Sunday, October 27, 2002
Oregon paper to publish domestic partner commitment announcements
A story released today by the Associated Press reports that Oregon's largest newspaper, The Oregonian, announced Sunday it would join the growing list of U.S. newspapers that publish same-sex commitment announcements.
More than 140 newspapers publish same-sex commitment announcements in some form, according to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
In Oregon, several counties, including Ashland and Multnomah, have registries for gay, lesbian, and unmarried heterosexual couples.
The Oregonian said it would begin charging for wedding, engagement, birth, birthdays and anniversary announcements on a new "Celebrations" page.
Monday, October 28, 2002
Unmarried Chinese couple fined for cohabitating
A story published today by the Telegraph reports that a student and his girlfriend in China have been fined £40 for sharing a room in a decision that has caused a furious debate on the widening gap between modern lifestyles and the Communist institutions set up to control the masses.
Hai Yian, a Shanghai student, said: "The police have no right to intervene in extra-marital affairs, let alone co-habitation aimed at saving money."
The controversy comes as senior surgeons at Shanghai's main hospitals revealed that spiraling abortion rates were being fueled by a rise in pre-marital sex. Chinese government policy makes it illegal for single women to have children.
