Mom complains over ‘innocence’ lost
A DC resident filed a complaint because a teacher said she’s marrying her lesbian partner.
OPM refuses to follow gay ruling
The OPM said a judge’s ruling doesn’t count in a case for lesbian partner benefits.
Maine court upholds IBM heir’s adoption of lover
(Portland, Maine) Maine’s highest court has given a legal victory to a woman who stands to stake a claim to a share of one of America’s premier business fortunes thanks to her adoption by her lesbian partner.
The Maine Supreme Judicial Court on Thursday overturned a 2008 lower court decision that …
In Israel, Bill proposes allowing lesbian couples to split maternity leave
A new bill proposing allowing lesbian partners to split the maternity leave between them has been submitted to the Knesset’s approval.
The bill’s initiator, Knesset Member Dov Khenin (Hadash) explained that “women living together in a joint household should also be able to enjoy the benefit of splitting the maternity leave between them.” See Bill proposes allowing lesbian couples to split maternity leave Ynetnews
* Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
| Published by |
 |
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/06/in-israel-bil…
Crowds line up to get into Prop. 8 hearing
SAN FRANCISCO — Scores of people lined up this morning outside the California Supreme Court building in San Francisco, hoping for a seat in the chambers as the justices hear arguments on whether the voter-approved state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages should be overturned.
Some people arrived outside the building on McAllister Street at the Civic Center at 4:50 a.m., more than four hours before the arguments began at 9 a.m. The crowd grew as the hearing approached.
Motorists honked their horns, mostly in support of those who want the marriage ban overturned.
First in line was Sara Taylor of Novato, 54, an attorney who married her lesbian partner last June after the court ruled that same-sex marriages were constitutional – a decision that voters overturned five months later in approving Proposition 8.
“This court made the bold decision in the first place declaring that homosexuals have the right to marry,” Taylor said. “For me, it’s a gift to be sitting in front of them.”
On the other side of the issue was Jack Warner, a 60-year-old printer who traveled from Los Angeles for the arguments.
Holding a banner that read, “The Bible says the wages of sin is death,” Warner said he was standing outside the court because, “I want to give our side, God’s side.”
Another Prop. 8 supporter, Thomas Koors, a 63-year-old self-employed window and gutter cleaner from Novato, said he had spent the night in his Subaru near the courthouse and was there to “uphold democracy.”
“If we’re going to have democracy, we have to abide by the will of the majority of the voters, whether we like it or not,” said Koors, who waved an American flag and held a sign that read, “In God we trust.”
The Rev. Amy Morgenstern, 40, who is in a same-sex marriage and is a Unitarian Universalist minister at a Palo Alto church, countered, “It’s just crazy to think that majority rule should be able to take away a fundamental right.”
By 8:15, the line waiting to get into the courthouse took up two-thirds of the block. Others were gathering in Civic Center Plaza, where the three hours of arguments on the legality of Prop. 8 were being televised on a JumboTron set up directly across from City Hall. See
Crowds line up to get into Prop. 8 hearing * Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
| Published by |
|
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/03/crowds-line-u…
Lambda Legal Defends Lesbian Mother in Ohio Custody Matter – ‘These children have a right to the love and support of both parents.’
(Cleveland, Ohio, January 21, 2009) — In court papers submitted in the Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals, Lambda Legal defended a lesbian mother in her fight to continue to parent her 11 and 8 year old sons.
“These children have a right to the love and support of both of their parents,” said Camilla Taylor Senior Staff Attorney in Lambda Legal’s Midwest Regional Office in Chicago. “The Ohio Supreme Court already has said that Ohio’s antigay constitutional amendment does not prevent a same-sex couple from sharing custody of the children they are rearing together. We shouldn’t have to address this hurtful and discriminatory argument any longer. The trial court below in this case did the right thing by focusing on the needs of the children, and awarding shared custody to these women based on more than a century of Ohio case law allowing such orders.”
Lambda Legal represents Rita Goodman in her pursuit to continue to parent her two sons. Goodman and her former partner Siobhan LaPiana were in a committed relationship for 10 years. During that time the women planned and had two children. LaPiana gave birth to the children but both women equally parented the boys, who love and rely on both of them as their mothers. Before the birth of the first child, Goodman and LaPiana drafted and signed a parenting agreement detailing their intent to share all responsibilities of parenthood. After the couple split, LaPiana began restricting Goodman’s time with the boys. In February 2007, Goodman filed a lawsuit, and in August, 2008, the trial court ordered visitation for Goodman. LaPiana appealed, arguing, among other things, that Ohio’s antigay constitutional amendment prevents courts from entering orders permitting former lesbian partners to share custody, and that the court’s order unconstitutionally infringed on her right to autonomy as a parent.
Lambda Legal argues that Ohio’s antigay constitutional amendment has no impact on Ohio courts’ authority to order shared custody between former same-sex partners. Additionally, Lambda Legal argues that because LaPiana agreed to co-parent her children from birth with Goodman, it is constitutional for courts to step in to protect the children’s bonded relationship to Goodman.
On December 31, 2008, in the Lambda Legal case, In re J.D.F., the Ohio Supreme Court rejected a similar effort by a woman in a custody dispute with her former partner to use Ohio’s antigay constitutional amendment as a weapon to sever the parental relationship between her child and her former partner.
“This has always been about my sons and making sure they can rely on both of their parents. I made a promise to take care of them always — and I’m just trying to make good on that promise,” said Lambda Legal client Rita Goodman.
Lambda Legal represents Rita Goodman along with cooperating attorney Pamela J. MacAdams, of
Camilla Taylor, Senior Staff Attorney is handling the case for Lambda Legal. She is joined by co-counsel
Pamela J. MacAdams of Morganstern, MacAdams & DeVito Co., LPA, in Cleveland, Ohio.
The case is In re S.J.L. and J.K.L.
| Published by |
|
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/01/lambda-legal-…
Utahns backing gay rights
While Utahns aren’t ready to let gay and lesbian couples exchange wedding vows or enter civil unions, most are willing to give them broader legal rights to inherit property, visit a partner in the hospital and ward off employment discrimination.
A Salt Lake Tribune poll finds that 56 percent of Utah voters support increased legal protections for same-sex couples — a potential boon for Democratic state lawmakers who intend to introduce a package of gay-rights bills this legislative session.
However, the poll shows overwhelming opposition (70 percent) to any changes to the Utah Constitution that would allow same-sex partners to enter civil unions. Utahns, 54 percent of them, also are wary of letting unmarried couples, including gay and lesbian partners, adopt or foster children.
See Utahns backing gay rights
Salt Lake Tribune, United States -
| Published by |
|
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/01/utahns-backin…
Supreme Court: Va. Must Enforce Gay Visitation Rights
The U.S. Supreme Court has let stand a ruling that Virginia must enforce a Vermont court order awarding child-visitation rights to a mother’s former lesbian partner. See Supreme Court: Va. Must Enforce Gay Visitation Rights
WRIC, VA -
| Published by |
|
Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2008/12/supreme-court…
