The Senate Judiciary Committee begins consideration of the Gang of 8’s Immigration Reform Bill today. C-SPAN’s coverage should be must-see-TV for an audience of one: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. Among the potentially contentious issues facing the committee is the inclusion of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA). Under current law, special immigration provisions available…
One of the downsides of writing weekly is that you miss some good media cycles. By the time my column comes out, most of the news and analysis is done. Other than adding my kudos to the courage of Jason Collins, all there is really room for is a good old fashioned rant. Miami Dolphin’s…
In promoting the “Gang of 8” immigration bill, Sen. Marco Rubio emphasized one point: “This is not amnesty.” Whether you use Rubio’s definition – “the forgiveness of something,” or Merriam-Webster’s – “the act of an authority by which pardon is granted,” I agree. This is not amnesty. Forgiveness and pardon suggest that any debt is…
Jackie Robinson in Dodgers uniform, 1954 April 15 marked the 66th anniversary of Jackie Robinson becoming the first African American to play Major League Baseball. Most years, this wouldn’t cause a ripple in an LGBT community focused on the bizarre hurdles they face in tax law. This year, however, the anniversary came with 42, a…
When Rick Santorum ran for president, people asked if I was offended as a gay man. My reply, “No, I’m offended as a Pennsylvania native.” Similarly, the Supreme Court arguments on marriage equality didn’t upset me as a gay man, but the suspicious use of data offended me as a scientist. Let’s start with Justice…
The oral arguments on Proposition 8 (Hollingsworth v. Perry) and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA, United States v. Windsor) are over, and the pundits have had a week to sift through the transcripts ad nauseum. I think it’s only fair to take a look at what Politically Aware got right and wrong. https://lgbtweekly.jeffjungblut.com/?p=35247 First,…
The Voice and Viewpoint piece attacking District 4 City Council candidate Dwayne Crenshaw was homophobic. It was vitriolic. It was contemptible. Journalistically, however, it wasn’t the most sinister thing published about Crenshaw last week. That award goes to Voice of San Diego, for “The Candidate and the Troubled Non-Profit.” Say what you want about the…
Next week, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and Proposition 8. Only two things are certain. No decisions will be made, and activists and reporters will parse every word uttered to project how the Court will vote. To help you keep up with the rampant, pointless speculation,…
In 2010, political prognosticator Charlie Cook felt that Republicans might win back the Senate, unless they nominated far right candidates who would lose to moderate Democrats. As his prime example, Cook used Kentucky, where ophthalmologist Rand Paul was the Tea Party choice against the establishment favorite, Secretary of State Trey Grayson. (In Cook’s defense, this…
I spent last weekend in Washington, D.C. lobbying and learning with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America’s largest LGBT civil rights organization. I returned with a few stories to share. The last time I visited room 2410 in the Rayburn House office building with an HRC folder I got a forced smile from a staffer…
