Thirty of the fifty states have changed their constitutions to ban same-sex marriage. Five states permit it: Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. And same-sex marriage could soon become legal in the city of Washington.

Several countries, mostly in Europe, offer different levels of marriage rights to same-sex couples.

On Thursday, President Obama condemned an anti-homosexuality bill in Uganda that proposes death for some crimes. He spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington. The yearly event is organized by a Christian group known as The Family. Activists say Ugandan politician David Bahati, who proposed the legislation, is a member of that group.

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English, written by Brianna Blake. I'm Steve Ember.