This week, the U.S. Senate is expected to debate and vote on the passage of the Matthew Shepard Act as an amendment to the Defense Reauthorization legislation. This legislation would give the federal government authority to prosecute hate crimes based on real or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability, as well as real or […]
Another slow week, though a few items popped up: TIME magazine has a long article about how some jurisdictions that have banned same-sex marriage are nevertheless endorsing adoption by same-sex couples. “But the gay adoption boom may be less about support for gay rights than it is about the urgency of finding homes for abandoned
The lower house of the Dutch parliament has agreed with a government proposal to allow same-sex couples to adopt children from abroad. Currently, same-sex couples can adopt children from the Netherlands, but not from elsewhere. The new law would also change adoption procedures to make it easier for same-sex couples to adopt from countries that
Children are viewed as less central to marriage today, although they are still one of the highest sources of personal fulfillment, according to a new national survey by the Pew Research Center. (Thanks, WaPo.) Today, by almost three-to-one, Americans say the main purpose of marriage is the “mutual happiness and fulfillment” of adults rather than
A slowish week for news: President Bush has threatened to veto a routine appropriations bill for the District of Columbia because of the city’s domestic partner registry. The White House claims “Under federal law, legal marriage is the union between a man and a woman. Federal tax dollars are not used to extend employment benefits
Garden State Equality reports an ultimately positive outcome to the tragic saga of Newark high-school student Andre Jackson and the photo of him and his boyfriend that was excised from the school yearbook. They explain in an e-mail: Newark Schools Superintendent Marion Bolden today attended the final graduation rehearsal at East Side High School in
Newark School Superintendent Marion Bolden apologized to student Andre Jackson for blacking out a yearbook photo of him and his boyfriend David Escobales kissing. She said the district would reissue an “un-redacted version” of the yearbook to any student at the school who wants one. Jackson is disappointed about the apology, however, since it was
A New Jersey High School has taken every copy of its new yearbook and blacked out a photo of a student kissing his boyfriend—even though it left photos of opposite-sex couples kissing. The photo appeared in a section of pages that students may purchase to fill with pictures of family and friends. NJ.com reports: Newark
The California Supreme Court asked lawyers in the state same-sex marriage case whether the state’s domestic-partnership law “provides all the benefits of marriage, and whether the term ‘marriage’ has special legal significance.” (Well, yes, otherwise why would we want it?) The University of Kentucky has expanded its health insurance scheme to include all dependents residing
The “99 Cents Only” store in Lewisville, Texas, will be hosting a licensed minister on June 30 who will perform ceremonies at the store for—you guessed it—99 cents. Shouldn’t someone be defending against this sort of thing?
