The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 (LLEHCPA), aka the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act. The Senate must now vote on the measure, although the White House has already threatened a veto. Pam’s House Blend has fuller coverage and a breakdown of the vote. The U.S. […]
The U.S. House of Representatives this afternoon passed the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 (LLEHCPA), aka the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act. This is a major step towards enacting the legislation that will include protections against hate crimes on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, among other categories. It
Today is the start of the WNBA preseason, giving me a needed dose of women’s-sports watching to tide me over until Wimbledon starts at the end of June. I am, as it happens, hopelessly inept at actually playing basketball (and softball, for that matter), but am finding I have to raise my game this year.
We are closer than we’ve ever been to the passage of a federal hate-crimes act that includes sexual orientation and gender identity among its protected categories. The U.S. House of Representatives will vote on the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 (LLEHCPA) this Thursday. LGBT-rights organizations are urging all supportive Americans to
What can you learn about race from a seven-year-old? Rachel at Alas, a blog explores this question based on her own experience, and it’s worth a read. If you’re a multi-racial family, you may find immediate resonances. Even if you’re not, however, it will give you a lot to ponder in terms of how our
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected without comment an appeal by Lisa Miller-Jenkins, a biological mother who has been trying to deny visitation rights to her former partner Janet Miller-Jenkins. (Thanks, PageOneQ.) The case has bounced between the jurisdictions of Vermont and Virginia. Lisa Miller-Jenkins was attempting to appeal a Vermont Supreme Court ruling that the
Lots of good news this week: The U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee passed the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which includes protections crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and sent it to the floor of the House. An Indiana high school teacher who risked her job supporting a student-newspaper editorial
Two recent pieces of legislation in Washington State show once again the interconnectedness between family rights and LGBT rights, a topic I have covered before. Governor Christine Gregoire last weekend signed domestic-partner legislation that will allow same-sex couples to receive a variety of rights over inheritance, hospital visitation, and medical decisions. The Washington State Senate
Most readers of this blog can reel off any number of reasons why same-sex couples should have the same legal rights, protections, and responsibilities as opposite-sex ones. It’s still gratifying, however, to see someone put together the arguments in a pithy, witty, no-holds-barred article in the mainstream press. Hop on over to New Hampshire’s Manchester
If you’ve read any LGBT news sites today, you know we’ve moved one step closer to an important protection for LGBT Americans. Representatives Barney Frank (D-MA), Deborah Pryce (R-OH), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Chris Shays (R-CT) introduced the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which makes it illegal to base hiring, firing, promotion, or pay decisions on someone’s
