Free Republic

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is asking the Florida Supreme Court to rule on same-sex marriage in the Sunshine State. On Monday, Bondi filed an appeal with the 3rd District Court of Appeal asking them to consider ruling on allowing gay couples to marry in Florida.... "Until recently, the issue was squarely before the United States Supreme Court, and it appeared that a definitive answer was coming," wrote Bondi. "Several certi-orari petitions from several states asked that court to take up the issue and rule. Even those who had prevailed below sought Supreme Court review. The United States Supreme Court...

Alaska will begin accepting marriage applications from same-sex couples Monday after a federal judge struck down the state's ban on gay marriage — the nation's first such prohibition approved by voters. The decision late Sunday afternoon caught many people off guard. No rallies were immediately planned, but some plaintiffs celebrated over drinks at an Anchorage bar. Matthew Hamby, who with his husband, Christopher Shelden, was one of five couples to sue, was "just having drinks with friends, enjoying it."

U.S. District Court Judge Tim Burgess issued a summary judgment in favor of plaintiffs arguing that Alaska's same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional, days after their case began to be heard in court. In his decision for Matthew Hamby and Christopher Shelden, Burgess found that previous Supreme Court decisions have shown that “rights not explicitly mentioned in the Bill of Rights can be protected by substantive due process.” He likened his decision to a ruling by the high court allowing interracial marriage, in which justices relied on inherent characteristics of marriage to allow interracial unions instead of decreeing them to be...

....About 10 same-sex couples were waiting in line at the Clark County clerk's office as the announcement came shortly after 5 p.m. that gay marriage licenses would be issued, eliciting cheers and tears of joy from the crowd. Officials said the county Marriage License Bureau issued 40 licenses to same-sex couples Thursday. "It's amazing. This is it," Theo Small....

The United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit has struck down the marriage laws of Idaho and Nevada, paving the way for same-sex marriage in the states. Responding to the October 7 decision, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, chairman of the US bishops’ Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, said that “authentic marriage as the union of one man and one woman is the only institution that unites a man and a woman with each other and with any child who comes from their union. It is rather remarkable that the Court of Appeals was so contemptuous of...

.....Las Vegas, the land of wedding chapels, is ready for gay weddings. On Tuesday, Nevada and Idaho joined the growing number of states where same-sex marriage is legal when the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that gay couples' equal protection rights were violated by the gay marriage bans in both states. .....Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapels, which is gay-owned and operated, already hosts about 500 same-sex commitment ceremonies each year, said General Manager Brian Mills, who doubles as an officiant, often times in costume. In October, one of the chapel's busiest months, he could be Dracula for one...

FLORENCE, Ala. — There are countless churches but not much openly gay life in this city by the banks of the Tennessee River. So when Benjamin Newbern, a onetime field organizer for the American Civil Liberties Union, convened gay residents and those he calls “straight allies” for dinner one recent evening, it was a radical act.....

To see how the politics of gay marriage has changed in this country in 11 years, revisit this Nov. 19, 2003 New York Times piece after the Massachusetts Supreme Court legalized gay marriage in the state: House Majority Leader Tom DeLay denounced what he said was a “runaway judiciary”; the Republican National Committee said the decision “could be an issue” in the upcoming presidential contest; and an aide to a Democratic presidential candidate predicted the subject “is going to come up again and again.” And, well, in 2004, a strong argument can be made....

In the genetic history of our species, the mamas outnumber the papas. A new study in Investigative Genetics reports that females have made a bigger contribution than men. By studying the DNA of 623 males from 51 populations, the researchers found more genetic diversity in the DNA inherited from mothers than they did in the DNA inherited from fathers. At first glance, these results could be taken to mean that there used to be more women than men. But if you know anything about history, it makes more sense to blame reproductive habits: In many cultures, more women reproduced than...

...Crist spoke to over 1,000 voters on Saturday night, in Downtown Orlando about his faith and vision for the future of Florida.... The group in attendance came in the bus loads, and the venue was at capacity. They leaned to the left as they cheered Crist’s pledge to raise the minimum wage, healthcare, and supporting policies popular with the dreamers. “I did all of this as a Republican” Crist said “Imagine what I’ll do as a Democrat!”. "....I was raised a Methodist. Raised with three sisters. It makes you appreciate women more and their rights. This I know about God....

A Japanese company claims to have reached the next level in developing the most genuine looking sex doll which comes complete with realistic feeling skin and authentic looking eyes. Orient Industry say their new range of dolls, made from high quality silicon, are so realistic there is very little to distinguish them from a real girlfriend at first glance. The dolls, which are non inflatable, are sold under the name 'Dutch Wives', a Japanese term for a sex doll, and adverts in the media boast that anyone who buys one will never want a real girlfriend again.

It’s pretty depressing when you realize that, in 2014, many people seem to think that destruction of human dignity is a small price to pay for an orgasm. I suppose when I write a column about a book that just sold its 100 millionth copy I shouldn’t be surprised when I get a bit of a kickback. But I have to say—I wasn’t expecting hundreds of commenters, many saying they were Christian, to come out loudly defending the porn novel 50 Shades of Grey, often tastelessly interspersed with details from their own sex lives. People squawked that we “shouldn’t judge”...

A hipster pro-choice couple from North Carolina created a Tumblr blog dedicated to making fun of pro-life supporters protesting outside of abortion clinics. Called “Saturday Chores,” the blog documents the abortion enthusiasts’ trips to various abortion clinics holding signs they consider “funny” in a form of political counter protest.

A federal judge in Denver declared Colorado's gay marriage ban unconstitutional Wednesday, but he temporarily put the ruling on hold to give the state until next month to seek an appeal.... Colorado Republican Attorney General John Suthers and Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper had requested a stay so the issue could eventually be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court — though both agreed the state ban should be declared unconstitutional.

Americans who oppose same-sex marriage often face "intolerance" from those who support it, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said Wednesday in a speech about values that appeared aimed at wooing social conservatives. In remarks he said were likely to get him criticized as a bigot, the Florida Republican told an audience at Catholic University that a strong America is impossible without Americans who hold strong values. Seeming to seek a debate over those values, he criticized liberals who defend abortion rights for women but not protections for "the unborn."

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Attorney General Pam Bondi said she would appeal, and spokeswoman says: "With many similar cases pending throughout the entire country, finality on this constitutional issue must come from the U.S. Supreme Court." Sen. Bill Nelson: "We’ll see whether the state appeals. Meantime, as I’ve said, I believe it's wrong to discriminate against any class of people including on civil marriage.” Democratic candidate for governor Charlie Crist: "Today was a great step towards equality in Florida. It is my hope that Governor Scott and Attorney General Bondi will accept the decision of the judge and allow all Florida adults to marry...

On July 16, comic character Archie Andrews, of Life With Archie, will die after being shot while protecting gay friend Kevin Keller. Keller is "Archie Comics' first openly gay character."

U.S. Conference of Mayors had a 4-day conference that ended on Monday. More than 200 mayors participated in this gathering that took place in Dallas. The result of this was U.S. Conference of Mayors urging federal courts up to the U.S. Supreme Court to allow same-sex couples nationwide to marry. The same conference was held back in 2009, that time too it endorsed the freedom of same-sex couples to marry. The same thing it reaffirmed in this current resolution. The major noting of the group was that that 19 states and the District of Columbia allow same-sex couples to marry....

As USC Upstate students prepare to protest last week’s closing of the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies Center on campus, Chancellor Tom Moore announced that administrators are exploring ways to create a new center. The announcement that the center would close resulted in outcry from students and alumni, who said the center was a safe place to discuss feminism, race and LGBTQ issues. Some questioned whether the center was closed because of political pressure. Last month, state Sens. Lee Bright, R-Roebuck, and Mike Fair, R-Greenville, questioned the programming at the center, which for the past several years has planned...