PHOENIX (AP) – Opponents of a ballot measure that would amend Arizona’s constitution to ban gay marriage have released a television ad.

The ad shows a bride and groom kissing, and asks if politicians think Arizonans are dumb by putting the issue before voters again.

In 2006, Arizona voters rejected a measure to change the state’s constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman.

That measure also would have stopped employee benefits for unmarried couples living together – known as domestic partnerships. This year’s measure focuses solely on same-sex marriage.

Although same-sex marriage already is illegal in Arizona, backers of the measure say the constitution needs to be amended to stop judges from overturning the law.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – State health officials say the words “bride” and “groom” will reappear on all marriage license applications issued in California starting next month.

In a notice posted on its Web site, the California Department of Public Health says it is making the change because many couples still wanted the option of identifying themselves in traditional terms.

When same-sex marriage became legal in the state on June 16, the health department issued new gender-neutral marriage forms with the words “Party A” and “Party B” where “bride” and “groom” used to be.

The latest paperwork, which county clerks will be required to use starting Nov. 17, will have blank spaces for applicants’ names and personal information next to the words “First Person Data” and “Second Person Data” and boxes for checking “bride” or “groom.”

Because “bride” and “groom” appear in both sections, couples could check the same title twice to reflect a union between two men or two women.

Eliminating “bride” and “groom” from marriage certificates was a step the department thought it had to take to comply with the California Supreme Court decision in June that legalized same-sex marriage, spokeswoman Suanne Buggy said Oct. 6.

But in the time since, state officials have looked for alternatives to satisfy couples who did not like the ring of “Party A” and “Party B,” she said.

California, Massachusetts and most recently Connecticut are the only U.S. states that allow same-sex marriages. Some other states let same-sex couples enter into civil unions offering some of marriage’s legal advantages.

California has an initiative on the November ballot that would ban same-sex marriage.

POCATELLO, Idaho (AP) – Health officials in southeastern Idaho say about half of the nearly 20 HIV cases reported this year involved couples who met over the Internet.

The Southeastern District Health Department has reported 11 HIV cases during the past three weeks. Department investigator Maggie Mann says most of the cases have been traced back to online hookups.

The 11 people who tested positive for HIV in southeastern Idaho since last month include 10 men, and one woman.

Health officials say online dating proved a common thread between the cases, contributing to the risky behavior that led to the transmission of the disease.

Last year, the Southeastern District Health Department reported only eight HIV cases.

MOSCOW, Idaho (AP) – Authorities are investigating whether a hate crime has been committed against an openly gay University of Idaho student who lives on the Moscow campus.

Kory Larabee says he is afraid to leave his dorm room at night after derogatory messages were recently scrawled on the door of his residence. Larabee says the messages threatened physical harm against him.

Larabee says the university has since responded and installed security cameras in the hallway of his campus dormitory.

KXLY-TV reports that the university and the Moscow Police Department are investigating the incident.

CANTON, Miss. (AP) – A 28-year-old Flora woman will spend one year under house arrest for knowingly exposing her husband to HIV.

Shala Singleton Howell was sentenced in Madison County Circuit Court on Oct. 3 to 10 years in prison with nine suspended after pleading guilty to knowingly exposing her husband to the deadly virus which causes AIDS.

Prosecutors say Howell knew she carried HIV since 1997, but never told her husband, Shannon Howell of Flora, whom she married in 2003.

Officials say 36-year-old Shannon Howell and the couple’s 5-year-old son have tested negative for the virus.

The trial, which was set to begin Tuesday, would have been the first known criminal case in the state involving exposure to HIV since Mississippi’s law prohibiting exposure went into effect in 2004.

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) – A Robbinsville school board member has resigned after using the word “faggot” in a public meeting.

School officials and gay-rights advocates had condemned Joseph Armenti’s statement.

The word was used at the Sept. 23 board meeting in response to remarks made by a high school student who advocated a program to report students who use offensive language.

“If my son wants to call somebody a faggot he should be allowed to; it’s his First Amendment right,” Armenti said at the meeting.

Last week, Armenti told The Times of Trenton his comment was taken out of context and he would apologize.

Armenti was elected to a one-year unexpired term on the board in Mercer County in April.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Thirty-four couples have signed up on Salt Lake City’s domestic partner registry.

The registry began six months ago. Most of those who have signed up are same-sex couples.

The registry is open to two people who are not married but can show they’re financially dependent on each other.

Through the registry, employers can extend health care and other benefits to their employees’ domestic partners including same-sex couples, siblings, long-term roommates and parents. The registry also secures hospital visitation rights.

According to the 2007 census survey, there are 18,358 households headed by unmarried partners in Salt Lake County, including 1,644 same-sex pairs.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Leaders of a support group for gay and lesbian Mormons on Saturday criticized their church for its efforts to ban same-sex marriage in California.

Olin Thomas, executive director of Affirmation, says The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is using fear to sway voters.

On Nov. 4, California voters will decide whether to ban same-sex marriage in the state’s constitution. The Mormon church is part of a coalition of conservative groups working to pass Proposition 8.

Thomas says church leaders were wrong when they said last week that failing to pass the proposition would force churches to sanction same-sex marriage and require schools to teach children that gay and heterosexual marriages are the same.

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) – Two Episcopal parishes in southern Virginia have broken away from their diocese over long-simmering disputes that came to a head with the consecration of a gay man as a bishop in the denomination.

Christ Church in Emporia and Grace Church in Purdy announced Friday they have become members of the Anglican District of Virginia, which includes 23 parishes that have cut ties with the Episcopal Church.

The Rev. Colin Cooper, who leads both congregations, says the parishes left over the Episcopal Church’s departure from the orthodox interpretation of the Bible.

Tensions over scripture have long boiled in the denomination, but they became a major point of contention after the 2003 consecration of Gene Robinson, a non-celibate gay man, as a bishop in New Hampshire.