San Francisco to recognize gay marriage

Another front has opened in the war over gay marriage, and it happened, no surprise in San Francisco.

New Mayor Gavin Newsom, the guy who eked out a victory over the Green party thanks in part to some last minute campaigning by the Big Dog and other major Democratic party figures, has asked the city clerk to make whatever changes are necessary in order to ensure that marriage licenses are issued without regard to gender or sexual orientation. Newson is the guy accused by many San Francisco activists of not being "liberal enough" for their liking, and for the record, I voted for and had a sign in my window for his opponent, Matt Gonzales.

This is more than just grandstanding by a city mayor, however.

State Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, plans to introduce a bill this week that would legalize same-sex marriage in California. It would expand the state's domestic partners law to allow same-sex couples to file joint tax returns, claim an exemption from property reassessment upon the death of a partner, and travel across state lines without jeopardizing their marriage rights.

"It's a one-two punch,'' Leno said of his and Newsom's efforts.

There's a history of San Francisco successfully challenging the state when it gomes to GLBT rights.

The city passed the first law in the nation requiring city contractors to provide the same benefits to their employees in domestic partnerships as married workers receive, and it successfully defended the policy in court. The city assessor also has awarded domestic partners the same rights as married couples when it comes to property transfers.

Here's hoping it sticks.