Bi-national same-sex couples to be treated the same as opposite-sex couples in immigration petitions

Following the Supreme Court’s ruling last week on DOMA, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has directed the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to treat immigration visa petitions of bi-national same-sex spouses the same as those of an opposite-sex spouse. Napolitano’s statement follows: “After last week’s decision by the Supreme Court holding that Section 3…

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SCOTUS rulings on DOMA and Prop. 8: a roundup of statements

President Barack Obama on DOMA: “I applaud the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act.  This was discrimination enshrined in law.  It treated loving, committed gay and lesbian couples as a separate and lesser class of people.  The Supreme Court has righted that wrong, and our country is better off for…

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President Obama nominates gay men as ambassadors to Spain, Denmark

Today, President Barack Obama nominated Rufus Gifford as the next U.S. ambassador to Denmark, and James Costos as ambassador to Spain.  Both men are openly gay. James Costos is Vice President of Global Licensing and Retail for Home Box Office (HBO).  Before joining HBO in 2006, he was president and CEO of Eight Cylinders, Inc.,…

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White House highlights ‘Harvey Milk Champions of Change’

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Wednesday, May 22, the White House will honor ten openly LGBT elected or appointed officials as “Harvey Milk Champions of Change.”  The event falls on Harvey Milk’s birthday and will recognize these individuals for their commitment to equality and public service. “When President Obama posthumously awarded Harvey Milk the Medal of Freedom…

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President Obama announces Sally Ride as a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Today, President Barack Obama announced he will award a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom to Dr. Sally Ride, the first American female astronaut to travel to space.  The Medal of Freedom is the Nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the…

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