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Gavin Newsom has always played a starring role in the same-sex marriage debate, but in recent weeks that role has turned decidedly unheroic. The mayor has become the reluctant face of the campaign opposing same-sex unions with the help of a prominent Yes-on-Proposition 8 TV ad. Conservative blogs have been atwitter about Newsom last week officiating at the wedding of a lesbian teacher whose class of first-graders took a field trip to celebrate with her.In many ways, Newsom has become the single best campaign tool for proponents of Prop. 8 - and that might have been inevitable, political experts said....

In a violent display of intolerance, an opponent of Proposition 8 attacked and seriously injured a man who was volunteering on Sunday for the initiative to define marriage as between and a man and a woman. Prop. 8 supporter, Jose Nunez, 37, was brutally assaulted while waiting to distribute yard signs to other supporters of the initiative after church services at the St. Stanislaus Parish in Modesto. The assailant grabbed about 75 signs and yelled at Nunez accusingly, “What do you have against gays!” Although Nunez replied that he had nothing against gays, he was attacked anyway. The assailant punched...

San Francisco (AP) -- Gay couples from around California and the nation are feverishly tying the knot ahead of Election Day to avoid missing out if voters approve a ballot initiative aimed at banning same-sex marriage. Aaron Twitchell and Orlando Manzo from Austin, Texas, waited two months for an appointment to get a marriage license in San Francisco. When they got to the city clerk's office, the line of people ahead of them was so long they worried they would be late for their own wedding. "We are so happy California is so progressive they would allow something like this,"...

Patricia and Wesley Galloway could not have children of their own. Yet for them, the essence of marriage is rooted in procreation. “It takes a man and a woman to create children and thus create a family,” Mrs. Galloway, 60, told a legislative panel in Connecticut last year as it was considering a bill to legalize same-sex marriage. The bill never went to a vote, but on Friday the Connecticut Supreme Court eliminated the need for a bill when it struck down the state’s civil union law and ruled that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. The decision...

  Dear Friend, You're not going to believe this. In the same week that the No on 8 campaign launched an ad that labeled as "lies" claims that same-sex marriage would be taught in schools to young children, a first grade class took a school-sponsored trip to a gay wedding. Eighteen first graders traveled to San Francisco City Hall Friday for the wedding of their teacher and her lesbian partner, The San Francisco Chronicle reported. The school sponsored the trip for the students, ages 5 and 6, taking them away from their studies for the same-sex wedding. The wedding...

OAK BROOK, Illinois, October 10, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The American Family Association (AFA) announced the end of a successful boycott yesterday against McDonald's Corporation. McDonald's has severed its ties to a homosexual business group and declared neutrality in the culture wars as per AFA's request.

The Connecticut Supreme Court overturned a state ban on same-sex marriage yesterday, ruling that it "discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation" in violation of the state constitution.

Floridians, when you cast your ballot on the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment this year, look at Massachusetts, California – and now Connecticut. Contrary to claims of the liars attempting to scare Floridians into voting against the marriage amendment because of the false assertions that the measure is about everything other than marriage, the Connecticut Supreme Court’s 4-3 ruling today legalizing “gay marriage” is the latest reminder of why we need Amendment 2. This is not an academic, esoteric debate. The Florida Marriage Protection Amendment (also known as Amendment 2) is Floridians’ chance to settle the definition of marriage in our...

Los Angeles - Emphasizing the urgency of California’s Proposition 8--ProtectMarriage.com, today the Connecticut Supreme Court legalized gay marriage by a narrow margin, 4-3. Close votes also defined gay marriage in the states of Massachusetts and California. The State of Iowa was also scheduled this week to hear arguments on same sex marriage. In answer to today’s decision, the Protect Marriage Coalition and its volunteers are stepping up efforts and continuing their unprecedented grassroots campaign across the state of California. This weekend hundreds of thousands of lawn signs will appear on lawns in every community. Church services in some African American...

Same-sex couples won the right to marry in Connecticut in an historic ruling by the Supreme Court today. Citing the equal protection clause of the state constitution, the justices ruled that civil unions were discriminatory. In a 4-3 decision released at 11:30 a.m., the majority wrote that the state's "understanding of marriage must yield to a more contemporary appreciation of the rights entitled to constitutional protection." "Interpreting our state constitutional provisions in accordance with firmly established equal protection principles leads inevitably to the conclusion that gay persons are entitled to marry the otherwise qualified same sex partner of their choice,"...

The state Supreme Court's 4-3 decision Friday that same-sex couples have the right to marry swept through the state with the force of a cultural tidal wave. While lead plaintiff Beth Kerrigan and her partner -- soon to be wife -- embraced and sobbed after learning of the ruling, opponents vowed to pursue a long and complicated route to change the constitution to ban gay marriage. The Supreme Court released its historic ruling at 11:30 a.m. Citing the equal protection clause of the state constitution, the justices ruled that civil unions were discriminatory and that the state's "understanding of marriage...

HARTFORD - Connecticut's Supreme Court ruled Friday that same-sex couples have the right to marry, making the state the third behind Massachusetts and California to legalize such unions. The divided court ruled 4-3 that gay and lesbian couples cannot be denied the freedom to marry under the state constitution, and Connecticut's civil unions law does not provide those couples with the same rights as heterosexual couples. "I can't believe it. We're thrilled, we're absolutely overjoyed. We're finally going to be able, after 33 years, to get married," said Janet Peck of Colchester, who was a plaintiff with her partner, Carole...

A Pennsylvania pro-family group has joined a nationwide boycott of a major greeting card company as a result of its promotion of the homosexual lifestyle. The American Family Association of Pennsylvania has joined forces with several other pro-family groups around the country to boycott Hallmark over the company's new line of "same-sex couple" cards. AFA-Pennsylvania's President Diane Gramley said, "More Hallmark customers believe homosexuality is wrong and believe in one man one woman marriage than believe in same-sex marriage. To claim ‘public demand’ was the reason behind the same-sex commitment cards is a cop-out . . . Hallmark has chosen...

A corporate executive for McDonald's restaurants who had been on board of directors of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce has stepped down following a boycott of the chain organized by the pro-family American Family Association. McDonald's officials confirmed today to WND that Richard Ellis, who had been named to the "gay" chamber board after McDonald's contributed $20,000 to the organization, "made a personal decision to step down" after he accepted a new position with McDonald's Restaurants of Canada. McDonald's officials also told AFA the company has no plans to renew its membership in the special interest group...

When the latest Field Poll showed Proposition 8 losing by 17 points, skeptical supporters of the measure that would ban same-sex marriage in California invoked a phrase coined in the 1980s: "the Bradley effect." Named after the late Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, an African American who lost the 1982 California governor's race after polls showed him leading handily, the phrase refers to the tendency of respondents to lie to pollsters about issues of race. The Bradley effect has been referenced in presidential polls this year as Sen. Barack Obama seeks to become the first black president. And it is...

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Mormons are being asked by their church leaders to step up their already considerable efforts to pass a ballot initiative to ban same-sex marriage in California. Senior elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made a televised appeal to members Wednesday night and laid out a week-by-week strategy for boosting Mormon involvement before the Nov. 4 election. They urged Mormons to...

10-8-2008 Young Voters Boost California Marriage Amendment by Jennifer Mesko, editor Television ad, door-to-door campaigning shift momentum. California's Prop. 8, which would amend the state constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman, is gaining support. In a poll of likely voters conducted for CBS 5 in San Francisco, Californians favored the marriage amendment 47 percent to 42 percent. The strongest support came from voters ages 18 to 34, a group that has supported same-sex "marriage" in previous polls. Marriage advocates attributed the gain to their first television ad, which was released last week, and to their...

A ballot measure to ban gay marriage has already won the support of many religious leaders and Republican politicians. On Tuesday, it received another endorsement -- this time from a group of Democrats. In a press conference headlined by Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle, the community leaders -- including pastors and civic activists -- said marriage should be defined as the union between a man and a woman. Amendment 2, if passed by voters on Election Day, would do just that by changing the Florida Constitution to say, ``No other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial...

Things are looking good for marriage amendments in California, Florida and Arizona. California is the big surprise. After discouraging polls all summer, the latest CBS News/SurveyUSA Today poll shows Prop 8, the California marriage amendment, surging ahead 47 percent to 42 percent, with 10 percent undecided — that’s a ten point swing since the Yes on Prop 8 campaign ads started airing. Younger voters are leading the swing against gay marriage, reports CBS News. Why? My best guess is: a lot of them are parents who don’t really want their schools teaching their 5 year olds about King and King...

California voters have less than a month to decide what they think about Proposition 8, which would eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry, and the battle over the initiative is heating up in the Bay Area and statewide. Protect Marriage, a coalition that supports the proposition, this week released its second statewide television advertisement. The ad was released Wednesday in English and Tuesday in Spanish, according to Chip White, a spokesman for the coalition. It depicts a young girl arriving home from school and showing her mother a picture book the teacher read to her class that day....

''Florida Marriage Protection Amendment'' garners wide support -- 55 percent in support; 34 percent opposed.

A Michigan pro-family group has joined a nationwide boycott of a major greeting card company as a result of its promotion of the homosexual lifestyle. The American Family Association of Michigan has joined forces with several other pro-family groups around the country to boycott Hallmark over the company's new line of "same-sex couple" cards. AFA-Michigan's President Gay Glenn said, “Hallmark’s corporate position helps culturally legitimize and promote so-called homosexual ‘marriage,’ using its customers’ money to do so.” He added, “Each of us should ensure as a matter of conscience that Hallmark isn’t able to use any of our families’ money.”...

The defeat next month of the state proposition that seeks to prohibit same sex marriages could mean hundreds of new jobs and millions of dollars in personal, business and government revenue from same-sex weddings over the next three years in Sonoma County, according to a study released today. The report was prepared by Sonoma State University’s Center for Regional Economic Analysis and was paid for by a grant from the Horizons Foundation, a philanthropic social justice organization serving lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities in the Bay Area. Details of the report were highlighted by Robert Eyler, Chair of Sonoma...

SAN FRANCISCO—The campaign supporting a November ballot initiative that would ban same-sex marriage in California has raised more than $25 million. Frank Schubert, co-manager of ProtectMarriage.com, said nearly $23 million of the total has come in since the measure qualified for the Nov. 4 ballot in June. Groups working for and against initiatives faced a midnight Monday deadline to report their campaign finance activity through the end of September. As of Sept. 30, ProtectMarriage had $12.8 million cash on hand, despite having spent more than $10 million on securing air time for its television ads. Proposition 8 would amend the...

California Proposition 8 Too Close To Call: In a vote today, 10/06/08, on California's Proposition 8 Ballot Initiative, which would change California's constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry, approximately half the state supports the measure, half the state opposes the measure, according to this latest SurveyUSA poll conducted for KABC-TV Los Angeles, KPIX-TV San Francisco, KGTV-TV San Diego, and KFSN-TV Fresno. The exact findings are: 'Yes' (to change the law) 47%, 'No' (to leave the law alone) 42%. But: polling on ballot measures in general is an inexact science, and polling on homosexuality in general is...

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) ― A new CBS 5 poll finds that California's Proposition 8 has picked up support in the wake of a television ad campaign that features footage of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom proclaiming same-sex marriage is here to stay "whether you like it or not." The poll conducted for CBS 5 by SurveyUSA indicates that support for the measure to ban gay marriage has grown among voters in the state over an eleven day period — most especially among young voters. According to the poll, likely California voters overall now favor passage of Proposition 8 by...

Supporters of Proposition 8, which would ban same-sex marriage in California, are running their first television ad.The commercial features San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom making a celebratory speech. The state Supreme Court had just invalidated a law overwhelmingly passed by voters in 2000 that declared "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." Following is a text of the ad and an analysis by Aurelio Rojas of The Bee's Capitol Bureau: The ad Newsom: This door's wide open now. It's going to happen whether you like it or not.Narrator: Four judges ignored 4 million...

So there I am driving though St Johns county and what do I see. Yes signs posted at major intersections saying Protect our families vote no on two. Then another sign next to them saying Jesus doesn't discriminate. I bet those people who posted them have no idea about Jesus. They tried all the dirty tactics to stop the question getting on the ballot and now they are trying to trick people How sad , notice how they did not mention the words gay or homosexuals family

The private sector responds far more quickly to social change than do governments at whatever level. That’s why, I believe, a party which seeks to free that sector from excessive government interference, in the form of high taxation and unreasonable regulation, is better for gay people. And it’s why John McCain and Sarah Palin represent the better choice in this election. To be sure, there are areas where the federal government should take action on behalf of gay people, notably to recognize same-sex unions and to repeal discriminatory legislation, notably the military’s Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell Policy (DADT). On this one...

Sen. Joseph Biden was illogical on the matter of gay rights. “Look, in an Obama-Biden administration, there will be absolutely no distinction from a constitutional standpoint or a legal standpoint between a same-sex and a heterosexual couple,” Biden said in answer to a question about whether he supported equal benefits for same-sex couples. He went on to invoke the Constitution three more times. “The fact of the matter is that under the Constitution.... same-sex couples should be able to have visitation rights in the hospitals, joint ownership of property, life insurance policies, et cetera. That's only fair.” And, “It's what...

Lunch hour on Figueroa Street, downtown Los Angeles: Stepping onto the sidewalk, he said: "Let me see that sign." The sign held by TFP volunteer Mr. Thomas Schneider read "God's marriage = 1 man, 1 woman = children." ...Just then another businessman turned to Mr. Schneider and chimed in: "You're 120% percent correct!.." ...[A] pro-homosexual woman attempted to stop our campaign. "You should really stop what you're doing and leave. If violence breaks out," she told me, "you will be responsible for it. You are inciting people to acts of hate and violence." Her face muscles and hands quivered and...

Google, the Internet search behemoth, is urging Californians to trash traditional marriage with a new website statement that campaigns against a constitutional amendment proposal that would define – again – marriage in California as being between one man and one woman. Voters in 2000 approved, with support from 61.4 percent of the people, that definition. But it was summarily thrown out in May by the state Supreme Court in an opinion written by Judge Ron George who said, "an individual's sexual orientation … like a person's race or gender … does not constitute a legitimate basis upon which to deny...

Join the BOYCOTT Against Hallmark for its ‘Gay Wedding’ Cards  Family Policy Network (FPN) is calling for a nation-wide boycott against America’s largest greeting card company for aligning itself with liberal activists who want to redefine morality and the institution of marriage. FPN announced the boycott against Hallmark Cards, Inc. after the company introduced new greeting cards aimed at “congratulating” homosexuals who enter into so-called “gay marriage” contracts and “civil unions.” According to an 8/21/08 news story from the Associated Press, Hallmark spokeswoman Sarah Kolell said the company introduced the pro-homosexual cards in an attempt to be “relevant” to as...

Could Senator Barack Obama’s popularity among black voters hurt gay couples in California who want to marry? That is the concern of opponents of Proposition 8, a measure on the November ballot that would amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage, which was legalized in May by the State Supreme Court. Mr. Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee, is against the measure. But opponents of the proposed ban worry that many black voters, enthused by Mr. Obama’s candidacy but traditionally conservative on issues involving homosexuality, could pour into voting stations in record numbers to punch the Obama ticket — and...

I just got a call from a pollster from Gallup that took about 10 minutes. It was regarding the election which we got out of the way pretty quickly...republican...yes..married..yes..catholic..yes.....conservative...yes...voting for mccain..yes.. Then came the entire point of the call. Amendment 2. Yes, this Amendment is going to be on the ballot this year and it defines whether marriage will be between a man and a woman only. They played these horribly sappy radio ad's on the phone with a woman talking about being with this man for 23 years and that it will destroy her if something happens to him...

ATLANTA - The United Church of Christ’s rule-making body voted overwhelmingly Monday to approve a resolution that endorses same-sex marriage, making it the largest Christian denomination to do so. Roughly 80 percent of the members of the church’s General Synod voted to approve the resolution. They debated for about an hour before voting. Traditionally strong in New England, the liberal denomination of 1.3 million members has long been supportive of gays and lesbians. In the early 1970s, the UCC became the first major Christian body to ordain an openly gay minister. Twenty years ago, it declared itself to be “open...

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who we reported earlier today had been silent on the hot-button gay marriage measure, today announced her opposition to the ban on same-sex unions. Here's her statement, in full: "Proposition 8 would eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California. I oppose it as a matter of equality and fairness. "The right to marry is fundamental. . . .

New York Post9/27/00 DEVLIN BARRETT Candidate 2000 Al Gore said that gay foreigners in a "civic union" with US citizens should have the same immigration rights as heterosexual married couples. "The rights that are afforded an American who gets married to someone from another country should be afforded under a legally protected civic union in the same way," Gore said. The Democratic presidential candidate's proposed policy shift would be blocked under the Defense of Marriage Law signed 1996.....for all federal purposes, including immigration, marriage is defined as "a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife."...

SACRAMENTO — The stakes of the ballot drive to forbid same-sex marriage reach far beyond California's geographic and political borders in what has emerged as another chapter in America's culture wars. Christian groups, wealthy benefactors and self-styled pro-family groups from all over the nation are watching closely — and weighing in with money. Gay rights groups and wealthy individuals are countering with their own cash from across the country. In the past eight weeks, combatants in the Proposition 8 battle have poured in more than $20 million to gear up for an all-out confrontation about whether the nation will begin...

It may be time to re-evaluate your wisdom if you've ever said that all's fair in love and politics. One good thing you can say about Michelle Obama is that she comes right out and says it. An Obama presidency would mean repeal of the Defence of Marriage Act and streamlining adoption for same-sex couples. A more sinister side of the policy debate involves where some of those children will come from – fit and loving natural parents who want to raise their own children. The idea is being pushed by people playing a conservative values game. ... cont.

QUEERLY BELOVED California bans 'brides,' 'grooms' License rejected for couple seeking traditional marriage Posted: September 08, 2008 9:05 pm Eastern By Chelsea Schilling © 2008 WorldNetDaily ROSEVILLE, Calif. – "Brides" and "grooms" are no longer allowed to marry in the State of California. That privilege is only extended to individuals who allow themselves to be called "Party A" and "Party B" on marriage licenses. Pastor Doug Bird of Abundant Life Fellowship in Roseville, Calif., was alarmed to find the state now rejects the traditional terms after he officiated his first marriage ceremony last week following the California Supreme Court decision...

Sept 1 - The First Campaign Today we campaigned for traditional marriage at the Cal Expo in Sacramento. It was the busiest day of the fair. We made several “Honk for Traditional Marriage” signs and displayed them at the fair entrance. Honks of all types filled the air. The issue of same-sex “marriage” has divided the state down the middle. Even within the same vehicle, we got both thumbs up and thumbs down. Very few people are undecided or unsure where they stand. But don’t expect civility from same-sex advocates. One woman approached a TFP volunteer and bluntly stated: “You...

San Francisco’s “Catholic” mayor will join tomorrow in the official launching of the “No on 8 – Equality for All Campaign” at the old Tower Records store on Market Street. In early January, on the occasion of his inauguration to a second term, Mayor Gavin Newsom and his family attended a Mass at the historic Mission Dolores Basilica. And to this day he continues to describe himself as Catholic. Newsom, said to have his eyes on the governorship, will be acting in open defiance of California’s bishops, who have officially endorsed Proposition 8 and have urged Catholics to support it....

Though many are likely unaware that the law permits it, customers of a Northern California public utility that donated $250,000 toward the defeat of Proposition 8 can change providers in protest if they want. [[PGElogo.jpg]]After San Francisco based Pacific Gas & Electric made the large donation to the No on 8 campaign, thousands of the company’s frustrated customers expressed their outrage in the form of emails, letters and comments on various blogs. But a California public interest law firm that fights for conservative causes put its legal researchers to work and found another way for pro-marriage customers of PG&E to...

Orange County, CA – During a court hearing yesterday, federal district court Judge David O. Carter announced that he is dismissing a last-ditch effort by "same-sex marriage" proponents to overturn the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The case is Smelt v. Orange County, and it is one of the last remaining challenges to DOMA. Liberty Counsel intervened in this case on behalf of Campaign for California Families in 2004, in order to protect marriage as the union of one man and one woman and to defend DOMA. [[Staver082808.jpg]]The federal DOMA allows states to reject same-sex marriages from other states....

Poll: California Voters Oppose Ban on Gay Marriage Thursday, August 28, 2008 1:30 AM SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A majority of California voters oppose a ballot initiative to ban gay marriage, though they are evenly split on the practice itself, according to a poll released Wednesday. The ballot question essentially will ask voters to prohibit the practice of same-sex marriage, which was approved this year by the California Supreme Court. The discrepancy between voters' general attitudes against gay marriage and their position on banning it could be explained by a hesitancy to remove a constitutional right, said Mark Baldassare, president and...

Suddenly appearing among the Google search results for “sarah palin gay,” a web site titled: Sarah Palin Supports Gay Rights. Sarah Palin (GOV-Alaska-Republican), supports gay rights, says Anchorage Daily News. Quote "Gov. Sarah Palin vetoed a bill Thursday that sought to block the state from giving public employee benefits such as health insurance to same-sex couples." Quote ""It is the Governor’s intention to work with the legislature and to give the people of Alaska an opportunity to express their wishes and intentions whether these benefits should continue," the statement from Palin’s administration said." Coghill said he’s interested in a new...

Calif. Ponders Gay Marriage For Inmates SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 29, 2008(AP) Now that same-sex couples can get married in California, state prison officials are trying to figure out what that means for gay inmates. No prisoners so far have sought to arrange weddings with same-sex partners since the state Supreme Court granted same-sex couples the right to wed as of mid-June, according to Michele Kane, spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Nonetheless, department lawyers are drafting guidelines to bring the state's 33 adult prisons into compliance with the court's ruling that same-sex couples must be treated the...

The gap between those who support and those who oppose same-sex marriage is closing, and a poll indicates that backing for a proposition to ban such marriages is lagging. Those were two of the main findings of a poll conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California and released Wednesday. The wide-ranging poll found that 60 percent of those surveyed favor bringing home troops in Iraq, that President Bush's approval rating is 24 percent and that 63 percent of likely California voters favor universal health care. However, the biggest concern among Californians today is the economy, the poll found. The...

(AP) A proposal aimed at effectively banning gays and lesbians from becoming foster or adoptive parents was cleared Monday to appear on this fall's ballot in Arkansas. The measure would prohibit unmarried couples living together from fostering or adopting children, and Arkansas doesn't allow gays to marry or recognize gay marriages conducted elsewhere. Secretary of State Charlie Daniels certified the proposed initiated act for the Nov. 4 ballot after verifying that the Arkansas Family Council Action Committee had submitted 85,389 valid signatures of registered voters. Supporters needed to turn in at least 61,974 valid signatures. "Arkansas needs to affirm the...