Archive for July 2011
SLDN Releases First Post-DADT Repeal Legal Guide
A gay servicemembers advocacy group is releasing a new legal guide for LGBT troops, recruits and their allies offering advice on U.S. military service in a post-’Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ world.
HHS Moves to Revisit Gay Blood Donor Ban
The Obama administration says it will review the decades-old policy that prohibits men who have sex with men—known as MSM—from donating blood.
Survey: Support for LGBT Rights on the Rise
The Human Rights Campaign released a poll Monday that showed a major groundswell of support for the LGBT community across the country.
Federal Agency to Report on DP Benefits for the First Time
A federal compensation survey is for the first time including data on employer-provided health care benefits for unmarried same-sex couples.
New York Celebrates Marriage Equality
Sunday, June 24 brought the start of marriage equality in New York. Across the state, gay and lesbian couples celebrated as they were finally–legally–able to exchange their vows and have their relationships recognized by the state. New York City alone saw more than 800 marriages on Sunday. Couples started lining up outside the Clerk’s office in Manhattan early in the morning. By the time the office opened at 8:30, there were hundreds of people waiting to get their licenses and exchange their vows.
- Foreground: gay and lesbian couples celebrate New York’s first gay wedding day. Background: protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church
The atmosphere on Worth Street was one of celebration and uncontrollable joy. Even anti-gay protesters from across the city and the Westboro Baptist Church did not dampen the mood. Couples came to Manhattan from across the New York Metro area and around the country to get married. One lesbian couple from Texas said they wanted to take advantage of the fact that New York does not require residency to be married here, unlike other states with legal same-sex unions.
People said these rights were a long time coming, and won after a tough battle. But they recognized that the start of marrige equality in New York is just the beginning of the fight. Many of the married couples said they want to see the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) overturned. Until this happens, they realize same-sex married couples will never truly be equal in the eyes of the law.
Click the links below to hear couples talk about their experiences:
–Zach Wichter
GA cops arrest man who set male teen on fire
A Georgia man accused of setting a teen boy on fire during an alleged sexual encounter last week, is in police custody awaiting further questioning. OutQ’s Xorje Olivares has more on the incident that authorities say is just one of many the suspect has been involved in. Read the rest of this entry »
San Diego Hotel at Center of Gay Boycott Has Been Sold
The San Diego hotel at the center of a longstanding boycott by a gay-rights group has been sold, and now its former owner is planning a new hotel in Austin, Texas. Read the rest of this entry »
CA Activists Unsure How Ex-Gay Group Was Accredited
The American Civil Liberties Union is raising concerns about a well know ex-gay group and their permission to instruct school counselors in California. Read the rest of this entry »
