The Catfish Club, one of San Diego’s oldest forums where people discuss the many diversity issues facing the city, invited LGBT leaders to address their group on July 15. This was the first time LGBT leaders have been asked to address the prestigious organization in its 41 year history. City Commissioner Nicole Murray Ramirez, City…
HRC President Joe Solmonese, a key witness during Wednesday’s historic hearing on the Respect for Marriage act, announced his strong support for the landmark legislation and explained that the hearing “proved that married same-sex couples share the same values and needs as other married couples.” Married LGBT couples “are constantly hamstrung in their ability to…
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) recently filed suit against a popular Lyndonville, Vermont inn after the proprietors refused to host a lesbian couple’s wedding reception. In stark contrast to its reputation as a warm and welcoming establishment, The Wildflower Inn chose to turn the couple away for reasons based on their sexual orientation. According…
On Sunday, July 24, thousands of same-sex couples are planning to celebrate New York’s historic legalization of marriage equality with wedding ceremonies of their own. However, the high applicant volume has led city officials to create a lottery system for determining which couples will be able to marry at city offices come Sunday – and…
Senator Christopher Coons (D-Delaware) took the Senate floor today in what promises to be a historic hearing on DOMA repeal, urging his colleagues to support the Respect for Marriage Act and instate equal benefits for same-sex couples nationwide. Coons, an original co-sponsor of the landmark anti-discrimination act, delivered an opening statement to gathered legislators and…
The National Institute of Health is fielding controversy after conducting studies regarding the link between gay male sexual behavior and penis size. Originally published in 2009, the Institute’s findings connected gay male preference for “top,” or dominant sexual positions with “above average penises,” and linked “bottom,” or more passive sexual position preference with “below average”…
On behalf of President Obama, Press Secretary Jay Carney announced today that the White House stands behind efforts to instate the Respect for Marriage Act, a bill designed to repeal DOMA on grounds of unconstitutional discrimination. The seminal legislation will be the subject of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing tomorrow in Washington, D.C. With regard…
Jimmy LaSalvia, executive director of the conservative gay Republican organization GOProud, was attacked Friday in Washington, D.C. while riding home from work on his bicycle. The assailant, a teenage male, struck LaSalvia in the chest and called him a “faggot.” The Washington Blade reports that LaSalvia was riding on a quiet street near Union Station…
An epic and historic feat – the first of its kind in U.S. history – took place to today after the Senate appointed the nation’s first gay federal judge, the first openly gay man approved by the Senate to serve on the federal judiciary. Winning by majority vote, the senate confirmed J. Paul Oetken, an…
In 1983, fears concerning HIV/AIDs infection prompted the FDA to instate rules banning sexually active homosexual men from donating blood. The policy has since been deemed outdated by many gay rights activists, particularly since blood banks now test all contributions for HIV (as well as hepatitis, syphilis and other infectious and sexually-transmitted diseases). However, for…
