News

A proposal in the Ohio Legislature to prohibit employment and housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is making progress for the first time, after years of languishing in committee. The Democratic-controlled House is poised to bring the legislation up for a vote when lawmakers return next week from a break. It was […]

A federal judge on Thursday ordered the state of Washington to continue shielding the identities of people who signed petitions to force a vote on expanded benefits for gay couples. U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle (pictured) in Tacoma granted the preliminary injunction involving petitions for Referendum 71 while a related case moves forward on the […]

LOS ANGELES — L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center Chief Executive Officer Lorri L. Jean issued a statement yesterday, calling Assemblymember Michael Duvall’s extra-marital affairs “despicable.” “Even as he resigns in shame, former California Assemblymember Michael Duvall is wallowing in hypocrisy. While engaging in extra-marital affairs, he used ‘family values’ as a justification to vote against […]

SACRAMENTO — A Republican state assemblyman in California resigned Wednesday amid growing outrage over a videotape that caught him bragging in graphic detail about having sex with a female lobbyist and another woman. Mike Duvall, 54, whose votes on family-oriented bills received high marks from conservatives, said he is quitting because his “inappropriate comments have […]

California’s two Democratic U.S. senators, Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, are facing increased pressure from LGBT leaders to take charge on pro-gay legislation as Congress returns from its summer recess, according to The Bay Area Reporter. The calls for the two female lawmakers to take the lead in pushing for LGBT bills have increased since […]

UPDATED 17:30 PT — A judge on Tuesday refused to block a proposed ballot initiative on expanded domestic partnership benefits for gay couples in Washington state. Thurston County Superior Court Judge Thomas McPhee rejected arguments today in an Olympia courtroom in the lawsuit filed by Washington Families Standing Together. The group challenged the validity of […]

Alexi Giannoulias is running for the U.S. Senate, and says he favors legalization of same-sex marriage and repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act. The 33 year old Illinois State Treasurer, who in July announced his bid for the U.S. Senate seat once held by President Barack Obama, has been a longtime supporter of gay […]

Maine’s Catholic church continues to be active in the fight against same sex marriage. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland has asked churches to take up a special second collection next weekend to support Stand For Marriage Maine, the group leading the effort to repeal Maine’s same sex marriage law. Bishop Richard Malone also noted […]

ALBANY — Gay marriage may be on the New York state Senate’s agenda as early as this month if Gov. Paterson has his way. In an interview with the Advocate on Thursday, Paterson said he intends to put the bill legalizing same-sex marriage on the agenda when he calls the Legislature back into session to […]

SACRAMENTO — A bill to designate a day of honor for slain gay-rights activist Harvey Milk could be headed for another veto by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger once the California legislature sends it his way. The bill to designate Milk’s birthday, May 22, as a day of “special significance,” was passed by both houses of the […]

Supporters of Washington’s “everything but marriage” gay partnerships are continuing their court battle over Referendum 71. R-71’s conservative sponsors have collected enough petitions to force a vote on the latest expansion of domestic partnership rights, but gay-rights activists say that state election officials accepted thousands of improper signatures, and filed a lawsuit in Thurston County […]

The fate of Maine’s gay marriage law now lies in the hands of the voters. Election officials announced Wednesday that gay marriage foes surpassed the threshold of signatures necessary to put the state law on the November ballot, setting the stage for a furious, two-month campaign. The referendum means Maine voters have the chance to […]

Protect Maine Equality has released its first two television ads following Wednesday’s announcement that a ballot measure to repeal the state’s marriage equality laws has made it November’s ballot. (See related post.) The first features Sam Putnam af Portland, who plays high school football and baseball, and is the pride and joy of his mother, […]

Meet Sam Putnam of Portland, he plays high school football and baseball, and is the pride and joy of his mother, Jennifer and her partner, Michelle. For Sam, it’s pretty basic — this is his family and he wants them to be valued and treated equally in Maine. See related posts: Maine gay marriage on […]

Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri is defending his decision to speak at a fundraiser for a Massachusetts group that considers homosexuality “destructive” and “an unhealthy practice.” Carcieri said on WPRO Radio on Wednesday that he agreed at the request of a friend to be the keynote speaker at a fund raising banquet for Massachusetts Family […]

Same-sex couples in Vermont began exchanging vows at the stroke of midnight on Tuesday morning, taking advantage of the state’s new marriage equality law. Bill Slimback and Bob Sullivan (pictured) were among the the first same-sex couples to legally marry under the new law that took effect at 12 a.m. September 1. Slimback and Sullivan […]

The Anoka-Hennepin School District reported that two teachers who repeatedly mocked a student they believed was gay are on leave, a district official said Tuesday. Diane Cleveland and Walter Filson were placed on leave within the past week, said Ginny Karbowski, director of career and technical education for the Secondary Technical Education Program (STEP), where […]

Washington state’s Referendum 71, which will give voters a chance to overturn the new “everything but marriage” same-sex domestic partnership law, has moved a step closer to being on the November ballot. The secretary of state’s office ruled Monday that the referendum had 121,486 valid voter signatures, nearly a thousand more than needed to make […]

Vermont’s gay marriage law is set to go into effect on Tuesday, September 1st, and supporters of same-sex marriage already are gearing up for what promises to be an emotional week. But officials are not expecting a rush to the altar. The landscape has changed since 2000, when lawmakers passed the civil union legislation, making […]

A Dallas County jury handed down a 75 year prison sentence Thursday for Bobby Singleton (pictured, on left) for brutally beating and robbing Jimmy Lee Dean (pictured, on right) in what prosecutors say was an anti-gay attack. The jury found Singleton guilty as charged Wednesday of aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony punishable by five to […]