State of the Union

WASHINGTON -- President Obama continued his trend of including references to LGBT people in his State of the Union address Tuesday night. [ Read more → ]

While there was only one direct reference to anything gay in President Obama’s third State of the Union address, the speech and a large number of White House activities surrounding it was inclusive of gays. [ Read more → ]

Colonel Ginger Wallace, an openly lesbian intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force, will be one of two openly gay people in the First Lady’s gallery seats tonight, when President Obama delivers his State of the Union address for 2012. The second openly gay guest is Lorelei Kilker, an environmental chemist who was part of the government’s class action suit to secure equal wages for women. [ Read more → ]

WASHINGTON -- White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said on Friday he wouldn’t rule “in or out” the possibility of President Obama endorsing same-sex marriage in the upcoming State of the Union address. [ Read more → ]

President Obama once again brought up the issue of gays in the military during his annual State of the Union address. Last year, he called for repeal of the federal law barring openly gay people from serving. This year, just a month after having signed a bill to repeal that law, the president... [ Read more → ]

Obama’s relationship with the LGBT community has been much like a stormy marriage that is saved by the husband delivering bouquets of red roses only moments before the divorce papers arrive. With flowers in hand, the disillusioned spouse remembers why she fell in love in the first place... [ Read more → ]

Press Secretary Robert Gibbs dodged the subject of same-sex marriage at Monday’s press briefing when Washington Blade reporter Chris Johnson grilled him on President Barack Obama’s apparent flip-flop on gay marriage. [ Read more → ]

Daniel Hernandez Jr., the openly gay congressional intern who rushed to the aid of his boss, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, when a shooting rampage erupted around them in Tucson, Ariz., two weeks ago, has been invited to attend the State of the Union address. [ Read more → ]

Making an assessment about the "State of the Union" can be a very subjective exercise. There are, however, objective measurements that can be found that enable people to apply to whatever place, time, or view of the union they wish in making their assessment. And, for LGBT people, here are a few of those to reflect upon... [ Read more → ]

President Obama in his State of the Union address tonight asked the United States Congress to repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that prohibits openly gay service men and women in the military. Obama, who made repeal of the ban a campaign pledge, has... [ Read more → ]