Advocates — and the bill’s lead sponsor — had hoped the chairman would consider the bill, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, in his committee in May or June. It won’t happen until “probably after the Fourth of July break,” Iowa’s Tom Harkin says.
“The LGBT community will not stand for Congress placing the blame of their own dysfunction on our shoulders,” Human Rights Campaign president Chad Griffin says.
“Tolerating this kind of bigotry will only serve to turn off more and more voters, and until the leadership of the RNC is willing to confront and denounce bigotry in its own ranks, they will continue to lose elections,” GOProud leader says.
Although unlikely to be a part of the initial Senate bill, LGBT advocates are confident protections for same-sex couples will be added in committee.
After transgender and immigrant rights activists criticized exclusion from this past week’s Supreme Court rally, the Human Rights Campaign apologizes. “We failed to live up to the high standard to which we hold ourselves accountable and we will strive to do better in the future,” HRC’s vice president says.
Did it seem like Facebook was extra red this week? Facebook’s Data Science Team posted a note highlighting the activity on Facebook around this week’s debate on the future of same-sex marriage in the United States.
“After marriage passed in the Netherlands, the movement more or less collapsed,” said the lawmaker who sponsored the Dutch marriage equality bill. Could that happen in the United States?
Ken Mehlman tells BuzzFeed he is pushing for same-sex couples’ marriage rights “because we are conservatives, not in spite of it.” Here’s how he got 80 prominent Republicans to join him in the fight.
White House press secretary reiterates a focus on Congress for action, even as advocates look to the White House for more leadership.
“Every day that goes by is another day of unnecessary sacrifice for our families,” frustrated LGBT advocate says.
A spokesperson says the Pentagon is “conducting a deliberative and comprehensive review of the possibility of extending eligibility for benefits, when legally permitted, to same-sex domestic partners.” The review has been ongoing for more than a year.
OutServe-SLDN seeks records of Fort Bragg leaders’ discussions regarding the spouses group that meets at the base. The Human Rights Campaign is asking Defense Secretary Panetta for action now to help address the situation.
“We were not aware of Pastor Giglio’s past comments at the time of his selection and they don’t reflect our desire to celebrate the strength and diversity of our country at this Inaugural,” an inaugural committee spokeswoman says.
“Truly disheartening,” says LGBT rights advocate. But Boehner’s office says it’s just defending “checks and balances.”
The possible defense secretary nominee’s apology “shows just how far as a country we have come when a conservative former Senator from Nebraska can have a change of heart on LGBT issues,” Human Rights Campaign president Chad Griffin says. UPDATE: Hormel is less satisfied than HRC is with the apology.
Sen. John Kerry will be nominated Secretary of State, the White House confirmed Friday; if he’s confirmed, there will be a special election. LGBT advocates back the notion, with one saying it would be “a capstone to a remarkable career in Washington.”
The Florida senator says his faith informs him as a policymaker, but “not as a way to pass judgment on people.” Can the Republican Party square the circle?
Although marriage equality advocates have found recent success, anti-LGBT job bias measures have been stalled in Congress and at the White House.
Of the November votes on gay couples’ marriage rights, the Human Rights Campaign says in a new television ad that there is a “mandate for full equality.” The ad uses images of women’s suffrage and Martin Luther King Jr.
Marriage equality–related campaigns won in four states this month. The victories, in part, came after a yearlong, behind-the-scenes national research effort.
Following this week’s electoral successes, the Human Rights Campaign looks ahead — to the Supreme Court, in the administration, to the Hill, and to the states. Also in the works, an HRC ranking of cities for LGBT equality measures.
Hoping for further advances, the influential LGBT group also is calling for Obama to issue new protections for employees of federal contractors.
Obama senior adviser spoke to the nation’s leading LGBT political group, praising victories for marriage equality and the election of Tammy Baldwin to the Senate.
From Washington, DC, to Washington state, a night of votes with consequences for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
“It’s unacceptable to launch these types of despicable attacks from dark corners,” a Human Rights Campaign spokesman said about the Federal Communications Commission complaint filing.
The actor will match dollar-for-dollar up to $100K for the Human Rights Campaign if people contribute over the next 24 hours.
Republicans supportive of gay rights — and at least one prominent Democrat — are backing New York Congresswoman Nan Hayworth in her challenge from an out gay candidate, Sean Patrick Maloney.
A watershed moment in the LGBT rights movement. “The fight is not over,” says OutServe-SLDN’s new chief, Allyson Robinson.
The Obama campaign has shared no clear second-term plan on how it will address LGBT concerns like stopping workplace discrimination or advancing marriage equality. The Romney campaign, meanwhile, opposes most LGBT advocates’ issues and is vague on others.
Human Rights Campaign shows its dissatisfaction with the House Republican leadership. Group also looks outside Congress to argue that Congress is lagging behind national public opinion.
