Lambda Legal and the Northwest Women's Law Center filed a lawsuit Monday in state court in Seattle seeking the right to marry for same-sex couples in Washington State. The case, on behalf of six same-sex couples who were denied marriage licenses this morning at the King County Clerk's office, argues that denying marriage to same-sex couples violates the state Constitution's guarantees of equality, liberty and privacy for all Washingtonians. The case is the first of its kind to be filed in Washington since the Massachusetts high court ruled that same-sex couples are entitled to full marriage under that state's Constitution.
Seattle, Wash., Mayor Greg Nickels said that while he can't authorize same sex couples to marry, he will recognize the same-sex unions performed in other jurisdictions. Nickels signed an executive order giving gay employees who are in civil unions or marriages the same benefits the city offers to married heterosexual employees.
The Rev. Canon V. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the U.S. Episcopal Church, officially took the helm this weekend in New Hampshire, reports Reuters. Robinson, escorted by two bodyguards, received a standing ovation when he took the bishop's staff from former bishop Right Rev. Douglas Theuner.
The Massachusetts legislature resumes its constitutional convention tomorrow to come to some resolution on whether the state should amend its constitution to ban gays from marrying, reports the Berkshire Eagle. Even if the state allows gay marriage, gays and lesbians from Illinois and 37 other states may not be allowed to marry in Massachusetts because of a 1913 law that prohibits marriage licenses for people whose home states would not allow the marriage.
In Hawaii, the state legislature is poised to approve a bill that would add sexual orientation to the housing anti-discrimination law, reports the Honolulu Advertiser.
Also in Hawaii, the state's Civil Rights Commission argued to the state supreme court that the commission has the right to investigate claims of discrimination based on gender identity, reports Pacific Business News. A lower court ruled the commission did not have the right to investigate five claims that a retail inventory company discriminated against transgender employees.
About 400 LGBT Asians were expected to attend a regional networking conference in New York City this weekend, reports Sampan. 'Queer Asian Pacific Legacy' hoped to bring South Asian and East Asian LGBT people together to discuss ways to solidify the community. A similar conference was held nearly 10 years ago.
The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts will hear a case of child support involving two lesbians. The twist is the child was born three months after the couple broke up. The nonbiological mother said she reluctantly agreed to the artificial insemination but had no intention of being the parent of her then-partner's child.
A transgender model who made headlines by being the first person in China to legally have her gender altered on her birth certificate will not be allowed to participate in the Miss Universe competition, reports Gay.com . Chen Lili received approval to compete from Miss Universe's China office but received the news later from the international headquarters in New York that she would not be allowed to compete.
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