- Officials with President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team named at least seven openly gay or lesbian people to transition panels.
- A coalition of 104 retired military generals and admirals has released a joint call to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and allow gay and lesbian members of the military to serve openly. At the same time, the Washington Times reports that Obama may not act on this until 2010. Although he has promised to repeal the ban, he apparently wants to confer with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and his new Pentagon appointees to reach a consensus before presenting legislation to Congress. Much as I want to see the policy repealed, that sounds like a smart strategy.
- Rallies against Prop 8 blossomed across the country last Saturday.
- The California Supreme Court agreed to hear a challenge to Prop 8, although it refused to let marriages of same-sex couples resume in the meantime. The hearing could be as early as March, and a ruling would be due 90 days later.
- The LA Times offers an interesting legal argument for repealing California’s Prop 8, based on a Colorado LGBT-rights case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.
- David Caton, executive director of the Florida Family Association (one of the backers of Prop 2), says he will push for a preemptive change to the Hillsborough County Charter in 2010 that would ban benefits for same-sex partners of county employees. Prop 2 supporters have been saying that a ban on same-sex marriage would have “no effect on benefits.” (Perhaps not directly—but it was pretty clear where they were headed.)
- Doraville, Georgia expanded its anti-discrimination policy to protect city workers from bias on the basis of gender identity. (Sexual orientation was already a protected category.)
- Supporters of a proposed public high school aimed at gay and lesbian students in Chicago have withdrawn their proposal, after criticism from Mayor Richard Daley and others about whether a revised version, aimed at “all disenfranchised groups of students,” had diluted the vision.
- The Democrat-controlled Michigan House voted to expand the current definition of bias crimes to include sexual orientation, disability, and gender identity and/or expression, real or perceived. The bill now moves to the Republican-controlled Senate. Supporters are hopeful, but expecting to lobby hard.
- Vermont’s Senate Majority Leader John Campbell says a woman has threatened to blow up his house as a result of his intention to introduce a bill legalizing full marriage equality in the state in January. Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas says he will oppose the legislation.
Around the world:
- Thirteen members of the European parliament have submitted a priority question to the European Commission, asking if gay asylum seekers from Iran would be safe in their home country. They did so on behalf of a gay man from Iran who was reportedly refused asylum in Cyprus because of his sexual orientation.
- Over 500 people rallied in Oshawa, Canada in support of two lesbian moms who were attacked in an apparent hate crime while picking up their son from school.
- The Nepali Supreme Court issued a final judgment granting equal rights to LGBT people. The government must now amend or introduce laws to ensure these rights, including marriage.
- The New Zealand National Party’s openly-gay MP Christopher Finlayson will become the country’s new Attorney General, as well as the Minister Responsible for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage.