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Fed budget numbers fall short but LGBT leaders fall silent

Fed budget numbers fall short but LGBT leaders fall silent

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.

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Gates, Mullen ready to repeal DADT, but GOP ready to fight

Gates, Mullen ready to repeal DADT, but GOP ready to fight

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.”

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Side step on marriage, but step forward on DADT

Side step on marriage, but step forward on DADT

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.”

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The state of the new landscape in the Senate doesn’t kill chances

The state of the new landscape in the Senate doesn’t kill chances

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.

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Gay reaction lukewarm to President’s call to repeal DADT

Gay reaction lukewarm to President’s call to repeal DADT

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.

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U.S. Reps call for action against Ugandan bill

U.S. Reps call for action against Ugandan bill

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.

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Yes on 8 expert contends gays wield coalition power

Yes on 8 expert contends gays wield coalition power

By Lisa Keen on January 26, 2010

Defenders of Proposition 8, the 2008 initiative that amended California’s constitution to ban same-sex marriage, began their effort Monday to defend the measure in a U.S. federal district court.

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Prop 8 trial: weak allies and powerful enemies

Prop 8 trial: weak allies and powerful enemies

By Lisa Keen on January 20, 2010

President Obama’s name keeps coming up a lot during the trial challenging the constitutionality of California’s same-sex marriage ban.

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Dems lose critical 60th Senate seat in Mass.

Dems lose critical 60th Senate seat in Mass.

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.

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Mass Senate race now includes GOP gay baiting

Mass Senate race now includes GOP gay baiting

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.

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Prop 8 – Day 5: The defense stalls and pleads fear factor

Prop 8 – Day 5: The defense stalls and pleads fear factor

By Lisa Keen on January 15, 2010

It’s not often one hears these words in a federal courtroom: “Dyke. You fucking dyke. You’re going to die and go to hell.”

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Mid-day report: Friday morning Prop 8 trial

Mid-day report: Friday morning Prop 8 trial

By Lisa Keen on January 15, 2010

There was some extra drama in and outside the courtroom this morning when one of the defense’s attorneys, David Thompson, told Judge Vaughn Walker that defense had withdrawn many of its witnesses because of their fears about being videotaped and subjected to harassment.

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Mid-day report: Wednesday morning Prop 8 trial

Mid-day report: Wednesday morning Prop 8 trial

By Lisa Keen on January 13, 2010

Attorneys for Proposition 8 tried to make a case this morning for the notion that people could support the ban on same-sex marriage without feeling hostility toward gay people. Their prime exhibit: President Obama.

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Prop 8: An offspring of the Anita Bryant crusade?

Prop 8: An offspring of the Anita Bryant crusade?

By Lisa Keen on January 12, 2010

Attorneys challenging the California ballot measure that banned same-sex marriage painted the “Yes on 8” campaign today as a modern day copycat of Anita Bryant’s late 1970s campaign to “Save the Children.”

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Prop 8 trial: Probing judge and high court intervention

Prop 8 trial: Probing judge and high court intervention

By Lisa Keen on January 12, 2010

The trial to challenge Proposition 8 in federal court got underway Monday in San Francisco but the opening acts were upstaged in Washington, D.C.

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Obama appoints first openly transgender people to posts

Obama appoints first openly transgender people to posts

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.

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Best seats in the White House

Best seats in the White House

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.

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Clinton: U.S. must “stand against” LGBT discrimination in fight against HIV

Clinton: U.S. must “stand against” LGBT discrimination in fight against HIV

By Lisa Keen on November 30, 2009

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said today the U.S. government must “stand against any efforts” to discriminate against the LGBT community worldwide.

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Obama ends last vestige of HIV travel ban

Obama ends last vestige of HIV travel ban

By Lisa Keen on October 30, 2009

President Obama announced that his administration will end the long-standing policy that banned immigration by people with HIV infection.

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President signs hate crimes law

President signs hate crimes law

By Lisa Keen on October 28, 2009

President Obama on October 28 announced his signing of the long-sought federal hate crimes prevention law.

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A Closer Look

Loud clash over same-sex marriage: Where personal and political meetLoud clash over same-sex marriage: Where personal and political meet

It has been a dizzying week for same-sex marriage.

Consider this: The front cover of Newsweek magazine on Monday (May 14) carried a photograph of President Obama with the caption “The First Gay President.” The president appeared on a nationally televised group talk show to discuss his position. Republican presidential nominee-apparent Mitt Romney reiterated his opposition to allowing gays to marry at a speech before Jerry Falwell’s university. The Washington Post ran a well-sourced story reporting that, in high school, Romney had led an assault on a fellow student that many believed to be gay.

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Breaking News

White House threatens veto as House omits LGBTs in two billsWhite House threatens veto as House omits LGBTs in two bills

Despite a warning that President Obama may exercise his veto power, the U.S. House Wednesday (May 16) approved a version of the Violence Against Women Act that omits provisions, approved in the Senate, to help LGBT victims of domestic violence.

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House GOP shoot down effort to insert LGBT protections in VAWAHouse GOP shoot down effort to insert LGBT protections in VAWA

In a strict party line vote, Republicans on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee rejected three attempts Tuesday (May 7) to add protections for LGBT victims of domestic abuse in a bill to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.

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Obama: ‘I think same-sex couples should be able to marry’Obama: ‘I think same-sex couples should be able to marry’

President Obama said in a White House-arranged interview Wednesday afternoon that “same-sex couples should be able to get married.”

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NC approves constitutional ban: 61 to 39NC approves constitutional ban: 61 to 39

For those in the LGBT community who have watched state after state pass constitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriage, the results in North Carolina were expected: Voters approved the ban by a margin of roughly 61 percent to 39 percent, as of late Tuesday night.

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Iowa justices explain why they didn’t campaign to retain seatsIowa justices explain why they didn’t campaign to retain seats

BOSTON—Three Iowa state supreme court justices ousted by voters in 2010 for ruling that same-sex couples were due the same rights as other couples under the state constitution were honored May 7 with the prestigious JFK Profiles in Courage Award.

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