Same-Sex Marriage

Nate Silver's Forecast Is Very Optimistic About Same-Sex Marriage

Nate Silver is less than a god but more than a man. After November's presidential election, the bossman at the New York Times' FiveThirtyEight blog became best known for correctly predicting the electoral outcomes of all 50 states. His forecast models became legendary. Of course, he had previousl ... More >>

Proposition 8 Hearing Underway in Supreme Court

Update 8:30 a.m.: The Supreme Court blog is reporting that oral arguments are finished and that the Supreme Court will not make a ruling on same-sex marriage. If this is the case, the lower court's ruling stands and Prop 8 is invalidated. Update 8:24 a.m.: The Supreme Court blog is reporting that J ... More >>

Gay Marriage Advocates Ask Justice Antonin Scalia to Recuse Himself From Prop. 8 Deliberations

Earlier today, Justice Antonin Scalia made himself (in)famous among gays when he bluntly asked: "When did it became unconstitutional to exclude homosexual couples from marriage?" After a few back-and-forths with Ted Olson, the attorney representing the plaintiff's in the Proposition 8 case heard by ... More >>

Supreme Court to Hear Prop 8 Arguments Tomorrow

Tomorrow, the United States Supreme Court will begin hearing two cases that will decide the fate of same-sex marriage -- Prop 8 and DOMA. According to Buzzfeed, people have been lining up outside the Supreme Court since last Thursday, hoping to score a front-row seat for the landmark proceedings. ... More >>

East Bay Cities to Fly Gay Pride Flag During Prop. 8 Hearings Next Week

Next week, the U.S. Supreme Court will begin hearing two same-sex marriage cases, DOMA and Proposition 8, the state's ban on gay marriage. Although the court's ruling is not expected until June, it will be a turning point for the gay rights movement if the court reinstates same-sex marriage in Calif ... More >>

Nearly Two-Thirds of American Catholics Support Gay Marriage, Poll Shows

The Catholic Church has long had a reputation for its socially conservative doctrines. This tradition, though, has apparently not kept pace with the beliefs of its American followers, particularly when it comes to gay marriage. According to a recent New York Times/CBS News poll, 62 percent of Americ ... More >>

Pro-Gay Marriage Republicans Continue to Emerge

Based on your position on gay marriage, yesterday was either like watching the end of Spartacus or a clip of lemmings jumping off a cliff. More than two dozen Republicans added their names to a brief imploring the U.S. Supreme Court to rule that laws banning same-sex marriage are unconstitutional, ... More >>

Meg Whitman, Republicans Sign Supreme Court Brief Supporting Gay Marriage -- Finally

At a time when stark partisanship has defined political debate, here's another sign that support for gay marriage is creeping into mainstream paradigm: A bunch of Republicans, including former California Gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman, have signed a brief declaring to the U.S. Supreme Court tha ... More >>

Dennis Herrera Presents City's Argument Against Prop. 8 in U.S. Supreme Court Brief

"Asserting the inferiority of same-sex couples was the purpose and effect of Proposition 8," City Attorney Dennis Herrera states in a brief filed today in the U.S. Supreme Court. "But relegating gay couples to a lesser status simply to brand them as different and less worthy than opposite-sex couple ... More >>

Prop. 8: Supreme Court Sets Date to Hear Case on Gay Marriage

Consider this your very own "save the date." The U.S. Supreme Court this morning said that oral arguments will begin on March 26 for the much-anticipated Proposition 8 case, which will finally bring some closure to the gay marriage debate that started right here in California over four years ago. ... More >>

Gay and Lesbian Couples Must Wait Longer for Prop. 8 Decision on Gay Marriage

Gay and Lesbian couples in San Francisco and across the state have put their lives on hold -- again -- as they await the Supreme Court's final decision on Proposition 8, California's ban on same-sex marriage. The court announced today that it would review the legality of the law, which means the deb ... More >>

Proposition 8: Supreme Court Takes No Action on Gay Marriage

The LGBT community remained unresolved this morning when the Supreme Court didn't take any action on Proposition 8, California's ban on gay marriage. Since last week, San Francisco has been anxiously awaiting the court's decision on whether it will hear the Prop 8. appeal. But today, the court took ... More >>

Prop.8: U.S. Supreme Court Considers Whether to Hear Gay Marriage Case

Update 12:40 p.m.: No action on gay marriage from the court today. The justices did not pick up any of those cases at their meeting this morning, SCOTUSblog reported. So, for all those who are hosting a Supreme Court Gay Marriage Case Announcement party, you'll need more ice and maybe some sleeping ... More >>

"Question One": Maine's Gay-Marriage Battle

A More Perfect Union: Prop. 8 May Lead to Gay-Marriage Rights

Chick-fil-A Doesn't Care If You Marry the Same Sex After All

Chick-fil-A has decided to stick to what it knows, and that's making chicken sandwiches. The anti-gay-marriage food chain is reportedly taking back all the unkind things it has said about gay marriage. The chicken-slinging CEOs now say Chick-fil-A is "re-evaluating the multimillion-dollar donations ... More >>

Nancy Pelosi, Fellow Dems Say Immigration Policy Should Recognize LGBT Couples

Undocumented immigrants in same-sex marriages are perhaps the most polarizing slice of the American populace right now (slightly ahead of NBC's gymnastics commentators).This week, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and scores of other Democrats signed a letter seeking to protect LGBT couples, urging the Oba ... More >>

Proposal or Proposition

The Pro-Gay Marriage Ruling Conservatives Should Love

Men with Confederate Flag decals reading "Never Forget" on their gun rack-equipped pickups and a fondness for "state's rights" don't seem like the likely demographic to support same-sex marriage. Following today's unanimous ruling by the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston that the Defense of Mar ... More >>

Obama Comes Out for Gay Marriage -- Finally

It seems those many trips to San Francisco this year have convinced President Barack Obama that gays should be allowed to tie the knot. News reports of the president's reversal on same-sex marriage is making rounds in the blogosphere this afternoon, and for good reason: It's about damn time!Acc ... More >>

Prop. 8 Backers to Ask Appeals Court to Rehear Same-Sex Marriage Case

​As some predicted, Proposition 8 backers are saying they will ask a larger group of judges from the liberal-leaning Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review a three-judge panel's decision to strike down California's ban on same-sex marriage, rather than appealing the ruling directly to the U ... More >>

It Doesn't Matter That Judge Vaughn Walker Is Gay

You can be gay and impartial​At least that's what a federal judge decided today. Chief U.S. District Judge James Ware ruled on Tuesday that there is no proof that Judge Vaughn Walker, who last year struck down the state's ban on gay marriage, would benefit from his own ruling. Walker only recently ... More >>

Federal Backruptcy Court Declares DOMA Unconstitutional

Gay couples go broke, too. ​The latest assault on the federal law that only recognizes straight spouses comes from an institution that's not exactly known for making rousing statements about civil rights: the federal bankruptcy court.According to news reports., the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Ce ... More >>

Obama Fundraiser To Draw Protesters Advocating Green Cards For Gay Couples

Rallying at Obama's door. ​Protesters from all walks of life -- potheads, gays, and antiwar folks -- will be greeting President Obama upon his arrival to San Francisco tomorrow afternoon. While antiwar demonstrators recruit people for their cause, multiple organizations for gay rights are gatherin ... More >>

Judge Vaughn Walker Admits He Is Gay

Gay!​As if he hadn't riled up opponents of same-sex marriage enough, Judge Vaughn Walker on Wednesday publicly announced that he is indeed gay. Already an icon in the gay community, the retired judge, who ruled in favor of same-sex marriage, reportedly told a group of reporters that he has been i ... More >>

Gay Couples Can't Get Married ... Still

Nope​There will be no white weddings for gay couples -- at least not yet. A San Francisco federal court ruled today that same-sex marriages would not be allowed while courts decide whether Proposition 8 -- the state's ban on gay marriage -- is constitutional or not. It's another blow for same-sex ... More >>

Gay Binational Couples to File Lawsuit Challenging DOMA

Gay couples are ready to rumble for equality in immigration law. ​Consider it the next major court battle against the Defense of Marriage Act: Gay Americans will file the first lawsuit to challenge DOMA on the grounds that it bars them from sponsoring a gay foreign spouse for a visa like straight ... More >>

Kamala Harris Wants Federal Appeals Court To Allow Gay Marriages Now

Harris: Let the people marry​Supporters of same-sex marriage just got a powerful ally: California Attorney General Kamala Harris. The newly minted AG is urging the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to allow gay couples to marry while it considers a federal appeal over the constitutionality of Propositi ... More >>

Iowa Ousts Three Judges Who Approved Gay Marriage

​LGBT Advocates Blast Special Interests' Campaign To Intimidate Judges NationwideThe huge shift to the right in yesterday's election probably doesn't bode well for any LGBT-friendly legislation coming down the pipeline. But perhaps the harshest rebuke of those who support LGBT rights came from Iow ... More >>

Vaughn Walker, Prop. 8 Judge, Announces Retirement

Judge Vaughn Walker is out ... of the building​Vaughn Walker, the Republican-appointed judge loathed in the LGBT community for much of his career -- who went on to strike down California's anti-gay marriage Proposition 8 -- has announced he's hanging up his robes. Walker will give up the mantle of ... More >>

Supreme Court Rules State Not Required to Appeal Prop. 8 Ruling

​The California Supreme Court yesterday dismissed a right-wing group's suit that would have compelled the state to appeal Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. Both Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown have come down in favor of Walker's ruling ... More >>

Prop. 8 Stay Granted -- No Gay Marriage Wednesday

Calibree PhotographyMaybe next year, lads​The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals moments ago granted a stay of Judge Vaughn Walker's Aug. 4 ruling overturning Proposition 8 -- meaning there will be no same-sex marriages on Wednesday. The appeal was granted "sua sponte" -- meaning it was not made in rega ... More >>

Torturer's Apprentice John Yoo Says It's Constitutional to Ban Gay Marriage

John Yoo​You gotta hand it to John Yoo, the former Bush Administration attorney who provided a legal rationale for torturing prisoners of war. It must be tough being an anti-human-rights playa in the midst of Collectivist Berkeley, where Yoo is a professor of -- wait for it -- constitutional law. ... More >>

Judge Vaughn Walker May Lift Stay on Prop. 8 Ruling Today; Crowds Gather at City Hall

What'll it be today, Judge Vaughn Walker?​A number of would-be same-sex married couples are already gathering at San Francisco's City Hall, anticipating Judge Vaughn Walker may lift the stay on his ruling overturning Proposition 8 -- which would trigger a same-sex marriage bonanza. A ruling from W ... More >>

Prop. 8 Overturned: Ecstasy and Agony at City Hall

It's uncertain when Rod Wood and Roger Hunt will use these wedding rings.​No guarantee same-sex couples can wed next week, when Prop. 8 is officially overturnedFor 10 whole minutes, Thom Watson was a happy man. The 30-odd same-sex couples crammed into a balmy corridor of City Hall awaiting the wor ... More >>

Prop. 8 Backers Cover Their Asses

​Those reading the tea leaves prior to Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling in the Proposition 8 trial this afternoon may want to pay attention to this large lump: The anti-gay marriage defendants in the case late yesterday filed a motion to stay the judgment pending an appeal.What this means: The defense ... More >>

Latino Catholics Strongest Supporters of Same-Sex Marriage, Survey Finds

Stan WiestComing to a same-sex wedding near you? ​A survey released today polling religious Californians revealed that Latinos both support -- and heavily oppose -- same-sex marriage. Que pasa? The poll, undertaken by the Public Religion Research Institute, found that the subset of religiously aff ... More >>

Korean Americans Hate Gay Marriage Most, New Poll Reveals

FIFANot yet ready to root for same-sex marriage...​This morning the Field Poll published new results on California voters' support for same-sex marriage. On the whole, the poll was inconclusive. About 51 percent of those surveyed said they approved of gay marriage, with some 42 percent opposed. Th ... More >>

Study: Millions Spent on Campaigns For and Against Gay Marriage Totally Pointless

​A New York University professor analyzed dozens of ballot measures concerning gay marriage over the last 20 years and came up with one mighty conclusion in a study released today: expensive campaigns for and against legal recognition of gay couples do jack squat to change voters' opinions.The rep ... More >>

I Now Pronounce You Incorporated: A Novel Approach to Same-Sex Marriage

I now declare this corporation merged...​Melding legal principles does not always follow the "You got your chocolate in my peanut butter!" "You got your peanut butter in my chocolate!" path. But humor us, here. In San Francisco, the plaintiffs have made their case in an attempt to overturn Proposi ... More >>

A risky proposition: the Prop. 8 debate continues

Maine Setback Won't Deter Californians Seeking Prop. 8 Repeal in 2010 -- Unless it Does

Bad day for cake yesterday​For those who support same-sex marriage, yesterday's defeat in Maine was both a head-scratcher and a stomach-punch. The "No on 1" campaign was well-run, well-financed, not hamstrung by, say, the mayor of Bangor crowing about "whether you like it or not," and a huge perce ... More >>

Obama Administration Fails In Attempt To Have Its Gay Wedding Cake and Eat It, Too

But does President Obama 'feel your pain'?​In the gay marriage wars, you can never make everybody happy. But a court filing by the Obama administration today may well piss off everyone.  Social conservatives surely have had their tighty-whiteys worked into a twist by the Department of Justice ... More >>

Would Gay Marriage Not Being on the 2010 Ballot Help or Hurt Gavin Newsom? The Answer: Yes.

Being emotionally charged up can certainly affect how demonstratively one waves his or her placard in a street protest, but it's of less use in the voting booth. No matter how emphatically you punch your ballot, it still only counts for one vote. This appears to be the crux of Equality California's ... More >>

Marriage equality can be achieved by separating church and state

Will Gay Mecca Relocate From San Francisco To Des Moines?

Disdain of San Franciscans' disdain of all things Midwestern has become nearly as clichéd as the original sin. And, yet, there's always a touch of schadenfreude anticipating city residents' chagrin whenever legitimately good news emanates from the Midwest indicating its denizens have out-progressiv ... More >>

Gay Iowan Transplants to California Ponder Today's Gay Marriage Ruling

They are a rare species, these gay Iowans who have moved out to the Golden State, the perfect journalistic formula to comment on today's news of the Iowa Supreme Court approving gay marriage while its California colleagues mull this same issue. But we put on our intrepid reporter cap and found two s ... More >>

Do Gay Rights Have a Future Outside of California? Do We Care?

By Benjamin Wachs Although it’s easy to get lost in the fact that California voters recently decided to put discrimination in the state constitution, a little perspective is in order: gay couples in California still have (almost) full equality under the law, with provisions for civil unions, ado ... More >>

Campaign for California Families' Efforts to Intervene in Prop 8 Litigation Denied

By Ashley Harrell The California Supreme Court's reentry into the Prop 8 war satisfied almost everybody. Yes on 8 and its supporters figure that the three new court cases, which challenge the legality of a same-sex marriage amendment to the state constitution, don't stand a chance. No on 8 and it s ... More >>

He's No Menace

Gay marriage has been very, very good to Dennis Herrera.