Who may now kiss the bride when there are two grooms?
Same-sex marriages will put "a shame" upon the United States, one person wrote Tuesday; but for another, the legalization of the unions in California made it seem as though "life is opening up."
County clerk offices opened their doors Tuesday to hundreds of gay and lesbian couples with appointments to secure marriage licenses and exchange vows on the first full day same-sex nuptials were legal throughout California.
The California Supreme Court struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriage Thursday, saying sexual orientation, like race or gender, "does not constitute a legitimate basis upon which to deny or withhold legal rights."
Gov. David Paterson of New York has told state agencies to recognize same-sex marriages performed in states and countries where they are legal, his spokeswoman said Wednesday.
California officials began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples Monday evening after a state Supreme Court ruling legalizing the ceremonies took effect.
Breaking ground is nothing new in the nearly six-decade relationship of Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon.
San Francisco's mayor spurred the issue with a huge round of weddings in 2004. Now same sex marriages are legal in California, but he worries about the next step
Four years ago Massachusetts became the first state to allow same-sex couples to marry. Since then, more than 10,000 gay and lesbian couples have exchanged vows in the state.
The flowers have been selected, the Veterans' Memorial Center has been booked, and the three-piece band has been chosen. The e-invitations have gone out and relatives are flying in. The brides -- and there will be two of them -- might not have time to buy something new to wear, but that's OK.
Who may now kiss the bride when there are two grooms?
Same-sex marriages will put "a shame" upon the United States, one person wrote Tuesday; but for another, the legalization of the unions in California made it seem as though "life is opening up."
County clerk offices opened their doors Tuesday to hundreds of gay and lesbian couples with appointments to secure marriage licenses and exchange vows on the first full day same-sex nuptials were legal throughout California.
The California Supreme Court struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriage Thursday, saying sexual orientation, like race or gender, "does not constitute a legitimate basis upon which to deny or withhold legal rights."
Gov. David Paterson of New York has told state agencies to recognize same-sex marriages performed in states and countries where they are legal, his spokeswoman said Wednesday.
California officials began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples Monday evening after a state Supreme Court ruling legalizing the ceremonies took effect.
Breaking ground is nothing new in the nearly six-decade relationship of Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon.
San Francisco's mayor spurred the issue with a huge round of weddings in 2004. Now same sex marriages are legal in California, but he worries about the next step
Four years ago Massachusetts became the first state to allow same-sex couples to marry. Since then, more than 10,000 gay and lesbian couples have exchanged vows in the state.
The flowers have been selected, the Veterans' Memorial Center has been booked, and the three-piece band has been chosen. The e-invitations have gone out and relatives are flying in. The brides -- and there will be two of them -- might not have time to buy something new to wear, but that's OK.
An initiative that would again outlaw gay marriage in California has qualified for the November ballot, the Secretary of State announced Monday
Same-sex couples in California may be able to obtain marriage licenses on June 17, state officials said Wednesday.
A potential proposition may make same-sex unions short-lived in California. But the power of the ruling will give the issue longevity for years to come
The court demolished the key arguments against gay marriage. But the presidential candidates still need convincing
The California Supreme Court has overturned a ban on gay marriage, paving the way for California to become the second state where gay and lesbian residents can marry
Local governments and state universities in Michigan can't offer health insurance to the partners of gay workers, the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday
First comes love, then comes marriage -- or at least that's how the saying used to go. An increasing number of heterosexual couples have been shacking up without plans for a trip down the aisle.
Less than two hours after a judge struck down Iowa's decade-old gay marriage ban, two Des Moines men applied for a marriage license
Democratic presidential hopefuls stressed their common ground with the gay and lesbian community in a televised forum, but one significant exception loomed -- same-sex marriage.
A majority of Americans believe that gays and lesbians could not change their sexual orientation even if they wanted to, according to results of a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Wednesday.
Issues such as same-sex marriage and gays serving in the military have played an important role in American politics for at least the past 10 years and may do so again in next year's presidential and congressional elections.
The Walt Disney Co. has changed its policy to allow same-sex couples to participate in a popular Fairy Tale Wedding program it runs mainly at its two U.S. resorts and cruise line, a Disney spokesman said Thursday.
Sen. Hillary Clinton sidestepped a question about whether she thinks homosexuality is immoral Wednesday, less than two weeks after telling gay-rights activists she was "proud" to stand by their side.
Facing pressure from the state's top court, the New Jersey Legislature voted Thursday to give gay and lesbian couples the rights and privileges of marriage, while using the term "civil unions" to describe the partnerships.
Canada's House of Commons Thursday soundly rejected a motion from Prime Minister Stephen Harper to reconsider the country's 2005 law allowing gay men and lesbians to marry.
Business is booming at Raytheon, the $22-billion-a-year defense contractor that sells Tomahawk cruise missiles, laser-vision goggles and advanced radar systems to the Pentagon. This, improbably, is...
In a decision likely to stoke the contentious election-year debate over same-sex marriage, the New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled that state lawmakers must provide the rights and benefits of marriage to gay and lesbian couples.
A California appeals court ruled Thursday that state laws limiting marriage to heterosexual couples are constitutional and do not deprive gay or lesbian couples of a "vested fundamental right."
Some key dates surrounding moral issues:
Thanks to private sector employers, our nation hit a milestone this year in its march toward equality.
President Bush offered a new pledge of support Monday for a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage, a measure expected to fail in the Senate and one critics blasted as an election-year diversion.
The U.S. Senate opened the debate this week on a proposed constitutional amendment that would define marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
Australia's conservative government will overrule same sex marriage laws in the nation's capital, Prime Minister John Howard said on Tuesday, saying marriage should only be between men and women.
Joan and Nancy VanReece have been partners for 18 years, share a home in the Nashville suburbs, and the same last name because they took the time -- and spent the money -- to combine their last names.
President Bush offered a new pledge of support Monday for a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage, a measure expected to fail in the Senate and one critics blasted as an election-year diversion.
It's the political mega-theme of the moment: Republicans want to gin up their unhappy base for the midterm elections by pounding away on hot-button social issues, like gay marriage and flag burning.
New York's highest court will consider Wednesday whether New York City can grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Monday he plans a vote in early June on a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, a move likely to fail but sure to spark a fiery election-year debate.
Canada legalized gay marriage Wednesday, becoming the world's fourth nation to grant full legal rights to same-sex couples.
Spain celebrated its first homosexual marriage on Monday under a law passed last month making it the fourth country to legalize same-sex unions.
Two men -- a psychiatrist and a store window decorator -- have tied the knot in a Madrid suburb, the first gay couple to marry in Spain since the country's parliament passed a law allowing such unions last month.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. broadened the definition of "immediate family members" to include domestic partners in an updated statement of ethics.
Six months after gay and lesbian couples won the right to marry in Massachusetts, opponents of same-sex marriage struck back Tuesday, with voters in 11 states approving constitutional amendments codifying marriage as an exclusively heterosexual institution.
A campaign about Iraq and jobs abruptly shifts to the fraught territory of God, gays and guns. But will the values debate help Republicans this year?
Spain has moved a big step closer to permitting gay marriage after the Cabinet approved a bill authorizing homosexuals to marry and adopt children.
The race between Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry and President Bush is too close to call in the battleground state of Michigan, according to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll released Tuesday evening.
It's not easy being a gay Republican these days.
Vice President Dick Cheney said Tuesday he believes the question of same-sex marriage is best handled by the states -- a position that puts him at odds with President Bush who proposed amending the Constitution to ban such unions.
Thousands of marriages sanctioned in San Francisco earlier this year were voided Thursday when the California Supreme Court ruled that city's mayor overstepped his authority by issuing licenses to gay and lesbian couples.
At 26, Emily Falcon is the youngest member of the Delaware delegation. She is also its first openly gay delegate. And she couldn't be clearer about her support of Sen. John Kerry for president.
President Bush says he is "disappointed" that a move to effectively ban same-sex marriage was "temporarily blocked" in the Senate, and he is urging the House to take up the matter.
Efforts to pass a constitutional amendment that would effectively ban same-sex marriage failed in the Senate Wednesday afternoon, but supporters vowed to keep fighting for the measure.
Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona broke forcefully with President Bush and the Senate GOP leadership Tuesday evening over the issue of same-sex marriage, taking to the Senate floor to call a constitutional amendment that would effectively ban the practice unnecessary -- and un-Republican.
A proposed constitutional amendment that would effectively prohibit gay or lesbian couples from legally marrying is expected to die in a procedural Senate vote Wednesday.
Check out the links below to hot political stories around the country.
When Massachusetts and local governments like the city of San Francisco began offering marriage licenses to gay couples recently, experts predicted legal and taxation nightmares for benefits manag...
Court approval of same-sex marriage gave extra flair Saturday to the Boston Pride gay and lesbian parade, where men and women gyrated in tuxedos and wedding gowns atop floats and an oom-pah band played "Chapel of Love."
Gov. Mitt Romney announced Thursday that he has given the state's attorney general evidence of what he described as illegal same-sex marriages in two cities so he can take "whatever action he deems appropriate."
This week in The Inside Edge, how same-sex marriage may play out in the campaign, why Republicans are picking up the phone, which country might be next to buck an incumbent and which former Clinton official Kerry might consider as his running mate.
This week, May 17, for the first time, same-sex couples legally wed in Massachusetts. Hundreds more will do so as the week progresses.
As same-sex couples began exchanging wedding vows in Massachusetts, President Bush on Monday reiterated his call for a U.S. constitutional amendment banning such marriages.
The champagne is chilled, the cakes are frosted, and gay and lesbian couples across Massachusetts are ready to make history Monday by saying "I do."
Same-sex marriage may be controversial, but one thing's for sure: It's good for a lot of small firms. With an average individual discretionary income of $38,000--35% higher than the national averag...
The American Civil Liberties Union announced Wednesday it had filed a lawsuit in Albany, New York, seeking marriage equality for 13 same-sex couples in an attempt to put an end to a gay and lesbian "stigma of inferiority."
(CNN) -- The American public appears to be more engaged in the outcome of this year's presidential election than it was four years ago, but nearly half of those queried in a new poll say they think the race has gotten too negative, long and boring, more than seven months out from Election Day.
Commissioners in a second Oregon county voted Tuesday to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Two Unitarian ministers were charged Monday for marrying 13 same-sex couples in the upstate New York village of New Paltz.
Oregon's attorney general advised county officials Friday that issuing same-sex marriage licenses is against state law -- but added that the law in question may be unconstitutional.
Events have proven: Provide licenses for men to marry men and women to marry women and you'll get a line at the door.
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney called on state residents Friday to respect the rule of law and all sides of the same-sex marriage debate as lawmakers continue to consider the issue.
The California Supreme Court ordered a halt Thursday to same-sex marriages in San Francisco.
The Massachusetts Legislature advanced a constitutional amendment Thursday that would define marriage as the union of a man and a woman.
The gay-marriage debate has roiled in states and cities from California to tiny New Paltz, New York, but none with as much at stake as Massachusetts, the first state whose highest court has ruled that gays have a consitutional right to wed.
The city of Asbury Park, New Jersey, has stopped marrying same-sex couples after the state's attorney general threatened city officials with criminal charges.
It's been more than a week since the president weighed in on same-sex marriage, saying a constitutional amendment was necessary to "prevent the meaning of marriage from being changed forever."
The state of Washington on Monday followed California, New York and Massachusetts as new battlegrounds for the question of legalized same-sex marriages.
Hundreds of gay and lesbian couples rallied for marriage rights in Manhattan Thursday while about 40 couples lined up in the rain outside New York City Hall seeking to persuade Mayor Michael Bloomberg to issue them marriage licenses.
New York's attorney general urged local officials not to preside over same-sex marriages Wednesday, but he said the state's marriage law raises constitutional questions that the courts should decide.
Same-sex marriage licenses being issued from coast to coast are fueling legal arguments, lawsuits and criminal charges and one Senate opponent warned Wednesday that Americans are "gambling with our future."
Many primary voters who handed Sen. John Kerry his Super Tuesday victories were looking for a candidate who has the "right experience" and can beat the Republican incumbent, President Bush.
The mayor of a tiny village in upstate New York who conducted same-sex marriages last week said Monday he will continue marrying any couple who requests a wedding.
As more gays say "I do," Bush calls for a constitutional ban. But will the issue really change any voter's mind come November?
California's Supreme Court has rejected a request from the state's attorney general to stop gay weddings and declare invalid over 3,400 same-sex marriages.
President Bush said Friday he supports a constitutional ban on same-sex marriages because it is his job to "drive policy toward the ideal."
The same-sex marriage controversy moved to a tiny Hudson River village, where the mayor of New Paltz, New York, began performing same-sex marriages Friday.
Heading toward next week's Super Tuesday showdown, Sen. John Edwards tried to open a little political daylight between himself and Democratic front-runner Sen. John Kerry in a debate Thursday night.
When President Bush announced his support for a constitutional amendment defining "marriage as a union of a man and woman as husband and wife," he hinted that state legislatures could define "legal arrangements other than marriage" for same-sex couples.
After President Bush said he would support a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage, opponents were saying on Wednesday that the move will cost him dearly with voters, while supporters said the decision helps fire up his conservative base.
Reaction to President Bush's call Tuesday for a constitutional amendment that would effectively ban gay marriage fell largely along party and ideological lines.
Top Democrats excoriated President Bush on Tuesday for announcing support for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, accusing him of using the issue for political gain and trying to draw attention away from his record.
President Bush endorsed a constitutional amendment Tuesday that would restrict marriage to two people of the opposite sex but leave open the possibility that states could allow civil unions.
California's attorney general announced Monday he would ask the state Supreme Court to decide if San Francisco's approval of same-sex marriage licenses is legal.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said Sunday he is willing to sacrifice his political career over his belief that denying gay men and lesbians the right to marry "is wrong and inconsistent with the values this country holds dear."
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom shut off the same-sex marriage license pipeline this weekend, but will reopen the city clerk's office Monday for business as usual -- with marriage licenses issued by appointment only.
A San Francisco county judge has combined three cases concerning whether the city's issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples is legal.
The city of San Francisco Thursday filed a lawsuit against the state of California, challenging the state law that defines marriage as being between one man and one woman only, the city attorney's office said.
Looming court battles to stop same-sex marriage have put the more than 2,800 gay and lesbian couples who wed in San Francisco in legal limbo.
By noon Monday, 140 couples -- nearly all of them gays or lesbians -- had married at City Hall, and a city worker vowed that the day's total would rise to 650 before the weddings stop at 8 p.m.
Hundreds of gay and lesbian couples ringed San Francisco's City Hall on Saturday to be married, before a judge hears a challenge Tuesday from two groups opposed to same-sex marriage.
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