Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) today applauded a decision by the California Supreme Court to review Proposition 8, a ban on same-sex marriage that was approved by voters on November 4.  In an order issued on Wednesday, the court agreed to hear a challenge to the proposition as early as March 2009.  In the interim, the court has declined to issue a stay.  The court challenge was brought by a coalition of organizations working in California, including The American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and The National Center for Lesbian Rights.  The City of San Francisco ...

Vermont state Sen. John Campbell says he's going to introduce a gay marriage bill when the Legislature convenes in January.Campbell says gay marriage is an important issue for many Vermonters, but he calls it a political land mine. Since 2000 Vermont has allowed same sex couples to be joined in civil unions.In April, a commission of legislative leaders formed to study whether Vermont should go beyond civil unions and enact gay marriage issued a report supporting gay marriage, but stopped short of recommending such a step.   Vermont lawmaker to introduce gay marriage billBarre Montpelier Times Argus - Barre,VT,USA ...

Cinemark CEO, Alan Stock gave $9,999 to the "Yes on H8" (Protectmarriage.com) campaign. Cinemark has 2700 movie screens in North and South America. In northern California they mainly operate under Century, CinéArts and Cinedome name.Movie theatres in the California Bay Area where the profits helped to support YES to bigotry, YES to discrimination, and YES to second-class status for same-sex couples:Corte Madera - Century CinemaDaly City - Century 20 Daly CityFremont - Cinedome 8 FremontHayward - Century Theatres at HaywardLarkspur - Century Larkspur LandingMilpitas - Century 20 Great MallMill Valley - CinéArts @ SequoiaMountain View - Century Cinemas 16Newark ...

San Francisco – The California Supreme Court today denied requests to stay the enforcement or implementation of Proposition 8, and at the same time agreed to decide several issues arising out of the passage of Proposition 8. The court’s order, issued in the first three cases that had been filed directly in the state’s highest court challenging the validity of Proposition 8, directed the parties to brief and argue three issues:(1) Is Proposition 8 invalid because it constitutes a revision of, rather than an amendment to, the California Constitution?(2) Does Proposition 8 violate the separation-of-powers doctrine under the California Constitution? ...

Per the LA Times: The California Supreme Court agreed today to review legal challenges to Prop. 8, the voter initiative that restored a ban on same-sex marriage, but refused to permit gay weddings to resume pending a ruling. While neither of these decisions is a surprise, this is a welcome step in the continued fight for marriage equality. The court gave no indication as to the way they are leaning. However, it seems likely that at least one of the justices is inclined to overturn Proposition 8. Some legal challengers also sought an order that would have permitted same-sex couples to marry until ...

As settlement in a discrimination lawsuit, the eHarmony dating site (founded by Focus on the Family friend Neil Clark Warren) has announced that they will next year open their services up to same-sex couples: eHarmony settles with N.J. over same-sex matches [Inquirer] So congrats, gays and lesbians: Due to court action, the company will feet-draggingly allow you to use their services. It's kind of like the online matchmaking equivalent of a mother who will reluctantly allow her child to bring their same-sex partner to Thanksgiving dinner, but insists that only the term "roommate" be used. eMatchmake ...

Today, the California Supreme Court rejected requests by The City of San Francisco and the ACLU for the Court to issue a stay which would temporarily prohibit the State of California from implementing Proposition 8. Proposition 8 will go into effect for now.However, the court has accepted the cases, and has asked the parties to brief the following issues:

• Is Proposition 8 invalid because it is a a constitutional revision rather than an amendment?
• Does Proposition 8 violate the separation of powers doctrine under the California Constitution?
• If Proposition 8 is constitutional, what effect, if any, does it have on the

...

The religious right is outraged that residents of San Francisco's Castro neighborhood pushed out a group of Christians who were praying for the gays just days after religious right efforts were successful in ending marriage rights for same-sex couples... ...

From the Judicial Council of California: San Francisco – The California Supreme Court today denied requests to stay the enforcement or implementation of Proposition 8, and at the same time agreed to decide several issues arising out of the passage of Proposition 8. The court’s order, issued in the first three cases that had been filed directly in the state’s highest court challenging the validity of Proposition 8, directed the parties to brief and argue three issues: (1) Is Proposition 8 invalid because it constitutes a revision of, rather than an amendment to, the California Constitution? (2) Does Proposition 8 violate the separation-of-powers ...

According to the Associated Press,“Online dating service eHarmony is adding another personality trait to its 29 dimensions of computability.” eHarmony has agreed to begin providing same-sex matches as part of a settlement with the New Jersey Civil Rights Division. eHarmony will have the option of creating a separate service for same-sex couples, and they will be able to post a disclaimer saying that its compatibility matching system was developed from research of heterosexual couples. Neither the company nor its founder admit to any liability. eHarmony refusal to offer same-sex matching led to the establishment of rival services like Chemistry.com, which ...

On Thursday, a coalition of religious leaders in Maine held new conferences to support marriage equality. “We are speaking here today in support of civil marriages for same-sex couples because assuring full human rights for all citizens advances the common good,” said the Rev. Marvin Ellison, a Presbyterian minister and professor of ethics at Bangor Theological Seminary. Doty announced that more than 120 religious leaders from 14 different faith traditions across Maine have formed the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry in Maine. The coalition, he said, is not a political action committee, but a group of clergy acting ...

One happy side of the economic downturn isFocus on the Family is poised to announce major layoffs to its Colorado Springs-based ministry and media empire today. The cutbacks come just weeks after the group pumped more than half a million dollars into the successful effort to pass a gay-marriage ban in California.Critics are holding up the layoffs, which come just two months after the organization's last round of dismissals, as a sad commentary on the true priorities of ministry.[...]In all, Focus pumped $539,000 in cash and another $83,000 worth of non-monetary support into the measure to overturn a California ...

Via the New York Daily News: "Puerto Rico's outgoing governor said Monday he has prohibited government agencies from discriminating against same-sex couples, but the governor-elect indicated he will reverse the measure to avoid higher expenses for health care. The executive order by Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila allows unmarried couples who work for the government to apply health benefits to their partners, whether they are gay or heterosexual. 'What I have done is simply broaden these definitions so more people are covered, and it doesn't cost the government of Puerto Rico anything because if the person wants to include somebody ...

To the Editor:I've had enough of Time Magazine. For two months in a row now, your magazine has printed articles that portray the gay community a shadowy underworld of hitmen and bullies. The article entitled "The Gay Mafia" puts an ominous spin on the story of a small group of wealthy gay Americans who coordinate their political donations in a completely legal manner so as to most effectively ensure that gay people will actually get equal rights in this country someday."What Happens if You're on Gay Rights' 'Enemies List'" puts a sensationalist headline on a story about the simple and ...

The Boston Globe reports on how things have changed since marriage has become open to same-sex couples: Massachusetts has yet to become, as former governor Mitt Romney predicted, the “Las Vegas of same-sex marriage.” Gay marriage rates leveled off at about 1,500 a year - about 4 percent of all state marriages - in 2006 and 2007. The divorce rate in Massachusetts has remained the same - and the lowest in the country. SCARY!! ...

I was doing some thinking today about those who agree that same sex couples deserve equal treatment under the word law, but think that the term "marriage" should not be used. This is the idea that states would simply issue something called a civil union or some other new term. Let me share why that is an incredibly bad idea and almost certain to be expensive and nightmarish. I don't think that anyone has really thought this through. Let me tell you about my friends Laurie and Janice. Laurie and Janice got a civil union in Vermont years ago, ...

Source: The Day , Los Angeles Times   Protests of Prop. 8 are scheduled for Saturday throughout the country. Advocates of equality in marriage laws for gay and lesbian couples will join with hundreds of thousands of others throughout the country as they rally outside the Rhode Island Statehouse today to protest a ban on same-sex marriage in California and urge lawmakers to approve gay unions in the only New England state that does not recognize same-sex couples. The Providence rally, organized by Marriage Equality Rhode Island, is part of a nationwide protest against a vote this month in California...( ...

I’ve seen obnoxious self-serving hypocisy before, but this totally takes the prize for duplicity and double-speak. While being ever so wounded that anyone might think they were homophobic, the Mormon Church released a statement that they do, they truly-ooly do, support gay rights. … the Church does not object to rights for same-sex couples regarding hospitalization and medical care, fair housing and employment rights, or probate rights, so long as these do not infringe on the integrity of the traditional family or the constitutional rights of churches. Well this was a surprise to Equality Utah who had been battling the church ...

Comprehensive Prop 8 Update HERE. Obama to take presidential radio address to YouTube, beginning this Saturday. Memorial plaque to civil rights activist Leonard Matlovich to be dedicated tomorrow. From a press release: "The author of a November 12 article in The Washington Post wrote, "His last speech was in the rain in Sacramento, six weeks before he died, and he was hoarse and tired and dying, and he talked about love. A Georgia native who grew up in the military, he had the knack for taking your heart and making it catch for a moment, ...

NEW HAVEN -- A breeze gently tossed the tied bundles of white balloons about. Baskets of red roses lined the bannisters. Clear bubbles fluttered aimlessly toward the sky. It's a scene couples like John Anderson and Garrett Stack, J.E. Martin and Denise Howard, and Jeffrey Busch and Stephen Davis never thought would come and now they will never forget it. At 9:27 a.m. Wednesday, their wishes, dreams and future were fulfilled. That's when Superior Court Judge Jonathan Silbert penned the final order allowing same sex couples to legally marry in Connecticut. Peg Oliviera, a 36-year-old yoga teacher, and Jennifer Vickery, ...