Defense Of Marriage Act

It's hard to remember an initiative campaign that tore California in two as painfully as Proposition 8 did. The state might as well retire the number 8 when it comes to propositions; it will long be associated only with the 2008 measure that took the right to wed from gay and lesbian couples, on the same ballot that helped elect Barack Obama president. Proposition 8, which shamefully wrote a ban on same-sex marriage into the state Constitution, was a backlash against the defining civil rights struggle of this era: the quest for equal rights for homosexuals.

Advocates for and against same-sex marriage will make legal arguments to the Supreme Court this week about whether laws such as the federal  Defense of Marriage Act and California's Proposition 8 run afoul of the Constitution.  Meanwhile, in medical literature, doctors, psychologists, sociologists and other researchers have been making the case that allowing gays and lesbians to marry results in tangible health benefits for the couples involved, their...

WASHINGTON -- Snowmelt puddled in front of the Supreme Court steps Monday as more than 50 people prepared to spend a damp night on the sidewalk, burrowed in blankets against freezing rain, to ensure a seat inside the courtroom when lawyers argue for and against Proposition 8, California's gay marriage ban. Some campers had been huddled under tarps and umbrellas for nearly a week, sustained by pizza, doughnuts and cups of hot coffee passed out...

Are gay marriage and abortion culturally equivalent? As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to take up one of the great civil rights issues of our day, many people wonder whether the court might move cautiously so as to avoid the social upheaval and spasms of violence unleashed by its famous 1973 decision legalizing abortion. What a terrible mistake that would be. Tuesday, we will get the chance to hear arguments in the California case over Prop. 8, which outlawed gay marriage in 2008.

As the U.S. Supreme Court prepared to hear arguments in two same-sex marriage cases, hundreds of gay marriage supporters held a rally on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall on Sunday night. As the sun set, people held up flickering white candles and sang "Marry me ... oh oh oh, marry me"  as some waved rainbow flags. "Let's get really loud, so they can hear us all the way to Washington, D.C.," urged Arro Verse, 36, a Los Angeles musical artist who wrote the song. The rally was organized by United for Marriage Los Angeles, a coalition of 25 organizations including churches, temples and gay rights groups.

SAN FRANCISCO--Jean Podrasky, 48, a lesbian who wants to marry her partner, will be at Tuesday's U.S. Supreme Court hearing on Proposition 8 in seating reserved for family members and guests of Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. “I am so excited,” said Podrasky, an accountant and the first cousin of the chief justice on his mother's side. “I feel quite honored and overwhelmed.” Roberts is a conservative appointed by President George W. Bush in 2005. Podrasky, who is more liberal, said she rooted for his nomination to be approved by the U.S. Senate.

Customized TV Listings are available here: www.latimes.com/tvtimes Click here to download TV listings for the week of March 24 - 30, 2013 in PDF format This week's TV Movies     SERIES Monsters vs. Aliens The former are tasked with defending Earth from the latter in this new computer-animated series based on the 2009 movie. 9:30 p.m. Nickelodeon SPECIALS 26th Annual Kids' Choice Awards Young folks pick their pop-culture favorites in this special; "Transformers'?"

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. - Until tax season comes around, Mary Ritchie and Kathy Bush can act like any legally married couple raising two boys. In midwinter, that means watching lots of basketball. "We go to every game and every practice," Bush said. But when they file their tax return with the federal government, they are no longer married. The return is supposed to be "true, correct and complete" by law, but they cannot check "married, filing jointly. " The loss of this routine tax break costs them as much as $6,000 a year.

Facing intense criticism, the Associated Press announced Thursday that it would revise its influential stylebook to include a single standard when referring to gay and straight spouses. It will add this entry for "husband, wife": "Regardless of sexual orientation, 'husband' or 'wife' is acceptable in all references to individuals in any legally recognized marriage. 'Spouse' or 'partner' may be used if requested. " A leaked memo had previously revealed that the massive news agency, which sets the standard for many journalists worldwide, was advising its writers to "generally" call legally married gay spouses "partners" instead of "husband" or "wife.

Last week, the leak of an internal memo revealed that the Associated Press advised its writers "generally" to call legally married gay spouses "partner" instead of "husband" or "wife. " NOTE TO READERS: Since this Op-Ed article was posted on February 21, the Associated Press changed its ruling on the use of "husband" and "wife. " Find an updated version of Nathaniel Frank's article here . The massive news agency, which sets the standard for many journalists worldwide, has it wrong; the default should be just what it is for straight married couples: "husband" and "wife.