2011
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By Lisa Keen on August 21, 2011
There is a new gayest place in the United States–at least when it comes to number of same-sex couples: Provincetown, Massachusetts. And a new gayest state: the District of Columbia.
Posted in A closer look
By Lisa Keen on August 20, 2011
Former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold announced Friday (August 19) that he will not seek the seat being vacated by Senator Herb Kohl, removing what has been considered the only real obstacle to a run by Rep. Tammy Baldwin.
Posted in News Briefs
By Dana Rudolph on August 18, 2011
Opponents of equal rights for LGBT people have been using “bathroom scare” tactics for some years now to try and stop bills that would prohibit discrimination against transgender people, but fears about who can use public restrooms have a long history in the struggle for civil rights.
Posted in Issues, Politics, State Politics
By Lisa Keen on August 17, 2011
The ACLU on Monday filed a federal lawsuit against a public school district in Missouri which blocks school computers from access to LGBT supportive organizations, such as Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.
In the lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, the ACLU charges that the school district’s web-filtering violates the First Amendment rights of its students.
Posted in A closer look
By Lisa Keen on August 15, 2011
The Republican presidential campaign field took another big lurch to the right over the weekend, welcoming its newest and most dogmatic competitor, weeding out an early entry, and giving a boost to its most anti-gay voices.
Posted in Campaigns, Election 2012, News, Politics, Presidential 2012
By Lisa Keen on August 12, 2011
There were several head-turning zingers, and combative attacks on fellow candidates in Thursday night’s Republican presidential debate, but overall, the forum delivered a hard push to the right-wing on same-sex marriage and a stony silence for equality.
Posted in Campaigns, News, Politics, Presidential 2012
By Dana Rudolph on August 11, 2011
A right-wing group in Massachusetts has launched a new ad campaign using an old scare tactic–the fear of sexual predators in public bathrooms. The aim is not to shore up security in public restrooms. It’s to destroy a bill to prohibit discrimination against people based on their gender identity.
Posted in Politics, State Politics
By Lisa Keen on August 10, 2011
Openly gay presidential candidate Fred Karger will once again be left out of a nationally televised debate among Republican presidential hopefuls–this time, in Iowa on Thursday night.
Posted in A closer look
By Lisa Keen on August 9, 2011
Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney has found an anti-same-sex marriage pledge he can sign: from the National Organization for Marriage.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on August 9, 2011
With only 35 states and Puerto Rico counted, the 2010 Census has already topped the 2000 Census count of same-sex couples in all 50 states.
Posted in Census, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on August 3, 2011
The LGBT movement is making progress, but it’s being seriously outspent by opponents and still has “a long way” to go to reach equality. That’s the conclusion of an in-depth analysis by an independent think tank devoted to studying how best to marshal the LGBT movement’s resources to “speed advancement of equality for LGBT people.”
Posted in A closer look
By Lisa Keen on August 2, 2011
The U.S. Senate gave final Congressional approval Tuesday to a bill raising the nation’s current $14.3 trillion debt ceiling by $2 trillion, but it’s a bill that calls for $2 trillion in federal spending cuts that worry LGBT and AIDS organizations.
Posted in Congress, News, Politics
By Dana Rudolph on July 26, 2011
Just as the Stonewall Riots in New York City in 1969 gave a lift to the nascent movement for equal rights for gays across the country, marriage equality in the Empire State appears to be giving a boost to marriage equality efforts outside its borders.
Posted in Issues, Marriage/Relationships, News, Politics, State Politics, Uncategorized
By Lisa Keen on July 24, 2011
President Obama, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen signed and submitted a one-page written certification to Congress Friday afternoon (July 22) that the military is ready to implement repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, Law, News
By Lisa Keen on July 21, 2011
The Los Angeles Times and other media reported late Thursday that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen would announced Friday that the two can certify military readiness to Congress –one of the stipulations for enacting repeal of the federal law banning openly gay people from service.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on July 20, 2011
U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a legendary civil rights activist, led off Wednesday’s historic hearing to discuss repealing the Defense of Marriage Act, likening it to laws decades ago that requires separate water fountains and restrooms for “whites” and “coloreds.”
Posted in Congress, Issues, Marriage/Relationships, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on July 19, 2011
The U.S. Senate Monday evening (July 18) approved the confirmation of openly gay attorney J. Paul Oetken to serve as a U.S. district court judge.
Posted in Congress, Issues, National Politics, News, Nominees
By Lisa Keen on July 18, 2011
There is another anti-gay ballot measure brewing in California–this one, for 2012, seeks to repeal a recently passed state law that requires social studies curricula in California public schools to include information about the contributions of LGBT people.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on July 18, 2011
Her campaign stationary says “Tammy Baldwin 2012.” But the text of the July 13 press release walks the U.S. House’s only openly lesbian member one step closer to an historic bid for a U.S. Senate seat:
“She is a likely candidate for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI).”
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on July 17, 2011
U.S. Census data released Thursday (July 14) shows a 40 percent jump in the number of same-sex couples in New York State between 2000 and 2010. And having released data now from a total of 18 states, the Census data indicates that the number of same-sex couples nationwide jumped 47 percent between 2000 and 2010.
Posted in A closer look
Ginsburg on Roe: Is it a signal she’d curb a decision on marriage?
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