NEW YORK – The latest entry in the “Freedom to Serve, Freedom to Marry” video series features Major Shannon McLaughlin and her wife, Casey McLaughlin, and spotlights the harms of federal marriage discrimination to their family.

Although they are legally married in Massachusetts, the McLaughlins are not treated the same as other military couples because of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which denies legally married same-sex couples more than 1,100 federal protections automatically granted to opposite-sex couples.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The state House voted 75-59 today to approve a bill that would provide marriage equality for Minnesotans.

The bill now goes to the state Senate, where passage is almost a certainty. The Senate plans to debate the bill Monday.

Gov. Mark Dayton is a leading supporter of the bill and has promised to sign it into law if approved. The law would go into effect on Aug. 1, 2013.

DOVER, Dela. – The Delaware Senate voted 12-9 today to approve a marriage-equality bill, which was passed last month by the General Assembly.

Gov. Jack Markell, a Democrat, sign the bill into law just minutes after the vote. Weddings can begin in Delaware on July 1, 2013.

Before the vote, Senators and witnesses took both sides of the issue, although a majority of the speakers were in favor of the bill.

(Editor's note: "Bravo TV's "Newlyweds: The First Year" debuts tonight, and each episode is repeated frequently.)

Jeff and I met at a gay pride pool party on a hot summer night. For me it was one of those moments where time stood still and all that mattered was this hysterical, sarcastic hunk of a man standing in front of me.