In an attempt to detract from President Obama’s newly launched re-election campaign, the RNC responded with a web-based “Case against Obama,” citing the President’s stance on social issues despite recent poll results indicating widespread, bi-partisan support for LGBT equality measures. The republican campaign, entitled “Hope Isn’t Hiring,” cites Obama’s support for the repeal of DADT…
In an unusual display of LGBT advocacy partnership, Democratic Rep. Barney Frank and Republican Rep. Spencer Bachus co-authored a letter to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner promoting awareness of a recent amendment supporting a crackdown against LGBT persecution in foreign governments receiving multilateral development financial aid. According to the Washington Blade, the letter, dated March 30,…
The Washington Blade reports that Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) announced that he will reintroduce the Employment Non-Discrimination Act for the 112th Congress after he has finished lining up additional co-sponsors of the bill. Frank explained that the upcoming introduction of the bill will help inform lawmakers and the public alike. However, he also expressed some…
The Washington Blade reported today that the House committee in Maryland voted 15-8 to approve a bill banning employment and housing discrimination against transgender people. The bill will now face the full House of Delegates, where it must be approved by Monday in order to progress to the Senate for approval. Support of the bill…
The Survey Data Inclusion Act (SB 416), the first bill in the country to include questions of gender identity, same-sex relationship status and sexual orientation in state government surveys, cleared the California Senate Governmental Organization committee 7-5. The historic bill, authored by Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego) and sponsored by Equality California, would require the…
In the wake of a recent White House conference covering the importance of anti-discrimination and anti-bullying legislation for LGBT youth, California Congressman Bob Filner announced his plan to support such legislation and improve protection for LGBT students. Filner stated that “our children deserve a safe place to learn,” and that “bullying, hate and discrimination have…
Democratic U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (CA), Patrick Leahy (VT), Kristen Gillibrand (NY), Christopher Coons (DE) and Richard Blumenthal (CT) will hold a press conference Wednesday in order to announce legislation designed to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The conference will take place at 2:00 pm Wednesday in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in…
Today’s White House anti-bullying summit marks a major breakthrough in national support of LGBT safety initiatives. Together with the bicameral introduction of the Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act and the Student Non-Discrimination Act, as well as the Senate introduction of the Safe Schools Improvement Act earlier this week, the White House conference reinforces a…
Amidst the media flurry surrounding the Obama administration’s decision last week to discontinue court defense of the DOMA, the White House made another landmark move in support of LGBT equality. Officials announced last Friday that Jeremy Bernard, an openly gay senior adviser to the U.S. ambassador to France, will assume the position of President’ Obama’s…
The government has asked U.S. federal courts to uphold the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy as of Friday, even though the Obama administration has concluded that laws targeting gay Americans are, presumably, unconstitutional. Court documents state the request was made in an opening brief challenging a Southern California trial judge who in September ruled against…
