Wisconsin’s Republican Gov. Scott Walker — yes, this guy and that guy — has removed the attorney representing the state in a lawsuit challenging its domestic partnership registry. Walker’s predecessor Gov. Jim Doyle had appointed Lester Pines to defend the registry, which is under attack in court by Julaine Appling’s Wisconsin Family Action, which claims it violates Wisconsin’s gay marriage ban.
- by David Badash March 28, 2011 www.networkedblogs.com
In a legally-responsible nod to President Obama’s decision to stop defending DOMA in court, the United States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) division of Homeland Security has instructed its field offices to place on hold cases involving binational same-sex married couples in which one partner is at risk of deportation, if their marriage were legally recognized in the United States had they not been a same-sex married couple. DOMA currently bans the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages but there are two bills in Congress right now that would repeal DOMA, which has been determined to be unconstitutional by two federal judges.
One of Washington state’s most ardent anti-gay legislators quietly gave his nod of approval on Tuesday to the out-of-state marriage recognition bill (HB 1649). While lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Washingtonians and their supporters were celebrating Equality Day 2011 on the steps of the state Capitol, Senator Dan Swecker (R-Rochester) voted with the Democratic majority of the Senate Government Operations, Tribal Relations & Elections Committee to send HB 1649 to the Senate floor for a vote.
Anthony Collao, the 18-year-old straight Queens teen beaten to death with an iron pipe by a gang of homophobic teens who thought he was gay, was remembered last night by a vigil hosted by family and friends. “It’s really hard, really hard,” says Anthony’s sister Karen. “You get a phone call your brother is in the hospital type thing you can’t imagine it.” Anthony’s four alleged attackers — Nolis Ogando, 17, Luis Tabales, 17, Alex Velez, 16, and Christopher Lozada, 17 — are being held on bond.
(Newser) – Target is suing a gay-rights group to get its members to stop demonstrating outside its stores in San Diego County. The company says Canvass For A Cause’s aggressive tactics—which allegedly include cornering customers by the stores’ entrances to debate gay marriage—are scaring off shoppers. But the group’s director asserts that Target is opposed to his pro-gay-marriage cause. “They’re the Goliath in the room. They’ve got all the money in world to get us to stop talking about gay marriage,” he tells the AP.
- www.cbsnews.com Posted by Lauren Seifert March 24, 2011
Barely hours after filing his intent with the FEC to run for the 2012 Republican nomination for president, Fred Karger stopped by Washington Unplugged to formally announce his decision.
Speaking with CBS News congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes Karger said, “I’ve filed to run for President of the United States.” (watch above)
Explaining what brought him to this moment Karger said, “It was the culmination of a lifetime of political work. It was a very exciting moment.”
This is the first time Karger has run for political office, but he has been a behind-the-scenes player for 35 years — serving as an advisor to Presidents Ford, Reagan and George H. W. Bush.
Karger says he’s an “outsider” but has “political experience.”
- By the CNN Wire Staff March 24, 2011 www.edition.cnn.com
(CNN) — The Colorado Senate on Thursday approved a civil unions bill that would allow same-sex couples the right to inherit property, apply for family leave and share medical decisions.
The bill, approved 23-12, now goes to the House.
In Colorado, only a man and woman can marry. The bill would allow two unmarried adults, regardless of gender, to enter into a civil union.
Sacramento – Yesterday, a bill that would alleviate the confusion, anxiety and even danger that transgender people face when they have identity documents that do not reflect who they are, passed the Assembly Judiciary committee in a 7-5 vote. Authored by Assemblymember Bonnie Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), sponsored by Equality California and co-sponsored by the Transgender Law Center, the Vital Statistics Modernization Act (AB 433), would streamline current law and clarify that eligible petitioners living or born in California can submit a gender change petition in any jurisdiction in the State of California.
The U.S. declaration was made Tuesday, March 22 at the Geneva-based Human Rights Council and had the support of more than 80 countries. Although it is not in the form of binding resolution, the American push for U.N. action has helped win over a handful of new countries to the cause. A resolution could be brought to a vote later this year. The issue of gay rights has polarized nations at the U.N. for years. And despite growing acceptance for LGBT lifestyles in Western nations and parts of Latin America, lawyers say there is still a gap in human rights treaties for the protection of gays against discrimination and mistreatment. “We are very concerned that individuals continue to be killed, arrested, and harassed around the world because of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” said Suzanne Nossel, deputy assistant secretary of state for international organizations. “This statement sends a strong message from across the globe that such abuses should not be tolerated.”
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