Politics The Pentagon report on the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell says that same-sex partners of servicemembers would still not be entitled to the same benefits as opposite-sex spouses. Apparently, the military is worried that unmarried opposite-sex partners would want benefits, too. Until such time as it realizes there are workable solutions, Nancy Polikoff […]
The Pentagon’s top four leaders testified to the Senate Armed Services Committee in favor of repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. John McCain and some Republicans, however, weren’t convinced. U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Stephen Reinhardt declined to recuse himself from the Prop 8 case. Opponents of marriage equality had asked him to withdraw
In the ongoing tennis match that is Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal, the latest is that President Obama has told Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Carl Levin (D-MI) that he is committed to including repeal in the National Defense Authorization Act. Two Republican senators have expressed support for repeal—Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and John Ensign (R-NV).
Marriage equality in New Hampshire is under threat from the veto-proof Republican super-majority in the Legislature—a result of the November 2 elections. Keori, who blogs over at Pam’s House Blend, is working with New Hampshire Freedom to Marry and bluehampshire.com on how to meet this challenge. She noted in an e-mail to me that, “Post-Prop 8
Lesbian and gay servicemembers with children face additional pressures under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” explain Daniel Redman and Ilona Turner at The Nation. Servicemembers may hesitate to get involved in custody battles for their children because doing so would reveal them as gay or lesbian and get them dismissed under DADT. If they try to marry
Politics and Law Equality Florida gave this year’s Voice For Equality Award to Martin Gill, the gay father whose case brought down the state’s anti-gay adoption law. Equality Florida executive director Nadine Smith also announced that she and her spouse are expecting a child next May. Congratulations to all! The U.S. Supreme Court refused to
What’s going on with the ban on openly gay servicemembers? Don’t ask. On Thursday, results from the upcoming Pentagon report on the impact of a repeal leaked to the Washington Post. The good news is that the ban could be repealed “with only minimal and isolated incidents of risk to the current war efforts.” Then
Here are a few highlights from the surfeit of political news and analysis this week: David Cicilline (D-RI) became the fourth openly gay member of Congress, joining Barney Frank (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Jared Polis (D-CO), who each also won reelection. Lisa Keen writes about the more than 100 other openly gay candidates who
If you haven’t yet voted today, get out and do it. Control of Congress hangs in the balance (along with many and sundry local issues). Bring the kid(s) and make it a lesson in citizenship. (If they’re too young for that, bring them anyway. The seniors who staff the voting booths will coo over them
First: You’re all voting next Tuesday, right? No, no candidate is perfect. Sometimes we need to choose the better of two (or more) evils. I think it’s still important to make that choice, though. President Obama met with five progressive bloggers, who grilled him on marriage equality and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Joe Sudbay, who
