NewsWrap for the week ending August 21, 2010

SUMMARY

Prop 8 Appeal News - The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals stays enforcement until at least December of District Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling that found California's marriage equality-banning Proposition 8 a violation of the U.S. Constitution, with the critical question of who, if anyone aside from the state (whose officials have refused to defend the measure) has legal standing to appeal Walker's edict, and Imperial County's Board of Supervisors arguing that as a government entity it has standing if Prop 8 backers don't ...

Clergy Shield Law - sponsored by openly gay state Senator Mark Leno, California's Civil Marriage Religious Freedom Act, which protects clergy from being forced to conduct wedding ceremonies for same-gender couples if it violates their faith beliefs, appears headed to Governor Schwarzenegger for his expected signature ...

Put Up or Shut Up - legal team behind the challenge to Prop 8 files a motion to demand that its supporters pay their legal costs if the measure is ultimately found to be unconstitutional ...

Parental Right Adopted - Mexico's Supreme Court endorses adoption rights for same-gender couples as the final part of its ruling that found Mexico City's marriage equality legislation to be constitutional ...

Cardinal Offense - Mexico City's mayor sues Guadalajara's Roman Catholic Cardinal for defamation after the cleric claimed the politician had bribed the high court to secure the equality rulings ...

UK Catholics Under Law - U.K. Charity Commission rules that the Church-funded Catholic Care adoptions agency must comply with laws that ban discrimination based on sexual orientation ...

German Inheritance Equality - Germany's Federal Constitutional Court orders legislation to equalize the inheritance rights of surviving spouses in same-gender registered partnerships, and the Justice Minister says those couples should also be treated equally by the country's income tax laws ...

Court Covers Top Gun - highly-decorated U.S. Air Force combat pilot Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach wins a temporary reprieve from what he believed was his imminent discharge under "Don't Ask Don't Tell" ...

Tokyo Pride - 4,000 celebrate LGBT Pride in Tokyo for the first time in three years ...

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