Tag Archives: feds

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has issued a statement supporting today’s International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO). Via press release: In every part of the world, men and women are persecuted and attacked because of who they are or whom they love. Homophobia, transphobia and the brutal hostility associated with them are often rooted in a lack of understanding of what …

The Washington Post editorial board has called for a moratorium on the deportations of foreign gays in legal-sanctioned relationships with American citizens. DOMA has been an impediment to the rights of gay men and lesbians since its inception in 1996. It withholds from same-sex couples the legal protections, obligations and privileges enjoyed by their heterosexual counterparts. Repeal appears out of …

After Florida Gov. Rick Scott rejected billions in federal funding for high speed rail development, the feds invited other states to apply for the money. And as it turns out, the primary beneficiaries of Scott’s short-sightedness will be commuters on Amtrak’s northeast rail corridor. The largest share of the money—nearly $800 million—will be used to upgrade train speeds from 135 …

Newly issued Department of Labor regulations have added gender identity to the class of employment protections. Via press release: The U.S. Department of Labor today announced its full commitment to implementing equal employment opportunity policies for all department employees and applicants. The policies ensure equal protections for all employees and applicants regardless of race; color; religion; national origin; sex, including …

Submit your personal accounts of anti-gay bullying here.

We can’t be surprised by this.

And it goes exactly as you’d expect.

Poz.com reports: The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency responsible for enforcing laws against workplace discrimination, has released the final revised version of its Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations, according to an EEOC statement. The EEOC’s new regulations clarify that impairments of major bodily functions-such as being HIV positive-qualify as disabilities under the law. The revisions …

In January the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) proposed sweeping new rules adding LGBT people as a protected class in all of its programs. That doesn’t sit well with the Catholic Conference of Bigoted Bishops, who have sent HUD a letter strongly opposing the change. “By this, we do not mean that any person should be denied housing. …

Last week a New York immigration judge temporarily suspended the deportation of an Argentine lesbian while she and her wife contest her green card denial due to DOMA. Today U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services revealed that ALL such deportations are now on hold. Chris Geidner gets the big scoop at Metro Weekly: Following up on reports from this weekend, Metro …

In January, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) invited public comment on proposed new rules banning discrimination against LGBT people in all its programs. That prompted Vicki Barnes, the executive director of Tennessee’s Sweetwater Housing Authority to fire off a letter to HUD in which she compares gay people to murderers, cult members, prostitutes and drug dealers. According …

Yesterday the House Judiciary Committee approved the bill requiring the placement of “In God We Trust” on all “public buildings, public schools, and other government institutions.” The bill was introduced by Tea Party-backed GOP Rep. Randy Forbes (VA), who in recent years introduced bills demanding that the federal government “recognize the Holy Bible as the inerrant word of God.” Forbes’ …

Tomorrow morning anti-gay New York state Sen. Carl Kruger will surrender to federal authorities on charges that he accepted campaign donations in return for favors doled out to powerful businessmen. Kruger was one of the eight traitorous Senate Democrats who voted against same-sex marriage in 2009. Mr. Kruger headed the powerful Senate Finance Committee until Democrats lost control of the …

The Family Research Council is convinced that the Obama administration “conspired” with Ted Olson and AFER over the same-day timing of last week’s announcements on DOMA and Proposition 8. Yesterday they filed a Freedom of Information Act request to prove it. Here’s Tony Perkins’ letter to the feds. “Less than three hours after Attorney General Holder’s announcement, litigants seeking to …

This week’s DOMA news has set activists into high gear on many fronts. Immigration Equality founder Lavi Soloway emails us today with his latest move. In New York, New Jersey and California three married, same-sex binational couples, two gay male couples and one lesbian couple, are facing Immigration Judges in deportation proceedings. Each will brandish a pending green card petition …

Via press release from GLAD: The Department of Justice followed Wednesday’s withdrawal from two DOMA cases in the Second Circuit, including GLAD’s Pedersen v. OPM by notifying the clerk of the First Circuit that they will also “cease to defend” the two consolidated DOMA cases, Gill v. Office of Personnel Management and Massachusetts v. HHS. The DOJ has not sent …

House Speaker John Boehner’s spokesman just issued this terse statement: “While Americans want Washington to focus on creating jobs and cutting spending, the President will have to explain why he thinks now is the appropriate time to stir up a controversial issue that sharply divides the nation.” Talking Points Memo sez: “Boehner could, in theory, intervene as a third party …

Human Rights Campaign “This is a monumental decision for the thousands of same-sex couples and their families who want nothing more than the same rights and dignity afforded to other married couples,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “As the President has stated previously, DOMA unfairly discriminates against Americans and we applaud him for fulfilling his oath to defend critical constitutional …

In a stunning announcement, today Attorney General Eric Holder declared that the federal government will no longer defend Section 3 of DOMA in court. Here is an excerpt from Holder’s statement. After careful consideration, including a review of my recommendation, the President has concluded that given a number of factors, including a documented history of discrimination, classifications based on sexual …

The new proposed federal budget released yesterday by the Obama administration maintains funding levels for HIV research, treatment, and prevention. The AIDS Institute is surprised and grateful. Via press release: The budget President Obama proposed yesterday for fiscal year 2012 maintains his Administration’s commitment to domestic and global HIV/AIDS programs, and proposes increases for domestic AIDS medications and HIV prevention, …