Saturday, June 29, 2013

Gay marriage: In states, a hodgepodge lies ahead

Two men hold hands while walking on Castro Street in San Francisco, Thursday, June 27, 2013. The Supreme Court issued rulings Wednesday that struck down a provision of a federal law that denies federal benefits to married gay couples and also cleared the way for state laws that recognize marriage equality. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Two men hold hands while walking on Castro Street in San Francisco, Thursday, June 27, 2013. The Supreme Court issued rulings Wednesday that struck down a provision of a federal law that denies federal benefits to married gay couples and also cleared the way for state laws that recognize marriage equality. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Alexander Hanna, left, and Yon Hudson were denied a marriage license by Santa Fe County Clerk at the County Clerk's Office, in Santa Fe, Thursday June 6, 2013. (AP Photo/Albuquerque Journal, Eddie Moore)

Alexander Hanna, left, and Yon Hudson are denied a marriage license by Santa Fe County Clerk Geraldine Salazar at the County Clerk's Office, in Santa Fe, Thursday June 6, 2013. (AP Photo/Albuquerque Journal, Eddie Moore)

Across the country, this week's landmark Supreme Court rulings on same-sex marriage have energized activists and politicians on both sides of the debate.

Efforts to impose bans ? and to repeal them ? have taken on new intensity. Likewise a spate of lawsuits by gays demanding the right to marry.

The high court, in two 5-4 decisions Wednesday, opened the way for California to become the 13th state to legalize gay marriage. It directed the federal government to recognize legally married same-sex couples.

But the rulings did not impose a nationwide right for gays to marry. They set the stage for state-by-state battles over one of America's most contentious social issues. Already, some of those battles are heating up.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-06-28-US-Gay-Marriage-State-Battlegrounds/id-d0e42e0d2804424998b809b0f80037e0

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