Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann signed a controversial pledge on Thursday that established her intent to implement rigid anti-gay policies if elected. The Candidates’ Pledge, also known as The Marriage Vow, was created by The Family Leader, a prominent Iowa group that promotes Christian conservative social values. Bob Vander Plaats, CEO of the conservative organization,…
The U.S. House of Representatives held a vote Thursday evening on an amendment reaffirming the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). In response to the vote (which was carried with a heavy Republican majority and a final tally of 248 in favor, 175 against), HRC president Joe Solmonese issued a response in which he called the…
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy announced Thursday that the committee intends to hold the first-ever congressional hearing concerning DOMA repeal in the coming weeks. The announcement follows actions taken earlier this year by Senators including California Senator Dianne Feinstein and New York Senator Kristen Gillibrand on behalf of the Respect for Marriage Act, a…
In June of 2011, the state of Illinois legalized civil unions for straight and LGBT couples alike. Now, little more than a month later, gay and lesbian rights activists with Equality Illinois have deemed the new law a resounding success. The Chicago Tribune reports that, according to Equality Illinois, approximately 1,618 civil union licenses have…
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision Wednesday ordering the government to put an immediate end to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the 17-year-old ban that has kept gay and lesbian service members from serving openly in the U.S. armed forces. According to the courts, the DADT policy must be lifted in light…
The iconic, handsome and famously unwed Brad Pitt once said that he and his partner, Angelina Jolie, would wait to marry until gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals enjoyed the same marriage rights as straight couples. Now, in response to the New York legislature’s recent decision to legalize same-sex marriage, Pitt, 47, tells People…
