Domestic Partners

OLYMPIA, Wash. — In what may be a mostly symbolic move, one Washington state lawmaker thought Valentine’s Day an appropriate day to introduce legislation to legalize same-sex marriage in the Evergreen State.

Two New Hampshire legislators have introduced bills to repeal the state’s marriage equality law, even though Republican leaders said that such a repeal is not a party priority in 2011. And several other states saw legislative moves toward or away from equality in the past week.

2011 will likely see a number of battles state by state across the country. Three states plus the District of Columbia are facing the prospect of losing marriage equality, an additional seven states could start the process of amending their state constitutions to ban marriage equality, five could gain marriage equality.

A suspect is in custody in the double homicide of a gay couple found slain in their Wilton Manors, Fla., home over the weekend. Peter Serge Avsenew, 26, was arrested miles away from where police believe he murdered Kevin Mark Powell and Stephen Adams. According to police, Avsenew lives in Hollywood, Fla., where the victims […]

Police in Wilton Manors, Fla., have identified two men who they believe are the victims of a double murder that occurred over the weekend. Stephen Adams, 52, and Kevin Powell, 47, were found dead inside their home on Sunday night. The two men were domestic partners.

The surviving domestic partner of a gay Missouri state trooper killed in the line of duty has filed a lawsuit against the agency’s pension system, claiming its policy for survivors’ benefits discriminates against gay couples.

Montana’s Attorney General has filed a motion seeking to dismiss a lawsuit aimed at granting same-sex couples the same legal rights as married couples. Spousal benefits are limited by definition to married couples, and the Montana Constitution defines marriage as being between a man and a woman, said AG Steve Bullock.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and seven gay couples in Montana filed a lawsuit against the state this week for failing to offer legal protections to same-sex couples and their families.

Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle vetoed a civil unions bill Tuesday that would have given same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples, saying the issue needs to be put to a referendum.

Google announced on Thursday that it will begin compensating gay and lesbian employees for an extra tax they must pay when their partners receive domestic partner health benefits — a tax that married straight couples are not required to pay.