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TOP6NEWS - September 16, 2004 1-NEWS: Lambda files suit against GA m amendment 2-NEWS: MI AG opinion: MA ssm couples can't adopt 3-NEWS: Lambda files federal suit to overturn OK adoption law 4-NEWS: Manitoba legalizes ssm 5-NEWS: SS divorce rules in Canada still hazy 6-OP-ED: IN judge wants legislature to address ss custody cases ________________________________________________________ 1-NEWS: Lambda files suit against GA m amendment Plaintiff's motion for injunction Opponents of gay marriage ban file suit The Georgia ACLU, Lambda Legal and several plaintiffs, including State Rep. Tyrone Brooks (D-Atlanta) and state Sen. David Adelman (D-Decatur), contend the ballot question is "deceptive" because the proposed amendment goes further than simply banning same-sex marriage. The lawsuit also claims the amendment violates the state Constitution because it covers several issues in addition to gay marriage, such as civil unions and the jurisdiction of Georgia courts. Several groups opposing the amendment claim it could threaten domestic partnerships, hospital visitation rights, medical and financial powers of attorney, and parental rights. "This lawsuit is about protecting the voters of Georgia and protecting the sanctity of the ballot," said Beth Littrell, attorney for the Georgia American Civil Liberties Union. Littrell and lawyers from Lambda Legal, a national organization representing the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, said they oppose the idea of a gay marriage ban, but emphasized the lawsuit focused solely on the legal aspects of the constitutional amendment and ballot question. ... ________________________________________________________ 2-NEWS: MI AG opinion: MA ssm couples can't adopt Associated Press, September 15, 2004 The opinion, written by Attorney General Mike Cox, said a same-sex marriage performed in another state is invalid in Michigan and therefore precludes that couple from obtaining a joint adoption here. "It's an anti-family opinion," said Beverly Davidson, president of the Coalition for Adoption Rights Equality, which supports same-sex adoptions. "There are a number of children in our state who need permanent homes. Limiting who can adopt them is a disservice." While the Republican attorney general's opinion specifically addressed whether the state can recognize same-sex marriages performed in Massachusetts and whether those couples can adopt children in Michigan, critics worry that it further cripples gays' rights and their ability to adopt. ... ________________________________________________________ 3-NEWS: Lambda files federal suit to overturn OK adoption law Complaint Sixteen state representatives and one senator wrote the law, which Gov. Brad Henry signed in May, in response to an opinion issued by Attorney General Drew Edmondson a month earlier. The opinion required the state to recognize all adoptions, regardless of the gender of parents. A gay couple from Washington state, Ed Swaya and Greg Hampel, sought the opinion when they asked for a birth certificate listing both of them as their daughter's parents. The state Health Department had initially refused to list Swaya because he was not the birth mother. ... ________________________________________________________ 4-NEWS: Manitoba legalizes ssm Manitoba legalizes same-sex marriage "The traditional definition of marriage in Manitoba is reformulated to mean a voluntary union for life of two persons at the exclusion of all others," Justice Yard said in his decision. ... ________________________________________________________ 5-NEWS: SS divorce rules in Canada still hazy Same-sex divorce rules still hazy Now that an Ontario couple has been given Canada's first same-sex divorce, experts are divided over just how easy it will be for gays and lesbians in other provinces to end their marriages. The women, known only as M.M. and J.H., were divorced on Monday by a Superior Court judge, who declared the definition of spouse in the federal Divorce Act unconstitutional. The law had defined spouse as a man or woman married to each other and prevented same-sex couples from divorcing. Same-sex divorce may seem like "a no-brainer," said Brenda Cossman, a professor and family law expert at the University of Toronto's law school. "If you can get into marriage, surely to God you've got to be able to get out," she said yesterday. ... Nothing in the legislation, however, deals with same-sex divorce. ... ________________________________________________________ 6-OP-ED: IN judge wants legislature to address ss custody cases Judge seeking custody laws in same-sex cases "Unfortunately, the Indiana General Assembly has not yet created a vehicle for a court to address child custody disputes when a same-sex relationship terminates," Hamilton Superior Court Judge Bernard "Buddy" Pylitt said in a recent order setting a final hearing in the case for Jan. 31. "The General Assembly is encouraged to address this vacuum at its earliest convenience." ... |
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