WASHINGTON — The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington says it won't continue social service programs it runs for the District if the proposed same-sex marriage law isn't changed.

The bill states religious organizations wouldn't have to perform or make space available for same-sex weddings, but they must obey city laws prohibiting discrimination against gay men and lesbians.

Opponents say the religious liberty exemption is too narrow...

New York's governor has called the legislature to a special session.

The state Senate will be the stumbling block for the governor because there are reportedly only 25 of the 32 votes needed for passage. The lower House, however, has already passed it. Jason McGuire of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms believes the issue of same gender marriage is fundamental.

"If we reject the sacredness of marriage, and as a culture we've already walked away from the sanctity of life, really what else is there? These are the things that go back to the very beginning of the book of Genesis, and that is the point at which the devil is at this moment attacking, and Christians need to stand up and defend," McGuire urges...

Albany, N.Y. (AP) - Advocates for same-sex marriage are hitting New York's state capital hard, trying to sway the few votes needed for final legislative approval of the bill in a special session Tuesday.

This comes a week after a Maine referendum soundly repealed that state's new same-sex marriage law.

What appears to be a likely vote in New York is being forced by Gov. David Paterson who put it on the agenda of the extraordinary session he's calling for Tuesday...

PORTLAND, Maine- Voters in Maine have rejected an effort by lawmakers there to impose homosexual marriage in that state.

Gay marriage has now lost in every single state - 31 in all - in which it has been put to a popular vote. Gay-rights activists had hoped to buck that trend in Maine - known for its liberal-minded electorate - and mounted an energetic, well-financed campaign.

With 87 percent of the precincts reporting, gay-marriage foes had 53 percent of the votes...

A lone New York senator plans to wage war against the governor's homosexual "marriage" proposal.

Democratic State Senator Ruben Diaz of the Bronx explains why Governor David Paterson is pushing so hard when the measure has failed in the past. "The governor is desperate," says Diaz. "He needs the homosexual community's support; therefore, he has to do something this year to get them behind him."

Support is vital because next year is an election year, and according to the state lawmaker no one in the State Assembly or Senate will touch the issue. Diaz, however, is challenging the governor and others...

WASHINGTON — Opponents of same-sex marriage argued before D.C.'s Board of Elections that they should be able to try to put a measure on the city ballot that would give voters the option of banning same-sex unions.

The Board of Elections began meeting Monday morning to hear testimony on an initiative that would go on the 2010 ballot. It would ask voters to decide whether they want "only marriage between a man and woman" to be valid in the city.

The two-member board will not vote Monday on whether the measure meets requirements to go on the ballot. At Monday's hearing, the board members seemed particularly concerned that the initiative may violate the city's Human Rights Act, which among other things prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation. According to D.C. elections law, a referendum cannot appear on the ballot if it violates the city's human rights laws...

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) | Episcopalians in the Diocese of South Carolina will consider resolutions this week to distance the diocese from the national Episcopal Church because of its positions on same-sex marriage and ordination of gays.

One of the resolutions calls for the diocese to work with other churches opposed to the national church's stance on those issues.

"It would be a withdrawal from some of the national councils of the church," Canon Kendall Harmon said. "It's about as far as you can get but still be in"...

WASHINGTON – Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy has temporarily blocked Washington state officials from releasing the names of people who signed a ballot measure on gay rights.

Kennedy's ruling Monday temporarily blocks a federal appeals court ruling last week that ordered the release of the names. Kennedy said his order would remain in effect while he considers a request by a pro-marriage group that asked him to reverse the appeals court ruling.

The case involves Referendum 71, a ballot initiative that asks Washington voters to approve or reject the state's so-called "everything but marriage" law, which grants registered domestic partners the same legal rights as married heterosexuals...

The head of Liberty Counsel believes every single legal challenge to California's constitutional amendment protecting traditional marriage needs to be taken seriously.

Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker is expected to rule soon on a motion by backers of California's Proposition 8, the 2008 voter-mandated constitutional amendment which protects marriage as between one man and one woman. The motion asks Walker to void plans for a January trial on the constitutionality of Prop. 8, and it could end homosexual activists' campaign to overturn Prop. 8. The January trial was scheduled after attorneys representing two same-sex couples sued to overturn Prop. 8.

Meanwhile supporters of homosexual "marriage" have demanded that Prop. 8 proponents turn over internal records from the political campaign last year...

Washington (AP) - Rainbow flags fluttered above the crowds near the White House as tens of thousands of gay rights supporters rallied to demand that President Barack Obama keep his promises to end discrimination against gays and also let them serve openly in the military.

"Hey, Obama, let mama marry mama" some chanted on Sunday. Others cried out, "We're out, we're proud, we won't back down."

Some taking part in the National Equality March woke up energized by Obama's promise to end the ban on gays serving openly in the military. He made that pledge in a speech Saturday night to the Human Rights Campaign, nation's largest gay rights group...