Mark Pocan

With fears over a Trump administration that could roll back LGBTQ rights, this comes as particularly good news.

Massachusetts became the first state to elect an openly gay attorney general, while the gay candidate in Maine’s gubernatorial race narrowly lost his chance to make history. Nationally, gay-rights activists worried that conservative gains in Congress would hamper their bid for federal anti-bias legislation.

MILWAUKEE — Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan has won a second term in the U.S. House seat representing the Madison area. Pocan, who is openly gay, defeated Republican Peter Theron on Tuesday.

MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Scott Walker and Democratic challenger Mary Burke sparred over same-sex marriage on Monday, with Burke saying the Republican incumbent was waffling on whether he believes gay couples should be able to get married in Wisconsin. Both Burke and Walker were asked about their positions on gay marriage during separate events in Madison.

MILWAUKEE — The four Democratic members of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation are asking U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to recognize the marriages of gay couples who recently wed in Wisconsin. More than 500 couples wed from June 6 to Friday after a federal judge declared Wisconsin’s ban on gay marriage unconstitutional.

MADISON, Wis. — A federal judge struck down Wisconsin’ ban on same-sex marriage Friday, the latest in a string of such rulings that have come in rapid succession across the United States. Same sex-couples in two cities began getting married about an hour after the ruling despite confusion over whether the decision cleared the way for the marriages to begin immediately.

The International Olympic Committee on Tuesday came under increased pressure to prohibit anti-LGBT discrimination and ensure future host countries do not have discriminatory laws on their books.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court will hear two cases next week that test the degree to which employers may use their personal religious beliefs to deny certain health coverage for employees. Neither case involves any LGBT-related health coverage; but the decisions in both may affect whether employers will be able to cite religious beliefs to deny such services as alternative insemination and gender reassignment.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) on Thursday introduced legislation to correct the records of service members discharged from the U.S. military solely due to their sexual orientation prior to the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, to reflect honorable service and reinstate benefits they would have earned.

WASHINGTON — Freshman U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney plans to marry his long-time partner, who proposed over Christmas.