Weekly Political Roundup

• The Baldwin Amendment, which would have added gender-identity and -expression protections back into ENDA, is dead, and a vote on ENDA has been delayed.
• Presidential candidate Barack Obama incurred the wrath of many LGBT advocates when he scheduled an appearance with homophobic gospel singer Donnie McClurkin. Obama countered by also scheduling openly gay minister Andy Sidden to speak at the concert as well. Pam has a few choice words about this, noting that Sidden is white, and is perhaps not the best choice to deliver a message of tolerance to black people: “Coming from a white pastor under these circumstances, [this] can only be seen as paternalistic and patronizing; the shields of defensiveness will go up, the message will be ignored.” She also has links to other LGBT bloggers who have weighed in on the matter.
• The Senate confirmed former Mississippi appellate court judge Leslie Southwick to the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, despite complaints that some of his rulings have been homophobic and racist. One involved a case in which custody was denied to a mother largely because “she was living with another woman in a ‘lesbian home.’”
• Attorney General nominee Judge Michael Mukasey said he disagrees with current restrictive Department of Justice policy around LGBT recruitment and Gay Pride activities.
• In Arkansas, supporters of a proposed ban on adoption or foster parenting by unmarried couples have reintroduced a clause stating that it’s in the best interest of the children not to live with “cohabiting” people. The state Supreme Court last year struck down similar legislation, saying a ban was not in the best interests of the children.
• The Lowell Correctional Facility in Florida disciplined eight prison officers after they permitted the wedding ceremony of two female inmates. The prison said it was inappropriate in a prison setting because it implies sexual relations, which are forbidden in prison, and because it violates the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. Opposite-sex couples may, however, marry while imprisoned. (Thanks to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund SmartBrief.)
• A federal appeals court in Kentucky ruled that students could not be punished for speaking out against homosexuality because of their religious beliefs, but that a diversity program including LGBT issues was not in itself illegal.
• Over 400 groups, including more than 200 religious congregations and organizations, signed a letter asking New Jersey’s leaders to “replace the state’s failing civil unions law” with real marriage equality.
• In New York, the Ithaca City School District rescinded their challenge that claimed New York State’s Human Rights Law did not apply to public schools.The challenge was motivated by a case in which a black student claimed harassment by white peers—but the implications could have extended to other types of harassment as well.
• A conservative group backing an effort to put Oregon’s domestic partner law to a referendum is asking for a recount of signatures on a referendum petition. The petition fell 116 signatures short of passing.
• The Finance Committee of the Philadelphia City Council unanimously passed a measure to amend the city’s realty transfer tax to exempt same-sex couples, so that, like married spouses, they do not have to pay tax upon transfer of real property to each other.
• Monte Stewart, the president of the Utah-based Family Marriage Law Foundation, will appear before the Vermont Commission on Family Recognition and Protection this weekend to offer his views on why same-sex couples in Vermont should not have full marriage equality. It’s a good sign, I think, when Vermont has to look out of state to find speakers who are against equal rights.

Around the world:

• Australian Labor leader Kevin Rudd said he does not believe in same-sex marriage but wants to end all other discrimination against gay people. He said adoption by same-sex couples should be a matter for the states—though he envisions it as something that happens in “exceptional circumstances” such as when next-of-kin are gay, not as a matter of course.
• Members of the Austrian Parliament introduced legislation that would allow civil partnerships for same-sex couples. The bill would give them “nearly all the same rights as married couples, except in the area of”—wait for it—”adoption.” So close, and yet so very, very far.
• The first Jewish same-sex commitment ceremony in Australia is likely to be held in Sydney this summer, after the Council of Progressive Rabbis of Australia, New Zealand and Asia agreed to use a British model for such unions. The rabbis said they used this model because it distinguishes between a commitment ceremony and a marriage ceremony, a distinction also necessary to conform with Australian law. In a meeting earlier this year, the Council decided member rabbis would be permitted, but not required, to conduct same-sex union ceremonies.
• The Irish Labour party will reintroduce legislation in Parliament next week to legalize civil unions for same-sex couples.
• Protesters threw smoke bombs into an annual gay rights conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, after a rally in the city was banned. The Lithuanian parliament is currently debating legislation that would ban the “propagation of homosexuality” to minors, a move that the European Commission says is contrary to EU anti-discrimination legislation.
• Singapore has reformed its laws about what constitute legal sex acts between consenting straight adults, but have kept a ban on sex between men. No word on whether sex between women is permitted. (Thanks to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund SmartBrief.)
• The Church of Sweden’s governing body voted to retain the right to carry out legally binding weddings, a move that could put it in conflict with the likely introduction by parliament of gender-neutral marriage legislation. (Thanks, PageOneQ.)