Archive for Gay Rights
Arizona Fails to Defend the Indefensible
One of the first things Arizona Gov. Janet “Let’s Pass an Unconstitutional Immigration Law” Brawer did upon entering office was to strip the partners of the state’s gay and lesbian employees of their health benefits. Her reason? God told her to.
It turns out that federal judges are less impressed by invocations of a Supreme Being [...]
Prediction: Lingle Signs Civil Unions Bill
Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle must decide today whether to sign the civil unions bill enacted by the legislature at the end of April. (Hawaii time is six hours behind EDT, so it’s only 10:30 am there right now). After wrestling with the issue for more than two months now, this is it: under state law, today’s [...]
Google’s Decision to Pay Taxes on Benefits to Same-Sex Partners: The Infinite Regress Problem, and Other Fairness Issues
Google, like a small but growing number of other progressive organizations, has announced that it’s going to start paying the income taxes that its employees must pay on the value of the health care benefits that go to their same-sex partners. This is (sort of) welcome news, but it doesn’t completely work. Here’s why:
Say that [...]
Some Thoughts on CLS v. Martinez
Today’s column over at 365gay.com discusses this week’s Supreme Court ruling in Christian Legal Services v. Martinez, where the Court took a narrow path to its holding that Hastings Law School’s “all comers” policy was constitutional. Under that policy, only those student organizations that allow any student to become a member, regardless of belief or [...]
Gay Marriage=Volcanic Eruptions
By a unanimous vote — you read that correctly, a unanimous vote — the Icelandic Parliament just voted for marriage equality. The vote itself wasn’t a huge surprise — the country has the world’s first openly gay head of government, Johanna Sigurdardottir; her sexual orientation wasn’t a big deal when she was installed as Prime [...]
What to Make of the Long-Term Study of Lesbian Parenting?
Here’s what Dan Savage has to say:
I’m happy to scrap the results of this study—this peer-reviewed, 25-year-study—on the condition that the haters stop citing the results of discredited, non-peer-reviewed studies funded by anti-gay advocacy groups, studies that are “designed to come out with” anti-gay outcomes, studies conducted by disgraced and discredited “scientists” like Dr. George [...]
A Hunger Strike? Really?
Lt. Dan Choi, the most visible, articulate and angry activist against the DADT policy, has just announced that he’s going on a hunger strike, even as the compromise hammered out between the White House and Congress is set for vote today.
I’ve written about Choi’s views before, and I have tremendous respect for what he’s doing. [...]
Equality and Backlash in Malawi and Uganda
Consider this quote from a gay rights activist:
“Long before we built a movement…, no one bothered about us. We got away with so many things. When we decided to come out and claim our space, society came harshly against us.
“This implies that we are stepping on people’s toes. People hate to see us free and [...]
Sunday Out at the Piazza — Equality Forum Concludes
At about 1 pm this past Sunday, I set out with my pre-school twins for the newly chic Northern Liberties section of the city, where Equality Forum’s Sunday Out event had moved. I was especially looking forward to the interfaith blessing of a slew of same-sex commitment ceremonies. Our neighborhood is very progressive and we [...]
National Legal Panel at Equality Forum: Opening Wide for a Fire Hose of Information
Did Lambda Legal’s Executive Director, Kevin Cathcart, really “start the LGBT movement for legal rights,” as National Law Panel moderator Brad Sears playfully suggested at the opening of last night’s Equality Forum event?
If he didn’t, he certainly has a deep understanding of what most people think of as the legal “movement” – the litigation that’s [...]