Weekly Political Roundup

• The biggest news this week? Don’t ask. No, really. President Obama has certified that the requirements for repealing the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell ban on openly lesbian and gay servicemembers have been met. The ban will end September 20.
• The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held the first-ever hearing on repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). If you missed it and need several hours of entertainment now that you’ve seen Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II, make some popcorn and fire up the archived Webcast.
• Same-sex couples in New York will start to marry on Sunday. Lambda Legal and the New York Civil Liberties Union each have FAQs for couples who want to tie the knot.
• The U.S. Senate confirmed J. Paul Oetken as a U.S. district court judge, making him the first openly gay man on the federal bench.

Around the world:

• Same-sex couples can’t marry in Australia—but even if they want to marry elsewhere (New York, say), their government won’t let them.
• The U.K. Border Agency has begun collecting data on the number of people claiming asylum because of their sexual orientation.