November 2011
You are browsing the archive for November 2011.
By Lisa Keen on November 30, 2011
Something changed for U.S. Rep. Barney Frank between February and November of this year. In February, he announced he would seek re-election in 2012, to a 17th term in office. And on Monday, November 28, he announced this current term would be his last.
Posted in A closer look
By Dana Rudolph on November 28, 2011
U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan became the first United States cabinet secretary to address a transgender event when he gave the keynote speech at the eighth anniversary celebration of the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE).
Posted in National Politics
By Lisa Keen on November 19, 2011
Newt Gingrich, the current Republican presidential frontrunner, used a right-wing Christian forum Saturday afternoon to claim “the left” is trying to “drive out the existence of traditional religions…and use the government to repress the American people against their own values.”
Posted in Campaigns, Election 2012, Presidential 2012
By Dana Rudolph on November 18, 2011
Gay-straight alliance clubs in middle schools and high schools help youth not only while they are in school, but also later in life, according to a new study.
Posted in Schools/youth
By Lisa Keen on November 17, 2011
In what amounts to a bump in the road for opponents of Proposition 8, a unanimous California Supreme Court told a federal appeals court November 17 that California law “authorizes” the proponents of the initiative to defend it in federal court even though state elected officials decided not to.
Posted in Issues, Marriage/Relationships, News, State Supreme Courts
By Dana Rudolph on November 16, 2011
LGBT activists in the neighboring states of Oregon and Washington have reached two different conclusions in the past week about strategies for marriage equality. Those in Washington State will attempt to gain it in 2012, but those in Oregon will use 2012 to continue to build support.
Posted in Ballot Measures, Issues, Marriage/Relationships, News
By Lisa Keen on November 11, 2011
The White House sent out notice Thursday night that it was withdrawing the nomination of openly gay attorney Edward DuMont to serve on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee blocked DuMont’s nomination from the start, when President Obama nominated him in April 2010.
In DuMont’s place, President Obama has nominated an attorney with strong Republican ties.
Posted in News Briefs
By Dana Rudolph on November 10, 2011
A state district court in Iowa heard arguments November 7 in a case to determine whether the child born to a lesbian couple married in that state has the right to have the names of both her parents on her birth certificate.
Posted in Cases, Lawsuits, State Courts
By Lisa Keen on November 10, 2011
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday (November 10) voted to recommend passage of a bill to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
The bill is the Respect for Marriage Act (S. 598). Thursday’s 10 to 8 vote along partisan lines had been originally scheduled for November 3 but was postponed a week at the request of the committee’s Republicans who warn the bill has no chance of passage in the Senate or House.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on November 9, 2011
Tuesday was a very good day for openly LGBT candidates around the country, with three out of four of more than 60 candidates having won, including Annise Parker, who secured a second term as mayor of Houston.
Posted in Campaigns, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on November 8, 2011
Fifty major corporations, 11 national law firms, seven trade and professional organizations, and three cities –including Boston and New York—signed onto a legal brief this month supporting a lawsuit that challenges the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act. ??
Posted in News Briefs
By Dana Rudolph on November 3, 2011
New polls on marriage equality in seven states show mostly positive results for marriage equality advocates–but polls in two of the states indicate that the way the questions are asked can significantly affect the results.
Posted in Marriage/Relationships, State Politics
By Lisa Keen on November 3, 2011
On a voice vote, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday recommended the confirmation of openly gay attorney Michael Fitzgerald to serve on the federal bench in Los Angeles. But, at the request of Republicans, the Committee postponed its vote on a bill to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on November 2, 2011
LGBT groups are lining up against the annual bill to reauthorize spending for U.S. Department of Education, but it’s not what the department does that’s making them angry.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on November 2, 2011
Many people read late last month that Republican leaders in the U.S. House authorized tripling the attorney fees for an outside legal team “to litigate the constitutionality of Section III” of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Far fewer likely read Footnote Number 3 in that legal team’s September 22 brief. That footnote indicated that the legal team, led by former Solicitor General Paul Clement, plans to defend DOMA “only with respect to its constitutionality under equal protection.”
Given that a federal district court judge struck down DOMA both on equal protection grounds and Tenth Amendment state sovereignty, one might argue that House Republican leaders have agreed to triple the spending for half the work.
Posted in A closer look
By Lisa Keen on November 1, 2011
A U.S. Attorney this month dropped a grand jury indictment against Timothy Miller, the man accused of helping ex-lesbian Lisa Miller sneak her daughter out of the country in defiance of court orders.
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