In New Jersey, the Senate rejected a measure that would have made the state the sixth to approve same-sex marriage, the New York Times reported.The vote was 14 in favor of the bill and 20 against. Gay-marriage supporters had hoped for the measure to pass before Jan. 19, when Gov. Jon S. Corzine, who promised to sign it, will leave office; Republican Gov.-elect Christopher J. Christie opposes same-sex marriage.
The new year has brought change to New Hampshire as the state has become the fifth to allow same-sex marriage because of a measure Gov. John Lynch signed last year, USA Today reported. Any of the state's 600-plus same-sex couples who obtained a civil union can simply convert that certificate into a marriage license, according to a Windy City Times article that ran last June.
Research by the San Francisco-based Community Marketing Inc. has shown that gay travel has dropped for the first time in the 14 years the group has been tracking numbers, according to Sun-Sentinel.com . An October survey showed that 39 percent of respondents traveled about the same in the past year as the one before, but 35 percent traveled less—showing that the recession hit gay tourism harder than the 9/11 attacks.
Lisa Miller—a woman who renounced homosexuality after breaking up with partner Janet Jenkins—is being pursued by authorities after failing to turn over their child to Jenkins per a court order, the Rutland Herald reported. Miller, who was last known to reside in Forest, Va., has only appeared in Vermont ( Jenkins' home ) for court hearings since the couple's split almost seven years ago. The Rutland Family Court recently transferred custody from Miller to Jenkins after Miller would not allow Jenkins to visit their daughter.
In Michigan, police in Benton Harbor have arrested Calvin Jeff Wright, 23, in connection with a Dec. 12, 2009, attack, according to On Top Magazine. Authorities believe Wright punched a male victim at a gas station after asking "What's up?" The victim added that his attacker yelled anti-gay slurs while kicking him.
In San Diego, Calif., seven pro-LGBT organizations are being forced out of a subsidized building because of mold, according to On Top Magazine. Equality California, Marriage Equality USA and the Courage Campaign are among the groups forced to vacate the premises because of a mold problem triggered by substantial rains last November. The groups plan to still work together, even if they cannot all be in the same building.
In Santa Cruz, Calif., an arrest warrant has been issued for Cole White, a 24-year-old Redwood City resident suspected of a hate crime against a gay man at a nightclub, according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel. Investigators feel that White made anti-gay slurs at the gay-welcoming club the Blue Lagoon. White and the other man started to fight and were separated, but a second altercation took place that injured the man. Last year, the city investigated eight hate crimes.
In Rhode Island, the state legislature passed a measure that would allow a person's same-sex partner to arrange his or her funeral after Gov. Don Carcieri vetoed the bill, according to the Dallas Voice. In opposing the measure, the governor said, "This bill represents a disturbing trend over the past few years of the incremental erosion of the principles surrounding traditional marriage, which is not the preferred way to approach this issue." However, Marriage Equality Rhode Island Executive Director Kathy J. Kushnir praised the legislature's move, saying, "Now, at the worst time of their lives, people won't have to fight simply to lay their loved ones to rest."
Dutch man Clemens Ruland celebrated the U.S.'s lifting of the ban on HIV-positive visitors by going to New York City, according to the New York Post. Ruland admitted that when he last visited in 2004, he lied about his HIV status on a customs application. Ruland is believed to be the first HIV-positive foreign man to legally come into the U.S.
