Washington State has expanded same-sex domestic-partner benefits thanks to a measure the legislature passed, according to Seattlepi.com . Gov. Chris Gregoire"who said she will sign the bill into law"said, "his legislation will expand basic benefits, provide better financial security and ensure equal treatment for domestic partners living in Washington State. ... We have to respect and protect all of the families that make up our communities." Senate Bill 5688 passed out of the state Senate by a 30-18 vote; a similar measure passed through the House 62-35.
In Nevada, Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons has said that he will veto the domestic-partner bill now under consideration in the state Senate. After a meeting with the state's Board of Examiners, Gibbons said "I just don't believe in" the measure, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The bill must be approved by April 21, or it will be considered dead for the remainder of the legislative session.
A new gay Republican group, GOProud, launched as the National Log Cabin Republicans kicked off its annual convention in D.C., according to the Washington Blade. Jimmy LaSalvia, a former Log Cabin policy director, is GOProud's executive director while Chris Barron, a former Log Cabin political director, will be the board chair. Barron has stressed that GOProud will be radically different from the Log Cabins because his group is "actually going to focus on Republican issues" such as tax cuts, a stronger national defense and privatization of Social Security.
Former Illinois Senate candidate Alan Keyes has made strong statements about Mary Cheney, the openly gay daughter of former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, the Washington Blade reported. In an interview with Sirius Out Q satellite radio, Keyes slammed same-sex marriage, saying it "is based simply on the premise of selfish hedonism." When the host replied, "I don't think Dick Cheney would like to hear that about his daughter, Keyes replied, "Dick Cheney may or may not like to hear the truth, but it can be spoken." Some Republican leaders have criticized Keyes for his remarks.
For the third consecutive year, Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell's award-winning book And Tango Makes Three"a children's story about two male penguins caring for an orphaned egg"leads the American Library Association's ( ALA ) Top 10 list of the Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2008, according to ResourceShelf.com . Other books incorporated gay themes that made the list include Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Sarah S. Brannen's Uncle Bobby's Wedding.
Hoping to recoup church property and millions of dollars in endowed funds, the national Episcopal Church has filed a lawsuit against a local group that split from the church late last year, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. The group, led by Bishop Jack Iker, has opposed the Episcopal Church for accepting a gay bishop and same-sex unions as well as ordaining female priests.
In Iowa, openly gay State Sen. Matt McCoy has received a death threat, according to the Chicago Tribune. The threat was made as same-sex marriage foes continue to pressure legislators to reverse a ruling by the Iowa Supreme Court that legalized gay marriages in Iowa.
Imagine having Elton John sing at your wedding. That actually happened when tennis superstar Andy Roddick recently married Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker at Roddick's Texas home, according to CBSSports.com . LGBT and tennis icon Billie Jean King was among the attendees.
Charles Merrill, 75"a cousin to the founder of Merrill Lynch"lauded marriage-equality rallies held at post offices around the country April 15, according to PR Newswire. The rallies protested taxation without representation by same-sex married couples. Merrill said that he would happily pay his taxes"but not until he receives the same rights that heterosexual taxpayers currently have.
President Barack Obama has made more appointments to key administrative positions"including Fred P. Hochberg, who is openly gay, as president and chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, according to a White House press release. Laurie Mikva of Illinois has been named a board member of the Legal Services Corporation.
In a huge victory for transgender people born in California, the state's Court of Appeal ruled that any person can amend his or her California birth certificate regardless of the person's current state of residence, according to a Transgender Law Center press release. The center brought the case on behalf of Gigi Marie Somers, a 67-year-old transwoman who was born in California and now lives in Kansas.
The Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) hand-delivered an online petition that 46,000 users signed to the Washington, D.C., offices of the law firm Kirkland & Ellis, where Ken Starr is of counsel, according to an HRC press release. Starr recently argued before the California Supreme Court to both uphold Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage, and to strike down the 18,000 marriages performed when marriage equality was legal in the state. To view video of the delivery of the petitions, visit www.endthelies.org .
LGBT-rights groups are complaining about the firing of a Oklahoma high school teacher Debra Taylor, who lost her job after showing the film The Laramie Project, which centers on the late Wyoming student Matthew Shepard, USA Today reported. However, the school district said Taylor was fired after she held a mock "funeral" for a canceled film production of the play.
In Missouri, Democratic State Sen. Jolie Justus has said that her resolution honoring the Heartland Men's Chorus has been rejected because it mentions gay men and combatting homophobia, KSPR.com reported. Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields said he won't sign the resolution" although state legislators approve hundreds of such courtesy resolutions annually"because some lawmakers might not want to be attached to it.
The LGBT event known as Equality Forum 2009 will take place April 27-May 3 in Philadelphia. The Annual Equality Forum comprises seven days of substantive programs, parties and special events in collaboration with over 65 regional, national and international organizations. The forum's signature event, the International Equality Dinner, will honor San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom with the 14th annual International Role Model Award and The New York Times Company with the 7th annual International Business Leadership Award.
OutAdvisor.com, a new Web site featuring worldwide travel-related listings and reviews for the LGBT community, has launched. Using OutAdvisor, anyone can add a listing for a business that is LGBT-owned and/or -run, or that is especially GLBT-friendly. The site, which has over 6,000 listings covering the globe so far, is completely free.
