Ten years ago today, Matthew Shepard was pronounced dead at Poudre Valley Hospital in Wyoming after being severely beaten in a homophobic attack. His parents have since become outspoken advocates for erasing hate. I had the honor of hosting Judy Shepard when she spoke at Merrill Lynch in 2000, back when I was head of
The Connecticut Supreme Court today ruled that “same sex couples cannot be denied the freedom to marry.” GLAD has links to some of the news coverage of this historic event. Also check out this video of the lead plaintiffs, Beth Kerrigan and Jody Mock, reacting to the news. Have tissues handy. The Council of Europe
The Connecticut Supreme Court just ruled in favor of marriage equality for same-sex couples: Our conventional understanding of marriage must yield to a more contemporary appreciation of the rights entitled to constitutional protection. Interpreting our state constitutional provisions in accordance with firmly established equal protection principles leads inevitably to the conclusion that gay persons are
Hot off the presses: The good news keeps rolling in this week: The Arkansas Blog (from the Arkansas Times) reports that the state Department of Human Services will drop its rule that prohibits placement of foster children in homes with unmarried couples (and by definition, same-sex couples). “Instead, it will decide placement on a case
I have a piece up at 365gay.com in honor of National Coming Out Day this Saturday. It’s titled “Heterosexual Assumptions,” but also discusses the many complexities of being out as an LGBT parent. I can’t crosspost it yet, but you can pop over there to have a read (and catch up on the news while
After refusing to rule on a case involving a sperm donor who claimed parental rights, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a second rejection this week that means good news for LGBT families.
Back in August, I wrote about the differing positions of Barack Obama and John McCain with regard to LGBT families. McCain had just said that he didn’t believe in gay adoption. Obama had written a lengthy, and very supportive letter in response to questions from the Family Equality Council (FEC). (Yes, he’s not quite there
Good news: The U.S. Supreme Court today refused to hear a case “that would have had far-reaching implications for lesbians and single women choosing to bear children,” according to law professor Nancy Polikoff, author of Beyond (Straight and Gay) Marriage: Valuing All Families under the Law. The case involves a Kansas woman whose sperm donor
Inspirational quotes of the week: Mom was not an extraordinary person, but she was a person who accomplished extraordinary things, and this is an important thing because each of us is needed to continue her work. It would be a shame if you left here today thinking that Mom was somehow bigger and bolder than
Sarah Palin almost got me. Not that I’d ever vote for the McCain/Palin ticket, but I was almost convinced that Palin had a spark of understanding about LGBT issues when she said of “one of my absolute best friends for the past 30 years, who happens to be gay,” that “She is not my gay
