Gay Marriages

A busy few days for your gay marriage planners.

Last week we reported the change of the law in Norway authorising gay marriage.

This week=end, we learned that two Anglican priests, Rev Peter Cowell and Rev Dr David Lord, (already united by a Civil Partnership) exchanged vows and rings in a blessing ceremony at a London church, thereby re-igniting the internal feud conducted across continents by members of the Anglican Church about gay clergy (source). Gene Robinson's claims that if the Church got rid of gay clergy it would collapse (source) probably didn't help the matter either. The priest who officiated at the blessing ceremony reportedly now find himself threatened with a disciplinary action by his hierarchy while Rev Dr David Lord has resigned.

On 15 May, the Supreme Court of California overturned the state's ban on same-sex marriage. The four-to-three decision made California the second state, after Massachusetts (Vermont, Connecticut and New Jersey only offer civil contracts), to allow full marriage rights for same-sex partners. The Ruling is taking effect today and couples from across the United States are expecting to flock to the Golden State to tie the knot, so much so the local LGBT associations have produced a joint press release asking the newly wed not to start suing their respective states for a recognition of their union once returned home for fear that it might set back to struggle for equality.

Start Trek star George Takei, 71, has announced he would marry his partner of 21 years while opponents of same-sex marriage have managed to qualify for the November elections an amendment to the State Constitution (titled the "California Marriage Protection Act" by its proponents; titled the "Limit on Marriage" amendment for the ballot) that would explicitly state that "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California," Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has issued several statements pledging to oppose the amendment.

www.freedomtomarry.org