HAWAII – Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie has signed same-sex civil unions into law. Hawaii will start civil unions Jan. 1, 2012, making it the seventh state to permit civil unions or similar legal recognitions for gay couples. “The legalization of civil unions in Hawaii is long overdue. People have worked long and hard for this…
CALIFORNIA – The legal team challenging California’s same-sex marriage ban has announced that they have asked the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to lift a stay on a district court ruling that found Proposition 8 unconstitutional. Lead attorney Ted Olson said the motion has been filed with the California Supreme Court to schedule oral…
MARYLAND – The chairman of the Maryland Republican Party is targeting Democrats in an effort to kill a gay marriage bill after a key Senate committee had approved the measure and sent it along to the full Senate, which is expected to act on the bill. The Washington Post reported that Alex X. Mooney, a…
CALIFORNIA – Facebook have added “In a civil union” and “In a domestic partnership” options to user profiles. The option is now available for users in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Australia. Facebook collaborated with GLAAD and other national LGBT organizations in facilitating this change. GLAAD released a press statement applauding…
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents boarded a Royal Caribbean International cruise liner as it docked in the U.S. Virgin Islands and arrested a California man on suspicion of selling drugs to other passengers. The Allure of the Seas with 5,400 passengers on board was on a cruise chartered by…
HAWAII – Lawmakers in Hawaii have approved a bill to allow civil unions for same-sex couples, marking an end to what the governor called an “emotional process” in this long battle for equality. A spokesperson for Democratic Governor, Neil Abercrombie, said that he intends to sign the bill into law within two weeks. This means…
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. State Department has announced some small but important changes to its policy for updating gender on U.S. passports and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA’s). The changes make clear that any physician who has treated or evaluated a passport applicant may certify that he or she has had appropriate treatment…
WISCONSIN – Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The university is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and…
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a statement released to the Washington Blade, veteran lesbian activist Robin Tyler says she is talking to LGBT leaders across the country about a possible national march on Washington in May 2012. Tyler, who is based in Los Angeles, said she first proposed the idea of a 2012 march in the…
BOSTON – More than 4,000 leading researchers and clinicians from around the world will convene in Boston, Massachusetts from Feb. 27 through March 2 for the 18th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI). CROI is a scientifically focused meeting of the world’s leading researchers working to understand, prevent and treat HIV/AIDS and its complications….
