WASHINGTON -- When Zachary Quinto quietly entered the headquarters of the Motion Picture Association of America for a special screening of "Star Trek Into Darkness" on Wednesday, the scene was nothing short of a "House of Cards" episode. DC movers and shakers sipped cocktails and nibbled on hors d'oeuvres as they mingled with a smattering of congressional lawmakers. Some momentarily turned away from their conversations to snap photos of Quinto from their smartphones, before going back to hobnobbing.

HOOD RIVER, Ore. – Even the most romantic dreamer couldn't imagine a more fairy tale setting to get married.

A wedding beneath towering Mount Hood, overlooking the swift blue water of the Columbia River in the Gorge, truly felt like a fairy tale for Erin Hanson and Katie Pugh.

But when the couple went to find a baker for their wedding cake, they were turned away because they are lesbians.

It's a familiar story. In February, Sweet Cakes, a bakery in Gresham, turned away a gay couple. That became national news.

BEIJING — While the United States Supreme Court considers whether gay men and women have the right to marry, debate on the issue also is growing in China. Gay rights activists in that nation increasingly are vocal about the right to marry and live free from discrimination.

Xiao Tie works at Beijing’s LGBT [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender] center, working to end discrimination against homosexuals in China. Last February the battle became personal, when Xiao tried to marry her partner, Elsie Liao. She went to the local Civil Affairs Bureau to apply for a marriage certificate.

Numerous surveys have consistently shown that Americans' support for same-sex marriage has been growing steadily for some time -- but a new Gallup poll reveals some surprising wrinkles which show room for improvement on marriage equality issues.