TOP6NEWS - Date 6.25.05

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1-NEWS: Report on gay pride parades
2-NEWS: MA AG files SJC brief defending 1913 law
3-NEWS: Canadian ssm bill on its way, not w/o fight
4-NEWS: Dutch cabinet passes ss adoption bill
5-NEWS: Court orders Jerusalem gay pride parade to proceed, mayor must pay
6-NEWS: K. Severson: I'm not willing to settle for crumbs
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1-NEWS: Report on gay pride parades

There are lots of stories about individual parades across the country. If you would like them, let me know.
Parades celebrate 35 years of gay pride
By Justin M. Norton, Associated Press Writer  |  June 26, 2005
SAN FRANCISCO --Undeterred by recent setbacks in the push to legalize same-sex marriage, tens of thousands of festively dressed people marched in parades around the country Sunday to celebrate the 35th anniversary of gay pride.
People celebrated in San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Seattle, Atlanta and other cities, though the event comes during a tough period for gay rights advocates. A bill to legalize same-sex marriage died this year in the California Assembly, and many states have passed or are pursuing constitutional amendments outlawing gay marriage.

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2-NEWS: MA AG files SJC brief defending 1913 law

Attorney General defends state's 1913 marriage law By Denise Lavoie, AP Legal Affairs Writer, dlavoie@ap.org BOSTON --State Attorney General Thomas Reilly, defending a 1913 state law prohibiting out-of-state couples from marrying in Massachusetts if their weddings are prohibited in their home states, argues in court documents that the nearly century-old law is not being used to discriminate against same-sex couples.
The 1913 law has been hotly debated since May 17, 2004, when Massachusetts became the first state in the country to allow gay marriages.
Gay-rights advocates have argued that the 1913 law is unconstitutional and has been unfairly applied to out-of-state same-sex couples since Massachusetts began allowing gay couples to marry here. The law is being challenged in a lawsuit filed on behalf of eight same-sex couples from six other states who wanted to get married in Massachusetts but were denied.

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3-NEWS: Canadian ssm bill on its way, not w/o fight

Canadian Press, Canada, June 26, 2005 Same-sex marriage bill on its way to adoption, despite Tory rear-guard action Jim Brown, Canadian Press
OTTAWA (CP) - One way or another, it appears that same-sex marriage will soon be the law of the land - the whole land, with no exceptions. The only question, as federal politicians head into an unusual summer sitting of the House of Commons, is whether it will take a couple of days or a couple of weeks to pass the legislation sponsored by the minority Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin.
Jay Hill, the Conservative House leader, signalled Sunday that his party won't go down without a fight.

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4-NEWS: Dutch cabinet passes ss adoption bill

Posted: June 25, 2005  4:00 pm ET
The Hague) The Dutch cabinet has passed a bill allowing gay couples to adopt foreign children in the Netherlands, creating greater equality with heterosexuals.
The change in law also scraps a three-year probation period for gay step-parents to adopt, making it possible for a lesbian to adopt immediately if her partner gives birth.

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5-NEWS: Court orders Jerusalem gay pride parade to proceed, mayor must pay

By Laurie Copans, Associated Press Writer  |  June 26, 2005
JERUSALEM --An Israeli court ruled Sunday that Jerusalem's gay pride parade could proceed as planned this week and ordered the city's mayor to pay $6,500 out of his own pocket for trying to stop it.
In rare cooperation, the ultra Orthodox Jewish and Muslim communities in the holy city had tried to prevent the parade, scheduled for June 30, saying it would infringe on their religious sensitivities.

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6-NEWS: K. Severson: I'm not willing to settle for crumbs

By Kim Severson
There is such a sweet light in the face of the straight people who want me to get married. It starts with that sparkly, conspiratorial smile.
They squeeze my arm, leaning in like a favorite auntie. "So," they say, "are you going to Massachusetts?"
I can barely stand the kick to the curb I'm about to deliver.
I would love nothing more than to marry my partner. I love this girl. I want the dinner and the dance and the promise of her Social Security check if, God forbid, she dies young. I want a joint tax return and the family discount at the health club.
I also want some return for the years I've spent giving straight people wedding presents. I want everyone at the office to gasp at my engagement ring and pitch in for a bad bakery cake to celebrate. I want the magic of the day I was conditioned to hope for.

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