2 sides file pile of paperwork in Prop. 8 case

Opposing sides in the legal battle over same-sex marriage in California have laid out their cases in writing to a federal judge, disputing the status of gays and lesbians in society, the nature of marriage, and the motives behind the ballot measure that defined marriage as the union of a man and a woman....

SF Gate • Feb 28, 2010

Prop. 8 trial closing arguments will not be televised

On January 15, 2010, Chief Judge Walker withdrew his previous request to include Perry et. al. v. Schwarzenegger et. al . in the Ninth Circuit's pilot program permitting broadcasting of district court proceedings in limited circumstances. On the same date, Chief Judge Kozinski approved the request to withdraw the Perry case from the program. Broadcasting closing arguments would require Chief Judge...

LGBT POV • Feb 28, 2010

Prop. 8 suit closing arguments may be televised

Despite a rebuff from the U.S. Supreme Court, the Bay Area's federal judges are again proposing to allow cameras in their courtrooms, a plan that could lead to telecasting of closing arguments in a suit challenging California's ban on same-sex marriage. The U.S. District Court in San Francisco has posted a rule change on its Web site that would allow its judges to take part in a pilot program of ...

SF Gate • Feb 26, 2010

Manchester Hyatt loses more business over owner's Prop. 8 donation

The Council of Representatives, the major legislative body of the American Psychological Association (APA), will not meet at the Manchester Hyatt Hotel in San Diego during the association's August convention. In response to a sizable donation made to the Proposition 8 campaign by Doug Manchester, owner of the Manchester Hyatt, a number of APA divisions and members voiced concerns about APA's use ...

San Diego Gay and Lesbian News • Feb 26, 2010

This Week in Prop 8: Week Ending Feburary 26

The pins-and-needles of the Prop 8 trial continued this week with new signs that the closing arguments might be televised. Although the dates for the closing arguments still haven't been announced, that hasn't stopped court-watchers from speculating about cameras covering the event. That speculation heated up this week when ...

Stop8.org • Feb 26, 2010

Manhattan Beach mayor endorses the campaign to repeal Prop 8

Mayor Mitch Ward of Manhattan Beach, California announced today that he officially endorses Restore Equality 2010's efforts to bring marriage equality back to the ballot in 2010. "I am fully committed to full civil rights for all California citizens," said Mayor Ward. This includes the right to marriage equality for those of us in the LGBT community."...

Examiner • Feb 23, 2010

Signatures, money lacking for Prop 8 repeal effort

Despite efforts to utilize volunteers to gather 1 million signatures to put a measure on the November ballot to repeal Proposition 8, one of the grassroots groups pushing the effort has acknowledged it is well under its goals and may have to use paid signature gatherers. However, the group, Love Honor Cherish, only reported raising a little over $19,000 during a portion of 2009, which is well und...

Bay Area Reporter • Feb 20, 2010

Prop. 8 judge encouraged to step down

"Well, the judge has said, 'No comment' when asked about his sexual lifestyle," explains the Liberty Counsel attorney. "I think he needs to comment. If in fact he is engaged in the homosexual lifestyle, there is a clear conflict of interest here under federal law."...

One News Now • Feb 20, 2010

Reality Valentines at last

Here in San Francisco, everyone held their collective breath when The Chronicle outed Vaughn Walker, the federal judge hearing the same-sex marriage/Proposition 8 case. Walker is gay and has a partner, meaning that if the two of them wanted to get married, the judge would be ruling on an issue in which he would have not just a general, civil rights interest but also a direct stake....

SF Gate • Feb 17, 2010

San Francisco Bloggers: Come Canvass for Equality!

Bay Area bloggers are hitting the streets this weekend to build support for marriage equality. If you can make it out, please join us at 10:00 am this Saturday in San Francisco. The canvass is a great excuse to meet and mingle with a crowd of awesome online writers, and learn about some of the work being done to restore marriage for same-sex couples in California. Non-bloggers will also be there a...

LGBT POV • Feb 12, 2010

WWII internment ruling will impact Prop. 8 judgment

Lower courts in California have granted suspect class status to gays and lesbians, but it remains to be seen if the 9th District will uphold that decision. Pro-Proposition 8 witness Kenneth P. Miller, an associate professor of political science at Claremont McKenna College, testified that if political power meant the ability to get the attention of lawmakers, gays and lesbians could not be consid...

The Guardsman • Feb 12, 2010

NJ gay rights group closes its wallet

Garden State Equality has decided to play hardball. New Jersey's largest gay rights organizations has suspended donating cash to political parties. "No political party has a record good enough on LGBT civil rights that it can rightfully claim to be entitled to our money on a party-wide basis," said Steven Goldstein, the group's chairman. "No longer will we let any political party take our money ...

365Gay • Feb 11, 2010

New website protesting LDS Church's involvement in Prop 8

Church members are protesting what the LDS Church has done. ExcommunicateTheChurch.com is a new grass-roots protest against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Organizer, Jason Beckett, stated, "When we launched the campaign, I assumed we would see people from outside the church voicing their issues, but we've seen a very strong response from active members who feel the church over ...

Examiner • Feb 10, 2010

Countering NOM's missive on Prop 8 Judge Walker with the facts

Brown is just plain wrong when it comes to Walker being one-side throughout the trial. Even before the trial began, Walker - who was randomly selected to preside - denied the attempt by LGBT groups such as Lambda Legal to intervene in the case. Walker did allow Charles Cooper and ProtectMarriage and their legal ally, the Alliance Defense Fund, to intervene because the named defendants were all st...

LGBT POV • Feb 9, 2010

The Prop 8 Judge Is Gay, and It Doesn't Matter

It'd be cool if the relative quiet on Walker's orientation was because America recognized that Judge Walker's sex life doesn't affect his job. (Minimal MSM and right-wing pickup so far.) As SF Weekly points out, even calling the Chronicle's article an "outing" is misleading: Walker never tried to hide his orientation, and it's pretty common for judges to keep their personal lives away from the spo...

Gawker • Feb 9, 2010

Gay rights: Oakland LDS Stake tries to heal post-Prop 8 rifts

In June 2008, the LDS First Presidency asked all California Mormons to give their time and money to Proposition 8, a ballot measure striking down gay marriage. Many members did so with gusto, circulating petitions, raising money, sending e-mails to church lists and putting up lawn signs. That left other Bay Area Mormons, particularly those with gay friends and relatives, feeling embattled and al...

Salt Lake Tribune • Feb 5, 2010

Bill would divorce religion from marriage

It is a breakup many LGBT activists say is long overdue, and now openly gay state Senator Mark Leno wants the state to intervene in the split. Leno is pushing a bill that would, in effect, divorce religion from marriage under California's statutes. Leno's bill, SB 906, is called the Civil Marriage Religious Freedom Act. It would emphatically state that faith leaders in California will not face pe...

Bay Area Reporter • Feb 4, 2010

New study: gender of parents doesn't matter.

In their analysis, the researchers found no evidence of gender-based parenting abilities, with the "exception of lactation," noting that very little about the gender of the parent has significance for children's psychological adjustment and social success. They found there are far more similarities than differences among children of lesbian and heterosexual parents. On average, two mothers tended ...

Psychology Today • Feb 2, 2010