Argentina legalizes gay marriage in historic vote

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina legalized same-sex marriage Thursday, becoming the first country in Latin America to grant gays and lesbians all the legal rights, responsibilities and protections that marriage brings to heterosexual couples.

After a marathon debate, 33 lawmakers voted in favor, 27 were against it and 3 abstained in Argentina’s Senate in a vote that ended after 4 a.m. Since the lower house already approved it, and President Cristina Fernandez is a strong supporter, it now becomes law as soon as it is published in the official bulletin.

The law is sure to bring a wave of marriages by gays and lesbians who have increasingly found Buenos Aires to be more accepting than many other places in the region.

The approval came despite a concerted campaign by the Roman Catholic Church and evangelical groups, which drew 60,000 people to march on Congress and urged parents in churches and schools to work against passage.

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio said “everyone loses” with gay marriage, and “children need to have the right to be raised and educated by a father and a mother.”

Argentina legalizes gay marriage

Presbyterians continue to be divided over gays

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A split decision from Presbyterian leaders on two gay-friendly measures guarantees even more debate among the U.S. church’s members on an issue they’ve been divided over for years.

Delegates to the Presbyterian church’s convention in Minneapolis voted Thursday for a more liberal policy on gay clergy but decided not to redefine marriage in their church constitution to include same-sex couples. Approval of both measures could have made the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) one of the most gay-friendly major Christian churches in the U.S.

Even the more liberal stance on gay clergy faces more debate before it can become church policy. A majority of the church’s 173 U.S. presbyteries must approve it. Two years ago — after years of efforts by supporters — a similar measure was sent out to presbyteries but died when 94 of them voted against it.

Both of Thursday’s votes were close. Fifty-one percent of delegates voted to shelve the proposal to redefine marriage as being between “two people” instead of between “a man and a woman,” just hours after 53 percent of them voted to allow non-celibate gays in committed relationships to serve as clergy.

Read more...

White House silent on state gay marriage ruling

BOSTON (AP) — A key part of a law denying married gay couples federal benefits has been thrown out the window in Massachusetts, the first state to legalize gay marriage. The ball now lies in the White House’s court, which must carefully calculate the next move by an administration that has faced accusations it has not vigorously defended the law of the land.

President Barack Obama has said repeatedly that he would like to see the federal Defense of Marriage Act, known as DOMA, repealed. But the Justice Department has defended the constitutionality of the law, which it is required to do.

The administration was silent Friday on whether it would appeal rulings by U.S. District Judge Joseph Tauro. Spokespeople for the White House and the Justice Department said officials are still reviewing the rulings.

DOMA defines marriage as between a man and a woman, prevents the federal government from recognizing gay marriages and allows states to deny recognition of same-sex unions performed elsewhere. Since the law passed in 1996, many states have instituted their own bans on gay marriage, and a handful have allowed the practice.

Read more...

Serbian gays want to meet with Patriarch Irinej

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — A Serbian gay group has asked to meet with the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Irinej, to seek his help in curbing anti-gay violence.

The Gay-Lesbian Info Center says in a statement posted on the group’s website that gay people “are suffering violence on a daily basis” and that many assailants justify attacks with religious beliefs.

The group says that “therefore the church can play a role in reducing the violence.”

There has been no immediate response from the Serbian church, which has considerable influence in conservative Serbia. Church elders have in the past criticized homosexuality.

Serbia also has faced international criticism after a gay pride march was canceled last year over extremist threats.

Pentagon at odds with gay rights groups

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is at odds with gay rights groups after sending out a survey asking troops what they would do if gays were allowed to serve openly.

Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters Friday it was “nonsense” to suggest that the 103-question survey was biased.

But gay rights groups say the survey assumes troops don’t want to serve with openly gay service members and uses repeatedly the term “homosexual,” which they say is derogatory. The survey also doesn’t ask troops if they think the current ban is harmful.

The survey was prepared by the researching firm Westat under a $4.5 million contract. Among the questions in the survey is how a service member would respond if assigned to a room with a gay person.

If gays can’t marry in NY, official won’t either

NEW YORK (AP) — One New York City official is making a statement on gay marriage by refusing to get married in his home state.

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer says he and fiancee Elyse Buxbaum have decided to get married in Connecticut, rather than New York, because Connecticut allows same-sex unions and New York does not.

Stringer tells The New York Times the couple made the decision out of solidarity with gay friends who can’t get married in their home state either.

New York’s State Senate killed a bill seven months ago that would have allowed same-sex marriage.