Hetero Calif. Couple Sues to Be Called Bride and Groom

Current marriage licenses provide only for 'bride' and 'groom'

(NEWSER) - The recent California Supreme Court ruling allowing same-sex marriages has spawned a persnickety problem: what to do about current forms mentioning the "bride and groom" four times and prohibiting “alterations.” While one official assured the AP of “compliance with the court order,” an activist was less perturbed: “the t's crossed and i's dotted on the form are the least of our concerns.” More»

Nine gay couples turned away from registry office

(NEWSER) - A lesbian who refused to leave a North Carolina government office without a wedding license was taken away in handcuffs yesterday after what organizers say was the first of many protests against the state's newly passed gay marriage ban . After a march through downtown Winston-Salem, nine gay and lesbian couples—some of them with their children—presented completed forms and identification to the local Register of Deeds office but were refused a license, reports AP . More»

Potential brides' families worry about recession

(NEWSER) - Indian guys who return home from the US to scout for brides are being met with skepticism instead of open arms, reports the Wall Street Journal. Eying the recession abroad, would-be brides and their parents are giving preference to local matches and even demanding to see tax returns from US-based suitors, says one bachelor whose potential in-laws took his "consultant" title to mean "unemployed." More»

(NEWSER) - Protesters around California are gearing up for tomorrow's state Supreme Court session on the constitutionality of Proposition 8, the voter referendum that banned gay marriage, the Los Angeles Times reports. The decision isn’t due for 3 months, but the opinion is already written, and the court's stand may be revealed in the judges' responses to oral arguments, which will be televised. More»

Groups would move to oust any high court members who overturn gay-marriage ban

(NEWSER) - California’s moderately conservative Supreme Court faces pressure from both fronts of the gay-marriage battle, the Los Angeles Times reports. Opponents of Proposition 8—including Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger—are collecting arguments for why the amendment should be struck down, while supporters have promised to oust judges who rule the other way. Justices are supposed to ignore such threats, but that may prove difficult. More»