°µºÚ±¬ÁÏ

The state's high court says among other things that the move will ensure support from both parents.

When he signed the bill, Gov. Lincoln Chafee said the state was "living up to the ideals of our founders."

Federal election law gives married couples some advantages in making political contributions. The Federal Election Commission this week tried to make those same breaks available to couples in same-sex marriages — but commissioners said they're thwarted by the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

"I'm black. I'm gay," Nevada State Sen. Kelvin Atkinson said for the first time in public. The Senate went on to approve a first step in repealing a ban on gay marriage in the state.

Opponents of the new law threw bottles, cans and metal bars. Police responded with tear gas. President Francois Hollande has appealed for calm.

France will join 13 other nations that have legalized gay marriage within their borders. In three others, including the U.S., same-sex marriage is legal in some jurisdictions. The new French law also legalizes adoptions by same-sex couples.

New Zealand lawmakers approve same-sex marriage law; despite opposition from some religious and social organizations, gay and lesbian couples will also be able to jointly adopt children.

Even if the Supreme Court strikes down a law barring the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages, the tangle over health benefits could remain a problem for couples in some states.

A majority in the U.S. Senate now supports gay marriage, but a handful of prominent Democrats still haven't joined their party on the issue.

In a weekend interview, Rep. Matt Salmon, a Republican of Arizona, told a local news station that his openly gay son has not changed his position on same-sex marriage.