Lisa Keen
By Lisa Keen on July 13, 2011
The campaign of Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney and four other GOP presidential candidates said this week they would not sign the bizarre pledge that at least two other GOP competitors did sign–a pledge that promises the candidate will vigorously oppose even “court-imposed recognition” of same-sex marriage.
Posted in Election 2012, Presidential 2012
By Lisa Keen on July 13, 2011
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has set Wednesday, July 20, at 10 a.m. to hear testimony on a bill to repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on July 12, 2011
The 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals issued yet another order this month, this time giving the federal government 10 days to “show cause” why the court should not dismiss as moot an appeal seeking to defend “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on July 7, 2011
A 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals panel on Wednesday issued an order that the Defense Department stop enforcing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and the Pentagon quickly announced that it will comply.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Federal Courts, Issues, Law, News, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Lisa Keen on July 4, 2011
The Department of Justice on July 1 recommended a federal appeals court in California dismiss a motion promoted by the House of Representatives to dismiss a challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
Posted in Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Lawsuits, Marriage/Relationships, News
By Lisa Keen on June 29, 2011
President Obama at a mid-day nationally televised press conference on Wednesday was repeatedly pressed for his views on marriage equality. But he continued to dodge questions.
Posted in News, Politics, White House
By Lisa Keen on June 29, 2011
President Obama told the audience at an LGBT Pride Month event at the White House Wednesday evening, June 29, that he has “met my commitments to the LGBT community.” But he also kept true to his promise at a press conference earlier in the day and offered no new information about his personal view of same-sex marriage or his support of marriage equality bills.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on June 29, 2011
Supporters of Proposition 8 filed official notice Monday, June 27, that they intend to appeal a U.S. District Court ruling that rejected their request to vacate the landmark decision that found California’s ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on June 27, 2011
The news that New York State passed a marriage equality law last Friday night was big news and, not surprisingly, drew comments from various presidential candidates over the weekend.
Posted in Campaigns, Issues, Marriage/Relationships, News, Politics, Presidential 2012
By Lisa Keen on June 26, 2011
The number of same-sex couples identifying themselves on the U.S. Census grew by 36 percent in California between 2000 and 2010, according to Census data analysis released Thursday by the Williams Institute. And, with the release of data available now for seven states, the total number of same-sex couples for 2010 already exceeds the total reported nationwide in 1990.
Posted in A closer look
By Lisa Keen on June 24, 2011
Defense Secretary Robert Gates told a French newspaper Thursday, June 23, that the Pentagon hopes to certify the military is ready to implement repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” “in the last half of July, early August.”
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on June 24, 2011
The Republican-led House Appropriations Committee did the unexpected last Thursday, June 23. It advanced an appropriations bill involving District of Columbia funding without attaching language to repeal the city’s marriage equality law.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on June 24, 2011
An audience of about 600 people gave President Obama money Thursday night at an LGBT fundraising event in New York City for the Obama 2012 campaign.
Posted in Politics, White House
By Lisa Keen on June 23, 2011
Republicans on the U.S. Judiciary Committee on Thursday asked to hold over the nominations of openly gay federal court nominee Alison Nathan and three other court nominees until next week.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on June 21, 2011
U.S. Census 2010 data on same-sex couples has begun trickling out and, if the first two states are any measure, there are dramatically more same-sex couples in the United States than previously counted.
Posted in A closer look
By Lisa Keen on June 19, 2011
The United Nations’ Human Rights Council voted to approve a resolution that expresses “grave concern at acts of violence and discrimination, in all regions of the world, committed against individuals because of their sexual orientation and gender identity.”
Posted in International, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on June 14, 2011
As expected, a federal judge in San Francisco on Tuesday refused to vacate last year’s landmark ruling that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.
Posted in Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Lawsuits, Marriage/Relationships, News
By Lisa Keen on June 14, 2011
The seven Republican presidential candidates showed some differences on gay-related issues in their first high-profile debate Monday night–with some surprises.
Posted in A closer look
By Lisa Keen on June 14, 2011
The largest federal bankruptcy court in the United States on Monday ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act violates the equal protection guarantee of the U.S. Constitution. In a strongly worded decision, the 20 judges participating in the decision, ruled unanimously that “there is no valid governmental basis for DOMA.”
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on June 13, 2011
SAN FRANCISCO – It now seems unlikely that a federal judge will vacate a landmark decision in which a gay judge ruled that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.
Posted in Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Lawsuits, Marriage/Relationships, News
White House threatens veto as House omits LGBTs in two bills
House GOP shoot down effort to insert LGBT protections in VAWA
NC approves constitutional ban: 61 to 39
Iowa justices explain why they didn’t campaign to retain seats