Police are investigating a possible hate crime at the Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth Center, where the front door and the center’s vehicle were vandalized.
The final tally shows that more than $83 million was spent by people either in support and opposition of Prop. 8. In the end, slightly more was raised by opponents, due largely to donations in the last few days before the election.
David Mixner is really sick of talking about Prop. 8, and would like to move on to 2009’s more pressing LGBT issues.
Openly gay U.S. Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin is calling on Hillary Clinton to make the State Department more LGBT-friendly.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
Morning Sweep
The Gotham Gazette summarizes what's happened so far in the string of NYC arrests of gay men on trumped-up prostitution charges. The story also links to Gay City News’ series on the arrests.
Obama is building trust with military leaders before pushing his campaign promises of recalling troops from Iraq and repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
The L.A. Times editorializes in favor of keeping Prop. 8 donors’ names public, pointing out that the best way to deal with illegal harassment against them is through law enforcement, not by stopping crucial disclosure laws that keep government transparent and open to all.
Iceland’s new prime minister, openly gay Johanna Sigurdardottir, was sworn in over the weekend.
An Austrian pastor who claimed Hurricane Katrina was “divine retribution” for gay sinners in New Orleans is being promoted to the rank of bishop.
The New York Times has an interesting story on “womyn’s lands” – small lesbian separatist communities that are becoming increasingly uncommon as newer generations of lesbians are less likely to retreat from what some call “a man’s world.”
Obama is building trust with military leaders before pushing his campaign promises of recalling troops from Iraq and repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
The L.A. Times editorializes in favor of keeping Prop. 8 donors’ names public, pointing out that the best way to deal with illegal harassment against them is through law enforcement, not by stopping crucial disclosure laws that keep government transparent and open to all.
Iceland’s new prime minister, openly gay Johanna Sigurdardottir, was sworn in over the weekend.
An Austrian pastor who claimed Hurricane Katrina was “divine retribution” for gay sinners in New Orleans is being promoted to the rank of bishop.
The New York Times has an interesting story on “womyn’s lands” – small lesbian separatist communities that are becoming increasingly uncommon as newer generations of lesbians are less likely to retreat from what some call “a man’s world.”
Friday, January 30, 2009
Morning Sweep
In another victory for New York same-sex couples married out of state, a state appellate court has upheld an Ulster County lesbian couple's right to state health insurance benefits. When will the Alliance Defense Fund learn to stop wasting their time?
A federal judge has denied Prop. 8 supporters’ request for a preliminary injunction to keep anti-gay donors’ names secret.
The Wall Street Journal reports that social issues like gay marriage haven’t played as important of a role in elections lately as they once did.
The Seattle Times editorial board writes that same-sex marriage will take time to pass – but that the time is now for legislators to extend the rights of marriage to same-sex domestic partners “without much fuss” as “a matter of fairness and equality.”
A federal judge has denied Prop. 8 supporters’ request for a preliminary injunction to keep anti-gay donors’ names secret.
The Wall Street Journal reports that social issues like gay marriage haven’t played as important of a role in elections lately as they once did.
The Seattle Times editorial board writes that same-sex marriage will take time to pass – but that the time is now for legislators to extend the rights of marriage to same-sex domestic partners “without much fuss” as “a matter of fairness and equality.”
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Morning Sweep
Liz Benjamin writes on Chirstine Quinn’s conversation with Kirsten Gillibrand the night before Paterson’s announcement. Quinn also received confirmation from Gillibrand that she supports LGBT rights, including marriage equality.
Stories are circulating that FedEx, recently named one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For, was dishonest about its domestic partner benefits – they are only extended to a select few employees in California and Dallas, and not offered companywide as claimed. Employees in New York are among those who get left out by this “best” company.
Antonio Pagán, the divisive and often-criticized openly gay Latino NYC City Councilmember who served from 1991-1997, passed away last weekend.
The West Virginia Supreme Court will soon hear a challenge that an anti-gay adoption group has brought to the adoption of a foster child by the lesbian couple she has lived with her entire life.
The Salt Lake Tribune predicts that paranoia will keep LGBT bills from passing in Utah.
In civil union news: a domestic partnership bill in New Mexico is currently being considered in committee, New Hampshire lawmakers may tweak the state’s civil union laws to include insurance requirements, and an Arizona couple has taken the first steps to but a civil partnership bill on the 2010 ballot.
Stories are circulating that FedEx, recently named one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For, was dishonest about its domestic partner benefits – they are only extended to a select few employees in California and Dallas, and not offered companywide as claimed. Employees in New York are among those who get left out by this “best” company.
Antonio Pagán, the divisive and often-criticized openly gay Latino NYC City Councilmember who served from 1991-1997, passed away last weekend.
The West Virginia Supreme Court will soon hear a challenge that an anti-gay adoption group has brought to the adoption of a foster child by the lesbian couple she has lived with her entire life.
The Salt Lake Tribune predicts that paranoia will keep LGBT bills from passing in Utah.
In civil union news: a domestic partnership bill in New Mexico is currently being considered in committee, New Hampshire lawmakers may tweak the state’s civil union laws to include insurance requirements, and an Arizona couple has taken the first steps to but a civil partnership bill on the 2010 ballot.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Morning Sweep
A New York Times blog recalls a somewhat comical exchange between New York’s new U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and former mayor Ed Koch on the morning before Paterson announced his pick. Koch reportedly questioned how Gillibrand could be for both “guns and gays” – but the conversation ended in both agreeing that they support same-sex marriage.
An appellate court in California has decided that a Lutheran high school that expelled two 16-year-old students for being lesbians acted lawfully, as it is not a business and therefore doesn't have to comply with the state law barring discrimination based on sexual orientation. The girls’ lawyer plans to take the case to the state’s Supreme Court.
California Attorney General Ed Brown doesn’t think the people who donated money to the Prop. 8 campaign should be able to hide from the public eye, and he’s filed a brief in response to Yes on 8’s ridiculous lawsuit to conceal the names of these donors.
The first in a series of bills affecting the gay community being introduced in Utah this session has been rejected by the state’s Senate judiciary committee. The bill would have allowed financial dependents - besides spouses, parents and children - to sue if a breadwinner suffers a wrongful death, and would have affected both gay and straight residents.
A bill to give same-sex couples all the protections of marriage – without calling it marriage – has been introduced in Washington’s state legislature.
Iceland may be on the brink of naming one of the world’s first gay prime ministers.
An appellate court in California has decided that a Lutheran high school that expelled two 16-year-old students for being lesbians acted lawfully, as it is not a business and therefore doesn't have to comply with the state law barring discrimination based on sexual orientation. The girls’ lawyer plans to take the case to the state’s Supreme Court.
California Attorney General Ed Brown doesn’t think the people who donated money to the Prop. 8 campaign should be able to hide from the public eye, and he’s filed a brief in response to Yes on 8’s ridiculous lawsuit to conceal the names of these donors.
The first in a series of bills affecting the gay community being introduced in Utah this session has been rejected by the state’s Senate judiciary committee. The bill would have allowed financial dependents - besides spouses, parents and children - to sue if a breadwinner suffers a wrongful death, and would have affected both gay and straight residents.
A bill to give same-sex couples all the protections of marriage – without calling it marriage – has been introduced in Washington’s state legislature.
Iceland may be on the brink of naming one of the world’s first gay prime ministers.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Morning Sweep
Yesterday, the Pride Agenda released an update in conjunction with several other rights groups on how NYS agencies are now recognizing same-sex couples' out-of-state marriages. The update expands on what we told you in our Getting Married Out of State Q&A back in May, when Gov. Paterson first instructed state agencies to respect same-sex marriages performed legally out-of-state. Gay City News and Good As You write on the report, and you can read it here.
The New York Observer has the play-by-play account of Paterson’s pick of Kirsten Gillibrand for U.S. Senator, and how gay rights factored in to the events that unfolded the night before his announcement.
Despite being disappointed that Caroline Kennedy wasn’t chosen, David Mixner is excited that Gillibrand is the first U.S. Senator from New York to support marriage equality.
Last week, a New York appeals court upheld a policy granting benefits to the same-sex married partners of state workers.
Over 2,000 foreign policy government employees signed a letter delivered to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calling on the government to give equal benefits to same-sex partners.
A Politico blogger thinks “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” will be one of the top 5 legislative fights ahead for Obama’s administration.
Civil union legislation that has stalled for years in Hawaii may finally have a chance at passing.
This L.A. Times op-ed, written by a man who grew up in foster care, does a great job of explaining why same-sex adoption bans are ridiculous: “Based on my own experience, I'd say children in foster care don't care about the sexual orientation of people wanting to adopt them. They want loving, permanent and safe environments.”
Remember those San Diego firefighters who sued the city because they were “forced” to march in a gay pride parade? They’re back.
Sweden is likely to become the seventh country to legalize same-sex marriage.
In Hollywood news, GLAAD has announced its nominees for its media awards and its plans to honor Tyra Banks and Suze Orman, and Sean Penn has won the SAG award for best actor for his performance in Milk.
The New York Observer has the play-by-play account of Paterson’s pick of Kirsten Gillibrand for U.S. Senator, and how gay rights factored in to the events that unfolded the night before his announcement.
Despite being disappointed that Caroline Kennedy wasn’t chosen, David Mixner is excited that Gillibrand is the first U.S. Senator from New York to support marriage equality.
Last week, a New York appeals court upheld a policy granting benefits to the same-sex married partners of state workers.
Over 2,000 foreign policy government employees signed a letter delivered to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calling on the government to give equal benefits to same-sex partners.
A Politico blogger thinks “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” will be one of the top 5 legislative fights ahead for Obama’s administration.
Civil union legislation that has stalled for years in Hawaii may finally have a chance at passing.
This L.A. Times op-ed, written by a man who grew up in foster care, does a great job of explaining why same-sex adoption bans are ridiculous: “Based on my own experience, I'd say children in foster care don't care about the sexual orientation of people wanting to adopt them. They want loving, permanent and safe environments.”
Remember those San Diego firefighters who sued the city because they were “forced” to march in a gay pride parade? They’re back.
Sweden is likely to become the seventh country to legalize same-sex marriage.
In Hollywood news, GLAAD has announced its nominees for its media awards and its plans to honor Tyra Banks and Suze Orman, and Sean Penn has won the SAG award for best actor for his performance in Milk.
Monday, January 26, 2009
A message from the LGBT Health and Human Services Network
The Pride Agenda recently released its 2007-2008 Annual Report for the
Each year the Network educates the State of
Network members serve LGBT New Yorkers in many ways, including programs that focus on advocacy, clinical services, and health and wellness for LGBT seniors.
Because of the hard work of the Empire State Pride Agenda in conjunction with the Network, LGBT service providers have secured over $40 million in total through the State to fund these programs since the Network was first created in the mid-90s.
In addition to providing these crucial services to local LGBT populations, the Network also works with the State to develop more LGBT-friendly policies. Over the past year, we’ve worked with the Office of Children and Family Services to create safer spaces for LGBT youth in juvenile justice facilities and the Office of the Aging to ensure that LGBT seniors are receiving more competent care. These are just two examples of how LGBT organizations can come together to make a huge difference in the quality of life for thousands of LGBT New Yorkers.
The Network looks forward to a successful and challenging year ahead.
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