The U.S. House Armed Services Committee approved three amendments that would delay implementation of the repeal of the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. Air Force Major Margaret Witt, who was discharged in 2003 under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, will receive full retirement, the government will drop its appeal against her, and the discharge will […]
If you read one story about lesbian moms today, make it this one from RH Reality Check, by Jaime Jenett. Jenett writes from her perspective as the nonbiological mother of a critically ill child, and says, “policies designed to prevent same sex families from having legal protections took on a whole new meaning for me”
The law firm hired to defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) has withdrawn from its contract to do so, but the lawyer who was to take the case has left the firm and plans to defend it from elsewhere. On the other hand, the Senate committee considering a bill to repeal DOMA may just
The U.S. and 85 other countries backed a United Nations declaration calling for an end to violence and human rights abuses on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also issued a statement in support of ending such persecution and discrimination. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit today denied a request from plaintiffs in California’s Proposition 8 case to lift a stay on a lower court ruling and allow same-sex couples to marry while the case is being heard. That means no wedding bells in the Golden State for the foreseeable future. I
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Westboro Baptist Church, an anti-gay hate group, had a first amendment right to protest near the funerals of American soldiers killed in Iraq. U.S. House Speaker John Boehner announced he will convene a bipartisan meeting to determine how Congress can defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in
A few little things happened in LGBT-related politics this week, hmm? The Department of Justice announced that it has concluded that the part of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) preventing the federal government from recognizing legal marriages of same-sex couples is unconstitutional. The DOJ will therefore not defend it in two pending cases in
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) released a new report, “Injustice at Every Turn,” that demonstrates the extent of discrimination against transgender and gender non-conforming people in many areas, including education, health care, employment, and housing. Thirty-three members of Congress are calling on the departments of
(Originally published as my Mombian newspaper column, hence the slightly belated posting here. But it’s still January, so I figure it’s still good.)
As 2010 gives way to 2011, let us ask: How has the year been in terms of political and legal progress for LGBT parents and our children?
The most notable parenting-specific win of the year was arguably Florida’s judicial overturning of its ban on adoption by gay men or lesbians. Mississippi, however, continues to ban same-sex couples from adopting, and Arkansas, Michigan, and Utah ban unmarried couples, which means essentially the same thing. The federal Every Child Deserves a Family Act, which would have withheld federal funds from states and other entities that discriminate against gay men and lesbians in adoption or foster care placements, was introduced in March, but failed to make it out of committee.
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said he would work to help implement the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, even though he opposed the legislation. President Barack Obama renominated Edward C. DuMont to be a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. If the Senate approves his nomination, DuMont would become
