Same-Sex Marriage

Connie Boardman and Bob Foster, Mayors of Huntington Beach and Long Beach, Put Ink to Marriage Equality Paper

Huntington Beach Mayor Connie Boardman and her Orange County-adjacent colleague Bob Foster in Long Beach are among 25 California mayors who have signed a Courage Campaign letter supporting gay marriage.All the other OC mayors--it seems as if there are 50 or so--apparently could not find pens with in ... More >>

Candlelight Vigil for Marriage Equality Tomorrow in Santa Ana

Tomorrow, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear the legal challenge to California's Proposition 8. But instead of taking the rallying, angry, and sign-pumping approach to fighting for gay marriage--although that's perfectly legit as well!--equality warriors in Orange County have decided to hold a candle ... More >>

Chris Kluwe, NFL Punter Out of Los Al High and Marriage Equality Champion, to be Feted in OC

Chris Kluwe, the Minnesota Vikings punter, has been honored in Minneapolis-St. Paul and around the country for being a straight champion for marriage equality. But where's the love where the professional athlete's road to sporting fame began, Orange County, because . . . he . . . uh . . . check that ... More >>

Is John Eastman Hiding Homo-Haters?

Former presidential candidate Fred Karger wants the former Chapman University law professor to reveal who's donating money to his fight against gay marriage

Your Chris Kluwe OC Weekly Cover Story Extra Credit Reading Assignment

Andy Mannix's excellent cover story on Chris Kluwe, the pride of Los Alamitos High School, shows how a Minnesota Vikings punter managed to eclipse his NFL career by becoming perhaps the nation's leading straight proponent for marriage equality. The story mentions a video Baltimore Ravens linebacker ... More >>

Chris Kluwe's Game Changer

The Los Al High grad and Minnesota Vikings punter is prying open America's last closet: major-league sports

Long Beach Play '8' is Public Theater's Coming Out Party

A new theater entity opens Friday in Long Beach and rarely has a producing organization exploded from the box with a more emotionally charged subject or with such a familiar cast. The entity is the Public Theatre of Long Beach. The play is 8, which dramatizes the courtroom battle that resulted in ... More >>

Federal Appeals Court Won't Touch California Gay Marriage Ruling

Because a majority of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals' 26 judges declined to revisit a three-member panel's ruling striking down Prop 8, the court will not reconsider the decision to overturn California's same-sex marriage ban.Proponents of Prop 8 earlier indicated they would appeal next to th ... More >>

[BREAKING:] Orange County OK's Domestic Partnerships

Who would have thunk it?In a state that currently does not allow gay marriage, a county has just approved domestic partnerships.It's Orange County, which is incredible considering the political makeup of the leaders who . . . uh . . . check that . . .

Bush-Appointed Federal Judge Tosses Out Defense of Marriage Act

​During the five months when gay marriage was legal in California in 2008, Karen Golinski, a staff attorney for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals--the most liberal court in America--married her long-time girlfriend, Amy Cunninghis, and attempted to enroll Cunninghis in her federal medical insuran ... More >>

Let Them Eat (a Gay Wedding) Cake: Gay Activists Get Their Valentine's Day on at Orange County Courthouse

​Linda May said it took her a long time to bake the "domestic partnership" cake she displayed Tuesday outside the Orange County Courthouse at 211 W. Santa Ana Blvd. in downtown Santa Ana.She said the cake is symbolic of the gay community's efforts to overturn laws against same-sex marriage. " ... More >>

[UPDATED With New Celebration Location:] Court Strikes Down Proposition 8; Celebration in Downtown Santa Ana Tonight!

UPDATED, FEB. 7, 4:30 P.M.:The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday struck down California's ban on same-sex marriage.A three-judge panel ruled 2-1 that Proposition 8, which limits marriage to one man and one woman and was approved by voters in 2008, violates equal protection rights u ... More >>

Proposition 8 Ruling to Come Tuesday

​The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday is expected to release a decision on Proposition 8, the state's same-sex marriage ban approved by voters in 2008.U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, who is now retired, ruled in 2010 that the ban violated federal equal protection rights for gay and les ... More >>

Quick Ruling for Gay Marriage in California Expected Despite Today's Prop 8 Ruling

​The California Supreme Court ruled today that gay marriage foes can fight the reversal of Prop 8.Because the offices of the governor and state attorney general refuse to defend the same-sex marriage ban, legal scholars such as UC Irvine School of Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky had opined that Prop 8 ... More >>

[BREAKING:] Judge's Right to Rule on Prop. 8 Affirmed

​The chief federal judge in San Francisco has ruled that his retired colleague Vaughn Walker was under no legal obligation to step aside from ruling on California's same-sex marriage ban because he is a gay man.Walker ruled in August that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.

In Fred Karger's Presidential Run, GOP Stands for Gay Old Party

The OC resident and onetime Republican hatchet man hopes his quixotic campaign can push his party to become more gay-friendly

Decision Against Resuming Same-Sex Weddings Emboldens Prop. 8 Backers But Fails to Deter Foes

​Three federal judges ruled today that gay marriage cannot resume in California until state and federal appeals courts decide the fate of Proposition 8--something that may be more than a year away.Judges Stephen Reinhardt, Michael Daly Hawkins and N. Randy Smith of the U.S. Court of Appeal for t ... More >>

[UPDATED] Federal Government Will No Longer Defend Defense of Marriage Act

​UPDATE, FEB. 23, 4:18 P.M.: The couple who filed the first marriage equality case in California and later became petitioners to overturn Prop 8, Diane Olson and Robin Tyler, said today's decision by the Obama administration to stop defending the federal government's anti-gay marriage law is "a hu ... More >>

Barbara Coe Calls U.S. Federal Court Judge Vaughn Walker a 'Homo'

​California Coalition for Immigration Reform head witch Barbara Coe sends so many damn e-mails to her minions that some inevitably fall behind the radiator--like the one I just found that's dated Aug. 6, 2010. The occasion was the repealing of the anti-gay-marriage Proposition 8 by U.S. District C ... More >>

Proposition 8 Ruling: One Challenge Rejected, Another Bounced Back to State Supreme Court

​In at least a partial setback for the h8rs, the Los Angeles Times reports that a federal appeals court has rejected Imperial County's challenge to Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling that California's Proposition 8 ballot initiative, which banned same-sex marriage, is unconstitutional.The 9th Circuit Co ... More >>

Maggie Gallagher: Prop 8 Reversal Would End Human Species

​Folks are passionate on both sides of the gay-marriage debate, but at the end of the day, however the courts ultimately rule on California's Prop 8, it's not the like the world is going to end the next day.Uh, check that . . .  Forgot to first run that blanket statement by Maggie Gallagher, ... More >>

OC's Top Law School Deans Spar Over Prop 8

Mary Bell/ OC Weekly​The culture clash sparked by Proposition 8 places a premium on sound legal interpretation and commentary.Two of Orange County's preeminent legal scholars are attracting considerable attention from local and national media outlets alike, from CNN to the Weekly. Mirroring the Ca ... More >>

Prop 8 Argued in Law & Order Court, Paddy's Pub (of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia)

​The legal war over Prop 8 is still fresh fodder for Sunday news snore fests, daily chat spat shows and late night laugh offs, so it was only a matter of time before California's controversial gay marriage initiative filtered its way into scripted television programming.But the two shows that will ... More >>

Jerry Brown: Gay Weddings Can Resume

​"With Prop 8 resoundingly rejected in federal court, there is no reason marriages can't resume now."Jerry Brown, who wants to be California's next governor (again) posted that on his Twitter page less than an hour ago.However, as the Golden State's current attorney general, he has done much more ... More >>

Surprise, Surprise: Prop 8 Backers Will Appeal

Photo by Mary Bell/OC Weekly​It was only a matter of time--fewer than 24 hours transpired--before Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker's controversial ruling declaring Proposition 8 unconstitutional was appealed by Prop 8 backers."We will certainly appeal this disappointing decision.  Its ... More >>

Prop 8: Twitter Reacts

​We took to Twitter to check out some of the reactions to the overturning of Proposition 8. Read through for some of the best and worst tweets out there.friedmanjon: Prop 8 is overturned! This is the best Shark Week ever! Jesus_M_Christ: A California judge overturned Prop 8? Sometimes you humans ... More >>

Closing Arguments in Prop. 8 Trial Begin Today

​Today marks the beginning of the closing arguments in the trial brought in San Francisco federal court against California's voter-approved same-sex marriage ban, Proposition 8.A few developments from recent weeks in the Prop. 8-watching world if you haven't been following along:

Proposition 8 Is Keeping Same-Sex Couples From Marrying, But It Has United OC's Gay Community

Talking to a Beauty Queen (No, Not That One) About Gay Marriage

Iowa Gay Marriage Ruling Means Everything or Nothing

The Iowa Supreme Court's overturning of the law banning same-sex marriage in that state either bolsters the arguments of those pushing for gay marriage in California or has nothing to do with the issue here. It depends on who you ask.National Center for Lesbian Rights legal director Shannon Minter:" ... More >>

Protect the Children, Sign Church's Petition to Ban Mormon Marriage

When California's gay marriage legal debate gets tough, the tough get weirder: Universal Free Church has now launched a national petition drive to ban Mormon marriage.Mary Cristos, leader of the new, St. Louis-based "Free" religious denomination, says the UFC believes in "religious freedom and relig ... More >>

Chapman Law School Dean Needs to Read Navel Gazing!

EastmanI appeared on KOCE-TV Channel 50's Inside OC with Rick Reiff a couple of weeks ago to debate Chapman Law School Dean John Eastman on Proposition 8 and other topics on which we mostly agreed. Eastman is one of the legal minds behind the Yes on 8 arguments that will be argued tomorrow before th ... More >>

Because You're Ugly: Urban Outfitters Pulls Tees in Support of Gay Marriage

Repeat offender Urban Outfitters has made headlines once again: the leading retailer has taken T-shirts supporting gay marriage off its California shelves this week. The printed Tees, a staple for the popular chain, simply read "I Support Same Sex Marriage." When questioned, a buyer for Urban Outf ... More >>

God Punks Rick Warren!

Saddleback Church head Rick Warren was on Hannity & Colmes last night giving non-answers to whether he supports domestic partnerships instead of gay marriage and continuing his ahistorical analysis of marriage through history. But I could only pay so much attention to the Purpose-Driven Man before I ... More >>

Prop 8: No Way in Hell Is This Over

I spent my Election Night trying to find non-existent parking outside Hamburger Mary's in Long Beach. The celebration inside sure looked like fun, though, but I don't think I would have stuck around past midnight to watch all the tears turn from Obama joy to Prop 8 despair. Failing that, I instead d ... More >>

The Prince and His Bridegroom

*Update: Garden Grove Unified is stricter with the book than earlier reported. See after the jump. The proposition that was once about the state constitution and a ban on same-sex marriage has been whittled down to an argument over schools, sex education and, most entertainingly, a little children' ... More >>

But What About the Same-Sex Marriage Officiants?

It's time for everyone to stop, take a breath and think about the people who will really be screwed should Prop. 8 pass. These are, of course, the wedding officiators who perform same-sex marriages and have now gone public with their "fervent opposition" to the California voter initiative that would ... More >>

Gay Marriage Foes Find Latino Mouthpieces in OC

Where should a conspicuously anti-family, anti-civil rights, anti-gay marriage political “coalition” go when it's looking for Latinos to sound alarms and corral other Latinos to vote for their anti-gay marriage proposition in November? None other than Orange County, of course, where hatred does ... More >>

Calvary Chapel's Pendejo Pastor

*Note: This was once a much-longer post but was lost because my PC is goofy...here's what I remember: My prediction: few groups will unleash the anti-gay hounds more viciously in the battle over same-sex marriage in California than the Calvary Chapel fellowship. Founder Chuck Smith is already out t ... More >>

Gay Marriage Portends Increase in Urine Sex, OC Reverend Reveals!

Usually I like to pretend Wiley Drake is really on to something when I blog about his crazy shit, but this email, which sat in my junk folder and remains there (I cut and pasted from it) is outrageously ridiculous enough to print verbatim: What Legal Same Sex Marriages Bring into society........... ... More >>

[Summer Guide] My Big Fat Gay Wedding

Save Straight Marriages, Quash Queer Ones

The funniest of articles appeared earlier this week in the Orange County Register: Christian churches are uniting to save marriage. At Eastside Christian Church in Fullerton, about 100 pastors gathered under the guise of the Orange County Marriage Education Initiative, which its website declares is ... More >>

We're Getting Gay Married!

It was about 10:45 this morning when I flipped on KFWB after getting out of my Santa Ana Saturn dealership—the TV wasn't on in their waiting room, but it would've been interesting to see the reaction of the elderly woman with the scrunched-up face engrossed in her Orange County Register when she h ... More >>

Burning Bush: The Issue

A year in Dubya-dumping by his conservative critics . . . and Howard Stern

Burning Bush

The Presidents Conservative Critics

Just Another Wedding Expo

Gay and lesbian event trudges on, politics be damned

Darn It, There are Still Some Single Gay People

And the odd case of bush vs. Bush

We Respond To Register Letters

Hey, You!

Hate Sells

Tim Millers tale of gay love