Bid for gay commerce secretary ignored
(Washington) President Barack Obama on Wednesday named former Washington governor Gary Locke to head the Commerce Department, ignoring a grassroots effort by an LGBT group to have an openly gay man nominated for the job.
Equal Rep had been pressing to have Fred Hochberg appointed as Commerce Secretary.
After Obama’s first choice, …
Conservative Lutheran leader critical of gay clergy plan
(St. Louis, Missouri) The president of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod expressed “great disappointment and deep sadness” over a proposal that would allow gays and lesbians in committed relationships to serve as clergy in the larger and more liberal Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Gerald B. Kieschnick, in a letter to his …
NC GOP again tries for anti-gay amendment
(Raleigh, North Carolina) North Carolina Republicans once again are trying to get an amendment put before voters to ban same-sex marriage.
The state already has two laws limiting marriage to opposite sex couples. One says that marriage licenses can be issued only to couples comprised of a man and a woman. …
Gay Asians criticize Oscar censorship
(Kuala Lumpur) Gay Asians voiced indignation Wednesday after television broadcasts of the Academy Awards in their region censored the words “gay” and “lesbian” in speeches that called for equal rights.
The speeches by actor Sean Penn and writer Dustin Lance Black – who won Oscars for their work in “Milk” – …
Bishop scolds school over gay-rights speaker
(Scranton, Pennsylvania) A Roman Catholic bishop in northeastern Pennsylvania wants a Catholic university to close a multicultural center because it hosted a visit by a gay-rights advocate.
Scranton Bishop Joseph Martino says Misericordia University shouldn’t have sanctioned a Feb. 17 visit by author Keith Boykin. He says viewpoints that contradict Catholic …
Utah Dems demand sanctions after Buttars’ homophobia
(Salt Lake City, Utah) Utah Senate Democrats on Tuesday called for the ouster of a GOP lawmaker from two additional key committee posts because of his anti-gay comments.
In recent comments to a documentary filmmaker, state Sen. Chris Buttars compared gay activists to radical Muslims and said they are “probably the …
Colorado Senate approves partner bill
(Denver, Colorado) Despite a heated debate in which one Colorado state senator linked homosexuality to murder, the Senate has approved a domestic partner bill.
The legislation would make it easier for unmarried couples in Colorado, including gays and lesbians, to make medical decision for incapacitated partners and leave property to their …
Wisc. partner measure may lead to constitutional challenge
(Madison, Wisconsin) Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle’s proposed domestic partner registry for same-sex couples is likely to lead to a lawsuit if approved by the legislature, a conservative group is warning.
Doyle, a Democrat, included the registry in the state budget presented to lawmakers last week. The measure also would provide health …
Ammiano Introduces LGBT Prisoner Safety Act in California Assembly
Sacramento – The LGBT Prisoner Safety Act, AB 382, was introduced in the California State Assembly this week by Assemblymember Tom Ammiano (D – San Francisco). The bill, sponsored by Equality California (EQCA), is designed to prevent violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the state prison system. According to a recent study from the Cali¬fornia Department of Corrections and Re¬habilitation, 67 percent of LGBT inmates report being sexually assaulted by another inmate, a rate 15 times higher than the overall prison population.
“All Californians deserve protection from violence,” said Geoff Kors, EQCA Executive Director. “This bill seeks to end abuse and assault against LGBT prisoners, ensuring they receive equal and fair protection under the law.”
The legislation promotes safety for and prevents abuse and assault against LGBT people in the prison system by adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the current list of factors that should be considered when classifying and housing prisoners. The current list of factors includes age, gender, type of offense, and prior time served.
“All people deserve basic protections – including those serving time in our state prisons,” Assemblymember Ammiano said upon introducing the bill. “No prisoner should fear for his or her life or be the target of abuse because of his or her sexual orientation or gender identity.”
The bill was developed as a direct result of a Senate Public Safety Committee meeting held in San Francisco this past December and chaired by Senator and former Majority Leader Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles). The meeting, which was sponsored by EQCA along with Just Detention International, the Transgender Law Center, National Center for Lesbian Rights, and the Transgender Gender-Variant and Intersex Justice Project, exposed the dire issues facing LGBT people in California prisons in order to produce concrete solutions.
EQCA works to achieve equality and secure legal protections for LGBT people. To improve the lives of LGBT Californians, EQCA sponsors legislation and coordinates efforts to ensure its passage, lobbies legislators and other policy makers, builds coalitions, develops community strength and empowers individuals and other organizations to engage in the political process. www.eqca.org
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/02/ammiano-intro…
Out sheriff’s critics quiet in wake of re-election
The re-election win of out Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez appears to have quieted critics in the mainstream media, the local GOP and some employee unions of her so-called “gay agenda,” according to Dallas Voice writer John Wright. Dallas Voice/Instant Tea blog (
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/02/out-sheriffs-…
