U.S. Senate

U.S. lawmakers this week introduced resolutions in both the House and Senate, condemning an anti-homosexuality bill in Uganda’s parliament, calling it an attack on human rights and an obstacle to battling HIV/AIDS. The Ugandan bill, dubbed the “Kill the Gays” bill, would execute people for being gay if they have HIV/AIDS or were convicted of […]

Another Utah lawmaker has proposed legislation to prevent the District of Columbia from implementing a gay marriage bill until residents vote on the issue. Republican Sen. Bob Bennett, introduced a measure Tuesday aimed at banning the District from issuing same-sex marriage licenses until a referrendum can be held on the issue. Last week, Freshman lawmaker, […]

The nation’s top military officer said Tuesday that he supported allowing gays to openly serve in the U.S. armed forces, invoking the words of President Obama in calling it “the right thing to do”. Appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff added a powerful and […]

On the heels of his election victory in Massachusetts, Republican Senator-elect Scott Brown appeared on ABC’s This Week on Sunday, and signaled he would not serve as his party’s strict, unwavering 41st vote in the U.S. Senate. “Make no mistake, I am a fiscal conservative,” Brown told Barbara Walters. “And when it comes to issues […]

Defense Secretary Robert Gates will unveil the Pentagon’s plan to prepare for repealing the controversial “don’t ask, don’t tell” law regarding gay soldiers at a committee hearing Tuesday, according to CNN. “The Defense Department leadership is actively working on an implementation plan and the secretary will have more to say about this next week,” Pentagon […]

In a sign that he’s considering considering challenging Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) in the Democratic primary, former Rep. Harold Ford Jr., (D-Tennessee) has gone on the record in support of same-sex marriage. Though he twice voted in favor of a constitutional ban on ban gay marriage, Ford now states: “My support for fairness and […]

U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, the front-runner in the Republican primary election for U.S. Senate, finds himself the object of an unusual attack ad from one of his lesser-known opponents, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. Andy Martin, who has run for numerous elective offices over the last three decades in Illinois, Florida and Connecticut, taped a commercial […]

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) announced Monday that the Senate has confirmed openly gay Minneapolis Assistant Police Chief Sharon Lubinski to be the district of Minnesota’s U.S. Marshal. Earlier this year, Klobuchar recommended Lubinski to President Obama, who formally nominated her for the post in October. “Sharon Lubinksi will be an excellent U.S. Marshal. It […]

The Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act would provide domestic partner benefits for federal employees and their same-sex partners, including federal health insurance, retirement and disability benefits, family, medical and emergency leave, and compensation for work injuries.

A planned November hearing by the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee to consider ending a ban on gays serving openly in the U.S. military will be postponed, a spokeswoman indicated Friday. “We do not have a date” for the hearing, said the aide, Tara Andringa. Committee staff have been working on Afghanistan issues ahead of […]

The U.S. Senate cleared a historic hate crimes bill Thursday for President Obama’s signature, approving new federal penalties for attacks on gay men and lesbians.

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 […]

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 […]

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would ban workplace bias based on sexual orientation and gender discrimination, has a chance of becoming law by the end of 2009, according to Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., its lead sponsor in the Senate. The measure was introduced in the Senate on Wednesday with 38 co-sponsors, including Sens. Edward Kennedy, […]

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) on Monday cemented her stand on the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gays, announcing a hearing to repeal what she called “an unfair, outdated measure that violates the civil rights of some of our bravest,” and prompting the Senate Armed Services Committee to hold a hearing this fall. Gillibrand’s […]