After worldwide outrage poured into Ottawa, the Canadian federal government is backtracking on the invalidity of gay marriages by foreign visitors. Things aren’t quite settled, however. The federal government will consider changing the law to ensure non-residents married in Canada can obtain divorces, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said Thursday afternoon. Wading into a controversy that has quickly blown into an …
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APPEALS COURT: 70 Corporations & Others File Brief In Support Of DOMA Suit
Filed in the First Circuit Court of Appeals in support of Massachusetts’ DOMA suit against the federal government. View the entire list, which also includes trade groups, employee associations, and civic organizations. (Via – GLAD)
Read More »U.S. House Lawyers File To Intervene In Massachusetts DOMA Appeal
GLAD reports via press release: Today, the U.S. House of Representatives filed a motion to intervene in Gill v. Office of Personnel Management the multi-plaintiff challenge to Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), filed by Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) with co-counsel Foley Hoag LLP, Sullivan & Worcester and Jenner & Block in March 2009. …
Read More »GLAD Denounces RI Civil Unions Bill
Via press release from Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, who are very unhappy with the religious exemption in Rhode Island’s civil unions bill: Everyone agrees that religious denominations should not be required to join any two people in any legal relationship – whether marriage or a civil union – that is contrary to their religious teachings. However, the religious …
Read More »House & Senate Get DOMA Repeal Bills
The Respect For Marriage Act, which would repeal DOMA, was introduced today in both the House and Senate. The Task Force reacts via press release: “It is shocking that in 21st-century America, legally married same-sex couples are being singled out and selectively denied fundamental rights by their own federal government. This is an outrage. The Respect for Marriage Act does …
Read More »GLAD To Speaker Boehner: Bring It On
Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) announced today that they are more than ready to take on Speaker John Boehner’s special House counsel on DOMA. Via press release: “It is now perfectly clear that U.S. House leaders plan to intervene in the pending cases,” said Mary L. Bonauto, co-lead attorney in GLAD’s two cases Gill et al. v. Office …
Read More »DOJ Notifies Court Of DOMA Withdrawal
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 …
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DOMA AMICUS BRIEFS: Who’s Who In
Vile Anti-Gay American Hate Groups
GLAD has posted a round-up of the anti-gay groups who have filed DOMA amicus briefs in their case, Gill v. Office of Personnel Management. Agudath Israel of AmericaAmerican College of Pediatricians [FAKE]Attorneys General of SC, UT, IN, MI, COConcerned Women for AmericaCongressman Lamar SmithEagle ForumFamily Research CouncilFoundation for Moral LawRobert GeorgeGeorge GovermanLiberty CounselMassachusetts Family InstituteNARTHNational Legal FoundationNational Organization for MarriagePacific …
Read More »DOJ Files DOMA Defense
The Department of Justice yesterday filed its defense of the overturn of Section Three of the Defense of Marriage Act, which was ruled unconstitutional last July in Gill v. Office of Personnel Management and Massachusetts v. United States. A quote from the government’s brief comes via Chris Geidner at Metro Weekly: DOMA is supported by rationales that constitute a sufficient …
Read More »GLAD To Launch Second DOMA Suit
Tomorrow the Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) will launch a DOMA lawsuit against the federal government on behalf of a Connecticut lesbian couple. Earlier this year, GLAD won a similar suit in Massachusetts in a ruling that the Obama administration is appealing. The New York Times reports: Joanne Pedersen tried to add her spouse to her federal health …
Read More »HomoQuotable – Janson Wu
“We fully expect that the Obama administration will appeal the decision. It would be unusual if they didn’t. Typically, when a court strikes down a law as unconstitutional, the government appeals it. To be honest, we think that would be good. The federal government wants to discriminate against gay and lesbian couples, and that’s just not enough to stand constitutional …
Read More »BREAKING: Federal Court Rules Defense Of Marriage Act To Be Unconstitutional!!!
The U.S. District Court in Boston has ruled that Section 3 of DOMA is unconstitutional. Bay Windows reports: In an enormous victory for same-sex marriage, a federal judge in Boston today (Thursday, July 8) ruled, in two separate cases, that a critical part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional. In one challenge brought by the state of …
Read More »GLAD Holds Presser After First Day Of Federal DOMA Challenge
You’ll have to listen closely as the audio is somewhat overwhelmed by traffic noise, but it appears that things are going well.
Read More »TOMORROW: GLAD Challenges DOMA In Federal Court
Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) will represent eight married same-sex couples and three widowers tomorrow in their Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) challenge against the federal government. Via press release: Represented by Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), the plaintiffs in Gill et al. v. Office of Personnel Management, all married in Massachusetts, have each been harmed …
Read More »DOMA Challenge Scheduled For May
Gay & Lesbian Advocate and Defenders (GLAD) announced today that their challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) has been scheduled to begin on May 6th. Via press release: On Thursday, May 6, 2010, the Federal District Court in Boston will hear oral arguments on the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), in the case of …
Read More »Marriage Repeal Fails In New Hampshire
The attempt to place a marriage equality repeal resolution before every town council in New Hampshire has been judged a failure after an overwhelming majority of the state’s municipalities refused to take part or voted the resolution down. Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) exults via press release: New Hampshire citizens this month said no to an anti-equality campaign …
Read More »GLAD Launches DOMA Storybook
Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) has launched DOMA Storybook, a series of real stories about gay families who are being hurt by the Defense of Marriage Act. An excerpt from today’s story: “We’re a very ordinary family,” says Rebecca, who runs the public education program at a genetics center at Partners HealthCare. “Boring, actually. And we like that.” …
Read More »Maine’s New Marriage Equality Ad
DOJ To Meet With GLAD, Lambda Legal, Others Over DOMA Challenges
More reaction from the Obama administration. The DOJ has agreed to meet next week with Lambda Legal, Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) and other LGBT orgs to “hash out how to proceed with pending DOMA cases.” Via Greg Sargent: The Obama Justice Department has reached out to major gay rights organizations and scheduled a private meeting for next …
Read More »GLAD Wins DOMA Passport Suit
Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders have won their first DOMA-related suit, in which a married gay person will be allowed to list his or her changed name on their U.S. passport. GLAD filed its lawsuit, Gill v. Office of Personnel Management, in March to challenge section 3 of DOMA on behalf of six married same-sex couples and three men …
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