OP-ED: This Is the Way the Culture Wars End
Posted on Feb 23, 2009 at 10:20 am
Voice for Equality: Ron Dellums
Posted on Feb 12, 2009 at 01:08 pm
Ron Dellums has served as mayor of Oakland, California since 2007. He was previously a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served on the House Committee on the District of Columbia and the House Armed Services Committee.
On June 16, 2008, Dellums officiated in the City Council chambers at Oakland's first weddings of same-sex couples. He said, "[Marriage] is a fundamental right to which all people are entitled and I am proud that I can officiate the eternal unions of these Oakland couples."
Rulings on Gay Couples’ Benefits Question Defense of Marriage Act
Posted on Feb 06, 2009 at 10:45 am
February 6, 2009
A federal judge ruled that the husband of a gay Calif. man should receive the same benefits that the spouse of a straight employee of his department would be afforded. Based on this and related cases, legal analysts speculate that DOMA could one day be ruled unconstitutional. [Link]
Federal judge rules denial of health coverage to same-sex spouse unconstitutional
Posted on Feb 05, 2009 at 04:33 pm
February 5, 2009
A federal judge has deemed unconstitutional the government's denial of healthcare coverage and other benefits to the same-sex spouse of a Los Angeles public defender, calling into question the validity of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act. [Link]
Civil unions a minefield for Obama
Posted on Feb 02, 2009 at 08:59 am
January 30, 2009
Evan Wolfson said he was optimistic about the Obama proposal and hopeful that it would be pushed as a package that includes the repeal of DOMA. Like Frank, Pizer and Anders, Wolfson said it would be a mistake to push for a marriage rights bill that doesn’t include same-sex couples that are actually married. "Let’s not begin by fighting amongst ourselves,” he said. “Let’s begin by asking for what we deserve." [Link]
Foreign Policy Workers Ask U.S. To Back Benefits for Gay Partners
Posted on Jan 27, 2009 at 12:59 pm
January 27, 2009
Almost 2,200 government employees involved in foreign policy issues signed a letter delivered to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday urging the government to extend equal benefits to partners of gay employees. [Link]
Paterson’s projected Senate pick backs marriage equality
Posted on Jan 23, 2009 at 02:26 pm
January 23, 2009
The likely pick to replace Secretary of State Clinton in the U.S. Senate has spoken out in favor of marriage equality. Democratic Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand (NY-20) has also acted favorably for LGBT-related causes during her term, co-sponsoring the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act and a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act. (Link)
White House Site Updated With Lengthy List Of Commitments To LGBT Rights
Posted on Jan 21, 2009 at 11:02 am
January 20, 2009
Within seconds of President Obama's swearing in, the official home page of the White House was updated with a lengthy list of commitments to further LGBT rights. (Link)
Now, about marriage equality
Posted on Jan 21, 2009 at 10:43 am
January 21, 2009
The Los Angeles Times editorial board writes, "On the heels of Pastor Rick Warren's invocation, Obama should drop the semantics and acknowledge that denying marriage for same-sex couples is discriminatory." (Link)
OP-ED: Repealing so-called DOMA Will Ease the Warren Sting
Posted on Jan 07, 2009 at 11:00 am
January 7, 2009
Emma Ruby-Sachs encourages President-elect Obama to focus on repealing the so-called DOMA, saying that doing so "would be a great lift for LGBT Americans and would undo any animosity gay voters feel toward the new President [over choosing Rick Warren as an inaugural speaker]." [Link]