Miss Calif. could lose crown
(San Francisco, California) A spokesman for the Miss California pageant on Monday denied that contest officials told the reigning beauty queen to publicly apologize for her statement opposing same-sex marriage during the Miss USA pageant.
Carrie Prejean, 21, claimed during Sunday services at her San Diego church that producers of the …
Miss Calif. is new hero of religious right
(San Francisco, California) Miss California, Carrie Prejean, who became the bombshell of the Miss USA pageant by saying gay couples should not be allowed to marry, said Sunday that her state sponsors urged her to apologize afterward but she rejected the advice.
Prejean, 21, said officials from the Miss California USA …
Iowa, Vermont gay marriages spark debate in Calif.
(San Francisco, California) Both sides of the gay marriage ban approved by California voters are debating how Iowa and Vermont’s recent moves to allow same-sex unions will affect their state’s running legal battle.
Gay marriage supporters are particularly interested in the Iowa Supreme Court’s ruling, which they hope will sway the …
Prop 8 repeal bid begins
(San Francisco, California) A group seeking to repeal Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage in California, is expected to begin collecting signatures this week to have the measure overturned.
The Secretary of State on Friday gave the group Yes on Equality until Aug. 17 to collect the nearly 700,000 signatures needed …
Lesbian waits for Presbyterian court ruling
(San Francisco, California) A woman who has been twice denied ordination in the Presbyterian Church is eagerly awaiting a ruling by a church court that could not only affect her but other gays and lesbians in the denomination.
Lisa Larges has been fighting for two decades to become the first openly …
Study examines effect of marriage on gay couples
(San Francisco, California) The legal recognition of same-sex relationships, including marriage, influences how gay and lesbian baby boomers prepare for late life and end of life issues, a new study has found.
Unmarried same-sex couples may suffer greater fear and anxiety around end of life issues than those in state-sanctioned unions, …
Gay marriage gets recognition – in the dictionary
(San Francisco, California) Same-sex marriage might not be recognized in most states, but it is in the dictionary.
Merriam-Webster included a secondary definition of marriage to recognize same-sex relationships several years before gay couples were allowed to tie the knot anywhere in the United States, but the change had gone largely …
Dramatic spike in gay hate crimes in Calif.
(San Francisco, California) A three-fold spike in homophobic hate crimes in Santa Clara County over the past year is being blamed on the fallout over Proposition 8, the voter measure than banned same-sex marriage in California.
More than half the hate crimes reported in the county south of San Francisco were …
Rights groups gird for continued Prop 8 fight
(San Francisco, California) While the California Supreme Court considers a ruling in the constitutional challenge to Proposition 8, LGBT rights groups are not waiting for a favorable decision.
Equality California, the state’s largest LGBT civil rights organization, has hired Marc Solomon to lead its marriage equality division. Solomon was the founder …
Poll: Calif. still divided on marriage
(San Francisco, California) A new poll of Californians shows that LGBT rights groups still have a lot of work ahead of them in gaining acceptance of equal marriage.
If the state Supreme Court upholds Proposition 8, the measure adopted by voters in November banning gay marriage, there is increasing speculation that …
