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 January 31, 2012
In a speech before a national LGBT conference on Saturday (January 28), U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan said President Obama views the fight for LGBT equality “not as an issue, but as a priority.”
Posted in National Politics
By Lisa Keen on January 24, 2012
While there was only one direct reference to anything gay in President Obama’s third State of the Union address, the speech and a large number of White House activities surrounding it were inclusive of gays.
Posted in National Politics, Presidential 2012, White House
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 Dana Rudolph on October 28, 2011
In a blow to activists seeking to stop anti-gay bullying, two proposals to address bullying in schools were left out of an education reform bill approved by a U.S. Senate committee October 20.
Posted in Congress, National Politics, Schools/youth
By Lisa Keen on October 26, 2011
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee will debate and vote on a bill to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) on Wednesday, November 3. Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced the scheduling Tuesday, October 25.
Posted in Congress, Marriage/Relationships, National Politics
By Dana Rudolph on September 21, 2011
When repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” goes into effect September 20, children of gay servicemembers will reap many benefits. But they will still lack many of the protections available to children with opposite-sex parents because of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, National Politics
By Lisa Keen on September 19, 2011
U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin has had to address the “L word” in recent interviews, now that she’s running for the U.S. Senate. Not just because she’s a lesbian, but because she’s a liberal.
Posted in Campaigns, Election 2012, National Politics, Senate
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 Dana Rudolph on July 12, 2011
The United Church of Christ (UCC), the denomination to which President Obama belonged for two decades, resoundingly approved two resolutions support of civil rights for LGBT people–including the first-ever resolution by a major Christian denomination affirming the right of LGBT parents to adopt and raise children.
Posted in Adoption, Issues, National Politics
By Dana Rudolph on June 16, 2011
Schools receiving federal funds must provide equal access to school resources for all student groups, including gay-straight alliances (GSAs), said Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in a “Dear Colleague” letter to educators on June 14.
Posted in Health, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Dana Rudolph on June 1, 2011
Kevin Jennings, the openly gay head of the federal office that manages its largest safe-schools and anti-bullying programs, will be leaving the U.S. Department of Education next month. But he said President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan remain committed to addressing the bullying of LGBT students.
Posted in Health, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Dana Rudolph on May 31, 2011
When Congress and the White House worked out their differences in early April concerning the Fiscal Year 2011 budget, it was clear that some programs important to the LGBT community would take a hit. But the consequences of their final agreement are now being felt.
Posted in Health, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on May 17, 2011
The Antideficiency Act is not the sort of federal law that an ordinary American would be familiar with. It applies to government officials who are in a position to spend government money. And it prohibits those officials from spending federal money unless Congress appropriates it to be spent.
Posted in Congress, Issues, Marriage/Relationships, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on May 12, 2011
The full U.S. House Armed Services Committee approved three amendments late Wednesday night that seek to delay implementation of repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and to reiterate Congress’s support for the Defense of Marriage Act.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Dana Rudolph on May 6, 2011
Hundreds of thousands of children are in foster care in the United States, while discrimination prevents millions of willing LGBT people from being able to foster or adopt. U.S. Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) reintroduced a bill that aims to fix that discrepancy.
Posted in Adoption, Congress, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Dana Rudolph on April 27, 2011
Each year, over 100,000 children in the U.S. foster care system are waiting for adoptive homes. And over two million gay and lesbian people are interested in adopting a child. But legislative and court battles are being waged in several states over whether gay and lesbian people should be allowed to adopt.
Posted in Adoption, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics, State Politics
By Dana Rudolph on April 20, 2011
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a memo April 6 encouraging child welfare agencies to better serve the needs of “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth” in the foster care system.
Posted in Health, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on April 19, 2011
The U.S. House has obligated itself to pay more than $500,000 for outside attorneys to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in federal courts. And the House has chosen a firm which clearly prides itself on including LGBT lawyers among its staff.
Posted in Congress, Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Marriage/Relationships, National Politics, News, Politics
Children with LGB parents: youthful perspectives on marriage
Federal appeals panel rules Prop 8 videos stay under seal
Religious bias cases at high court