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Harvey Milk plans changed; Crist backs same-sex marriage
- National roundup: Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - A San Francisco lawmaker has abandoned a proposal to rename San Francisco International Airport after slain gay rights leader Harvey Milk, instead planning to pursue getting an airport terminal named in Milk's honor, according to SouthFloridaGayNews.com. Supervisor David Campos said he gave up on the idea of putting a question on the city ballot after the airport-related plan generated a ...
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LGBT group at 'Star Trek' premiere; pro-gay Brazilian priest banned
- World news: Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - To celebrate the London premiere of the new Star Trek film Into Darkness, British gay organization Stonewall has boldly gone where no gay-rights message has gone before with a Klington translation of its iconic slogan, "Some people are gay. Get over it!," according to Gay Star News. In Earth text, the Klingon reads as: 'Rut nga'chuq loDpu', rut nga'chuq be'pu'. ...
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IL GOP chairman who backed equal marriage resigns
- Pat Brady, the Illinois Republican chairman whose support for marriage equality earlier this year rocked his party, has resigned. Brady sent a letter to the party's Central Committee May 7 resigning his post effective immediately. "Although the role will change, I will continue to be active in Illinois and national politics in a variety of capacities, including organizations supporting our ...
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Nev. state senator talks about coming out during marriage debate
- Nevade state Sen. Kelvin Atkinson (D-North Las Vegas) created a firestorm late last month when he came out during an emotional legislative debate over a measure to repeal the state's gay marriage ban. "I know this is the first time many of you have heard me say that I am a black, gay male," Atkinson said at the time. And ...
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Castro barred from LGBT event
- Equality Forum—the national LGBT organization based in Philadelphia—says that the U.S. government has refused to allow Mariela Castro, an LGBT activist and daughter of Cuba's president RaÃșl Castro, to enter the United States to participate in its annual event, according to Advocate.com. Mariela Castro, who is executive director of the Cuban National Center for Sex Education, was to speak on ...
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Gay Indian prince heads for Chicago
- Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil recently received a car from his dad, a surprise that was the first expensive gift he's ever received from the king. Times have changed for Indian royals. Gohil is openly gay and his parents had disowned him upon hearing the news of his coming-out, and neighbors burned him in effigy in the streets. "I am enjoying ...
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ENDA reintroduced in Senate
- The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) in Congress was reintroduced in the U.S. Senate April 25, according to the Huffington Post. ENDA has been introduced in Congress regularly since the mid-1990s without ever being passed. Co-sponsors include Democrats Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Tom Harkin (Iowa) and Tammy Baldwin (Wis.) as well as Republicans Mark Kirk (Ill.) and Susan Collins (Maine). A companion ...
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Angela Davis event May 3 at chapel
- Feminist/activist Angela Davis will lecture at an event entitled "Feminism and Abolition: Theories and Practices for the 21st Century." It will take place Friday, May 3, 7:30-9 p.m., at the Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, 5850 S. Woodlawn Ave. The lecture is free and open to the public. See http://gendersexuality.uchicago.edu. ...
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Reports: LGBT-rights abuse in every region
- The State Department's latest country human-rights reports, released April 19, reveals to a range of serious abuses directed at LGBT populations in every region, according to a press release from the Council for Global Equality. The reports cite numerous instances of government officials' complicity in LGBT abuse. For instance: —In Jamaica, prison wardens reportedly were involved in numerous incidents of ...
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Paul Ryan's pro-gay move; Philly's equality bill
- NATIONAL ROUNDUP: Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Rep. Paul Ryan—the GOP vice-presidential candidate in the last election—said he now regrets voting against adoption rights for Washington, D.C.'s, same-sex couples, according to Advocate.com. Ryan made the statement at a town-hall meeting in Wisconsin after a constituent confronted him on his poor rating on the Human Rights Campaign's legislative index. He said he regretted voting against the bill, and ...
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Rio state OKs marriage equality; Paris gay-marriage fair
- World news: Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - In Brazil, the general magistrate of justice of Rio de Janeiro state, Judge Valmir de Oliveira Silva, published a legal ruling authorizing same-sex marriage in the state, Gay Star News reported. The ruling, published in the state's official notification, stated that the magistrate found the existing legal provisions [i.e., no marriage equality] unconstitutional and in breach of the Federal Supreme ...
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State Dept report shows LGBT rights abuse in every region
- From the Council for Global Equality - The State Department's latest country human rights reports, released April 19, confirm the lack of respect that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people face in many areas of the world. However, the reports also point to a range of serious human rights abuses directed at LGBT populations in every region. The Obama Administration has made a commendable effort to ...
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Pro-LGBT group attends naturalization event
- Members of Uniting America (UA) were among those who attended an April 17 citizenship naturalization ceremony with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The event took place at the Harold Washington Library. Among those who spoke were Emanuel and Brian Bannon, the openly gay commissioner of the Chicago Public Library. Uniting America (UA) is a project of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant ...
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Ian McKellen criticizes Thatcher; Vatican's pornography
- World news: Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Openly gay actor Sir Ian McKellen has posted an obituary to Margaret Thatcher (on his website) calling her ideology against gay marriage "hypocritical and now pointless," according to Gay Star News. In the obituary he expressed his anger at Thatcher passing Section 28 (which essentially prevented teachers from discussing LGBT issues), but praised UK charity Stonewall, which he co-founded to ...
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Out's Power 50; gay man in Boston Marathon photo
- NATIONAL ROUNDUP: Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - OUT magazine has presented its seventh annual Power 50 list. Apple CEO is number one, while this is the first time Anderson Cooper (No. 5) is publicly out on the list. Among the other people on the list are Ellen DeGeneres (2), statistician Nate Silver (5), U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (9), singer Frank Ocean (10), fashion designer/actor Marc Jacobs (19), ...
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Moderator of MCC stands against human trafficking
- From a press release - Rev. Dr. Nancy Wilson is the moderator of the Metropolitan Community Churches, which has ministries in over 40 countries. Dr. Wilson was part of the first LGBT religious delegation to meet with a sitting president in 1979. She is currently a member of President Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The White House announced a forum to review ...
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Berry to leave Office of Personnel Management
- The White House has released the following statement by President Obama on John Berry's departure as his highest openly gay appointee: "John Berry has served the American people well as Director of the Office of Personnel Management. He's streamlined the way federal employees are hired, modernized the workplace, made the federal workforce more diverse, and increased the number of returning ...
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Nate Silver at Spertus Institute May 19
- From a press release - The statistician who gained worldwide recognition for the accuracy of his predictions during the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections will discuss the impact of the Jewish vote in American politics and the art and science of predicting the future. He appears at Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership as part of a series of impressive leaders who inspire new ...
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Gay candidates win; Kelly to succeed Jackson Jr.
- Out gay political candidates in Evanston and Oak Park did well during the April 9 elections. In the 6th Ward, aldermanic incumbent Mark Tendam easily defeated challenger Mark Sloane, according to EvanstonNow.com. Tendam drew 66 percent of the vote to 34 percent for Sloane, with all eight precincts reporting. Also, lesbian Village of Oak Park Trustee Collette Lueck retained her ...
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Mexican band's pro-gay move; LGBT-friendly countries
- World news: Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - In a message that avoided politics, Grammy-winning Mexican band Mana pleaded with its fans to embrace same-sex couples and gay marriage, according to SouthFloridaGayNews.com. In a statement on the band's Facebook page, vocalist and guitarist Fher Olvera asked the band's 8 million followers to reject discrimination, indifference and prejudice, and embrace tolerance, respect and understanding. "Full recognition for same-sex couples ...
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More senators back marriage; Gov. Perry on acceptance
- NATIONAL ROUNDUP: Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - More than half of U.S. senators back marriage equality, according to a Human Rights Campaign (HRC) press release. With announcements from Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), the total number of senators backing marriage equality has reached 53, including 49 Democrats, two Independents and two Republicans. HRC President Chad Griffin said, "The bipartisan tidal wave of support for marriage ...
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Gov't gives $300B to biz in states with no LGBT protections
- From a press release - WASHINGTON, D.C., April 9, 2013 —American taxpayers send almost $300 billion per year in federal contract dollars to businesses in states that have not yet passed laws to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans from workplace discrimination, according to a new brief released today. Subsidizing discrimination with taxpayer money is a lose/lose proposition for taxpayers and LGBT employees—and ...
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Margaret Thatcher dies
- Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the first woman to become British prime minister, has died at the age of 87. Thatcher served from 1979 to 1990 as leader of the Conservative Party, CNN.com reported. She was called the "Iron Lady" for her personal and political toughness. Thatcher won the nation's top job only six years after declaring in a ...
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AFC advocates head to Springfield for Lobby Days
- Activists defend HIV/AIDS funding, fight to repeal an outdated law - From an AIDS Foundation of Chicago press release SPRINGFIELD — The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) will lead a group of 40 Chicago-based advocates to Illinois' capital on April 10, to defend state funding for HIV/AIDS services and encourage lawmakers to repeal an outdated law that unjustly requires healthcare workers to notify school principals of students living with HIV. This ...
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A look at top twelve Obama LGBT appointments
- Coming just days before the historic marriage equality arguments in the U.S. Supreme Court, Stuart Delery's nomination March 21 to become Assistant Attorney General of the Department of Justice received little notice. But it was a significant nomination, especially for the LGBT community. If confirmed by the Senate, Delery will formally take over the DOJ's Civil Division. It's a high ...
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Urvashi Vaid, Kate Clinton in Chicago
- Race, class and LGBT politics were the themes of a talk by community organizer, author and attorney Urvashi Vaid April 3 at the Center on Halsted. Political humorist, author, and activist Kate Clinton—Vaid's longtime partner—lead a discussion and Q&A session following Vaid's remarks. An LGBT and social justice movement leader for the past 30 years, Vaid is currently the director ...
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Lesbian Oak Park trustee is focused on village's issues
- Even in 2013, it can still be unusual for an elected official to be openly gay—unless it's in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park. Oak Park Village Trustee Colette Lueck, who is running for re-election this year, said that being an out lesbian has never been an issue. "Certainly I've been called to speak about the civil unions bill and ...
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George Takei and Madonna help 'Red' campaign go viral
- From a press release - WASHINGTON, April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — A new infographic by Rad Campaign (www.radcampaign.com/hrc) shows how the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) turned their red logo to support marriage equality into a viral success over night. On March 25th, the Human Rights Campaign posted a red version of its logo on their Facebook page in anticipation of the Supreme Court hearings on ...
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Asher Brown's parents drop suit; HRC's red logo
- NATIONAL ROUNDUP: Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Amy and David Truong, parents of gay teen suicide victim Asher Brown, have dropped their lawsuit against the Cy-Fair Independent School District in Houston, Texas, according to the Dallas Voice. Brown, 13, committed suicide in September 2010; the Truongs had claimed their son had been bullied based on his Buddhist beliefs, size and sexual orientation. Martin Cirkiel, the Truongs' attorney, ...
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World news: Ben Cohen thanks Elton John; Nigeria's pardon
- World news: Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - LGBT ally and former British rugby player Ben Cohen has credited Elton John for "changing his life" by convincing him to get a hearing aid, according to Pink News. Cohen, 34, said he had been told by doctors that he had lost a third of his hearing, and had tinnitus in his mid-20s; however, he refused to wear an aid ...
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Supreme Court hears DOMA arguments
- Today's argument in the U.S. Supreme Court over the Defense of Marriage Act sounded at times as if President Obama was on trial for enforcing the law even though he considers it unconstitutional. At other times, it sounded like Congress was on trial, for attempting to cloak its moral disapproval of gay people under the guise of seeking "uniformity." And ...
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Urvashi Vaid at Center on Halsted April 3
- Author of Irresistible Revolution: Confronting Race, Class, and the Assumptions of LGBT Politics - CHICAGO: Longtime LGBT-rights advocate Urvashi Vaid will be in Chicago Wed., April 3, for a free event at the Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St. She will discuss and sign copies of her new book, Irresistible Revolution: Confronting Race, Class, and the Assumptions of LGBT Politics. This is her only public program in Chicago. The event will start at ...
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Rick Perry criticizes Madonna; lesbian named 'Champion'
- NATIONAL ROUNDUP: - On Glenn Beck's radio show, Texas Gov. Rick Perry criticized Madonna over her GLAAD Media Awards fashion choice, according to the Houston Chronicle. In part, Perry said that his experience at the Conservative Political Action Conference was more exciting than the singer wearing a Boy Scout uniform to protest the organization's anti-gay policy. "It's fascinating that someone would make that ...
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Mexico bans anti-gay words; Israel may lift blood-donation ban
- World news: Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - In Mexico, two common anti-gay words have been outlawed, Global Post reported. The Supreme Court ruled "puñal" and "maricon," which mean "faggot," constitute hate speech and are no longer protected as freedom of expression under the constitution. A majority of the magistrates voted in favor of a journalist who sued a reporter at a rival newspaper who had written a ...
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Lesbian immigration activist among those honored by White House
- From the White House - WASHINGTON, DC — On Tuesday, March 26th, the White House will honor eleven people as Cesar Chavez "Champions of Change." This Champions event, "A Legacy of Service: Organizing for Immigration Reform," will honor those who embody the spirit of Cesar Chavez's legacy and commit themselves to working in their communities to advocate and organize around immigration-related issues. Though the honorees ...
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Obama appoints Fred Hochberg to Export-Import Bank
- From a press release - WASHINGTON, DC — Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts: -ynthia L. Attwood — Member, Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission -Stuart F. Delery — Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division, Department of Justice -Fred P. Hochberg — President, Export-Import Bank of the United States. Hochberg is an openly gay ...
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Protesters mourn diversity in action against Cappleman
- Carrying a large mock coffin and small candles in paper cups, more than 200 people marched through Uptown March 21 to protest what they said was the "death of diversity" in the neighborhood. The protest was the latest in a string of actions against openly gay 46th Ward Alderman James Cappleman. Cappleman has been under fire in recent weeks for ...
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HRC backs Tom Perez for Labor Secretary
- From a press release - WASHINGTON — President Obama has announced Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez as his nominee to be the next Secretary of Labor. Perez currently leads Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and oversaw implementation of the 2009 Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which protects lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people ...
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Marriage cases: History in the high court, part 4
- Courtside guide The avid reader's guide to who and what to watch for at the Supreme Court on marriage argument days. The following is the last in a four-part series to prepare readers for what to expect March 26 and 27 when the U.S. Supreme Court takes up the marriage equality cases. Related graph here: www.windycitymediagroup.com/pdf/MARRIAGEGraphicAmici-3l_fromAFER.pdf . Two of ...
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Top journalists at gay event; Hillary Clinton joins HRC campaign
- NATIONAL ROUNDUP: Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - More than 300 guests are expected to mix and mingle with some of the news and entertainment industry's top talent March 21 at "Headlines & Headliners," the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association's (NLGJA) 18th Annual New York Benefit, according to a press release. Scheduled guests will include Gayle King, Matt Lauer, Thomas Roberts, Jane Velez-Mitchell, Michael Musto, Troy Roberts, ...
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GLAAD blasts Rep. Ives over marriage comments
- Illinois' push to legalize equal marriage has been in the national spotlight in recent weeks, but an anti-gay lawmaker is also drawing attention, including the scorn of national LGBT organization GLAAD. Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-42) recently said stated that gays were trying to "weasel their way into acceptability" on Catholic Conference Radio Hour. "They're trying to redefine marriage," she said. ...
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Anti-gay march banned in Paris; Toronto gay magazine folds
- World news: Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - French police have stopped an anti-marriage-equality march at the Champs-Elysees in Paris from going ahead due to "security concerns," according to Gay Star News. Opponents to the "Marriage for All" bill, which would grant same-sex marriage and allow gay couples to adopt, had hoped to hold a demonstration March 24. On March 14, Paris police said, "In order to ensure ...
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Obama's Organizing for Action backing Illinois marriage push
- The push to pass equal marriage legislation in Illinois gained some heavy hitters March 19. President Obama's Organizing for Action (OFA), a group of major backers in the president's reelection bid, is lending its muscle to the fight for equal marriage in Illinois. OFA fired off a letter to supporters in the president's home state March 19 asking them to ...
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Hillary Clinton backs marriage equality
- Based on press releases - Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has joined the Human Rights Campaign's Americans for Marriage Equality series, a public engagement campaign featuring prominent Americans who support committed gay and lesbian couples getting married. She draws on her experience as Secretary of State, where she addressed LGBT issues: "It inspired and challenged me to think anew about who we ...
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Marriage cases: History in the high court, part 3
- Friendly advice Almost 200 briefs have been submitted by groups and individual experts hoping to influence how the Supreme Court will rule in the marriage equality cases. The following is the third in a four-part series to prepare readers for what to expect March 26 and 27 when the U.S. Supreme Court takes up the marriage equality cases. When the ...
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Chicago Black Gay Men's Caucus pushing for equal marriage
- Chicago Black Gay Men's Caucus (CBGMC), has joined a rising chorus of LGBT groups pushing for the passage of equal marriage legislation in Illinois. The organization issued a statement on the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act, highlighting disparities among Black LGBT people and pushing lawmakers to vote in favor of the bill. The statement notes that Black gay man ...
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Mixed reports of support for IL marriage, LGBTs confident
- Delays on Illinois' equal marriage bill have raised questions about support for the bill, after the House adjourned March 15 without voting on the measure, but LGBT groups maintain that the bill will pass. LGBT leaders had anticipated a vote on the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act March 13-14. Several were on the ground in Springfield in anticipation of ...
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Basta leads American Society on Aging's LGBT council
- Longtime elder-rights advocate Paula Basta has been selected to a two-year term as chair of the American Society on Aging's (ASA) LGBT Aging Issues Network (LAIN). Basta has made elderly issues her career for more than 30 years. She is currently the regional director for the Northeast Levy Senior Center, which is a branch of the Chicago Department of Family ...
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Colorado Civil Unions bill headed to Gov. for signature
- Colorado eighteenth state to offer comprehensive benefits and obligations to same-sex couples - In Colorado, the state House passed a civil-unions bill, according to the Washington Post. Applause erupted as the bill won final passage March 12 on a 39-26 House vote, with two Republicans joining all Democrats to approve it. Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper has said he plans to sign civil unions into law. It's not clear yet when that will happen, ...
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Christine Quinn makes it official; man attacked over poodle
- NATIONAL ROUNDUP: Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Lesbian New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn made her mayoral run official, according to the Washington Post. Quinn initially made the announcement in a five-minute video on her campaign website. Quinn was elected to the city council in 1999, after five years as the head of the New York City Anti-Violence Project, which focuses on the LGBT community. In ...
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With marriage vote any day, pressure on lawmakers builds
- With a final vote on legalizing same-sex marriage possible any day now, activists on both sides of the issue are turning up pressure on undecided lawmakers. A House vote on the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act has been predicted as early as this week, with advocates stating that a mid-week vote appeared most likely. Next week is also possible, ...
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Marriage cases: History in the high court, part 2
- law politics marriage - The presidential punch How strong a position did the Obama administration take in its briefs on the Supreme Court marriage cases —and can it make a difference? The following is the second in a four-part series to prepare readers for what to expect March 26 and 27 when the U.S. Supreme Court takes up the marriage equality cases. LGBT ...
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Republicans cancel vote to oust Brady over marriage stance
- Illinois Republican Chair Pat Brady will be keeping his job, at least for now. Republicans have cancelled a special meeting to consider ousting Brady, after he came out in favor of marriage equality during the General Assembly's lame duck session. According to the Chicago Tribune, a memo sent to members of the Illinois Republican State Central Committee stated that the ...
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Faith leaders support marriage bill's religious protections
- From a press release - With a vote fast approaching in the Illinois House of Representatives on a bill that would give same-sex couples the freedom to marry, hundreds of faith leaders across Illinois are touting the bill's strong protections of religious freedom for faiths that do not recognize same-sex marriage, according to a coalition of groups lobbying for the bill. At the same time, ...
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Obama signs Violence Against Women Act, mentions gay center
- Full remarks below - In signing the Violence Against Women Act Thursday (March 7), President Obama singled out a number of activists on the issue, including the head of an LGBT anti-violence group. "Today is about all the Americans who face discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity when they seek help," said Obama, pointing out Sharon Stapel, executive director of the New ...
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Illinois Governor Reduces State HIV Funding
- From a news release - SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Governor Pat Quinn released a proposed $35.6 million state budget on March 6 that would reduce state HIV/AIDS funding by $4.27 million, or 16 percent. "Thanks to President Obama, many people with HIV will gain new health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act, providing partial relief to the state's AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP)," said David ...
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Marge Paul earns four more years in Berwyn
- Out and elected in the suburbs - She proved her 2009 election as 3rd Ward alderman in Berwyn was no fluke, winning re-election despite a snowstorm that blanketed the area on Feb. 26. The storm was fitting, as Marge Paul's first term also included three major floods and a blizzard. "I am thrilled," Paul said. "I ran with some marvelous people in 2009, and certainly relied on ...
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Hundreds protest Cappleman over Salvation Army fallout
- Despite soggy streets and winter cold, more than 200 people crowded the street in front of 46th Alderman James Cappleman's office March 6, protesting what they allege is a hostile attitude toward the neighborhood's poor. Protesters took up nearly a full city block outside 4544 N. Broadway, Cappleman's Ward office. The protest stems from a Chicago Sun-Times report alleging that ...
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Gay Evanston pol eyes re-election
- Out and elected in the suburbs - All roads lead to April 9 for Mark Tendam, when Evanston's openly gay 6th Ward alderman is up for re-election—and his calendar already has more than 20 events scheduled with, no doubt, more to be added. And that's just professional commitments. Personally, Tendam and his partner of 20-plus years, litigator Neal Moglin, have eagerly watched same-sex marriage debates in the ...
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Dawn Clark Netsch dies at 86
- Update: Memorial plans - Update: Memorial, Saturday, April 13, 2 p.m. at Northwestern University's Law School—Lake Shore Drive and Chicago Avenue. Dawn Clark Netsch—a former Illinois comptroller and state senator, the first woman to win the Democratic nomination for governor and a longtime LGBT ally—died March 5 at 86, the Chicago Tribune reported. Netsch had disclosed in January that she had been diagnosed with ...
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Waukegan forum turns out mass numbers against same-sex marriage
- Rep. Rita Mayfield (D-60) wants to vote "yes" on same-sex marriage this month, she says. The Waukegan lawmaker has a gay best friend and gay family members. But last election cycle, she vowed to vote the will of her district, and so far, she says, that voice has been a resounding "no." Mayfield took up that issue at a town ...
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Equal marriage vote forecasted by mid-month
- A much-anticipated vote on legalizing same-sex marriage in Illinois could happen by the end of next week, according to advocates. A vote on the bill had been possible as early as March 5, but that timeline is now dependent upon the vote count. Sponsors need 60 votes to pass the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act. Gov. Pat Quinn said ...
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'Gay Panic' claim in murder of Mississippi mayor
- From a news release - The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) has learned that a "gay panic" defense might be used by the suspect in the homicide of Mississippi Mayoral Candidate, Marco McMillian. McMillian was found dead on Wed., Feb. 27 near the bank of the Mississippi River just west of Clarksdale, Mississippi, the town where he had been a mayoral hopeful. Lawrence Reed ...
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Report: Pro-marriage pols win elections
- From a press release - Washington, DC — Freedom to Marry and Third Way released a memo March 5 showing that state legislators who vote in favor of marriage for same-sex couples overwhelmingly win voter support when running for reelection. Based on election results in the two states that passed freedom to marry laws in the 2011-2012 legislative cycle and whose members stood for reelection ...
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One Iowa condemns plan to exclude LGBTs from marriage
- From a press release - (Des Moines, IA)—On March 5, 35 Iowa State House Republicans introduced House Joint Resolution 11 that would exclude gay and lesbian couples from civil marriage. The resolution now heads to the House Judiciary Committee. Last week, 18 Senate Republicans introduced similar legislation that is currently pending in the Senate Rules Committee. Four years ago, on April 3, 2009, the Iowa ...
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Gov.'s pro-gay statement; Mr. Internat'l Rubber dies
- NATIONAL ROUNDUP: Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla told a local newspaper that sexual orientation should not determine who is eligible to adopt a child in the U.S. commonwealth, according to the Washington Blade. The governor's comments—which he made while in Washington, D.C., for the annual National Governors Association meeting—came less than a week after the Puerto Rico Supreme Court narrowly upheld ...
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Emanuel: the clock is ticking on equal marriage
- Some state reps. are not sure how they will vote on equal marriage, and supporters need to press them immediately to vote yes. That's the message Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel sent to supporters March 4. The mayor, who has been a vocal supporter of same-sex marriage, is urging backers of the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act to help Illinois ...
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Pat Brady facing continued backlash for marriage position
- Illinois Republican Chair Pat Brady is staring down a push to expel him in the continued fallout over his support for equal marriage in Illinois. According to multiple reports, the Republican State Central Committee will take up the possibility of ousting Brady at special March 9 meeting in Tinley Park. Brady voiced his support for same-sex marriage during January's lame-duck ...
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Marriage cases: History in the high court, part 1
- Part 1: Standing in the way How procedural questions in the two big marriage cases this month could preclude major rulings —and what that would mean The following is the first in a four-part series to prepare readers for what to expect March 26 and 27 when the U.S. Supreme Court takes up the marriage equality cases. It ...
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Sequester could lead to massive cuts in HIV testing, treatment
- The AIDS Drug Assistance Program is among the many federal programs that will take a hit if $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts go through March 1, and those cuts could potentially lead to an increase in HIV transmission, the White House said Sunday in a reporton the anticipated state-by-state impacts of the so-called sequester. The report — part of ...
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PFLAG National submits amicus brief with family voice
- Local Neubecker family represents PFLAG National - At a Respect for Marriage Coalition press conference, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) National filed an amicus brief on Feb. 28. Standing as one of the families profiled, the Neubeckers represented PFLAG National as part of a broad bipartisan coalition of organizations planning to submit amicus briefs. The amicus brief resulted to support the plaintiffs in ...
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Ald. Cappleman taking heat for Salvation Army truck departure
- LGBT people have long protested Salvation Army for anti-gay stances, but a controversy brewing in the city's Uptown neighborhood may be turning out LGBT support for Salvation Army services. Openly gay 46th Ward Ald. James Cappleman is under fire following a Chicago Sun-Times report that stated that Cappleman ordered a Salvation Army truck, which typically distributes free meals and other ...
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Dems and Republicans file marriage briefs
- Democrats and Republicans may not agree on the economy, but at least some have agreed on the fight for marriage equality. A total of 212 Democratic members of Congress filed an amicus brief in the Edie Windsor case against DOMA and 131 Republicans filed a brief in the fight against California's Prop 8 marriage ban, both cases being heard by ...
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Laura Bush in marriage-ad flap
- Former First Lady Laura Bush wanted to be removed from a pro-marriage-equality ad that is part of a $1 million campaign from a new coalition, according to Advocate.com. In an ad for the Respect for Marriage Coalition, Bush appears among clips from a series of Republicans (including former Vice President Dick Cheney) supporting marriage equality. The group is already planning ...
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Marriage vote could be delayed
- A House committee vote on marriage equality could happen later than expected today after work on gun control in the General Assembly threatened to push back the committee hearing. A vote on this bill is still expected today. The House Executive Committee was scheduled to meet at 3:00 p.m. Feb. 26 to vote on the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness ...
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