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
The Colorado State Senate voted to ban workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation. The measure must pass one more Senate vote before going to the House. One of the motivating factors in the Connecticut Judiciary Committee’s passage of a bill in support of full marriage rights for same-sex couples (see last week’s update) was the
Originally published in Bay Windows, April 19, 2007. When I first read the title of Waiting for the Call: From Preacher’s Daughter to Lesbian Mom, I expected the tale of a woman rejecting her religious upbringing and denouncing her parents as she came out. Jacqueline Taylor’s memoir is thankfully not as simple as that. It
In the wake of the Virginia Tech tragedy, the American Association of Pediatrics has compiled a list of resources to help children cope with this and other disasters. In addition, they include more general information on violence prevention, school safety, and promoting mental health. ParentDish also has links to a few other resources to help
Tomorrow is the 11th annual Day of Silence, an event held to bring attention to anti-LGBT bullying, harassment and discrimination in schools. Hundreds of thousands of students will remain silent all day in observance of the occasion. Some will pass out “speaking cards” that read: Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am
This afternoon, my son and I were watching a free Sesame Street short from iTunes called “Happy, Healthy, Ready for School.” In it, Elmo prepares for his first day of preschool in his typically upbeat manner—just the kind of tone I want to set for my son, who will start school himself this fall. I
Legislators renamed a federal hate-crimes bill after Wyoming college student Matthew Shepard, slain in 1998 because he was gay. Supporters feel that adding a name and a face to the bill, which adds protections for hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity, will help its chances for success. (Thanks, PageOneQ.) The Associated Press
