- President Obama named 16 recipients for this year’s Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor. They include tennis and women’s rights legend Billie Jean King and LGBT-rights pioneer Harvey Milk, and very many other worthy people. I’m a bit disappointed not to see Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon on the list, but maybe next year.
- Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) said he will introduce federal legislation to repeal DOMA and recognize legal marriages of same-sex couples, but not civil unions or domestic partnerships. He explained “Historically domestic partnerships and other relationships have been an interregnum until we get to marriage, which we need to push for as soon as possible.” He has a point—going this route will underscore that CU’s and DP’s are not equal to marriage, and I think that will help the folks pushing for full marriage equality in New Jersey and elsewhere.
- Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) withdrew an amendment to a Department of Defense Appropriations bill that would have prohibited the use of funds in the bill to investigate or discharge servicemembers under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. It is unclear whether the amendment would have had any real impact on a full repeal.
- A bill to grant spousal health benefits to domestic partners of federal employees cleared a House subcommittee. It must go through one more subcommittee before the full House.
- Should California voters go back to the polls in 2010 or 2012 to vote to rescind Prop 8? That’s a hotly contested question at the moment.
- Washington D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty proposed cutting $570,000 in city grants from several dozen nonprofit organizations, including four LGBT groups: The Mautner Project for lesbian health, the Metro D.C. GLBT Community Center, the Crystal Meth Working Group, and Transgender Health Empowerment. He hopes this will help slow the city’s budget deficit. Across the country, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger cut $52 million in AIDS funding from the State Office of AIDS for similar reasons.
- Opponents of an LGBT-inclusive an inclusive human rights ordinance in Kalamazoo, Michigan have gathered 2,100 signatures, enough to put the measure up for a ballot. Supporters, however, gathered 5,708 signatures, which serve no legal purpose, but may indicate where sentiment lies.
- Supporters of marriage equality in Vermont far outspent opponents in order to pass the state’s marriage bill. Was the money decisive? That’s unclear. Would it have been better to put all the money from both sides towards something like schools and education? IMHO, yes.
Around the world:
- Albania’s governing Democrats have proposed a law allowing same-sex couples to have civil marriages.
- Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd reaffirmed his center-left Labor Party’s opposition to marriage of same-sex couples, despite some support for it within the party.
- The United Nations Economic and Social Council granted official consultative status to the Brazilian Association of Gays, Lesbians and Transsexuals, allowing it to participate in various U.N. meetings. HuffPo notes this is the third year in a row the U.N. has overturned a decision by a 19-country committee to block LGBT groups.
- USA Today reports on the ongoing persecution of gay men in Iraq by armed militant groups (and possibly with the tacit approval of Iraqi security forces). The Washington Blade also reports that two gay Iraqi refugees have accused members of the U.S. military of executing gay civilians.
- The Quaker Church in the U.K. will likely begin performing marriage services for same-sex couples.
