Couples

Amid the cheers of President Barack Obama's victory rally in Chicago, Keesha Patterson reached into her bag for a tiny box, dropped to one knee, turned to her girlfriend of 11 years and told her, in front of everyone, how much she loved her and wanted to marry her. Word that Maryland's Question 6 had passed had just flashed on the screen, and Patterson, who grew up in Baltimore's McCulloh Homes and now lives in Prince George's County, knew the moment...

In their op-ed, Lanae Erickson and Jon Cowan ("Don't make it about 'rights,'" March 21) are about halfway there. Like most involved in the debate about same-sex marriage, they conflate the rich cultural and religious aspects of marriage with the very pedestrian issue of the qualifications to obtain a civil marriage license and ceremony. Lifetime commitment, love, fidelity, vows … none of these shows up in the civil code. The code requires only that the couple be of opposite sex, not be closely related, not be currently married, and be beyond a certain age. Two people who have never met can get a marriage license, although they do have to appear together for the ceremony which, by the way, does not require any vows or expressions of love or commitment.

Michael and Tressa Schuler of Towson had their wedding all planned: an elaborate but intimate affair at historic Gramercy Mansion with about 75 guests. But then family members extended more invitations, and soon the guest list swelled to 170. "It just started to get too stressful, and we felt that it was a time that we should be happy planning this," Michael Schuler said. With their wedding costs approaching $20,000, the couple opted instead for an "elopement" package at Gramercy that was limited to 20 guests.

Same-sex couples in the Baltimore area are raising children at a higher rate than in most large metropolitan regions in the nation, according to a new study released by a think tank at the UCLA School of Law. The study, released this week by the Williams Institute and based on data from the 2010 U.S. Census, found a full 20 percent of same-sex couples in the Baltimore region are raising kids. Just five other population hubs nationwide had higher percentages. Among the states, Maryland ranks 12th for the highest percentage of same-sex couples raising children, with more than 20 percent.

Regarding Dan Rodricks ' recent column on Catholics' view of same-sex marriage, what I don't get is equating subordination of discipleship to the teachings of the Catholic Church ("A priest speaks up for same-sex marriage," Nov. 4). The people of God responding to the Rev. Richard T. Lawrence's preaching the word of God confirm the "radicality" of God's love in the flesh and the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. As disciples, our lives are not based on personal views. Rather, we are all slowly shaped and recreated out of God's unconditional love for us, including those joined in same-sex unions.

I am an independent voter, and I am all for same-sex couples getting the same inheritance rights, tax breaks, etc., as I do as a man who has been married to a woman for 38 years. I don't understand same-sex unions, my religion speaks against it, but let's not even go there because I respect your right to love whomever you want. What I don't understand is why people in these unions want to use the traditional term "marriage. " I'm OK with all the rights and privileges that they want — but in regard to these relationships, I just have to say, find your own word!

Have you heard about the wacky registry trend? It's true! Brides are going a little wacky with their registries nowadays. Recently NBC's "Today Show" even had a segment about “Registries Gone Wild” where couples asked for things like cars and toilets. Can you imagine? According to the "Today Show" segment, brides and grooms are using “universal” registries to get anything they want from any brand. For example, you could ask for a Dodge Dart! Or let's just say you don't want the whole car from one guest then you can ask gift givers to put money toward a part of the car, like the engine.

As a recent college graduate and proud Morgan State alumna who served as president of our campus' Gay-Straight Alliance, I have found that many people in Baltimore are supportive of others, no matter what their sexual orientation. I hope that the state legislature does the right thing and votes for House Bill 175, the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act. It's the job of our elected officials to vote for their constituents and not for their disapproval of people's differences.

Yikes! The advocacy group Demos reports that a two-income couple - earning a median income over their careers - spends an average of $154,794 during their working lives on 401(k) fees. Fees, Demos says, eats up nearly one-third of their investment returns. A higher income couple pays even more in fees: $277,969. 401(k) fees for too long have been shrouded in mystery. The Labor Department is finally forcing investment companies to make it clear to employers and employees what's the true cost of the 401(k)

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Golfers in this country have been pining for the No. 1 spot since Tom Watson ruled the game in the 1970s and early '80s.American prestige dipped as golfers from Spain, Germany, England, Australia and Wales were considered the best in the world.As guys named Ian, Seve, Bernhard and Shark rose to the top, U.S. golf fans took to yelling "You're the man," each time an American golfer got anywhere near the lead in a PGA Tour event.L Yesterday, they may have found their man, however reluctant.