By Angela Bronner Helm, BlackVoices.com

Gay marriage is an issue that promises to rack the body politic in profound ways. It touches the very core of our American value system – family, (freedom of) religion, sex. And like slavery, which was legal in some states, not legal in others, gay marriage is a festering time bomb which needs to come to some sort of resolution, and hopefully one we can all accept. Out of 50 states, only a handful legally recognize gay marriage -- Connecticut, Vermont, New Jersey, Hawaii, Maine, Washington, New Hampshire, and of course, California, after Proposition 8, is now pending.

Judge Penny Brown Reynolds, the no-nonsense, racially ambiguous (until she opens her mouth, that is) and even wise adjudicator, who can be seen daily on 'Family Court,' allowed us some insight on the legal issues around gay marriage, how it affects the family and how the issue of gay marriage should be framed, especially in the black community. An ordained Baptist minister as well as judge, Judge Penny's answers may surprise you.

What is the state of gay marriage in legal terms today?

Well, this issue is decided state by state. Most gay couples will go and get legal documents whereby they can have a union for legal purposes only but it's not recognized by the state as a marriage. Generally they do it for the liquidation of property or for medical reasons. If you are hospitalized, generally hospitals will only allow close relatives to visit or make decisions; without those documents [partners] have no legal rights. In the state of California we all are very much aware that there was a deal that was recently enacted that made marriages between gay couples illegal and therefore nullifying the opportunity for people to be able to marry.

I opened up several new credit card accounts to get my friends and family gifts this year. I didn't tell my husband what I did because I knew he would get upset. He just got laid off, and now I am the only one making money for our family. We will barely be able to live off of my salary, so my husband suggested we open up a few credit card accounts to get us through until he gets a new job. I think I should hide the old cards until I can pay them off myself. Any advice?

I am a young man of 35 years and I have been married for 14. I think that my wife might be selfish, and I am not sure if I can trust her. She has made nasty comments towards me and will put me down any chance she gets. I still love her, but it hurts because I feel like she doesn't love me back. We haven't slept together in over six months, and whenever I try to get close to her she moves away and tells me not to touch her. I am very unhappy, but I don't want to end my marriage. What do I do?

My boyfriend's father passed away last month and this is his first Xmas without any parents at all. I invited him to come and spend the holiday with me and my family, but he said he wants to be alone. I am really worried about him, and I want to spend the holiday with him. We have been dating for two years, and it pains me to see him this way. What can I do?

My boyfriend is very laid back, and when ever I ask him what we should do, he just tells me to pick whatever. He doesn't take any initiative when it comes to planning our dates, and I feel like I am doing all the work. Sometimes I want to just take a break and let someone else be responsible for my entertainment and happiness. He doesn't seem to understand why I am frustrated, because he thinks I should be happy that we always do what I want. This is becoming a burden on our relationship. How do I get him to step up and do his part?

I am married and my husband cheated on me with another woman. He then had the nerve to bring her in my home. He wanted us to live together. What should I do?

My girlfriend and I have been dating for four years, and we had planned to get married next year in California. Right after the law past last spring that gave the right for same sex couples to marry, my girlfriend pulled out a ring and asked me to marry her. She had bought it the year before, and was waiting for it to be legal for us to wed. I immediately set about planning my dream wedding, and we were going to have it next May in Santa Barbara. Now that proposition 8 has passed, we are no longer allowed to get married. I lost it, and threw a huge crying fit. I don't know what to do. I sent out invitations, hired a venue, caterers, picked a dress, a cake, and I am so angry right now, I can't see straight. What do I do?

My husband and I are financially strapped, but with the holidays around the corner we need to buy gifts for our kids. He told me to charge it to our credit card, but I don't think we should get gifts this year. I know that he thinks we can just pay it off next year, but we already owe the credit card companies a lot of money, and I'm the one who is home when they start calling and harassing us about paying. We've been fighting over this for the last month, and it is definitely affecting our relationship. How do we find common ground here?

I've been dating a lovely man over the Internet for the last 5 months. He lives in Virginia and I live in Boston. He asked me to move in with him, so that we could take our relationship to the next level. I feel I am in love with him, but I'm not sure if I am ready to give up my friends and my job here in Boston. Any advice?

I just found out that my boyfriend of 3 years has cheated on me again. He has been lying to me for months about where he has been, and I found out from the woman he was cheating with. I'm very embarrassed that I allowed him to do this to me again, but I still love him. He tells me it's my fault that he cheated, and says that I'm a snob and that I'm just not there for him. He is still living in my home, and some days he acts like nothing has happened. When he acts this way, I kinda wish we could go back to being together, but I also feel lost. What should I do?

I've been having these really intense sexual fantasies, and when I share them with my boyfriend, he gets very excited and wants to try them. I want to experiment, but I'm scared that I will see him or he will see me in a very different light, and we might not like who we become. Should I keep my fantasies as just that, fantasies, or try them out in real life?

By Rebecca Brody, BlackVoices.com

My boyfriend is a liberal Democrat who believes that abortion should be legal, but I grew up Catholic and I don't think it's right to terminate a life once it has been conceived. They say opposites attract, but it seems like our different views have lead us into heated debates. Is it possible to be with someone who doesn't believe what I believe?

By Angela Bronner, BlackVoices.com

Kim Osorio made history as the first female editor of 'The Source' magazine. During her tenure at the top of the "Hip Hop Bible," there were sales records broken and new territory charted. Apparently, there was also a crazy, dysfunctional underside to the glitz and glamour.

In her new memoir, 'Straight From the Source: An Expose From the Former Editor-in-Chief of the Hip-Hop Bible,' (Simon and Shuster), Osorio recounts a work environment where women were belittled, cursed out, and harassed, as well as a blow-by-blow description of how the magazine took a nose dive into bankruptcy, primarily due to an ill-fated "beef" with rap superstar Eminem.

While recounting the story of how a girl raised in the Bronx went on to get a law degree and rose to the helm of the most prestigious rap magazine, Osorio also speaks candidly about her love affairs with rappers Nas and 50 Cent (the latter responded to the book in a very graphic, derogatory way). She also describes how she struggled with the extreme highs and lows of her work environment, weighing a fly, well-paying job against the very different standards to which women and men seem to be held.