Before we do our morning sweep, we thought you'd like to know how New York's 29 House members voted on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which passed 235-184 yesterday evening and provided workplace non-discrimination protections based upon sexual orientation, but not gender identity. We'll probably be making a few additional comments about the vote and the debate later today, so stay tuned.
Important to note about the vote tally is that the five Democrats voting "No" on ENDA did so because the bill failed to provide comprehensive non-discrimination workplace protections for LGBT Americans, namely protections for transgender people. That means only three of the twenty-nine New Yorkers -- King, Reynolds and Walsh -- are opposed to any protections in the law for LGB Americans (and presumably T Americans as well). Another interesting fact is the "Yes" vote by Kuhl. In 2002 as a State Senator, he voted "No" on the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act, which makes his vote on ENDA a reversal of his position from back then.
For the complete vote tally on ENDA, go here.
Here's the New York vote:
Voting Yes
Ackerman (D)
Arcuri (D)
Bishop (D)
Crowley (D)
Engel (D)
Fosella (R)
Gillibrand (D)
Hall (D)
Higgins (D)
Hinchey (D)
Israel (D)
Kuhl (R)
Lowey (D)
Maloney (D)
McCarthy (D)
McHugh (R)
McNulty (D)
Meeks (D)
Rangel (D)
Serrano (D)
Slaughter (D)
Voting No
Clarke (D)
King (R)
Nadler (D)
Reynolds (R)
Towns (D)
Velázquez (D)
Walsh (R)
Weiner (D)
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Morning Sweep
The New York Times writes about gay Muslims in America.
The transgender-less ENDA looks to be headed for a vote on the House floor later today.
Pat Robertson has endorsed Rudy Giuliani.
The complexities of online advertising have caused Mitt Romney's presidential campaign ads to appear on places like Gay.com.
Pro-marriage equality television ads will run for two weeks in New Jersey as part of that state's campaign to trade in their civil unions law for full marriage equality.
Pam's House Blend has audio of the very heated discussion over ENDA that took place yesterday between HRC's Joe Solmonese and gay journalist Mike Signorile.
The transgender-less ENDA looks to be headed for a vote on the House floor later today.
Pat Robertson has endorsed Rudy Giuliani.
The complexities of online advertising have caused Mitt Romney's presidential campaign ads to appear on places like Gay.com.
Pro-marriage equality television ads will run for two weeks in New Jersey as part of that state's campaign to trade in their civil unions law for full marriage equality.
Pam's House Blend has audio of the very heated discussion over ENDA that took place yesterday between HRC's Joe Solmonese and gay journalist Mike Signorile.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Vote on non-inclusive ENDA coming this week
The House Rules Committee voted late last night to advance the non-transgender inclusive version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) to the floor for a full House vote. Many believed that a vote would happen today, but it now looks like it will come either tomorrow or Thursday.
HRC, which had previously been neutral on the revised bill, came out in full support of the version that was advanced to the floor last night. HRC's position was released in a letter today put out by the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, which was sent to all House members and explicitly stated an endorsement of the non-inclusive bill. The letter noted that the decision to move forward without protections for the trans community was "extremely difficult." In the end, HRC's Joe Solmonese told Gay City News Editor Paul Schindler, "we felt that in the long term interest of the community and the movement it should not be defeated."
Along with HRC, a vast array of progressive organizations, unions and religious groups signed the letter endorsing the bill, including: the NAACP, AFSCME, National Education Association and the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism.
The Advocate also announced the findings of an HRC-financed poll released today, which said that 70% of LGBT Americans (I'm not sure how many "T"s were asked) support passing a non-inclusive ENDA over passing no bill at all.
***UPDATE: Gay City News gets NGLTF Executive Director Matt Foreman's reaction to the advancement of the non-inclusive ENDA: "At no time during the African-American Civil Rights movement were light-skinned African Americans or dark-skinned African Americans left behind. What is being lost is that we need to be working for the best law, not a bill that can be passed today."
HRC, which had previously been neutral on the revised bill, came out in full support of the version that was advanced to the floor last night. HRC's position was released in a letter today put out by the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, which was sent to all House members and explicitly stated an endorsement of the non-inclusive bill. The letter noted that the decision to move forward without protections for the trans community was "extremely difficult." In the end, HRC's Joe Solmonese told Gay City News Editor Paul Schindler, "we felt that in the long term interest of the community and the movement it should not be defeated."
Along with HRC, a vast array of progressive organizations, unions and religious groups signed the letter endorsing the bill, including: the NAACP, AFSCME, National Education Association and the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism.
The Advocate also announced the findings of an HRC-financed poll released today, which said that 70% of LGBT Americans (I'm not sure how many "T"s were asked) support passing a non-inclusive ENDA over passing no bill at all.
***UPDATE: Gay City News gets NGLTF Executive Director Matt Foreman's reaction to the advancement of the non-inclusive ENDA: "At no time during the African-American Civil Rights movement were light-skinned African Americans or dark-skinned African Americans left behind. What is being lost is that we need to be working for the best law, not a bill that can be passed today."
Morning Sweep
The House Rules Committee voted to send the non-inclusive ENDA to the House floor for a vote. Rep. Tammy Baldwin's amendment, which would restore transgender protections in the bill, will get 10 minutes for debate.
It's Election Day and gay issues are noticeably absent from the ballots.
The Advocate tells us why the LGBT community should be paying close attention to the Republican presidential primary race.
CBS News on Logo be the first-ever regular LGBT broadcast news program "produced by a major network news operation." The show will air on Mondays at 7:00 PM. (via Good As You)
NYU's paper writes about a campus-wide effort to make gender-neutral restrooms in all new (and a few old) university buildings.
A lesbian Air Force nurse in Seattle is challenging "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in court after being discharged despite her decorated career.
It's Election Day and gay issues are noticeably absent from the ballots.
The Advocate tells us why the LGBT community should be paying close attention to the Republican presidential primary race.
CBS News on Logo be the first-ever regular LGBT broadcast news program "produced by a major network news operation." The show will air on Mondays at 7:00 PM. (via Good As You)
NYU's paper writes about a campus-wide effort to make gender-neutral restrooms in all new (and a few old) university buildings.
A lesbian Air Force nurse in Seattle is challenging "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in court after being discharged despite her decorated career.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Morning Sweep
Congrats to the Pride Agenda's Executive Director Alan Van Capelle who got married over the weekend to Matthew Morningstar, his partner of five years.
Kentucky's Republican incumbent governor is way, way behind in the polls leading up to tomorrow's election and is (as expected) using anti-gay messaging as a last-ditch attempt at gaining some ground.
New York Magazine takes an in-depth look at the the young men who were recently convicted in the hate crime killing of Michael Sandy.
Las Vegas is aggressively courting gay and lesbian travelers.
In the NYTimes' "Modern Love" column, a lesbian mother looks back on life during the peak of New York City's AIDS crisis and its effects on her efforts to find a sperm donor for the children she wanted to have.
A black pastor's expulsion from his church after coming out exemplifies the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that black communities have taken regarding homosexuality.
A campaign in Florida to get a statewide vote on banning same-sex marriage almost has the required number of signatures to put the issue on the 2008 ballot.
Boston-based Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders--a group that was instrumental in the Massachusetts same-sex marriage case--is not taking on the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
David Mixner touts Andrew Sullivan's piece about Barack Obama, who Sullivan calls the bridge between the baby boomers and the next generation.
The Baltimore Sun reports on the complex relationship between the LGBT community and hip-hop.
New York-based and openly gay Orthodox rabbi Steve Greenberg talks about how biblical references to homosexuality being wrong is all man-created and not divinely inspired.
Kentucky's Republican incumbent governor is way, way behind in the polls leading up to tomorrow's election and is (as expected) using anti-gay messaging as a last-ditch attempt at gaining some ground.
New York Magazine takes an in-depth look at the the young men who were recently convicted in the hate crime killing of Michael Sandy.
Las Vegas is aggressively courting gay and lesbian travelers.
In the NYTimes' "Modern Love" column, a lesbian mother looks back on life during the peak of New York City's AIDS crisis and its effects on her efforts to find a sperm donor for the children she wanted to have.
A black pastor's expulsion from his church after coming out exemplifies the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that black communities have taken regarding homosexuality.
A campaign in Florida to get a statewide vote on banning same-sex marriage almost has the required number of signatures to put the issue on the 2008 ballot.
Boston-based Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders--a group that was instrumental in the Massachusetts same-sex marriage case--is not taking on the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
David Mixner touts Andrew Sullivan's piece about Barack Obama, who Sullivan calls the bridge between the baby boomers and the next generation.
The Baltimore Sun reports on the complex relationship between the LGBT community and hip-hop.
New York-based and openly gay Orthodox rabbi Steve Greenberg talks about how biblical references to homosexuality being wrong is all man-created and not divinely inspired.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Morning Sweep
In case you missed it yesterday, read this very disturbing story about a French teenager who was raped by a group of men in Dubai and has had a horrible time dealing with the country's "third world" legal system. His mother has established this site.
The Washington Post has a story about Log Cabin Republicans and their support of Giuliani but overall disappointment with the state of the Republican Party.
Mitt Romney received some boos by university students in Iowa and Colorado after trumpeting his support for a Federal Marriage Amendment.
Reform Jews are supporting a fully-inclusive federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).
According to a recent poll in Vermont, 47% of voters in the Green Mountain State support same-sex marriage while 41% oppose it.
Unsurprisingly, fear of being out at work hurts both the employee and the employer.
Syracuse University is extending its LGBT programming to its study abroad campus in London.
It was only a matter of time before these started appearing.
The Washington Post has a story about Log Cabin Republicans and their support of Giuliani but overall disappointment with the state of the Republican Party.
Mitt Romney received some boos by university students in Iowa and Colorado after trumpeting his support for a Federal Marriage Amendment.
Reform Jews are supporting a fully-inclusive federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).
According to a recent poll in Vermont, 47% of voters in the Green Mountain State support same-sex marriage while 41% oppose it.
Unsurprisingly, fear of being out at work hurts both the employee and the employer.
Syracuse University is extending its LGBT programming to its study abroad campus in London.
It was only a matter of time before these started appearing.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Morning Sweep
LGBT supporters of John Edwards have written a letter to the media calling the candidate "the Democrat with the best chance to regain the White House against all of the top Republican candidates."
A columnist for the Huffington Post notices that gays have been in the news a lot lately.
TPM offers some advice to "Not Gay Republicans."
A student journalist for the University of Wisconsin newspaper very eloquently describes why full equality for gay people should not even be a controversy.
There will be a multi-faith roundtable this weekend in Westchester Co. to discuss ways in which religious communities can improve their outreach to LGBT people and their families.
A columnist for the Huffington Post notices that gays have been in the news a lot lately.
TPM offers some advice to "Not Gay Republicans."
A student journalist for the University of Wisconsin newspaper very eloquently describes why full equality for gay people should not even be a controversy.
There will be a multi-faith roundtable this weekend in Westchester Co. to discuss ways in which religious communities can improve their outreach to LGBT people and their families.
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