Tag Archives: LGBT rights

In what the New York Times says may be a precedent-setting decision, the federal government has dropped its deportation case against a gay Venezuelan legally married to an American man. The announcement comes as immigration officials put into effect new, more flexible guidelines governing the deferral and cancellation of deportations, particularly for immigrants with no serious criminal records. Immigration lawyers …

In what may be a precedent-setting decision, a Brazilian judge has ruled that a gay couple can convert their civil union into a fully legal same-sex marriage. A Brazilian state judge on Monday approved what the court said is the nation’s first gay marriage. Sao Paulo state Judge Fernando Henrique Pinto ruled two men could convert their civil union into …

“I find myself strangely untroubled by New York state’s vote to authorize same-sex marriage — a vote that probably signals that most of the ‘blue’ states will follow within the next 10 years. I don’t think I’m alone in my reaction either. Most conservatives have reacted with calm — if not outright approval — to New York’s dramatic decision. Why? …

Lots to cover this week, including the big news from NY.

It was June 27th, 1969. That was the day that the queers of New York City finally said “Enough!” For some historical perspective, I’m posting the story that the New York Daily News ran about the Stonewall Riots. Note how the reports drips with condescension and ridicule. We’ve come a long, long way in 42 years and we’ve still got …

A bad week for the anti-gay industry.

Voters in the tiny nation of Lichtenstein have approved a version of civil unions for LGBT couples. Gay and lesbian couples will receive the same tax, inheritance and welfare rights as come with marriage following a referendum in which 68 percent supported the law, Swiss news agency ATS reported. Parliament had all but adopted the legislation earlier this year but …

“In the last 24 hours, another shoe dropped in the sprint to redefine marriage in New York. A second Republican has now come forward, promising to vote in favor of same-sex unions. Now that Roy McDonald has crumbled, the senate is just one vote shy of breaking down the door on marriage and redefining the family in one of the …

Openly gay New York state Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell has shepherded his chamber to an approval of marriage equality for the fourth time. Gay City News reports: While State Senate Republicans on June 15 dragged their heels on moving a marriage equality bill to debate and a vote, the Assembly, having waived the three-day hold on newly introduced legislation, rushed Governor …

Mike Rogers is at the podium kicking off today’s Netroots 2011 LGBT Conference. In the room: Pam Spaulding, Jeremy Hooper, Michael Crawford, Rod McCullom, Jillian Weiss, Jarrod Chlapowski, Jerame Davis, Fred Sainz, Corey Johnston, Chris Johnson, Phil Reese, and about 100 more hard-working LGBT activists.

Clip description: “Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics against House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) regarding the $500,000 contracted by the Office of the General Counsel for the defense of the Defense of Marriage Act.”

No news links yet, but Twitter users are reporting that France’s Parliament just rejected a same-sex marriage bill by a vote of 293-222. Story developing….

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California has declared DOMA to be unconstitutional. The ruling arises from a case in which a married gay couple was denied the right to jointly declare bankruptcy. Chris Geidner at Metro Weekly provides the court’s money quote: This case is about equality, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, for two people …

This takes the damn ass fucking cake, but it’s no surprise to those of us on Twitter. As the gay-rights movement advances, there’s increasing evidence of an intriguing role reversal: Today, it’s the conservative opponents of that movement who seem eager to depict themselves as victims of intolerance. To them, the gay-rights lobby has morphed into a relentless bully — …

The Associated Press reports: Stone-throwing extremists have disrupted a gay pride march in Croatia, a day after the Balkan country was given the green light to join the European Union. State television has reported that dozens have been detained and several were injured Saturday in the conservative coastal town of Split. Croatia has pledged to protect human rights as part …