Ballot measure
seeking to ban domestic partnerships moves forward in
Colorado

Gay-rights advocates in Colorado have failed to block a ballot measure that aims to prohibit domestic partnerships, after a state board approved the ballot measure's language on Thursday. The measure asks voters to forbid legal recognition of a union that is "similar to that of marriage." It's a counter-attack on a domestic-partnership measure already on the ballot. Gay-rights lawyers made a case that the language is "purposefully obscure" and voters may wonder how it would apply to common-law marriage. The same lawyers successfully fought the anti-gay rights Amendment 2 a decade ago but failed in this attempt. The measure's co-sponsor, state representative Kevin Lundberg, called their arguments "absurd." He plans to start collecting the required signatures to place the measure on the ballot, even though gay-rights advocates plan to appeal to the state Supreme Court. This could be the start of protracted legal battles in Colorado. Two other measures dealing with same-sex marriage--one for and one against--are also expected to land on the ballot this fall. (Sirius OutQ News)