In Maryland, a circuit court ruled that it is a violation of the state constitution to deny same-sex couples the numerous protections provided to married couples, according to the Baltimore Sun. Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Brooke Murdock issued a decision finding that denying same-sex couples the ability to marry violates the state constitution's Equal Rights Amendment, which protects against sexual discrimination. She also found that there is not even a rational basis for denying same-sex couples the ability to marry. Lisa Polyak, a plaintiff in the case, said in an American Civil Liberties Union release that she and her partner participated 'for our children. Tonight, we will rest a little easier knowing that those protections are within reach.'
A Senate committee narrowly killed legislation barring gay adoptive parents in other states from getting both of their names listed on birth certificates issued by Virginia, according to the Associated Press. The Education and Health Committee voted 8-7 to kill the measure, which Sen. Emmett Hanger, R-Augusta, filed in response to a ruling by the Virginia Supreme Court.
COLAGE ( Children Of Lesbians And Gays Everywhere ) issued a release announcing the first grant program for Hurricane Katrina-related New Orleans area LGBT-headed households with kids. ( The program is made possible by a grant from The National Youth Advocacy Coalition's Hurricane Katrina LGBT Relief Fund. ) The grant application is available at www.colage.org or by calling ( 415 ) 861-KIDS ( 5437 ) ; the deadline is Feb. 10. Grants of $500 each will be awarded to the first 60 eligible families.
Rejecting an emotional videotaped plea from a dying lesbian police lieutenant on the verge of death, freeholders in Ocean County ( N.J. ) declined once again to approve a resolution that would let county employees pass on their pension benefits to domestic partners, according to The New York Times. It now appears likely that the lieutenant, Laurel Hester, would die without seeing her quest fulfilled. Friends said she probably has only a few weeks to live.
Military Life: The Psychology of Serving in Peace and Combat, a new four-volume series, includes a chapter on the open service of gay troops, according to a release from The Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military. The chapter, which is included for the first time in the series, focuses on changes needed to lift the ban on openly gay servicemembers in the American armed forces.
An Oklahoma preacher who opposed gay rights stepped down from his congregation and the executive committee of the Southern Baptist Convention after being arrested for allegedly asking an undercover male police officer for oral sex, according to the Washington Blade. Lonnie Latham, 60, served as senior pastor of South Tulsa Baptist Church until he left the post following his arrest.
A recent ruling by a federal judge protects Internet hosts of gay male cruising sites that post sexual images and nude photos of paying members, the New York Blade noted. However, the ruling was mixed; First Amendment claims to protect privacy rights of pornographers made by the Free Speech Coalition were dismissed by U.S. District Judge Walker D. Miller.
The Gwen Araujo Justice for Victims Act, Assembly Bill 1160, which seeks to limit the 'gay panic' or 'trans panic' defense in murder trials, passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee by a 4-2 vote, Gay & Lesbian Times reported. If the measure passes the Legislature and is signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, it would amend jury instructions to state that the use of societal bias, including panic strategies, is inconsistent with the public policy of California.
University of Florida ( UF ) employees have to pledge that they are having sex with their domestic partners before qualifying for benefits under a new healthcare plan at the school, reported The Gainesville Sun. The partners of gay and heterosexual employees are eligible for coverage under UF's plan, which will take effect in February. However, some employees have expressed concern about an affidavit that requires a pledge of sexual activity.
The Gender Public Advocacy Coalition ( GenderPAC ) announced that the JPMorgan Chase Foundation has award a grant of $100,000 to support the work of the organization's GenderYOUTH Network student leaders. The network is a collaboration with youth activists on 38 campuses in 24 states who work to combat violence against bullying caused by gender stereotypes.
Brokeback Mountain star Jake Gyllenhaal and director Ang Lee will both be honored with the Human Rights Campaign's ( HRC's ) Equality Award at this year's Greater New York Gala Dinner, scheduled for Feb. 11. This past summer, the HRC honored Felicity Huffman at its San Francisco Gala Dinner for her work in the movie Transamerica and for her help in fostering an understanding of transgender Americans.
Pharmaceutical giants Gilead Sciences and Bristol-Myers Squibb contend that they have put aside their commercial rivalry to achieve a goal that seemed out of reach for 20 years: a single-pill, once-a-day AIDS treatment. WashingtonPost.com reported that the pill is to contain a regimen of three drugs already available on pharmacy shelves and that the regimen has been shown to be effective in multiple studies, including one published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
In Colorado, supporters of domestic partnerships for same-sex couples say they hope to avoid a divisive debate by asking voters to approve a set of legal protections without calling it a marriage, according to TheDenverChannel.com . State Rep. Tom Plant, D-Nederland, said that the partnerships would close a "legal loophole" and allow same-sex partners to automatically inherit each other's property, among other things.
SAGE ( Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders ) made history by being the first LGBT organization represented at December's White House Conference on Aging, according to an organization press release. The conference occurs every 10 years and brings together delegates from across the country to address elder issues.
HBO Sports has started production on Billie Jean King, a documentary that explores the personal and professional life of the iconic athlete and activist. The TV event is scheduled to debut April 26.
Family Pride has invited LGBT families to attend the annual White House Easter Egg Roll April 17. In a press release, the organization, which has been working for months to organize LGBT participation, reported that more than 100 families have signed up so far. See www.familypride.org/eggroll.
