Rare Presbyterian trial ends with rebuke
Ahmar Mustikhan, Gay.com / Planetout Network
Monday, April 21, 2003 / 05:33 PM

On Monday the Presbyterian court in Cincinnati found a gay-friendly minister guilty of violating its constitution and condemned his act of marrying same-sex couples. It absolved him of ordaining unrepentant homosexuals as deacons and clergy, however.

In the first trial of its kind, Rev. Stephen Van Kuiken, pastor of Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati, could have been removed or suspended from the ministry but was only rebuked. At least one member of the seven-member court dissented on both counts, apparently wanting a stiffer sentence.

On technical grounds, the court acquitted Van Kuiken on another charge of ordaining unrepentant gays as deacons and elders. It ruled the governing body of the local church, not the pastor, should be held accountable for any such breach.

A defiant Pastor Van Kuiken said he would appeal the decision. The pastor felt he and others have been left in a state of limbo, as the door for a harsher sentence in the future has been kept wide open.

In a communication sent to the Gay.com/PlanetOut Network, Van Kuiken said since the decision is "contrary to the Scriptures, it is also unconstitutional."

Making it clear he would continue ordaining gays and marrying same-sex couples, Van Kuiken explained, "These laws still exist as a rationale for continued bigotry, discrimination and abuse of gay and lesbian persons in our society, because they state that their sexual orientation is sinful and wrong."

A complaint was filed against Van Kuiken last year after he made his views on the two issues public.

"Rev. Van Kuiken is carrying on the work of people like Martin Luther King, who stated that one who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty," said Rev. Mel White, director and founder of Soulforce, an interfaith organization devoted to ending discrimination in places of worship.

The Presbyterian Church (USA) has said a theological task force was studying the fidelity/chastity ordination standard and is to report its findings and recommendations to the church's General Assembly in 2006. More than a dozen churches, including the Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati, have publicly defied the law.

Texas Senate Passes Gay Marriage Ban
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
 

(Austin, Texas)  The Texas Senate has passed legislation that bans the state from recognizing same-sex civil unions or marriages.  

The bill by Republican Sen. Jeff Wentworth would prevent Texas from recognizing a civil union entered into by people of the same sex in other states.  (earlier story)

The bill will now will be considered by the House.

Texas already has legislation banning same-sex marriages.

Gay rights groups and Senate Democrats argued that the legislation will encourage discrimination against gay and lesbian couples.

"It's nothing more than a slap in the face to the LGBT community of this state," said  Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas Executive Director Randall Ellis.

Ellis says the bill is a just variation on a familiar theme in Texas politics. "The passage of DOMA by the Texas Senate illustrates a fact that gays and lesbians know all too well: Texas discriminates," Ellis said. 

"Gays and lesbians are denied literally hundreds upon hundreds of rights and privileges - everything from tax exemptions to hospital visitation rights," he added.

©365Gay.com Ltd® 2003

Texas Gay Marriage Ban Approved For Vote
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
 

(Austin, Texas)  Legislation to bar the state of Texas from recognizing same-sex civil unions or marriages passed a key committee Monday and is now slated for a vote on the Senate floor.

"The bottom line purpose of the bill is to try to defend and shore up the institution of marriage, which is the fundamental basis on which this society is built and it's been under significant attack over the past couple of decades in particular," said Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, who sponsored the bill.

Wentworth said there is a concern that Texas may be legally required to recognize same-sex unions, such as those created in Vermont. He said 36 other states have passed similar legislation.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst praised the bill. "This is simply ratifying what most Texans believe, that marriage is an honored institution between a man and a woman," Dewhurst said.

The vote on the bill was along party lines with most Democrats voting against it. 

Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston accused Wentworth of  using the legislation for a political statement.

"Some people would say this is just mean spirited," Whitmire said.

Randall Ellis, executive director of the Lesbian Gay Rights Lobby of Texas, said the bill serves as a reminder that lesbians and gays are treated as second-class citizens.

"This does nothing to improve the lives of Texans. It is simply a slap in the face to gays and lesbians," Ellis said.

The approval comes after Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott successfully petitioned a district judge in Beaumont to reverse his decision granting a divorce to a gay couple last month. (story) The couple had a civil union performed last year in Vermont. 

Earlier this month the  House committee approved legislation that would bar gays and lesbians from becoming foster parents. (story) 

©365Gay.com Ltd® 2003

Connecticut rejects gay partner registry
Michael J. Meade, 365Gay.com
Thursday, April 10, 2003 / 04:35 PM

The Connecticut Legislature's judiciary committee rejected on Wednesday proposed legislation to extend marriage-like rights to same-sex couples.

The proposal would have extended essentially all the rights of marriage to gay and lesbian couples. If the legislation had become law, it would have established a domestic partnership registry similar to a system created by the California Legislature two years ago, but would not go as far as Vermont's civil union law.

Critics argued that the bill was too sweeping and would have become a catalyst for changing the state's marriage laws.

"It seems to me very unclear where this societal change will put us in the next 10 to 20 years," said Sen. John Kissel, R-Enfield, a staunch opponent of the proposal.

The bill died on a 26-16 vote, which came after nearly three hours of debate.

"In my heart, I believe people should have equal rights," said Rep. Juan R. Candelaria, a New Haven Democrat. But his constituents don't agree, he said. "I was elected by those constituents to express their (views)."

Much of the debate centered not on civil unions, but marriage. Gay and lesbian activists in the state have repeatedly said they see civil unions as only a stepping stone to full marriage rights.

Rep. Themis Klarides, R-Derby, voted in favor of the measure and advised her colleagues not to get too fixated on the concept of marriage. She said her gay and lesbian constituents told her they don't care what it is called; they just want to have the rights that married people do.

Sen. Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford, who is gay and the co-chair of the committee, observed that the word "marriage" strikes an emotional chord with most people. "Our job here today is to try to talk about civil rights that can be afforded by the state."

The panel also considered and rejected several amendments, including two expressly stating that Connecticut only recognizes marriage between a man and a woman.

In 2001, the committee held an informal hearing on the topic. Last year, the Legislature approved a bill extending limited rights to same-gender couples.

Gay Marriage Ban Closer To Vote
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

(Austin, Texas)  Legislation that would prohibit Texas from recognizing civil unions or marriages between people of the same sex has been approved by a key Senate committee.

The endorsement by the Senate State Affairs Committee moves the bill closer to a full vote on the Senate floor.

"The point of the bill is to protect and defend the institution of marriage in the traditional sense we always have in the state of Texas, and that's between one man and one woman," said its sponsor, Sen. Jeff Wentworth.

Randall Ellis, executive director of Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas, called the bill ' frivolous'.

He said Texas law already prohibits the state from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples or recognizing same-sex unions performed in other states.

Wentworth's bill also would prohibit legal protections, benefits or marital responsibilities from being granted to same-sex partners.

"This will not change the lives in the short run of gays and lesbians. We can't get married today; we won't be able to get married after the governor signs this bill," Ellis said.

But Wentworth says Congress essentially invited states to pass laws against same-sex marriages when it passed the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996.

"Why would 36 states pass a similar law if it is unnecessary?" he asked.

"People talked about discrimination as though discrimination is a bad thing. It is something we do all the time," t he Senator said.

"We discriminate in this state against people under 21 years of age buying alcohol. I guess they could say we're discriminating against them. The state has decided it's in their best interest to not purchase alcohol," Wentworth said.

The committee's approval comes after Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott successfully petitioned a district judge in Beaumont to reverse his decision granting a divorce to a gay couple last month. (story) The couple had a civil union performed last year in Vermont. 

Last week House committee approved legislation that would bar gays and lesbians from becoming foster parents. (story) 

©365Gay.com Ltd® 2003

Top Judge Calls For Gay Partner Law
by Peter Moore
365Gay.com Newscenter 
London Bureau

(London)  "We are failing the family," says England's most senior family court judge.  In a lecture at King's College London, Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss said gay and lesbian relationships need to be recognized by law and that the transgendered should have the right to marry in their corrected gender.

Dame Elizabeth said couples who could not marry had no recourse to a system of law that would protect them if they formed "partnerships, sometimes lifelong, which in their turn create a family structure".

Same-sex couples have no provision for pension rights or division of assets after separation other than the existing complicated law.

"The Government has announced that legislation will be introduced to remedy this position," she said.

"That is welcome news to all who feel, as I do, that the present situation is a continuing breach of the right of same-sex partners to have a legal framework within which to make and to maintain their family life."

She also called for expanding the rights of the transgendered who are also denied legal recognition, even after surgery. "I believe we are the only country apart from Albania which does not provide for registration of change of gender in such cases," she said.

©365Gay.com Ltd® 2003

Gay Marriage Hearings Called Forum For Hate
by Rich Peters
365Gay.com Newscenter
Western Canada Bureau Chief

(Vancouver, British Columbia)  A parliamentary committee looking into gay marriage took to the road this week with its first stop out of Ottawa in Vancouver.

Federal Justice Minister Martin Cauchon asked the committee to study the marriage issue after courts in Ontario and Quebec ruled the ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional and gave Ottawa two years to rewrite marriage laws.

Cauchon told the Commons committee on justice and human rights to look at three options.

The first would be to sanction same-sex marriages.  The second would see the government get out of the marriage business and leave it to religious institutions.

The third option would be to set up civil registries that would recognize gay and lesbian relationships.

Gay groups in Vancouver Tuesday told the committee that nothing less than marriage is acceptable, a refrain that MPs have heard from gay and lesbian advocates since the hearings began in Ottawa.

Any name that excludes same-sex couples from marriage as an institution would be "second rate and not equivalent," said Donald Meen, of Dignity Canada when asked by Liberal MP Paul Macklin about the the gay Catholic group's views on a name other than marriage for such unions, but one that would include all the rights of a heterosexual marriage.

"To me there's a sense of destruction here, potentially," The MP from Ontario said, adding that the definition of marriage has been built up over time and that any changes could be ultimately damaging.

The inclusion of same-sex couples in the current definition of marriage would enhance it, Meen replied.

"This is a social institution with tremendous value and there is no equivalent to it, and I say it doesn't destroy marriage in any way," he said.

Victor Wong, a spokesperson for the Vancouver Association of Chinese Canadians, told the hearing excluding gay couples from the traditional definition of marriage amounts to discrimination.

"The idea around some kind of parallel system just doesn't work," Wong said. "Marriage is marriage."

But Darrel Reid, president of conservative Christian group Focus on the Family Canada, said the universal definition of marriage should remain unchanged.

"Marriage from the beginning of recorded history has been a union of a man and woman," Reid said outside the hearing. "It transcends time; it transcends religion. It's about biology; it's not about ideology."

Reid said it's critical for society to continue to support heterosexual marriage and encourage it to last.

The committee is to present its recommendations to Cauchon next month, but the hearings have been marked by what Canada's national LGBT rights group Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere a free-for-all forum for right wing extremists.

"It's bone-chilling to hear what some people are saying," said John Fisher, a lawyer and spokesperson for EGALE.

He cited the testimony last month from Jean Ferrari, representing Canadian Christian Women Organization for Life.

"In some countries, homosexuality is considered to be a grave evil. If anyone is caught in the act, body parts are lopped off. It's a pretty powerful inducement to abstain or leave the country if one must have one's kicks," Ferrari said.

"In Canada we've legalized this lifestyle, but thank God, bad laws can be repealed."

Fisher said the committee should be assessing how -- and not whether -- the government should amend the marriage laws.

Before preparing its report the committee will travel to other cities including Edmonton, Alberta; Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan; Steinbach, Manitoba; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Sudbury, Ontario; Toronto and Montreal.

©365Gay.com Ltd® 2003

Rebuked By State Texas Judge Dismisses Gay Divorce
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

NJ Judge Limits Arguments In Gay Marriage Suit
by Beth Shapiro
365Gay.com Newscenter
New York Bureau 

British Military To Cover GLBT Families Affected By War
US Military Spouses Ignored
by Peter Moore
365Gay.com Newscenter 
London Bureau

(London)  The British military announced Thursday that the partners of any gay and lesbian servicemembers killed during the war in Iraq will receive their military pensions and other benefits.

Under existing legislation, only the legal spouses of military personnel who die in active service are entitled to a Ministry of Defense pension. 

Under new rules announced Thursday in London the government said that heterosexual couples and same sex partners will be offered full benefits when a loved one is killed in "conflict".

The government said that a pension will be awarded to partners where there was a "substantial relationship" and eligibility would be judged depending on a range of criteria from financial interdependence, children and shared commitments.

It will not, however, be backdated to include military personnel who died prior to the conflict in Iraq.

American servicemembers have no such benefit said Steven Ralls of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.

"A servicemember can select anyone they chose to be the recipient of a military insurance plan, but they must not indicate they are a same-sex spouse or partner," Ralls told 365Gay.com.

But, same-sex partners are not entitled to receive spousal benefits from the pensions of men and women in the military.

Ralls also said that gay servicemembers can instruct the military to notify their partner if they are injured or killed in combat.  But they must list their partner as "a person of interest" not a partner, under Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

As American soldiers headed off to the war the spouses of gay and lesbian servicemembers were forced to remain in the shadows. (story)  

While the United States military does not permit out gays and lesbians to serve in the military, the European Union and Canada have no restrictions on service.  Canada included same-sex spouses in military pensions several years ago. 

©365Gay.com Ltd® 2003

Cincinnati Minister To Be Tried For Gay Weddings
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

(Cincinnati, Ohio) A Cincinnati Presbyterian minister will be put before a church court after performing weddings for same-sex couples.  

The highest court of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has ruled that ministers may bless same-sex couples’ relationships, but cannot marry them.

It will be the first time the faith has put a minister on trial for defying the church's ban on gay weddings.

The Rev. Stephen Van Kuiken readily acknowledges that policies he and his Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church congregation have endorsed violate the constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA). He says, however, the issues are fairness to gays and whether the church will welcome them along with heterosexuals.

“These laws are hanging over their head,” Van Kuiken, 44, said Tuesday of the church rules. “They’re hanging over my head. The effect is to keep these people quiet, or to scare them away. It’s intimidation.”

He also is accused of violating the denomination’s laws by ordaining as lay church elders and deacons gay people who may be sexually active. 

Van Kuiken said he hopes his defiant stand will help bring about change and greater acceptance.

Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church has been ordaining gays as elders and deacons since at least 1991 under Van Kuiken’s predecessor, the Rev. Harold Porter, who has retired but still preaches at the 280-member Cincinnati church. A complaint also has been lodged against Porter.

Van Kuiken, pastor for 31⁄2 years at Mount Auburn, is to go on trial April 8 before the Cincinnati Presbytery’s court.

If found guilty, he could be reprimanded, temporarily suspended and ordered to repent or removed from office. He could appeal the ruling.

©365Gay.com Ltd® 2003

Canadian Tory Leadership Candidates Spar Over Gay Marriage
by Jean-Pierre O'Brien
365Gay.com Newscenter
Montreal Bureau

(Montreal, Quebec)  What started out as a dull debate between the seven contenders for the Conservative Party leadership turned into a shouting match when the issue of gay marriage came up.

Scott Brison tore into fellow MP Peter MacKay for suggesting to a parliamentary committee that legislating same-sex marriage is not a priority, and that homelessness should be solved first.

Episcopal Bishops Warn Churches Not to Bless Gay Unions
by Doreen Brandt
365Gay.com Newscenter
Washington Bureau

Italian Priest Defies Vatican Ban On Gay Marriage
by Jon ben Asher
365Gay.com Newscenter
European Bureau Chief

Military Chaplains Ready To Bless Gay Unions
by Ben Thompson
365Gay.com Newscenter
Ottawa Bureau

Gay Marriage Hearings 'Sham'
by Ben Thompson
365Gay.com Newscenter
Ottawa Bureau

Battle Lines Drawn In Gay Scots Civil Union Plans
by Peter Moore
365Gay.com Newscenter 
London Bureau

Gay Divorce Texas Style
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

Bill Would Ban Same-Sex Marriage
by Michael J. Meade
365Gay.com Newscenter
Boston Bureau

High Court Hears Gay Marriage Case
by Michael J. Meade
365Gay.com Newscenter
Boston Bureau

Belgium approves same-sex marriage
Gay.com / PlanetOut.com Network
Thursday, January 30, 2003 / 04:03 PM

On Thursday, Belgium became the second country in the world -- after the Netherlands -- to legally recognize gay marriages.

According to the Associated Press, lawmakers in the House of Representatives approved the measure by a 91-22 vote, after the bill had already passed in the Senate.

"It makes it clear that any enduring and loving relationship is appreciated in the same way in our modern society," said Kristien Grauwels, a Green Party member in the ruling coalition.

The new law, unlike its counterpart in the Netherlands, does not allow same-sex married couples to adopt children.

"It still was a step too far for several parties," Grauwels said, referring to the other political groups in the government coalition.

Like other European nations, Belgium had already granted limited legal protections to same-sex unions, including tax and property rights. The new law's expansion of those rights was celebrated as a "breakthrough" by many.

Gay Marriage Law Not Urgent Tory Leadership Hopeful Says 
by Ben Thompson
365Gay.com Newscenter
Ottawa Bureau
January 30, 2003
12:02 a.m. ET/+5GMT/-3PT

(Ottawa)  The man who says he will lead Canada's beleaguered Conservatives into the 21st century says same-sex marriage should not be a priority.

Peter MacKay, one of the contenders to take the reins of the party in this spring's leadership convention, is a member of a parliamentary committee set up to examine whether the federal government should legislate an end to the ban on gay and lesbian marriage. 

The Nova Scotia grilled Pierre Turcotte of Statistics Canada about the number of gays who would take advantage of marriage if it were offered.

After Turcotte told the committee the last StatsCan census showed there are 68,000 gays and lesbians living in common-law relationships, MacKay suggested the number, less than 0.5 per cent of the country's population, is too low to be important.  Last year was the first time a question about gay and lesbian relationships was included in the census.

StatsCan is now attempting to determine for the first time the total number of gays and lesbians there are in Canada. (story)

"How many homeless people are there in Canada," MacKay demanded.

"In my mind, it comes down to a simple matter of priorities," MacKay said in an interview later. "I would suggest that homelessness is a bigger issue, as one example. I walked by four people in sub-zero temperatures on my way here this morning." 

The committee was set up to examine gay marriage after courts in Toronto and Montreal rules the definition of marriage as "a union between a man and a woman" was unconstitutional.  The rulings are being appealed, but the government is under pressure by gays and lesbians to change the law.. 

MacKay has made his position clear from the start.  He maintains the definition of marriage should include opposite-sex couples only. He said he does not oppose registering same-sex relationships as "domestic partnerships" or civil-registration ceremonies for gay couples. However, he said, he does not think it is appropriate for the federal government to use the law to force churches to recognize same-sex marriages.

"I think it would cause an uproar to force religious organizations to recognize this," he said.

"In the minds of Canadians, when it comes down to priorities, there are issues that must register higher. I don't think this stuff even ranks in the Top 10."

Egale, Canada's national GLBT rights organization has expressed concerns about the makeup of the committee. (story) 

Following Mackay's comments Egale executive director John Fisher said: "We have some concerns about the committee process as a whole, because for us, this is a question about basic human rights, not a ... numbers game."

"No one would put a figure on how many people have a disability to determine whether their rights are protected. It's ultimately about the government doing the right thing," Fisher said.

©365Gay.com Ltd® 2003

Cal To Consider Sweeping Domestic Partner Bill
by Mark Worrall
365Gay.com Newscenter
San Francisco Bureau

Churches Prepare For Gay Blessing Ceremonies
by Rich Peters
365Gay.com Newscenter
Vancouver Bureau

(Vancouver, British Columbia)  The first blessing ceremonies for gay couples in Vancouver's Anglican diocese are expected in the next few weeks.

At least four parishes in the diocese of New Westminster want to proceed immediately with union rites for gays and lesbians -- a first in Canada, and the source of an international controversy in the worldwide Anglican Communion.

"I have indications that there will be several more parishes within the next few weeks," Bishop Michael Ingham said  following a special meeting of the diocese's governing body, or synod.

The synod voted last summer to allow churches in the diocese to hold the ceremonies.  Following the vote eight parishes said they wanted withdraw from the diocese, which covers a wide stretch of southwestern British Columbia including the city of Vancouver.

Bishop Ingham delayed implementing the blessings last fall, in light of an effort to reconcile with the dissident parishes. Both sides in the dispute are meeting with the aid of a mediator to see if they can resolve the impasse splitting the Anglican community.

"I am trying to be very patient. I am trying to keep the door open as long as I can. I am trying to say to these eight parishes, 'We do respect your conscience. We are not forcing you into anything,' " Bishop Ingham said.

"But at the same time, I also need to say to them, 'You cannot hold the church to ransom.' "

A spokesperson for the eight parishes said yesterday that if a same-sex blessing actually occurs, it would create an enduring schism.

While the blessings have the support of the Anglican Primate of Canada, the head of the worldwide Anglican Church, Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, is under attack from conservative groups within the church for being too liberal in his views on gays in the faith.

©365Gay.com Ltd® 2003

Marriage Committee Biased Gays Allege
by Ben Thompson
365Gay.com Newscenter
Ottawa Bureau

(Ottawa)  A parliamentary committee holding hearings into whether gays and lesbians should be given the right to marry in Canada has been accused of bias.

Groups representing more than a dozen gay couples who have challenged the constitutionality of the federal government's definition of marriage say the committee has already made up its mind.

The three committee leaders are all on record opposing gay marriage.

Liberal chairman Andy Scott,  vice-chairmen John McKay, also a Liberal, and Chuck Cadman, a Canadian Alliance MP have all said that marriage should remain an institution reserved exclusively for opposite-sex couples.

Scott, a former solicitor general, has said in the past that there should be a "firewall" around the traditional definition of marriage.

The committee has begun hearing presentations from groups on both sides of the marriage issue.  This week the committee asked for funds to allow it to travel across the country because they believe they will encounter more opposition in rural Canada than among the "chattering classes" in Ottawa, said McKay.

The committee is expected to release its official report in April.

Last year courts in Montreal and Toronto declared the federal definition of marriage as a union between one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others to be unconstitutional and gave the government one year to amend the law.  The government is appealing the decisions in a case expected to wind up in the Supreme Court of Canada.

Last week Liberal leadership hopeful Sheila Copps, the Heritage Minister, called for the legalization of gay marriage, the only candidate to succeed Prime Minister Chretien to do so.

©365Gay.com Ltd® 2003

MCC Calls For Valentine's Day Of Protest
by Mary Ellen Peterson
365Gay.com Newscenter
Los Angeles Bureau
January 17, 2003
12:02 a.m. ET/+5GMT/-3PT

(Los Angeles, California)  Rev. Troy D. Perry, the moderator of the Metropolitan Community Churches is calling for Valentine's Day protests over the inability of gays and lesbians to marry.

The veteran civil rights leader said that on February 14, as soon as the Los Angeles courthouse opens at 9 am he and his partner of 18 years, Philip Ray DeBlieck, will be standing in line for a marriage license.

"And I'm encouraging thousands of gay and lesbian couples across the US to do the same," said Perry, whose churches perform more than 6,000 same sex weddings each year.  None of the marriages are recognized in the US.

"It's time to move the debate on gay marriage forward. It's time for equality. It's time for the US to catch up with Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, France and other countries that are providing marriage rights for gay couples."

Perry suggested GLBT couples to go to court houses and municipal offices throughout the US on February 14, Valentine's Day, and apply for marriage licenses.

"For me it's not a religious issue, it's a legal issue. It's a matter of equality and simple justice. If my country is to live out its promise of equality, all laws must be applied equally, and that includes our marriage laws."

"Imagine the power that will be unleashed if thousands or tens of thousands of gay and lesbian couples apply for marriage licenses on the same day," said Perry.

Perry said he expects to be rejected when he applies for the license. "Well, realistically, the odds are that it will be turned down. And if so, I'll tell them, 'Thank You and we'll be back next Valentine's Day to apply again.'  Then I'll step outside and talk to the press about equality and fairness for God's gay and lesbian children. And I will be back next year."

Last year, MCC Toronto pastor Brent Hawkes performed a double wedding ceremony for a gay and a lesbian couple.  When the Province of Ontario refused to register the marriages, the two couples went to court winning a decision that Canada's ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional.  The federal government is appealing the decision.

 ©365Gay.com Ltd® 2003

Gay Marriage Endorsed By Canadian Liberal Leadership Hopeful
by Ben Thompson
365Gay.com Newscenter
Ottawa Bureau
January 16, 2003
12:01 a.m. ET/+5GMT/-3PT

(Ottawa)  Heritage Minister Sheila Copps Wednesday threw her hat into the ring to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Jean Chretien. 

In making the announcement Copps said she supports the right of gays and lesbians to marry. She described equal marriage rights for same-sex couples as "an issue of fundamental human rights".

"Finally, a prospective leader who is willing to lead," said John Fisher, the Director of Advocacy for Egale, Canada's national GLBT rights group.

"For too long, government has abdicated responsibility to the courts on these basic issues of equality, while our leaders have mumbled about needing further direction.  Minister Copps has demonstrated leadership and integrity in articulating a clear vision of a Canada in which the human rights of all will be respected with equality and dignity."

The winner of the Liberal Party leadership race will automatically become Prime Minister.

Copps is considered a dark horse candidate.  So far, the front runner, former Finance Minister Paul Martin has been silent on the marriage issue, continually ducking reporters' questions.

"For a man who wants to lead this country, he has been embarrassingly silent on this fundamental human rights issue," said Fisher

"Does he support our right to equality, or not?  Whether or not he is committed to human rights and the principles of the Constitution, Canadians are entitled to know where he stands."

Monday, another dark horse candidate, Industry Minister Allan Rock, announced he was withdrawing from the race saying Martin had too wide a lead to beat.

Last summer Rock announced he supported gay marriage rights.

A parliamentary committee is conducting hearings across Canada to gauge public support on the marriage issue. Last year courts in Toronto and Montreal ruled the prohibition on marriage was unconstitutional and gave the federal government one year to amend the law.  Both rulings are under appeal.

The ruling Liberals will elect a new leader at a party convention this fall.

©365Gay.com Ltd® 2003

Colorado Bill Would Create Civil Unions
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
January 14, 2003
12:02 a.m. ET/+5GMT/-3PT

(Denver, Colorado)  A bill that would allow civil unions for gay and lesbian couples was introduced in the Colorado legislature Monday.

If passed, the bill would give gay couples the right  to jointly adopt children in addition to health-care benefits, and partner inheritance rights.

Rep. Tom Plant says his legislation would cover about 500 legal rights enjoyed by married couples under Colorado state law. 

"I think the people of Colorado are ready to support this - I think a majority of people believe in the promise of American equality and want to see this happen," Plant said.

The bill drew immediate fire from conservative Christian group Focus on the Family which is based in Colorado Springs.

Civil unions between people of the same sex amounts to a "radical human experiment," said FOTF's Glenn Stanton.

"With two males, one of those parents cannot be a mom - they just cannot be a mom," Stanton said. "And if the kid is being raised by two moms, as much as those two parents love that child, and they do love the children in most cases, one of those parents cannot be the dad, no matter how hard they try."

Stanton said the group will fight the bill "tooth and nail."

Stanton said Focus would rally its members to contact state lawmakers and urge them to oppose Plant's legislation.

But, Plant says he believes the bill has a reasonable good chance of passage.

"That Focus on the Family is opposed to these unions is irrelevant to the discussion because it doesn't change the fact that people are homosexual and that they deserve the same rights as everyone else," he said. "The Focus on the Family position would just deny people rights."

©365Gay.com Ltd® 2003

Utah reps push for Marriage Amendment
Christopher Lisotta, Gay.com / PlanetOut.com Network
Tuesday, December 10, 2002 / 04:12 PM

Utah state Rep. Tom Hatch has asked legislative attorneys to draft a letter of resolution to support a ban on same-sex marriages in the U.S. Constitution.

Hatch, the Republican majority leader in Utah's House of Representatives, is seeking to help revive a proposal made in May 2002 by U.S. Rep. Ronnie Shows, D-Miss., along with 11 other co-sponsors, including Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah.

The proposed Marriage Amendment, HJ 93, states, "Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution or the constitution of any state, nor state or federal law, shall be construed to require that marital status or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon unmarried couples or groups."

National gay groups like the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) have called the Marriage Amendment a thinly veiled attempt to roll back hospital visitation rights, health benefits and anti-discrimination protection under the guise of "marriage protection."

"While we currently do not think that this proposed amendment has enough political muscle behind it to be a real threat," HRC said in response to HJ 93, "it is important for our community to be aware of the widespread movement across the country against same-sex marriage."

The proposal died in Congress, but Hatch's move indicates that the co-sponsors will be reintroducing it when they return for the new session in January.

Cannon said recent decisions by judges in Massachusetts and Vermont have compelled him to again propose the amendment. "Many state courts have begun the process of defining marriage through judicial decree, oftentimes going against the will of the people," Cannon told the Salt Lake Tribune.

"This judicial activism will be forced upon all the remaining states, including Utah, undermining the traditional definition of the family," he said.

Amending the U.S. Constitution is a huge undertaking that involves a two-thirds vote in both the U.S. House and Senate, as well as ratification by at least 37 state legislatures. The Constitution has been amended only 27 times, and the most recent amendment (which was first proposed in 1789) took effect in 1992.

Kevin Cromer, president of the gay Log Cabin Republicans, was one of many conservative critics of HJ 93, noting that amendments are designed to expand liberties and not meddle in issues that have long been considered the purview of the 50 states.

"There are no constitutional amendments that specifically deny rights to individuals," Cromer said to the Tribune. "It's bad use of the Constitution. That's not what the Constitution is for."

British government plans partner rights
Gay.com U.K.
Friday, December 6, 2002 / 04:31 PM

Gay men, lesbians and bisexuals are set to be offered some of the same rights as married couples, a British government minister indicated Friday.

Barbara Roche, the minister for social exclusion and equalities, said there was an "extremely strong case" for allowing same-sex couples the chance to register their relationships.

Roche said the partnerships would not be equivalent to marriages, the Associated Press reported.

Lord Tope, a Liberal Democrat leader on the London Assembly, welcomed the government's announcement.

"This is an overdue step towards a more civilized legal arrangement for people in stable gay relationships," he said. "Civil partnership law is well established on the continent of Europe, in Canada and in some states of the USA."

London mayor Ken Livingstone also backed the plans, which reportedly will be drafted into a position paper by summer as a first step toward possible legislation.

More than 350 gay, lesbian or unmarried heterosexual couples have signed the London Partnerships Register, which was introduced by Livingstone in September 2001 but does not confer legal benefits.

The Christian Institute spoke out against the government proposal.

Director of the Christian Institute, Colin Hart, said the plan did equate gay relationships with marriage, whatever ministers said. "The government has said this is not 'gay marriage.' But the fact is, these plans do equate gay liaisons with the honorable estate of matrimony."

Zurich voters approve gay marriage rights
Gay.com U.K.
Monday, September 23, 2002 / 04:28 PM

On Sunday, voters in Zurich, Switzerland, approved giving marriage rights to same-sex couples.

The measure extends to gay and lesbian couples the same rights and benefits as heterosexual married couples, including tax, inheritance and social security.

To qualify for the benefits, same-sex couples must live in Zurich canton and formally commit themselves six months in advance to running a joint home and to providing each other with mutual support, reported the Associated Press.

"For the lesbians and gays of the canton of Zurich, this historic yes signifies that the state no longer considers them second-class citizens," said the statement by the Swiss Lesbian Organization; Pink Cross, the Swiss Organization of Gays; and FELS, the Friends and Parents of Lesbians and Gays.

Gay activists are now pushing for the similar rights for same-sex couples throughout Switzerland.


Same-Sex Marriage
Planetout.com
Last updated: 2002-12-10

While the Netherlands remains the only country where same-sex couples have the same legal rights as heterosexual married couples, other areas -- most notably Germany and Zurich, Switzerland -- are beginning to follow suit by granting some forms of legal recognition.In July, a Canadian court ruled that it was unconstitutional to not recognize same-sex marriages, and it ordered Parliament to redefine "marriage" within two years. Ontario's leader said the province will not appeal.Of course, the European decisions will not have any immediate legal impact in the United States, where marriage remains off limits to gays and lesbians. However, court battles seeking freedom to marry in New Jersey and Massachusetts could make legal history.In October 2001, California Gov. Gray Davis signed a law that makes the state second only to Vermont in terms of the number of rights granted to registered same-sex couples.Vermont is the only state in which gays and lesbians have access to a marriage-like institution. Last year, a law took effect there that allows same-sex couples
to register their "civil unions" with the state and to receive most of the same rights and responsibilities as married couples. Legislators in other states -- including New York -- may be considering similar bills. But "civil unions" may be more difficult to institute elsewhere since Vermont was only able to pass the law because of a December 1999 Vermont Supreme Court ruling deeming it illegal for gay and lesbians couples to be treated differently from heterosexual ones. Despite the challenges in the U.S., two-thirds of Americans believe gay and lesbian marriages will be legalized within the next 80 years.


Connecticut Moves Closer To Civil Union Legislation
by Michael J. Meade
365Gay.com Newscenter
Boston Bureau
January 7, 2003
12:02 a.m. ET/+5GMT/-3PT

(Hartford, Connecticut)  A committee of the Connecticut legislature has finished hearing testimony and forwarded its report on same-sex unions to the General Assembly.The Judiciary committee made no specific recommendations.  Among the deputations it heard were groups calling for legislation granting gays and lesbians the right to marry.  Other speakers at three public hearings last year recommended civil unions similar to those in Vermont.  Conservative Christian groups urged the committee to maintain the status quo.The committee was instructed last year by the Assembly to prepare a report outlining the options for recognizing gay relationships after it passed a compromise bill falling short of legalizing gay couples.The legislation did not mention same-sex couples specifically, but allows a person in Connecticut to legally designate another person to make medical decisions and end-of life choices. It also allows for visits in nursing homes and requires employers to allow emergency phone calls from the legally designated person.    The committee report will be tabled in the Assembly but it is unknown when legislation stemming from it will be presented in the form of a bill. Connecticut is one of three states looking at recognizing gay couples.

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3 States To Explore Civil Unions In 2003
by Michael J. Meade
365Gay.com Newscenter
Boston Bureau
January 6, 2003
12:02 a.m. ET/+5GMT/-3PT

(Boston, Massachusetts) Legislatures in three states, two of them in New England, will be presented this year with bills that would recognize gay and lesbian relationships.  In Massachusetts, just days after the death of a proposed anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment, a bill  to create gay civil unions has been presented.The bill is similar to the law passed in Vermont in 2000, that grants gay and lesbian couples virtually all the rights and responsibilities of marriage that are granted by state law."It's time, maybe overtime," said Rep. Alice Wolf, D-Cambridge, who is sponsoring one of the bills. "Increasingly people are recognizing and honoring the fact that there are gay couples with families in our community. It's very important to recognize that." Domestic partner Legislation has won approval in the Mass. Senate at least three times, but has never come up for a vote in the House. Given this history, some advocates don't believe the civil union bills have a chance of passing. A second bill, which would legalize gay marriage is also expected, but few believe it will garner enough support to come to a vote.    "You have to start somewhere," said lesbian Sen. Cheryl Jacques. "A discussion around civil unions will educate the public about the struggles gay families have when it comes to issues of health care, estate planning, adoption -- all the things that affect family life." In Connecticut, the Judiciary Committee is expected to present a partnership union bill to the House this session.  The committee has already begun hearing deputations.   In Colorado, Rep. Tom Plant, D-Nederland, will propose a civil union act. Gay marriages are banned in Colorado. Plant said he wants to create a way for gay and lesbian couples to share the responsibilities and obligations of marriage. "It's an opportunity for the Legislature to live up to the Pledge of Allegiance — 'liberty and justice for all,' not just words for reciting," Plant said. And, in a separate measure, Rep. Alice Madden says she will introduce the bill allowing same-sex adoptions. It's probable that a bill banning such adoptions will be also introduced. The House approved the ban last year, but the Democratic-controlled Senate killed it. Now, Republicans control the Senate.

©365Gay.com Ltd® 2003 

Canadians Equally Divided On Gay Marriage, Poll Shows
by Jan Prout
365Gay.com Newscenter
Toronto Bureau
January 4, 2003
12:01 a.m. ET/+5GMT/-3PT

(Toronto, Ontario) Canadians are almost evenly split on legalizing gay marriage and allowing gays to adopt according to a new national poll. The survey, taken for Maclean's Magazine and Canwest Global Communications showed forty-nine per cent of the respondents approve of giving gays and lesbians the right to marry, while 46 per cent said they should not be permitted to marry. Five per cent said they didn't know.On the question of adoption: 48 per cent said they supported allowing gay couples to adopt, while 46 per cent said they were opposed; six per cent said they didn't know.The poll was conducted by Strategic Counsel, a Toronto-based polling firm."I think it also shows that we've changed our attitudes toward what 'a family' is," pollster David Plaxton said."It's one of those issues that's been debated now for a number of years, so we're seeing Canadians are becoming more comfortable with the idea," added fellow pollster Michael Sullivan.The highest support for gay marriage was in Quebec where 65 per cent endorse it.  Quebec currently has Canada's most inclusive civil union law.The second greatest support was in British Columbia  where 54 per cent said the supported it; followed by Atlantic Canada at 50 per cent, Saskatchewan-Manitoba at 42 per cent, Alberta at 41.The least support was in Ontario, at 40 per cent.The survey found women were far more accepting of gay marriages than men. Fifty-five per cent of women supported it compared to 39 per cent of men.The poll comes at a time when the federal government is under mounting pressure to change marriage laws.  The government is challenging an Ontario court ruling that declared the ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional.  This winter a parliamentary committee is examining the law and is expected to report back to the Justice Minister by spring.The survey, based on telephone interviews with 1,400 adult Canadians, was carried out between Nov. 1 and Nov. 12, 2002. It is considered accurate within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

©365Gay.com Ltd® 2003

Newspaper Chain To Publish Gay Announcements In All Papers
by Mary Ellen Peterson
365Gay.com Newscenter
Los Angeles Bureau

January 10, 2003
12:02  a.m. ET/+5GMT/-3PT

(Los Angeles, California)  A chain of mid sized newspapers has become the first publisher to order all of its papers to print gay and lesbian commitment announcements.

Freedom Communications Inc began the announcements in its flagship paper, "The Orange County [Calif.] Register," and this week extended the policy to all its papers.

The company owns more than thirty newspapers in 11 states, including "The [Alton, Ill.] Telegraph," the "Brownsville [Texas] Herald," and "The [Panama City, Fla.] News Herald."

"This is another huge step for gay and lesbian couples," said Joan M. Garry, executive director for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

Since August 2002, GLAAD has kept a tally of newspapers that print same-sex union announcements, and Freedom Communications' decision brings GLAAD's list to 181 papers.

"Freedom Communications deserves to be congratulated and should serve as a role model for other companies," said Garry.

In August 2002, GLAAD launched its Announcing Equality project, a yearlong campaign to double the number of newspapers in the United States that print same-sex union announcements. The goal was met just a few months later.

©365Gay.com Ltd® 2003