The granting of gay marriage rights in New Hampshire seemed to be a step in the right direction. However recently there is a push back to refuse service in public places to the gay community based on religious objections, seemingly against earlier legislation written to stop this exact type of discrimination.

You may or may not remember a similar story featuring an upstate New York town clerk (NYT).
posted by aloiv2 on Jan 26, 2012 - 65 comments

A progressive Australian political advocacy group have produced a 2-minute advertisement showing their support of Marriage Equality Down Under. Warning: May pull heartstrings. [more inside]
posted by schmod on Nov 25, 2011 - 49 comments

1 April 2011 marks the 10th anniversary of the legalization of same-sex marriage (homohuwelijk) in the Netherlands. [more inside]
posted by neushoorn on Mar 30, 2011 - 28 comments

Record-breaking numbers of Finns leave the national church of Finland following a gay rights panel discussion on TV. [more inside]
posted by sively on Oct 18, 2010 - 61 comments

Last Friday, prop 8 supporters filed an emergency stay of Judge Vaughn Walker’s ruling with the 9th circuit. Today the stay was granted but the appeal has been expedited and oral arguments will be heard on the 6th of December, less than four months from now. [more inside]
posted by Talez on Aug 16, 2010 - 145 comments

With a ruling scheduled today on Prop 8 — the California ballot measure that took away the right to marry from same-sex couples — Dave Fleischer has an in-depth analysis of all of the polling data on Prop 8, and his findings include some counter-intuitive numbers, like that the confusing wording actually ended up helping the No vote more than the Yes.
posted by klangklangston on Aug 4, 2010 - 619 comments

Argentina Approves Gay Marriage. With a 33-27 vote in the Senate, Argentina has become the first Latin American country to legalize gay marriage. (Mexico City legalized it in 2009.) Reactions: 1 2 3 [more inside]
posted by kmz on Jul 15, 2010 - 43 comments

Sonoma County CA separates elderly gay couple and sells all of their worldly possessions. Three months after he was hospitalized, Harold died in the nursing home. Because of the county's actions, Clay missed the final months he should have had with his partner of 20 years. Compounding this tragedy, Clay has literally nothing left of the home he had shared with Harold or the life he was living up until the day that Harold fell, because he has been unable to recover any of his property. [more inside]
posted by Saxon Kane on Apr 18, 2010 - 98 comments

In a first for Latin America, Mexico City's legislature voted to legalize gay marriage Monday night, changing "the city's civil code definition of marriage from the union of a man and a woman to the 'free uniting of two people.'" [more inside]
posted by SpringAquifer on Dec 22, 2009 - 51 comments

The Australian Capital Territory, the home of the Australian capital of Canberra, has passed a bill allowing same-sex civil unions. As marriage is a federal matter in Australia, this is the highest recognition of same sex unions that is constitutionally allowed in a state or territory of Australia. However, it does give political momentum to the movement looking towards the repeal of the "one man and one woman" Marriage Amendment Act of 2004.
posted by Talez on Nov 10, 2009 - 23 comments

A Mash-Up of Google Maps and the Proposition 8 Donor List [via the SFist]
posted by Weebot on Jan 12, 2009 - 342 comments

"We should have got nasty a long time ago,". So the mormon church has decided to get itself involved with the politics in California? Some California residents have decided to attempt to have the church's tax exempt status revoked while others are taking the fight more directly to the church. Some have called for a boycott of Utah while possibly the only mormon in Utah who doesn't give a crap about gay marriage has written a very insightful piece.
posted by Talez on Nov 8, 2008 - 220 comments

Prophets and politics. "The Mormon Church works to ban gay marriage in California, even as gay people in places like Rexburg, Idaho, come out of the LDS closet."
posted by homunculus on Oct 23, 2008 - 87 comments

The Massachusetts House of Representatives voted to repeal a ban on out of state marriages that has been on the books since 1913. The up-shot? Out of state gay and lesbian couples may soon wed in Massachusetts. The vote goes next to governor Deval Patrick, who has already indicate that he is in favor of repealing the law. [more inside]
posted by grapefruitmoon on Jul 30, 2008 - 42 comments

Orson Scott Card on gay marriage, which he says "marks the end of democracy in America". Not everyone is too happy about that.
posted by Artw on Jul 29, 2008 - 284 comments

The latest victory for gay rights occurs in ... Iowa?
posted by kyrademon on Aug 31, 2007 - 82 comments

During a question-and-answer period, someone says they'd once heard Johnston call for the execution of gays and lesbians. He vigorously denies the charge. Later, he tells me that the decision to put gays to death is a matter best left up to the states.

Ohio's precedent-shattering new ballot initiative and the people behind it. (Salon, ad req'd.)
posted by Tlogmer on Oct 19, 2004 - 76 comments

Scandinavia has had gay marriage for years, and surprise surprise, the institution has not collapsed. It's amazing how rarely Americans take advantage of these sorts of international comparisons...
posted by MikeB on May 20, 2004 - 33 comments

Where Having Sex is a Crime: Criminalization and Decriminalization of Homosexual Acts. As Western countries ponder the legalization of gay marriage, it's well worth keeping in mind that queer men and women are living in the dark ages elsewhere. The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission tries to keep track of progressive and regressive steps, and advocate for liberty. It's a tough job.
posted by stonerose on Apr 14, 2004 - 12 comments

Where is my gay apocalypse?
I have been waiting patiently. I have been staring with great anticipation out the window of my flat here in the heart of San Francisco, sighing heavily, waiting for the riots and the plagues and the screaming monkeys and the blistering rain of inescapable hellfire. I have my camera all ready and everything.
posted by badstone on Mar 5, 2004 - 166 comments

Justly Married Derek Powazek shares a series of images of same-gender couples who were married in San Francisco over the last week, and sells one stark image in poster form to raise funds for DontAmend.com, an organization committed to fighting the radical right's efforts to add an anti-gay marriage/union amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
posted by Dreama on Feb 20, 2004 - 309 comments

Axis of Medieval? Hot on the heels of Bush's announcement that his adminstration is seeking ways to ban gay marriage, the Vatican has issued a document condemning same-sex unions as "deviant" and "gravely immoral." One Bishop has warned Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien (a Catholic) that "his eternal salvation is in jeopardy. He is making a morally grave error and he's not being accountable to God." Are we witnessing a coordinated attack on the burgeoning campaign for broader gay rights? What is the relevance of the Church's edicts, in combination with Bush's announcement? Are we about to see "the backlash" that some gay rights activists have warned of, or is this the (almost) last gasp of self-evidently outmoded thinking?
posted by stonerose on Jul 31, 2003 - 160 comments

Do you, Adam, take this man Steve, to be your lawfully wedded husband ... "... a panel of Ontario judges ordered Parliament to broaden its definition of marriage to include gay men and women, the first decision of its kind in Canada. " Rulings on cases in BC and Quebec to follow.

Good news for the Canadian Tourist industry, at any rate. So far the only heartbreak in all this is the utter lack of Crate and Barrel, Williams Sonoma, and Pottery Barn stores in Canada for these people to register at.
posted by kristin on Jul 14, 2002 - 13 comments

Compassionate Conservatives are Hate Males

It has been a strange day today. I got a letter in the mail from a nearby church asking me to change my religion because said religion was supporting homosexuals. You know what, I'm thinking of going to their service on Sunday and letting them know what I think of their Hate mail they sent me. Deeply offensive.

Then I find out that a Shrub (George W. Bush) does not support seperation of Church and State. And infact wants to have state 'sponsored' 'official' religions!

Personally I am getting a little sick and tired of intollerance. Furthermore, I am gettign sick of Gerorge W. Bush. The man makes my skin crawl. Please, someone offer me a job outside of Texas...
posted by DragonBoy on Jul 20, 2000 - 7 comments

If it looks like a duck and it smells like a duck and it sounds like a duck it's a . . . . Holy Union?
posted by alan on May 25, 2000 - 3 comments

The same-sex domestic partnerships bill in Vermont has been approved by the state's lawmakers. "The continued denial of these legal protections, benefits and responsibilities to a small but vulnerable class of Vermont's citizens diminishes their humanity, dignity, freedom and independence." It's about damn time, hopefully other states will soon follow suit. Oh, and if you have a problem with this, listen to this and let me know why you continue to have problems with it.
posted by mathowie on Apr 25, 2000 - 12 comments