By Lisa Keen on January 25, 2011
Tuesday 10:15pm EDT edition – President Obama once again brought up the issue of gays in the military during his annual State of the Union address.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics, White House
By Dana Rudolph on January 20, 2011
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced proposed new regulations intended to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in its core housing programs–programs that impact 4.4 million units of housing in the country.
Posted in Congress, Issues, Misc, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on December 23, 2010
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday gave final approval to lesbian law professor Chai Feldblum as President Obama’s nominee to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Posted in Appointees, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on December 22, 2010
Following a dramatic and eloquent speech, President Obama Wednesday morning signed the legislation that will launch the repeal of a 17-year-old law that prohibits openly gay people from serving in the military.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics, White House
By Lisa Keen on December 18, 2010
The U.S. Senate approved a bill Saturday, December 18, to repeal the 17-year-old law banning openly gay people from serving in the military. The roll call vote on the measure, which came to the Senate Wednesday from the House, was 65 to 31.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Dana Rudolph on December 14, 2010
Three weeks before the end of a session of Congress may seem an odd time to introduce any new bills, much less one dealing with always-contentious LGBT civil rights. But three representatives introduced a bill 12/8 that would better protect LGBT people from discrimination in housing.
Posted in Congress, Issues, Misc, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on December 9, 2010
Thu. Dec. 9 – 4:10 p.m.—The Senate has just rejected an attempt to bring the defense authorization bill to the floor, effectively killing the prospects for repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell this year, and likely for years to come. The vote was 57 to 40.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on December 8, 2010
All the focus was on Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins Wednesday, with the question being whether she could be persuaded to vote to end the Republican-led filibuster against the defense authorization bill.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on December 6, 2010
The second and final day of the Senate hearing on repealing “Don’t ask, don’t tell” has adjourned and the battle lines are still very much where they were at the beginning, with one exception.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on December 2, 2010
The Pentagon’s top four leaders stood their ground Thursday during the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the Defense Department’s report concerning Don’t Ask Don’t Tell repeal. But there was considerable pushback from Republicans on the committee—and not just John McCain.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on November 30, 2010
Defense Secretary Robert Gates sent mixed signals Tuesday, in releasing the Pentagon’s long-awaited study about how to implement repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. He said repeal “can and should be done,” but he urged Congress to consider the views of all-male combat units who expressed concern about negative consequences.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Dana Rudolph on November 19, 2010
A national task force dedicated to suicide prevention among LGBT youth will be part of the new National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, a public-private partnership supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Posted in Congress, Health, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on November 17, 2010
A key supporter of repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is poised to deal the legislation a significant setback. Sen. Carl Levin, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a strong supporter of repeal, said he will hold hearings on the upcoming Pentagon study about implementation of repeal.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on November 15, 2010
When Congress came back to begin its lame-duck session on Monday, it was suddenly hearing mixed messages from LGBT groups concerning repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on November 11, 2010
A 370-page Pentagon study on implementing repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell will report December 1 that repeal poses only minimal risk to current war efforts, according to an article posted Wednesday night in the Washington Post.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Dana Rudolph on November 7, 2010
A number of LGBT allies lost their races in last week’s elections–but one bit of positive news is that sponsoring LGBT-rights legislation did not negatively impact a candidate’s ability to win.
Posted in Campaigns, Election 2010, House, National Politics, News, Politics, Senate
By Dana Rudolph on October 27, 2010
Leaders of the U.S. House’s LGBT Equality Caucus called on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Tuesday to do more to stop suicides among LGBT youth, calling the suicides “a serious public health problem which cannot wait.”
Posted in Health, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Dana Rudolph on October 5, 2010
The U.S. Department of Education announced the awarding of $38.8 million in grants to 11 states from a new Safe and Supportive School program, just days after a media blitz about the bullying-related suicides of five teenagers. But the grants weren’t made in reaction to the recent news.
Posted in National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on September 23, 2010
Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives revealed their “Pledge to America,” and it includes a pledge to “to honor families, traditional marriage, life, and the private and faith-based organizations that form the core of our American values.” That reference to traditional marriage was too much for most LGBT leaders and too little for right-wing conservatives.
Posted in A closer look, Issues, Marriage/Relationships, National Politics, News, Politics
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