Breaking Marriage Equality News Headlines from July 2012

	Supreme Court Delays DOMA Deadline The Supreme Court Monday granted a request by House Republican leaders to delay until Aug. 31 the deadline for when they need to tell the Supreme Court their view of whether it should take two challenges to the Defense of Marriage Act in its upcoming term. This Thursday was supposed to be the deadline for parties to respond to the three outstanding requests -- one made by the House Republican lead... BuzzFeed • Jul 31, 2012

	Prop 8 Closer Than Ever to Supreme Court Breaking news in AFER's Prop 8 case. Now that two separate courts have ruled Proposition 8 unconstitutional, the Prop 8 Proponents have exercised their only option left: petitioning the Supreme Court of the United States to review our latest victory. So let's take a look at what that means, and what to expect over the next few months. So, what does today's news mean? Here are the important things... MNW • Jul 31, 2012

	Federal Trial Court In Connecticut Strikes Down DOMA's Marriage Definition In sum, having considered the purported rational bases proffered by both BLAG and Congress and concluded that such objectives bear no rational relationship to Section 3 of DOMA as a legislative scheme, the Court finds that no conceivable rational basis exists for the provision. The provision therefore violates the equal protection principles incorporated in the Fifth Amendment to the United States... BuzzFeed • Jul 31, 2012

	Democrats Draft Gay Marriage Platform Democrats appear ready to embrace same-sex marriage as part of their party platform, a policy shift that reflects an expanded acceptance of gay rights in mainstream politics. ... NY Times • Jul 31, 2012

	Chick-fil-A Protests Increase The Chick-Fil-A saga continues, with a day of protest coming this Wednesday. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos gives two point five million dollars for a marriage equality vote in Washington state. The Democratic National Committee takes a big step towards endorsing the freedom to marry. Pressure builds on the Supreme Court, and there's international progress from Scotland to Vietnam. Protests continue o... MNW • Jul 31, 2012

	New Zealand: Peters calls for gay marriage referendum NZ First leader Winston Peters has called for a referendum on gay marriage, but declined to say how he would vote on one. Peters this afternoon said the eight New Zealand First MPs had agreed not to support the bill for "marriage equality" being promoted by Labour MP Louisa Wall.... Stuff.co.nz • Jul 31, 2012

	Amazon's Bezos Joins Singer, Asness In Gay-Marriage Donation Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos is contributing $2.5 million to an effort to keep same-sex marriage legal in Washington, joining hedge-fund managers including Paul Singer and Cliff Asness in backing the issue in U.S. states. ... Bloomberg Businessweek • Jul 30, 2012

	CHENEY DEFENDS HIS SILENCE ON GAY MARRIAGE IN 2000 Dick Cheney says he didn't see the point of raising the issue of gay marriage in the 2000 presidential campaign, even though he supported it.... AP • Jul 30, 2012

	New York City latest to call on Supreme Court to overturn DOMA New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and lesbian New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn have joined the growing choir of individuals calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act. On Thursday, attorneys representing the City of New York -- as well as Bloomberg and Quinn in their official capacities -- filed a friend-of-the-court brief asking the justices to tak... LGBTQ Nation • Jul 30, 2012

	Court puts review of DOMA ruling on hold A U.S. appeals court put a San Francisco woman's suit seeking federal benefits for same-sex married couples on hold Friday until the Supreme Court decides whether to review the 1996 law that prohibited those benefits. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco canceled the hearing it had scheduled Sept. 10 in the case of Karen Golinski, a lesbian attorney with the appeals court who ... SF Gate • Jul 30, 2012

	IL: State Reps. introduce anti-gay marriage resolution A group of Illinois lawmakers has introduced a resolution aimed at re-affirming the state's ban on same-sex marriage. ... Windy City Media Group • Jul 30, 2012

	Unlikely Vietnam considers same-sex marriage Even longtime gay-rights activists are stunned by the Justice Ministry's proposal to include same-sex couples in its overhaul of the country's marriage law. No one knows what form it will take or whether it will survive long enough to be debated before the National Assembly next year, but supporters say the fact that it's even being considered is a victory in a region where simply being gay can re... Seattle Times • Jul 30, 2012

	Maine gay marriage supporters raise $1.2 million The reports show that political action committees in favor of November's referendum seeking to legalize same-sex marriage have raised nearly $1.2 million. The lead PAC, Mainers United for Marriage, has raised about $1.1 million of that total. PACs that oppose the referendum have raised less than $50,000.... New England Cable News • Jul 30, 2012

	New Zealand: Parliament to vote on gay marriage bill Gay marriage is ''the reality of our times'' and should be voted in to law, Labour's David Shearer says but deputy Prime Minister Bill English says it is ''not that important'' and he ''thought the problem had been solved'' with civil unions. And NZ First MP Richard Prosser says although he has ''nothing against gays'' he will be voting against a gay marriage bill to ''preserve the institution of... Stuff.co.nz • Jul 30, 2012

	Massachusetts: SJC sees marriage, Vt. unions as same The state's highest court says a person who is in a civil union in Vermont must get that union dissolved before he or she can get married to someone else in Massachusetts. The Supreme Judicial Court said it recognized the civil union in Vermont as "the equivalent of marriage in the Commonwealth." Because of that, the court said, the union must be dissolved first or the person would be committing ... Boston Globe • Jul 30, 2012

	Scottish government will bring forward equal marriage legislation Equal marriage advocates have welcomed the Scottish government's much-awaited announcement this morning that it will be bringing forward legislation to allow gay couples to marry and remove current barriers for trans people. ... Pink News • Jul 30, 2012

	WA:New Poll Finds Hurdles Facing Every Single Statewide Ballot Measure Except Eyman's I-1185 For Referendum 74, the vote on whether or not to uphold Washington's new gay marriage law, Elway sees voter confusion messing up the results. Some 52 percent of respondents support same-sex marriage rights, but only 49 percent say they'll vote to "approve" R-74. Which suggests that a lot of gay rights supporters don't understand that voting to "approve" means voting to uphold the same-sex marriage... The Stranger • Jul 30, 2012

	Wording revised for Maine gay marriage question The coalition supporting a proposal to recognize same-sex marriage in Maine said Thursday it was pleased by Secretary of State Charlie Summers' decision to revise the wording of the question to be posed to voters on the Nov. 6 ballot, while opponents called the new wording fair. Summers announced that the final language will ask: "Do you want to allow the State of Maine to issue marriage licenses... Boston Globe • Jul 30, 2012

	New Zealand: Prime minister to support MP's equal marriage bill New Zealand's prime minister, John Key, has said he will support a member's bill selected for a vote in the House of Representatives that would legalise marriages between two people of the same sex. Labour MP Louisa Wall had submitted a member's bill which would allow gay couples to marry and trans people to avoid divorcing their spouses before having their gender legally recognised.... Pink News • Jul 30, 2012

	'The Father of Prop 8' Going to San Francisco Oakland Bishop Salvatore Cordileone, who, you may remember, helped conceive, fund, and organize the same-sex marriage ban Proposition 8, is headed to San Francisco -- you know, that bastion of anti-gay rights -- to replace retiring Archbishop George Niederauer. Does that make any sense? ... East Bay Express • Jul 30, 2012

	Democratic platform draft includes marriage equality plank The Democratic Party platform drafting committee approved on Sunday language endorsing same-sex marriage in addition to other pro-LGBT positions as part of the Democratic Party platform, according to two sources familiar with the drafting process. Retiring gay Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who sits on the committee, told the Washington Blade on Monday that the 15-member panel unanimously backed th... Washington Blade • Jul 30, 2012

	Chick-fil-A Not Welcome in a Growing List of Places Big cities Chicago and Boston have made clear they don't want Chick-fil-A. And now college students are using online petitions to demand the chain get booted from campuses of University of Illinois, University of Kansas, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Ball State University, College of Charleston, Wichita State University, and Minnesota State University.... Advocate • Jul 30, 2012

	Controversial Gay-Parenting Study Is Severely Flawed, Journal's Audit Finds The peer-review process failed to identify significant, disqualifying problems with a controversial and widely publicized study that seemed to raise doubts about the parenting abilities of gay couples, according to an internal audit scheduled to appear in the November issue of the journal, Social Science Research, that published the study. The highly critical audit, a draft of which was provided t... Chronicle of Higher Education • Jul 28, 2012

	Alderman to Chick-fil-A: No deal A Chicago alderman wants to kill Chick-fil-A's plans to build a restaurant in his increasingly trendy Northwest Side ward because the fast-food chain's top executive vocally opposes gay marriage. Ald.Proco "Joe" Moreno announced this week that he will block Chick-fil-A's effort to build its second Chicago store, which would be in the Logan Square neighborhood, following company President Dan Cath... Chicago Tribune • Jul 25, 2012

	Gay marriage to be introduced in Scotland Scotland could become the first part of the UK to introduce gay marriage after the SNP government announced plans to make the change. Ministers confirmed they would bring forward a bill on the issue, indicating the earliest ceremonies could take place by the start of 2015.... • Jul 25, 2012

	We will legalise gay marriage by 2015, says David Cameron He said: "I just want to say I am absolutely determined that this Coalition government will follow in that tradition by legislating for gay marriage in this Parliament." The commitment would appear to be at odds with suggestions in May that he would allow MPs a free vote on gay marriage - making its progress to the statute book by the next election in 2015 much more uncertain. It will also frustra... • Jul 25, 2012

	Coakley joins calls for Supreme Court to review DOMA The brief states Massachusetts agrees with the appellate ruling and "normally would oppose further review in order to ensure that judgment takes effect as soon as possible," but notes DOMA, which prohibit federal recognition of same-sex marriage, is of national importance and the high court in any event is likely to take up its review. "On that assumption, the Commonwealth believes that the Cour... Washington Blade • Jul 25, 2012

	HI governor seeks to be part of gay marriage suit Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie should remain as a defendant in a lawsuit against the state by two women who want to get married, but he believes a ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, a lawyer representing him said in court Tuesday. U.S. District Court Judge Alan C. Kay heard lengthy arguments on the merits of the lawsuit by Oahu couple Natasha Jackson and Janin Kleid, who want to be marri... New England Cable News • Jul 25, 2012

	Arguments to be heard Hawaii gay marriage case A federal judge in Hawaii will hear arguments on whether Gov. Neil Abercrombie should remain as a defendant in a lawsuit by two women who claim they're being denied the right to marry.... New England Cable News • Jul 24, 2012

	Coakley urges Supreme Court to strike down DOMA Coakley's brief states it "normally would oppose further review in order to ensure that the judgment takes effect as soon as possible." But, the brief states, the "Commonwealth recognizes that the question is one of national importance and that this Court is likely to review it in the near future, if only to ensure uniformity in the enforcement or nonenforcement of DOMA throughout the country."... Boston Herald • Jul 24, 2012

	Calls For Illinois Judge Sophia Hall To Recuse Herself From Gay Marriage Case Foes of gay rights are calling on Cook County Circuit Court Judge Sophia Hall to recuse herself from a case challenging the constitutionality of the state's gay marriage ban because she is openly gay. More than two dozen gay and lesbian couples who wish to marry in Illinois but are unable because state law defines marriage as a heterosexual union filed the lawsuit challenging the law in May. Nine ... On Top Magazine • Jul 24, 2012

	Gay Marriage Produced $259 Million For New York City Economy New York City reaped $259 million of economic benefits from same-sex marriages in the first year of the law allowing the practice, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Council Speaker Christine Quinn said. At least 8,200 gay-marriage licenses were issued, accounting for more than 10 percent of the 75,000 wedding licenses issued in New York City in the past year, Bloomberg and Quinn said in a statement toda... Bloomberg Businessweek • Jul 24, 2012

	Tony Blair talks about his faith, says he favors gay marriage: "I'm not a doctrinal ideologue" Very well, then, I say, look at gay marriage, a proposal that troubles many adherents of all the main religions. No comfort for the faithful here: Mr Blair is out of line with his adopted Church. "I understand why people take a different view,'' he says, but he is in favour of gay marriage. Indeed, it is not really possible to find a public policy issue where he takes a specifically religious view... Patheos • Jul 24, 2012

	Poland's Parliament Blocks Civil Unions Debate Poland's parliament Tuesday rejected, without reading, proposed legislation to introduce civil unions, an indication that conservatives still dominate society here and a reflection of deeply-rooted skepticism towards same-sex partnerships. The decision was backed by more than 70% of members of the Sejm, lower house of parliament, mirroring wider trends in the nation.... Wall Street Journal • Jul 24, 2012

	Illinois Resolution Defends Gay Marriage Ban; Lisa Madigan Chided Two Illinois state representatives on Thursday introduced a joint resolution in support of the state's ban on gay and lesbian couples marrying. Representatives Thomas Morrison and David Reis, both Republicans, are backing the measure.... On Top Magazine • Jul 24, 2012

	Same-sex Marriage Garners Some Republican Support in Maine Supporters of the same-sex marriage proposal on the November ballot announced the launch of a new group called "Republicans United For Marriage," which they say illustrates that the issue is no longer a political one. Opponents, however, maintain that same-sex marriage is against Republican principles, and describe the new group as "insignificant." ... Maine Public Broadcasting Network • Jul 24, 2012

	House Legal Team Cites Parenting Study BLAG's brief marks the second time the study -- which was conducted by University of Texas professor Mark Regnerus with the financial backing of socially conservative groups -- has been used to defend DOMA in the case. The day after Regnerus's study was released to the public last month, a conservative medical group highlighted it in a "friend of the court" brief. The American College of Pediatri... Advocate • Jul 24, 2012

	Same-sex marriage campaign finance reports due Tuesday night Up to now, the money race has been dominated by the coalition hoping Mainers will legalize gay marriage at the ballot box in November. The coalition, composed of eight political action committees, already has raised close to $1 million in combined cash and in-kind donations, outpacing the six active gay-marriage opponent PACs, 36-to-1. ... Morning Sentinel • Jul 24, 2012

	The French react to same-sex marriage pledge from Prime Minister Lately, more and more teenagers - and even adults - have come out and have been accepting homosexuality. That may explain new data that shows 63% of people are in favor of same-sex marriage in France. The way people think has changed over the past years. ... Dot429 • Jul 24, 2012

	New Poll Looks Bad for Gay Marriage Going into an election with less than 55 percent support is considered a dicey gamble. But the poll released this week shows gay marriage doesn't even have a majority of support, which means that opponents need only keep the 7 percent of undecided voters afraid and peel off a fraction of support to defeat the measure in November. And while other polls have shown it doing slightly better--ranging f... The Stranger • Jul 24, 2012

	Chick-fil-a Banned in Boston ... MNW • Jul 23, 2012

	Mayor Menino on Chick-fil-A: Stuff it Mayor Thomas M. Menino is vowing to block Chick-fil-A from bringing its Southern-fried fast-food empire to Boston -- possibly to a popular tourist spot just steps from the Freedom Trail -- after the family-owned firm's president suggested gay marriage is "inviting God's judgment on our nation." "Chick-fil-A doesn't belong in Boston. You can't have a business in the city of Boston that discriminat... Boston Herald • Jul 20, 2012

	Will Dems include marriage equality in platform? Three voting members -- Carlos Odio, a Latino Democratic activist, Donna Harris-Aikens, the National Education Association's director of policy and practice, and NARAL Pro-Choice America President Nancy Keenan -- went on the record saying they'd unequivocally back such language, as did two non-voting members -- Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Democratic National Committee Secretary Alice Germ... Washington Blade • Jul 19, 2012

	Minnesota gay-marriage supporters winning amendment money race Opponents of Minnesota's proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage seem to be winning the money race, but supporters say they're confident voters will approve it anyway. Minnesotans United for All Families, the largest group opposing the amendment, held a six-to-one fundraising advantage over the main group backing the amendment from Jan 1 to July 10, according to financial reports f... Twin Cities Pioneer Press • Jul 19, 2012

	Chick-fil-A's anti-gay-marriage stance triggers online uproar Some companies go out of their way to stay mum on hot-button issues for fear of driving off customers. You can't say the same for Chick-fil-A. The company president wants the fast-food chain to be known for serving up Christian values along with juicy chicken sandwiches, proudly proclaiming the company's anti-gay-marriage stance. Now the company is reaping what it sows.... LA Times • Jul 19, 2012

	Same-sex marriage supporters raise $250K at single event Defenders of Maryland's new same-sex marriage law say they took in an eye-popping quarter of a million dollars last night at a Chevy Chase fundraiser. ... Baltimore Sun • Jul 19, 2012

	DNC chair: Marriage equality expected to be on platform Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who represents Florida in the U.S. House of Representatives, told PGN this week that she expects marriage equality to be a plank of the party's platform, which will be finalized at the Democratic National Convention Sept. 3-6 in Charlotte, N.C.... Philadelphia Gay News • Jul 19, 2012

	Opinions vary on how to word Maine's same-sex marriage ballot question Summers received 662 public comments, which fall roughly into four categories: keep it as is (197), change it so voters know it will redefine marriage (140), change it to include wording about the religious exemption (293), and random responses (32) that were mostly opinions about same-sex marriage, not the wording of the question, according to statistics from the Secretary of State's Office and a... Kennebec Journal • Jul 19, 2012

	Scottish cabinet holds off decision on gay marriage move The Scottish government has said it would not make a decision on controversial gay marriage legislation until the end of this month. Members of the cabinet met in Edinburgh to talk about the issue.... BBC • Jul 17, 2012

	Edie Windsor vs. DOMA: 83-Year-Old Lesbian Petitions U.S. Supreme Court To Hear Case On Monday, lawyers filed a petition on behalf of Edith "Edie" Windsor, an 83-year-old lesbian from New York, asking the Supreme Court to review her case, thus bypassing a second round in the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, where the case is scheduled to appear next. Earlier this month, the Obama administration asked the high court to review two other cases challenging DOMA's constitutionality. With ... Huffington Post • Jul 16, 2012

	ACLU Parts With Obama Administration On DOMA Strategy The American Civil Liberties Union asks the Supreme Court to review the case of a New York widow suing to receive federal recognition of her marriage to a woman. The filing could force the Obama Administration to take sides on a key legal issue in the legal challenges to DOMA. ... • Jul 16, 2012

	Dueling Briefs in Leadup to Supreme Court Fight The Defense of Marriage Act has some powerful enemies, with strongly-worded opposition coming this week from some familiar names. A flawed study on LGBT parenting is also under attack, with its author now under investigation. All that and some good news coming out of Maine. At the American Foundation for Equal Rights, I'm Matt Baume, and welcome to Marriage News Watch for July 16, 2012. Last wee... MNW • Jul 16, 2012

	Medical Groups Attack Faulty Parenting Study In Anti-DOMA Amicus Brief Accordingly, the conclusions by the leading associations of experts in this area reflect a consensus that children raised by lesbian or gay parents do not differ in any important respects from those raised by heterosexual parents. ... Think Progress • Jul 13, 2012

	Immigrant files proposed class action suit over U.S. gay marriage ban A Philippine immigrant filed a lawsuit on Thursday seeking a legal right to stay in the United States based on her same-sex marriage to an American. The suit seeks to win for gays and lesbians the same immigration rights as heterosexual couples. The group that helped file the suit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security called it the first proposed class action of its kind.... Chicago Tribune • Jul 13, 2012

	Seattle joins challenge to federal Defense of Marriage Law Calling it unfair as well as financially burdensome, the city of Seattle, seven other U.S. cities and dozens of corporations -- including Microsoft and Starbucks -- signed a friend-of-the-court brief Tuesday challenging the federal law that limits the definition of marriage to a one-man, one-woman union.... Seattle Times • Jul 12, 2012

	AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION AND OTHERS FILE BRIEF IN DOMA SUIT Over half-a-dozen medical groups, including the American Psychological Association, the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics today filed an amici curiae brief supporting Karen Golinski's discrimination case against the government, Golinski v. Office of Personnel Management, which is requesting federal benefits for same-sex partners. ... Towleroad • Jul 11, 2012

	Tim Gill funds group targeting Colorado lawmakers who killed civil unions The group is modeled after Fight Back New York, which in 2010 helped oust state senators who opposed same-sex marriage. Armed with the motto "there are consequences for standing in the way of equality," the N.Y. group raised nearly $800,000 - 15 percent of which was donated by Gill. The following year, New York passed the gay marriage bill. ... Denver Post • Jul 11, 2012

	132 House Members File Amicus Brief Against DOMA 132 House members, led by Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Steny Hoyer (D-MD), filed an amicus brief today making a federal case against the Defense of Marriage Act's constitutionality. The brief weighs in on the legal challenge that Karen Golinski made against DOMA when she filed a lawsuit seeking access to equal health benefits for her wife -- a ca... Think Progress • Jul 11, 2012

	Controversial Parenting Study Reaches the Courts The day after Regnerus' study first appeared online, a conservative group called the American College of Pediatricians cited it in a "friend of the court" brief in Golinski v. United States Office of Personnel Management, one of the ongoing federal lawsuits challenging DOMA. The ACP's use of the study was first reported on The New Civil Rights Movement website. ... Advocate • Jul 11, 2012

	Md. marriage advocates target black voters in new ad The campaign that seeks to defend Maryland's same-sex marriage law on Tuesday released a web advertisement that features black supporters of nuptials for gays and lesbians. Julian Bond, chairman emeritus of the Baltimore-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, previewed the spot that Marylanders for Marriage Equality released. He said in a statement that the video helps ... Washington Blade • Jul 11, 2012

	Poll: Third of gay and trans Canadians in a same-sex marriage A Canadian poll has suggested that 5 percent of the 34 million people living in Canada identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, and that a third of those are in a gay marriage. ... Pink News • Jul 11, 2012

	DECISION ON SCOTLAND'S MARRIAGE EQUALITY PROCESS TO COME THIS WEEK The marriage equality debate is really heating up in Scotland, where lawmakers say they'll reveal plans for to proceed on same-sex nuptials this week, a move that will put further pressure on Parliamentarians in England. ... Towleroad • Jul 11, 2012

	Gay marriage has majority support in poll Mainers support legalizing same-sex marriage, 57 percent to 35 percent, according to a statewide poll commissioned by the Portland Press Herald.... Morning Sentinel • Jul 11, 2012

	Freedom To Marry Aims Campaign At Young Conservatives Freedom to Marry on Tuesday launches "Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry" to highlight the demographic's growing support for marriage equality. While 61 percent of all Republicans said they believe same-sex marriage should be illegal in a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, Republicans ages 18 to 44 were evenly split. ... Huffington Post • Jul 11, 2012

	Majority of Utahns oppose gay marriage, but attitudes shift toward civil unions, BYU poll finds The poll found 72 percent of Utah voters oppose gay marriage. At the same time, 71 percent now favor some form of legal recognition, compared to 62 percent nationally, as reported in CBS/New York Times surveys. ... Deseret News • Jul 10, 2012

	Episcopal bishops approve same-sex liturgy The liturgy now goes to the House of Deputies, consisting of priests and lay people, for what is near-certain approval. It would then go into provisional use starting in the first week of Advent, meaning December 2, 2012. Washington will be voting Nov. 6 on Referendum 74, which would make us the seventh state (plus the District of Columbia) to approve marriage equality. Maryland and Maine will ... Seattle PI • Jul 10, 2012

	Multiple marriage cases heading to Supreme Court All eyes are on the Supreme Court, with a big marriage showdown shaping up on the horizon. Two county clerks in Illinois have won right to defend the state's marriage ban. And equality gets a thumbs up from Methodists, and a thumbs down -- for now -- from Presbyterians. New court filings by the Department of Justice and a Congressional legal group mean that multiple marriage equality cases are no... MNW • Jul 10, 2012

	Brewer Seeks Supreme Court Review of Partners' Health-Benefits Case Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) is asking to go back to the Supreme Court. In a July 2 filing noted on the Supreme Court docket, lawyers for the governor have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a September 2011 decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that had the effect of keeping same-sex partners' health-care benefits in place in the state.... Chris Geidner • Jul 9, 2012

	Presbyterians say no to same-sex marriage The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted 308-338 last Friday against a resolution to change the definition of marriage from "a woman and a man" to between "two people" in the Church's constitution. The amendment was presented by the Civil Union and Marriage Committee. ... Orlando Sentinel • Jul 9, 2012

	Roman Catholic Church of Scotland declares 'war on gay marriage' The leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland and the most senior Catholic in the United Kingdom has declared "war on gay marriage," pledging to spend another £100,000 in its campaign against equal marriage rights for same-sex couples in Scotland.... LGBTQ Nation • Jul 9, 2012

	May be too late for Iowa GOP to end gay marriage But the legislative process would take at least two years, while public interest in the cause is declining. A Des Moines Register poll in February showed 56 percent of Iowans opposed an amendment banning same-sex marriage, up slightly from a year earlier. The results tracked with national opinion on the issue. ... AP • Jul 9, 2012

	French Prime Minister announces France will legalize gay marriage by 2013 A 2012 survey from the French Institute of Public Opinion showed 63 percent of French people are in favor of gay marriage while 56 percent support gay adoption.... PRI • Jul 9, 2012

	WA: NW Methodists endorse same-sex marriage The United Methodist Church in the Northwest, at odds with its parent denomination, has endorsed Referendum 74 and called on voters to make Washington the nation's seventh state to enact same-sex marriage. ... Seattle PI • Jul 9, 2012

	DOMA Challenges Headed to the Supreme Court The Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group of the U.S. House of Representatives (BLAG), Intervenor-Defendant, filed a petition for certiorari with the Supreme Court on June 29, seeking review of the 1st Circuit's decision in Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2012 WL 1948017 (May 31, 2012), petition for cert. filed sub nom BLAG v. Gill (June 29, 2012). The 1st ... Leonard Link • Jul 9, 2012

	OREGONIANS SPLIT ON MARRIAGE EQUALITY, MARIJUANA Oregon narrowly favors legal gay marriage, with 46% supporting it and 45% opposed. Democrats support it 74-20, Republicans oppose it 11-80 and independents oppose it 38-48. Men oppose legalization 45-48 but women support it 48- 42. ... Towleroad • Jul 9, 2012

	Majority Support For Gay Marriage In Massachusetts Increases According to a Public Polling Policy (PPP) survey of 902 voters conducted between June 22 and 24, support for gay nuptials has increased 4 percentage points since March. Sixty-two percent of voters now say they support equal marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples, while 30 percent believe it should be illegal. That is an increase in support of 4 points in three months, and a 1 point decrease ... On Top Magazine • Jul 9, 2012

	3,000 gay couples marry in New York According to the Syracuse Post-Standard, the number of gay weddings since June 24th 2011 stands at 3,037, not including New York City.... Pink News • Jul 9, 2012

	Poll shows wide support for abortion rights, gay marriage Ipsos Reid found that 62 per cent of people believe same-sex marriage "should be fully recognized and equal to conventional heterosexual marriage." Another 20 per cent said "it should be allowed to exist in civil law but not have the same legal weight as a conventional marriage." Just 18 per cent said "it is wrong and it should never be lawful."... Canada.com • Jul 9, 2012

	Washington state anti-gay marriage initiative fails A Washington state voter initiative that sought to restrict marriage to a partnership between a man and a woman has failed to gain enough signatures to get on the ballot, eliminating any risk of confusion with another competing measure. Opponents of gay marriage in Washington state had pursued two separate signature-gathering drives after Governor Chris Gregoire, a Democrat, signed into law in Fe... Reuters • Jul 4, 2012

	Illinois Gay Marriage: Downstate County Clerks File To Defend State Gay Marriage Ban Two county clerks from downstate Illinois are asking a judge for permission to defend the state's gay marriage ban. Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan have said they won't defend the state against a lawsuit filed by 25 gay and lesbian couples because they too believe the ban is unconstitutional.... Huffington Post • Jul 2, 2012

	LULAC, Nation's Oldest Latino Group, Backs Marriage Equality Momentum for marriage equality in the Latino community continued Saturday when the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the nation's oldest and largest Latino civil rights and advocacy group, passed a resolution at its annual convention. ... Advocate • Jul 2, 2012

	Irish Deputy Prime Minister: 'Gay marriage is the civil rights issue of this generation' Mr Gilmore, who is the leader of the Irish Labour Party and serves as Deputy Prime Minister in a Coalition Government said that politicans should no longer dictate who people fall in love with or who they decide to spend their lives with. "I believe in gay marriage," he said. "The right of gay couples to marry is, quite simply, the civil rights issue of this generation, and, in my opinion, it's t... Pink News • Jul 2, 2012

	Chick-Fil-A Donated Nearly $2 Million To Anti-Gay Groups In 2010 Though Chick-fil-A continues to deny supporting an anti-gay agenda, the company has donated over $3 million to organizations like the Family Research Council and Exodus International between 2003 and 2009. And in 2010 alone, Chick-fil-A donated over $1.9 million to anti-gay causes, more than any other year for which public records are available.... Equality Matters • Jul 2, 2012

	Republicans Appeal DOMA Case to Supreme Court House Republicans have made the pivotal move of appealing a Defense of Marriage case to the Supreme Court. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi confirmed the decision in a statement condemning Speaker John Boehner and House Republicans for deciding "to waste more taxpayer funds to advance a position rejected by four different courts and to defend discrimination and inequality before the highest court in ... Advocate • Jul 2, 2012

	New Hope For Married Gay Soldiers A proposed new law would let the Army recognize the spouses of service-members for the first time ever. Anti-gay activists in Maryland collect enough signatures to force a referendum, but now they're tens of thousands of dollars in debt. And seven years after legalizing marriage equality, Spain finally lets gay and lesbian couples into the dictionary. At the American Foundation for Equal Rights,... MNW • Jul 2, 2012

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