February 2012
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By Lisa Keen on February 23, 2012
The Maryland Senate on Thursday gave final legislative approval to a marriage equality bill that the governor is expected to soon sign. The vote was 25 to 22.
Meanwhile, the Maine Secretary of State confirmed Thursday that activists have turned in enough valid signatures to put a pro-marriage equality measure on the ballot there in November.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on February 22, 2012
A federal district court judge in San Francisco ruled Tuesday (February 22) that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) violates the rights of gays and lesbians to equal protection of the law.
Posted in Issues, Marriage/Relationships, U.S. District Courts
By Lisa Keen on February 21, 2012
Attorneys defending California’s same-sex marriage ban are filing a petition today (February 21), seeking full 9th Circuit review of an appeals panel ruling that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on February 17, 2012
The Maryland House of Delegates passed a marriage equality bill Friday evening with a bare minimum of 71 votes to 67. But it did so under the threat of a referendum, and it did so just hours after New Jersey Governor Chris Christie followed through on his promise to veto a marriage equality bill passed by that state’s legislature on Thursday.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on February 16, 2012
Everyone knows Republican Governor Chris Christie has vowed to veto to the marriage equality bill in New Jersey, but the state Assembly passed it anyway on Thursday, and by a vote of 42 to 33. That’s not enough to overturn Christie’s veto, but the legislative victory—coming just three days after Washington Governor Chris Gregoire signed a marriage equality bill there—pumps an impressive momentum.
Posted in News Briefs
By Dana Rudolph on February 16, 2012
As the dust settles on the flashfire controversy over a decision by the nation’s largest organization fighting breast cancer to withdraw grants from the nation’s largest provider of services regarding reproduction, the LGBT community is taking stock of the damage and the potential damage.
Posted in Health
By Lisa Keen on February 13, 2012
In a sometimes emotional ceremony Monday morning (February 13), Washington Governor Christine Gregoire signed the freshly passed marriage equality bill, telling a crowded gathering at the State House, saying that it means same-sex couples “will no longer be separate but equal” in Washington but simply equal.
The ceremony took place just hours after the New Jersey Senate voted 24 to 16 to pass a marriage equality law there. The New Jersey bill now goes to the Assembly, which is expected to pass it on Thursday.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on February 10, 2012
About 40 gay and lesbian supporters of President Obama’s re-election raised almost $1.5 million at a private fundraiser in Washington, D.C., Thursday night (February 9).
The event was co-hosted by the Chicago Cubs’ openly gay co-owner, former Ambassador James Hormel, and several other high-profile gay funders.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on February 9, 2012
Washington Governor Chris Gregoire issued a statement following Wednesday night’s historic vote in the state House, saying the 55 to 43 vote to pass the marriage equality bill there tells the nation “that Washington state will no longer deny our citizens the opportunity to marry the person they love.”
Posted in A closer look
By Lisa Keen on February 8, 2012
The one Republican presidential candidate who gay Republicans most love to hate scored three victories on the campaign trail Tuesday, reviving his struggling, longshot bid for the party nomination.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on February 7, 2012
Calling Proposition 8 “remarkably similar” to Colorado’s anti-gay Amendment 2 in 1992, a divided federal appeals court panel in San Francisco ruled Tuesday (February 7) that California’s same-sex marriage ban violates the federal constitution.
Posted in Marriage/Relationships, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Lisa Keen on February 7, 2012
Proposition 8 is unconstitutional, said a divided federal appeals court panel in San Francisco Tuesday (February 7).
Posted in News Briefs
By Dana Rudolph on February 3, 2012
A first-ever study of how teens and young adults with LGB parents feel about marriage equality was published this month in the peer-reviewed Journal of Marriage and Family.
Posted in Marriage/Relationships
By Lisa Keen on February 2, 2012
Most gay legal activists issued a subtle yawn in reaction to the 22-page decision Thursday by a federal appeals panel to keep the Proposition 8 trial videotapes under seal.
Posted in Lawsuits, Marriage/Relationships
By Lisa Keen on February 1, 2012
The Washington State bill for marriage equality cleared a crucial hurdle Wednesday night (February 1), passing the state senate on a vote of 28 to 21 after it first rejected an attempt to put the issue to a statewide referendum in November.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on February 1, 2012
R. Clarke Cooper, head of the national Log Cabin Republicans group, said Mitt Romney won an “informal vote” among the leaders of Florida’s three chapters on the Saturday before Tuesday’s primary. And voters in Florida’s Republican primary on Tuesday gave Romney a victory, too, albeit a less resounding one than did Log Cabin Florida leaders. [...]
Posted in Election 2012, National Politics, Presidential 2012
By Lisa Keen on February 1, 2012
LGBT activists put together a long wish list when President Obama came into office in January 2009. On that list was a wish for the president to issue an executive order to require companies with contracts to do work for the federal government to promise they would not discriminate against their employees based on sexual orientation or gender.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on February 1, 2012
A 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals panel announced Wednesday that it will release a decision Thursday (February 2) regarding whether a videotape of the historic Perry v. Schwarzenegger trial should be available to the public.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on February 1, 2012
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie apologized Tuesday night for suggesting that blacks would have “been happy” to put their civil rights up for a vote rather than “fighting and dying” for those rights in the South.
Christie made his remark on January 24 to explain why he was advocating that New Jersey include a referendum on marriage licenses for same-sex couples on this November’s ballot.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on February 1, 2012
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie apologized Tuesday night for suggesting that blacks would have “been happy” to put their civil rights up for a vote rather than “fighting and dying” for those rights in the South.
Christie made his remark on January 24 to explain why he was advocating that New Jersey include a referendum on marriage licenses for same-sex couples on this November’s ballot.
Posted in News Briefs
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
President praises pro athlete Jason Collins for courage to come out