gay rights

Several House Democrats will introduce legislation next week to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act, the 1996 law that bars the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages, The Advocate reported yesterday.
The bill, sponsored by Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) Jared Polis (D-Col.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), already has the support of more than 50 [...]

Politico’s Ben Smith reports:
Reacting to a rising tide of anger from gay and lesbian supporters at a series of slights and deferred promises, President Obama will tomorrow extend some benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees.
The move, which begins to mirror the policy of many large corporations, will have an immediate effect for many workers, [...]

The anti-gay marriage group piggybacks off the endless Miss California drama with an e-mail to supporters from Executive Director Brian Brown:
Here’s my message to Carrie: Congratulations. Free at last. Free at last. Free at last to craft your own mission and message. God has a plan for you Carrie and we look forward to [...]

A plan to insert the right to carry a concealed weapon across state lines has the support of some gay rights advocates.

The anti-gay marriage group, which pre-emptively declared victory over New Hampshire’s stalemated marriage legislation, sends out a statement responding to this week’s passage. Executive Director Brian Brown:
I helped found NOM because I believe that values voters need new avenues for political influence. No more paper tigers. No more Potemkin villages.  Stay tuned: This fight is [...]

The following is Sen. Barbara Boxer’s (D-Calif.) response to today’s California Supreme Court decision upholding the state’s recently renewed ban on same-sex marriage.
Unfortunately, with this decision, I am concerned that we are back to square one on the issue of equal rights for same-sex couples. This ruling sets up a very unfair reality in California [...]

The Los Angeles Times reports:
The California Supreme Court today upheld Proposition 8’s ban on same-sex marriage but also ruled that [18,000] gay couples who wed before the election will continue to be married under state law.
The decision virtually ensures another fight at the ballot box over marriage rights for gays. Gay rights activists say they [...]

With major gay rights victories in Iowa and Vermont in recent days, the movement seem to be on the upswing in much of the country. Arizona, however, is another story. While Democrats may be eyeing The Grand Canyon state as a historically red state that could turn blue in 2012, it may not be moving [...]

Today was certainly a red-letter day for supporters of gay rights. In addition to the Vermont Legislature’s passage, and then veto-override, of a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in the state, the District of Columbia City Council today unanimously voted to recognize same-sex marriages from other states.

The Vermont Legislature voted Tuesday to allow same-sex couples to wed in that state, overriding Republican Gov. Jim Douglas’ veto. Vermont is the first state to allow same-sex marriage by legislative approval and the fourth in the nation overall — after Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa. The law will take effect Sept. 1.