Church told 'obvious lies,' gay activists allege

On the first Sunday after a gay marriage ban passed in California, activists rallied in defiance, including hundreds of protesters outside an Orange County megachurch whose pastor brought Barack Obama and John McCain together last summer for a "faith forum."

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Gay marriage supporters take to California streets

Protests continued Friday in several California cities, including San Francisco, Palm Springs and Long Beach, over the passage of Proposition 8, which outlaws same-sex marriage.

Same-sex marriage bans paradoxical in historic election

Solomon Brown of San Jose, California, is one of the millions of voters who helped elect Barack Obama to be the future president. He's also one of the voters in California, Arizona and Florida who cast ballots in support of same-sex marriage bans that got considerable support in each state.

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Catholics, Mormons defend backing same-sex marriage ban

The Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints insisted Thursday that their support for a proposition to ban same-sex marriage in California did not target any group.

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People.com: Ellen DeGeneres Reacts to Gay Marriage Ban

"I will continue to speak out for equality for all of us," she promises

Los Angeles: No more licenses for same-sex marriages

The Los Angeles County Registrar's Office stopped issuing same-sex marriage licenses after the passage of a ballot measure to eliminate the right of gay couples to marry, the agency said Wednesday.

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People.com: Voters Scrap Same-Sex Marriage in California

Despite opposition from Ellen DeGeneres and more, Proposition 8 passes by a slim margin

Celebrities give support to same-sex marriage

For weeks, Hollywood had been criticized for not contributing enough to defeat a ballot initiative in California that would ban same-sex marriage.

Time.com: California and Beyond: The Battle over Gay Marriage

The electoral battle over gay marriage extends beyond the Golden State. Florida, Arizona and Connecticut are in it too

Time.com: Calif. Gay Couples Rush Pre-Vote Nuptials

Gay couples from around California and the nation are feverishly tying the knot ahead of Election Day to avoid missing out if voters approve a ballot initiative aimed at banning same-sex marriage

Church told 'obvious lies,' gay activists allege

On the first Sunday after a gay marriage ban passed in California, activists rallied in defiance, including hundreds of protesters outside an Orange County megachurch whose pastor brought Barack Obama and John McCain together last summer for a "faith forum."

Video

Gay marriage supporters take to California streets

Protests continued Friday in several California cities, including San Francisco, Palm Springs and Long Beach, over the passage of Proposition 8, which outlaws same-sex marriage.

Same-sex marriage bans paradoxical in historic election

Solomon Brown of San Jose, California, is one of the millions of voters who helped elect Barack Obama to be the future president. He's also one of the voters in California, Arizona and Florida who cast ballots in support of same-sex marriage bans that got considerable support in each state.

Video

Catholics, Mormons defend backing same-sex marriage ban

The Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints insisted Thursday that their support for a proposition to ban same-sex marriage in California did not target any group.

VideoPhotos

People.com: Ellen DeGeneres Reacts to Gay Marriage Ban

"I will continue to speak out for equality for all of us," she promises

Los Angeles: No more licenses for same-sex marriages

The Los Angeles County Registrar's Office stopped issuing same-sex marriage licenses after the passage of a ballot measure to eliminate the right of gay couples to marry, the agency said Wednesday.

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People.com: Voters Scrap Same-Sex Marriage in California

Despite opposition from Ellen DeGeneres and more, Proposition 8 passes by a slim margin

Celebrities give support to same-sex marriage

For weeks, Hollywood had been criticized for not contributing enough to defeat a ballot initiative in California that would ban same-sex marriage.

Time.com: California and Beyond: The Battle over Gay Marriage

The electoral battle over gay marriage extends beyond the Golden State. Florida, Arizona and Connecticut are in it too

Time.com: Calif. Gay Couples Rush Pre-Vote Nuptials

Gay couples from around California and the nation are feverishly tying the knot ahead of Election Day to avoid missing out if voters approve a ballot initiative aimed at banning same-sex marriage

Connecticut Supreme Court legalizes same-sex marriage

The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled Friday that gay and lesbian couples have the right to get married.

Time.com: Viewpoint: For Gay Marriage, Time to Go Beyond the Courts

Connecticut's Supreme Court is the latest to tear down constitutional barriers to same-sex marriage. But the real test will be getting legislatures to act

Time.com: Conn. High Court: Same-sex Couples Can Marry

Connecticut's Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex couples have the right to marry, making that state the third behind Massachusetts and California to legalize such unions

People.com: Cynthia Nixon Praises Brad Pitt for Supporting Gay Marriage

The Sex and the City star says his stance on the controversial issue is "great"

Time.com: Brad Pitt Supporting Gay Marriage

Brad Pitt has donated $100,000 to fight California's November ballot initiative that would overturn the state Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage

Gay Republicans: GOP on 'wrong side of history'

A group of gay and lesbian Republicans has traveled to the site of the GOP convention this week to help convince its party that it is time to stop being on the "wrong side" of the same-sex marriage issue.

Time.com: Poll: Hesitance on Gay-Marriage Vote

A majority of California voters oppose a ballot initiative to ban gay marriage, though they are evenly split on the practice itself, according to a poll released Wednesday

Time.com: Lesbian Activist Del Martin Dies at 87

Pioneering lesbian rights activist Del Martin, who married her lifelong partner in June on the first day that same-sex couples here gained that right, has died

Time.com: Hallmark Adds Gay Marriage Cards

Most states don't recognize gay marriage -- but now Hallmark does

Argentina grants gay couples partner pensions

In a nationwide measure, Argentina has granted gay couples the right to collect the pensions of their dead partners.

Californians cleared to vote on same-sex marriage ban

The California Supreme Court has cleared the way for Californians to vote in November on whether to ban same-sex marriages in the state.

Time.com: Mass. Senate Votes Pro Out-of-State Gay Marriage

Gay couples from across the country are one step closer to a Massachusetts wedding

Same-sex marriages create 'shame,' new life, iReporters say

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."

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California ban on same-sex marriage struck down

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."

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New York to recognize gay marriages

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.

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Wedding bells chime for California same-sex couples

California officials began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples Monday evening after a state Supreme Court ruling legalizing the ceremonies took effect.

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Lesbian pioneers wed at San Francisco City Hall

Breaking ground is nothing new in the nearly six-decade relationship of Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon.

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Time.com: From Gay Marriage's Ground Zero

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

Same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, 4 years later

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.

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Time.com: Gay Marriage Makes Calif. Ballot

An initiative that would again outlaw gay marriage in California has qualified for the November ballot, the Secretary of State announced Monday

Time.com: NY Alters Policy on Gay Marriage

California same-sex marriage licenses possible in June

Same-sex couples in California may be able to obtain marriage licenses on June 17, state officials said Wednesday.

Time.com: Roadblocks Ahead for Gay Marriage

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

Time.com: Viewpoint: What the California Gay Ruling Won't Do

The court demolished the key arguments against gay marriage. But the presidential candidates still need convincing

Time.com: Calif. Overturns Gay Marriage Ban

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

Time.com: No Benefits for Gay Partners in Mich.

Local governments and state universities in Michigan can't offer health insurance to the partners of gay workers, the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday

Why do unmarried couples opt out of wedlock?

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.

Time.com: Iowa Gay Marriage Ban Struck Down

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 hopefuls pressed on gay issues at forum

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.

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Poll majority: Gays' orientation can't change

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.

Your e-mails: The politics of homosexuality

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.

CNNMoney: Disney gives gay couples 'Fairy Tale Weddings'

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. Clinton dodges question on gays, immorality

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.

N.J. lawmakers OK civil unions, not same-sex marriage

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 won't reopen same-sex marriage debate

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.

Fortune: Queer Inc.

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...

The insider's guide to 'gay marriage'

South Africa has become the first African nation to give legal recognition to same-sex partnerships. The legislation passed this week was drawn up after the country's high court ruled that existing marriage legislation discriminated against same-sex couples

New Jersey court recognizes right to same-sex unions

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.

California ban on same-sex marriage upheld

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."

Moral issues: Key dates

Some key dates surrounding moral issues:

Solmonese: Progress on gay rights leaves politicians in the dust

Thanks to private sector employers, our nation hit a milestone this year in its march toward equality.

GOP renews fight against same sex marriage

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.

Your e-mails: Same-sex marriage debate

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.

PM outlaws gay marriage in capital

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.

A very personal debate

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.

GOP renews fight against gay marriage

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.

Greenfield: Going back to the well

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 court takes up gay marriage

New York's highest court will consider Wednesday whether New York City can grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Frist plans June vote on gay marriage

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 legalizes gay marriage

Canada legalized gay marriage Wednesday, becoming the world's fourth nation to grant full legal rights to same-sex couples.

Companies confused over gay rights

Art Weidner describes himself as an easy-going guy. An engineer based in Seattle, Art enjoys spending time outdoors. He usually avoids public confrontation.

Spain holds first gay marriage

Spain celebrated its first homosexual marriage on Monday under a law passed last month making it the fourth country to legalize same-sex unions.

First gay couple marries in Spain

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.

CNNMoney: Wal-Mart recognizes domestic partners

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. broadened the definition of "immediate family members" to include domestic partners in an updated statement of ethics.

Same-sex marriage bans winning on state ballots

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.

How the wedge issues cut

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 moves closer on gay marriage

Spain has moved a big step closer to permitting gay marriage after the Cabinet approved a bill authorizing homosexuals to marry and adopt children.

Poll: Michigan too close to call

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.

Gay Republicans look for place in party

It's not easy being a gay Republican these days.

Cheney describes same-sex marriage as state issue

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.

California high court voids same-sex marriages

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.

Gay support for Kerry on display at convention

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.

Bush 'disappointed' by gay marriage ban's defeat

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.

Same-sex marriage Senate battle over, war is not

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.

McCain: Same-sex marriage ban is un-Republican

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.

Marriage amendment expected to die in Senate

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.

Bush pushes ban on gay marriage

Check out the links below to hot political stories around the country.

Fortune: Corporate America Blazed The Trail

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...

Boston parade celebrates gay pride, same-sex marriage

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."

Romney turns to attorney general on same-sex marriages

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."

Conservatives hope gay marriage strikes chord at local level

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.

Legal wrangling continues in Massachusetts over marriage

This week, May 17, for the first time, same-sex couples legally wed in Massachusetts. Hundreds more will do so as the week progresses.

Bush renews call for same-sex marriage ban

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.

Same-sex couples ready to make history in Massachusetts

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."

FSB: Here Come the Brides Same-sex marriage ices the cake for some small businesses in the wedding industry.

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...

Gays and lesbians sue New York over marriage

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."

Poll finds Americans engaged in presidential race

(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.

Second Oregon county says gay couples can marry

Commissioners in a second Oregon county voted Tuesday to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Ministers who married same-sex couples charged

Two Unitarian ministers were charged Monday for marrying 13 same-sex couples in the upstate New York village of New Paltz.

Oregon attorney general: Gay marriage illegal

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.

Same-sex marriage gets real at Portland campus

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 governor urges calm on same-sex issue

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.

California court halts same-sex marriages

The California Supreme Court ordered a halt Thursday to same-sex marriages in San Francisco.

Massachusetts advances same-sex marriage ban

The Massachusetts Legislature advanced a constitutional amendment Thursday that would define marriage as the union of a man and a woman.

Same-sex spotlight on Massachusetts

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.

N.J. town halts gay weddings

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.

GOP's gay dilemma

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."

Same-sex marriage fight reaches Washington state

The state of Washington on Monday followed California, New York and Massachusetts as new battlegrounds for the question of legalized same-sex marriages.

Gay couples march on Manhattan

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.

N.Y. attorney general urges halt to same-sex marriages

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.