The military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy is no more—but the Department of Justice argued in court this week that servicemembers who had been dismissed under the policy should receive only half of normal severance pay, as per the regulations that existed at the time of their dismissal. The audience at the Republican presidential debate […]
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the law banning gay men and lesbians from serving openly in the military, is no more. The stories will be pouring in all day, but here are a few good reads to start you out: The latest issue of OutServe magazine, full of amazing stories. The very sweet story of Navy Lt. Gary
The Michigan House voted to ban benefits for domestic partners of all public employees in the state. The bill now goes to the Senate. North Carolina’s legislature approved a ballot measure to ask voters whether to ban marriage for same-sex couples under the state constitution. It is already banned by statute. I covered the story
If you’ve been following news about LGBT parents for any length of time, you’ve probably come across at least one, if not several, examples of custody cases in which a biological parent tries to deny custody to a former same-sex partner and non-biological parent, claiming that the latter is not really a parent to the
I’ve posted a similar version of this for a few years now, 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
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced new guidance related to rules that protect hospital patients’ right to choose their own visitors, including a visitor who is a same-sex partner. On a related note, HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration awarded $248,000 to the Fenway Institute in Boston, Mass., to create a
Here’s a great new video from Marriage Equality, an organization dedicated to achieving equal access to civil marriage for same-sex couples in Ireland. It features Rory, the grown son of lesbian moms, who discovers that his lack of a legal relationship with his non-biological mother has some very serious consequences. (Thanks to the Irish Examiner
Keeping it short this week, since I need to go figure out how to build an emergency shelter out of Legos before the storm hits. Hope all of you are staying safe, too. The White House and the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that same-sex spouses and partners will be considered in case-by-case reviews of
A gay dad whose former wife has custody of their children has been granted visitation—as long as he does not leave them alone with any man to whom they are not related “by blood or adoption.” The dad, however, remarried—he and his now-husband wed in Connecticut. As Geoff Berg of the Houston Chronicle pointed, out, “So if, for
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network released a legal guide for “LGBT service members, veterans, future recruits, and their families,” with an overview of laws and policies related to military service following the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. It includes quite a bit of information related to benefits for children of servicemembers, as well as benefits
