Same-sex marriage
ban opponents gather against Arizona ballot measure

People in Arizona are praying for an antigay measure to be booted off the ballot. Proposition 107 would ban same-sex marriage in Arizona and stop legal recognition of domestic-partner benefits. Organized by Together Arizona, the measure's opponents gathered in churches Sunday in Tucson, Flagstaff, and Phoenix to join forces with people of faith. "How dare we live in a nation where, because of our sexuality, we are denied human rights?" asked a church member, the Reverend Mary Workman, 78, speaking at the First Christian Church in Tucson. She and other opponents say the amendment discriminates against unmarried couples, denying them health insurance benefits, hospital visitations, and other legal rights. They also point out that same-sex marriage is already illegal in Arizona and say the amendment is unconstitutional because it forces people to vote on two different issues at once. On August 10 a Maricopa County superior court judge ruled that the amendment is constitutional, a decision that opponents appealed a day later. (AP)