Word: gays
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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When Marcia Hams and Susan Shepherd cut into their wedding cake at city hall in Cambridge, Mass., on May 17, 2004, after becoming the first same-sex couple in the U.S. to complete a state-sanctioned marriage application, they probably hoped their union would open the floodgates for gay couples across the country. But instead, it became a high-water mark for same-sex marriage as the acrimonious debate over the issue raged on--a moment equaled only by a California Supreme Court's ruling in mid-May overturning the state's ban on gay marriage...
...Gay-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...
California gay-marriage ruling inspires ELLEN DEGENERES and GEORGE TAKEI to marry (but not each other...
...that rages over abortion, is a testament to the judicial branch’s ability to shape societal institutions. As commentators have frequently noted, both sides have embraced the power of the court as a last resort in their struggles for desired outcomes—advocates of gay marriage hope courts will uphold their rights to the practice, while opponents hope courts will agree it is unconstitutional. But in all likelihood, last week’s decision in California will be overturned at the ballot box come fall, since the prevailing sentiments among voters is still one of opposition...
...Finally, this decision could have a net negative effect on gay rights. Currently, the California constitution does not mention gay marriage, either to forbid or require its recognition. The Court’s rash decision to interpret this silence as a guarantee of gay rights could provoke the populace to remove the ambiguity: November’s state elections could see a referendum on a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. Unfortunately, by opening a new battlefront on the constitution, the court has provoked such drastic kinds of move that could set back progress on the issue by decades...