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President Obama
By Lisa Keen on July 1, 2010
The purpose of the small gathering at the Old Executive Office Building in Washington was two-fold: first, to give LGBT media a “snapshot” of what the Obama administration has done, and plans to do, on LGBT issues. And, second, nine LGBT reporters and political bloggers would get to ask a question.
Posted in News, Politics, White House
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.
Posted in News Briefs
By Dana Rudolph on June 11, 2010
When President Obama issued a memorandum extending certain benefits to the same-sex partners of federal employees, he noted there are still certain benefits he cannot extend under current law. But the legislation the president and many LGBT organizations are touting as a solution faces one big hurdle that nobody’s talking about.
Posted in A Closer Look
By Lisa Keen on June 7, 2010
Republicans are reportedly scouring for filibuster votes against the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell repeal and are expected to focus their efforts on winning over Democrats Jim Webb of Virginia and Mark Pryor of Arkansas.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, News, Politics
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
A measure to repeal the 16-year-old federal law excluding openly gay people from the military started up the Congressional ladder this week—with a reluctant nod from the White House and a controversial rewrite.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on May 13, 2010
The number of results from a Google search of “Elena Kagan” plus the word “gay” more than doubled from 722,000 on Monday, when President Obama nominated her to the U.S. Supreme Court, to 1,950,000 on Tuesday night, when Politico.com reported two friends said she is not gay.
Posted in Federal Courts, Law, News, U.S. Supreme Court
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.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on May 11, 2010
Gay legal activists are applauding President Obama’s second nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court: Solicitor General Elena Kagan. But it could hardly be described as a standing ovation.
Posted in Federal Courts, Law, News, U.S. Supreme Court
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.
Posted in News Briefs
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.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on May 5, 2010
Wording is everything in politics. What is not said can sometimes be more important than what is said, and what is said can be subjected to a multitude of interpretations that transform a simple sentence into a powerful new expectation.
Such has been the case with this statement, made by President Barack Obama in January during his State of the Union speech: “This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country.”
He did not say that he and Congress would “repeal the law this year.” He said he would work with Congress on it this year.
Posted in A Closer Look, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics, White House
By Lisa Keen on May 3, 2010
Several media organizations reported Saturday that President Obama interviewed Solicitor General Elena Kagan for a possible nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. According to The Wall Street Journal, which cited only “an administration official,” the president interviewed Kagan on Friday.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on April 27, 2010
When President Obama signed a memorandum this month, calling for an end to discrimination against gays and lesbians in hospital visitation policies, many unmarried LGBT people assumed that meant hospitals would no longer be able to bar them from being with their partners during a time of medical crisis.
But not all presidential memoranda are created equal: Some go into effect immediately; some require months of rule-making bureaucracy and are subject to public comment.
Posted in A Closer Look, National Politics, News, Politics, White House
By Dana Rudolph on April 25, 2010
Posted in Podcast
By Lisa Keen on April 24, 2010
In an historic move, President Obama this month nominated an openly gay person, Edward DuMont, to a federal appeals court judgeship—the first such openly gay nomination at that level. He also becomes the first openly gay man to be nominated to a federal judgeship.
Posted in Federal Courts, Law, News
By Dana Rudolph on April 22, 2010
From the beginning of the Obama administration, the general attitude of the LGBT people was that things would be better for the community than they were under the administration of President George W. Bush. But even from the beginning, there were signs that protections for LGBT youth might not be better and that “safe schools” might not be a priority for the Department of Education (DOE).
Posted in A Closer Look, National Politics, News, White House
By Lisa Keen on April 20, 2010
President Obama, appearing at a fundraiser for U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer in Los Angeles Monday, April 19, seemed initially irritated when his speech in support of Boxer’s re-election was interrupted with shouts that he do more to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on April 18, 2010
Posted in Podcast
Gay issues continue to dominate as Senate committee recommends Kagan’s nomination
ENDA prospects apparently gone
DADT trial opens to little notice
Two giant blows against DOMA
Movement to ban gay adoption: sacrificing the well-being of children