Weekly Political Roundup
This week’s roundup is brought to you by the letter “N,” with happenings in Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Nigeria (as well as a few non-N places).
Politics and Law
“Hate Is Not an Expert Opinion”: New Project Holds Anti-LGBT Commentators Accountable
Many of us have seen them: anti-LGBT “experts” who appear on the news spouting supposed “facts” about LGBT people—”facts” that are nothing more than fabrications or distortions wrapped in bias. Many of their arguments center around the supposed unsuitability of LGBT people to be parents. We might expect such people on certain conservative-leaning news channels, but when they appear even on more moderate ones, it can be infuriating.
GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, today announced the launch of its Commentator Accountability Project, which aims “to educate the media about the extreme rhetoric of over three dozen activists who are often given a platform to speak in opposition to LGBT people and the issues that affect their lives.”
Weekly Political Roundup
Marriage equality took center stage again this week, but that’s not all that’s happening.
— A federal district court ruled that a key section of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)–the part that denies federal recognition to same-sex couples–is unconstitutional. But the the House Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group said it will appeal the ruling.
— Opponents of marriage equality have asked the full U.S. 9th Circuit court to review the recent decision of a three-judge court panel that ruled California’s Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.
Lesbian Mom Demolishes DOMA
Yesterday, a federal district court ruled that a key section of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)—the part that denies federal recognition to same-sex couples—is unconstitutional. The plaintiff in the case, Karen Golinski, is an attorney and lesbian mom. I interviewed her last December about her accidental path to the DOMA challenge and the case’s impact on her family.
History Is Written By the Victors: Gay Memorabilia at the Smithsonian
I spent President’s Day weekend with my family in a most appropriate place: Washington, D.C. I’m still catching up on laundry and such, so for today, please enjoy an image from our visit to the National Museum of American History. The museum, part of the Smithsonian, is now the repository for the papers and materials of LGBT equality pioneer Frank Kameny, as explained in a museum blog post last October.
Son of Prop 8 Plaintiffs Talks About Marriage Ban Impact on His Family
Spencer Perry, the 17-year-old son of plaintiffs Kris Perry and Sandy Steir, lead plaintiffs in the Proposition 8 case to win marriage equality in California, talked at a press conference recently about the impact of Prop 8 on his family.
Same-Sex Parents Under Fire in Iowa, Despite Marriage
The state of Iowa has made two moves this week that challenge the rights of same-sex parents.
First, Governor Terry Branstad’s (R) administration announced it will appeal a state district court ruling that said a child born to a lesbian couple married in that state has the right to have the names of both her parents on her birth certificate.
Prop 8 Ruled Unconstitutional: One Step Closer to Equality
A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has just ruled that Proposition 8, California’s ban on marriage of same-sex couples, is unconstitutional. The law “serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples.”
Teen of Gay Dads — and Her Grandfather — Testify for Marriage Equality in NJ
Madison Galluccio, who has two gay dads, gave emotional testimony last Thursday at the New Jersey Assembly Judiciary Committee hearing on marriage equality. Her grandfather followed, with heartfelt testimony of his own.
Weekly Political Roundup
Lots of marriage-related news this week. I do like to cover other political topics here, but this week just happens to be matrimonially inclined.
A broad coalition of civil rights, labor, progressive, faith, student, health, legal, women’s, and LGBT organizations, led by Freedom to Marry and HRC, announced support of the federal Respect for Marriage Act that would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).