Topics: Gay and Lesbian issues - 1475 results

Months after Minnesota voters declined to enshrine a ban on gay marriage in the state constitution, Gov. Mark Dayton today signed a bill that permits gay and lesbian couples to tie the knot. “What a difference a year and an election can make in our state,” Dayton said at the signing. “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness should certainly include the right to marry the person you love.” The state Senate passed the bill yesterday by a 37-30 vote …

The Iowa Supreme Court ruled on May 3 that the state must recognize children born to lesbian couples as having two parents on their birth certificate, ensuring full parental rights for both parents and equal treatment for gay and heterosexual couples.   ‘Biology’ Cited by State Heather and Melissa Gartner, a lesbian couple, were legally married in Iowa in 2009 after the state’s “Defense of Marriage Act” was held unconstitutional. They had already wed via a civil commitment ceremony and …

The U.S. Supreme Court is still deciding the legal rights in gay marriages. The high court is expected to announce its rulings in June on whether the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which denies federal benefits to legally married same-sex couples, and California’s ban on gay marriages (Proposition 8) are unconstitutional. Meanwhile, different states continue their own disputes on the issue. As Lawyers.com reported, the Illinois attorney general and Cook County clerk are refusing to defend their state’s law that …

While a bill legalizing gay marriage awaits enough support in the Illinois House of Representatives, the Cook County clerk is not defending against a lawsuit brought against the county by gay couples who say its refusal to recognize same-sex marriage is a violation of the state constitution.   Golden Silence David Orr, with his reported silence in the suit and his outspoken support of gay marriage, agrees with the couples, who are represented by Lambda Legal. But now that county …

The U.S. Supreme Court heard two hours of arguments today over the Defense of Marriage Act, which bans federal recognition of same-sex marriage. Opponents of the 1996 law argue that excluding gay couples from federal marriage benefits is unconstitutional under the Fifth Amendment, which states that the federal government must not deprive people of “life, liberty, or property” while implying equality under the law. DOMA was ruled unconstitutional twice last year, first in a decision rendered by the 1st U.S. …