Tag Archives: California

You can watch today’s historic gay marriages in California online here. Ceremonies began at 5PM California time.

The Family Research Council ran this bit of loveliness in some California newspapers over the weekend.

Fred Phelps and his Westboro loonies will be picketing at San Francisco City Hall today to picket the wedding of Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, the couple that was first to marry there back in 2004 and who will repeat their history ceremony legally today at 5:00PM. But in a way, having a raving nutjob like Phelps there may actually …

Check this out: A conservative Christian legal group on Thursday made a last-ditch effort to stop gay marriage from becoming legal in California by asking a midlevel appeals court to temporarily prohibit county clerks from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The Virginia-based Liberty Counsel, in a petition with the 1st District Court of Appeal in San Francisco, argued that …

Many of you were puzzled or angered by yesterday’s joint statement from a broad coalition of LGBT groups who are asking that out-of-state gays that marry in California not return to their home states and begin filing lawsuits requesting recognition. Today’s Los Angeles Times sheds some light on the story. The memo cautioned that the U.S. Supreme Court has traditionally …

A broad coalition of nine major LGBT rights and legal groups have issued a joint statement asking out-of-state gay couples married in California NOT to then sue the federal government, their home states, or their employers for recognition of their marriage status. Four lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) legal organizations and five other leading national LGBT groups today issued …

This time, it will be legal. When same-sex marriages start at 5 p.m. June 16, San Francisco will stage a repeat of the ceremony that started the 2004 Winter of Love, when thousands of gay and lesbian couples married at City Hall. This time, though, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon’s wedding will be legal. Mayor Gavin Newsom said Monday that …

Via USA Today: Jeff Friedman and Andrew Zwerin were high school sweethearts on Long Island. After college and graduate school, they returned to New York to Rockville Centre. When they adopted Joshua, now 4, Friedman quit his job as a lawyer to be a stay-at-home dad. Despite deep roots in New York, they will fly to Los Angeles this month …

The gay blogosphere got angry yesterday upon news that the guy who founded juice company Bolthouse Farms, a brand popular with many gay health and fitness enthusiasts, has donated $100,000 to support the anti-gay marriage ballot measure in California. Bakersfield carrot farmer William Bolthouse donated $100,000 to an initiative aiming to fight gay marriage — a measure that will appear …

Perhaps as penance for his recent “gay face” controversy, Tonight Show host Jay Leno will appear at a gay marriage rally at a West Hollywood gay bar tonight. Jay Leno will be among the boldfaced names at a gay marriage celebration and rally tomorrow night at the Abbey in West Hollywood. T.R. Knight will join the Matthew Shepard Foundation’s Judy …

This just in: California’s highest court has refused to stay until after the November election its decision legalizing same-sex marriage in the state. Conservative religious and legal groups had asked the California Supreme Court to stop its order from becoming effective until voters have the chance to weigh in on the issue. An initiative that would amend the state constitution …

Not really big news as the haters had twice the necessary signatures: An initiative that would again outlaw gay marriage in California has qualified for the November ballot, the Secretary of State announced Monday. California Secretary of State Debra Bowen said a random check of signatures submitted by the measure’s sponsors showed that they had gathered enough names for it …

Via the Los Angeles Times: Forget economic stimulus checks. Same-sex marriages may give California just the financial boost it needs. Wedding planners, bakers and hotels began booking more business almost immediately after the state Supreme Court’s May 15 decision overturning a ban on gay marriage. Citing pent-up demand, one UCLA study projects that same-sex unions could provide a $370-million shot …

The state of California is fighting the wingnuts that want a stay of the ruling approving marriage equality. After fighting same-sex marriage for four years, the state Thursday urged the California Supreme Court to reject petitions that would delay enforcement of the court’s landmark ruling permitting gays to wed. “This historic litigation is now concluded,” wrote Senior Assistant Atty. Gen. …

By a tiny margin, for the first time ever a majority of polled Californians say they now approve of gay marriage. In a dramatic reversal of decades of public opinion, California voters agree by a slim majority that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry, according to a Field Poll released today. By 51-42 percent, registered voters said they believed …

From the Campaign To Save Children and Families: ACTION: If your county approved Prop. 22, please call your county clerk immediately. Urge him or her not to issue marriage licenses to anyone but a man and a woman. Urge your county clerk to: “Do what’s right, maintain public order, uphold the marriage statutes, and respect the democratic process by NOT …

Here come the brides. And the grooms. Los Angeles County will be ready to meet the increased demand for civil marriage ceremonies and license applications on June 16, when the recent state Supreme Court ruling overturning a same-sex marriage ban will take effect, acting County Clerk Dean Logan said Tuesday. “Our staff is busy going about the process of preparing …

From the San Jose Mercury News: It was 1964. Conservative groups across California, angered by a new law aimed at discriminatory housing practices, mobilized to wipe the law off the books by amending the state constitution. The initiative was a hit at the ballot box. Two-thirds of the state’s voters approved the change in the constitution. But the new law …

“Our California dream is reality. Brad Altman and I can now marry. We are overjoyed! At long last, the barrier to full marriage rights for same-sex couples has been torn down. We are equal with all citizens of our state! “The California Supreme Court has ruled that all Californians have a fundamental right to marry the person he or she …