Referenda

Supreme Court Hears Arguments Against California's Same-Sex Marriage Ban, Punts

At approximately 10:15 this morning, the U.S. Supreme Court started hearing arguments on Proposition 8, the 2008 California initiative that banned same-sex marriage in the state. It was the court's first major hearing of gay rights in 10 years, and will be followed by consideration of the Defense of ... More >>

In No, It's the Ad Men vs. the Dictator

Popaganda

Question One

Congressman Charlie Rangel's No H8-er

Manhattan Congressman Charlie Rangel may be (but definitely is) a tax cheat. But he's no hater.The congressman yesterday announced that he's joining 25 other members of Congress in their support for the NoH8 campaign, a "global art protest project" in opposition to California's Proposition 8, which ... More >>

Mike Bloomberg Gives North Carolina A Tutorial In How Same-Sex Marriage Won't Lead To The Apocalypse

New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg gave the commencement address at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill yesterday, during which he explained to the audience how same-sex marriage won't instantly lead to the end of moral society as we know it.Last week, as you may recall, North Carolina vote ... More >>

Gay Marriage Just Got Crabs! Maryland Senate Passes Marriage Equality

The Maryland Senate just passed a marriage equality bill, 25-22, putting the Chesapeake Bay State en route to becoming the seventh in the nation (plus the District of Columbia) to allow same-sex couples the right to marry. Maryland is the third state in as many weeks where both houses of its legis ... More >>

Despite Fears Of People Marrying Bacon, Washington State Legislature Passes Marriage Equality Bill

​It's turning out to be a very, very gay week for marriage. After the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that California's Prop 8 is unconstitutional, the House of Representatives of the State of Washington just passed a bill allowing same-sex marriage equality, 55 yay to 43 nay. Governor C ... More >>

BREAKING: Ninth Circuit Rules California's Prop 8 Unconstitutional

By a vote of two to one, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has just ruled that California's Proposition is unconstitutional. Simply put: even though more Californians voted for Prop 8 than not, that proposition was a violation of the constitution of the United States of America, according to the ... More >>

Christine Quinn, Activists Address The Stonewall Inn After Prop 8 Ruling

Marriage equality supporters gather outside of the Stonewall Inn tonight to hail the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that California's Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. There were many of the same people present who were at a rally the first time a federal court ruled the California voter ref ... More >>

Washington State on the Road to Same-Sex Marriage Equality, Perhaps Within a Week

The Washington State Senate passed a bill paving the way for same-sex marriages last night. Before the vote was taken, same-sex marriage watchers believed that it could be a very tight vote. However, it ultimately passed comfortably 28 to 21. It will now move on the Washington's House, where it is e ... More >>

Meanwhile, in New Jersey, Everybody Is Mad at Chris Christie

Ah, New Jersey. The land where fake orange tans and affable, clueless Republicans come together to make magic. New Yorkers should consider themselves lucky to live so close to New Jersey, particularly right now. New Jersey governor Chris Christie, one-time potential Republican presidential candidat ... More >>

California Supreme Court Grants Standing in Prop 8 Case to Opponents of Same-Sex Marriage

​The California Supreme Court ruled today that opponents who sued to appeal U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker's 2010 ruling, which found Prop 8 to be unconstitutional, have "standing" to do so. Walker's ruling in the case Perry v. Schwarzenegger would have, effectively, allowed same-sex marri ... More >>

Midtown Mayhem As Anti-SSM Groups Send Mixed Messages

Esther Zuckerman​Same-sex Sunday was anything but a day of celebration for the groups that remain adamantly opposed to gay marriage, and whose protests collided in midtown in the afternoon. A rally organized in part by the National Organization for Marriage, but where the main draw seemed to b ... More >>

10 Reasons Why Same-Sex Couples Want to Wed on the Very First Day

Forget the fear of laws changing - people lined up to see him the first day he came out! So why not their spouse?​Some people have asked us: If same-sex marriage is here to stay, just why exactly do couples have to get married the first day, anyway? Isn't it a waste of money for the cash-strap ... More >>

Prop 8 Defenders Go After Judge for Being in Longtime Gay Relationship

​A group in California filed a brief yesterday saying that only white judges should be able to rule on cases of racial discrimination, because black judges would be compromised in their desire for their own equal rights. Actually, they didn't. We made that up. But they might as well have. Wh ... More >>

Scientology and Proposition 8: Debunking the Church Myth That It Stays Out of Politics

Kirstie Alley, ballot neutral.​One of the most interesting things about Lawrence Wright's recent article about Scientology in the New Yorker was the way he exposed the hypocrisies and outright lies of the wacky organization's top members and spokespeople. But there's a key assertion peddled ... More >>

Prop 8 Case Sent Back to California Supreme Court

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals sent the Proposition 8 case, Perry v. Schwarzeneger, back to the California Supreme Court. In something that could potentially aid the marriage-equality side, the federal court said the state high court needs to decide if those against gay marriage equality have st ... More >>

The 10 Gayest Political Stories of 2010

Ring ceremony: Reid and Choi2010 was one of the gayest political years ever. Here's our take on the 10 gayest stories we reported on — throughout the five boroughs, the nation, and the world.

Dear California: Please Legalize Marijuana. For America.

​Dear California - Tomorrow, you vote on Proposition 19, which is an opportunity to legalize Marijuana in California. Right now, the referendum's prospects don't look great, as it's currently polling seven points under being voted into law. You've got to pass this thing (to the left). Not jus ... More >>

Carl Paladino: The Dirty Details in His Campaign Filings

​The Times and the Daily News ran stories yesterday exposing the shady conspiracy that is the Paladino For The People campaign. The $53,000 tax lien against campaign spokesman Michael Caputo unearthed by the Times got a taunting "so what" from Caputo himself. Stiffing the IRS just proved agai ... More >>

Gay Marriage in California Put on Hold by Appeals Court

Well, that didn't last long. After his strongly worded decision rendering California's Proposition 8 unconstitutional, U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker lifted his stay last week, effective this Wednesday. Gay marriages were set to start again at 5 PM PDT tomorrow, but the Ninth Circuit Court of Ap ... More >>

NYC's Proposition 8 Rally in Foley Square: Video

​The Village Voice's Steven Thrasher was in attendance at a rally in New York's Foley Square last night where some 200 folks gathered to celebrate yesterday's ruling that California's Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. There, civil rights attorneys Yetta Kurland and Todd Fernandez read key sec ... More >>

California's Proposition 8 Ruled Unconstitutional

U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker ruled today that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. The long awaited decision was just released from the U.S. District Courthouse for Northern California in San Francisco. The case, Perry vs. Schwarzenegger, was a lawsuit in which two gay couples sued that Propo ... More >>

If Gay Marriage Passes, Won't the NY Masses Just Overturn It?

​Our e-mail box was flooded this morning with desperate pleas to call our state senator and demand that gay marriage come up for a vote during the special session of the New York state legislature called his week by Governor Paterson. But we wondered, just days after a legislative victory wa ... More >>

Gay Marriage Revoked in Maine

​Yahoos displeased by the results in NY-23 may take comfort that Maine appears to have rejected the marriage equality bill that was passed by its state legislature in May. For example, National Review's Thomas Peters: "My favorite part of last night's election coverage was watching Rachel Mad ... More >>

'Crash' Director Paul Haggis Ditches Scientology

"I am only ashamed that I waited this many months to act. I hereby resign my membership in the Church of Scientology." ​Over the past few days, a remarkable letter was published in four parts at the blog of Marty Rathbun, a former high-level Scientology official who has left the church and no ... More >>

Bloomberg's Term Limits Scheme

How Mayor Mike gamed the system

City Council Representative Yassky's Zigzag Path to the Runoff

A credibility gap for Comptroller wannabes

3rd Time's The Charm? Siegel and Mastro Ask the Feds to Restore Term Limits

After losing their federal lawsuit challenging the City Council's right to overturn term limits for Mayor Bloomberg, advocates are turning to the federal government. Last month veteran civil rights attorney (and current candidate for public advocate) Norman Siegel, along with the corporate law fir ... More >>

The Transformation of Mike Bloomberg

How the benevolent billionaire with no political debts ended up owning us all

Thousands Protest Prop 8 at Mormon Temple

The Demographics of the Proposition 8 Vote

Rightbloggers Not Enjoying Election Day

Downticket: Mixed Results, But Loony Refs Are Fading

Partial-Blogging The Term Limits Bill Signing

Mavericks Squadron and Chromczak Debate in Brooklyn

Ask a Mexican! Voting Is Gay

And everyone should be doing it—particularly in California

Liveblogging the Term Limits Vote Part II (Referendumania! Amendment Defeated)

Liveblogging the Term Limits Vote Part III -- (UPDATE: Bill Passes)

Former Senator Gravel Backs NYC 9/11 Commission

Council Orgy

Erasing term limits and contribution caps amid a speaker battle

Lunch with Pataki

Marriage of Two Minds

Gay nups may have become inevitable, but for now it's a world of pain

Unpopular Vote

A compilation of electoral college crash courses

Bloomberg's Mixed Report Card

Better Than His Poll Figures, but Needs to Take Off the Gloves

War of the Roses

Garden Vote Could Settle Perennial Problem

The Five Percent Solution

Fraction of Voters to Decide on Rudy's Referendum

How Not to Revise a City Charter

A Guide to Subverting the Process of Democracy

Dueling Stadia

The Losers' Circle

Tired of Watching Pols Playing Hardball