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 May 5, 2011
The openly gay sponsor of a marriage equality bill in Rhode Island has said he would push for civil unions instead. Six states are considering legislation that would ask voters to ban recognition of marriage for same-sex couples. And all this was on the heels of a loss for a marriage equality bill in Maryland. Has the state legislative fight for marriage equality lost momentum?
Posted in Issues, Marriage/Relationships, News, Politics, State Politics
By Lisa Keen on May 4, 2011
Before it left on spring recess, the U.S. House passed a budget for Fiscal Year 2012 that the president called “wrong for America” and that AIDS activists have said would do “irreparable harm.”
Posted in Congress, Health, Issues, 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 Lisa Keen on April 26, 2011
Less than a week after a law firm signed a contract to represent the U.S. House in defending DOMA in federal court, the law firm began to withdraw from the agreement.
Posted in Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Marriage/Relationships, News, 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
By Lisa Keen on April 15, 2011
Democrats came out swinging Friday, April 15, during a House subcommittee hearing on the Department of Justice announcement that it would curtail its defense of the federal ban on recognition of same-sex marriages.
Posted in Congress, Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Marriage/Relationships, News, Politics, White House
By Dana Rudolph on April 12, 2011
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that it is launching a national media campaign to promote equal access to housing regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity, among other characteristics.
Posted in Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on April 8, 2011
Remember this number: 9 million. And this percentage: 3.5. The former is the current best estimate of the number of adults in the U.S. who identify as LGBT; the latter is the percentage that number represents within the total number of adults in the U.S.
Posted in Demographics, Issues, National Politics, Politics
By Lisa Keen on April 1, 2011
Pentagon officials told a House subcommittee Friday that training for implementation of repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” has gone “extremely well so far” and that certification to Congress might come by mid-summer.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on March 30, 2011
U.S. Rep. Barney Frank on Wednesday, March 30, announced he would soon re-introduce the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), characterizing it as “winnable.”
Posted in Congress, ENDA, Issues, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on March 22, 2011
It looked like a cake-walk: President Obama nominated openly gay attorney Paul Oetken to a federal district court bench in Manhattan two months ago, and just last week, he had a confirmation hearing.
Posted in Congress, Issues, National Politics, News, Nominees, Politics
By Lisa Keen on March 16, 2011
When U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) introduced the Respect for Marriage Act in 2009, he conceded there was little chance for passage in the 111th Congress. Clearly, something’s changed.
Posted in Congress, Issues, Marriage/Relationships, National Politics, News, Politics
By Dana Rudolph on March 15, 2011
Supporters of allowing same-sex couples to marry in Maryland could see the altar: passing the House and sending the bill to a governor who said he would sign it. But on March 11, the House unanimously voted to send it back to committee.
Posted in Issues, Marriage/Relationships, News, Politics, State Politics
By Dana Rudolph on March 11, 2011
The White House held a high-visibility conference on bullying prevention March 10, with the President and First Lady calling on parents, teachers, students, and communities to address the problem together.
Posted in Congress, Health, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics, White House
By Dana Rudolph on March 9, 2011
Members of Congress are introducing a flurry of bills this week designed to address bullying and harassment of students, including LGBT students, and timed to coincide with a major White House conference on bullying prevention March 10.
Posted in Congress, Health, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Dana Rudolph on March 8, 2011
Proponents of marriage equality are holding their own this week in two battleground states, despite tough skirmishes that threatened ground they had previously gained. But in both states–Maryland and New Hampshire–more critical battles seem almost inevitable, perhaps on the ballot in 2012.
Posted in Issues, Marriage/Relationships, News, Politics, State Politics
By Lisa Keen on March 7, 2011
Republican members of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee have been holding up the nomination of President Obama’s only openly gay nominee to a federal appeals bench.
Posted in Congress, Issues, National Politics, News, Nominees, Politics
By Dana Rudolph on March 1, 2011
Marriage equality in Maryland looks set to take one of two paths–and neither is likely to enable same-sex couples to marry in the Free State for many months to come.
Posted in Issues, Marriage/Relationships, News, Politics, State Politics
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