Yale law professor George Chauncey has testified that Tam’s statements are “consistent in tone with a much larger history of anti-gay rhetoric.”

San Francisco family attorneys say another strategy of those fighting for legalization of same-sex marriage has been to show that it does not actually present any threat to the institution of marriage. To help make this point, Harvard history professor Nancy Cott has testified that the U.S. has historically restricted marriage to other parties, such as inter-racial couples, and when these bans were lifted, the institution of marriage has become stronger, not weaker as proponents of the ban claim. Cott also argued that traditional gender roles involved with marriage are no longer applicable in our society and, thus, cannot be counted as an argument against gay marriage. She also argued that the divorce rate in Massachusetts has not risen in the five years since gay marriage has been legalized in the state.

Lastly, those arguing for same sex marriage legalization have provided evidence to show that a person’s sexuality is not a choice, but a genetic programing. To make this point, Ryan Kendall testified that his attempts to reform his sexuality through “reversal therapy” proved fruitless and almost drove him to commit suicide. He said at the end of his therapy, “I was just as gay as when I started.”

To read more on the matter, see the article on The Raw Story, The L.A. Times, and CBS News. Image via andy.birky [Flickr].

The lowest divorce rate in the nation is in Massachussetts, which was also one of the first states to legalize same sex unions. The seven states with the highest divorce rates have constitutional bans on gay marriage. San Francisco family attorneys are hoping this may affect the major federal court case on the matter this month.

While the person who conducted the research has said the results are statistically significant, he is also quick to point out that the results do not necessarily imply causation.

To read more about the findings, see the article on Newser. Image Via laverrue [Flickr]

While living together before marriage was once considered scandalous, it is now a widely accepted practice –in fact, over 70% of couples do co-habitate before getting hitched.

Researchers believe the increased divorce rate could be a result of couples getting married for the wrong reasons. “We think that some couples who move in together without a clear commitment to marriage may wind up sliding into marriage partly because they are already cohabiting,” said University of Denver researcher Galena Rhoades. San Francisco family attorneys say other reasons couples may opt to get married include a joint lease, mutual ownership of a pet, or an unexpected pregnancy.

Of subsets of the couples who moved in before marriage, the study found that the reason the couple moved in also affected the happiness of the couple. Those who claimed financial reasons and a desire to spend more time together had overall happier marriages and fewer divorces than those who wanted to test out living together before marriage. “Cohabiting to test a relationship turns out to be associated with the most problems in relationships,” Rhoades said. “Perhaps if a person is feeling a need to test the relationship, he or she already knows some important information about how a relationship may go over time.”

To read more about these findings, see the article on Livescience.com. Image Via dsearls [Flickr].

Levenson appealed, requesting either the benefits package or payment of the value of the package. Judge Reinhardt heard the trial and upheld Levenson’s right to the later, declaring the denial of benefits to violate the constitution’s promise of due process and the California state law banning discrimination based on sexual orientation.

“Considering that the federal government won’t give Tony the equal benefits package of other spouses, we are very pleased with this decision,” said Levenson. “Is it equal treatment? No. Is it a good remedy? Yes. And we are appreciative of the judge’s order.”

San Francisco family attorneys see this as a positive sign about a growing acceptance of gay marriage and equal rights in America. As more and more cases of this nature enter the court system, the discrimination against same sex couples is expected to decrease.

To read more about the court decision, see the article in the LA Times. Image Via Poldavo (Alex) [Flickr].

“That can be a terrific strain on any relationship,” says Tara Beaumont, a clinical nurse specialist for the charity Breast Cancer Care. “The person who is well may find themselves asking why their life has changed so drastically and yearning for what they had before.”

A new study has revealed that men are seven times as likely to call it quits after their wife becomes sick. The reasons for this gender-related discrepancy are as of yet unknown, but an interesting article in The Times Online examines this phenomenon.

Image via Tim Samoff [Flickr]

“It’s actually what I think is a logical extension of Prop 8, which was the California Marriage Protection Act. (My initiative) would protect traditional marriages by banning divorce,” he explained.

Marcotte’s measure needs to be formally approved by the California Attorney General before a growing army of volunteers rallies to sign the petition. News about the proposed measure spread so fast that the website for the proposition, RescueMarriage.org, crashed multiple times over the weekend due to the traffic surge it received.

While some people have shown concern that the proposal may actually gain enough support to be placed on the ballot, San Francisco divorce attorneys have been reminding those concerned that even if the initiative was voted in, the California Supreme Court would not let it stand.

For more information, please read the full article on ABC News 10. Image via Kashmir [Flickr]

Hugh had the foresight to see the need for a prenuptial and now that he is getting a divorce, he is certainly seeing the benefit. Hugh has been married to Kimberly Conrad since 1989, when the couple signed a prenuptial agreement. When Conrad filed for divorce in 1998, she withdrew the petition after Hefner said he did not wish to get divorced. As a result, the pair modified the prenuptial agreement. Now that they are officially going through separation procedures, Kimberly will be seeking close to $10.2 million. While this sounds like a lot, keep in mind that Hugh is worth as much as $80 million. In the end, even if she gets everything she wants, the mother of two Hefner children will only be taking around an eighth of Hugh’s money and assets.

Now lets take a look at John Cleese and his divorce agreement. Cleese and his wife, Alyce Faye, were married for 16 years, but they had no children. The pair did not sign any prenuptial agreement and now John is feeling the sting of this mistake. John Cleese has been estimated to be worth around $27 million and his wife will be taking $12 million in the divorce -that’s almost half of his worth! In fact, the settlement will leave Faye with more money than the Monty Python alumni. Faye originally demanded even more money, claiming that Cleese’s celebrity status had allowed her to become accustomed to “being entertained by royalty and dignitaries in castles.”

As you can see, the difference in these divorce agreements is staggering. While these celebrities may be on a different financial level than you, they can still help you realize the importance of a prenuptial agreement. If you are engaged, getting a prenuptial agreement written by a San Francisco divorce attorney can be one of the smartest decisions you can ever make.

For more information on Hef’s separation, read the full article in Courthouse News Service. To learn more about Cleese and his divorce, please enjoy the article in the SFGate. Photo Via Lord Biro [Flickr]