SAN FRANCISCO – U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey S. White has ruled the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional, in Golinski v. Office of Personnel Management, Karen Golinski’s challenge to the denial of her request for equal health insurance benefits for her wife. Golinski, a federal court employee, brought suit after her request was…
LONDON – The Equality and Human Rights Commission has successfully defended an appeal in the Court of Appeal against a ruling in the County Court which found that hotel owners had directly discriminated against a gay couple. Peter and Hazelmary Bull, owners of the Chymorvah Hotel near Penzance, England appealed against the County Court’s decision…
WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is joining with the Center for Equality in Arkansas and calling on the Northwest Arkansas Times to drop their discriminatory policy of refusing to run the engagement and wedding announcements of same-sex couples. Recently, the paper rejected an announcement submitted by Cody Renegar and Thomas Staed. The newspaper…
The LGBT community celebrates another victory following an announcement Monday that Verizon Communications has implemented a “gender identity or expression” protection to its non-discrimination policy. The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) urged Verizon Communications to adopt the policy after a five year effort of filing shareholder resolutions. “This is a significant victory for the UUA’s shareholder…
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia – The anti-gay draft law, prohibiting the so-called propaganda of “sodomy, lesbianism, bisexualism and transgenderism” as well as pedophilia to minors, has passed in its second reading in St. Petersburg, Russia. Five activists who protested in front of the city parliament building were arrested and are still being detained. St. Petersburg, the…
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded $7.5 million dollars in an effort to promote fair housing laws including protections for the LGBT community. Local and state agencies who have been awarded the funds will be used to promote the Department’s new Equal Access to Housing regulation, a non-discriminatory policy that that…
The Chairs of Mayors for the Freedom to Marry group – including Mayors Michael Bloomberg, Antonio Villaraigosa, Annise Parker, and San Diego’s Jerry Sanders — have pledged their support for ending same-sex marriage discrimination and have applauded the 9th circuit ruling that has deemed Proposition 8 as unconstitutional. More than 130 bipartisan mayors across the…
WASHINGTON – The tax returns for Mitt Romney’s charitable foundation reveal that the GOP presidential hopeful has given at least $35,000 in recent years to groups actively working to halt the spread of LGBT equality and, in some cases, intentionally demonize LGBT people. The revelation comes two weeks after Romney said in New Hampshire that…
SAO PÃULO – The Brazilian state of São Paulo, in partnership with the São Paulo City Metro (subway), have launched a campaign to combat homophobia throughout their subway stations. The campaign entitled, See beyond prejudice. Respect differences aims to increase respect toward, and decrease discrimination against, LGBT people living in Sao Paulo. The first stage…
Saturday, Jan. 28 Shaun Donovan, secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), announced a significant new anti-discrimination policy. From his prepared speech to the recent Creating Change Conference: “Today, I am proud to announce a new Equal Access to Housing Rule that says clearly and unequivocally that LGBT individuals and couples have the right to…
