News

SAN FRANCISCO — California education officials took the first step this week toward complying with a law that requires public schools to include prominent gay people and gay rights’ milestones in the curriculum, adopting a set of classroom material guidelines that prohibit “pejorative descriptions” based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Democratic Party is asking marriage-supporting donors for money to help “pass a referendum recognizing equality,” but leaders haven’t endorsed the only effort under way in the state to put the issue on the ballot for voters.

CLARKSDALE, Miss. — An attorney for relatives of a slain Mississippi mayoral candidate said Thursday that the sheriff’s department has mishandled evidence and withheld information about its investigation.

SPRINGFIELD, IL — Illinois Governor Pat Quinn on Thursday called on state lawmakers in the House to send him the bill that would legalize same-sex marriage, and said they have had enough time to consider the pending legislation.

Openly gay U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan’s husband has received an ID issued only to the spouses of federal lawmakers. It is the first time the House has recognized the same-sex husband of a member with the House Spouse ID.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Thursday expressed concerns over whether or not the final draft of a comprehensive immigration reform bill would contain protections for foreign-born partners of gay Americans, but would not commit to voting for such an amendment.

PHILADELPHIA — Mayor Michael Nutter signed legislation Thursday to afford equal rights to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, saying he hoped Philadelphia would become “the most LGBT-friendly” city in the world.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Transgender students would have the right to use public school restrooms and participate on sports teams that correspond with their expressed genders under a bill approved Thursday in the California Assembly.

A successful television producer says that an informal invitation to speak at his northern Arkansas high school’s commencement ceremonies this year was rescinded because he is gay.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A pivotal vote Thursday in the Minnesota House positioned that state to become the 12th in the country to allow gay marriages and the first in the Midwest to pass such a law out of its Legislature.