By Lisa Keen on February 22, 2010
President Obama released a new health care reform bill that he says incorporates work done in the House and Senate and adds ideas from Republican members of Congress. But there’s no inclusion in this new proposed measure of any of the gay-related provisions in the original House bill.
Posted in Health, Issues, News, Politics, White House
By Lisa Keen on February 4, 2010
President Obama’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2011 isn’t anywhere near as much as gay and AIDS groups had sought, but the consensus seems to be that modest increases—and in some places no increases, are laudable in the current economy.
Posted in News, Politics, White House
By Chuck Colbert on February 3, 2010
Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen told a Senate committee they have appointed a high-level working group to report on how the military can adapt should Congress choose to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on January 29, 2010
President Obama side-stepped a question Thursday about what he’s doing “now” to ensure that gay couples “are treated as equal citizens,” but there was a signal from the Pentagon that same day that movement may be coming on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, Marriage/Relationships, National Politics, News, Politics, White House
By Patti Tihey on January 28, 2010
Scott Brown’s special election victory this month, taking the late Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat, could have the power to derail passage of pro-gay civil rights legislation this year.
Posted in Congress, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on January 28, 2010
Gay leaders offered only a lukewarm reception Wednesday night for President Obama’s statement, in his State of the Union address, that he would work for the repeal of the military’s discriminatory policy against gays.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics, White House
By Dana Rudolph on January 26, 2010
Three openly gay members of the U.S. House of Representatives, along with 91 of their colleagues, have sent a letter to President Obama urging him to do everything he can to stop a bill in Uganda that calls for harsh penalties against gays.
Posted in Congress, HIV/AIDS, International, Law, National Politics, News, Politics, White House
By Dana Rudolph on January 25, 2010
The mood among supporters of a bill to allow civil unions in Hawaii is “Imua!”—the Hawaiian word for “Forward!” said State Senate Majority Leader Gary Hooser. The bill passed the state senate Friday, January 22, by a vote of 18 to 7.
Posted in Issues, Marriage/Relationships, News, Politics, State Politics
By Lisa Keen on January 23, 2010
A New Hampshire House committee is expected to vote soon on two bills seeking to restrict marriage licenses to straight couples only.
Posted in Issues, Marriage/Relationships, News, Politics, State Politics
By Chuck Colbert on January 20, 2010
It’s a double victory for Republicans: Republican Scott Brown has won the U.S. Senate seat from Massachusetts and taken away from the Democratic majority in Congress its critical 60th vote in the Senate.
Posted in Campaigns, Politics, Senate
By Chuck Colbert on January 16, 2010
Tuesday’s special election for the U.S. Senate seat from Massachusetts took an ugly turn in the last few days, with a national anti-gay organization now playing the anti-gay marriage card in an apparent move to turn out social conservatives to vote for Republican Scott Brown.
Posted in Campaigns, Issues, Marriage/Relationships, National Politics, News, Politics
By Chuck Colbert on January 14, 2010
It may well be shaping up as nail-bitter. The race to fill the U. S. Senate seat held by the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy has tightened up considerably in the past few days.
Posted in Campaigns, National Politics, News, Politics
By Chuck Colbert on January 8, 2010
Even before the votes were tallied Thursday in the New Jersey Senate on a marriage equality bill, advocates of the bill knew they would fall short.
The marriage equality bill needed 21 votes to pass; it garnered only 14.
Posted in Issues, Marriage/Relationships, News, Politics, State Politics
By Lisa Keen on January 7, 2010
News on Capitol Hill Wednesday morning suggested there was little hope for keeping pro-LGBT provisions in the health care reform legislation Congress hopes to pass. But Rep. Barney Frank says he’s still “somewhat optimistic.”
Posted in Congress, Health, Issues, National Politics, Politics
By Lisa Keen on January 6, 2010
Efforts are underway in both New Hampshire and Iowa to overturn marriage equality laws there.
On January 5, opponents of gay marriage were scheduled to deliver petitions to more than 200 town halls across New Hampshire.
Posted in Issues, Marriage/Relationships, News, Politics, State Politics
By Lisa Keen on January 5, 2010
Amanda Simpson started work this week as one of the first transgender persons ever to receive a presidential appointment to an executive branch post in any administration. The honor as the first belongs to Dylan Orr, a 30-year-old law school graduate from Seattle.
Posted in National Politics, News, Politics, White House
By Lisa Keen on December 23, 2009
It’s still a little bit of a guessing game as to whether the U.S. Senate will pass a health care reform bill this month or next or never, but if and when it does, there’s little likelihood any pro-gay provisions adopted in the House will make into the final version Congress sends to the president.
Posted in Congress, Health, Issues, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on December 15, 2009
Though it was long-expected, the D.C. Council’s vote Tuesday to give final approval to a marriage equality law for Washington, D.C., came as a large relief to many LGBT civil rights supporters.
The 11 to 2 vote came on the heels to two recent, stinging losses –the New York Senate rejection of a marriage equality bill there, and the November 3 ballot loss in Maine of a measure approved by the legislature earlier in the year.
Posted in Issues, Marriage/Relationships, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on December 13, 2009
Annise Parker, an openly gay public official, won the final mayoral election race in Houston Saturday, December 12, becoming the first openly gay person to be elected as mayor of one of the top five most populated cities in the United States.
Posted in Campaigns, News, Politics, State Politics
By Lisa Keen on December 11, 2009
At least four prominent gays were on the guest list for the Obama White House’s first State Dinner, with India, November 24. Hollywood producer David Geffen attended with his partner Jeremy Lingvall; Export-Import Bank Chairman Fred Hochberg attended with his partner Tom Healy; and former National Gay and Lesbian Task Force leader Urvashi Vaid and her partner comedian Kate Clinton.
Posted in A closer look, National Politics, Politics, White House
Ginsburg on Roe: Is it a signal she’d curb a decision on marriage?
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
Rhode Island marriage bill clears final hurdle with all Republicans