September 2010
You are browsing the archive for September 2010.
By Lisa Keen on September 30, 2010
In the current issue of Rolling Stone magazine, President Obama says he’s “probably accomplished,” in the first two years of his administration, “70 percent of the things that we said we were going to do.”
One of his accomplishments, he said, is getting the Secretary of Defense and “the Joint Chiefs of Staff [sic] committed to changing” the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on September 30, 2010
The federal district court judge who earlier this year presided over the landmark trial challenging the constitutionality of California’s same-sex marriage ban announced Wednesday that he will retire in February.
Judge Vaughn Walker, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for Northern California, sent a letter to President Obama September 29 announcing his plan. Walker is 66.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on September 28, 2010
Imagine Ted Olson, the champion against a California law banning same-sex marriage, teaming up with attorneys who want to enable unlimited amounts of money to be spent to promote bans on same-sex marriage.
Posted in A closer look
By Lisa Keen on September 27, 2010
Just three days after the high-profile gay conservative fundraiser hosted by former Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman and friends, there was another high-profile gay conservative fundraiser in New York City.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on September 26, 2010
Posted in Podcast
By Lisa Keen on September 24, 2010
For the second time this month, a federal judge has ruled Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell violates the federal constitution.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Lawsuits, News
By Lisa Keen on September 24, 2010
The U.S. Department of Justice urged a federal district court judge Thursday not to issue an order that would stop enforcement of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.
The request is yet another instance of the incongruity some LGBT activists see between the Obama administration’s political statements—that it supports repeal of the federal law which bans gays from the military—and its legal activities– to defend and preserve that law.
Posted in A closer look
By Lisa Keen on September 23, 2010
The group sponsoring the legal challenge to California’s same-sex marriage ban announced Thursday that a recent fundraiser by conservative supporters in New York brought in more than $1.2 million for the effort.
Posted in News Briefs
By Dana Rudolph on September 23, 2010
Florida Governor Charlie Crist (I) and George Sheldon, head of the state’s Department of Children and Families (DCF), said they would no longer enforce the state ban on adoption by gay men and lesbians.
Posted in Adoption, Law, Lawsuits, News, State Courts
By Lisa Keen on September 23, 2010
Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives revealed their “Pledge to America,” and it includes a pledge to “to honor families, traditional marriage, life, and the private and faith-based organizations that form the core of our American values.” That reference to traditional marriage was too much for most LGBT leaders and too little for right-wing conservatives.
Posted in A closer look, Issues, Marriage/Relationships, National Politics, News, Politics
By Dana Rudolph on September 22, 2010
A Florida appeals court ruled September 22 that a gay man, Frank Martin Gill, has the right to adopt the two boys he and his partner have raised for almost six years. The decision upholds a lower court ruling that found the state law banning gay men and lesbians from adopting is unconstitutional.
Posted in Adoption, Issues, Law, Lawsuits, News, State Courts
By Lisa Keen on September 21, 2010
The Senate rejected a motion to break a Republican-led filibuster against an annual defense spending bill that includes language aimed at ending the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law banning gays. The vote was 56 to 43.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on September 20, 2010
Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) issued a statement Monday saying she would oppose the motion to proceed to consideration of the defense authorization bill, the legislation that includes language seeking repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on September 19, 2010
Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) was for repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell before he was against it. Now, he’s neither for nor against it.
That’s right: DADT repeal’s most vociferous opponent now says he’s neither for nor against repeal of the law; he just doesn’t like the timing.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on September 19, 2010
Posted in Podcast
By Lisa Keen on September 17, 2010
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Thursday filed a motion for cloture on the defense authorization bill, meaning that the first showdown vote affecting the language to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) will take place on Tuesday afternoon.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on September 17, 2010
In one of the more unusual documents filed with the 9th Circuit in regards to the Proposition 8 appeal, a “citizen of the State of California” asks to file a brief in the case to discuss Judge Vaughn Walker’s bias, given the “allegation that Judge Walker is a homosexual. . . .”
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on September 15, 2010
Vice President Joe Biden said Democrats in the Senate have the votes not only to pass the measure to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” but also to thwart any attempt by Republicans to defeat the measure through some other tactic.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Dana Rudolph on September 15, 2010
One in seven same-sex couples won’t be identified as such in 2010 U.S. Census results, according to a new study. And the options on the Census form to indicate relationship status are problematic for same-sex couples because they don’t reflect the differing ways that states—and the couples themselves—view their relationships.
Posted in A closer look, Census, News
By Lisa Keen on September 15, 2010
The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund announced Wednesday that 29 of the 33 openly LGBT candidates in Tuesday’s primaries won their races.
Posted in News Briefs
Minnesota: Where the push for a marriage license began
Immigration bill advances without provisions for same-sex couples
Leahy submits language to help bi-national same-sex couples
Delaware votes for marriage equality; becomes 11th state to make it the law
Rhode Island marriage law signed; Two more states could vote next week
President praises pro athlete Jason Collins for courage to come out