Let’s start right in with the breaking news: U.S. Federal District Court Judge Ronald Leighton ruled that the U.S. Air Force should reinstate Major Margaret Witt, a decorated U.S. Air Force flight nurse who had been dismissed under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT). Other DADT news this week was more mixed: The Senate failed to
Lots of news this week in addition to the overturning of the Florida adoption ban. Scholarly Stuff I’m not the only one thinking about known donors and three-parent families. Lawyer Ari Ezra Waldman takes a look at some of the same cases I mentioned plus a few others. Sociologist Philip N. Cohen writes at HuffPo
A bit of sunshine from the Sunshine State today. The Florida Third District Court of Appeals this morning upheld a lower court ruling that said the state’s ban on adoption by gay men and lesbians is unconstitutional, and that a gay man, Frank Martin Gill, can adopt the two boys he and his partner have
A recent case and some news from Canada have gotten me thinking about known donors. A Santa Monica, Calif. court ruled in the case of Daniel C. vs. Karen B. that Daniel, a known sperm donor whom Karen had found on Craigslist, had no rights to the child she conceived. The two had signed a
Not too many stories, but some potentially very significant ones: Don’t Ask. Don’t Tell. Do Call. The end of ENDA (along with tired ENDA-related puns)? Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the Health Data Collection Improvement Act to allow Health and Human Services to collect voluntary data on sexual orientation and gender identity in federal health
The next few days could be critical for the outcome of a Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has said he will schedule a vote for next week on the defense authorization bill that contains provisions for repeal. He has also filed for “cloture”—a move to limit debate on the
I’ve been writing about non-parenting topics in a few other places. For those who might be interested: Census count on same-sex couples: How far off? Seeing Red: Target’s Partnership with The Salvation Army Court Overturns “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” — But We Still Need to Act Immigration Laws Tearing Couples Apart Playing Red Light, Green
Yes, that’s right. Just days after lesbian moms Vanessa Alenier and Melanie Leon spoke before the Florida Third District Court of Appeal to try and preserve Alenier’s adoption of her young nephew, comes news that a Broward County judged has approved Robert Lamarche’s adoption of a teenaged boy Lamarche—who is gay—has fostered for about two years.
I posted this last year, but it seems appropriate to do so again. In honor of all the victims of the tragedy of September 11 and its aftermath, their families, and their friends. I will always remember, as will many of us, where I was the morning of September 11, 2001. A lucky change in
A federal judge ruled that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the military’s ban on openly gay and lesbian servicemembers, is unconstitutional. The decision is likely to be appealed, which is why we must continue fighting the policy from a legislative angle as well, as I explain in a piece at Change.org. Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter appointed
