Supreme Court rules on his own suit sometime in late May or June.
The high court halted gay marriages in San Francisco earlier this month and ordered lawyers for Attorney General Bill Lockyer and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom to present briefs on the legality of issuing the marriage licenses to gay couples.
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Georgia Reopens Anti-Gay-Marriage Amendment
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
(Atlanta, Georgia) After narrowly defeating a proposed amendment to the Georgia constitution last month the House will take up the issue again this week.

how much longer are we going to stand by and watch has discrimination is passed into law?

New Federal Law Overrides Gay Protections
by Paul Johnson
365Gay.com Newscenter
Washington Bureau Chief
Posted: March 31, 2004 5:01 p.m. ET
(Washington, D.C.) Legislation passed by the House of Representatives would force universities to suspend civil rights protections or lose government contracts. The bill denies defense-related funding to any university which does not provide access to military recruiters and ROTC programs.

New Mexico supreme court asked to block same-sex marriages

The New Mexico supreme court is reviewing a petition from the state attorney general asking for an order to halt a county clerk's imminent plans to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. "We are asking the New Mexico supreme court to require the Sandoval County clerk to follow the law and not issue any same-sex marriage licenses," Attorney General Patricia Madrid said Tuesday. The court was reviewing the petition on Wednesday, but no hearing was immediately scheduled, a court clerk said. Sandoval County clerk Victoria Dunlap, who issued 66 marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples February 20, has said she plans to resume issuing licenses on Friday after a temporary restraining order expires. The order was issued a week ago by a judge who subsequently withdrew from the case, leaving open a window for same-sex couples to obtain licenses until another judge can be appointed.

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Attorney general refuses to assist Romney in blocking gay marriage

The politics of the gay marriage debate in Massachusetts have now moved from the legislative branch to the executive branch, with Gov. Mitt Romney and Atty. Gen. Thomas F. Reilly sparring over whether the state should ask its highest court to delay same-sex marriages until voters can cast ballots on a constitutional amendment banning them. Following the state legislature's approval Monday of a proposed amendment to the Massachusetts constitution banning gay marriage but allowing civil unions, Romney called on Reilly to ask the supreme judicial court for a stay on its mandate that same-sex couples be issued marriage licenses beginning May 17, at least until state residents get a chance to vote on the amendment, which would be November 2006 at the earliest. On Tuesday, Romney asked Reilly to appoint a special assistant to handle the request if the attorney general himself were unwilling. Romney said he wants to prevent any confusion that could ensue if gay marriages take place beginning in May and are then outlawed by voters--a separate question, he argued, from the issue of the constitutionality of gay marriage as ruled on by the high court in November.
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Many out-of-state couples barred from marrying in Massachusetts

Massachusetts's attorney general said a 91-year-old state law prevents the state from issuing marriage licenses to couples whose marriage would be illegal in their home state, an interpretation that could block gay couples from 39 states from tying the knot there. Atty. Gen. Thomas F. Reilly said Tuesday that when gay matrimony becomes legal in Massachusetts, it will apply only to Massachusetts residents and couples who live in states were no current law expressly defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Reilly based his decision on a 1913 state law that prevents out-of-staters from getting married in Massachusetts if they are ineligible for marriage in the state where they reside. Thirty-nine states have so-called defense of marriage laws that define marriage solely as a union between a man and a woman. "In those states...where same-sex marriage is not lawful, [same-sex couples] are not entitled and cannot be lawfully married here," Reilly said. "This [court] opinion is rather limited, in terms of Massachusetts residents who are entitled to these rights."

Are you feeling complacent about the Federal anti-Marriage
Amendment? Think it's not a threat? That the Senate or House
would never pass it?

Think again.

Groups like the Family Research Council, Concerned Women for
American, Focus on the Family, and the American Family
Association are banking on our community and our straight allies
being silent or being lulled into a false sense of security that
Congress would not write discrimination into the United States
Constitution. And they will stop at nothing.

These groups all have millions of dollars -- more than all GLBT
advocacy groups combined -- between them that they can use for a
gigantic media blitz the week before the FMA comes up for a vote
in Congress.

We need to make our voices heard NOW - before Members of
Congress have made up their minds. And this week, we're asking
you to take a specific action to help -- to hand-write a letter
and mail it to your Senators' and Representative's district
offices. Here is a step-by-step guide:

------------------------------------
1. Sample letter - use this sample letter as a starting point.
Make it personal - tell your story.

http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/ct/_d10y2M1hBk8/

2. Send your letter to the district office. Look up the address
here:

http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/ct/Ld10y2M1hBkU//

Why the district office? Mail sent to Washington, DC goes
through a screening process that can take up to 8 weeks. If you
send your letter to the district office, then it will reach your
legislators much more quickly. That's critical for this fight --
it seems likely we will face a vote on the Federal anti-Marriage
Amendment by the end of the summer.

3. Tell us you sent a letter so we can keep count:

http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/ct/_710y2M1hBki/

4. Tell your friends to write a letter:

http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/ct/_p10y2M1hBkk/

Between now and the vote, we need literally hundreds and
thousands of letters pouring into Congressional offices.

5. Download HRC's new Marriage Pamphlet:

http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/ct/L710y2M1hBky/

A pamphlet that answers many common questions and concerns about
marriage equality for same-sex couples, including "Why aren't
civil unions enough?"
------------------------------------

Here's the Family Research Council's preferred version of an
amendment: "Marriage in the United States, whether entered into
within or outside of the United States, shall consist only of
the legal union of one man and one woman. The uniting of persons
of the same or opposite-sex in a civil union, domestic
partnership, or other similar relationship as a substitution for
such marriage shall not be valid or recognized in the United
States."

The House held the first of a series of five hearings on the
discriminatory Federal Marriage Amendment today - Tuesday, March
30, 2004. HRC was there - we held a press conference, we're
working with out allies, and we are lobbying today with families
who are constituents of the members of the subcommittee.

As we saw yesterday in Massachusetts, if lawmakers throw a
"civil unions compromise" into the mix, some of our allies might
be inclined to support a discriminatory amendment. Some members
of Congress are looking at just such a "compromise amendment" -
but it's no compromise. It's still discrimination. (For the full
story on what happened in Massachusetts yesterday, visit
http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/ct/A710y2M1hBkl/)

Last week we asked some of you who are constituents of Judiciary
Committee members to call Congress. Thousands of folks made
phone calls - and we heard that several offices got literally
hundreds of calls. But we need more. So today, write your
handwritten letter, mail it to the district office, and then
phone your Representative and Senators.

Call the Capitol Switchboard toll-free at 1-877-762-8762 - and
then let us know that you called by e-mailing us at
field@hrc.org

With your help, we can win this fight. Please make sure that you
take action today!

Sincerely,

Seth Kilbourn and the activist team at the Human Rights Campaig

Shooting at gay wedding in Guyana injures one
Police said Monday they were looking for a man who opened fired on a gay wedding reception in Georgetown, Guyana, over the weekend, hitting a participant in the chest. Gay weddings are illegal in the South American country of 770,000, and police said they planned to revoke the marriage license of whoever performed the ceremony. The couple began to attract attention on Sunday afternoon when they went to the botanical gardens in Georgetown to take pictures. The couple had likely just been married in a private ceremony, police said. When people at the gardens realized the bride was a man in a dress, dozens began to crowd around them. Some cheered while others cursed. The couple then left quickly in a car to a private house where a reception was planned. An hour later a man arrived at the reception and opened fire, injuring one man before everyone dispersed and the attacker fled. Police said the injured man was in stable condition at a local hospital.
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Danish lawmakers propose church weddings for gay couples
Denmark's opposition Socialist People's Party presented a bill to parliament on Tuesday that would open the way for allowing gays and lesbians to marry in church, parliamentarian sources told Agence France-Presse. "The current law bars all religious communities from wedding homosexual couples. Our proposal aims to change this legislation and to stop the political interference in religious matters by giving all churches the freedom to make their own decision on whether or not to wed homosexuals," the author of the proposal, Kamal Qreishi, told AFP. The bill will be debated in parliament over coming months, he said.

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Gay marriage amendment revived in House
The Associated Press - ATLANTA
A stalled constitutional amendment banning gay marriage will return to the Georgia House, legislators decided Tuesday.
The amendment narrowly failed in the House last month, but ruling Democrats are expected to bring back the amendment for another vote. A committee in charge of scheduling votes is expected to send on the amendment to the full House Wednesday.
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New group plans anti-gay marriage initiative
Associated Press
HELENA - The Montana Family Foundation said Tuesday it plans to launch an initiative to amend the Montana Constitution this year to prohibit gay marriages.

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Pro-Gay Marriage Ads Hit Rhode Island Airwaves
March 30, 2004
Michael Christopher Bryan
Local radio stations in Rhode Island, top-40 stations and afternoon talk shows are airing ads supporting civil marriage for same-sex couples.
The 30- and 60-second commercials, entitled "Civil Marriage is a Civil Right" represent the first time pro-gay rights advertising has been pushed so strongly in the state of Rhode Island, reports the Providence (Rhode Island) Journal.

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Mass. Attorney General Refuses Governor's Request to Halt High Court's Ruling
Massachusetts Attorney General Thomas Reilly last night rejected the governor's request that his office seek a stay of the ruling by the state's highest court that allows same-sex couples to marry beginning May 17.

Church video stirs gay wed debate
By Marie Szaniszlo
Monday, March 29, 2004
On the eve of the Bay State's gay marriage showdown, a Catholic Church-supported lobbying group made a last-ditch plea for a ban by distributing a video that questions the future of civilization if gay unions are approved. The eight-minute video, ``Same-sex Unions: Truth and Consequences,'' claims gay marriage and civil unions would ``discriminate against the poor and needy'' by diverting money to homosexuals who are ``not economically disadvantaged.''

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Candler accepts gay student stripped of scholarships
Student says he will not let financial issues keep him from attending Emory
By Jaclyn Barbarow
Asst. News Editor
March 30, 2004
A 24-year-old Baptist minister who was kicked out of Baylor University for being gay could be part of Candler School of Theology’s next incoming class.
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Its beginning….

Anti-gay missives spark probe
FBI seeks source of threatening fliers distributed in Denver area
By John Ingold
Denver Post Staff Writer
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has begun looking into dozens of anti-gay fliers mailed to members of the Denver- area gay community and gay-rights supporters over the past four years.
All the fliers are signed by someone calling himself "The Watcher," said Denise de Percin, executive director of the Colorado Anti-Violence Program.
The messages consist of a single sheet of paper with Bible verses front and back that purport to condemn homosexuality. Sometimes, de Percin said, the fliers have handwritten notes saying things such as, "I will enjoy watching you die."

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Gay-vow backlash brewing in S.J.
EVANGELICALS SEEK TO TOSS OUT COUNCIL RULING
By Robin Evans
Mercury News
Incensed by the city of San Jose's decision to recognize same-sex marriages, a group of evangelical Christians has hired a well-regarded Sacramento consultant to explore a recall effort or ballot initiative to overturn the action.
``The repercussions are going to be different here than in San Francisco,'' said Bill Buchholz, pastor of the Family Community Church, of the council's March 9 vote. ``People make jokes about San Francisco. We don't want them making jokes about San Jose.'' Sacramento-based Russo, Marsh + Rogers will begin by surveying Silicon Valley attitudes before recommending a course of action, said Larry Pegram, a city council member for two terms in the 1970s who attends one of the churches involved, South Valley Christian. The firm's successes include the recall of former Gov. Gray Davis and the campaign for Proposition 22, the state initiative defining marriage as being between a man and a woman. The firm could not be reached for comment Monday.
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School choir cancels performance at gay-lesbian service
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- An elementary school choir that emphasizes diversity dropped out of a service celebrating the gay community because too few parents gave permission for their children to participate. The H.W. Smith Elementary School's Rainbow Kids international chorus was to perform Sunday at May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church during the annual "Equality Begins At Home" event, organized by local churches and gay and lesbian groups.

Republicans Attack Gay Marriage Amendment
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: March 30, 2004 5:01 pm. ET
(Washington, D.C.) Two leading Republicans Tuesday dismissed as unnecessary a GOP push to amend the US Constitution to bar gays from marrying.
In the first of five days of hearings Tuesday by the House Subcommittee on the Constitution former Congressman Bob Barr of Georgia, now a leading GOP advisor, repeated the message he has been giving for moths, that marriage is an issue best left to the states.
"Leave the decision to the citizens of each state," Bar said.

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Conservatives Want Oregon County Commissioner Recalled
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: March 30, 2004 5:01 pm. ET
(Portland, Oregon) A newly formed group has begun a campaign to recall Benton County Commission Chairwoman Linda Modrell over her decision to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

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Financial Giant Accused Of Bias
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: March 30, 2004 2:03 p.m. ET
(Santa Fe, New Mexico) Prudential Financial has been accused of discrimination after refusing to provide benefits to the legally married spouse of lesbian retiree.

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Trans Hate Crime Bill Advances In Connecticut
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: March 30, 2004 12:01 am. ET
(Hartford, Connecticut) The joint Senate and House Judiciary Committee in the state of Connecticut has voted favorably and sent a bill to the full legislature that would add "disability or gender identity or expression" to the existing statute against Hate Crimes.

Mass. governor and attorney general butt heads over gay marriage
With one chapter closed in the Massachusetts gay marriage debate, several new ones have now opened, as gay couples look ahead to what may be a short-lived chance to tie the knot and lawmakers prepare for a crucial November election. State legislators on Monday approved a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriages while legalizing civil unions. If passed during the next two-year legislative session, the measure would go before voters in November 2006. The move comes even as the nation's first state-sanctioned marriages for gay couples are scheduled to begin in mid May, as ordered by a November ruling of the state's supreme judicial court.
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Judge's recusal could allow more same-sex marriages in New Mexico
The judge who issued a court order barring a county clerk in New Mexico from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples withdrew from the case on Monday, possibly clearing the way for more licenses to be granted. Judge Kenneth Brown offered no reason for recusing himself. On March 23 he issued a temporary restraining order against Sandoval County clerk Victoria Dunlap. A hearing on the restraining order had been set for Friday, the day the order expires. The hearing will now be postponed until a new judge is chosen. Dunlap said she'll resume issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples "if we're not barred by the court."
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U.S. House begins hearings on constitutional marriage ban
The U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution commenced a series of hearings Tuesday to address the "legal threats to traditional marriage." "The concept of marriage is older than our Constitution," a committee statement read. "It is older than our Nation. It is older than any nation on Earth. Yet today, a few judges are being asked to rewrite thousands of years of human history and redefine the simple paradigm of traditional marriage."

Congressman Jerrold Nadler of New York, the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee, issued the following statement: "Today we begin the first of five hearings on the question of marriage equality and how to stop it. When I first joined this subcommittee it was called the Subcommittee on Civil and Constitutional Rights. These days our work is more focused on the extermination of rights than on their protection or expansion.

A call to arms
By David Mixner
From The Advocate, April 13, 2004
For 40 years I have had the honor of participating in some of the great social movements of our time. Who can forget the fire hoses and dogs Birmingham, Ala., used against young African-Americans fighting for their rights or the horrible charge of police on horseback into the marchers at Selma? The images of thousands of anti–Vietnam War protesters being beaten senseless at the Chicago Democratic convention in 1968 are ingrained in the minds of millions.

Never will I be able to forget the shooting of students at Kent and Jackson State colleges. The power of hundreds of thousands of women fighting for equal rights and for the right of choice is a lesson in organizing for us all. The heroic story of Nelson Mandela leaving prison, becoming president, and forgiving his tormentors is legend.
Our community will always honor those who fought at Stonewall. We will never forget countless thousands who took care of those dying of AIDS while fighting for lifesaving treatments and justice. The members of our nation’s military who came out and gave up their careers to advance our liberty are all heroes. The countless Matthew Shepards who have been beaten to death will always be in our hearts.

I come out of a history built on the greatness of others. I have seen nameless individuals change nations, performing heroic deeds in the face of death. Now it’s your turn: The most important battle in the history of the GLBT civil rights movement is upon us. Future generations of young people will remember those who stand up now to be counted.

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Mass. Marriage Battle Rages On
Monday, March 29th 2004
BOSTON -- The Massachusetts legislature moved one step closer to a constitutional amendment that would forbid same-sex couples from participating in marriage and instituting a compromise that would make it the second state in the country to legalize civil unions.
Lawmakers on Monday moved to prevent other riders from being attached to the amendment, including one proposal that would have cut the benefits granted to gay couples in civil unions and another that would have allowed voters to ban marriage equality absent the civil union alternative.
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how nice.. to have limited rights.. wow.. I should feel so lucky to live in a country that has a non-elected president, that goes to war on lies, and limits rights..

Maryland Advances Limited Partnership
Monday, March 29th 2004
ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- A key Maryland House committee voted on Friday to approve the creation of a statewide domestic partnership registry that would give gay men and lesbians in relationships the right to make medical decisions for their partners.

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Hate mail targeting gay rights supporters
By The Associated Press
March 29, 2004
Dozens of threatening letters have been sent to people in Colorado over the past four years, apparently targeting them as gay rights supporters through their comments in the media. A leaflet enclosed in the mailings, titled "Homosexual Rights or Bold Faced Lie?," lists biblical passages the author says condemn homosexuality. The mailings are signed by the "Watcher." Some leaflets also contain handwritten notes, which in one case read "I will enjoy — watching you die," the Colorado Anti-Violence Program said Monday.
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Ohio: 58 gay couples denied licenses
In an act that has been replicated in cities across the country, 58 same-sex couples in Ohio filed into a county courthouse on Friday to obtain marriage licenses, but all were denied. The couples filled out marriage license forms and paid $40 fees before appearing, in pairs, in front of Cuyahoga County Probate Judge John Donnelly, who refused to grant the licenses, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported.

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A kick in the teeth
By Christopher Rice
From The Advocate, April 13, 2004
I think it’s safe to say that President Bush has no idea that in proposing an amendment to the Constitution to ban gay marriage he has accomplished something that no other event or political figure has managed to do: He has galvanized a previously apathetic generation of gay men in their mid to late 20s.
We are the first gay generation to be maligned and dismissed not by our straight oppressors but our gay aunts and uncles. The Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide is full of dire warnings about us. We are too satisfied with our vapid media representations on reality television. We are too hungover and broke from circuit weekends to fathom our continuing oppression. We have mistaken retail recognition for social acceptance.

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Gay marriage’s secret weapons
Local politicians, like New Paltz, N.Y., mayor Jason West, are the most effective activists for marriage equality
By Christopher Lisotta
From The Advocate, April 13, 2004
Openly gay Nyack, N.Y., mayor John Shields is not performing same-sex marriages, but he’s not sitting on the sidelines. He is suing the New York State Department of Health, which regulates marriage licenses, and lobbying state lawmakers for support. “We’re taking a different strategy, and my lawyer’s experience is, the more strategies you take on a civil rights issue, the better off you are,” says Shields.