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
The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund announced Wednesday that 29 of the 33 openly LGBT candidates in Tuesday’s primaries won their races.
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By Lisa Keen on September 8, 2010
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger told the state supreme court today that he has decided not to appeal the Proposition 8 court decision to the 9th Circuit.
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By Lisa Keen on August 31, 2010
Openly Gay U.S. Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) is the seventh wealthiest member of Congress, according to a report this week by The Hill, a newspaper specializing in coverage of Capitol Hill and its lawmakers.
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By Lisa Keen on August 19, 2010
The White House announced Thursday, August 19, that President Obama was using the recess appointment to install openly gay nominee Richard Sorian as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services.
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By Lisa Keen on August 17, 2010
It’s been 40 days since U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Tauro ruled—in two cases—that the federal benefits provision in the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional. But the Department of Justice has still not indicated whether it intends to appeal those decisions to the 1st Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
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By Lisa Keen on August 6, 2010
As expected, attorneys for the Yes on 8 campaign which secured passage of Proposition 8 in November 2008 filed notice of appeal of the U.S. District Court ruling in Perry v. Schwarzenegger. The appeal was filed one day after Judge Vaughn Walker struck down the state constitutional amendment as violating the federal constitutional guarantees of equal protection and due process.
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By Lisa Keen on August 6, 2010
The U.S. Senate Thursday, August 5, confirmed the appointment of Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court, but not without complaints from nearly every Republican opposing her nomination about her actions concerning Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
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By Lisa Keen on August 4, 2010
Attorneys representing supporters of Proposition 8 filed a motion with U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker Tuesday asking that—if he should rule Wednesday in favor of Proposition 8 opponents—he issue a stay of his decision to enable them to appeal. Such a stay, if granted, would prevent “another purported window of same-sex marriage in California,” [...]
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By Lisa Keen on June 29, 2010
Except that she was wearing a bright blue jacket and sitting in the middle of the Senate hearing room, U.S. Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan was, in one sense, invisible on the first day of her confirmation.
The members of the Senate Judiciary Committee spent much of their time Monday singing the praises of Senator Robert Byrd (D-WVa.) who died Sunday night, and much of the remaining time slinging partisan barbs at one another.
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By Lisa Keen on June 22, 2010
It was not exactly the same rousing, sustained cheer of last year that greeted President Obama as he entered the East Room Tuesday evening for a reception in honor of LGBT Pride month. There was an awkward quiet as he shook some hands near the stage before making his remarks, and several moments of silence when normally one might have expected the requisite applause.
But the several hundred people attending the White House LGBT Pride Month Reception were enthusiastic in their reception of the president.
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By Lisa Keen on June 14, 2010
Closing arguments get underway Wednesday in the Proposition 8 case in California, and attorneys representing the various officials who campaigned for the ban on same-sex marriage were just dealt another blow.
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By Lisa Keen on June 10, 2010
U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker gave no explanation late Wednesday for his decision to keep cameras out of the courtroom next week when he hears closing arguments in the landmark Proposition 8 trial.
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By Dana Rudolph on May 27, 2010
The full Senate on Friday, May 28 unanimously confirmed Laura Duffy as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California, making her the second openly lesbian or gay U.S. attorney. Jenny Durkan, the first, was confirmed in September as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington.
Posted in Appointees, Issues, News, News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on May 26, 2010
The House Rules Committee was back in session Wednesday night, addressing 193 amendments submitted for consideration during floor action on the annual defense authorization bill. As of 9 p.m. Wednesday, the committee had not yet taken up Rep. Patrick Murphy’s compromise amendment concerning repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.”
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By Lisa Keen on May 19, 2010
More than a dozen mainstream media news organizations petitioned the federal judge Tuesday to allow broadcast and webcast of closing arguments in the Proposition 8 lawsuit “to enhance the public’s ability to witness the parties’ respective closing arguments in this historic case.”
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By Lisa Keen on May 13, 2010
The Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday morning recommended the nomination of pro-gay law professor Goodwin Liu to the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals by a vote of 12 to 7.
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By Lisa Keen on May 10, 2010
Gay legal activists are today applauding President Obama’s second nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court: Solicitor General Elena Kagan.
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By Dana Rudolph on May 9, 2010
For the first time ever, a president’s annual Mother’s Day proclamation has included a specific mention of families that include two mothers.
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By Lisa Keen on May 4, 2010
In another case of faith-based groups versus non-discrimination laws, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear an appeal from the Boy Scouts of America. The court’s refusal was not unusual; the high court rarely takes a case during a procedural phase and that’s where this case, Boy Scouts of America v. Barnes-Wallace, was.
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Loud clash over same-sex marriage: Where personal and political meet
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