On Saturday, July 12, 2008, Foresight Legal’s Tom Martin gave a presentation to the Coachella Valley Couples – a gay and lesbian social group – about the pros and cons of gay marriage and domestic partnerships in California. There were over 50 attendees at the Rainbow Senior Center in Cathedral City. Three news agencies, including CBS Channel 2 News, covered the event.

In discussing the issue of the lack of federal recognition of same sex marriage, Mr. Martin referenced the 1997 study conducted by General Counsel to the General Accounting Office. The study noted 1049 federal laws and 13 areas of federal law in which marital status is a factor. A link to that study is available here.

Also, an excellent source of additional information about marriage for same sex couples in California is available from Lambda Legal here.

The California Supreme Court’s decision, overturning the ban on gay marriage, is available here.