Rumor has it San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who’s famously made news in recent years around gay marriage, launched a 2010 exploratory bid for California Governorship on Tuesday. That move puts him ahead of the Democratic pack to replace Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is term-limited. I wonder out loud if the Governator would then look to take on Barbara Boxer or Diane Feinstein in a U.S. Senate race, but I get the feeling Arnold would rather be an executive, and not one of a group of 100 senators. Other Democrats expected to run include Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who faces re-election ...

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who famously - and illegally - began issuing same-sex marriage licenses back in 2004, has launched an exploratory bid for California’s gubernatorial seat. “His move placed the 40-year-old, two-term mayor out in front of a large Democratic field eyeing the race to succeed Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is barred by term limits from running again in 2010. Newsom said he expected to decide by year’s end whether to proceed with a full-fledged candidacy.” [LA Times] ...

SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Gavin Newsom took his first public step toward seeking higher office Tuesday, filing papers to form an exploratory committee for a potential gubernatorial bid in 2010. Newsom, a Democrat best known for challenging California's ban on same-sex marriage in 2004, is six months into his second and final term, which expires in 2011. Speculation over whether he would run to succeed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has pursued him since before his re-election, but the mayor always deflected it by saying his attention remained fixed on the city. The establishment of an exploratory committee ...

he same-sex marriage ceremonies that took place starting last week in California attracted widespread mainstream media attention, with newspapers and cable news shows carrying images of couples exchanging vows. The images were sharply different from those broadcast in 2004, when San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom began marrying gay couples. Back then, the weddings sometimes looked more like an impromptu protest than a dignified ceremony. This time, however, the media feasted on images of celebrity and longtime activist couples in dignified settings, often featuring children. This, of course, was no accident. Managing a media tsunami ...

Wedded bliss was a special focus of San Francisco’s 38th Annual Pride Parade, the first to be held after the California Supreme Court decision to legalize gay marriage. The Dykes on Bykes tossed bouquets and San Fran Mayor Gavin Newsom was greeted like a rock star. Gay icons Cyndi Lauper and Margaret Cho were among celebrity attendees. Crowds were said to be "larger-than-usual." Full photo album here. According to The Canadian Press, members of the Canadian Armed Forces participated in Gay Pride for the first time in Toronto, whose parade featured a grand marshal (Gareth ...

BERKELEY – Last month the California Supreme Court overturned a law limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples, opening the door for brides and brides (as well as grooms and grooms) to obtain marriage licenses in California.   It was the second time in recent years that gay couples in the Bay Area were granted official approval to get hitched. Four years ago, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom ordered the city to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, leading a number of gay campus staffers and their partners to rise early, travel to San Francisco, and brave rain and long lines ...