It’s time for the news with Kandy Korrespondent!

On Monday, California performed its first round of legally recognized same-sex marriages. Among the first love-birds to say the magic words, were Robin Tyler and Diane Olson, the original plaintiffs in the 2004 lawsuit challenging the gay marriage ban as unconstitutional. In San Fransisco, pioneering gay activists Phyllis Lyon, 84, and Del Martin said “I Do” in a ceremony initiated by Mayor Gavin Newsom.

According to the Los Angeles Times, a record 2,386 marriage licenses were issued on Tuesday June 17th. An average June day’s count is 460. California is the first state to allow same-sex couples from other states to wed. While for most out of state couples such an action is purely symbolic, New York State has said that it will recognize all CA unions.

While marriage-protectionists mainly stayed out of the lime light on Tuesday, they have already begun to plan their campaign for the November ballot initiative banning gay marriage once again in CA.

In Other News:

The crisis in Zimbabwe is beyond alarming. Earlier this week, the secretary-general of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Tendai Biti was arrested as he returned from South Africa on treason charges, “for publishing a document that was explaining a transitional strategy around March 26″. If convicted he faces the death penalty. MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai was also detained for the third time. Read More »