California Reintroduces Gay Marriage Bill
California's newly sworn Legislature on Monday reintroduced legislation that would allow
gay couples to marry in the state of California and also another bill that would let unmarried, heterosexual couples register as domestic partners. Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, said he hoped the Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who vetoed a nearly identical gay marriage bill in 2005, would change his position on the new bill. Schwarzenegger has said it is up to voters or the courts, not lawmakers, to settle the contentious issue of
gay marriage.California law does not permit gay marriage, but gay couples who register as domestic partners are given most of the same rights as married couples.A Superior Court in San Francisco ruled last year that having separate rules for gay and straight couples was unconstitutional. But an appeals court reversed that decision in October, saying it was up to the Legislature, not the courts, to decide whether to change the traditional definition of marriage.
by: gay/lesbian news
Vancouver rated top city for gay tourists
VANCOUVER ? Karen Wetzel of Louisiana has a vivid first impression of Vancouver -- and it doesn't include mountain peaks and ocean views.
When Ms. Wetzel and her partner, Claudette Oster, told the customs officer at Vancouver Airport they had travelled to Canada to marry, the official beamed and said, "Well, congratulations and welcome to Vancouver."
The big grin from the border guard took both women off guard. Back home in Baton Rouge, only a few friends and co-workers know that the women are
lesbians. When the customs official embraced their status, Ms. Wetzel felt instantly at home in Canada.
"That's the way it began and it set the whole tone for the time," Ms. Wetzel, 57, said in a telephone interview from Baton Rouge.
This year, Tourism Vancouver offered a
gay-marriage sweepstakes to Americans. More than 400 gay and lesbian couples entered the draw to win a $50,000 wedding package, complete with a honeymoon cruise to Alaska.
Giving
gay Americans a good tourism experience is also a wise business move because a happy tourist is more likely to be a return tourist. Ms. Wetzel is among them.She and Ms. Oster came for the wedding, but fell in love with Vancouver's exquisite restaurants and beautiful gardens. "Vancouver is your crown jewel," she said. "It is exquisitely beautiful. I want to move there."
by:JANE ARMSTRONG
