During the Democratic National Convention last week in Boston, Mass., speakers were screened prior to camera time at the podium to ensure no mention of gay marriage would be made, according to the New York Post. Democratic nominee John Kerry is against gay marriage but says he's also against George Bush's proposed Constitutional Amendment.
In Seattle, a superior court judge heard arguments for and against gay marriage, reports the Seattle Times. Eight gay couples sued King County, Wash., for the right to marry. The county, state and clergymen intervened in the case and argued that marriage should be an institution between a man and a woman.
Gay couples in Maine this weekend were able to register their domestic partnerships with the state, reports the Portland Press Herald. The state legislature passed the law creating the registry earlier this year.
Authorities in a town 30 miles North of Mobile, Ala., believe an 18-year-old man may have been murdered because he was gay, reports AP. Scotty Joe Weaver's body was found after he was beaten, his throat was cut, and his body was burned. About $65 was reportedly stolen. His two unemployed roommates and one friend have all been charged with capital murder. Though Alabama's hate-crimes statute does not include crimes based on sexuality, prosecutors say they could ask for the death penalty if they determine the murder was the result of a hate crime.
Marriages performed in Massachusetts for residents and nonresidents alike are beginning to cause problems for gay newlyweds when it comes to the federal government, reports AP. In one case, an FBI agent from Connecticut married her lesbian partner in late May after such marriages became legal in Massachusetts. When she applied for medical benefits for her new wife, the Bureau initially approved the benefits but later 'corrected' their mistake and told the woman the federal government only recognizes marriage as one between a man and a woman. On a similar note, a Massachusetts man was denied a name change on his U.S. passport. The National Passport Center in Portsmouth, N.H. informed Donald Henneberger, formerly Donald Smith, that a marriage license for a same-sex couple was not sufficient to change ones name on ones passport. The Center cited the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
At its annual convention in Hawaii last week, the American Psychological Association, the world's largest organization of psychologists, endorsed same-sex civil marriage. While the country and individual states wrestle over the issue, the APA says their goal is to educate members about what's best for the mental health of patients.
If you need another openly gay character on TV, turn on Fox and watch the Simpsons. The New York Post reports that creator Matt Groening and other producers of the show let out the secret at the San Diego Comic Convention. There's no word yet on who the gay character may be, but producers say a wedding will take place.
