Today, Utah U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby ruled that the state’s ban on marriage equality is unconstitutional. In a 53-page decision, the court found that Utah’s marriage ban denies loving, committed lesbian and gay couples their “fundamental right to marry,” and that the ban lacks any “rational basis.” “This has been a banner year for marriage…
SAN DIEGO – San Diego LGBT Pride has announced it is simplifying festival ticket pricing and increasing access to the annual two-day celebration attended by tens of thousands in Balboa Park. Instead of different prices for early bird tickets, one-day tickets, two-day tickets, and tickets for select groups such as seniors, students, and military, tickets…
Statement by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on same-sex benefits, released by the U.S. Department of Defense today: On Oct. 31, I called on the chief of the National Guard Bureau to work with several states to fully implement Department of Defense policy by providing DoD identification cards to all eligible military spouses, regardless of sexual orientation. Following…
As part of the U.S. Department of Education’s ongoing efforts to implement inclusive policies that reflect the diversity of American families, and consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in United States v. Windsor, the Department announced today new guidance on the use of “marriage”…
In a setback for marriage equality in Australia, the country’s High Court has overturned legislation allowing gay marriage in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). In October, the ACT parliament had passed a bill making the territory the first part of Australia to legalize same-sex weddings. The national government then challenged the bill stating it was inconsistent…
NEW YORK — Today, TIME names Pope Francis the 2013 TIME Person of the Year. TIME Editor Nancy Gibbs, who met Pope Francis in Rome last week, writes: “Rarely has a new player on the world stage captured so much attention so quickly—young and old, faithful and cynical—as has Pope Francis. In his nine months in…
SOUTH AFRICA – Nelson Mandela was lauded as a “giant of history” and “one of the greatest leaders of our time” as tens of thousands cheered and almost 100 world leaders paid tribute to the anti-apartheid icon at a memorial service today. President Barack Obama, addressing the 95,000 capacity crowd in the First National Bank…
WASHINGTON – In what was a historic year of progress for the equal rights of LGBT Americans, corporate America stood out as a true leader in the fight for basic fairness and dignity. Both inside the boardroom and in the halls of state legislatures and the U.S. Congress, American companies stood by their LGBT employees….
SAN DIEGO — San Diego State University today announced the addition of a graduate-level certificate in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Studies, one of only a handful of like programs in the nation. “Diversity is a cornerstone of a well-rounded education and this program provides an opportunity for graduate students to gain a deeper understanding…
Nelson Mandela, who died yesterday was South Africa’s first post-Apartheid president, and an outspoken advocate for LGBT equality. He appointed an openly-gay judge to South Africa’s High Court of Appeal and during his presidency, South Africa became the first nation in the world to constitutionally prohibit sexual orientation-based discrimination. Mandela will be remembered for his…
