There’s lots of news below about Prop. 8, the measure to ban marriage of same-sex couples in California. Let’s not forget there are similar measures in Arizona and Florida—but California is the big one, as it would represent the greatest reversal for supporters of LGBT equality. This weekend is No on 8 Action Weekend, and […]
Barack Obama’s presidential campaign this week responded in writing to questions submitted by Window Media, parent company of the Washington Blade and other LGBT newspapers. Vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin spoke with ABC’s Charlie Gibson last night. Democrats chastised her for not knowing what the “Bush Doctrine” is. (Hint: it’s driven our country’s foreign policy
The Log Cabin Republicans, the national LGBT Republican group, has endorsed the McCain/Palin ticket for the presidency. Steve Schmidt, the McCain campaign’s senior advisor (who apparently has a lesbian sister), then met with the group. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), one of two openly gay House members, said Sarah Palin’s personal life is fair game for
Senator Barack Obama, in his speech to accept the Democratic nomination for president, said “I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital and to live lives free of discrimination.” Yes, he’s not
A Zogby Poll found that more than six in 10 U.S. voters say they could support an openly gay candidate for president of the U.S. U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), chair of the House Financial Services Committee, is looking into a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) policy that disqualifies domestic partners from receiving coverage available
Many LGBT advocates are praising this year’s Democratic platform (not yet public) as “the most progressive major party platform with respect to LGBT issues in the nation’s history.” Some complaint that it never uses the terms “gay,” “lesbian,” “bisexual,” and “transgender,” but others argue that terms such as “same-sex couples” “sexual orientation,” and “gender identity”
Why is the military prepared to shell out $150,000 in retention bonuses to service members who are proficient in Arabic, when it has used the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy to dismiss more than five dozen qualified and willing Arabic speakers? Steve Ralls, PFLAG’s director of communications, who also held that role for the Servicemembers
President Bush reauthorized the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which allocates $48 billion over the next five years to treat people living with HIV and fund prevention programs in poorer countries for men who have sex with men. The reauthorization also contains changes that should remove legal roadblocks for HIV-positive immigrants wishing to
The U.S. House approved repeal of a law barring HIV-positive visitors and immigrants to the country. It now goes to the President. The Personnel Subcommittee of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee heard testimony for and against the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. SLDN executive director Aubrey Sarvis notes the irony that this was
The U.S. Senate voted to drop travel and immigration restrictions on persons who are HIV-positive. The House Armed Services personnel subcommittee has scheduled a hearing on the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy for July 23. The Washington Blade reports, though, that “as of Wednesday, the subcommittee was not scheduled to hear from even one
