Breaking Marriage Equality News Headlines from LA Times

	Disabled vet in same-sex marriage sues over denial of full benefits An Iraq war veteran from Pasadena filed suit against the Department of Veterans Affairs on Wednesday over its refusal to pay her full disability benefits because she is in a same-sex marriage. The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles by Tracey Cooper-Harris seeks a federal court ruling that the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional because it discriminates against gays, lesbians and legally ma... LA Times • Feb 2, 2012

	Matthew Morrison, Jesse Tyler Ferguson join '8' reading Convincing major actors to commit to a theater project in Los Angeles isn't always the easiest sell. But "8," the play by Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, is proving to be the exception to the rule, with a cast that will feature George Clooney and a host of television stars including Matthew Morrison of "Glee" and Jesse Tyler Ferguson of "Modern Family." ... LA Times • Jan 18, 2012

	Rick Santorum jeered after comparing gay marriage to polygamy Santorum is an ardent, outspoken opponent of gay marriage, favoring an amendment to the Constitution that would define marriage as solely between a man and a woman. He received a rough welcome from a group of college Republicans in Concord -- and it likely didn't help matters when he compared a same-sex union to polygamy.... LA Times • Jan 6, 2012

	George Clooney joins L.A. cast of Prop. 8 play George Clooney is throwing his considerable star power behind the fight against Prop. 8 by signing on to appear in a reading of the play "8" in Los Angeles. The play, by Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, is scheduled to have a staged reading at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on March 3. ... LA Times • Dec 14, 2011

	U.S. appeals court seems unlikely to dismiss ruling against Prop. 8 A three-judge panel appears unswayed by Prop. 8 backers' argument that the judge who issued the original ruling was in an undisclosed same-sex relationship. The panel also appears reluctant to make videos of the trial public.... LA Times • Dec 9, 2011

	'8,' a play about Proposition 8, debuts March 3 in L.A. "8," the work-in-progress play by screenwriter Dustin Lance Black that dramatizes the legal battle over Proposition 8, will make its Los Angeles debut March 3 in a staged reading directed by Rob Reiner. The play will be performed for one night only at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre.... LA Times • Nov 21, 2011

	Same-sex couples expect quick ruling on Prop. 8 appeal Lawyers for two same-sex couples who are challenging Proposition 8 said Thursday that a federal appeals court ruling on the constitutionality of the same-sex marriage ban could come any day now that the California Supreme Court has ruled that initiative sponsors have the legal right to defend it. Chad Griffin, board president of the Los Angeles-based American Foundation for Equal Rights, which la... LA Times • Nov 18, 2011

	Same-sex couples expect quick ruling on Prop. 8 appeal Lawyers for two same-sex couples who are challenging Proposition 8 said Thursday that a federal appeals court ruling on the constitutionality of the same-sex marriage ban could come any day now that the California Supreme Court has ruled that initiative sponsors have the legal right to defend it. Chad Griffin, board president of the Los Angeles-based American Foundation for Equal Rights, which la... LA Times • Nov 17, 2011

	Prop. 8 sponsors are legally entitled to defend measure, court rules The California Supreme Court decided Thursday that the sponsors of Proposition 8 and other ballot measures are entitled to defend them in court when the state refuses to do so, a ruling likely to spur federal courts to decide the constitutionality of same-sex marriage bans. ... LA Times • Nov 17, 2011

	Arguments in gay marriage legal battle presented to appeals court In written arguments to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, both sides in the gay marriage legal dispute debated whether the sexual orientation of retired Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker might have affected the case. The 9th Circuit, considering the arguments filed over the last few weeks, has put Walker's ruling on hold pending a decision on whether to uphold or overturn it.... LA Times • Nov 3, 2011

	Court halts release of Prop. 8 video recordings A federal appeals court Monday put a temporary hold on a decision to make public the video recordings of the Proposition 8 trial and decided to rule on the matter expeditiously.... LA Times • Oct 24, 2011

	Mitt Romney confronted on abortion, same-sex marriage At the town hall, Romney was also pressed on same sex marriage. A young woman asked why he believed that that same sex marriage "is lesser than a marriage between man and woman." "The ideal setting to raise a child for a society like ours is when there's a man and woman in the marriage," Romney said. He did not vary his answer when another young woman told him she had been raised by two women - ... LA Times • Oct 11, 2011

	Indiana lawsuit may have implications for same-sex couples A Chicago woman's lawsuit over her partner's death at the Indiana State Fairgrounds could have widespread implications for same-sex couples across the nation, legal experts say. Alisha Brennon entered into a civil union with Christina Santiago in June, shortly after civil unions became legal in Illinois. In August, Santiago was one of seven people killed when a storm blew apart an outdoor concert... LA Times • Oct 3, 2011

	Throw open the Prop. 8 video records Any time a court deals with a request to protect witnesses, it must weigh the potential harm to them against the potential disservice to the public interest. In this case, the plaintiffs in Perry argue there is no weighing of interests to be made: The trial is over; the witnesses have testified and their identities and testimony are already part of the public record. There is no record of harassme... LA Times • Aug 27, 2011

	Obama's promising move on immigration When the Obama administration last week announced its intention to review the cases of 300,000 immigrants ensnared in the nation's deportation process, as well as to institute new guidelines going forward -- with the goal of distinguishing between those who pose threats to public safety from those who are merely in the country illegally -- reaction reverberated along well-worn lines. Enforcement h... LA Times • Aug 22, 2011

	Gov. Jerry Brown appoints Goodwin Liu to California Supreme Court Liu is considered a supporter of gay rights, including same-sex marriage, and civil rights for other minority groups. He is expected to be on the court in time to hear arguments in the challenge against Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot measure that reinstated a ban on same-sex marriage.... LA Times • Jul 28, 2011

	Gay couples in legal limbo with immigration As the nation remains entrenched in a debate over what to do about an estimated 11 million illegal residents, the Obama administration has released new guidelines to provide flexibility in individual cases without conflicting with other federal laws. Because the marriage act, passed in 1996, remains the law, the administration has stopped short of a blanket policy change on deportation cases invol... LA Times • Jul 15, 2011

	Bankruptcy Court declares Defense of Marriage Act invalid The largest bankruptcy court in the country has declared the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act a violation of the Constitution's equal protection guarantee. The decision signed by 20 judges of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California is the first bankruptcy court to address the constitutionality of the law passed by Congress 15 years ago which prohibits federal government recog... LA Times • Jun 15, 2011

	Debate over judge's sexual orientation not likely to affect Prop. 8 case Gay and lesbian judges may preside over gay-rights cases and rule on same-sex marriage disputes as long as the jurists are not attempting to marry their partners, according to the nation's top experts in legal ethics. But ethicists disagree on whether retired federal judge Vaughn R. Walker, 67, should have disclosed his 10-year relationship with his partner before presiding over the challenge to ... LA Times • May 29, 2011

	Support in polls for same-sex marriage could influence Proposition 8 legal battle, experts say A series of recent polls suggesting a majority of Americans support the right of gays to marry may influence the outcome of the legal dispute over California's ban on same-sex marriages, some legal experts and gay rights advocates predict. The courts don't look to opinion polls when they decide cases, but shifts in popular sentiment can influence their thinking on evolving interpretations of civi... LA Times • May 23, 2011

	Prop. 8: Who's fit to judge? Had Walker been one of the activists fighting Proposition 8, or if he had repeatedly sought a marriage license and been rejected, ProtectMarriage would have valid claims of conflict of interest. The group's assertion that a gay judge in a relationship is less able than a heterosexual married judge to render a fair decision on a sexual-orientation case says more about the pervasiveness of discrimin... LA Times • Apr 28, 2011

	Blowback: Nothing defensible about DOMA As the editorial correctly points out, there is an honorable tradition of lawyers defending unpopular and controversial clients. Civil liberties organizations, for example, have repeatedly, and admirably, defended plaintiffs whose views they abhor (such as members of the Ku Klux Klan), in order to protect cherished principles like freedom of speech and assembly. In this case, there is no greater g... LA Times • Apr 23, 2011

	With same-sex marriage on hold, elderly and ailing couples face a lengthy appeals process In response to an online appeal by the Hollywood-based Courage Campaign for testimony to back the legal challenge of Proposition 8 and other gay-rights litigation, more than 3,000 couples came forward with their stories about why they believe marriage can't wait. "Life is not eternal -- sometimes it is tragically short -- and courts should not act as if it were otherwise," said Chad Griffin, boar... LA Times • Mar 28, 2011

	Republicans plan legal defense of marriage law House Speaker John A. Boehner brought the Republican-led House into the gay marriage debate Friday by announcing plans to initiate a legal defense of the 1996 law that bars the federal government from giving legal rights or federal benefits to gay couples. Boehner, an Ohio Republican, seized on the opportunity to take up a social issue after the Obama administration announced last week that its ... LA Times • Mar 5, 2011

	California Supreme Court Will Announce Prop 8 Decision Today The California Supreme Court will decide Wednesday whether to plunge back into the legal battle over same-sex marriage. The state high court, meeting in closed session, will review a request by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to determine whether Proposition 8's sponsors have legal authority to defend the ballot measure. Depending on the court's ruling, the 9th Circuit could either dismiss... LA Times • Feb 16, 2011

	New chief justice says California Supreme Court will decide soon on entering Proposition 8 fray Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye said Wednesday that the California Supreme Court may decide "as soon as next week" whether to weigh in on the federal Proposition 8 appeal and expressed hope that a Southern California Latino would be chosen to succeed departing Justice Carlos R. Moreno.... LA Times • Feb 3, 2011

	Prop. 8 opponents ask California high court to reject federal court's request for ruling In his letter to the state court, Theodore B. Olson, an attorney for two same-sex couples, said that the question of standing in federal court is a federal constitutional issue, not a state one, and that the California Supreme Court would merely prolong the case by agreeing to answer the 9th Circuit's question. Olson also argued that well-established law in California denies initiative sponsors t... LA Times • Jan 27, 2011

	Resolute Republicans to go after D.C.'s gays, symbolically Ultra-conservatives in Congress have done themselves one better this week, having found an even easier target for their homophobia than gay voters: gays who don't have a voting representative in Congress. Some in the GOP want to bar gay marriage in the District of Columbia, the one city in the U.S. that has no voting power in Congress.... LA Times • Jan 26, 2011

	Enough agonizing, Mr. President Civil unions, while a vast improvement over the absence of any recognition of same-sex relationships, are almost by definition second-class arrangements. The temptation is to think that Obama knows this, and that his reluctance to endorse marriage equality is more political than personal. When he ran for the presidency in 2008, it was the conventional wisdom that supporting gay marriage would be ... LA Times • Dec 31, 2010

	The Prop. 8 show During the trial, the initiative was defended by its supporters. But at the appellate level, the parties involved usually have to show that they would be directly affected by the original ruling. Because Walker found that same-sex marriages do not harm heterosexual marriages, the supporters of the ban face significant obstacles to their argument that they are directly affected. A more recent twist... LA Times • Dec 7, 2010

	Appeals court sets hearing on Proposition 8 A federal appeals court Monday scheduled a two-hour hearing on Proposition 8, California's anti-gay marriage initiative, for Dec. 6.... LA Times • Nov 16, 2010

	Prop. 8 and similar measures create bias and isolation, attorney tells court The suicide of a Rutgers University freshman last month and a later attack in the Bronx on two teenagers suspected of being gay stemmed from discrimination and isolation that measures like Proposition 8 perpetuate, opponents of the measure told an appeals court. "Incidents such as these are all too familiar to our society," wrote Theodore B. Olson, one of the lawyers for two gay couples challeng... LA Times • Oct 20, 2010

	California's next attorney general could delay ruling on Proposition 8 Los Angeles Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley, the Republican candidate for attorney general, has promised to defend Proposition 8. His opponent, San Francisco Dist. Atty. Kamala Harris, a Democrat, has said she would not challenge a federal court ruling that found the measure unconstitutional. UC Irvine Law School Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, speaking at a news conference sponsored by Equality California, a g... LA Times • Oct 15, 2010

	A quiet shift in GOP stance on gay marriage The GOP, in large part, isn't displaying its usual anti-gay election-year demagoguery, and not just in the "pledge." As recently as 1995, a Republican-controlled Congress was holding hearings investigating "homosexual recruitment" and the "promotion" of homosexuality. During the George W. Bush administration, the party used its fervent opposition to marriage for gay and lesbian couples as a get-o... LA Times • Oct 14, 2010

	Judge who overturned Proposition 8 to retire Vaughn R. Walker, the federal judge who ruled that Proposition 8 was unconstitutional, will leave the bench at the end of the year for the private sector, the U.S. District Court in San Francisco announced Wednesday.... LA Times • Sep 30, 2010

	Proposition 8 backers say ruling overturning gay marriage ban may apply to only 2 couples If backers of Proposition 8 are not permitted to appeal a federal judge's ruling overturning the measure, the effect of that ruling must be limited to the two same-sex couples who brought the challenge, sponsors of Proposition 8 argued Friday. In written arguments before the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, the sponsors, called protectmarriage.com, insisted they had legal authority to appeal la... LA Times • Sep 18, 2010

	A gay judge's sexuality isn't news If this "totality of life experience" were so relevant to The Times, why did it not report on the sexual orientation of the heterosexual trial court judge who originally struck down the same-sex marriage ban in 2005, finding that it violated the California Constitution prior to its amending by Proposition 8? Why did The Times not report on the sexual orientation of each California Supreme Court ju... LA Times • Sep 3, 2010

	Who has standing to appeal Prop. 8 ruling? As Walker explained Thursday, the defenders of Proposition 8 are not likely to prevail because they lack standing; also, it is impossible to see what "irreparable injury" will occur if there is not a stay of the injunction and same-sex couples are allowed to marry pending resolution of the appeal. The result of all this is likely to be that gays and lesbians will be able to marry beginning Wednes... LA Times • Aug 16, 2010

	Couple left standing at altar by Prop. 8 ruling The couple have been together for three years. When they had a chance to be married in 2008, they decided against it because they didn't want to rush things. Since then, they have exchanged rings and now consider themselves married. But they want to make it official, Mayhall said, for the sake of equality. Both of them had been out of state this week, but they rushed back to Los Angeles Wednesday... LA Times • Aug 12, 2010

	Prop. 8 foes, backers look to Supreme Court showdown on gay marriage At least some legal experts said his lengthy recitation of the testimony could bolster his ruling during the appeals to come. Higher courts generally defer to trial judges' rulings on factual questions that stem from a trial, although they still could determine that he was wrong on the law. John Eastman, a conservative scholar who supported Proposition 8, said Walker's analysis and detailed refer... LA Times • Aug 7, 2010

	Excerpts from the judge's ruling overturning Prop. 8 Proposition 8 cannot withstand any level of scrutiny under the Equal Protection Clause, as excluding same-sex couples from marriage is simply not rationally related to a legitimate state interest. Rather, the evidence shows that Proposition 8 harms the state's interest in equality, because it mandates that men and women be treated differently based only on antiquated and discredited notions of ge... LA Times • Aug 5, 2010

	Behind the numbers of Prop. 8 The numbers are staggering. In the last six weeks, when both sides saturated the airwaves with television ads, more than 687,000 voters changed their minds and decided to oppose same-sex marriage. More than 500,000 of those, the data suggest, were parents with children under 18 living at home. Because the proposition passed by 600,000 votes, this shift alone more than handed victory to proponents.... LA Times • Aug 3, 2010

	1 in 4 Californians have grown more supportive of gay rights, survey finds The survey highlighted shifting attitudes among blacks, divisions among Latinos and the strong influence of clergy on their congregations' views on gay rights. Results showed that Latinos, at 30%, were more likely than white Californians, at 22%, to report becoming more supportive of homosexual rights. African Americans, meanwhile, resembled Californians in general, with 26% saying they had becom... LA Times • Jul 22, 2010

	Rumor of Prop. 8 ruling draws crowd to San Francisco courthouse Walker's chambers were closed Thursday and expected to be closed Friday; he had not told any of the parties in the closely watched case that a ruling was coming.... LA Times • Jul 9, 2010

	Prop. 8 judge wants a discussion of 'choice' in sexual orientation A ruling in the lawsuit brought by two couples who want to marry is expected this summer. The decision will probably be appealed to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and then to the U.S. Supreme Court.... LA Times • Jun 15, 2010

	Mormon Church to be fined by state political commission over Proposition 8 The state Fair Political Practices Commission is expected to fine the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for not properly reporting about $37,000 worth of contributions to pass California's ban on same-sex marriages. The commission will fine the Salt Lake City-based church $5,538 for failing to report the numerous contributions. The fine comes in response to a complaint filed in November... LA Times • Jun 9, 2010

	The politics of Prop. 8 The gay rights movement has a lot of work to do before it can prevail over the ban on same-sex marriage -- more than can be accomplished in a matter of months. The Proposition 8 campaign was particularly well funded on both sides, and the No on 8 forces shouldn't wait to begin lining up contributors.... LA Times • Apr 14, 2010

	Majority in California support gay marriage, Times/USC poll finds Same-sex marriage got majority support in the latest Los Angeles Times/USC poll -- much like a similar poll by the Public Policy Institute of California earlier this spring. But does that mean that a measure to repeal Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in the state, would have smooth sailing? Not necessarily.... LA Times • Apr 7, 2010

	Prop. 8 challengers highlight religion's role in campaign Challengers of California's ban on same-sex marriage tried to show Wednesday that religion has promoted discrimination against gays. Lawyers trying to overturn Proposition 8 presented testimony of a gay man who said his evangelical parents forced him into Christian therapy to change his sexuality, and the legal team later produced documents that showed close ties between leaders of the Catholic a... LA Times • Jan 21, 2010

	Psychologist testifies on 'remarkable similarities' of gay and straight couples Reporting from San Francisco - A federal trial on same-sex marriage focused Wednesday on the similarities and differences between homosexual and heterosexual couples, with a psychology professor citing "remarkable similarities." Letitia Peplau, an expert on couple relationships, testified that studies have found that the quality of heterosexual and homosexual relationships was on average "the sam... LA Times • Jan 14, 2010

	Supreme Court says 'no' to cameras at California trial on gay marriage In federal court Wednesday, evidence in the case targeted a proponent of Proposition 8 who warned voters in a letter during the 2008 campaign that gay rights activists would try to legalize sex with children if same-sex couples had the right to wed. San Francisco resident Hak-Shing William Tam, a defendant in the lawsuit, discussed the letter sent to Chinese-Americans church groups during a legal... LA Times • Jan 13, 2010

	Appeals court to vote on new hearing in Proposition 8 challenge Judges of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals will vote soon on whether to reconsider their decision last week denying gay rights advocates access to internal communications of Proposition 8 supporters who succeeded in getting voters to ban same-sex marriage last year.... LA Times • Dec 17, 2009

	Prop. 8 foes seek initiative sponsors' internal records Although 9th Circuit panels often take months to issue rulings, a decision on the campaign communications is expected sooner, probably within a couple of weeks, to allow the trial on Proposition 8's constitutionality to proceed on schedule, according to attorneys.... LA Times • Dec 3, 2009

	Christian leaders' stance on civil disobedience is dangerous Did the Roman Catholic bishops who signed the manifesto consider how their endorsement of lawbreaking in a higher cause might embolden the antiabortion terrorists they claim to condemn? Did they stop to think that, by reserving the right to resist laws they don't like, they forfeit the authority to intervene in the enactment of those laws, as they have done in the congressional debate over healthc... LA Times • Dec 2, 2009

	One question divides same-sex marriage proponents: When? Some want to set a vote in 2012 on overturning Proposition 8, fearing that the planned 2010 ballot measure, if it fails, could further polarize voters.... LA Times • Dec 2, 2009

	Judge orders compensation for gay couple denied benefits A federal judge today ordered compensation for a Los Angeles couple denied spousal benefits by the federal government because they are gay men. U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Stephen Reinhardt deemed the denial of healthcare and other benefits to the spouse of federal public defender Brad Levenson to be a violation of the Constitution's guarantee of due process and discrimination on the ... LA Times • Nov 18, 2009

	Voters oppose putting gay marriage back on the ballot, Times/USC poll finds Overall, 51% of California voters favored marriage rights for same-sex couples and 43% were opposed. Strikingly, however, almost 60% of Californians did not want to revisit the issue in 2010, just one election cycle after it last hit the ballot.... LA Times • Nov 7, 2009

	Judge refuses to dismiss challenge to Prop. 8 U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker, ruling after nearly two hours of arguments in San Francisco, rejected contentions by Proposition 8's proponents that precedent and tradition clearly showed last November's ballot measure permissible under the U.S. Constitution.... LA Times • Oct 14, 2009

	Group that backed Prop. 8 focuses on reinstating Iowa's gay-marriage ban The National Organization for Marriage, which was active in getting Proposition 8 approved by voters in California, sent out an appeal for donations to run advertisements on behalf of political candidates who oppose same-sex marriage. It said the first ad would support Republican Stephen Burgmeier, who supports putting the issue of same-sex marriage to a vote in the Hawkeye State. He is up for el... LA Times • Aug 24, 2009

	Outsmarting Proposition 8 Gay-rights activists must recognize that their lackluster campaign did little to sway the public, especially considering the misleading ads by gay-marriage opponents. So far, the Courage Campaign has not articulated a sophisticated strategy for changing this. Without other gay-rights groups by its side, its low chances are further weakened. It's not as though waiting three years means idly lettin... LA Times • Aug 17, 2009

	Prop. 8 foes clash over federal suit Lamba Legal and the other groups have been careful and deliberate in challenging marriage bans, and they have a successful track record. They won the marriage case in the California Supreme Court -- which Proposition 8 partly overturned -- and helped win marriage rights in other states. Fearing a defeat in the conservative-dominated U.S. Supreme Court, the groups have chosen to litigate in state ... LA Times • Aug 8, 2009

	LA Times Interview with Theodore Olson A woman came up to me in our library in our law firm and said, "You and I haven't worked together, but I'm a lesbian. My partner and I have two children." And she burst into tears. I put my arm around her and she put her arms around me. This stands for what we're trying to accomplish here. It's a principle, but it's a principle that deeply touches human beings. If we're successful, we can help the... LA Times • Jul 26, 2009

	Equal-rights coalition urges measured pace on equal marriage amendment "There is a majority of the community . . . that favors going forward in 2010," said John Henning, executive director of the pro-equal-marriage group Love Honor Cherish. "The fact that some favor waiting should mean only one thing: They can wait, if they need to wait, but we are going to go ahead." Henning said his group along with a coalition of others is exploring introducing ballot language th... LA Times • Jul 14, 2009

	Schwarzenegger decides against defending Prop. 8 in federal court Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declined to defend the constitutionality of Proposition 8, telling a San Francisco judge that the legality of the anti-equal marriage measure is for the courts to decide. The governor's decision to remain neutral in a federal challenge to Proposition 8 means no statewide official will be defending the measure in federal court.... LA Times • Jun 21, 2009

	L.A. racially divided on equal marriage, Times Poll finds White voters were most emphatic in their support for equal marriage, with 68% supporting it and 27% opposing. African American voters were strongly against it, with 54% opposing equal marriage and 37% supporting it. Opposition to gay couples by African Americans was widely seen as a major factor contributing to the passage of Proposition 8. Latinos in the current poll were split, with 45% support... LA Times • Jun 20, 2009

	Obama's gay rights gap On Sunday, the administration's top-ranking openly gay official offered a less-than-stellar prognosis for gay rights. Obama remains committed to banning employment discrimination against gays, along with repealing the marriage act and "don't ask, don't tell," said John Berry, director of the Office of Personnel Management, and that will happen "before the sun sets on this administration." The impl... LA Times • Jun 18, 2009

	A Prop. 8 win-win The federal action was brought on behalf of two gay couples who were denied marriage licenses after the ruling that upheld Proposition 8. If such an action were instead brought in state court, California would have an opportunity to bring equity to both sides. The attorney general, in defending the state's interest, could ask for a court order enjoining the state from using the terminology of marr... LA Times • Jun 16, 2009

	Mayors criticize Justice Department support for Defense of Marriage Act With the Obama administration facing growing discontent among gay supporters, the mayors of Los Angeles and San Francisco joined in voicing concern today about a new U.S. Justice Department brief supporting the federal Defense of Marriage Act.... LA Times • Jun 15, 2009

	Thousands rally in California's heartland in support of gay marriage Aiming to reach out to conservative voters, about 3,000 equal-rights supporters gathered Saturday in California's Central Valley in a renewed campaign to win support for equal marriage. Just days after the California Supreme Court upheld a voter-approved ban on same-sex couples, activists launched a 14 1/2 -mile march from the town of Selma to Fresno, where they rallied in front of City Hall as a... LA Times • May 31, 2009

	Gay couples a minefield for candidates for California governor In that environment, candidates for governor are juggling wildly different needs for the primaries and the general election. To score points with partisan voters in the June 2010 primary -- regardless of party -- is to risk harm in the broader arena of the general election. So Newsom or any other Democrat who gets too bold about same-sex couples in the primary could face a backlash if running as... LA Times • May 30, 2009

	Phyllis Lyon: "It Will Be OK" I'm optimistic about the future. Look at all the states that have now done this. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. They may not all last. But it's going to be all right. It may not be while I'm alive, but eventually it will work out that if two people want to get married, they can get married and it won't matter to whom. We went through this before with people of color. It will be OK.... LA Times • May 27, 2009

	Bush vs. Gore rivals challenge Prop. 8 in federal court Former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore B. Olson and David Boies, who represented then-Vice President Al Gore in the contested election, have joined forces to tackle the equal marriage issue, which has deeply divided Californians and left 18,000 gay couples married last year in legal isolation. In a project of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, Olson and Boies have united to represent two s... LA Times • May 27, 2009

	Obama's promise to gays Some gay activists fear that, given the welter of other issues confronting the president, he may be unwilling to expend time or political capital on this or other gay-rights initiatives. Their anxiety was exacerbated by Obama's refusal to intervene in the expulsion from the National Guard of Dan Choi, an Arabic-speaking Iraq war veteran who disclosed he was gay in a TV interview. White House Pres... LA Times • May 22, 2009

	Religious freedom and gay marriage can coexist The basic idea here is straightforward: We can and should work hard to accommodate the rights of same-sex couples and religious individuals and institutions. Doing that right, however, requires government to take account of the actual and legitimate needs and interests of both groups. That's what treating people equally is all about.... LA Times • May 11, 2009

	California voters likely to revisit gay marriage As recently as a few months ago, some gay activists feared 2010 would be too soon. But the fact that same-sex marriage is now legal in five states, with New York, New Jersey and New Hampshire poised to follow, has changed the political climate, they say. "There is no doubt we are witnessing an enormous and unprecedented sea change in both public opinion and momentum on the issue of marriage equal... LA Times • May 7, 2009

	Same-sex marriages gradually gain legal ground The recent moves in New England and the heartland to legalize gay marriage appeared to reinvigorate campaigns for passage of same-sex marriage bills in Maine, Maryland and Hawaii. Rights advocates predict the tide will eventually sweep even into some of the 30-plus states that have passed laws or constitutional amendments defining marriage as between a man and a woman.... LA Times • May 4, 2009

	Iowa court legalizes gay marriage as California watches Gay rights activists and a legal scholar said Friday's ruling could provide ammunition for overturning Proposition 8, either in court or at the ballot box. During a hearing last month, a majority of the California court appeared ready to uphold the ballot measure. In the Iowa decision, Justice Mark Cady wrote: "We are firmly convinced the exclusion of gay and lesbian people from the institution o... LA Times • Apr 6, 2009

	Gay marriage on the march Vermont and California appear to be sliding in opposite directions these days, and we're not talking about tectonic plates. As the institution of marriage undergoes seismic shifts, Vermont is moving from civil unions for same-sex couples toward full marriage, while the California Supreme Court is weighing whether to uphold Proposition 8, which stripped marriage rights from gay and lesbian couples.... LA Times • Mar 29, 2009

	Existing gay marriages now on a great divide At the same time, the gay married couples may help educate Americans about same-sex marriage, Davidson said. "They will be kind of living examples of the fact that no one else is harmed by the existence of married same-sex couples," he said.... LA Times • Mar 7, 2009

	California Supreme Court signals mixed response to Proposition 8 During a three-hour televised hearing in San Francisco, only Justices Carlos R. Moreno and Kathryn Mickle Werdegar suggested that the court could overturn the marriage ban as an illegal constitutional revision.... LA Times • Mar 5, 2009

	California Supreme Court may reveal stance on Prop. 8 on Thursday By now, the court already has drafted a decision on the case, with an author and at least three other justices willing to sign it. Oral arguments sometimes result in changes to the draft, but rarely do they change the majority position. The ruling is due in 90 days.... LA Times • Mar 4, 2009

	Senate approves resolution opposing Proposition 8 Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) said the initiative is a fundamental revision to the document, not an amendment, and therefore required deliberation by the Legislature and a two-thirds vote of both houses to put it on the ballot.... LA Times • Mar 3, 2009

	Gay marriage on trial Who makes law in a democracy? What should we do when laws contradict one another? Who is the ultimate sovereign in the state of California -- the people at the polls or their written Constitution or their appointed judges or their elected legislators? Can fundamental constitutional rights -- inalienable rights -- be withdrawn from one group but not another? These are big, thorny questions with im... LA Times • Mar 1, 2009

	Gay marriage supporters vow to file second complaint over Mormon church's role in Prop. 8 Opponents of the measure, which banned gay marriage in California, said today that they plan to file a second complaint with the state alleging the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints deliberately did not disclose its financial contributions to the Yes on 8 campaign. Californians Against Hate already filed one complaint with the California Fair Political Practices Commission, sparking an ... LA Times • Feb 11, 2009

	Rulings on Gay Couples' Benefits Question Defense of Marriage Act "The denial of federal benefits to same-sex spouses cannot be justified simply by a distaste for or disapproval of same-sex marriage or a desire to deprive same-sex spouses of benefits available to other spouses in order to discourage them from exercising a legal right afforded them by a state," Reinhardt wrote in an order to the U.S. Courts administration to submit Levenson's benefits election fo... LA Times • Feb 6, 2009

	Mormon church reports spending $180,000 on Proposition 8 On top of that, some Prop. 8 opponents say church officials violated election law by failing to file campaign disclosure reports outlining church funds being spent on the campaign. Fred Karger, who filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission after the election alleging that church officials had not properly disclosed their involvement, said he thought today's filing proves that ... LA Times • Feb 1, 2009

	Married or not, let couples adopt With so many kids needing homes, it is shocking that a growing number of states now prohibit unmarried couples -- gay and straight -- from adopting or serving as foster parents. In November, Arkansas joined a growing list of states that ban such adoptions, including Georgia, Oklahoma, Utah and Mississippi. My partner, Dan, and I hope to adopt one day. (Gay adoption is legal in California.) And if... LA Times • Jan 27, 2009

	Brown, ethics commission seek to preserve disclosure laws on Prop. 8 donors But in their court briefs this week, Brown and the state Fair Political Practices Commission said donors' information should remain public. "Political democracy demands open debate, including prompt disclosure of the identities of campaign donors," Brown said. Ethics commission officials argued that information on who contributes to ballot measure campaigns is necessary to prevent money launderi... LA Times • Jan 24, 2009

	Proposition 8 foes hold gay marriage boot camps The idea is to train activists in "the practical, hands-on skills to organize in their communities to restore marriage equality for same-sex couples to California."... LA Times • Jan 22, 2009

	Now, about gay marriage Obama is caught up in semantics, apparently believing that gays and lesbians should be allowed to engage in civil unions with all the rights of marriage, as long as they aren't called marriages. That's an evasion that was rightly rejected in May by the California Supreme Court when it overturned a previous ban on same-sex marriage, because such semantic distinctions tend to cast doubt on a union's... LA Times • Jan 21, 2009

	Is California ready for 2010 vote on gay marriage? Could California be voting on gay marriage again next year? Well, there is a new group, Yes! on Equality, that is beginning a campaign for the "2010 Marriage Equality Initiative." It's hard to say how serious this is, and whether voters really want to take this issue up again, but the website says organizers have learned their lesson from Prop. 8.... LA Times • Jan 15, 2009

	Wedding blues In effect, DOMA's language reflects one-way federalism: It protects only those states that don't want to accept a same-sex marriage granted by another state. Moreover, the heterosexual definition of marriage for purposes of federal laws - including, immigration, Social Security survivor rights and veteran's benefits - has become a de facto club used to limit, if not thwart, the ability of a state ... LA Times • Jan 5, 2009

	Vegas Prop. 8 supporters outed Vegas resorts would love to get into the business of packaging and selling gay marriage events. And that point is made clear by the fact that one of the gay-friendly groups listed is the room-tax-supported Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, whose mission is to promote tourism in Nevada.... LA Times • Dec 29, 2008

	Brown's stand on Prop. 8 raises new questions California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown's decision to throw the weight of his office behind same-sex marriage has sparked debate over whether his arguments will actually do more harm than good for those hoping to overturn the initiative.... LA Times • Dec 24, 2008

	Gay couple won't let Proposition 8 steal their dream "It just kind of pushed me over the edge," he said. "Somebody has to put their neck on the line, and I was willing to do it, I guess, this time."... LA Times • Dec 21, 2008

	Gay marriage debate at Big Bear school over anti-Prop. 8 shirt ...attorneys for the ACLU have argued that schools cannot prohibit speech simply because it is controversial...... LA Times • Dec 15, 2008

	Why we're mad at the Mormon church While the backlash against the LDS Church has made some of its members uncomfortable, they have nobody to blame but their leadership who dragged them into this mess. ... Utah state Sen. Scott McCoy has introduced legislation that would provide gays and lesbians in his state with all rights that straight people enjoy except marriage. If the LDS Church were to support McCoy, it would show that it re... LA Times • Dec 8, 2008

	A blog spotlights businesses that backed Proposition 8 The site is a community forum, identifying donors and helping viewers make informed decisions about conducting business, promoting tolerance and civil rights...... LA Times • Dec 2, 2008

	Iowa's gay marriage ban goes before high court ... LA Times • Nov 27, 2008

	Gay rights leaders plan $1-million war chest to defend judges who back same-sex marriage ... LA Times • Nov 26, 2008

	Legal experts puzzled over California justice's seeming reversal on Prop. 8 ... LA Times • Nov 25, 2008

	Is challenge to Prop. 8 already lost in California Supreme Court? ... LA Times • Nov 25, 2008

	Liberal Hollywood ponders next step in fight for same-sex marriage ... LA Times • Nov 22, 2008

	Both sides in California's Prop. 8 battle look ahead to 2010 ... LA Times • Nov 21, 2008

	Recall specter hangs over high court as it considers Prop. 8 challenges ... LA Times • Nov 19, 2008

	Healing the gay/black divide ... LA Times • Nov 18, 2008

	Mormon Church feels the heat over Proposition 8 ... LA Times • Nov 17, 2008

	Targeted L.A. restaurant donates to group challenging Prop. 8 ... LA Times • Nov 15, 2008

	California Supreme Court ponders challenges to gay-marriage ban ... LA Times • Nov 15, 2008

	Prop. 8 opponents rally across California to protest gay-marriage ban ... LA Times • Nov 15, 2008

	No Gays for a Day day ... LA Times • Nov 14, 2008

	Angrier response to Prop. 8 steps up ... LA Times • Nov 13, 2008

	Gay marriage backers threaten boycotts of pro-Prop. 8 restaurants ... LA Times • Nov 12, 2008

	More groups ask California Supreme Court to overturn Proposition 8 ... LA Times • Nov 12, 2008

	Prop. 8's battle lessons ... LA Times • Nov 11, 2008

	Proposition 8 supporters vent frustration over continued protests ... LA Times • Nov 11, 2008

	Prop. 8 foes go to city halls -- and to South Coast Plaza ... LA Times • Nov 11, 2008

	L.A. City Hall is focused on 'grand' Prop. 8 protest, prepare for gridlock ... LA Times • Nov 10, 2008

	The law and Prop. 8 ... LA Times • Nov 10, 2008

	Prop. 8 wars rage on Facebook ... LA Times • Nov 10, 2008

	Schwarzenegger tells backers of gay marriage: Don't give up ... LA Times • Nov 10, 2008

	L.A. Jews overwhelmingly opposed Prop. 8, exit poll finds ... LA Times • Nov 9, 2008

	Gay rights backers file 3 lawsuits challenging Prop. 8 After losing at the polls, gay rights supporters filed three lawsuits Wednesday asking the California Supreme Court to overturn Proposition 8, an effort the measure's supporters called an attempt to subvert the will of voters. "If they want to legalize gay marriage, what they should do is bring an initiative themselves and ask the people to approve it," said Frank Schubert, co-chairman of the Pro... LA Times • Nov 6, 2008

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