TOP6NEWS - Date 6.29.05

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1-NEWS: Canadian Commons votes to legalize ssm
2-NEWS: Reaction to Canada's ssm
3-NEWS: Ontario Court of Appeal dismisses long-standing spousal support law
4-NEWS: Head of United Church of Christ endorses ssm resolution
5-NEWS: More than enough signatures for ME so repeal referendum
6-NEWS: OR CU bill sent back to committee
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1-NEWS: Canadian Commons votes to legalize ssm

LES WHITTINGTON AND SEAN GORDON Toronto Star OTTAWA BUREAU
OTTAWA—A bill to legalize gay and lesbian marriage was passed by a bitterly divided House of Commons last night in a vote likely to reverberate for months, if not years, to come.
Prime Minister Paul Martin's government, with the support of New Democrat and Bloc Québécois MPs, overrode opposition from the Conservatives and 32 Liberals to win final approval of the legislation, 158 to 133.
"Tonight's vote is about the Charter of Rights," Martin said shortly before the dramatic roll call.
"We are a nation of minorities, and in a nation of minorities, it is important that you don't cherry-pick rights. A right is a right, and that's what this is all about."
After the vote on Bill C-38, the Commons adjourned for the summer and will resume sitting on Sept. 26.

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2-NEWS: Reaction to Canada's ssm

ChristianToday, UK, June 29, 2005
Churches Feel "Breach of Trust" as Canada Passes Gay Marriage Bill Maria Mackay
The Canadian House of Commons has approved the same-sex bill last night with 158-133 votes in favour, making it the third country in the world to legalise gay marriages.
The vote marks the end of an intensive and tumultuous two-year battle which has divided the country as well as the House of Commons.
Yesterday, Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin in response to the result commented, "(This) is about the Charter of Rights. We are a nation of minorities. And in a nation of minorities, it is important that you don’t cherry-pick rights.
"A right is a right and that is what this vote tonight is all about."
The vote will come as a great victory for same-sex supporters and the 34,000 gay and lesbian couples living in Canada. Just two years ago the Liberal government was still fighting same-sex couples in state courts across Canada.

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3-NEWS: Ontario Court of Appeal dismisses long-standing spousal support law

Ruling alters spousal support
Landmark case allows changes in court orders, redefines `till death do us part'
TRACEY TYLER
Toronto Star LEGAL AFFAIRS REPORTER
Eileen Mary Tierney-Hynes and Adrian Hynes married in Ireland in 1975 and divorced in Manitoba 12 years later. She helped pay his way through medical school and stayed at home raising their three children.
After their divorce, Hynes paid $300 a month in spousal support and $500 for each of their children. When his income as a family physician dropped, he decided to return to school to become a psychiatrist and a court terminated the support payments on the understanding that improving his professional credentials would benefit the family.
Three years ago, with her ex-husband earning approximately $250,000 a year as a psychiatrist, Tierney-Hynes asked to have her support payments reinstated to $11,180 a month, plus a lump sum of $500,000.

Court Decision
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4-NEWS: Head of United Church of Christ endorses ssm resolution

Church Leader Endorses Gay Marriage
Head of United Church of Christ Endorses Same-Sex Marriage Resolution By ERRIN HAINES Associated Press Writer The Associated Press
ATLANTA Jun 29, 2005 — With a possible historic vote looming on a measure supporting same-sex marriage, the head of the United Church of Christ on Tuesday publicly endorsed the resolution for the first time.
The Rev. John H. Thomas said Tuesday that the church's General Synod "should affirm the rights of gay, lesbian and transgender persons" to have marriages "equal in name, privileges and responsibilities to married heterosexual couples."
"I believe our local churches, as they are able, should move toward the development of marriage equality policies," Thomas added during a speech at Emory University.

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5-NEWS: More than enough signatures for ME so repeal referendum

By PAUL CARRIER, Portland Press Herald Writer Copyright © 2005 Blethen
AUGUSTA — Opponents of a new state law that would protect homosexuals from discrimination on the job and elsewhere say they have enough public support to ask voters to repeal the law in a Nov. 8 referendum. On Tuesday, the Coalition for Marriage submitted petitions to the state containing what leaders described as more than 57,000 voter signatures. That is far more than the 50,519 needed to set up a "people's veto" referendum on Election Day, although it remains to be seen how many signatures the state will certify as valid.
Coalition leaders delivered the bulk of the petitions to the Secretary of State's Office shortly before 4 p.m., and more continued to trickle in as the 5 p.m. filing deadline neared.

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6-NEWS: OR CU bill sent back to committee

SALEM --Senate Democratic leaders Tuesday sent back to committee a bill establishing civil unions for same-sex couples, and prohibiting discrimination against gays and lesbians.
The move came as Senate Bill 1000 was on its way to a floor vote this week, over the objections of Republicans on the Senate Rules Committee.
But Democratic Majority Leader Kate Brown, D-Portland, said the bill was being returned to committee to address concerns raised since it was voted out of the Senate Rules Committee last week.

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