House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told the audience at the Victory Fund’s Gay & Lesbian Leadership Awards that Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell “will be gone by the end of the year.”- Will the Obama administration appeal the two federal court rulings that declared part of the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional? Good question; and Lee Swislow of Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) told the Washington Blade’s Chris Johnson that an appeal wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing—it could mean the ultimate ruling applies over a wider area, possibly the whole country.
- Arguments began in Snyder v. Phelps, in which lawyers will argue that the hateful messages of Fred Phelps—perhaps best known for his godhatesfags.com site and related protests—constitute allowable “speech on public issues.”
- In his statement on the retirement of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, President Obama noted that the Archbishop has been “a staunch defender of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons.”
- Chris Geidner’s piece, “State of Play,” at Metro Weekly takes a look at the current state of LGBT advocacy and organizations. Well worth a read, especially if you’re a political junkie.
- Illinois governor Pat Quinn said he believes the votes are there for the state to enact civil unions by Christmastime. (Hanukkah is apparently too early this year.)
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