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COMING SOON: CIVIL UNIONS IN ILLINOIS?
The Illinois legislature may soon have to decide whether or not same-sex partners should be allowed to enter into civil unions in the state.
If Senate Bill 1716 makes it onto the agenda for the November legislative veto session, that question may be answered next year.
VIA. http://www.edgeprovidence.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc2=news&sc3=&id=109977 [9/9/10]
CHICAGO'S GAY-FRIENDLY MAYOR CALLS IT QUITS
Mayor Richard M. Daley's surprise announcement not to seek re-election in 2011 ends his 21-year career as one of the nation's most gay-friendly mayors.
"Simply put, it's time," Daley said during a City Hall news conference on Tuesday afternoon. "Time for me, it's time for Chicago to move on."
In his time at City Hall, Daley, 68, has shown historic and unparalleled support for Chicago's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community with the expansion of Chicago human rights legislation to include protection from gender identity, instituting domestic partnership benefits for city employees, creating the Office of LGBT Health in the city Department of Health, establishing the Advisory Council on LGBT Issues, support for the North Halsted streetscape project and backing the Center on Halsted. > Full Story. [9/8/10]
MINNEAPOLIS PAYS OFF THE PSYCHOLOGIST IT FIRED FOR TEAMING UP WITH ILLINOIS FAMILY INSTITUTE
Michael Campion, a psychologist fired from his job to screen potential Minneapolis police officers because of his ties to the anti-gay Illinois Family Institute, will receive a $210,000 settlement (which includes legal fees) from the city, whose City Council voted not to take the case to trial, which would have begun next week. Something about the court telling the city that Campion has a strong First Amendment argument or something. > Full Story. [9/7/10]
ST. EDWARD'S UNIVERSITY REVOKES EQTX INVITATION FOR INTERNSHIP FAIR
Equality Texas has learned they will not be allowed to recruit interns for the fall and spring semesters on the campus of St. Edward's University in Austin. > Full Story. [9/3/10]
GROUP LABELS TEXAS GAY MARRIAGE RULING 'HOMOPHOBIC'
Equality Texas, the state's largest gay advocate, has blasted a Texas ruling that declares the state's gay marriage ban constitutional.
The ruling issued Tuesday by the Fifth Texas Court of Appeals overturns a lower court's decision that allowed a gay couple to divorce and found the state's ban on gay marriage in violation of the U.S. Constitution.
District Judge Tena Callahan's ruling allowed two Dallas men, known only as J.B. and H.B., married in Massachusetts to divorce. But Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot, a Republican, intervened in the case, arguing that the marriage should be "voided," which essentially nullifies the marriage as invalid.
"The court's view of same-sex relationships is uninformed, outdated and homophobic – predicating its decision upon the ability to have children naturally – thereby ignoring the thousands of Texas households raising kids with same-sex parents or even single parent households," the group said in a statement first reported by gay weekly The Dallas Voice. > Full Story. [9/1/10]
OMAHA WORLD-HERALD NEWSPAPER TO PUBLISH GAY MARRIAGE ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Omaha World-Herald, one of the largest newspapers in the Midwest, is trying to dodge an online controversy by offering to publish legal gay marriages (but not commitment ceremonies) in its "Celebrations" section. > Full Story. [8/31/10]
HATE FLIERS TRY TO INTIMIDATE KENTUCKY NEIGHBORHOOD AFTER STRING OF HATE CRIMES
Dozens of anti-gay fliers were posted on poles and placed on windshields in MainStrasse, Covington, Kentucky on Thursday. The fliers come just around a week after the arrests of Timothy Searp and Devlin Burke after they attacked a pair of women in that area. The fliers come also after a long string of anti-LGBT crimes targeting the lesbians and gays of that neighborhood. > Full Story. [8/30/10]
GAY HISTORY TOURS BENEFITS ARCHIVES
On Saturday October 9, Kansas City Museum is hosting its first-ever Kansas City Gay and Lesbian History Trolley Tour. Guide Ross Frees will narrate a 1-hour expedition to some well-known, some less-known, and some infamous locales that document gay life in Kansas City over the past 100 years. Tickets are $45 and include a wine-tasting reception by Cellar Rat in the Crossroads. You can purchase tickets on-line at www.kcmuseum100.org after September 1. > Full Story. [8/23/10]
CHILD OF MARRIED LESBIANS IN BEDFORD, TX DENIED ENROLLMENT INTO SCHOOL
A child has been denied entrance into an Episcopal school in Bedford because her parents are married lesbians.
Jill and Tracy Harrison, lesbians married in 2006 in Canada, applied to enroll their daughter into St. Vincent's School, in June.
Jill gave birth to Olivia, thanks to a sperm donor. On the application, they crossed out the word father on the application and wrote mother and put Tracy's name on that line. Jill was written on the mother line.
They attended the school's parent night on Tuesday, and now, just a few days before school starts Monday, the school is denying their daughter Olivia enrollment into the school because her parents are lesbians, the women said. > Full Story. [8/23/10]
GAY PARTNER BENEFITS UP FOR A VOTE IN EL PASO, TEXAS
Voters will get to decide whether the domestic partners of gay city employees in El Paso, Texas can keep their health insurance benefits, local Fox affiliate KFOX14 reported.
Last August, city council leaders tucked a measure that extended such benefits inside the 2010 budget, which they approved in a 7 to 1 vote. The law covers the domestic partners of both straight and gay workers, but gay and lesbian couples who cannot marry in the state are disproportionately affected.
> Full Story. [8/10/10]
TARGET CONTRIBUTES MONEY TO MN ANTI-GAY CANDIDATE
Target, the perceived LGBT-friendly department store chain, has contributed $150,000 to Minnesota Forward, a political action committee that supports Minnesota Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, an opponent of gay marriage, reports NBC Bay Area. > Full Story. [7/26/10]
STATEMENT FROM THE 2ND TEXAS TRANSGENDER NONDISCRIMINATION SUMMIT ON THE ARAGUZ CASE
HOUSTON, Texas (July 22, 2010) - We, the attendees of the Second Annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit, issue this statement to demonstrate our support for Mrs. Nikki Araguz and to call attention to her plight and that of all transgender people in the state of Texas. > Full Story. [7/22/10]
STATEMENT FROM THE 2ND TEXAS TRANSGENDER NONDISCRIMINATION SUMMIT ON THE ARAGUZ CASE
HOUSTON, Texas (July 22, 2010) - We, the attendees of the Second Annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit, issue this statement to demonstrate our support for Mrs. Nikki Araguz and to call attention to her plight and that of all transgender people in the state of Texas. > Full Story. [7/22/10]
SOUTH BEND, IND., CONSIDERS LGBT EMPLOYMENT PROTECTIONS
South Bend Common Councilmember Oliver Davis has co-sponsored a measue that would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression in Indiana's fourth largest city. > Full Story. [7/22/10]
NON-PARTISAN COALITION CALLS ON TEXAS GOP TO REJECT PLATFORM
Non-Partisan Coalition Calls on Texas GOP to Reject Platform
A Diverse Group of 13 State and National Organizations Challenge RNC Chairman Michael Steele to Demand an Inclusive Platform > Full Story. [7/16/10]
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