Fish attracted to same-sex flirts

Male mollies nip both sexes to improve their chances of mating

 

Female fish are attracted to males that "flirt" with other males, a study has found.

Scientists in Germany studied the behaviour of tropical fish Poecilia mexicana, known as Atlantic mollies.

The female fish are known to "mate copy" - preferring to mate with males they have seen interacting sexually with other fish.

Researchers found that females still took an interest in males when their flirtations were with the same sex.

Dr David Bierbach from the University of Frankfurt, Germany, led the research that is published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.

In the paper, researchers refer to homosexual behaviour in the animal kingdom as a "conundrum".

"Male homosexual behaviour can be found in most extant classes across the animal kingdom, but represents a Darwinian puzzle as same-sex mating should decrease male reproductive fitness," they wrote.

However, many animals that engage in homosexual behaviour have also been observed mating with the opposite sex, including penguins and bonobos.

Females choose their mates in molly society

Biologists have suggested that such actions could still reap genetic rewards, despite the perceived lack of reproduction, through knock-on effects.

For Atlantic molly males "nip" near the genital openings of potential mates to signal their readiness to mate.

Scientists have suggested that such behaviour helps to demonstrate the quality of males, because their level of exertions can indicate overall health and virility.

Yet subordinate males are known to nip both females and other males.

Studies of the fish, which are found from Mexico to Guatemala, have shown that they can discern the sexes based on pheromones and visual cues, undermining any theories of misrecognition.

So, in order to understand the motivations behind this behaviour, the German scientists studied Atlantic mollies in their lab.

Using animated recordings, the team tested how "attractive" the fish found different examples.

While the females found a colourful male more attractive than a drab counterpart when swimming side by side, they reacted better to "less attractive" males once they had observed them nipping either males or females.

"We were quite surprised to find out that observed homosexual interactions had the same influence on females' preferences as heterosexual interactions," explained Dr Bierbach.

"The implications are that sexual activity per se is a trait used by females to evaluate males' quality and that our results could also be true in other species."

The scientists speculate that it could be a tactic employed by smaller, subordinate - and thus less attractive males - to win more female attention.

"Males can increase their attractiveness towards females by homosexual interactions, which in turn increase the likelihood of a male's future heterosexual interactions," Dr Bierbach told BBC Nature.

"We do not know how widespread female mate choice copying is, but up to now it is reported in many species, including fruit flies, fishes, birds and mammals [including] humans."

SNP launches consultation on same-sex marriage

Two female protesters dressed as brides dance at a pro-gay marriage rally outside the Scottish Parliament.

THE SNP Government will today launch a formal consultation into its plans to introduce gay marriage in Scotland.

• Scottish Government seeking views on gay marriage plans
• No religions forced to hold same-sex weddings
• Consultation to last until March

Ministers have already set out their intention to press ahead with the change, despite a previous consultation on the principle which indicated most were against.

The last consultation which ended earlier in the year had been heavily politicised with organised lobby groups on both sides mobilising nationwide campaigns.

The SNP announced in July it would press ahead with the change and are now seeking views on the detailed plans which have already been set out,

It comes after the UK government announced plans for gay marriage in England and Wales.
The Nationalist Government in Edinburgh has made it clear that no religions will be forced to hold same-sex weddings in churches.

The Scottish Government also said it would work with UK ministers to amend equality laws, to protect celebrants like ministers or priests, from legal or disciplinary action if they refuse to take part in same-sex ceremonies.

The consultation on its draft legislation - opposed by the Church of Scotland and Catholic Church - will last until March.

Health Secretary Alex Neil said the introduction of same sex marriage is the “right thing to do.”
He added: “We are striving to create a Scotland that is free, tolerant and fair and I am pleased to say there is support across the chamber for this significant step.

“I am absolutely clear that this should not impact on religious freedom and no religious body will be compelled to solemnise same sex marriages. Religious bodies who wish to solemnise same sex marriage will have to opt in.

“Where a body does decide to solemnise same sex marriages, we will also protect individual celebrants who consider such ceremonies to be contrary to their faith.”

The move has cross party support at Holyrood and Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said the legislation is a “proud step forwards” for equality in Scotland.

“Equal marriage is the right and natural step towards the modern, tolerant and progressive Scotland we all want to see,” he said.

“These reasonable changes are about removing barriers and extending freedoms. It will extend the rights of same-sex couples whilst retaining the freedom of religious groups who do not wish to conduct same sex marriages. Scottish Liberal Democrats look forward to working with the Scottish Government on this historic bill.”

The protection for religious celebrants will require amendments to the UK Equality Act, but the Scottish Government is seeking this with Westminster and won’t introduce the legislation until this is secured.

As well as same sex marriage, the consultation covers a variety of other issues, including allowing civil marriage ceremonies to take place anywhere agreed by the registrar and the couple, other than religious premises.

The Government is also looking at a belief ceremonies carried out humanists being established as a third form of marriage in Scotland, alongside religious and civil ceremonies.

Independent MSP Margo MacDonald said: “I’m glad that the government is going out to consultation on this because the more people who discuss the question the harder it will be for anyone to recommend that such an inequality of treatment should be tolerated – the measure has my full support.”

Co-convener of the Scottish Greens Patrick Harvie MSP said his party has supported equal marriage for over a decade.

“I congratulate the Scottish Government for taking this next logical step,” he said.

“I look forward to examining the bill in detail over the coming months to ensure that it commits fully to the principle that same sex couples and mixed-sex couples are equal in Scotland.”

Male senators uneasy with ‘safe, satisfying sex’

'UNCOMFORTABLE WITH PHRASE.'Five male senators question the inclusion of "safe and satisfying sex life" in the definition of Reproductive Health. Screenshots from Senate livestream

MANILA, Philippines – Five words sparked a lengthy and loaded debate in the Senate, leaving male senators ill at ease. The phrase? Safe and satisfying sex life.

Five male senators were indignant, curious and at times laughing as they questioned the inclusion of the phrase in the definition of Reproductive Health (RH).

The debate was rooted in an amendment that Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile introduced in the controversial RH bill, removing the phrase from the definition of RH.

The entire line that Enrile wanted removed was, “This (RH) implies that people are able to have a safe and satisfying sex life, that they have the capability to reproduce and the freedom to decide, if, when and how often to do so.”

Sen Pia Cayetano, the bill’s principal sponsor, rejected the amendment, triggering the debate.

Enrile ally Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III stood up to defend the amendment.

“May I ask, wala ba tayo ngayon niyan? It’s present. We should have safe and satisfying sex life and we can decide when and where to do so. So bakit kailangan pang ilagay sa batas iyon? Ang sagwang tingnan sa batas eh,” Sotto said. (May I ask, don’t we have that now? That’s present. So why do we need to put that in the law? It does not look pleasant to have that in the law.)

Sen Jinggoy Estrada turned comical when he rose to question the phrase. “’Di ba pagka magsesex ang isang babae’t lalaki, we assume we will be satisfied?” (Don’t we assume that when a man and a woman have sex, we will be satisfied?)

“Because I’m quite disturbed because if I for example have sex with my wife, I assume that I will be satisfied and I assume my wife will also be satisfied and we will always be satisfied,” Estrada said.

For Sen Sergio “Serge” Osmeña III, the question was, “Does the deletion of that phrase mean we won’t have a happy and healthy sex life?”

The RH bill aims to provide access to both natural and modern family planning methods, and to promote sex education and family planning. The House of Representatives has its own version of the billl, which President Benigno Aquino III wants members to approve this week.

One of the most contentious measures in Congress, it has been pending for about 17 years. The Catholic Church is staunchly against the bill, saying it promotes a contraceptive mentality and promiscuity.
President Aquino has expressed support for it, saying he would vote for the measure if he were still a lawmaker.
PERSONAL MATTER. Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile says having a safe, satisfying sex life is the business of a couple and not of the state.

‘Chiz currently in love’
Yet it was Sen Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s question that drew the most laughs. Escudero said he was “not too comfortable” with the phrase, prompting Cayetano to ask, “Is your problem with the safe or is your problem with the satisfying?”

Escudero said “I like both,” adding it was the phrase being used in the law that was his problem.
Cayetano in turn asked him what he wants his daughter and wife to have: a safe or satisfying sex life?
Escudero replied “safe” for his daughter and for his wife, “I wouldn’t know. I wouldn’t know anymore. You should have asked me before.” The senator is already separated from his wife.

Cayetano then alluded to his relationship with actress Heart Evangelista, “I’m speaking [hypothetically]. I assume you will have a wife again because I know that you are currently in love.”

Escudero said it was another matter but later on laughed out loud.

‘Not a laughing matter’
The mood turned serious when Cayetano addressed the questions, especially that of Estrada.

“I just want all the gentlemen laughing here now to know that in conferences all around the world, having a safe, satisfying sex life is not a laughing matter. It’s serious business,” Cayetano said.

Cayetano explained that the phrase was lifted from the International Conference on Population and Development, which the Philippines acceded to.

“Many times a woman’s satisfaction is inhibited or she is not satisfied because she’s afraid of getting pregnant. A lot of women will accede to the desire of their husband to have sex because they want to make their husband happy and they want to have sex too but without protection, they know they will bear the burden of another child.”

“So I hope I convince his honor that contraceptives is necessary to have a satisfying sex life for many people,” Cayetano added.

Her brother, Sen Alan Peter Cayetano sided with her. He said, “What is the discomfort with the phrase? Is it because we are prude or we just don’t like the language because they might say we are vulgar or is there something inherently wrong with safe, satisfying sex life?”

The younger Cayetano added, “I am in favor of having it there if we have a better word but to remove if because we’re uncomfortable, we weren’t elected to be comfortable. We were elected to do the right thing here.”

'Why so aghast?'
Sen Miriam Defensor Santiago also stood to defend the phrase. “Why are we so aghast with use of ‘safe, satisfying sex life?' It’s been used for 20 years or more.”

Santiago said the phrase is already part of legislative vocabulary worldwide.

She was snarky. “Some may find the phrase strange … because we don’t always deal with international law in this chamber.”

The issue eventually came to a vote, with the Senate voting 6-11 to reject Enrile’s move to remove the phrase.

The Senate also voted 6-11 against another similar Enrile amendment to remove the word “pleasurable” in the phrase “pleasurable and safe sexual experience” under the definition of sexual health.

Safe And Satisfying Sex Life

#SexTalk Google Hangout: safe, satisfying sex
MANILA, Philippines - Two weeks ago, female sexuality was thrust into the limelight after the phrase "safe and satisfying sex life" in the controversial Reproductive Health Bill sparked debate on the Senate floor.

Five male senators reacted to the phrase in different ways. (Read: Male senators uneasy with ‘safe, satisfying sex’)

Today on Rappler, we'll be hosting a Google Hangout about female sexuality with resident sex writer Ana Santos.

Joining Ana are three equally empowered women who will share their thoughts on the issue. We have on board:

The fun and fearless Myrza Sison, Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan Magazine Philippines and Spot.ph and Editorial Director of Summit Media Philippines.

Also on board is freelance photographer Mitch Mauricio, whose work aims to capture various aspects of female sexuality on film.

Last but not the least is United Nations Population Fund national programme associate Ana Maria Leal. She'll talk about how a safe and satisfying sex life isn't just a reproductive health right--it's also a human right.

You can watch the Google Hangout on this page starting at 6pm (Manila time.)

Do you have questions or comments? Send them our way using the hashtag #SexTalk on Twitter or leave us a message on Facebook.

Q and A: sex, porn, teenagers and the law

As part of Channel 4 News's Generation Sex series, Donald Findlater of the Lucy Faithfull Foundation looks at how to help teenagers stay safe, and on the right side of the law, online.  
My child has got into trouble through their use of the internet. What should I do?

If your child has got into trouble through their use of the internet there is help available. The Stop it Now! helpline is a first port of call for parents and carers in situations like this. The helpline is confidential and experienced operators offer advice, information and support. Call 0808 1000 900 or visit www.stopitnow.org.uk

Do children sexually abuse other children?
It is estimated that 30 to 40 per cent of people who sexually abuse are under the age of 18. While society has become more aware of the risk of sexual abuse that some adults present to children, very few people realise that other children and young people can sometimes present a risk.

This is an especially difficult issue to deal with, partly because it is hard to think of children doing such things, but also because it is not always easy to tell the difference between normal sexual exploration and abusive behaviour. Children, particularly in the younger age groups, may engage in such behaviour with no knowledge that it is wrong or abusive. For this reason, it is more accurate to talk about harmful sexual behaviour rather than abuse.

What is harmful sexual behaviour?
Harmful sexual behaviour by children and young people ranges from experimentation that unintentionally goes too far, through to serious sexual assault. It sometimes involves children as young as four or five, although most of those who sexually harm others are adolescents. Usually, but not always, the child or young person causing the harm is older than the victim. Often victims are uncomfortable or confused about what is happening and may feel that they are willingly involved, but not understand that the behaviour is harmful.

It is important to recognise that our children are likely to engage in some forms of sexual exploration with similar age children. However, any child or young person who engages in sex play with a much younger or more vulnerable child, or who uses force, tricks or bribery to involve someone in sexual activity, is a cause for concern.

What about pornography?
As well as the activities described above, we also have to be aware of the serious and growing problem of children and young people downloading sexual images on the internet. We do not know what effect looking at such material may have on their sexual and emotional development, but repeated viewing of adult or child pornography is certainly a cause for concern.

In addition, downloading child pornography is a criminal offence. Young people who look at this material should be made aware that it is a crime and may need help with their behaviour. It is important that we keep a careful eye on the websites our children are visiting and restrict access as necessary. Further information is available on www.parentsprotect.co.uk

What is 'sexting'?
"Sexting" generally refers to the sending of sexually explicit images via text, email, MSN or through social networking sites. For example, this could be a picture of a young person exposing themselves or in a state of undress.

There could be many reasons why young people would want to take these sorts of pictures of themselves and send them to someone else. It could be that two young people who are in a relationship want to prove their love or commitment to each other; it could be that someone is looking to start a relationship with someone else or it could be that they find it exciting or want to show off.

Sexual images of people under 18 are classed as "child pornography" and are illegal to have or to distribute. While sexting may be seen as acceptable or fun to young people, it is important that both we and they know that it could result in immediate consequences within the school environment or more serious ones with the police.

Why do some children sexually harm others?
The reasons why children sexually harm others are complicated and not always obvious. Some of them have been emotionally, sexually or physically abused themselves, while others may have witnessed physical or emotional violence at home. For some children it may be a passing phase, but the harm they cause to other children can be serious and some will go on to abuse children into adulthood if they do not receive help. For this reason it is vital to seek advice and help as soon as possible.

What is the Inform Young People Programme?
Inform Young People is an educative programme for young people (16-21) in trouble with police, school or college for inappropriate use of technology and the internet such as sexting or the possession or distribution of indecent images of children as well as risk-taking behaviours online, accessing adult pornography.

Why do we need Inform Young People?
The police have said they would rather not criminalise young people for some of these internet related offences, yet they need education and help to address and modify their behaviour. Young people and their parents and teachers calling our helpline have highlighted the need for help and discussions with police identified their concern at there being no appropriate service available.

Our programme (on average, one assessment and five intervention sessions per family) provides information, advice and support tailored to the needs of each young person and their family, to prevent a reoccurrence or escalation of the concerning behaviour.

Cumbrian man, 26, admits he had sex with girl, 14

A 26-year-old man has been put on the sex offenders’ register for having sex with a schoolgirl after picking her up from a bus stop.

Carlisle Crown Court heard the 14-year-old had consented to everything Rohan Priyantha Skelton did with her and even sent him two photographs of herself naked from the waist up.

But Judge Paul Batty QC told him: “Girls have to be protected – often from themselves. Although it is plain that this girl was consenting to all that occurred, she was only 14 years of age – she was a schoolgirl – and you perfectly well knew that.”

Skelton, of Kirkby Thore, near Penrith, pleaded guilty at Carlisle Crown Court to two charges of sexual activity with the girl.

He also admitted sexually grooming her and possessing two indecent topless photographs of her.
A third charge of sexual activity was left lying on the court file. Prosecuting counsel Kim Whittlestone told the court the girl got to know Skelton after her friends told her to add him to her list of friends on Facebook.

“Very quickly the relationship turned to discussions of sexual matters, although she indicated very early on that she was 14 and still at school.”

Ms Whittlestone said Skelton initially told the girl he was 18, then revised that upwards to 23.
But, she said, the pair continued to talk about sexual matters – “what she had done in the past, what he wanted to do with her and what she would like to do with him.”

On one occasion in May he picked her up from school and took her to his home, where they “kissed and touched”, the court heard.

On another he took her to his home again after picking her up from a bus stop, and had sex with her.
When Skelton asked the girl for a photo she sent him two that she had taken previously, showing herself topless.

“She willingly did it,” Ms Whittlestone said.

Skelton was remanded on bail for reports, on condition that he does not communicate with the girl, and will be sentenced on January 31.

Judge Batty described the case as a “difficult and serious” one.

Prison could not be ruled out, he said.

Burma Gets First ‘Sex Education’ Magazine

A man reads a copy of Nhyot in Rangoon

Many previously taboo subjects are now being brazenly embraced in Burma, although some changes are only emerging step-by-step in the traditionally conservative society.

Beautiful models clad in revealing dresses can be found in today’s domestic journals and magazines according to so-called “international standards,” and readers can even study erotic issues under the guise of “sex education” thanks to a ground-breaking magazine.

Nhyot, roughly translated as “Allure” in Burmese, is a new publication which boasts erotic images from cover to back. Advertisements for the publication have caused a storm in Burma as well as on social media such as Facebook.

Oo Swe, the editor-in-chief of Nhyot, told The Irrawaddy that topics in his magazine are presented from a health point of view, aiming to prevent unwanted diseases from sexual encounters.

“People in this country don’t know about sex education even after they have grown up,” he said. “In other countries in the world, it has been included in school curricula and people have known about it since they were in primary school.

“Lack of knowledge can unwittingly bring sexually transmitted diseases, which can then be infected in partners. Such problems will have an impact from the family to the national level. This is the idea behind the publication of Nhyot. Articles in the magazine are written from a clinical point of view and carefully supervised.”

Nhyot first hit shelves on Nov. 27 with new issues available in the last week of each month. The owner of a bookshop on Rangoon’s 32nd Street told The Irrawaddy that the attractive magazine has been a hit from day one.

“A lot of buyers, mostly boys, came to my shop to look for Nhyot,” he said. “The price is 3,000 kyat [US $3.50].”

Articles with titles such as “Secrets of the bedroom,” “Will you be in the arms of everyone” and “What men hate about women” seem to deliberately cater for men. And there is also a Q&A section that includes in-depth discussion of sexual topics.

Indeed, the disclaimer “Minors are prohibited” on the cover appears to be enticing a larger readership.

“There has been no such warning in Burma before,” said Oo Swe. “But there are actually many issues, including those related to love, in current magazines and other publications, which minors should not read. I put the warning because my magazine only features issues for adults.”

The pioneering editor explained that literature regarding sex education has existed in the country for a long time with writers such as Dr. Maung Maung Nyo and Dr. Nan Ohnmar covering the subject in their books, although Nhyot is the first magazine of its kind.

A young female reader told The Irrawaddy that Nhyot is interesting although the article titles are very lewd and price high for a newly-published magazine.

“As our country has opened up and enjoys more freedom, such magazines will be published eventually. We can’t stop them,” she said. “We will be able to gain knowledge through this kind of magazine.”

Nhyot, however, has not had a smooth arrival as many conservative people in Burma even complain about advertisements for women’s menstrual hygiene products and men’s potency drugs. The magazine has encountered some quandaries using photos to match with its written content.

“No censor has been applied to us but I won’t publish a magazine like Playboy because we have to pay attention to our culture,” said Oo Swe. “We have carefully taken all the photos ourselves.”

He added that publications on sex education should be readily available in the country to encourage people to be more open about reproductive health.

The end of Nhyot’s first edition editorial reads, “Love and sex are like Kyut-Kyut-Ate [non-recyclable plastic bags]. They are essential but can also bring negative impacts if we don’t use them with discipline. In order to apply them properly, this magazine presents sex education in combination with entertainment.”

Battle looms over Langley MP’s motion on sex-selective abortion

Conservative MP Mark Warawa speaks about Motion 408, the anti-discrimination motion against sex-selection, on Parliament Hill Wednesday December 5, 2012 in Ottawa. 

OTTAWA— A Conservative backbencher’s motion on sex-selective abortions caught the ire of opposition parties Wednesday, with the NDP and Liberal leaders claiming it was another attempt to outlaw abortion, while the MP behind the proposal called it a stand for human rights.

The volleys over Tory MP Mark Warawa’s motion are part of an ongoing tug-of-war between anti-abortion MPs who want to claim the motion for their cause, and advocates who want to keep the proposal distanced from the politically controversial abortion debate.

The last Tory backbencher to have an abortion-related motion, Stephen Woodworth, made similar arguments when his motion on reviewing the country’s legal definition of when life begins was voted down in September by a vote of 203 to 91, with 87 of the votes supporting him coming from the Tory caucus.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper voted against the controversial motion, but 10 of his cabinet ministers broke ranks and supported Woodworth in the free vote. Shortly after the vote, Warawa introduced his motion.
Warawa, the Langley MP, repeatedly told a press conference that his motion, and the online campaign he launched Wednesday to have Parliament approve the motion, was about condemning a practice that sees female fetuses aborted because of their sex — not about criminalizing abortion.

When pressed about how to talk about sex-selective abortion, which Canadians object to, according to public opinion polls, without wrapping it up in the abortion issue, Smith was short: “I’m not getting into this (abortion) issue.”

Warawa is asking the Commons to approve his motion to “condemn discrimination against females occurring through sex-selective pregnancy termination.”

Statistics published in April in the Canadian Medical Association Journal suggested parents from some cultural backgrounds terminate pregnancies because the fetus is female. The statistics were enough for the journal to run an editorial calling on doctors to postpone disclosing a baby’s sex until after about 30 weeks of pregnancy, “when unquestioned abortion is all but impossible.”

“We either condemn this or endorse this,” Warawa said. “It’s happening in Canada and it shouldn’t be.”
A 2011 Environics poll, conducted for an anti-abortion group, found that 92 per cent of respondents opposed sex-selective abortion. A January 2012 Angus Reid poll found that about two-thirds of respondents, including an almost equal number of women, were in favour of laws prohibiting abortion based on gender.
Despite what he saw as widespread support for his motion, Warawa said he wasn’t interested in having the Commons conduct any studies or draft legislation to outlaw the practice. Approving legislation would take months “if not years,” he said, and indicated he wanted to see something done now.

M408 won’t be debated until at least February. It would come to a vote months after that.

Warawa called the motion a “first step,” although he wouldn’t say what the second step is if Parliament approves his motion.

The New Democrats will vote against the motion, said NDP Leader Tom Mulcair. He said Canada’s abortion laws should be maintained.

“We’re not going to be fooled by Stephen Harper and his troops,” Mulcair said. “Mr. Harper swears out of one side of his mouth that he doesn’t want to reopen the abortion debate but he constantly uses his backbenchers to send in new attempts to.”

The NDP has previously said it condemns sex-selective abortion. The Liberals have as well. However, Mulcair said the NDP can’t support this proposal given Warawa introduced it immediately after the Commons defeated the last abortion-related motion.

The Liberals won’t force their members to vote one way on the bill. Interim leader Bob Rae said he won’t be voting with Warawa.

“The notion that there’s a whole group of MPs or Canadians who think sex selection is a good idea — no there aren’t,” Rae said. “We’re a country that’s against discrimination and everybody understands that as well. That’s clear. But I think the way that they’re doing it is an attempt to break down this very basic consensus in the country that this is essentially a private matter.”

Harvard recognizes group promoting safe kinky sex

Harvard University has embraced a group devote to alternative sexualities. Source: Supplied

 

KINKY sex has been admitted to Harvard.

The oldest American university has formally recognised Harvard College Munch, a group promoting discussions and safe practices of kinky and alternative sex. The school has no record of a similar group being recognised in its 376-year history.

The Committee on Student Life recognized Munch last week, making it one of 400 independent student organisations on campus. The decision occurred more than a year after members began meeting informally over meals.

"Applications for recognition are decided by a student-faculty committee following the review of a committee composed of students and administrators," Harvard spokesman Jeff Neal said in a statement. "The college does not endorse the views or activities of any independent student organization."

Harvard is not the first university in the country to formally recognise kinky sex groups, and several active groups exist within the larger community in Cambridge and neighboring Boston.

In a statement posted on a Harvard website, Munch organisers say the group is for students interested in kink and alternative sexualities to meet and organise relevant events including speakers, discussions and screenings. Munch also has created a safety team to enable victims of abuse or trauma get help.

"It exists to promote a positive and accurate understanding of alternative sexualities and kink on campus, as well as to create a space where college-age adults may reach out to their peers and feel accepted in their own sexuality," the statement said.

"Though existing campus groups range from representing women and men, queer sexualities and orientations, all the way to groups dedicated to abstinence, no other group exists as a forum for students interested in alternative sexualities to explore their identities and develop a community with their peers," organisers said.
The group started with seven people and now has about 30 members. The statement didn't identify any of the members.

The Harvard Crimson school newspaper quotes one founder, identified only as Michael, as saying that recognition "comes with the fact of legitimacy" and shows members are being taken seriously. There are also practical benefits to formal recognition, including the ability to apply for grants, post notices and secure convenient time and locations for meetings, the founder said.

The Crimson reported that the group's efforts to gain official recognition last spring were foiled by trouble finding an adviser and problems with its constitution.

Same-sex marriages make history

Jennifer Traband, left, and Emme Scheible give an oath that their information is accurate as gay couples are issued marriage licenses at the King County Administration Building on Wednesday, December 5, 2012 

Hundreds of couples lined up in downtown Seattle Wednesday night for the state's first batch of same-sex marriage licenses, in a historic, jubilant event that began at 12:01 a.m. Thursday and was expected to last for hours.

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  Jennifer Traband, left, and Emme Scheible give an oath that their information is accurate as gay couples are issued marriage licenses at the King County Administration Building on Wednesday, December 5, 2012. Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO / SEATTLEPI.COM
  Jennifer Traband, left, and Emme Scheible give an oath that their...
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  Jane Abbott Lightly and her partner Pete-e Petersen, right, celebrate as King County Executive Dow Constantine signs their marriage license at the King County Administration Building on Wednesday, December 5, 2012. Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO / SEATTLEPI.COM
  Jane Abbott Lightly and her partner Pete-e Petersen, right,...
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  Kelly Middleton, 24, and her partner Amanda Dollente, 29, embrace after they received their marriage license at the King County Administration Building on Wednesday, December 5, 2012. Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO / SEATTLEPI.COM
  Kelly Middleton, 24, and her partner Amanda Dollente, 29, embrace...
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  Justin Goodman, left, fills out marriage paperwork with his partner Jake Bartholomy at the King County Administration Building on Wednesday, December 5, 2012. Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO / SEATTLEPI.COM
  Justin Goodman, left, fills out marriage paperwork with his partner...
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  Couples wait in line for their marriage licenses at the King County Administration Building on Wednesday, December 5, 2012. Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO / SEATTLEPI.COM
  Couples wait in line for their marriage licenses at the King County...
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They formed an eager, festive crowd, with couples young and old braving a night-time chill and wee-hours wait for the chance to make history at the normally dull King County Administration building. Supporters cheered for them with roses, coffee, hand-warmers and serenades of  "Going to the Chapel."

The licensing marathon was expected to last more than  18 hours.

"Marriage should be a happy time, and it's a happy night," said State Sen. Ed Murray, D-Wash., who was among the crowd with his partner Michael Shiosaki. Murray was the chief sponsor of the marriage equality legislation passed by the Legislature last February.

Exactly one month has passed since Washington voted -- and King County voted overwhelmingly -- in favor of same-sex marriage through Referendum 74.
Jane Abbott Lighty and Pete-e Petersen, a West Seattle couple of 35 years, were the first couple to get a license, after waiting decades to get marrired. As the clock struck midnight, a crowd led by King County Executive Dow Constantine clapped and cheered, and Lighty, 77, and Petersen, 85, raised their hands to take an oath.

"People who have been waiting all these years to have their rights recognized should not have to wait one minute longer," said Constantine, who stayed up into the wee hours to issue the county's  first marriage licenses.

"To have our 35-year loving relationship publicly honored and celebrated and have this be a legal marriage means everything to both of us," said Lighty, a former nurse. She and Petersen, a former Korean War flight nurse, will be wed at a Seattle Men's Chorus concert at Benaroya Hall this weekend.

The LGBT community had picked them for first-couple honors.

Dan Savage and his partner were also among the first couples to pick up a marriage license.

"It's really a remarkable journey we've been on and such a remarkable sea change," he said.  "And not just for gay people, but straight people have changed, too. It's gotten better for us because straight people have gotten better about us."
King County issued 1,889 marriage licenses to heterosexual couples during July.  It expects to equal that number in the first three days of licensing.

"The marriages will be the real fun," said George Bakan, editor-in-chief of Seattle Gay News.  On the other side of James Street, City Hall will play host to 142 marriage ceremonies on Sunday, the first day that same-sex couples can get hitched.

How marriage equality happened
The festivities this weekend are a long time in coming.  Just a year ago, marriage equality advocates started meeting around the state -- often in Protestant churches -- to plan how to convey their message to the Legislature.  The key tactic turned out to be the telling of personal stories.

Amanda Beane and Anne Bryson-Beane, who have seven adopted kids, also picked up a marriage license, after being together for 15 years. They will be married at their home parish, Faith Luthern Church, on Jan. 26, 2013.

"Each of our adopted children understands that you can call someone family all you want, but until the court says it's forever, you are not seen as a 'real' family:  When I marry my wife, for the first time our family will be seen by everyone for what we are -- a forever family," said Anne Bryson-Beane.

The United States has, in less than a decade,  experienced a sea change in public attitude toward marriage equality.
In a 2004 get-out-the-vote tactic masterminded by (twice-divorced) Republican strategist Karl Rove, 11 states votes for statewide measures defining "marriage" as exclusively between a man and a woman.
Marriage equality was 0-for-32 at the polls, until last month.  Washington, Maryland and Maine voted to become the seventh, eighth and ninth states to legalize marriage between same sex partners.  Minnesota rejected a state constitutional amendment carrying the man-woman definition.

A Quinnipiac University poll, published Wednesday, showed a narrow plurality of Americans now endorsing marriage between couples of the same sex.

Dan Hinkley, an internationally renowned plant expert, remembered from his Indianola home how things used to be.

"I reflected last night on a conversation I had a decade ago at a small dinner party of young, techno-uber-rich and educated guests in New York," he said.  "During an appropriate synapse of thought, I interjected an indignation of the inability of gay people to marry.  I will never forget the silence that followed.

"I now wonder if those 'enlightened' people we were with that night remember that silence as well.  It was very quiet.  The thing about that silence is that it helped me fully comprehend what force we were against, and mostly what enormous changes people in my parents' generation -- my dad, 92, is going strong, my mom just passed away at 90 -- were facing, and have faced."

'An opportunity to validate'
Same-sex couples in Washington have been united in commitment ceremonies long before tonight's arrival of formal marriage.  "Taking pictures is something I've been doing for years," joked Dani Weiss, one of seven photographers donating time at Sunday's City Hall festivities.

As to the coming of marriage, added Weiss, "It's an opportunity to validate."

The couples lining up at the King County Administration Building will be married according to their lives, professions and surroundings.

Gabe Verdugo and Adam Forcier, together eight years, will be married Sunday in the chambers of Washington State Supreme Court Justice Steve Gonzalez.  Verdugo is a clerk for the justice.

King County Superior Court Judge Mary Yu will marry Brendon Taga and Jesse Page of Vashon Island at 12:20 a.m. Sunday, 20 minutes after it becomes legal to perform the ceremony.  "When Jesse and I have children in the near future, we want to be able to share our family's history in certain, unequivocal terms," said Taga.

Teri Bednarski and Saracristina Garcia, from Tacoma, volunteers from the Referendum 71 and 74 campaigns, plan to get married at Lake Quinault.  Neil Hoyt and Donald Glenn Jenny, together 24 years and active with the Seattle Men's Chorus, will be married at the Sunday night concert.
Others are holding off.

Sen. Murray and his partner Shiosaki will set a date later this summer, close to the anniversary of when the couple met on a hike up to the Carbon Glacier on Mount Rainier.  "I was younger then," joked Murray.
"Different people are going to do this different ways."

Pot possession, same-sex marriage officially legal in Washington State

Marijuana possession became legal in Washington state Thursday, as did same-sex marriage.

Voters in Washington and Colorado last month made those the first states to decriminalize and regulate the recreational use of marijuana. Washington's law, which took effect at 12:01 a.m. PST, allows adults to have up to an ounce of pot, but bans public use of marijuana, which is punishable by a fine, just like drinking in public.

Nevertheless, some people planned to gather early Thursday to smoke in public beneath Seattle's Space Needle. Others planned a midnight party outside the Seattle headquarters of Hempfest, the 21-year-old festival that attracts tens of thousands of pot fans every summer.

CBS Seattle affiliate KIRO-TV showed people smoking pot on city streets, and same-sex couples waiting in line for and getting marriage licenses, many toasting with champagne.
 
"This is a big day because all our lives, we've been living under the iron curtain of prohibition," said Hempfest director Vivian McPeak. "The whole world sees that prohibition just took a body blow."

In another sweeping change for Washington, Gov. Chris Gregoire on Wednesday signed into law a measure legalizing same-sex marriage. The state joins several others that allow gay and lesbian couples to wed.
That law also takes effect Thursday, when gay and lesbian couples can start picking up their wedding certificates and licenses at county auditors' offices. The offices in King County, the state's largest and home to Seattle, and Thurston County, home to the state capital of Olympia, opened the earliest they could, at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, to start issuing marriage licenses.

Because the state has a three-day waiting period, the earliest that weddings can take place is Sunday.
The Seattle Police Department provided this public marijuana use enforcement guidance to its officers via email Wednesday night: "Until further notice, officers shall not take any enforcement action, other than to issue a verbal warning, for a violation of Initiative 502."

Thanks to a 2003 law, marijuana enforcement remains the department's lowest priority. Even before I-502 passed on Election Day, Nov. 6, police rarely busted people at Hempfest, despite widespread pot use, and the city attorney here doesn't prosecute people for having small amounts of marijuana.

Officers will be advising people to take their weed inside, police spokesman Jonah Spangenthal-Lee wrote on the SPD Blotter. "The police department believes that, under state law, you may responsibly get baked, order some pizzas and enjoy a 'Lord of the Rings' marathon in the privacy of your own home, if you want to."

Washington's new law decriminalizes possession of up to an ounce for those over 21, but for now, selling marijuana remains illegal. I-502 gives the state a year to come up with a system of state-licensed growers, processors and retail stores, with the marijuana taxed 25 percent at each stage. Analysts have estimated that a legal pot market could bring Washington hundreds of millions of dollars a year in new tax revenue for schools, health care and basic government functions.

But marijuana remains illegal under federal law. That means federal agents can still arrest people for it, and it's banned from federal properties, including military bases and national parks.

The Justice Department has not said whether it will sue to try to block the regulatory schemes in Washington and Colorado from taking effect.

"The department's responsibility to enforce the Controlled Substances Act remains unchanged," said a statement issued Wednesday by the Seattle U.S. attorney's office. "Neither states nor the executive branch can nullify a statute passed by Congress" -- a non-issue, since the measures passed in Washington and Colorado don't "nullify" federal law, which federal agents remain free to enforce.

The legal question is whether the establishment of a regulated marijuana market would "frustrate the purpose" of the federal pot prohibition, and many constitutional law scholars say it very likely would.

That leaves the political question of whether the administration wants to try to block the regulatory system, even though it would remain legal to possess up to an ounce of marijuana.

Colorado's measure, as far as decriminalizing possession goes, is set to take effect by Jan. 5. That state's regulatory scheme is due to be up and running by October 2013.

Brigitte Bardot: The Sexiest of All Sex Symbols

"FAME BROUGHT me so much unhappiness!"
That was Brigitte Bardot, years after she retired at the age of 39, mulling her experiences as one of the world's great symbols. (She had allegedly attempted suicide at the age of 25.)

After Bardot left films, she devoted herself to animal causes. More recently, and less pleasantly, she has become politically conservative, raving against Muslims and others. This latter image, of an angry Bardot, who eschewed plastic surgery and looks like a woman of 78, isn't the way movie fans wish to remember her.

Those who want to recall B.B. in her prime should take in the coming tribute to the star at The French Institute Alliance Francaise. The new Cinema Tuesdays series -- at Florence Gould Hall on E. 59th Street -- spotlights a number of Bardot's most famous films, including (but of course!) Roger Vadim's And God Created Woman ... Jean-Luc Godard's Contempt and Rene Clair's The Grand Maneuver. (This last is a comedy, shot in 1955, one year before Bardot conquered the world with the image Vadim created for her. She is startlingly fresh and charming.)

This happens in conjunction with a photo exhibit, "BB Forever" at the Sofitel Hotel in NYC. The film series runs December 4-18, the exhibit will be on display till the 20th.

Whatever one thinks of her politics now, Bardot was a smart cookie, despite her sufferings during her halcyon days. She resisted all attempts to bring her to the United States and to sign with a major American studio. She knew her fame extended far beyond France and did not see the need to leave her country and become even more famous, more beleaguered.

• AFTER HER retirement, in the early 1970s Bardot commented that had she continued in films or had allowed herself to be tempted to America, she felt sure she would have ended up like Marilyn Monroe. (Monroe and Bardot met once, in England, in 1956, at a film gala. Monroe was at her peak, Bardot just beginning. They ran into each other in the ladies room. B.B. recalls M.M. as "very beautiful, as charming as could be.") 
• Bardot, like Kim Novak, was one of the few who got out while the getting was good. She had one child, whom she rarely saw. Wisely, she knew, "I was a child myself. I couldn't bring up a child properly." The boy lived with his father, Jacques Charrier. After three unsuccessful marriages (the first to her Pygmalion, Vadim) Bardot seems content with industrialist Bernard d'Ormale, who allows her passion for animals and shares her far-right political views. 
• Brigitte was probably the sexiest of all the sex symbols -- she didn't tease, she wasn't a cartoon or a caricature of femininity. She pouted, sure. But she delivered what her pout promised.
  My personal favorite photo of B.B. is her sitting, relaxed, in a go-cart. Some wise-cracker has provided a balloon over her disgusted face, saying "Show business!"
  
  I'm a little late with this, but I had one of the best Thanksgiving holidays ever -- over five days I had dinner at Mr. K's in a private Chinese room above Lexington Avenue in the '60s... the morning of the Thanksgiving Day Parade I saw lots of TV... turkey and trimmings at John Studzinski's lovely apartment above the MOMA skyline... the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall... Lunch in the private Charlie Chaplin room at Circo hosted by Michael and Heidi Greene of Redding, Connecticut and with the restaurant's Bruno in attendance... Lincoln, the movie in the afternoon ...the new musical version of Annie with its magical book and music by Martin Charnin and Charles Strouse and Thomas Meehan... supper at Orso's on West 46th street with every seat taken and my pet two-times Oscar-winner Jessica Lange, just one celebrity in the crowd... lunch at the amazing Fishtale in the 60's off Park with calamari pizza... Anna Karenina, the Tolstoy masterpiece with the beautiful Keira Knightley as Anna, reinterpreting Greta Garbo and Vivien Leigh on the big screen... Lifetime's self-interrupting Liz & Dick, which wasn't enough of anything to be a downer after all of that... finally, seeing Tommy Tune sing and dance on a tiny stage at Feinsteins at the Regency. Tommy is a "Living Landmark" and I sat with two other LL's for the show -- Louise and Lewis Cullman. Prof. Iris of the archaeology Loves took our pictures on her iPhone.
  
  AS USUAL, I find myself over-indulged, over-fed, over-sated, over-whelmed and I can never be over-thankful enough for the blessings of New York City.Plus all this, you can read me writing about Mayor Michael Bloomberg in the current Quest magazine which is a 25th anniversary experience with marvelous photos throughout the magazine.
  
  ALL KINDS of anniversaries seem to be overtaking us. But one of the most interesting to meis La Grenouille restaurant's 50th celebration on Monday night at the world-famous place whereit all was started by a handsome man named Charles Masson. M. Masson had the magic touch for elegance and he gave New York a place that was more beautiful and French than France itself. His son Charles has carried on brilliantly and that will all be celebrated at East 52 Street off 5th Avenue on Dec. 3 from 5-8, by invitation. La Grenouille is in a class by itself, the last of the best descending from the Henri Soule inheritance that began in New York after the 1964 World's Fair drew the world's attention to fine dining. 'Tis said La Grenouille (the frog) spends $250,000 annually on flowers alone and M. Charles re-works these day after day and keeps his place ever-green. In the years when Women's Wear Daily's John Fairchild was a bigger "king" than even the frog itself, this restaurant drew world fashion attention. It was also where Ivana Trump emerged from an all-girls luncheon during the early days of her severance from The Donald, to be besieged with reporters and paparazzi in a scene like Days of the Locus in Hollywood. La Grenouille has made its mark while keeping its elegance and cool
  
  But Monday is not all. On Tuesday, the "Living Landmark" decorator  Bunny Williams and Mr. John Rosselli invite the elite to come view Charles Masson's beautiful paintings at their Treillage emporium, 418 East 75 Street, 6 to 8. These paintings are a real treat.        
  
  CONGRATULATIONS TO LA GRENOUILLE ON BEING 50. Remember, after the Middle Ages comes the Renaissance!

Facebook Must Remove Page Outing Sex Offenders, Says UK Judge

According to a UK High Court, Facebook is not allowed to host a page that publicly outs convicted sex offenders.

A Judge has given Facebook 72 hours to remove a page called Keeping our kids safe from predators, which routinely posts personal information and photos of child predators in Northern Ireland.

The decree stems from a suit brought by a convicted sex offender, only referred to as “XY.” XY claims that the Facebook page amounts to harassment, misuse of private info, and a violation of his privacy. He fears that he may be attacked or otherwise publicly degraded as a result of the page. Facebook has apparently already removed any mention of XY on the page, but the court’s ruling demands that Facebook take an extra step and nix the page altogether.

“Society has dealt with the plaintiff in accordance with the rule of law. He has been punished by incarceration and he is subject to substantial daily restrictions on his lifestyle,” said the Judge.

The page owners have acknowledged the ruling, and are already suggesting alternative pages for pedophile tracking and claim to be in the process of setting up an alternate page in the event of the current page’s removal:

“Hi all, Un fortunately this page may be removed any time soon. On this other facebook page you can see daily paedophile crimes listed. So far over 17,000 UK paedophiles have been named on the website, and a few from each days court cases are posted on to the page below

The next page will be called “keeping our kids safe from predators 2″ and it will b coming from america at least there they wont take the page down so every1 keep and eye out 4 it,” they say.

“So the man, or I mean mess of a human being, that’s taken this page to court, he must want to be the head paedophile and rule over all sex offenders. He will be like a god to them.”

Facebook policy bans any convicted sex offender from operating an account, but this ruling takes a look at the flip side and looks to protect them from additional punishment via the actions of other Facebook users. What do you think? Should Facebook be forced to remove the page?

UFC's Ronda Rousey tries 'to have as much sex as possible

UFC's Ronda Rousey tries 'to have as much sex as possible' before her MMA fights
Ronda Rousey smiles during her weigh-in in Columbus, Ohio March 2, 2012. A judo bronze medallist at the 2008 Olympics, Rousey became the new face of women's MMA after ripping the bantamweight titlePicture taken March 2, 2012. from Miesha Tate's grasp in March.

TORONTO — (Rowdy) Ronda Rousey, the first woman signed to the UFC, says sex — and plenty of it — is on her things to do list before she fights.

"For girls, it raises your testosterone so I try to have as much sex as possible before I fight actually," Rousey said on the "Jim Rome on Showtime" show Wednesday night.

"Not with like everybody," she added with a laugh."I don't put out Craigslist ads or anything. But if I've got a steady I'm going to be like 'Yo, fight time's coming up."'

The mixed martial arts star was responding to a question about what how some boxers abstain from sex before fights.

The 25-year-old American, an Olympic bronze medallist in judo, is 6-0 in MMA with every fight ending in the first round via an armbar submission.

She won the Strikeforce 135-pound title but recently signed with the UFC and will help introduce a women's division to the promotion.

The sex query was part of a 10-question format on the show. One of the other questions was "Ever been in a fight with a guy?"

"Yes. I got in a fight with a couple of guys at the end of 2007 in a movie theatre," said Rousey. "It was four couples, so four guys and one girl tried to get into it. And I had two friends with me. But I was only really handling two guys by myself.

"They sued me for assault because it didn't really go too well for them. I guess if you lose a fight in Santa Monica the next option is to sue. Everyone in the theatre was cheering for me. I was thinking I might have a future in this. It was before the whole MMA thing."

Sex won't bring on labour - study

.Tan said the results show that pregnancy evolved to be resistant to disruption.

There is a widespread belief that sex during the later stages of pregnancy can jumpstart labour, but that doesn't appear to be so - at least according to a study from Malaysia. 

The researchers, whose work appeared in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, found that there were no differences in the timing of delivery between women who had sex near term and those who abstained. 

“We are a little disappointed,” said Tan Peng Chiong, an obstetrics and gynaecology professor at the University of Malaya and one of the authors of the study. 

“It would have been nice for couples to have something safe, effective and perhaps even fun that they could use themselves to help go into labour a little earlier if (they) wanted.” 

Tan said that many women believe intercourse can induce labour, and scientists have proposed plausible biological explanations for why it might help. 

For one, semen contains a hormone like substance called prostaglandin, which is used in synthetic form to induce labour. Breast stimulation is also thought to hasten labour and orgasm can trigger uterine contractions.

“Labour induction for prolonged pregnancy is common and many women are also tempted for a variety of personal reasons to trigger labour in the very later stages of pregnancy,” Tan said. 

The researchers invited more than 1,100 women to participate, all of whom were 35 to 38 weeks pregnant and none of whom had had sex in the previous six weeks. 

Roughly half of the women were advised by a physician to have sex frequently as a means of safely expediting labour. The other half were told that sex was safe during pregnancy, but that its effects on labour were unknown. 

The researchers then tracked the women to determine how long their pregnancies lasted and whether they required any medical intervention to start labour. 

They found that about 85 percent of the women who were encouraged to have sex did follow the doctor's advice, while 80 percent of women in the other group also had sex. 

Women in the group advised to have sex also had it more frequently for the remaining duration of their pregnancies - three times versus two. 

But the rates of induced labour were similar in both groups: 22 percent of those advised to have sex and 20.8 percent of the other group, a difference so small it is likely to have been driven by chance. 

Earlier research relied primarily on surveys of women about their sexual experiences during pregnancy, but this study was “the first attempt to really randomise the experience, for some to have sex and some to not, which is a very hard thing to do,” said Jonathan Schaffir, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Ohio State University College of Medicine. 

“Even though this study did not show any increase in the rate of labour or a decrease in the rate of induction, it helped to cement the idea that having sex is probably safe if you want it,” he told Reuters Health. 

Tan said the results show that pregnancy evolved to be resistant to disruption. 

“Human pregnancy has to be robust to a little adventure like intercourse and unfortunately for our purpose, it seems pretty robust to the very end,” he said.

U.S. Supreme Court looks at whether to take up same-sex marriage

 

The U.S. Supreme Court this month will begin considering several cases involving same-sex marriage, including one testing the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8, which says "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." Above, Frank Capley-Alfano and Joe Capley-Alfano celebrate outside of San Francisco City Hall in February after a federal appeals court blocked the law. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The U.S. Supreme Court this month will begin considering several cases involving same-sex marriage, including one testing the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8, which says "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." Above, Frank Capley-Alfano and Joe Capley-Alfano celebrate outside of San Francisco City Hall in February after a federal appeals court blocked the law. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire celebrates after signing marriage equality legislation into law earlier this year. Voters there approved same-sex marriage on Election Day. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)

In 2010, television reporter Roby Chavez, right, shares a moment with gay rights activist Frank Kameny during Chavez' and Chris Roe's wedding ceremony in the nation's capital. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The U.S. Supreme Court this month will begin considering several cases involving same-sex marriage, including one testing the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8, which says "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." Above, Frank Capley-Alfano and Joe Capley-Alfano celebrate outside of San Francisco City Hall in February after a federal appeals court blocked the law.

(CNN) -- Edith "Edie" Windsor lost her spouse in 2009, her grief compounded by an estate tax bill much larger than other married couples would have to pay.

Because her decades-long partner was also a woman, the federal government in legal terms did not recognize the same-sex marriage, even though their home state of New York did.

"I was devastated by the loss of the great love of my life, and I was also very sick, then had to deal with pulling together enough money to pay for the taxes," Windsor, 83, told CNN. "And it was deeply upsetting."

That fundamental unfairness as Windsor and her supporters see it, is at the center of legal fight now awaiting action at the U.S. Supreme Court.

The justices will meet privately Friday for a closed-door conference to decide if they will accept any of 10 pending appeals, essentially over whether a fundamental constitutional right for gays and lesbians to marry exists.

If they agree to hear the issue, oral arguments would be likely be held in March with a ruling by late June.

The political, social, and legal stakes of this long-simmering debate will once again put the high court at the center of national attention, a contentious encore to their summer ruling upholding the massive health care reform law championed by President Barack Obama.

Earlier this month, voters in Maryland, Washington, and Maine approved same-sex marriage, adding to the six states and the District of Columbia that already have done so. Minnesota voters also rejected an effort to ban such unions through a constitutional amendment.

Is there a national consensus?

As more states legalize same-sex marriage, one of the key questions the justices may be forced to address is whether a national consensus now exists supporting the idea of expanding an "equal protection" right of marriage to homosexuals.

Three separate issues confront the justices, who are likely to only accept only one for review in coming months. These include federal benefits, state benefits and state referendums.

The Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, is a 1996 congressional law that says for federal purposes, marriage is defined as only between one man and one woman. That means federal tax, Social Security, pension, and bankruptcy benefits, and family medical leave protections -- do not apply to gay and lesbian couples, such as Windsor and her late partner Thea Spyer.

This appeal from Arizona asks whether a state that prohibits same-sex marriage may also deny same-sex couples marital benefits if one of the partners is a state employee, when other state workers in opposite-sex marriages enjoy government benefits.

On referendums, the California high court had earlier concluded same-sex marriage was legal, but the 2008 voter-approved Proposition 8 abolished it. If the high court accepts this appeal, it would likely not decide whether same-sex marriage is a constitutional right, but only whether a state can revoke that right through referendum once it has already been recognized.

"The justices are almost certainly going to take up the question of the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act," said Thomas Goldstein, publisher of SCOTUSblog.com and a top Washington attorney. "The real question is whether they'll step into California's Prop 8 and the ruling there that California discriminated unconstitutionally when it granted a right to same sex-marriage and then took it away. It's a tossup on whether they'll hear that case."

Who will represent U.S. in any court case

Complicating matters is just who will defend the DOMA law before the justices. Traditionally that role would fall to the Justice Department's Solicitor General office. But Obama, in an election-year stunner, said in May he supports same-sex marriages. The president had already ordered Attorney General Eric Holder not to defend the federal law in court.

That left House Republicans, led by Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, to step in after the Justice Department refused to participate. They have hired top Washington attorney Paul Clement-- himself a former solicitor general-- to make the arguments to keep the law in place, at least until lawmakers decide otherwise.

Clement said a congressionally mandated, uniform standard to define marriage for federal purposes is both proper and practical, since different states have different laws defining the limits of marriage.

"DOMA does not bar or invalidate any marriages but leaves states free to decide whether they will recognize same-sex marriage," Clement told the court in a legal brief. "Rather, DOMA merely reaffirmed and codified the traditional definition of marriage: what Congress itself has always meant and what courts and the executive branch have always understood it to mean -- in using those words: A traditional male-female couple."

The law does not prohibit states from allowing same-sex marriages, but it also does not force states to recognize them from other states. Most of the current plaintiffs are federal workers, who are not allowed to add their spouses to health care plans, and other benefits.

Many other states, including New Jersey, Illinois, Delaware, Rhode Island and Hawaii, have legalized domestic partnerships and civil unions for such couples -- a step designed in most cases to provide the same rights of marriage under state law.

But other states have passed laws or state constitutional amendments banning such marriages. California's Prop 8 is the only such referendum that revoked the right after lawmakers and the state courts previously allowed it.

In February, a federal appeals court in San Francisco ruled the measure unconstitutional.

 

Court could offer final word

By patiently letting legislatures and the voters decide the social and practical implications of same-sex marriage over the past decade, the high court is now poised to perhaps offer the final word on the tricky constitutional questions.

The split 5-4 conservative-liberal bench has the option of ruling broadly or narrowly-- perhaps taking a series of incremental cases over a period years, building political momentum and public confidence in the process.

Edie Windsor is one of more than a dozen plaintiffs involved in the current DOMA appeals before the high court. She and Spyer, a psychologist, had been a devoted couple in New York's Greenwich Village for more than 40 years, before marrying in Canada in 2007.

New York did not allow same-sex marriages to be performed in the state when Windsor and Spyer wed, but did recognize the out-of-state license. New York's legislature last year approved same-sex marriage.

Windsor, a retired computer systems programmer, wants the $363,053 in added estate taxes she was forced to pay the IRS. She said the federal government considers her relationship with Spyer as little more than "girlfriends," something she called an "incredible indignation."

"I would like to receive my money back. New York State accepted my marriage as a marriage," she told CNN. "And I believe, and the Justice Department and the president agree with me, that the DOMA law is unconstitutional. DOMA is cruel. It discriminates against us for absolutely no value to the country. And we'd like to see that defeated altogether. I'd like other people not to go through what I went through."