Word: equalized
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Same-sex marriage has a short but heated history in the U.S. It first came to national attention in a 1993 Hawaii case, in which judges found that the state's constitution required a compelling reason not to extend to gays equal marriage rights. The ruling prompted Congress to push through the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which prevented homosexual couples from receiving benefits traditionally conferred by marriage. Since then, states have scrambled to define their own stance on the issue, in some cases recognizing civil unions or domestic partnerships...
...marriage supporters have notched some victories, most notably in 2003, when the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that gays had equal marriage rights. But opponents are winning the legislative fight. Twenty-seven states have passed constitutional bans on gay marriage, while just 10 have granted rights to homosexual couples. Polls have shown that a majority of Americans--including Californians--remain opposed to gay marriage. And in response to the 2003 Massachusetts victory, 13 states passed anti-gay-marriage initiatives in the subsequent election. Gay-rights activists must hope the three states likely facing similar measures won't follow suit this November...
...decision to recognize same-sex marriage. As gay and lesbian couples hugged each other in the streets, the Court met with an outpouring of undeserved criticism from conservative and religious organizations. Despite this sentiment, California’s decision is a just one, upholding constitutional rights and creating equality throughout the state. The California Supreme Court cited both the constitutional right to marry and the right to equal protection under the law as reasons for expanding the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples. Although California civil unions previously provided same-sex couples with similar legal benefits to marriage...
More substantively, Weis has suggested the city equip his officers with M4 carbines so they can be on equal footing with the criminals they confront. But so far, Weis' major crime-fighting initiative has been to saturate crime-tossed neighborhoods, like South Austin on Chicago's West Side, with police officers. That's where several people, including a 16-year-old, were shot at a party on the evening of April 19. Now, police officers are assigned to patrol South Austin's tree-lined streets during the day - on foot and bike. By night, those patrols are to be reinforced...
...have been harassed, the straight 17-year-old was outraged. Gillman responded to the suspensions - and the claim that the students had committed "illegal organizing" - by wearing a rainbow T-shirt and her cousin's rainbow belt to school. But soon after, when the school board prohibited expressions supporting equal rights for gay people at the school, Heather's mother, Ardena Gillman, decided more serious action was called for. She talked to the local branch of the American Civil Liberties union, which pursued the case on the grounds that Gillman's First Amendment rights were being violated. This week...