SF City Attorney ready to lend a hand in federal gay marriage case

Dennis Herrera, San Francisco’s City Attorney petitioned a U.S. District Court Judge Thursday to allow San Francisco to intervene as a party plaintiff in a constitutional challenge to Proposition 8, the voter-approved amendment that bans gay marriage in California. The federal lawsuit was filed in May on behalf of two California couples. San Francisco lead the legal battle that resulted in the May 2008 ruling in favor of gay marriage that was later overruled by Prop 8. “We are long overdue to put anti-gay discrimination on trial based on the facts,” said Herrera in a statement. “The San Francisco City Attorney’s Office has the experience and expertise to aggressively assist in doing precisely that.”See City Attorney ready to lend a hand in federal gay marriage case The San Francisco Examiner

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Gay activists shrug at Obama benefits move

President Obama’s first official overture to the gay and lesbian community, granting a handful of benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees Wednesday, did little to quiet gay rights activists who want him to push for repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act.

Obama reiterated at a White House ceremony his “long-standing commitment” to try to overturn the law, which bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages.

But the memorandum he signed Wednesday was a far cry from the frontal assault on the 1996 marriage law, which denies federal benefits to same-sex partners, or the 1993 “don’t ask, don’t tell” ban on gays in the military that Obama the candidate talked about.

The memorandum aims at the fringes of anti-gay discrimination by the federal government, leaving open the question of if or when the White House will move against the underlying federal laws.

Under the new rule, domestic partners of civil servants will be eligible for long-term care insurance, and employees may use their sick leave to take care of ailing partners or non-biological, non-adopted children.

See Gay activists shrug at Obama benefits move

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Senate to Hold First-Ever Hearing Addressing Anti-Gay Discrimination in U.S. Immigration Law

June 3rd Judiciary Hearing Will Debate Uniting American Families Act

The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold its first-ever hearing on The Uniting American Families Act (UAFA), a bill to end discrimination against lesbian and gay Americans in U.S. immigration law and allow lesbian and gay citizens to sponsor their partners for residency in the United States.

The hearing was scheduled by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chairman of the Judiciary Committee and the lead Senate sponsor of UAFA. Witnesses will include binational couples who have been separated, or face separation, because of discriminatory U.S. immigration law.

An estimated 36,000 binational couples are affected by U.S. laws prohibiting gay and lesbian Americans from sponsoring their partners for residency. Countless lesbian and gay families, including many with children, are torn apart by U.S. immigration law, or are forced to leave the United States to remain together. While 19 other nations allow lesbian and gay citizens to sponsor their partners, the United States continues to discriminate against tens of thousands of families. As the nation prepares to consider immigration reform, the Judiciary Committee hearing will provide an important opportunity for lawmakers to hear from some of those families.

The session is set for Wednesday, June 3, 2009, 10:00 a.m. in Room 226 – Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C.

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Settlement in lesbian student harassment case

(Vallejo, California) A settlement has been reached between a student, who claimed she had faced anti-gay harassment and discrimination from teachers and school staff, and the Vallejo City Unified School District.

The settlement was reached by the American Civil Liberties Union and includes district-wide anti-harassment training for students and staff.

Rochelle Hamilton, …

McDonald’s settles gay discrimination case

(Louisville, Kentucky) McDonald’s has agreed to diversity training and a cash settlement, ending a human rights complaint by two men who were subjected to homophobic remarks by employees of a local restaurant.

Ryan Marlatt, Teddy Eggers, and three other friends had stopped for lunch at a McDonald’s restaurant on East Market …

Gay worker sues Microsoft for discrimination

(London) A British worker for Microsoft is suing the computer giant in London, alleging discrimination.

Jamie Durrant, 38, claims in his complaint to the labor tribunal that the company failed to take action despite numerous complaints he was being harassed by fellow workers.

Durrant, who earned about $100,000 a year designing video …

Gay employee files discrimination lawsuit against Easton Hospital

A Lower Saucon Township woman has filed a civil lawsuit against Easton Hospital claiming she was targeted by her superiors because of her sexual orientation and subsequently fired, court records said.
Suzanne Cornish, who worked at the hospital in Wilson Borough as the director of the cardiology pulmonary unit, filed the suit in federal court last week seeking lost salary, damages and attorney fees and to have her position reinstated, according to court records.
Cornish claims because she is gay she was harassed at work and hospital officials attempted to coerce her resignation through a “campaign of harassment,” records indicate.
Cornish alleges hospital officials found out about her sexuality at the end of May 2008 and she was fired Oct. 31.
Cornish also claims she was given inaccurate performance reviews that led to her firing, according to court records.
At one time, Cornish was suspended while the hospital investigated claims that she acted inappropriately at work, records said. The claims were not elaborated on in the court records.
“Easton Hospital’s policy is not to comment on matters in litigation,” hospital spokesman Alan Levy said. See Gay employee files discrimination lawsuit against Easton Hospital
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