Page 2016
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News (USA)
Washington state Senate approves marriage equality bill
The Washington state Senate on Wednesday evening voted 28-21 in favor of SB 6239, a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage. The bill, garnering three more votes than the required 25, passed with bipartisan support of 23 Democrats and four Republicans, and now moves to the House, where it already has enough support to pass.
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News (USA)
Kansas legislature refuses to repeal outdated law that criminalizes gay sex
TOPEKA, Kan. — In the landmark Lawrence v. Texas case nearly a decade ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states cannot criminalize gay sex between consenting adults — but in Kansas, there remains a law on the books, albeit not enforceable, that LGBT rights activists call offensive and unconstitutional.
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Life
Scotland likely to legalize same-sex marriage ‘by the end of 2013’
EDINBURGH, Scotland — Scotland is likely to have full marriage equality by the end of 2013 at the latest, Tim Hopkins, Director of the Equality Network, told LGBTQ Nation at a reception in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday evening.
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News (USA)
HRC urges Minnesota election board to investigate NOM for ignoring donor disclosure laws
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) on Wednesday released an analysis of campaign disclosure reports — made public today in Minnesota — that reveal the National Organization for Marriage has launched an unprecedented effort to avoid disclosing individual donors as required by law.
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News (USA)
Lawsuit challenges DOMA, Veterans Affairs over denial of benefits to married same-sex couples
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) refusal to grant equal disability benefits to an Army veteran in a same-sex marriage is a violation of the veteran’s constitutional rights, according to a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the law firm of WilmerHale.
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News (USA)
Federal appeals court upholds Maine law requiring anti-gay NOM to release donor list
A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld Maine’s campaign disclosure law that requires the anti-gay National Organization for Marriage to release its donor list, but the group vowed to take the fight to the U.S. Supreme Court to prevent revealing who financed a $1.8 million movement that helped overturn the state’s gay marriage law.
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News (USA)
Advocates to deliver 24,000 postcards to Washington state senators prior to gay marriage vote
OLYMPIA, Wash. –A broad statewide coalition of organizations, congregations, unions and business associations that will work to obtain civil marriage for lesbian and gay couples in Washington State in 2012, will deliver more than 24,000 constituent postcards to every state senator on Wednesday prior to tonight’s historic vote on marriage equality legislation, SB 6239.
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News (USA)
Florida gay Republicans hail Romney victory
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Gay Republicans joined many of their straight counterparts in Florida Tuesday night in congratulating former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for his decisive victory in the Florida Republican primary.
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News (USA)
Downstate Illinois GOP lawmakers push for civil union exceptions
A Southern Illinois lawmaker is leading another attempt to add adoption exceptions to the state’s civil unions act, which if passed, would allow religious institutions the ability to deny adoptions to couples in civil unions.
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News (USA)
Virginia Senate panel rejects bill to protect gays from hiring discrimination
RICHMOND, Va. — A Virginia state Senate committee on Monday rejected a bill to add sexual orientation to list of classes protected from discrimination in state hiring.
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News (USA)
Maryland Senate hearing on marriage equality bill draws hundreds
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Over the course of four hours on Tuesday, opponents and supporters of same-sex marriage delivered compelling testimony before a Maryland Senate committee in hopes of swaying lawmakers on a landmark bill.
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News (USA)
New Mexico state legislator introduces anti-gay ‘Defense of Marriage’ bill
SANTA FE, N.M. — A New Mexico lawmaker has reintroduced a state-level Defense of Marriage Act that would amend the constitution to ban same-sex marriage and void recognition of marriages and civil unions from other states.
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News (USA)
Openly gay Arizona state legislator announces run for Gabrielle Giffords’ U.S. House seat
TUCSON, Ariz. — An openly gay Arizona state lawmaker announced Tuesday that he will enter the race to fill the congressional seat vacated by U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), who resigned last week.
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News (USA)
Maryland youngster asks legislators to vote ‘no’ on gay marriage for her birthday
The Maryland Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony on Tuesday from advocates and opponents of the marriage equality bill currently pending in the state legislature, including 14-year-old Sarah Crank, who told legislators that it “would be the best birthday present ever if you would vote no on gay marriage.”
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News (USA)
Protestors rally outside Maryland state House in opposition to same-sex marriage
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — More than 300 protesters rallied outside the Maryland State House in Annapolis on Monday evening, listening to ministers and chanting slogans in opposition to a same-sex marriage bill introduced by Gov. Martin O’Malley.
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News (USA)
Bullied gay teen’s suicide note: Insight on EricJames Borges’ tragic death at age 19
On Jan., 14, 2012, EricJames Borges committed suicide, shocking his friends and his co-workers at The Trevor Project. SDGLN Contributor Melanie Nathan attended one of his funerals, and obtained a copy of one of his suicide notes that gives insight on what he was thinking. This is her exclusive story.
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News (USA)
HUD: Religious groups must abide by LGBT non-bias housing rule
WASHINGTON — A Department of Housing and Urban Development official said Monday religious institutions receiving federal funds for housing programs will have to abide by a new HUD rule prohibiting discrimination against LGBT people.
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News (USA)
Washington state House committee advances same-sex marriage bill
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Marriage equality in Washington state moved another step forward as a House panel on Monday approved its version of a bill to legalize same-sex marriage. The House Judiciary Committee voted along party lines in favor of the bill, with seven Democrats voting for, and six Republicans voting against. The state’s Senate is […]
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News (USA)
O’Malley calls for compassion, justice in debate over same-sex marriage
BALTIMORE — Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley — who has said legalizing marriage equality is a high priority for his administration — underscored a need for rational thinking and polite public discourse over the issue in a speech Sunday at the 24th National Conference on LGBT Equality.
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Commentary
Anti-gay pastor, NOM ally goes off the deep end again about ‘gay sex’
Raleigh N.C. “diaper pastor” Patrick Wooden is not only refusing to take back his comments that gay men have so much anal sex that they require surgery and diapers, and that they use gerbils, baseball bats, and cell phones as sexual instruments, but he seems to be reveling in his notoriety at the expense of looking like a damn fool.