Browse: Home /
President Obama
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 Lisa Keen on January 6, 2012
Significant events are crowding the calendar for 2012, and each promises considerable drama and suspense for the LGBT community. Here are the ten most important to keep an eye on:
Posted in A closer look
By Lisa Keen on December 20, 2011
The television ad of Republican presidential long-shot Rick Perry, that pits gays in the military as the ideological foil to children celebrating Christmas, earned the candidate some tense moments on the campaign trail last week, from both gays and straights alike.
The ad, entitled “Strong,” began airing on Iowa television stations in early December and showed a casually dressed Perry walking along a rural setting, saying, “I’m not ashamed that a I’m a Christian.”
Posted in Track notes
By Lisa Keen on December 7, 2011
Republican presidential long-shot Rick Perry was one of the first to criticize the Obama administration’s newly announced initiative to push for the human rights of LGBT people around the world. But there were some cautionary notes from the LGBT international community, too.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on December 6, 2011
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton today (Tuesday, December 6) called on the governments of all nations to ensure that their LGBT citizens are treated with respect and dignity. In doing so, she also announced that President Obama was issuing a memorandum directing the State Department to lead an interagency group to provide a “swift and meaningful response” by the U.S. government to “serious incidents that threaten the human rights of LGBT persons abroad.”
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on December 4, 2011
It was one week after Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain told The Hill newspaper, “I think marriage should be protected at the federal level,” that allegations began emerging to suggest Cain himself had not been protecting marriage at the personal level.
Cain “suspended” his presidential campaign Saturday (December 4), following the latest allegation of sexual improprieties with women other than his wife. His support had dropped precipitously in the polls–from frontrunner with 25 percent or more to back-of-the-pack with only 8 percent in the latest Iowa polling.
Posted in Track notes
By Lisa Keen on November 11, 2011
The White House sent out notice Thursday night that it was withdrawing the nomination of openly gay attorney Edward DuMont to serve on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee blocked DuMont’s nomination from the start, when President Obama nominated him in April 2010.
In DuMont’s place, President Obama has nominated an attorney with strong Republican ties.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on November 10, 2011
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday (November 10) voted to recommend passage of a bill to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
The bill is the Respect for Marriage Act (S. 598). Thursday’s 10 to 8 vote along partisan lines had been originally scheduled for November 3 but was postponed a week at the request of the committee’s Republicans who warn the bill has no chance of passage in the Senate or House.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on October 3, 2011
President Obama dropped by the Human Rights Campaign’s annual national dinner to vow that he will “keep up the fight” to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and to stop bullying against LGBT youth.
Posted in News, Politics, White House
By Lisa Keen on September 22, 2011
President Obama has agreed to deliver the keynote address to this year’s annual Human Rights Campaign dinner October 1 in Washington, D.C.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on September 15, 2011
In a request that seems more like political theatre than political combat, the House Armed Services Committee sent a plea to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta asking that repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell be delayed.
Posted in A closer look
By Lisa Keen on August 2, 2011
The U.S. Senate gave final Congressional approval Tuesday to a bill raising the nation’s current $14.3 trillion debt ceiling by $2 trillion, but it’s a bill that calls for $2 trillion in federal spending cuts that worry LGBT and AIDS organizations.
Posted in Congress, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on July 24, 2011
President Obama, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen signed and submitted a one-page written certification to Congress Friday afternoon (July 22) that the military is ready to implement repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, Law, News
By Lisa Keen on July 21, 2011
The Los Angeles Times and other media reported late Thursday that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen would announced Friday that the two can certify military readiness to Congress –one of the stipulations for enacting repeal of the federal law banning openly gay people from service.
Posted in News Briefs
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 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 Lisa Keen on July 4, 2011
The Department of Justice on July 1 recommended a federal appeals court in California dismiss a motion promoted by the House of Representatives to dismiss a challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
Posted in Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Lawsuits, Marriage/Relationships, News
By Lisa Keen on June 29, 2011
President Obama at a mid-day nationally televised press conference on Wednesday was repeatedly pressed for his views on marriage equality. But he continued to dodge questions.
Posted in News, Politics, White House
By Lisa Keen on June 29, 2011
President Obama told the audience at an LGBT Pride Month event at the White House Wednesday evening, June 29, that he has “met my commitments to the LGBT community.” But he also kept true to his promise at a press conference earlier in the day and offered no new information about his personal view of same-sex marriage or his support of marriage equality bills.
Posted in News Briefs
By Lisa Keen on June 27, 2011
The news that New York State passed a marriage equality law last Friday night was big news and, not surprisingly, drew comments from various presidential candidates over the weekend.
Posted in Campaigns, Issues, Marriage/Relationships, News, Politics, Presidential 2012
Children with LGB parents: youthful perspectives on marriage
Federal appeals panel rules Prop 8 videos stay under seal
GOP gays and Florida back Romney
New HUD rule called ‘truly historic’
Religious bias cases at high court