Tag Archives: LGBT rights

Poland has declared a week of mourning after President Lech Kaczynski and his wife were killed in a plane crash in western Russia this morning. All passengers and crew died in the crash. As mayor of Warsaw, Kaczynski had repeatedly banned gay pride marches and had been quoted as saying that same-sex marriage would bring about the destruction of the …

Equality Maryland reports that the evil “Truth Truck” is in Annapolis as anti-gay bigots ramp up their campaign to turn back the decision to recognize legal same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions. Today, Equality Maryland staff members are on the ground in Annapolis ensuring that in the final days of the 2010 legislative session we halt any last minute attempts to …

Portugal’s Constitutional Court has approved a marriage equality bill recently passed by the nation’s legislature. The bill only needs the signature of the president to become law. Portugal’s Socialist-controlled Parliament, led by Prime Minister Jose Socrates, approved the gay marriage bill on February 11. The president still has the option of vetoing the legislation, but Socrates has said he is …

So far 88 gay couples have wed under Mexico City’s new marriage equality law. A statement from Mexico City’s government says 50 of the couples were men and 38 women. It said Monday that 37 more gay couples are scheduled to be married between April and June. Mexico City’s legislature passed the first law in Latin America explicitly giving gay …

Less than a week ago, HRC Communications Director Brad Luna was told his position “has been eliminated.” Following several days of rumors, today Luna’s deputy, Trevor Thomas, confirmed his departure as well. On Monday, I will begin my new role as a communications consultant for Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), a non-partisan, non-profit, legal services and policy organization dedicated to …

The nation’s most widely read conservative/Christian site issued yet another of its classic lies today, claiming in a headline that the Employment Non-Discrimination Act requires employers to hire gays. The site makes no substantiation of the claim in their story. Now that the health-care fight has proven House Democrats can muscle through legislation without a drop of bipartisan support, plans …

Rock For Equality’s amazing clip about Social Security discrimination, which I posted here several weeks ago, has been named a finalist in the YouTube DoGooders Non-Profit Video Awards. Instructions on how to vote are below and here, followed by Rock For Equality’s stunning clip.

Retired U.S. Army Gen. Paul Eaton, who lead the invasion forces in Iraq, has strongly endorsed the repeal of DADT. “Discrimination based on sexual orientation is inappropriate in our society.” Listen to the entire clip, the guy knows his stuff. Easton’s son is a third generation West Point graduate now serving in the infantry.

Today the Los Angeles City Council passed a resolution calling on the federal government to end Social Security policies that discriminate against same-sex couples. Via press release from the LA Gay & Lesbian Center: “LGBT workers pay into the system like everyone else,” said Councilmember Koretz, “so the federal government has no business denying same-sex couples equal benefits. It’s unfair, …

Secretary of the Army Gen. John McHugh says he will no longer expel soldiers under DADT. Mr. McHugh, who spoke at a breakfast with Pentagon reporters, said it made no sense to pursue discharges of service members as he speaks with them about the change in policy. Mr. Obama, Mr. Gates and Admiral Mullen have all asked commanders to assess …

“We stood firm for the civil rights of every Iowan by saying loudly and clearly that any and all efforts to add discriminatory amendments to our state constitution have no place in our state constitution. Regardless of our personal views, we have a line that needs to be drawn between the executive branch and the judicial branch and I think …

“The folly of the SPLC’s expanding ‘hate’ dragnet is that it threatens to engulf all religious/moral opposition to homosexuality. Indeed, it would be revealing to query the top 25 ‘GLBT’ activist across the nation and ask them if they would also label, as Matt Barber pokes fun HERE, the following as ‘hate groups’: Family Research Council, AFA, the Roman Catholic …

A lesbian couple has been denied a divorce by a Pennsylvania judge who told them they had no “fundamental right” to a marriage in the first place. Via Christian news site OneNewsNow: “This is a plea for social change,” the judge wrote. “If homosexuals had a fundamental right to be married to each other, this plea would be unnecessary.” Diane …

Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe is blocking the addition of LGBT rights to his nation’s new constitution. Mr Mugabe was quoted by the state-owned Herald newspaper today as saying: “That issue is not debatable, it’s not up for discussion. “Those who engage in homosexual behaviour are just crazy. It’s just madness. Insanity. We can’t do it or the dead will turn …

Maryland state Delegate Anthony O’Donnell and his GOP counterparts in the state Senate want to reverse the recent decision to recognize out of state same-sex marriages. In fact, they say that overturning the ruling is an emergency matter of public health. Equality Maryland responds: House Bill 1532 and Senate Bill 1120 Contains False Assertions About Protecting Public Health Or Safety. …

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway says that if DADT is repealed, gays will have to be placed in separate barracks. “I would not ask our Marines to live with someone that is homosexual if we can possibly avoid it.” Conway says unlike the other services, the Marine Corps “billets by twos” and that they’d be forced to spend money …

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell says he sees no need to re-implement his predecessor’s ban on discrimination against LGBT state employees. Because there’s no evidence that it happens. Gov. Bob McDonnell said today that Virginia does not need to write protections for gays and lesbians into state statute because he has not seen evidence of discrimination in the state workforce. Breaking …

Dan Savage reports that the same Mississippi high school that canceled Constance McMillen’s prom also kicked out a trans student on his first day. Juin Baize was a student at Itawamba Agricultural—for a grand total of four hours. Baize, his mother, and his two sisters moved to Fulton, Mississippi, from New Harmony, Indiana, to live with Baize’s grandmother at the …

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has just announced changes to the enforcement of DADT which go into effect immediately. ”I believe these changes represent an important improvement in the way the current law is put into practice, above all by providing a greater measure of common sense and common decency for handling what are complex and difficult issues for all involved,” …