Category: Washington (State)
Supreme Court rejects petition secrecy of anti-gay ballot initiative
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that gay marriage opponents do not have an automatic legal right to prevent public release of the names and addresses of the signers of a Washington state ballot measure favoring traditional marriage, reports Reuters.
The high court’s 8-1 ruling was a defeat for a group called Protect Marriage Washington. It had argued that public disclosure could lead to threats, harassment or reprisal.
More than 138,000 individuals signed a petition in 2009 to put a referendum on the state ballot that would have overturned a new state law extending the benefits of marriage to couples registered as domestic partners. The referendum failed.
According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the ruling dealt broadly with claims by foes of the new gay rights law that disclosing their names would violate their First Amendment rights. Continue reading…
Previously from LGBTQ Nation:
Seattle gay man attacked outside community center amid anti-gay slurs
Police arrest man for tagging anti-gay slurs in Seattle neighborhood
Washington's 'everything but marriage' law goes into effect
Election night brings victory and defeat for gay candidates, issues across the nation
Voters approved domestic partner benefits measure in Washington state
Washington voters to decide gay partnership rights on Tuesday
Seattle gay man attacked outside community center amid anti-gay slurs
A man told police he was beaten Sunday night in the parking lot of the Seattle Filipino Community Center because he is gay, and police arrested the man who allegedly made homophobic threats after the assault.
The suspect, 22, posted bond and was released from King County Jail on Monday night.
According to SLOG:
When officers arrived, the victim, a black man in his early 20s, said he and his female friend had left the community center to grab something from her vehicle.
Upon returning to the building, two men in their earlier 20s confronted the man. The men — one of whom the victim knew as a friend of his cousin — trapped the victim between two cars, and they “then punched the victim with closed fists on both sides of the victim’s face,” the report says. “Then both suspects began to yell at the victim and stated ‘You gay motherfucker.’”
Security staff working for an event inside the community center responded to the assault and apprehended the man that the victim knew. The second man, the police report says, fled the scene while yelling, “I wanna beat your ass, you gay ass motherfucker.”
The suspect posted bond and was released from King County Jail on Monday night.
Previously from LGBTQ Nation:
Supreme Court rejects petition secrecy of anti-gay ballot initiative
Police arrest man for tagging anti-gay slurs in Seattle neighborhood
Washington's 'everything but marriage' law goes into effect
Election night brings victory and defeat for gay candidates, issues across the nation
Voters approved domestic partner benefits measure in Washington state
Washington voters to decide gay partnership rights on Tuesday
Police arrest man for tagging anti-gay slurs in Seattle neighborhood
A man suspected of spray-painting homophobic slurs on a number of West Seattle buildings was arrested Thursday morning, reports KOMO-TV.
Ryan J. Cox, 31, was arrested without incident and booked into King County Jail.
Cox was arrested in May for spray-painting the same gay slur on many businesses and a garage door. And it was that garage door that incriminated him.
The owner of the garage grew tired after being tagged seven different times. In hopes of catching the vandal, he installed a hidden camera across the street and snapped pictures of the artist in action.
Police believe the pictures show Cox spray-painting the slur.
“This is a hate crime, in my opinion,” said the victim, who wished to remain anonymous.
Hate crime is a felony punishable by serious jail time.
Last May, Cox was charged with only misdemeanors for his anti-gay graffiti, and spent one month in jail.
Previously from LGBTQ Nation:
Supreme Court rejects petition secrecy of anti-gay ballot initiative
Seattle gay man attacked outside community center amid anti-gay slurs
Washington's 'everything but marriage' law goes into effect
Election night brings victory and defeat for gay candidates, issues across the nation
Voters approved domestic partner benefits measure in Washington state
Washington voters to decide gay partnership rights on Tuesday
Washington’s ‘everything but marriage’ law goes into effect
Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed and Governor Chris Gregoire have made it official, certifying that voters adopted the “everything but marriage” domestic partnership law approved by the Legislature last spring.
Gregoire, Reed certify R-71
Referendum 71, placed on the ballot by foes of same-sex marriage, was approved by a margin of more than 110,000 votes, or more than 6 percentage points.
National media describe it as the country’s first voter-approved domestic partnership or “everything-but-marriage” law.
The new law had been on hold pending the public vote, and will now go into effect at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, 30 days after the Nov. 3 General Election.
The law applies to state-registered domestic partners, both same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples where at least one partner is 62 or older.
The “everything but marriage” law grants gay couples more than 200 additional rights currently reserved for married spouses, including ensuring extended work leave for people with critically ill partners and preserving pension benefits for the surviving partner in the event of the other’s death.
According to the canvass of returns certified by Secretary Reed and later proclaimed by Governor Gregoire, R-71 had 951,822 votes to approve the law and 838,842 to repeal.
Previously from LGBTQ Nation:
Supreme Court rejects petition secrecy of anti-gay ballot initiative
Seattle gay man attacked outside community center amid anti-gay slurs
Police arrest man for tagging anti-gay slurs in Seattle neighborhood
Election night brings victory and defeat for gay candidates, issues across the nation
Voters approved domestic partner benefits measure in Washington state
Washington voters to decide gay partnership rights on Tuesday
Election night brings victory and defeat for gay candidates, issues across the nation
It was to be a night of hope and promise for the LGBT community, but instead the crushing defeat of Maine’s gay marriage law delivered another setback for gay rights advocates and overshadowed many other victories at the ballot box Tuesday.
In Maine, voters on Tuesday rejected a law allowing gay marriage, a closely fought referendum on the one year anniversary of a similar outcome in California.
In repealing the law passed by the legislature last May, Maine becomes the third state in which voters reversed government rulings to permit gay marriages, after California and Hawaii.
Full story on Maine’s gay marriage vote, here.
But in an apparent victory for gay rights supporters, Washington voters seemed to be approving Referendum 71, which expands the state’s domestic partnership law.
The so called “everything but marriage” law will grant gay couples more than 200 additional rights currently reserved for married spouses, including ensuring extended work leave for people with critically ill partners and preserving pension benefits for the surviving partner in the event of the other’s death.
Full story on Referendum 71, here.
In other races across the nation:
Out lesbian Annise Parker in run-off for Houston mayor
From the Houston Chronicle:
The race for Houston mayor narrowed Tuesday to a choice between a veteran City Hall insider hoping to become Houston’s first openly gay leader and a former civil rights activist hoping to become only the second African-American to run the nation’s fourth-largest city.
City Controller Annise Parker and former City Attorney Gene Locke, the two candidates originally predicted by many to prevail at the race’s outset, will face each other in a Dec. 12 runoff election.
Addressing a jubilant crowd, Parker looked ahead to the runoff election. “This race is not over,” she said. “In five weeks, we’ll claim victory.”
Kalamazoo voters approve anti-discrimination law
From the Kalamazoo Gazette:
In Kalamazoo, Michigan, voters decisively adopted a city ordinance Tuesday that extends anti-discrimination protections to gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender individuals.
The ordinance passed 7,671 to 4,731, making Kalamazoo the 16th city in Michigan to adopt such a gay-rights ordinance that grants the protections in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodations.
The ordinance was approved in all but three of the city’s voting places. It also passed among heavy absentee ballot voting.
Chapel Hill elects first openly gay mayor
From the Chapel Hill News:
In Chapel Hill, N.C., two-term councilman Mark Kleinschmidt, a death-penalty defense lawyer and gay rights advocate, narrowly defeated colleague Matt Czajkowski to take the reins as mayor.
Kleinschmidt received 48.6 percent of the vote in the four-person mayoral race.
“We have a divided community right now, and that’s got to be job No. 1 to address that,” Kleinschmidt said. “The first thing is to talk to Matt.”
Kleinschmidt’s victory marks the first time an openly gay candidate has won Chapel Hill’s mayoral office, and only the third time an openly gay man has been elected mayor of a town in North Carolina.
St. Petersburg elects first openly gay official
From the St. Petersburg Times:
In St. Petersburg, Florida, The City Council will welcome one fresh face: Steve Kornell.
When he takes office Jan. 2, Kornell will become the first openly gay person elected to office in St. Petersburg. It’s a significant milestone in a city with a large gay community that has faced opposition to pride displays under conservative leadership.
Kornell has an extensive background working with city recreation centers, running both Childs Park and Shore Acres. He wrote a grant that still brings in millions for teen programs in the area.
Detroit elects openly gay city council president
From the Detroit Free Press:
Detroit elected openly gay former Fox News reporter Charles Pugh to the city council Tuesday.
By capturing the most votes, Pugh, who survived negative publicity due to his foreclosure woes, will be council president.
“This is unbelievable,” Pugh told the Free Press before a victory speech.
“It means Detroit has really wanted change for a very long time.”
Previously from LGBTQ Nation:
Appeals court reverses Texas same-sex divorce case
Florida GOP candidate trifecta: no gay marriage, adoption, or foster parenting
Police suspect 'hate crime' in stabbing attack after anti-gay rant on 'Craigslist'
Gay marriage irony: 13 states still have no laws against bestiality
Supreme Court rejects petition secrecy of anti-gay ballot initiative
Popular gay campground targeted with anti-gay graffiti
Voters approved domestic partner benefits measure in Washington state
In a victory for gay rights supporters, voters in Washington state have approved Referendum 71, a measure to expand the state’s domestic partnership law.
The results are a disappointment to religious conservatives, who had mounted an aggressive campaign against conferring additional benefits on committed gay couples and some senior couples.
The so called “everything but marriage” law will grant gay couples more than 200 additional rights currently reserved for married spouses, including ensuring extended work leave for people with critically ill partners and preserving pension benefits for the surviving partner in the event of the other’s death.
At last count, the measure had a narrow, but firm lead with 51.12% of voters in favor of the expanded domestic partner benefits, 48.88% opposed, and the trend is expected to hold once all the votes are tabulated. Continue reading…
Previously from LGBTQ Nation:
Gay marriage irony: 13 states still have no laws against bestiality
Supreme Court rejects petition secrecy of anti-gay ballot initiative
Marc Delphine: Oregon's first openly gay candidate to seek federal office
Virginia governor strips 'sexual orientation' from state's non-discrimination policy
Seattle gay man attacked outside community center amid anti-gay slurs
Police arrest man for tagging anti-gay slurs in Seattle neighborhood
Washington voters to decide gay partnership rights on Tuesday
On Tuesday, voters will “approve” or “reject” the final expansion to the state’s domestic partnership law, which grants registered domestic partners additional state-granted rights currently given only to married couples.
Referendum 71 gives voters the final decision over a bill passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor earlier this year.
The so called “everything but marriage” law would grant gay couples 1,100 rights currently reserved for married spouses, including ensuring extended work leave for people with critically ill partners and preserving pension benefits for the surviving partner in the event of the other’s death.
“For all purposes under state law,” the bill said, “state-registered domestic partners shall be treated the same as married spouses.”
In Washington State, bills approved by the Legislature can be put to a public vote if enough signatures are gathered, allowing for a “people’s veto.” Protect Marriage Washington narrowly met the threshold of more than 120,000 valid signatures in early September, placing the measure on Tuesday’s ballot. Continue reading…
Previously from LGBTQ Nation:
Gay marriage irony: 13 states still have no laws against bestiality
Supreme Court rejects petition secrecy of anti-gay ballot initiative
Prop 8 opponents must release campaign materials, judge rules
Lambda Legal, NJ gay couples back in court over right to marry
NJ gay marriage advocates taking their case back to state supreme court
Hayworth says gay marriage will lead to bestiality
WA voters will have final say on gay partnership benefits Tuesday
Washington state’s slow-but-steady approach to increasing rights and benefits to gay and lesbian couples hit its first snag just as the three-year process appeared to be complete.
After lawmakers passed the state’s first domestic partnership bill in 2007, and then expanded it a year later, they completed the package with the so-called “everything but marriage” bill that was signed into law by Gov. Chris Gregoire earlier this year.
On Tuesday, voters get the final say on whether they think lawmakers overstepped their bounds.
Referendum 71 asks voters to “approve” or “reject” the final expansion to the state’s domestic partnership law, which grants registered domestic partners additional state-granted rights currently given only to married couples. Under state law, heterosexual seniors also can register as domestic partners. Continue reading…
Previously from LGBTQ Nation:
Supreme Court rejects petition secrecy of anti-gay ballot initiative
Prop 8 opponents must release campaign materials, judge rules
Lambda Legal, NJ gay couples back in court over right to marry
NJ gay marriage advocates taking their case back to state supreme court
Hayworth says gay marriage will lead to bestiality
Maryland AG: State must recognize gay unions performed out-of-state
Referendum 71 foes sue to raise donation limits
From The Seattle Times:
Apparently emboldened by recent legal victories — including a case being considered by the U.S. Supreme Court — groups opposed to Washington’s domestic-partnership law and working to defeat Referendum 71 are suing again in federal court, this time to lift the state’s limits on campaign contributions.
With some major funding in the offing, the Family Policy Institute of Washington, through its newly formed Family political-action committee (PAC), filed suit in U.S. District Court in Tacoma late Wednesday.
Family PAC wants a federal judge to declare unconstitutional the state’s public-disclosure laws, which limit to $5,000 contributions from businesses and individuals made within 21 days of the election.
The laws also require campaigns to disclose names and addresses of those who donate more than $25. Those contributing more than $100 must also include their employers’ names and addresses, as well as their occupations. The suit seeks to keep all that information from being disclosed.
The group acknowledges that there are substantial contributions the campaign wants to accept but can’t because of the limits.
Previously from LGBTQ Nation:
Gay marriage irony: 13 states still have no laws against bestiality
Supreme Court rejects petition secrecy of anti-gay ballot initiative
Marc Delphine: Oregon's first openly gay candidate to seek federal office
Virginia governor strips 'sexual orientation' from state's non-discrimination policy
Seattle gay man attacked outside community center amid anti-gay slurs
Police arrest man for tagging anti-gay slurs in Seattle neighborhood
U.S. Supreme Court seals names of R-71 petitioners
In a rare move, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld an order preventing Washington State from releasing the names of more than 120,000 people who signed petitions seeking a voter referendum on whether to give same-sex couples most of the same rights as married couples.
The cerendum 71 on the November ballot should continue to be sealed until the court decides whether it will hear an appeal in the case — a process that could take up to a year, reports the Seattle Times.
The 8-to-1 decision by the high court continues an order issued Monday by Justice Anthony Kennedy, who had temporarily blocked a ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ordering release of the names. Justice John Paul Stevens voted to uphold the appeals court ruling, releasing the names.
Protect Marriage Washington had sued the state of Washington to block release of Ref. 71 petition signers’ names, saying to make the names public would chill signers’ First Amendment free-speech rights.
The Supreme Court said its order will remain in effect while the court considers filings from both sides to reach a decision about whether to take up Protect Marriage’s request to reverse the appeals court ruling — a process that could take up to a year.. Continue reading…
Previously from LGBTQ Nation:
Gay marriage irony: 13 states still have no laws against bestiality
Supreme Court rejects petition secrecy of anti-gay ballot initiative
Prop 8 opponents must release campaign materials, judge rules
Lambda Legal, NJ gay couples back in court over right to marry
NJ gay marriage advocates taking their case back to state supreme court
Hayworth says gay marriage will lead to bestiality
