PARIS – The French government has delayed plans to debate a draft bill legalizing same-sex marriage. Jean-Marc Ayrault, the French prime minister, had originally named Oct. 31 as the date when ministers would unveil the bill. He told AFP at the time that there would be no backtracking. However, AP reported that the prime minister’s…
It’s that time of year when your employer rolls out their 15 percent increase to your health insurance payment. That’s a bad joke, but most likely a true statement. It’s also the time to review all of your employee benefits and sign up for the options that you need. Here are my tips and things…
WASHINGTON – House Republicans, under the leadership of Speaker John Boehner, have racked up a $1.5 million bill in their relentless pursuit of the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) – and they are sticking American taxpayers with the cost. Despite the fact that a solid majority of Americans support marriage equality, and despite the…
When forced to watch my friends’ latest naughty films to critique them for plot, dialogue and character development, I admit a cowboy, pizza deliverer or the ever-busy plumber occasionally stirs my interest. I fantasize what might occur should Officer Bruno or Perfect Plunger’s Mr. Fix-It come a’knocking (By the way, do the lesbian films have…
The funny thing about the LGBT civil rights movement is its unpredictability. Sometimes our community makes unbelievable strides, like the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and sometimes it is a smaller advance, like hospital visitation, which is enacted and goes practically unnoticed by our community. While the big things like marriage and employment non-discrimination…
We are all aware of solar energy for the home. But most of us do not have it nor are we familiar with it and its technology. Slowly, more and more homes are being equipped with solar energy and it is something that all of us should be educated on and ultimately consider. Solar energy…
From an LGB, but especially T perspective, there are three pieces of legislation that have been of interest to me, as well as Equality California (EQCA) and/or the Transgender Law Center (TLC). The first is SB 1172, Limiting Sexual Orientation Conversion “Treatment” Act. According to Gov. Jerry Brown in his signing statement, “This bill bans…
Gov. Jerry Brown has signed Senate Bill 1140 (Religious Freedom in Marriage Solemnization), authored by Sen. Mark Leno and co-sponsored by Equality California and California Council of Churches IMPACT. The new law, which will go into effect Jan. 1, 2013, reaffirms the freedom of clergy to make faith-based decisions regarding which marriages they solemnize and…
WASHINGTON – The fight against gays and lesbians in the military and against same-sex marriage continues apace for two Republican senators. Last Tuesday Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) introduced the Military Religious Freedom Act. The bill is intended to prevent military chaplains from being forced to perform a marriage ceremony, if the…
Congressman Barney Frank today released the following statement as a follow-up to his recent comments during the Democratic National Convention about the Log Cabin Republicans. I am not surprised that members of the Log Cabin Republicans are offended by my comparing them to Uncle Tom. They are no more offended than I am by their…
