They say there are two sides to every story, but if you've been covering same-sex marriage, you probably already know there are many, many more. On all sides of this issue, there are people from all sorts of backgrounds with an unimaginable variety of perspectives — from those who feel marriage should be for everyone to those who think the state shouldn't be in the business of marrying anyone at all.

You can't get every voice into every article, but knowing the range of history and argument on the topic will enrich your reporting. What follows is a collection of resources to help you bring this story into a fuller context.

The collection includes a list of a few of the major national players advocating for and against granting marriage to gay and lesbian couples. Many more figures are involved in the national battle, and even more beyond that are heavily involved in smaller regional controversies. This list is provided for you to see a broad picture of the groups involved, and the wide variety of roles and stances.

This is an evolving resource, and we welcome all your feedback on it. Anything or anyone we left out? Find more resources in your reporting that you think would be helpful? Please send them along.

Watch a replay of Poynter's News University seminar from May 6 on covering same-sex marriage by clicking on this link and entering the replay number 162432.

2003
June 26	By a 6-3 decision in Lawrence et al. v. Texas, the Supreme Court strikes down all laws prohibiting private acts of sodomy. In his dissent, Justice Antonin Scalia predicts that the decision "leaves on pretty shaky grounds state laws limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples."
November 18	By a 4-3 decision in Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court rules that state legislators must somehow extend the privileges of marriage to gays and lesbians in Massachusetts by May 17.
2004
January 20	President Bush alludes to same-sex marriage in his State of the Union address.
February 5	The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court reiterated its ruling that same-sex couples must have full marriage rights, in response to an inquiry from state legislators asking whether civil unions would suffice.
February 12	San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom begins giving marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples.
February 20	Sandoval County, N.M., begins giving marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples.
February 24	President Bush calls for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.
February 27	New Paltz, N.Y., mayor Jason West begins giving licenses to gay and lesbian couples.
March 3	Multnomah Cty., Ore., the state's most populous county, begins giving licenses to gay and lesbian couples.
March 8	A marriage license is given to a gay couple in Asbury Park, N.J. Seattle mayor Greg Nickels orders the city to begin recognizing the marriages of its gay and lesbian employees wedded elsewhere. Nickels also proposes a city ordinance that would grant marriage benefits to gay and lesbian employees throughout the city.
March 9	After a warning from New Jersey Attorney General Peter Harvey, the city of Asbury Park stops taking applications from gay and lesbian couples seeking marriage.
March 11	The California Supreme Court orders San Francisco to stop handing out marriage licenses to same-sex couples, and announces that it will decide within months whether the city had the authority to distribute the licenses.
March 30	The Massachusetts legislature approves an amendment to the state Constitution that will ban marriage for gays and lesbians, but grant them civil unions. To become law, the amendment must pass again during the next year's legislative session, and finally by popular vote in 2006. The Maryland House of Representatives approves a bill allowing men and women to designate individuals of the same sex as "life partners," authorizing them to make medical decisions for each other.
April 20	An Oregon judge orders Multnomah County to stop giving marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples, and orders the state of Oregon to alter its laws within 90 days so that the 3,000-plus licenses already distributed to these couples are given the same treatment as other marriages in the state.
May 17	Massachusetts starts marrying gay and lesbian couples.

PLAYERS
Organizations for Same-Sex Marriage
• Human Rights Campaign (HRC)	Key figures: Cheryl Jacques, president; Mark Shields, spokesman Role in the fight: Billing itself as America's largest gay and lesbian organization, the Human Rights Campaign works to sway public and legislative opinion in favor of rights for same-sex couples, often focusing its efforts towards convincing conservatives. In November 2003, HRC took out a $1 million ad campaign celebrating same-sex unions. Related links: • Taking over the hot seat (1/04), The Advocate • Gay rights group taps conservatives (4/04), Washington Times
• Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund (LLDEF)	Key figures: Kevin Cathcart, executive director Role in the fight: This national gay and lesbian legal organization has been involved in the battle for same-sex marriage since the early '90s, when it represented same-sex couples seeking to marry in Hawaii. Lawyers for the organization successfully argued Lawrence v. Texas before the U.S. Supreme Court, the case that ruled sodomy laws unconstitutional, described by some as the foundational ruling of the same-sex marriage movement. Related links:  • Cathcart back in Beantown (4/03), Bay Windows
• Freedom to Marry (FTM)	Key figures: Evan Wolfson, executive director Role in the fight: After arguing same-sex marriage cases in Hawaii for the LLDEF (above), Evan Wolfson left the organization to found Freedom to Marry in 2001. Related links:  • Marriage on his mind (6/03), The Advocate
• Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD)	Key figures: Mary Bonauto, civil rights project director Role in the fight: GLAD (not to be confused with GLAAD -- the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) has had its hand in most of the recent lesbian and gay legal battles in New England. Mary Bonauto argued two landmark cases for GLAD -- Baker v. State, the Vermont Supreme Court ruling that forced state legislators to create civil unions for same-sex couples; and Goodridge v. the Dept. of Public Health, the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruling that mandated marriage licenses for gay and lesbian couples. Related links:   • Justice deserved (12/03), Portland Phoenix
• National Black Justice Coalition	Key figures: Keith Boykin, president Role in the fight: The organization launched in late 2003, aiming to seek support within the black community for marriage for same-sex couples. Related links:  • Whose dream?, Village Voice  • Campaign seeks black support for gay marriage, The Advocate  • Q&A with Keith Boykin, Africana.com
• Log Cabin Republicans	Key figures: Patrick Guerriero, executive director Role in the fight: The Log Cabin Republicans are the most prominent group of gay Republicans in the country. The group recently launched a $1 million advertising campaign to block the Federal Marriage Amendment. Related links: • Can this marriage be saved? (4/04), The New York Times Magazine
Organizations Against Same-Sex Marriage
• Concerned Women for America / Culture and Family Institute (CWA / CFI)	Key figures: Beverly LaHaye, founder and chairwoman; Jan LaRue, spokeswoman; Robert H. Knight, director of the Culture and Family Institute Role in the fight: CWA opposes the language of the currently proposed Federal Marriage Amendment preserving the definition of marriage as the union of a man and a woman, because it does not clearly prohibit the recognition of civil unions for same-sex couples.
• Alliance for Marriage (AFM)	Key figures: Matt Daniels, president and founder; Reverend Walter Fauntroy, member of the board of advisors Role in the fight: The AFM crafted the language of the Federal Marriage Amendment. Daniels was among the first activists to begin calling for a marriage amendment to the Constitution. After directing the Massachusetts Family Institute since 1996, Daniels left in 1999 to found the Alliance for Marriage. He first proposed the amendment in 2001. A number of African-American religious leaders are affiliated with the organization, which champions a racially diverse coalition to preserve marriage for straight couples. Related links:  • Man behind the marriage amendment (4/04), USA Today  • Marriage counselor (4/04), The Atlantic Monthly
• Coalition for Marriage (CFM)	Key figures: Ronald A. Crews, spokesman, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute Role in the fight: Founded in January 2004, the Coalition is an umbrella group representing organizations across Massachusetts.
• Marriage Law Project (MLP)	Key figures: Robert Destro, principal investigator Role in the fight: Since 1996, the MLP has helped draft laws, conduct legal research, and provide support for individuals and organizations seeking to preserve marriage for straight couples. It has taken part in the battles to preserve straight marriage in Hawaii and Alaska, and most recently, in Massachusetts. The Project is affiliated with the Catholic University of America. Related links:  • Joining forces to battle same-sex marriage (3/04), National Catholic Reporter
• Institute for Marriage and Public Policy (IMAPP)	Key figures: Maggie Gallagher, president Role in the fight: IMAPP is a non-partisan think tank that collects and conducts research on the benefits of marriage. The organization is dedicated to advancing the idea that society is best served by children being raised within the structure of marriage between their male and female biological parents, and argues that granting marriages to gays and lesbians would dilute that ideal. Related links: • Gallagher's testimony before the Senate (3/04)
Political Figures
• Former Rep. Bob Barr (R-Ga., 1995-2003)	Author of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), and a staunch opponent of same-sex marriage, Barr nonetheless opposes amending the Constitution to ban it. He is a strong believer in federalism -- leaving the issue to the states -- and feels the DOMA is a strong enough protection of marriage. Related links: • "The federal government should not be stepping in" (2/04), Newsweek
• Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Co.) and Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Co.)	Sponsors of the bill to bring a Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage. Related links: • Fight against same-sex marriage is her baby (3/04), L.A. Times
• Mike Gabbard	Member of the Honolulu City Council and candidate for Congress whose opposition to same-sex marriages in Hawaii is credited with bringing about the state's DOMA in 1998.
• John Lewis	One of the original speakers at the 1963 March on Washington, Lewis has been vocal about his opposition to the Federal Marriage Amendment. Related links: • At a crossroads on gay unions (10/03), Boston Globe
Authors
• Jonathan Rauch	Recent book: "Gay Marriage: Why It's Good for Gays, Good for Straights, and Good for America" Role in the fight: Rauch argues that the denial of marriage to gays and lesbians weakens the institution as a whole, partially by promoting alternative extramarital family forms. Related links: • A more perfect union (4/04), The Atlantic Monthly • A modest (marriage) proposal (4/04), Atlantic Unbound • Debating gay marriage (11/03), The New Republic Online
• E.J. Graff	Recent book: "What Is Marriage For?" Role in the fight: Graff argues that the nature of marriage has changed so often throughout its long history that it's disingenuous to talk about "traditional" marriage. Related links: • See change (11/03), The American Prospect Online • What marriage means (2/00), The Advocate
• Maggie Gallagher	Recent book: "The Case for Marriage: Why Married People are Happier, Healthier, and Better off Financially" Role in the fight: Gallagher, president of the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, has written several books both about the benefits of marriage for societies and individuals and about the threats she perceives to marriage in the United States today. She argues that marriage does not have significant advantages for gays and lesbians, and that broadening the definition of the term "marriage" will undermine the institution.

Other Timelines

• Lengthy overview from BuddyBuddy.com: Among the first lawsuits for same-sex marriage in this country was brought by a gay couple in Minnesota in 1971. This comprehensive timeline, by the Partners Task Force for Gay & Lesbian Couples, starts with that case and continues all the way up to 2004.
• Abbreviated overview: For a quick look at the battle for gay marriage since 1993's cases in Hawaii and Alaska, bookmark this timeline, from the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund.
• Boston Globe timeline: A photo slideshow of recent milestone moments on the issue.
• Massachusetts-specific timeline: From NBC-10 in Providence, R.I.
• Washington Post graphical timeline: This makes a good printout as a reminder of key dates.
• International timeline: This resource from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation looks at the issue in the context of the history of gay and lesbian rights all over the world, starting with Britain's criminality of homosexuality in 1885.

Resources

• Stateline 50-state rundown of same-sex marriage laws: Looks at the laws related to same-sex unions in each state.
• Public Agenda issue guide: A thorough look into public opinion on the issue, including details, for example, about how the wording of poll questions related to same-sex unions influences people's responses.
• PollingReport.com: A collection of recent polls by several organizations about same-sex unions.
• GayDemographics.org: Crunch the data on same-sex households in a variety of ways -- look at couples by state, county, gender, income, number of children, etc.
• Gay-Civil-Unions.com: A state-by-state collection of news on the issue.
• MarriageDebate.com blog: Run by the Institution for Marriage and Public Policy's Eve Tushnet, this site links daily to surveys and columns on the issue.
• Gay.com: Features an online chat client popular among gay men, with different chat rooms for cities nationwide. One place to turn to find sources in the gay community, although it skews heavily male and often features revealing photography and explicit sex talk.
• NLGJA style supplement: A glossary by the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association of words and phrases related to covering same-sex marriage. Even for newsrooms who don't adopt this stylebook as their own, it offers a thought-provoking look at how seemingly innocuous turns of phrase can be perceived by readers of the coverage.
• BeliefNet coverage: Essays and resources on the debate from a number of religious perspectives, both supporting and opposing marriage for gays and lesbians.
• Religion Newswriters Association: More Web resources and contacts for reporters covering the religious aspects of the debate.
• Coverage from news organizations:
  · Rutland Herald: Although this archive contains stories about civil unions in Vermont, not marriage, it's a fascinating slice of history — a two-year battle over the civil status of gay and lesbian couples that then-Governor Howard Dean called, "possibly the most prolonged and intense period of public debate in the history of the state."
  · The Washington Post: One of the most comprehensive archives of resources from a news organization on the issue, containing links to all stories from the Post, related court decisions, chat transcripts, multimedia galleries, and more.
  · The Oregonian
  · The Boston Globe
  · The Boston Herald
  · San Francisco Chronicle
  · The Village Voice