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Hagel commits to extending partner benefits to gay troops
Defense secretary nominee Chuck Hagel has committed to extending partners benefits “permissible under current law” to gay service members as part of attempts to allay concerns among Democratic senators about his potential performance as Pentagon chief. In a letter to Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Hagel responds to queries the California Democrat apparently expressed on issues […]
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House GOP leadership quietly increases cap on DOMA defense to $3 million
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives’ continuing effort to defend the federal “Defense of Marriage Act” (DOMA) will soon reach $3 million. Late Monday, House Democrats learned that Republican leadership had again privately raised the spending cap with attorney Paul Clement and the Washington-based law firm Bancroft LLC to defend DOMA in the U.S. […]
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San Francisco lawmaker proposes renaming airport after Harvey Milk
A San Francisco lawmaker on Tuesday will introduce legislation seeking to rename San Francisco International Airport for slain gay rights leader Harvey Milk. A charter amendment by Supervisor David Campos would place the proposal to rename the airport as Harvey Milk-San Francisco International Airport, and if approved, the city would become home to the world’s […]
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Gay judge confirmed by Va. General Assembly after being rejected last year
RICHMOND, Va. — The GOP-controlled Virginia House of Delegates on Tuesday voted to confirm the interim appointment of an openly gay judge to the Richmond General District Court. Judge Tracy Thorne-Begland will remain on the bench after being approved in the House by a margin of 66-28, with one abstention and five members not voting […]
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Same-sex marriage takes center stage in Rhode Island state House
Same-sex marriage takes center stage in the Rhode Island state legislature on Tuesday as the House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to review a proposed marriage equality bill. The committee is expected to hear several hours of testimony this evening from gay marriage supporters and opponents. Supporters of the bill, which includes Gov. Lincoln Chafee (I) […]
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Virginia lawmakers kill proposal to repeal ban on same-sex marriage
A Virginia House of Delegates subcommittee on Monday voted 6-1 to kill a proposal that would have repealed the state’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Delegate Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax) introduced HJ665 on Jan. 9, the first day of the current legislative session. He told the Washington Blade after the vote he feels “people affirming their […]
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Florida lawmaker introduces same-sex domestic partnership bill
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A Florida lawmaker has introduced a bill that would allow Floridians to enter “domestic partnerships.” State Sen. Eleanor Sobel (D-Fort Lauderdale) introduced the “Families First” bill (SB 196), which would extend legal protections to same-sex couples, including hospital visitation rights and the ability to make healthcare decisions for a partner. “This bill […]
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Vicco, Ky., becomes smallest U.S. town to adopt LGBT fairness law
VICCO, Ky. — The Appalachian town of Vicco, Ky., on Monday approved the state’s first LGBT-inclusive anti-discrimination ordinance in a decade. The “fairness ordinance,” which prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations based upon a person’s actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity, received support from three of the city’s four-member commission and […]
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Kotek sworn in as nation’s first open lesbian to lead a legislative chamber
Oregon state Rep. Tina Kotek was sworn in on Monday as her state’s Speaker of the House, becoming the first open lesbian to lead a legislative chamber in the United States. Kotek, a third term lawmaker from North Portland who took the oath of office with her partner, Aimee Wilson, by her side, called the historic occasion “humbling.”
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Business leaders urge Illinois lawmakers to pass marriage equality bill
A coalition consisting of fifty Illinois business leaders and organizations on Sunday joined in urging the state’s General Assembly to pass the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act, which would grant gay and lesbian couples the freedom to marry. The support represents a broad array of economic sectors, including manufacturing, financial services, energy, lodging, publishing […]