Welcome to 2012! We got a lot of work to do this year, so let's roll up our sleeves and get to work. The new year marks new civil union laws in Delaware, Hawaii, and California. Psychologists in North Carolina lash out at anti-gay prejudice, LGBTs can marry in Cancun -- probably -- and something fishy's going on with civil unions in the European Union.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Gay rights advocates expect a strong turnout of same-sex couples at Orlando's City Hall when the city's new domestic-partnership registry opens next month. The registry, which takes effect Jan. 12, will extend vital legal protections to gay and lesbian families.

LANSING, Mich. -- Following months of heated debate, Michigan Republican Governor Rick Snyder on Thursday signed House Bill 4770, eliminating health care coverage for domestic partners of public employees, and prohibiting any government entity in the state from providing such coverage.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Orlanda City Council on Monday voted unanimously to enact a domestic partnership registry, as the city became the first in Central Florida to recognize relationships of same-sex couples.

Lawmaker in the U.S. House and Senate on Friday reintroduced the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act, and said that approving the bill would put the federal government on par with Fortune 500 corporations that already extend full benefits to same-sex partners of gay and lesbian employees.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The Broward County Commission on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve Florida's first countywide Equal Benefits Ordinance (EBO), a measure that requires the county's vendors to provide domestic partners with benefits equal to those offered to spouses of married employees.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The outlook for domestic partner benefits for Michigan's state employees -- including staff at Michigan’s 15 public universities -- are in jeopardy due to a pair of bills that the sponsors claim will save approximately $8 million a year by eliminating the benefits.

Officials in Washington state on Monday released copies of signature petitions that forced the state’s domestic partnership rights onto the ballot in 2009, just hours after a federal judge rejected the notion that disclosure of names would subject petition signers to threats or harassment.

Two Florida state lawmakers have introduced a measure in both chambers of the legislature that would provide domestic partnership protections to committed same-sex couples throughout Florida.

This week's all about Minnesota, Maine, North Carolina, Colorado, and Broadway. All four of those states have months of bitter fighting over marriage to look forward to, with millions of dollars likely to be spent on both sides. Fortunately, we've got a secret weapon: Morgan Freeman.

It's been a busy week, with an incredibly offensive anti-gay brief coming out of Congress. But a surprise announcement from the American Psychological Association could put a stop to such briefs in the future.

The American Civil Liberties Union on Thursday appealed a Montana District Court decision dismissing the same-sex domestic partnership case, Donaldson and Guggenheim v. State of Montana, to the Montana Supreme Court.

A new twist in the Prop 8 case, with a court date coming just days after a controversial new judge is expected to join the Supreme Court. New York launches its own attack on the Defense of Marriage Act, and polling brings mostly good news, and a little bad.

Pretty quiet week, nothing too exciting -- except everyone in New York getting married! Plus hearings on DOMA repeal, with Al Franken calling out an anti-gay liar. Plus more news from Maryland to Washington state. This week's Marriage News Watch is here.

It's been a relatively quiet week: the anti-gay industry is planning to protest gay couples' weddings, Senator Leahy will hold hearings on DOMA repeal, and Equal Rights Washington is gearing up to fight for marriage at the ballot box.