Proposition 8

Prop 8 Supporters Ask For Full Ninth Circuit Review

Jillian Rayfield | February 22, 2012, 11:17AM

Supporters of Proposition 8, California's ban on gay marriage, are asking the Ninth Circuit to review the decision by a three-judge panel that declared the measure unconstitutional.

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Gay Marriage

Christie On Gay Marriage: Southern Blacks Would Have Been Psyched To Have Vote On Their Rights

Jillian Rayfield | January 26, 2012, 5:14PM

Black lawmakers in New Jersey have sharply criticized Republican Gov. Chris Christie for comparing a ballot referendum on gay marriage to the civil rights movement thusly: "The fact of the matter is, I think people would have been happy to have a referendum on civil rights rather than fighting and dying in the streets in the South."

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Gay Marriage

Minnesotans Evenly Split Over Vote To Constitutionally Ban Same Sex Marriage

Jon Terbush | June 2, 2011, 12:22PM

Demonstrators both for and against a constitutional ban on same sex marriage inside the Minnesota State Capitol

As California's constitutional ban on same sex marriage winds its way through the courts, a showdown over a similar marriage-defining referendum is brewing in Minnesota. And according to a PPP poll released this week, that battle could be hotly contested, as it found voters there are evenly split on the issue.

In the poll, 46% of registered voters said the state should amend its Constitution to stipulate that marriage can only be between a man and a woman, while 47% said they opposed such an amendment.

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Louis Marinelli

Conservative Defects From Anti-Gay Group, Now Supports Same-Sex Marriage

Ryan J. Reilly | April 13, 2011, 8:45AM

Less than a year ago Louis Marinelli was touring the country on a bus fighting against same-sex marriage, working for the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), one of the largest anti-gay marriage groups in the country. Now Marinelli has defected from NOM and is advocating for marriage equality alongside the very same people he'd sparred with for years.

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DOMA

Immigration Officials End Hold On Deporting Bi-National Same-Sex Couples

Jillian Rayfield | March 30, 2011, 3:55PM

The U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service has ended its hold on deporting foreign-born partners in same-sex marriages who would otherwise be eligible for a green card, citing "guidance" they had received over how to handle cases that might be affected by the Department of Justice's decision to no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act.

"The guidance we were awaiting ... was received last night, so the hold is over, so we're back to adjudicating cases as we always have," Christopher Bentley, press secretary for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services told the Metro Weekly Wednesday.

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DOMA

Some Deportations Of Bi-National Same-Sex Couples Put On Hold

Jillian Rayfield | March 28, 2011, 6:31PM

The U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service confirmed Monday that it has temporarily put some deportations of partners in same-sex marriages on hold if they could be affected by the recent Department of Justice decision to no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act.

Chris Bentley, Press Secretary for the USCIS said in a statement: "USCIS has issued guidance to the field asking that related cases be held in abeyance while awaiting final guidance related to distinct legal issues."

DOMA forbids the government from recognizing and granting the same rights to same-sex couples, so foreign-born partners in same-sex marriages who would otherwise be eligible for green cards frequently get deported.

The DOJ announced last month that part of DOMA is unconstitutional and it would no longer defend it in court.

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Same sex marriage

Anti-Gay Iowa Republicans Will Try To Impeach Supreme Court Justices

Rachel Slajda | December 20, 2010, 3:49PM

The "Judge Bus"

For conservatives angry over the Iowa Supreme Court's unanimous decision last year to legalize gay marriage, getting three of the seven justices booted from the bench just isn't enough. Now, a handful of Republican lawmakers are now trying to impeach the remaining four.

The Iowa Independent reports that three freshmen members of the Iowa House are writing legislation to impeach those four justices. They're joined by a freshman state senator, Kent Sorenson, who will sit on the judiciary committee and who has called the fight against same sex marriage "my generation's defining moment."

Such a move would require a majority vote in the House, followed by a two-thirds majority in the Senate. It's unclear how much support there is for impeachment -- a punishment generally reserved for judges who've committed a crime or other serious misconduct.

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Same sex marriage

Anti-Gay Groups Defeat Iowa Supreme Court Justices

Rachel Slajda | November 3, 2010, 10:39AM

The "Judge Bus"

Three of Iowa's Supreme Court justices were voted out of office last night, chalking up a victory for the national anti-gay groups that spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the race.

With nearly all precincts reporting, the three justices -- David Baker, Michael Streit and Chief Justice Marsha Ternus -- were voted out by an average margin of 55% to 45%.

It's the first time an Iowa Supreme Court justice has been ousted since Iowa instituted its system of appointment and retention in 1962.

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Iowa

Iowans Split On Whether To Drop Supreme Court Justices

Rachel Slajda | November 1, 2010, 5:18PM

The "Judge Bus"

As we told you last week, the question of whether Iowa will retain or fire three of its Supreme Court justices has drawn hundreds of thousands of dollars from third-party groups. The Des Moines Register is now out with a poll that shows Iowans are still split on the question, with a slight edge to those who would throw the judges out.

According to the poll, 37% of likely voters said they'd vote to remove the three justices. Another 34% said they'd vote to retain them, and 10% said they'd remove at least one.

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Same sex marriage

The Campaign You're Not Watching -- But Anti-Gay Groups Are

Rachel Slajda | October 26, 2010, 10:19AM

The "Judge Bus"

Last year, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled unanimously to allow same sex marriage in Iowa. This year, Iowans will vote on whether to keep or boot three of the seven justices who decided that case -- and the campaign has attracted hundreds of thousands of dollars from national anti-gay groups.

In Iowa, judges are appointed, not elected. But at the end of every judge's term, he or she goes up for "retention," meaning the populace votes whether to keep them around or throw them out.

The National Organization for Marriage, the American Family Association and the Family Research Council have seized on the chance to "fire" three of the justices, including Chief Justice Marsha Ternus, and are spending money -- more than $700,000 so far -- asking people to vote against retention. The campaign has also drawn cash from those who support gay marriage, and the justices themselves; the overwhelming majority of independent expenditures in the state, in fact, have been directed at the judicial retention race.

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Defense of Marriage Act

DOJ Files Appeal Defending The Defense Of Marriage Act

Rachel Slajda | October 12, 2010, 5:47PM

Robin Tyler and her wife Diane Olson, the original lesbian plaintiffs in the California Supreme Court marriage equality suit, at a rally in Los Angeles

The Justice Department today filed an appeal of the federal court decision that ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as heterosexual, unconstitutional.

The notice of appeal says little, other than that the federal government is appealing the ruling.

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Proposition 8

In First Briefs Of Prop 8 Appeal, Gay Marriage Opponents Focus On Procreation

Rachel Slajda | September 20, 2010, 1:01PM

Same-sex marriage opponents have filed their first briefs in their appeal of a federal judge's ruling this year that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.

Judge Vaughn Walker ruled in August that Proposition 8, which amended the California state constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman, violates the U.S. Constitution.

Supporters of Prop 8 immediately appealed the ruling to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which temporarily stayed Walker's ruling, meaning that gay Californians still can't get married.

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Same sex marriage

DOJ Has 60 Days To Appeal Ruling That Declared DOMA Unconstitutional

Rachel Slajda | August 19, 2010, 5:55PM

Hot on the heels of the Prop 8 ruling in California that determined a ban on same sex marriage violates California's constitution, a federal judge officially entered his judgment in a case challenging the Defense of Marriage Act, giving the federal government 60 days to decide whether to appeal.

Judge Joseph Tauro ruled in early July that DOMA, which defines marriage as between one man and one woman, is unconstitutional. Yesterday, he officially entered the judgment, starting a 60-day clock for the Justice Department to decide whether to appeal his ruling.

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Gay Rights

Motion To Stay Prop 8 Ruling Denied -- But Judge Delays Lifting Stay

Rachel Slajda | August 12, 2010, 3:42PM

A federal judge in California today denied a motion to stay his ruling on Proposition 8, saying he will lift the temporary stay Aug. 18 at 5 p.m. Pacific time.

Judge Vaughn Walker ruled last week that Prop 8, which defined marriage in California as heterosexual, is unconstitutional. He issued a temporary stay -- meaning same-sex couples can't get married yet -- and today ruled that his stay will continue until next Wednesday.

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Same sex marriage

'I Feel Like I Don't Live In America:' The Best Worst Prop 8 Reactions

Rachel Slajda | August 5, 2010, 11:00AM

Supporters of Prop 8 in 2008

Yesterday, a federal judge ruled that Proposition 8 -- the voter initiative that amended the California Constitution to define marriage as heterosexual -- is unconstitutional. The usual pro-Prop 8, anti-gay marriage suspects began hollering almost immediately.

Here, the best of the best (or worst, depending on how you look at it):

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Gay Rights

Prop 8 Ruled Unconstitutional

Rachel Slajda | August 4, 2010, 4:44PM

A federal judge in California has ruled that Prop 8 -- the voter initiative that banned gay marriage -- is unconstitutional.

Supporters of Prop 8 (that is, opponents of gay marriage) have already promised to file an appeal. The judge also approved a two-day stay on the ruling, asking lawyers to respond by Friday, when he will decide whether to suspend his ruling pending appeal.

So, for now, same-sex couples in California can't get their marriage licenses quite yet.

The case is expected to eventually get to the Supreme Court.

From Judge Vaughn Walker's decision:

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Same sex marriage

GOP Reps Urge Countries That Criminalize Homosexuality To Oppose LGBT Rights NGO

Rachel Slajda | July 14, 2010, 2:53PM

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ)

Two Republican congressmen are urging other countries -- including, potentially, some where homosexuality is a crime punishable by death -- to vote against an American-led effort in the U.N. to recognize a respected international gay rights group.

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission has been trying since May 2007 to win accreditation from the United Nations, which would allow the NGO to have a voice at the international body. But the group's application for "consultative status" had been deferred by the status-granting NGO committee until early last month, when the committee voted to block its application.

Among the countries voting against the application: Egypt, Angola, Burundi, China, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia and Sudan. In all those countries but Russia and China, LGBT people can be jailed, fined, whipped or killed if they are caught by authorities.

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