Weekly Political Roundup

• Jamison Green and Donna Rose, former members of HRC’s business advisory council who resigned over the organization’s handling of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), launched the Transgender Employment Partnership “to continue the work they began at HRC.”
• The Arizona Department of Administration filed a proposal last month, without announcement, to offer health and other benefits to same- and opposite-sex domestic partners of state employees. Governor Janet Napolitano reportedly supports the measure. The Regulatory Review Council will make the final decision, most likely after a public hearing.
• The California Supreme Court has received more “friend of the court” briefs for its case to determine the constitutionality of same-sex marriage than for any other case in recent memory. 145 different organizations submitted 45 such briefs, on both sides of the issue. The court will likely hear the case in 2008, and is required to rule 90 days after oral arguments.
• A majority of the Grossmont high school district board in San Diego is working with conservative groups to overturn anti-discrimination protections for LGBT students. Mostly, they are concerned with the law’s inclusion of gender identity and expression, and worry this will lead to boys pretending to be girls to get into their rest rooms and locker rooms. (Thanks, SmartBrief.)
• A far-right coalition in Florida says it has gathered the signatures needed to put the “Marriage Protection Amendment” (cough, gag!) to the Florida Constitution on the November 2008 ballot. The amendment would ban not just marriage between same-sex partners but also “the substantial equivalent thereof.” The coalition leader says the amendment is needed to “prevent children from being raised in homosexual families.” Nope. Not going to work. We’ve been having kids without marriage for quite some time now, so preventing us from marrying won’t stop that. The only ones it will hurt are the kids, being told their families are second-class and depriving them of the legal and financial securities of other families. But you know that already. Nadine Smith at Bilerico has some ideas for how you can help fight the bigots.
• On a more positive note, the North Miami City Council adopted new measures requiring city contractors with 40 or more employees bidding on contracts over $75,000 to provide equal health benefits to domestic partners of their own employees.
• Ingham County, Michigan, may take away benefits for the same-sex partners of county employees, citing the state’s constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage. Also a likely factor? The county’s $3 million deficit. (Thanks, To Form a More Perfect Union.)
• Twenty-two couples applied for civil union licenses in New Hampshire on the first day they became available. The couples will be able to have their unions starting January 1, 2008. PageOneQ looks at whether the issue of civil unions will help or hurt Republicans in the presidential primary.
• The New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee passed revisions to the state’s hate crimes laws, adding “gender identity or expression,” mandating hate-crime training for all new police officers, and giving judges more sentencing options. The Committee also passed a bill creating a Commission on Bullying in Schools and requiring schools to publicize their anti-bullying policies. The measures will now go to final votes in the full Assembly and Senate.
• One of the women who was told by the Rhode Island Supreme Court that she could not receive a divorce in Rhode Island for her Massachusetts marriage is attempting again, this time trying through the Superior Court, not Family Court.
• The Vermont Commission on Family Recognition and Protection heard testimony from 60 people who turned up “in nearly unanimous support” of giving same-sex couples in Vermont full marriage equality. (Thanks, To Form a More Perfect Union.)

Around the world:

• The Pope says same-sex families are a threat to peace.
• Victoria, Australia announced major changes to its parenting laws. Lesbians and single women will now be able to use in vitro fertilization (IVF) to conceive, women who act as surrogates will no longer have to be infertile, and non-bio moms will be recognized as parents of children born to their partners through IVF. The government did not, however, take the step of legalizing adoption by same-sex couples.
• Mariela Castro, Director of Cuba’s National Center for Sex Education (CENESEX), niece of President Fidel Castro and daughter of Acting President Raúl Castro, has spoken out in favor of reforms to extend legal rights and recognition to LGBT citizens.
• Israel’s High Court of Justice ruled that the Interior Ministry must recognize the overseas adoptions of same-sex couples, as long as the couple presents a valid adoption certificate from a foreign country.
• Spain has agreed to recognize the U.K. civil partnership of two gay men now living in Spain.
• The Church of Sweden said it will allow same-sex couples to wed in church, though it recommended the term “marriage” be used only for opposite-sex couples.