Peace Corps announces new service opportunity for same-sex couples

WASHINGTON, D.C., – Peace Corps Deputy Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet today announced that the agency will begin accepting applications from same-sex domestic partners who want to serve together as volunteers overseas.  Same-sex couples may begin the application process starting Monday, June 3. “Service in the Peace Corps is a life-defining leadership experience for Americans who want to…

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France court ruling clears way for gay bill

(CNN) — France’s top court ruled Friday that a bill permitting same-sex marriage and allowing gay couples to adopt children adheres to the constitution. President Francois Hollande is expected to sign the bill into law on Saturday. After the lower house of Parliament, dominated by Hollande’s governing Socialist Party, passed the bill last month, conservative…

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Brazilian judicial council orders notaries to recognize same-sex marriage

(CNN) — The Brazilian National Council of Justice, which oversees the nation’s judiciary, passed a resolution Tuesday that denies notaries the right to refuse to perform same-sex marriages. In Brazil, notaries officiate marriages and civil unions. Recently, 12 Brazilian states began allowing same-sex couples to marry or convert their civil unions into marriages. However, since…

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Moving slowly on marriage equality is a step toward chaos

The Senate Judiciary Committee begins consideration of the Gang of 8’s Immigration Reform Bill today. C-SPAN’s coverage should be must-see-TV for an audience of one: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. Among the potentially contentious issues facing the committee is the inclusion of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA). Under current law, special immigration provisions available…

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French lawmakers approve same-sex marriage bill

(CNN) — French lawmakers voted to legalize same-sex marriage Tuesday, despite vocal protests from some conservatives opposed to the step. The nation’s lower house approved a marriage bill, which will also give same-sex couples the right to adopt, in a 331-to-225 final vote. They cast their votes after impassioned speeches by lawmakers for and against…

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