Gay Marriage Watch: December 14th-20th

Here's the latest news on gay marriage from around the world. The best story of the week - the arrival of Valerie Paget and Tracie Jones to San Francisco after a 32 day march from L.A. to raise awareness and fight Prop 8 - and we were there! Check out the video here - we're the two guys just behind the girls. They're a great couple, and inspiring in their dedication to the cause.

Another cool thing - check out this blog with a chart showing acceptance in the USA of interracial marriage between blacks and whites - it shows there weren't more supporters than opponents of interracial marriage until 1991! I would have thought this was "resolved" in the country's minds in the '70's.

In addition to the news of the week, you'll find our weekly woody award, links to some great articles and columns from the last seven days, and of course you'll also find our ongoing recap of gay marriage happenings worldwide over the last four months - for a longer history, just click on one of the older Gay Marriage Watch blogs from our archives.

To subscribe to this blog, or if you have any thoughts about how we can make this feature better or easier to use or any updates on the issues covered here, let me know at info@purpleunions.com.

--Scott

TAKE ACTION:

Attend Rallies and Events

--Attend the 2009 Marriage Lobby Day in Sacramento --A List of Prop 8 Rallies/Protests --Join One Struggle One Fight's march from San Francisco to sacramento March 25th-30th

Write About It:

--Thank the folks at Seaside Community Church in Torrance for posting a banner in support of gay marriage --Tell Your Wedding Story to Cleis Press

Sign a Petition (or 3):

--Sign this petition to repeal Prop 8 --Send a Postcard for Marriage Equality to President Elect Obama --Sign this Petition to urge President Obama to disinvite Rick Warren to his Inauguration --Sign this Petition to ask Rick Warren to debate Prop 8 and Gay Marriage --Sign this petition to repeal the tax-exempt status of the Mormon Church --Sign EQCA's Petition to Win Back Marriage

Other Actions:

--Shine a Blue Light for Equality --Join the Equality Action Now Maillist --Support Businesses Who Donated to No on 8 (Palm Springs List) --See Which Businesses Suppported Prop 8 (no direct action - just withhold your $) --Wear a white ribbon to support the cause --Check out the resources at Stop8.org

THIS WEEK'S WOODY AWARD

This week's Woody award honors goes to Jen Shroder, who plays the victim card by running thru a litany of acts supposedly committed against good Christians by the evil gays, including:

"Michelle Malkin writes of a Christian group being surrounded and sexually molested by gay activists for standing on a street corner."

Which I assume refers to the group of instigators who had the gall to go into the Castro and wave anti-gay signs. These folks were not "sexually molested" but they did get an earful, as they should have expected when taking a message of intolerence against gays and lesbians into a primarily gay and lesbian neighborhood.

But here's my favorite part of her screed (note her pointed use of the word "homosexuals":

"I have no dislike of homosexuals. I have friends, I've had boyfriends, I've had roommates and hiking buddies from the gay community. I have washed their feet, loved them, partied with them and care about them, but I stand diametrically opposed to gay marriage because it equates to indoctrinating our children in public school. Time and again, given an inch, gay activists have taken miles in that endeavor."

"washed their feet"???? And she thinks we're the creepy ones? Enjoy your woody, Miss Shroder.

Runner-up - Saddleback Church and Pastor Rick Warren. Rachael Maddow unearthed this from the Saddleback Church Website (re-posted here in its entirety):

48. What does the Bible say about homosexuality? The Bible very clearly says that homosexuality is a sin.

"Homosexuality is absolutely forbidden, for it is an enormous sin." (Lev. 18:22 TLB)

"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexual offenders, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Cor 6:9-11 NIV)

While all sin is destructive, Romans 6 warns us of the great dangers in sexual sin when it says, "Run away from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body." (1 Cor 6:18 NLT) This includes not only homosexuality, but all sexual immorality: adultery, sex without marriage, pornography. We must not act as if homosexuality is the only serious sexual sin, and we must not act as if homosexuality is not a serious sexual sin.

I've heard it asked, "Isn't being homosexual something that a person is physically born with?" First of all, there are absolutely no facts to support this claim. From time to time studies have been reported in the news that seemed to indicate this, but every one of these studies has proven to be wrong. Secondly, even if some physical difference were discovered, it would be no excuse for sin. We know that some people can develop a stronger physical addiction to alcohol than others, but that's obviously no excuse for living an alcoholic lifestyle.

Finally, a word about being judgmental. It's not judgmental to say that what the Bible calls a sin is a sin, that's just telling the truth. Not being willing to talk to someone caught up in sin, or not believing that they can be forgiven, or thinking that you are not just as much in need of Jesus as they are ... that's being judgmental.

Because membership in a church is an outgrowth of accepting the Lordship and leadership of Jesus in one’s life, someone unwilling to repent of their homosexual lifestyle would not be accepted at a member at Saddleback Church. That does not mean they cannot attend church – we hope they do! God’s Word has the power to change our lives.

In equal desire to follow Jesus, we also would not accept a couple into membership at Saddleback who were not willing to repent of the sexual sin of living together before marriage. That does not mean this couple cannot attend church – we hope they do! God’s Word has the power to change our lives."

This info now appears to have been taken off the site, but Google still has it in its cache. Nice try, but no woody for you, Mister Warren.

EVENTS OF THE LAST WEEK:

12/14/08:

UK, England: A tribunal ruling in favour of Christian registrar Lillian Ladele who refused to “marry” gays was based on a “fundamental error”, an eminent employment law judge said this week. Source

USA: Disney is now allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry at all of its parks. Source

USA, California:

--Although more than 55 percent of Contra Costa County voters opposed the gay marriage ban on the November ballot, county supervisors have voted against joining the lawsuit against the measure, making Contra Costa the first Bay Area county to stay on the sideline, angering the area's gays. Source

--At a forum held in West Hollywood over the weekend, speakers discussed problems with the campaign against the measure, which banned gay marriage in California. And like previous discussions, this one ended up coming down hard on the tactics used by the No on 8 campaign. Source

USA: A rash of attacks against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people across the country - including the severe beating of a New York man whose attackers believed he was gay - suggests the number of reported assaults could rise in 2008, an advocacy group said. Source

USA, Florida: Hundreds of protestors convened on the church where Florida Governor Charlie Crist has been married yesterday to express their anger at the state's decision to outlaw same-sex marriage. Source

USA, Iowa: Elected leaders in Sioux City, in a split vote tonight, delayed action on a controversial proposal to publicly oppose gay marriage. Source

USA, Maine: Maine religious leaders and activists are mobilizing for a legislative battle over the politically charged issue of gay marriage. Source

12/15/08:

Out lesbian rocker Melissa Etheridge gently faced off with conservative The View co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck over gay marriage rights and Proposition 8 on Tuesday’s show. And in a rare move, Hasselbeck backed down and made nice and then Etheridge and Hasselbeck said “I love you,” to each other. Source

Chile: An organization, Muevete Chile has launched a campaign to stop the Senate committee from approving a measure that would open the door to gay unions under of the banner of “non-discrimination.” Source

Hungary: Hungary's Constitutional Court struck down Parliament’s Domestic Partnership Act, which gave legal recognition to unmarried and same-sex partnerships, because the court said the Act diminished the importance of "true" marriage. Source

USA, California:

--Two lesbians from Los Angeles who are marching across the state in their fight for equal rights will make a stop in Palo Alto. Source

--Attorneys for the ACLU have sent a letter to Big Bear High School saying that school officials cannot prohibit students from wearing anti-Proposition 8 T-shirts. Source

USA, Ohio: Transgender residents of Columbus -- men who consider themselves women and women who consider themselves men -- would gain legal protection under legislation going before the City Council. Source

USA, Utah: Stephen Schwartz finds Mormon organizational zeal on behalf of California's Proposition 8 to be "reprehensible," but the award-winning composer of hits such as "Wicked" has no plans to withhold his works from Utah or LDS-related singing groups. Source

12/16/08:

USA, Alaska: With the ashes barely cool from what seems to have been an arson attack against the Wasilla church attended by Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin, conservatives are hurling incendiary accusations, without any evidence to back up the charges, at gays and lesbians. Source

USA, California:

--The ongoing boycott of the Manchester Grand Hyatt by gay activists and labor groups has cost the hotel $2.4 million in canceled meetings and conventions. Source

--A Bristol-Myers Squibb employee who donated $1,500 to campaigners in favor of California’s Proposition 8 to ban gay marriage has caused controversy within the company. Source

--Final election results show that 599,602 more California voters cast ballots in favor of outlawing same-sex marriage than voted to keep such unions legal. Source

USA, Iowa: Supporters of the gay marriage ban, aware the court might overturn the Defense of Marriage Act, are looking to redouble their efforts to win approval for a constitutional amendment to prevent same-sex couples from marrying. Such a change would likely take at least 3 years. Source

USA, Texas: Queer Liberaction, the newly formed LGBT direct action group, held its first public organizing meeting Wednesday at the Resource Center of Dallas. Source

USA, New Jersey: A state commission studied all aspects of the Civil Union Act and concluded that civil unions are unequal. Source

12/17/08:

Kenny from Survivor on gay marriage: "I voted 'no' on [California's Proposition 8 gay marriage ballot question]. I was hoping to be really good friends with Charlie out there, but I wasn't on the same side with him. When we merged we had very little time to talk and I feel like he kinda did distance himself from me [as] if he thought I was like a homophobe or something like that." Source

Australia: Last Wednesday a group held a vigil in Spinks Park in Australia to campaign for same-sex marriage. Source

Controversial Evangelical pastor and marriage equality opponent, Rev. Rick Warren of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, will be delivering the invocation at President-elect Obama's inauguration in January. Source

Sweden: A gay couple who got married in Canada should not be regarded as a married couple under Swedish law, a court has ruled. Source

USA:

--Nearly 60 leaders of an evangelical faction have written the National Association of Evangelicals president in support of the NEA vice president for governmental affairs who resigned after saying he supports same-sex unions – and they want a replacement like him. Source

--The Alliance for Marriage Foundation (AMF), the organization that drafted the Marriage Protection Amendment (MPA) in Congress, is working against any attempt to repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Source

USA, Arizona: Phoenix City Council approved a resolution on Wednesday to create a gay domestic partner registry. Source

USA, California: A group of gay couples in Southern California is planning to put a personal face on the same-sex marriage issue by airing a series of television ads featuring their families. Source

USA, Connecticut: A slim majority of Connecticut voters support a recent state Supreme Court ruling to allow same-sex couples to marry, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday. Source

12/18/08:

Paul Weyrich, conservative leader and co-founder of the anti-gay Heritage Foundation, has died. He was 66. Source

At a news conference in Chicago, Obama defended his personal record of support for gay rights issues and said he believed his choice of Warren would help unite the country after a politically divisive election. "I think that it is no secret that I am a fierce advocate for equality for gay and lesbian Americans. It is something that I have been consistent on, and I intend to continue to be consistent on during my presidency," Obama said. Source

Out jazz artist Dave Koz: "I know in my heart and I believe it with every fiber of my being that same-sex marriage…gay marriage…will be legal in the United States in a matter of years. I just believe that. It’s coming. It may take a few minutes for certain states, but it’s coming. That train has left the station. Now it’s just a matter of time." Source

Czech Republic: Czech President Václav Klaus wants Europe to remain pretty much the way it is -- without gay marriage. Source

Lithuania: Lithuanian legislators are considering an amendment to their protection-of-minors statute that affirms "public information that agitates for homosexual relations" produces "a detrimental effect on the development of minors" and "defies family values." Lithuania already has regulations against Gay Pride parades and rainbow-flag displays. Source

UK, England: The Green Party have slammed the government’s decision to lend its support to EU countries that do not offer gay civil partnerships, and questioned its commitment to LGBT rights. Source

Uruguay: The Senate passed a bill allowing people aged 12 and older to legally change their name and gender on their identity papers, a move that opens the doors to gay marriage. Source

USA: Alone among major Western nations, the United States has refused to sign a declaration presented Thursday at the United Nations calling for worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality. Source

USA, California:

--Andrew Knox and Doug Reid awoke on the morning of December 12 to see the word “fag” scrawled across the front window of their Clearview Road home in Santa Barbara. Source

--Equality California Executive Director Geoffrey Kors says he will skip Barack Obama's inauguration ceremony to protest the participation of the Rev. Rick Warren, who supported Prop 8. Source

USA, Minnesota: Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, plans to introduce a bill to legalize same sex marriage in 2009. Source

USA, South Carolina: A South Carolina high school student newspaper was not distributed last month after students published an editorial advocating same-sex marriage without consulting administrators. Source

12/19/08:

The advanced fan film website Star Trek: Phase II is resurrecting a homosexual story line deemed too risky for The Next Generation's TV run. Source

Cyprus: The Migration Department has had its knuckles rapped for preventing the gay partner of a Cypriot man from working in Cyprus. The department was accused by the Ombudswoman of taking “hypocritical” and “paradoxical” decisions while discriminating against homosexual couples. Source

Italy: The Vatican Friday urged governments around the world to decriminalize homosexuality but said a proposed U.N. resolution on the issue went too far. Source

UK, England:

USA, California: London's Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) has overturned a ruling that granted compensation to a U.K. registrar subjected to harassment and the potential loss of her job after refusing to conduct civil unions between same-sex couples. Source

--A lesbian couple from Pasadena who walked 450 miles through California to support a continuing movement to overturn Proposition 8 arrived at the end of their journey today, leading a group of marriage rights advocates from San Francisco City Hall to the steps of the state Supreme Court. Source

--The first briefs in the lawsuit over Prop 8 are due before the CA Supreme Court today. Source

--Kenneth W. Starr, the former U.S. Solicitor General who led the inquiry into President Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica L. Lewinsky, will argue the case in favor of upholding a ban on gay marriage before the California Supreme Court. Source

--State Attorney General Jerry Brown, in a surprise turnabout, asked the California Supreme Court on Friday to overturn Proposition 8, saying the voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage violates basic rights guaranteed in the state Constitution. Source

--The sponsors of Proposition 8 asked the California Supreme Court on Friday to nullify the marriages of the estimated 18,000 same-sex couples who exchanged vows before voters approved the ballot initiative that outlawed gay unions. Source

USA, Utah: A national gay rights group says it will deliver about 27,000 letters to Mormon church leaders next week, urging their public support of equality legislation in Utah. Source

12/20/08:

Asked if he is homophobic, Rick Warren replied: “Of course not. I’ve always treated them with respect when they come and want to talk to me. I talk to them. When the protesters came, we served them water and doughnuts.” One gay rights advocate is encouraging supporters of gay marriage to “return the favor” by sending Mr. Warren gift cards to Dunkin’ Donuts. Source

Caroline Kennedy left no doubt, though, about her support for gay marriage, staking a position that is contrary to that of President-elect Barack Obama. She "supports full equality and marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples," her spokesman wrote. Obama supports civil unions for gay couples, but not marriage rights. Source

GREAT ARTICLES/COLUMNS LAST WEEK:

^ Not so gay now in California, by Foo Yee Ping ^ The rise and fall of gay marriage in the United States, by Andy Goldberg ^ Marriott and Milk, by Marc Gunther ^ Gay Episcopal clergy struggle with own church's stance on marriage, by Lauren Garrison ^ Save My Marriage From Irrelevance: Reverse Prop 8, by David Quigg ^ My Two Straight Bits On Gay Marriage, by Dorian de Wind ^ Youth, Queers of Color Fight Anti-Gay Marriage Ban, by Kilian Melloy ^ New York Gay Couples Flock to Connecticut to Marry, by Andy Humm ^ Not Another Word on Gay Marriage Until They Execute an Adulterer, by Cenk ^ After Prop 102, advocates push for same-sex marriage, by Andrew J. Shainker ^ Listen carefully: we gays will not go away, by Quentin Fottrell ^ Same Sex Marriage…Another Look, and a Proposal, by Bert B. ^ Dr. J.'s Commentary: I Just Saw "Milk", by BuzzFlash ^ My Turn: Done waiting for same-sex marriage, by Beth Robinson ^ The Odd Couple, by John Corvino ^ Worry lingers for domestic partnerships, by Hillary Borrud ^ Crime and homosexuality, by John Gerezani ^ A gay Muslim, tested by faith and family, by Erika Hayasaki ^ Marriage REALIZED! Brian McNaught’s Are You Guys Brothers? by Richard Wagner, PhD

HISTORY BY REGION (Last Two Months):

ARGENTINA Legal Status: Civil Unions (some areas) The Story So Far: On 12/5, during his first meeting with Argentina's new ambassador to the Vatican, Juan Pablo Cafiero, Pope Benedict XVI urged the Latin American nation to resist attempts to further decriminalize abortion and gay marriage.

AUSTRALIA Legal Status: No Federal Recognition; Some Local Domestic Partner Australia Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far:

November:

On 11/12, a Labor Senator said she hopes the Federal Parliament will pass laws that will let same-sex couples get married.

Same-sex couples who love each other should be able to have their relationship recognised by marriage, Australian Greens leader Bob Brown said on 11/14.

On 11/25, a sizeable crowd from attended a rally organised by the National Union of Students (NUS) in support of same-sex marriage on the steps of Melbourne's State Library last Saturday.

On 11/26, the Australian senate passed legislation giving same-sex couples the same rights as straight couples.

On 11/30, Victoria announced a new registry: couples in gay relationships can now apply to have their unions included, and will be recognised by the state's courts.

December:

On 12/10, a new poll showed that 87% of respondents from Australia's gay community support same sex marriage.

AUSTRIA Legal Status: Limited Civil Union Rights The Story So Far: On 10/18, it was reported that a right-wing politician who has fought against gay marriage and who just passed away was gay and was drinking at a gay bar on the night of his death. As of 12/9, the UK Government has withdrawn its opposition to a case in European Court brought by a gay couple who argued that argued that Austria has violated their right to a private and family life and their right to marry.

BURUNDI Legal Status: Homosexuality is Illegal The Story So Far: On 11/24, the parliament of Burundi passed a law making same-sex acts punishable by between three months and two years in prison, along with a substantial fine.

CANADA Legal Status: Gay Marriage Canada Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far: As of 11/4, the Diocese of Montreal planned to take "an incremental step forward" and start preparing rites for the blessing of gay civil marriages. On 11/26, it was reported that a marriage commissioner is suing the Saskatchewan government after being fined $2,500 for refusing to marry a gay couple.

EUROPE The Story So Far: On 12/3, it was reported that the Vatican came out against a United Nations resolution that calls on all governments to decriminalize homosexuality. On 12/9, it was reported that the European Union (EU) wants this week's 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to also mark the expansion of the document to condemn the criminalization of same-sex relations.

FRANCE Legal Status: Civil Unions France Gay Wedding Vendors

GREECE Legal Status: N/A Greece Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far: On 12/5, a Greek court was considering a prosecutor's request to overturn the country's first gay weddings, celebrated this year despite official warnings they were illegal.

INDIA Legal Status: n/a The Story So Far: On 11/14, in the first known gay marriage at India's legendary tribute to love, the Taj Mahal, two young Swedish women tied the knot following traditional Hindu rituals conducted by a priest at the Mahadeva Shiva temple in Agra.

IRELAND Legal Status: n/a The Story So Far: As of 11/5, the Roman Cahtolic Church in Ireland said they may support a legal challenge to new legislation that aims to give gay and lesbian couples the right to civil partnerships. On 11/13, Cardinal Sean Brady suggested Ireland should ban same-sex marriages, like California. As of 11/14, Boyzone's new video, in which Stephen Gately is seen in a steamy clinch with a male model, has sparked more debate amongst punters over just when 'Civil Unions' or same sex marriage will be passed in Ireland. On 12/2, it was reported that one of RTE's digital radio channels will broadcast Ireland's first ever programme specifically for the gay community. On 12/8, LGBT Noise, a group that advocates full civil marriage for same-sex couples in Ireland demonstrated in Dublin.

ITALY Legal Status: n/a The Story So Far: On 12/6, Hundreds of people protested outside the Vatican City on Saturday in support of a declaration calling for the universal decriminalisation of homosexuality to be presented at the UN the next week.

JAMAICA Legal Status: n/a The Story So Far: As of 11/15, the Upper House was considering legislation to define marriage as between a man and a woman only.

MEXICO Legal Status: Civil Unions (some areas) Mexico Gay Wedding Vendors

MOROCCO Legal Status: Being Gay Illegal The Story So Far: On 11/10, the Court of Appeals in Rabat ruled to uphold the first court decision against Morocco's Al-Massae newspaper after its director, Rashid Nini, and newspaper staff were accused of "defaming and insulting" four deputies from the government's prosecution office. The case goes back to a November 2007 article published in Al-Massae about an alleged gay marriage that took place in Al-Qasr Al-Kabir, a city north of Rabat.

NEPAL Legal Status: n/a The Story So Far: On 11/18, the Supreme Court asked the Maoist government to form a seven-member committee to study same sex partnership/marriage acts in other countries and recommend a similar act to the Nepal government. After a recent supreme court ruling, it was announced on 11/26 that a committee will be formed to make recommendations about implementing civil unions or gay marriage in Nepal.

NETHERLANDS Legal Status: Gay Marriage The Story So Far: As of 11/24, the Dutch opposition party Democrats 66 (D66) considers it unacceptable that, for the time being, same sex marriages won't be allowed on the BES islands Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba.

NEW ZEALAND Legal Status: Civil Unions New Zealand Gay Wedding Vendors

NORWAY Legal Status: Gay Marriage The Story So Far: On 11/14, Lutheran Bishops were considering a new blessing for same-sex couples when gay marriage becomes legal in January.

PAKISTAN Legal Status: Gay Marriage The Story So Far: As of 11/15, the Lahore high court banned the screening of Bollywood flick Dostana across Pakistan, saying it has some highly objectionable "gay content".

PHILIPPINES Legal Status: n/a The Story So Far: On 12/4, it was reported that various groups of lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) in the Philippines have closed ranks to fight what they consider as the pervasive evil that has stalked them for decades: discrimination.

RUSSIA Legal Status: n/a The Story So Far: On 11/14, the European Court of Human Rights said Wednesday that it would not consider the appeal of two men who claim they were denied the right to marry in Russia.

SENEGAL Legal Status: n/a The Story So Far: On 11/13, The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission announced its increased aid to Senegal's gay and lesbian community to "re-group, and to turn this tragedy into positive action."

SOUTH AFRICA Legal Status: Gay Marriage The Story So Far: As of 12/10, 82% of the adult population of South Africa think that sex between two men or two women could be considered 'always wrong,' according to the latest South African Social Attitudes Survey.

SPAIN Legal Status: Gay Marriage Spain Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far: On 12/4, a Spanish judge who held up a lesbian couples' adoption request for two years because she doesn't believe in gay marriage and gay adoption faced a tribunal.

SWEDEN Legal Status: Civil Unions The Story So Far: On 11/5, Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said that Sweden might allow gays to wed in the Lutheran Church as of May 2009 if parliament adopts legislation due to be presented shortly. On 11/25, it was reported that legislation would be introduced shortly to make Sweden the seventh country to legalize gay marriage.

UNITED KINGDOM Legal Status: Civil Unions England Gay Wedding Vendors Wales Gay Wedding Vendors

UNITED STATES (see individual states below) Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act The Story So Far:

November:

On 11/6, it was reported that anti-gay hate crimes increased 6 percent in 2007.

On 11/7, a new Pew Poll showed that half of adults in the United States disagreed with the concept of same-sex marriage.

On 11/9, it was reported that fewer gays and lesbians voted for Obama (70%) in 2008 than for Kerry in 2004 (77%); McCain increased GLBT support to 27% from Bush's 23%.

On 11/13, Bill Marriott, of Marriott Hotels, issued a release in which he assured company's employees and guests that Marriott Hotels did not, as a company, contribute to the successful campaign to revoke the right of gay and lesbian families in California to marry.

As of 11/24, The Unitarian Universalist Church was running google ads in support of gay marriage and welcoming gay and lesbian couples.

As of 11/25, Christine Quinn, the first female New York City Council Speaker and possible mayoral candidate, was under consideration to replace Hilary Clinton in the US Senate when Clinton becomes Secretary of State. Quinn is an out lesbian.

On 11/26, an anonymous source within the Obama camp told the Washington Blade that no decision has been made either way on whether to delay the reversal of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy on gays in the military. And the fight for gay marriage rights gained a new symbol - a white ribbon tied in a knot.

On 11/27, it was announced that an unprecedented declaration against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity would be presented to the United Nations General Assembly in mid-December.

On 11/29, it was reported that anti-gay marriage groups alarmed at the election of a gay-affirming president are readying their forces and shoring up their defenses to protect the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

December:

As of 12/3, a new survey showed that 47% of Americans favor same-sex marriage, and 49% oppose it. 22% percent say gays and lesbians should have no legal recognition. And 75% favor marriage, domestic partnerships or civil unions for same-sex couples.

On 12/6, delegates to a national Episcopal Church meeting voted overwhelmingly to support lifting a moratorium on consecrating bishops who are in same-sex relationships.

As of 12/8, Former Ohio Secretary of State and U.N. ambassador Ken Blackwell was in the running to chair the RNC, according to the Washington Times. Blackwell played a huge part in both "winning" Ohio for Republicans in 2004 and putting the anti gay marriage amendment on the ballot there. And the U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that if same-sex marriages were legalized in all 50 states and recognized by the federal government, the federal budget would gain almost $1 billion a year in new revenue.

On 12/10, the trendy clothing retailer Urban Outfitters pulled a T-shirt with a pro-marriage equality message within days of the item first appearing in stores and at the company's Web site. And the Rev. Richard Cizik resigned effective Thursday from the National Association of Evangelicals after a radio interview in which he voiced support for same-sex civil unions and said he is "shifting" on gay marriage.

On 12/11, an Urban Outfitters spokesman told New York Magazine on Wednesday that gay marriage shirts were pulled because they weren't selling well and that "the head merchant is open to finding other products that support gay marriage and carry the same message but will be more popular with our customers," not because the company CEO, Richard Hayne, is a right-wing Republican.

ALABAMA Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act; Constitutional Amendment Alabama Gay Wedding Vendors

ARIZONA Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act; Constitutional Amendment Arizona Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far: As of 11/3, Phoenix investor Bill Lewis had given $250,000 in opposition to Prop. 102. On 11/4, Arizona voters approved a state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. On 11/28, supporters of gay marriage were out in force when Christmas displays were lit at an LDS Church temple in Mesa. On 12/10, it was reported that a man who champions equality for gays in the United Kingdom has traveled to Arizona to begin a drive for a ballot initiative that would establish civil partnerships, which since 2005 have allowed same-sex couples to legally register their relationships.

ARKANSAS Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act Arkansas Gay Wedding Vendors

CALIFORNIA Legal Status: Constitutional Amendment California Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far:

November:

On 11/1, a new Field Poll found opponents of the same-sex marriage ban on Tuesday's ballot had a 49 percent to 44 percent lead over those who support it. And San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders (R) attended a candlelight rally tomorrow night to support same-sex marriage rights. Sander's daughter is a lesbian.

On 11/3, British actor Sacha Baron Cohen returned to gate-crashing in the U.S., this time bringing his flamboyant gay fashion reporter character Bruno to a California rally calling for a ban on same-sex marriage. And a recent YouTube video released in support of same-sex marriage portrayed men in white shirts and ties claiming to be representatives for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as invaders inside a lesbian home, looking to "take away" marriage rights.

On 11/4, it was reported that opponents of gay marriage in California used Google's advertising network to post messages on popular websites against the owners' wishes. Joe LaMuraglia of GayWheels.com expressed his dismay that Google's AdSense banner revenue program allowed "Yes on 8" ads to appear on his site when vistors from California surfed his site. And the Mormon Church's members had contributed some $22 million into Prop 8. And voters passed Prop 8 52% to 47%, eliminating gay marriage in California.

On 11/5, it was reported that No on 8 had raised $43.6 million, compared with $29.8 million for Yes on 8. And the first same-sex couple to wed in Los Angeles anounced that they were filing a lawsuit against the measure. 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. Napa County immediately stopped performing gay marriages and issuing same-gender marriage licenses today. Solano County, the one county still issuing same-sex marriage licenses the day after California voters passed Proposition 8 announced they would no longer perform gay and lesbian weddings. And Kern County Clerk Ann Barnett said she has stopped issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples following the passage of Proposition 8. Also, the American Civil Liberties Union and two gay-rights groups are challenging Prop 8 in court.

As of 11/6, Prop 8 opponents officially conceded when it became clear that there weren't enough uncounted votes to affect the outcome. More than 2,000 gay-rights activists gathered outside the gates of a Mormon temple in Los Angeles. Ellen Degeneres said she was "saddened beyond belief", and that Prop 8 "took a giant step away [from equality]." And hundreds of people protesting California's new ban on gay marriage demonstrated outside a Mormon temple in Westwood on Thursday, blocking traffic on a major boulevard.

On 11/7, it was reported that African Americans came out for Barack Obama in record numbers, and voted for Prop 8 70% to 30%. Asian Americans went the other way: 57% were against banning gay marriage. A crowd of protesters angered by the passage of a state measure banning gay marriage marched through downtown San Francisco during rush hour, carrying signs and snarling traffic. 2,000 people gathered in Long Beach to protest Prop 8 - there were three arrests. Lance Bass "drove by, rolled down his window and started honking his horn to start shouting with the crowd," at a No on 8 Rally. Melissa Etheridge said she was standing up to the state of California, refusing to pay her state taxes if she and her partner are not allowed to be married like straight couples.

On 11/8, it was reported that Supporters of Prop 8 used "robo-calls" containing an excerpt from a speech where Obama said he wasn't in favor of gay marriage, even though he came out publicly against Prop 8. San Diego police said 8,000 to 10,000 people have hit the streets to protest passage of an anti-gay marriage bill. In Laguna Beach, where residents voted 68 percent against Prop. 8 and 31 percent for the gay marriage ban, opponents were planning to march in protest of Prop 8.

On 11/10, a couple thousand people gathered outside the Capitol in Sacramento this afternoon to rally for the legalization of same-sex marriages just days after voters imposed a constitutional ban. More than 400 people gathered outside the distinctive Mormon Temple in Oakland to protest the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' support of Proposition 8. About 40 young gay rights advocates protested outside Fresno City Hall to protest the gay marriage ban. And the San Luis Obispo County clerk stopped issuing same-sex marriage licenses.

On 11/11, Lynn Holton, a spokeswoman for the California Supreme Court, said she expected the court to rule as early as this week on a lawsuit that seeks to invalidate Prop 8.

On 11/12, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted this afternoon to join a lawsuit filed by the City of Los Angeles, San Francisco and Santa Clara County challenging the constitutionality of Prop 8. The artistic director at California's largest non-profit musical theater company resigned Wednesday amid protests over his donation to a campaign to ban gay marriage in the state. And gay rights groups in California said they may ask voters to overturn the ban on same-sex marriage they approved last week if legal challenges to Proposition 8 are unsuccessful.

On 11/13, the Log Cabin Republicans, the nation's largest gay GOP group, opposed Prop. 8 and is supporting lawsuits to have it overturned. The Mormon temple in Westwood was closed Thursday afternoon after an envelope filled with an unidentified white, powdery substance was delivered to temple employees. The No on Prop 8 campaign made a television ad that featured a lesbian talking about marriage but the commercial never aired. It was reported that Cinemark Theaters' CEO Alan Stock donated $9,999 to Yes on 8, and activists are now calling for a boycott of the Cinemark chain. A lesbian mother in Fresno says she was forced to resign from her position as president of the parent-teacher association at her son's Catholic school after she spoke out against banning gay marriage. And artist Kemery, who does not use a last name professionally, plans to display artwork in opposition to Prop 8 from 7 to 10 p.m. Nov. 18 at Michael's on Naples Ristorante.

On 11/14, the California Supreme Court has asked state Attorney General Jerry Brown to reply by Monday to lawsuits challenging the voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage - a sign that the justices are taking the cases seriously and will not dispose of them quickly. County clerks across California are clamoring for legal advice to resolve confusion about when to begin the gay-marriage ban that voters passed last week in a ballot initiative. About 200 students and others walked out of class at UC San Diego to protest the passage of Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage in California. Californians Against Hate filed a complaint with California's Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), alleging The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints failed to report non-monetary contributions that helped pass the measure. And the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Mexican-American Legal Defense Fund, Asian Pacific American Legal Center and two other groups asked the state Supreme Court to issue a stay preventing the ballot initiative approved by voters last week from taking effect.

On 11/15, employees of the Los Angeles restaurant that came under fire this week after a manager gave $100 to the campaign to ban same-sex marriage in California said they had made a $500 contribution to the advocacy group that is raising money to challenge Proposition 8.

On 11/19, it was reported that The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) was the largest monetary supporter of Proposition 8, giving $1.8 million. And Yes on 8 forces started talking about a recall against members of the California Supreme Court if they throw out the measure.

On 11/20, the California Supreme Court agreed to consider three lawsuits that challenge the legality of Proposition 8's abolition of same-sex weddings. Briefs must be filed by January, arguments could be heard as soon as March, and a ruling would come within 90 days after.

On 11/21, a banner in support of gay marriage at Torrance's Seaside Community Church, which read "Someday everyone will have the right to legally marry. Don't give up hope!", was pulled down from their front lawn and slashed with a knife.

On 11/22, 5,000 rallied for marriage equality at the State Capitol Building. Also, it was reported that there's a divide between moderate yes on 8 proponents who saw Prop. 8 as about marriage and what children are taught, and more outspoken activists who have problems with the "homosexual agenda."

On 11/25, Richard Raddon, the director of the Los Angeles Film Festival who has been at the center of controversy ever since it was revealed almost two weeks ago that he had contributed $1,500 to the campaign to ban gay marriage in California, resigned from his post over the weekend. And California officials announced they will look into accusations that the Mormon church didn't report many contributions to support a state ballot measure that bans same-sex marriage.

As of 11/26, Lassen's Health Food Store in Ventura was being boycotted after it became public that store owner Peter Lassen donated $27,500 to support Prop 8. And gay rights leaders announced that they hope to build a $1-million war chest to defend any judge threatened with recall for ruling in favor of gay marriage.

On 11/27, a coalition of labor leaders and supporters of same-sex marriage renewed its boycott of Douglas Manchester's properties at an evening rally that drew more than 100 people. As of 11/28, a lesbian couple was marching 450 miles starting from West Hollywood Park to the California Supreme Court in San Francisco to protest Prop 8.

On 11/29, a new SurveyUSA poll found that 8% off those who voted for the measure to ban gay marriage in California have changed their minds and would now vote no, enough to have defeated the ballot measure.

December:

On 12/4, a new poll found that that 85% of Evangelical Christians voted for Prop 8, along with 69% who did not attend college, and 63% who make less than $40,000 a year. And lawmakers began the 2009-2010 legislative session by introducing resolutions in support of invalidation of Proposition 8.

On 12/5, 10 years after the Berkeley City Council became the first city government in the United States to support same-sex marriage, it was reported that council members planned to vote Monday to participate in a lawsuit that seeks to invalidate Proposition 8. And it was reported that supporters of Prop 8 personally visited 70% of California households before the election, and fielded 100,000 volunteers, 5 per precinct, on election day, vs. just 11,000 for the No on 8 side.

A lesbian couple walking from LA to SF to protest Prop 8 arrived in Salinas, CA on 12/14.

On 12/8, about 200 faculty, staff and students gathered at the American River College for "Eight Minutes of Silence" to show support for the gay and lesbian members of our campus community. Opponents of the Proposition 8 gay marriage ban are taking their fight to Signal Hill City Hall on Wednesday, where they plan to rally in support of a possible recall petition of city Treasurer Emerson Fersch. And 57% of voters with a college degree opposed Prop 8, while 69% of voters whose education had stopped after gradating high school cast their vote in favor of rescinding marriage equality.

On 12/10, Bishop J. Jon Bruno of Los Angeles authorized the use of a rite for the "Sacramental Blessing of a Life-long Covenant" for both same-gender and heterosexual couples. And a Day Without a Gay the day's events drew only scattered support in the Bay Area, the heart of the gay rights movement.

On 12/11, the San Francisco city attorney filed an amended petition (note: PDF file) challenging the constitutionality of Prop. 8 in the state Supreme Court Wednesday, adding seven same-sex married couples and 11 more cities and counties as parties. The amended filing also argues that Prop. 8 (if the high court would uphold it as constitutional) wouldn't affect the marriage status of couples who tied the knot before it passed. And it was reported that voters economic status and religious convictions played a greater role than race and age in determining whether they supported the Nov. 4 ballot measure outlawing same-sex marriage in California, a new poll shows.

COLORADO Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act; Constitutional Ban Colorado Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far: On 11/4, Marilyn Musgrave lost her US House seat in Colorado, bringing to a halt the Congressional career of one of the most outspoken opponents of gay equality. On 11/17, right-wing advocacy group Focus on the Family laid off 20% of its staff, after dumping more than a half-million dollars into passing California's Proposition 8 gay-marriage ban. On 11/28, gay-rights activists planned to protest a Boulder Cinemark theater because the theater's chief executive supported a California ban on same-sex marriages. A slim majority of Coloradans support gay marriage and four-fifths support gay civil unions, according to the survey commissioned by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation in California in November and released on 12/4. On 12/8, lawmakers in Aurora, Colorado's third-largest city, said they planned to discuss whether same-sex domestic partners will be added to the city's definition of family members on 12/9, which would extend benefits to gay and lesbian partners of city employees. On 12/10, the Aurora City Council put off considering whether to add benefits for same-sex partners of city employees after one council member raised a series of questions about costs and another asked the city to determine whether the benefits might run afoul of a state constitutional ban on gay marriage.

CONNECTICUT Legal Status: Gay Marriage Connecticut Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far:

November:

On 11/4, voters rejected the state's first constitutional convention in more than 40 years by a 2 to 1 ratio.

On 11/9, a legal opinion by state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said CT justices of the peace may not opt out of performing same-sex marriage ceremonies.

On 11/12, gay and lesbian couples began marrying in the state today. And the Episcopal church's laws and the state's laws concerning marriage no longer agree, and while priests are able to give pastoral blessings to gay marriages, they are unable to perform them.

As of 11/20, about 100 couples havd taken out marriage licenses since November 12th, when the marriages became legal.

A new study by the UCLS Law School, released on 11/23, said that up to $13 million could be pumped into the Connecticut economy over the next three years from same-sex marriages.

On 11/28, State Comptroller Nancy Wyman notified the heads of all state agencies on Friday that benefits for state-employees with unmarried same sex partners will cease on Nov. 30, 2009, unless the partners marry or enter into a civil union.

On 11/30, it was reported that several JPs voiced "really intense disagreement with the decision" and said they would not perform same-sex weddings.

DELAWARE: Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act Delaware Gay Wedding Vendors

FLORIDA Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act; Constitutional Amendment Florida Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far:

November:

On 11/4, Sex and the City's Cynthia Nixon was in Florida to speak out against Amendment 2. And a Miami judge declined to rule on a lawsuit against John Stemberger and florida4marriage.org filed by Amendment 2 opponents Florida Red and Blue and the anti-gay marriage amendment ads will stay on the air. And Amendment 2 passed by a margin of 4.68 million to 2.85 million votes, or by 62 percent to 38 percent.

As of 11/16, a poll taken during the run-up to the election showed that 89% of Floriians believed that gays and lesbians should have the same rights as everyone else with regards to housing, job opportunities and public accommodations, such as restaurants and movie theaters.

On 11/21, David Caton, executive director of the Florida Family Association, said he will seek a change to the Hillsborough County Charter in 2010 to pre-emptively ban same-sex benefits for county employees.

On 11/25, A Miami-Dade circuit judge decided that a Florida man's sexual orientation should not preclude him from adopting his two foster children, effectively ruling unconstitutional a decades-old state law barring gays and lesbians from adopting children.

December:

On 12/1, a group called Impact-Florida announced it was organizing a demonstration at the wedding of Gov. Charlie Crist on December 12th.

On 12/12, about 200 people showed up in Williams Park to protest outside of the nuptials of Gov. Charlie Crist and Carole Rome.

GEORGIA Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act & Constitutional Ban Georgia Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far: As of 11/21, Proving he's not above gay-baiting, Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R), in a runoff against Jim Martin for his Senate Seat, promised to fight against "activist judges" if elected, ie: judges who might vote in favor of same sex marriage. It's the new millenium equivallent of "state's rights", code for racism in the '70's and 80's. As of 11/28, Jim Martin, in a run-off for the Senate seat currently held by Saxby Chambliss, received support from two national gay political groups - the Human Rights Campaign and the Stonewall Democrats. And GA Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Ward Sear: "Marriage is what it is right now, Nov. 20, 2008," she said. "I would hope that if the definition of marriage is ever expanded, that people would want strong same-sex marriages." On 12/11, it was reported that the same Atlanta organizers who put on the Nov. 15 gay rights rally at the State Capitol hope hundreds turn out again Saturday for their next visibility action, "All I Want for Christmas is Equal Rights."

HAWAII Legal Status: Civil Unions; Defense of Marriage Act Hawaii Gay Wedding Vendors

IDAHO Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act The Story So Far: On 11/9, it was reported that campaign finance reports showed Idaho residents contributed more than $400,000 to support Prop 8 in California.

ILLINOIS Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act Illinois Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far: As of 11/18, The Illinois Family Institute and other conservative groups, emboldened by three ballot measures passed in other states, asked legislators to put a referendum on the 2010 ballot asking whether the state constitution should be changed to ban gay marriage. In Evanston on 11/24, 400 people protested a $9,999 donation that Cinemark CEO Alan Stock made to the Yes on 8 campaign.

INDIANA Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act Indiana Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far: On 12/1, backers of a constitutional ban on gay marriage said they plan to reintroduce the proposal in next year's legislature, but in a slightly revised form. But the odds appear slim that Indiana lawmakers will give serious consideration to an anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment next year.

IOWA Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act The Story So Far: In 2009, the Iowa Supreme Court is expected to rule on the issue of same sex marriage when deliberations begin in Varnum v. Brien. As of 11/26, a poll indicated that nearly 60% percent of Iowans support some form of legal recognition for same-sex couples, with 28% supporting gay marriage, 30% opposing gay marriage but favoring civil unions, and 32% opposing both. On 12/9, the Iowa Supreme Court pressed lawyers for both sides with sharp questions on topics like the 4,000-year-old history of marriage and whether a ruling favoring gay couples would open the door to polygamy. On 12/12, a city councilman in Sioux City was pushing his colleagues to adopt a resolution the next Monday that opposes gay marriage.

KANSAS Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act

KENTUCKY Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act; Constitutional Amendment Kentucky Gay Wedding Vendors

LOUISIANA Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act; Constitutional Amendment Louisiana Gay Wedding Vendors

MAINE Legal Status: Domestic Partnership; Defense of Marriage Act Maine Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far: On 11/4, volunteers from the group EqualityMaine were posted at petition tables in nearly 100 polling places in 12 of 16 Maine counties, speaking with thousands of voters about marriage for same-sex couples. On 11/13, gay activists started laying the groundwork to bring forward a gay marriage bill during the 2009 legislative session, but say they are still mulling their options. And religious leaders across the state held news conferences Thursday to urge Mainers to end marriage discrimination against gay and lesbian couples and called for the state to create same-sex civil marriages. On 11/16, the leader of Maine's Roman Catholic diocese issued a letter to be read at weekend Masses opposing gay marriage. Nearly 100 ministers and lay leaders representing churches from Fort Fairfield to Richmond met onn 12/2 at Calvary Chapel in Orrington to launch a biblically based opposition to same-sex marriages or civil unions in Maine.

MARYLAND Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act Maryland Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far: On 12/11, the University of MD's SGA passed a resolution in support of same-sex marriage without a single dissenting vote yesterday during its final legislative meeting of the semester.

MASSACHUSETTS Legal Status: Gay Marriage Massachusetts Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far: On November 16, the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum will be the site of a discussion on same-sex marriage on the 5th anniversary of the landmark Massachusetts Supreme Court decision on the case that led to the legalization of same-sex marriage. As of 10/31, The effort by the anti-gay group MassResistance to reinstate the 1913 law had failed, after the group only collected 1/3 of the signatures needed to place it on the 2010 ballot by the deadline. On 11/17, the Family Life Institute, a group opposed to gay marriage, held a forum to discuss the affect of the legalization of gay marriage in the state. And over 11,000 same sex marriages have been performed in Massachusetts since 2004, and now average about 1,500 a year. On 12/2, about 40 people held a vigil in Cambridge before the opening-night screening of the new movie Milk in support of the newly resurgent movement for gay rights. On 12/10, it was reported that the Massachusetts Family Institute's influence has greatly waned over the last two years. On 12/11, a group of about 20 people gathered in a drizzling rain outside the South End's Cathedral of the Holy Cross to protest the Vatican's opposition to a gay rights declaration currently pending before the United Nations.

MICHIGAN Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act; Constitutional Amendment Michigan Gay Wedding Vendors

MINNESOTA Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act Minnesota Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far: On 11/24, it was reported that Minnesota's gay community is purposely moving slowly on gay marriage efforts.

MISSISSIPPI Legal Status: Constitutional Amendment

MONTANA Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act; Constitutional Amendment

NEBRASKA Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act; Constitutional Amendment

NEVADA Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act; Constitutional Amendment Nevada Gay Wedding Vendors

NEW HAMPSHIRE Legal Status: Civil Unions New Hampshire Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far: On 11/19, The group that helped legalize gay marriage in two New England states said they want to do the same in the other four by the year 2012. On 11/29, Portsmouth Democrat Jim Splaine, the legislator who sponsored New Hampshire's civil union bill, said he would push next year to legalize same-sex marriage. On 12/11, New Hampshire state Rep. Jim Splaine announced plans to introduce a bill next year to legalize same-sex marriage.

NEW JERSEY Legal Status: Civil Unions New Jersey Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far: On 11/11, Governor Corzine said he wants to pass an economic stimulus package before the state takes up gay marriage. On 12/8, Princeton undergraduates voted against petitioning the University to sign an amicus brief opposing California Proposition 8, but did support the first clause of the Equality Action Network (EAN)'s referendum, stating that the U.S. government should, without delay, begin to afford same-sex partners the same rights and privileges they do to partners of a different sex vis-a-vis those that flow from the recognition of a marriage. On 12/10, a state commission recommended that New Jersey should follow two other U.S. states and allow same-sex couples to marry rather than just enter into civil unions, as the law currently permits.

NEW MEXICO Legal Status: no legislation New Mexico Gay Wedding Vendors

NEW YORK Legal Status: Does not Recognize Same Sex Marriage New York Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far:.

November:

On 11/4, Democrats took the New York senate. The entire New York legislature is now in Democratic hands, and New York's governor, David Paterson, is one of the nation's most eloquent pro-marriage-equality representatives.

On 11/6, Lawmakers said that they were focused on rejuvenating New York's economy and dealing with the state's massive budget deficit, not legalizing gay marriage.

On 11/7, anti-gay marriage groups said they plan to focus next on New Jersey and New York, where the state legislatures are being lobbied to pass laws legalizing same-sex marriage, using the same strategy they used to win in California.

On 11/12, three newly-elected Democrats in the state senate said they may not even allow any gay marriage discussion to reach the state senate floor. Hundreds of supporters of gay marriage gathered outside a Mormon temple to protest the church's support of Prop 8 in California. New Yorkers engaged in peaceful demonstion against last week's passage of Prop 8.

On 11/13, some Democrats were resisting the appointment of senate minority leader Malcolm A. Smith, a pro-marriage lawmaker, to the post of Senate Majority Leader. Opponents of marriage equality are pushing for a new senate majority leader who would be antithetical to allowing gay and lesbian families to marry.

As of 11/25, an upstate New York county decided not to challenge an appeals court ruling in February declaring that a lesbian couple's marriage in Canada should be recognized in New York.

On 11/29, it was reported that Democrats now in the majority of the state senate for the first time in over forty years are stalling on voting to legalize gay marriage, a big issue that helped push them over the top this election year.

December:

On 12/5, it was reported that legislation to legalize gay marriage was being put on indefinite hold in the Senate as the result of the deal brokered by Senate Majority Leader-in-waiting Malcolm Smith and the Gang of Three.

On 12/10, Following an outcry from gay activists, New York Democratic leaders vowed they would not sacrifice any civil rights initiatives as they worked to unify the party.

On 12/12, state officials said they will now let married same-sex couples list both their names on their children's birth certificates.

NORTH CAROLINA Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act North Carolina Gay Wedding Vendors On 12/4, the Carrboro (near Chapel Hill) Board of Aldermen voted 5-0 on Tuesday to support civil marriage for same-sex couples.

NORTH DAKOTA Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act; Constitutional Amendment

OHIO Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act; Constitutional Amendment Ohio Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far: On 11/13, Cleveland took up the idea of a domestic partner registry for gay and straight couples. On 11/18, Cleveland Councilman Joe Cimperman introduced legislation for the creation of a domestic partner registry for gay and straight couples in the city. On 12/1, The Cleveland City Council's legislative committee passed ordinances to include transgender people in the city's non-discrimination code and to create Ohio's third domestic partner registry - both will likely be passed by the full council at their December 8 meeting. On 12/8, the Cleveland City Council approved a domestic partner registry for gay and straight couples. On 12/12, retired Temple Israel Rabbi David Horowitz was named the national vice president of the advocacy group PFLAG.

OKLAHOMA Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act The Story So Far: After a hearing 11/24, Special District Judge Robert Perugino said he was unable to grant the divorce requested by Cait O'Darling, the second judge to do so.

OREGON Legal Status: Domestic Partnership; Defense of Marriage Act; Constitutional Amendment Oregon Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far:November: On 11/4, The city of Silverton, Oregon, elected the country's first openly transgender mayor.

PENNSYLVANIA Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act Pennsylvania Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far: The passage of California's gay marriage ban brought people to the steps of the Capitol in Harrisburg on 11/23 to rally support for same-sex marriage and gay rights.

PUERTO RICO Legal Status: n/a Puerto Rico Gay Wedding Vendors

RHODE ISLAND Legal Status: Does not recognize same sex marriage Rhode Island Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far: As of 11/17, strategists were determining whether to fight for gay marriage in the state via a legislative vote or voter-approved constitutional amendment.

SOUTH CAROLINA Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act

TENNESSEE Tennessee Gay Wedding Vendors Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act; Constitutional Ban

TEXAS Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act; Constitutional Ban Texas Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far: A group calling for broader gay and lesbian civil rights met to make its case public on the Texas Tech campus on 12/1.

UTAH Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act; Constitutional Ban; Domestic Partner Registry in Salt Lake City Utah Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far:

November:

On 11/7, Gay rights activists called for a boycott of Utah after the Mormon Church helped push Prop 8 through in California. And in Salt Lake City, a crowd of about 2,000 chanted "Separate church and state" and waved rainbow flags outside the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

On 11/12, hundreds rallied on the UT campus demanding that the university provide domestic partner benefits.

On 11/16, the FBI said the white powder that spilled onto a mail clerk's hand at the Utah headquarters of the Mormon church is nontoxic.

On 11/19, the first in a series of gay-rights bills being pushed for the 2009 legislative session cleared a committee, but not without drawing staunch opposition from conservative activists. On 11/28, Park City Mayor Dana Williams said gays are welcome in Park City.

And on 11/29, officials in Draper were considering an ordinance to set up a "free speech zone" near a new Mormon temple as a means of restricting protests.

December:

On 12/4, a proposal that would allow financially dependent same-sex couples to sue in the event of a wrongful death won support from a legislative committee.

On 12/9, an openly gay entertainer was calling on the music industry to refuse to license certain material to LDS musical groups.

On 12/12, a pro gay-rights organization in Brooklyn, N.Y., has placed a full-page advertisement in today's Salt Lake Tribune, decrying the arguments made by religious leaders in an earlier full-page ad defending Mormon involvement in passing Prop 8.

VERMONT Legal Status: Civil Unions; Defense of Marriage Act Vermont Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far: As of 11/11, it was unclear whether the Vermont legislature will take up gay marriage in the 2009 session. On 11/19, Senate Majority Leader John Campbell said he planned to introduce a bill to allow gay marriage in the state that first approved civil unions for same-sex couples. On 11/20, Gov. Jim Douglas (R) said he would oppose legislation allowing same-sex marriages, saying the state's civil unions law is adequate and that lawmakers should be focusing on the state's money problems. And police were investigating a death threat against John Campbell a day after the Democrat announced he would introduce a marriage equality bill in the new session of the legislature.

VIRGINIA Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act Virginia Gay Wedding Vendors

WASHINGTON DC Legal Status: Domestic Partnership Washington DC Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far: On 11/17, D.C. Council member David Catania (I-At-large) reassured local gay and lesbian business owners that a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia will pass the D.C. Council next year. On 11/28, black gay activists in Washington expressed concern that advocates for legislation to legalize same-sex marriage in the city have not developed a strategy for winning support from black residents, who make up 56.5 percent of the D.C. population. On 12/5, it was reported that anyone seeking to place a same sex marriage ban on the ballot here would face a number of hurdles, including time constraints and a requirement that the signatures gathered come from 5 of the 8 city districts. On 12/11, More than 200 people debated Thursday during a community forum in Washington whether and when the city should pass legislation to legalize same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia.

WASHINGTON STATE Legal Status: Domestic Partnership; Defense of Marriage Act Washington State Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far: On 2/5, about 200 people attended a rally at the University of Washington to protest an anti-gay marriage column that ran in the student newspaper, The Daily.

WEST VIRGINIA Legal Status: Defense of Marriage Act West Virginia Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far: On 10/15, a Christian evangelical group has issued an ultimatum to Gov. Joe Manchin: call a special session to pass a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, or face the wrath of voters. On 11/12, the West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists passed a resolution calling for an amendment to the state constitution defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

WISCONSIN Legal Status: Constitutional Ban Wisconsin Gay Wedding Vendors The Story So Far: On 10/16, Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton rallied for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and asked University of Wisconsin students to support the cause with their votes in the fast-approaching presidential and state legislative elections.

PEOPLE

12/11/08:

--The Golden Globe nominations were announced this morning and the Harvey Milk biopic "Milk" only received one nomination; Sean Penn was nominated as Dramatic Actor for his performance as Harvey Milk. Source

--After Leno announced Wanda Sykes, she took her sweet time coming to the stage. Once there, she explained that she was "calling in gay" and giving Leno and the audience "a little taste of what it would be like if I didn't show up." Source

12/10/08: Brad Pitt on Prop 8 and gay marriage: I just found it so stifling, my religion. I know it's very comforting for other people. [Church] was too much of what you shouldn't be doing instead of what you could be doing. I get enraged when people start telling other people how to live their lives. It drives me mental. This Prop. 8 thing just drives me mental. Source

12/9/08: 

--Jon Stewart took Mike Huckabee to task over his views on gay marriage in an amazing interview on The Daily Show. Source

--Boston Legal ends its run with a same sex (but not gay) marriage between James Spader's and William Shatner's characters. Source

12/8/08: Hairspray star Aubrey O'Day came out to help support the fight against Prop 8. Source

12/7/08: Pat Boone compared proponents of gay marriage protesting Prop 8 to the terrorists in Mumbai in a recent blog posting. Source

11/24/08:

--American Idol Winner David Cook om Gay Marriage & Prop 8: "I would have loved to have seen it (go) the other way. Human rights is human rights... I hope that very soon we get to this point where we look back now, [like] on women's rights and that struggle in the 20's - I hope this is another hurdle this country can overcome really quick." Source

--California Senator Dianne Feinstein on gay marriage: "I started out not supporting it. The longer I've lived, the more I've seen the happiness of people, the stability that these commitments bring to a life. Many adopted children who would have ended up in foster care now have good solid homes and are brought up learning the difference between right and wrong. It's a very positive thing." Source

--Radio Host Michael Savage on gay marriage: "[S]ocially, we're far worse -- more degenerate than Weimar Germany. At least in Weimar Germany, men couldn't marry men and women couldn't marry women. So we're probably 10 leagues below the degeneracy that brought about Hitler. We're probably 50 leagues below the degeneracy that brought about Hitler. We are the sickest, most disgusting country on the earth, and we are psycholo -- psychotically -- we are psychotic as a nation. It's a psychotic nation when the attorney general of the state of California, when the senator from the state of California named Dianne Feinstein, when the governor from the state of California who posed as a strongman gets up there and says that homosexuals have a right to marry that's equal to a man and a woman, they're insane. They are fundamentally insane." So much for tolerence from the right. Source

11/22/08:

--Newt Gingrich on Bill O'Reilly: "I think there is a gay and secular fascism in this country that wants to impose its will on the rest of us, is prepared to use violence, is prepared to use harassment. I think it is prepared to use the government if it can get control of it. I think it is a very dangerous threat to anybody who believes in traditional religion. And I think if you believe in historic Christianity, you have to confront the fact - for that matter, if you believe in the historic version of Islam or the historic version of Judaism, you have to confront the reality that these secular extremists are determined to impose on you acceptance of a series of values that that are antithetical, that are the opposite." Source

--Candace Gingrich, Newt's lesbian sister, in response: "This is a movement of the people that you most fear. It's a movement of progress - and your words on Fox News only show how truly desperate you are to maintain control of a world that is changing before your very eyes. Then again, we've seen these tactics before. We know how much the right likes to play political and cultural hardball, and then turn around and accuse us of lashing out first. You give a pass to a religious group - one that looks down upon minorities and women - when they use their money and membership roles to roll back the rights of others, and then you label us 'fascists' when we fight back. You belittle the relationships of gay and lesbian couples, and yet somehow neglect to explain who anointed you the protector of 'traditional' marriage." Source

--Jon Stewart on Prop 8: ""How in God's name is gay marriage allowed to be an issue in this country in elections?" Stewart questioned, yelling enthusiastically to cheers in the audience. "Black people voted 70 percent to ban gay marriage in California... 'We shall overcome, but you motherf*ckers are taking a step back.'" Source

11/20/08:

--Comedian and part-time Florida resident Rosie O'Donnell says that "every American should have the right to be married to anyone they choose who is above legal age" and the so-called "marriage protection amendment" passed by a majority of voters doesn't really protect marriages. "The fact that more than 50 percent of heterosexual marriages end in divorce, I don't know how reverential we should be about the term to begin with." Source

--Radio host Jim Quinn claimed that heterosexual opponents of Proposition 8 are "guilty straights" and suggested that "gays never wanted to get married until ... about five years ago." Source

11/19/08: In an admirable attempt to emphasize the positive and deny the negative, Mike Huckabee said: "The very people who voted for Barack Obama in California voted to sustain traditional marriage. I refuse to use the term, 'ban same-sex marriage.' That's not what those efforts did. They affirmed what is. They did not prohibit something. They simply affirmed that which already has and forever has existed." Source

11/18/08:

--Darren Hayes (Savage Garden): "Just so we are clear, this is our definition of marriage: We want to grow old together. We love each other so much that we want to share our lives together, forever. We are monogamous. We're faithful. We're in it for the long haul. Sometimes we argue over who's turn it is to make a cup of tea, but for the most part we are soul mates. If, God forbid, one of us should fall ill, one of us will take care of the other one. If, God forbid, one of us should pass away suddenly, we would want our estate to go to the one of us who survives. We'd like other stuff too, like, you know, the same tax breaks as other married couples and the civil rights you would extend any other committed couple in the free world. And to be able to be respected and receive the same rights that everyone else has. But mostly, we just want to grow old together." Source

--Guns N Roses guitarist Slash has released a video in support of gay marriage. Source

--A Prince source tells Internet blogger Perez Hilton, "What His Purpleness actually did was gesture to the Bible and said he follows what it teaches, referring mainly to the parts about loving everyone and refraining from judgment. We're very angry he was misquoted." Source

11/17/08:

--Prince, the gender-bending Minnesota rocker who now lives in California and makes the rounds as a Jehovah's Witness, spoke out in a newly released interview that the Bible opposes homosexuality and gay marriage: "God came to earth and saw people sticking it wherever and doing it with whatever, and he just cleared it all out. He was, like, 'Enough.'" Source

--150 people showed their support for same sex marriage in Des Moines - among the group of protesters Sunday was state senator Matt McCoy. The Iowa Supreme Court is due to rule on gay marriage in December. Source

11/15/08:

--Comedian Wanda Sykes says the passage of a same-sex marriage ban in California has led to her be more outspoken about being gay. "You know, I don't really talk about my sexual orientation. I didn't feel like I had to. I was just living my life, not necessarily in the closet, but I was living my life," Sykes told a crowd at a gay rights rally in Las Vegas. Source

--Saying he feels sorry for those affected by Prop 8, Darren Hayes, former Savage Garden frontman, posted a picture of himself and "husband" Richard Cullen hugging. "It's us, tearing down the fabric of good society and the sanctity of marriage in Paris." Source

11/14/08:

--"The idea that gay marriage is still an issue in this country is maybe the strangest thing I've ever heard." - Jon Stewart Source

--Christina Aguilera says, "They're (gay couples) constantly pushing to be heard and given equal rights. I think there's a lot of unfairness that goes along with being gay, so the more I can do to give them a voice, then I'll do so. But I think we'd be fooling ourselves if we thought that everywhere was accepting of gay rights and marriages. I think it's unfair there has to be some kind of standard for marriage. Marriage should be about two people celebrating their love for each other. It shouldn't have anything to do with someone's sexual preference." Source

--Josh Brolin on Prop 8: "Who gives a s***! Who cares!... Doesn't mean (gay and lesbian people) are going to stop kissing in the streets, just cause they can't get married. And that's the issue for the religious, that it's visible and it's always going to be visible, it ain't going to go away. Gay life is more mainstream, but at the same time, things like this happen and you go, 'You got to be kidding me!' especially in California... I think it's awful, but I understand it, everybody has their perspective." Source

11/13/08:

--George Clooney: "At some point in our lifetime, gay marriage won't be an issue, and everyone who stood against this civil right will look as outdated as George Wallace standing on the school steps keeping James Hood from entering the University of Alabama because he was black." Source

--Elton John on Prop 8: "We're not married. Let's get that right. We have a civil partnership. What is wrong with Proposition 8 is that they went for marriage. Marriage is going to put a lot of people off, the word marriage." Source

11/12/08:

--Paris Hilton: "They shouldn't make a law saying who you can be in love with," the heiress said. "Hopefully, they'll overturn it because it's not fair." Source

--Sex and the City creator Darren Star: "There is no question in my mind that gay marriage is an inevitability. Californians like to think of themselves as socially progressive and were surprised and angry to wake up to find bigotry introduced into their constitution. Exit polls show gay marriage has overwhelming support among younger voters, so obviously this is just a matter of time." Source

11/10/08:

--Drew Barrymore joined the protest against Prop 8 this past weekend in Los Angeles and gave a rousing speech. Source

--Madonna said it was a shame the United States could put a black man in the White House but not allow same-sex marriage. Source

11/9/08: "It's unfortunate, obviously, but it's not the end," Governor Schwarzenegger said in an interview Sunday on CNN. "I think that we will again maybe undo that, if the court is willing to do that, and then move forward from there and again lead in that area." Source

11/8/08: "I am the luckiest girl in the world, but am sad because African-Americans are equal finally, but gay marriage is not." - Britney Spears Source

11/7/08:

--Christina Aguilera: "I think [Prop. 8] is discrimination and I don't understand how people can be so closed-minded and so judgmental... Why you would put so much money behind something [aimed at] stopping from people loving each other and bonding together?... Mormons aren't gonna buy my album but, you know, what are you gonna do?" Source

--Fallout Boy's Pete Wentz: "Many people were intimidated on this issue due to the scary misleading communications on the other side. I believe that this is, and has always been, a civil rights issue. We should not allow inequality like this in America." Source

--"If we can elect an African-American as president, we can support gay marriage!" Madonna shouted to 20,000 fans at Dodger Stadium late Thursday, referring to president-elect Barack Obama. "Defeat Prop 8! We will not give up!" Source

11/6/08:

--"I guess people care more about farm animals that they do their fellow man, that's really sad to me.." --Samantha Ronson - Source

--Clear Channel radio host Jim Quinn asserted: "[G]ay marriage doesn't produce anything that the state has an interest in. Gay sex produces AIDS, which the state doesn't have -- or should have an interest in. They should charge homosexuals more for their -- for their health insurance than they charge the rest of us." Source

11/5/08: Former NBA player Doug Christie and his wife are in favor of gay marriage: "We are living in a generation where no man or woman should be told who they can marry," Jackie Christie comments. "Everyone should be able to love freely, and my husband and I stand strongly behind voting NO on Proposition 8." Source

11/2/08:

--Sascha Baron Cohen has gone undercover as his alter ego Bruno, a gay Austrian fashion show presenter, to crash a rally in support of a measure that would ban same-sex marriage in California. Source

--Barack Obama said in an interview with MTV he did not support same-sex weddings and believed "marriage is between a man and a woman". He also reaffirmed his opposition to Prop 8. Source