National Gay and Lesbian Task Force applauds Census Bureau’s plan to count married same-sex couples
Task Force staffers have been meeting with officials from the White House, Census Bureau and Commerce Department to press for this policy reversal
WASHINGTON, June 20 -The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force applauds reports that the U.S. Census Bureau will count married same-sex couples in the 2010 census, reversing an earlier decision made under the Bush administration. Previously, same-sex couples only had the option of checking off ‘unmarried partner,’ which will remain an option. The Task Force has played a leading role in getting the Census Bureau to change course. Task Force staffers have been pressing for a reversal of the discriminatory policy in meetings that started in late 2008 with the Obama transition team, continuing later with officials from the White House, Census Bureau and Commerce Department.
tatement by Rea Carey, Executive Director National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
“This is a huge win for our community. Our community and allies stood up and refused to allow same-sex marriages, our
families and our children to be rendered invisible in the picture of our country provided through the census.
“After months and months of pressure through the grassroots campaign we waged and our in-person meetings with administration officials, the U.S. Census Bureau has reversed policy and will be accurately counting the thousands of same-sex couples who have worked so hard to have their love and commitment recognized.
“This gives us hope that we will also be able to get the federal government to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the data and reporting on other critical issues, including those having to do with our health, economic issues, safety and life circumstances. As a married person myself, I look forward to filling out the census form, knowing that my family will be counted accurately.
“We would like to thank Gary Gates of the Williams Institute for his years of work and for partnering with us to educate the administration on this critical issue of visibility for our community.”
The Task Force’s work leading to this victory
The Task Force has been working for months to secure a reversal of the discriminatory policy.
* Task Force staff met with Obama transition team members to educate them about this critical issue, and to provide concrete ways for them to make this change.
* Task Force staffers, including Executive Director Rea Carey and Policy Institute Director Jaime Grant, have been pressing for a policy change in meetings that started in late 2008 with the Obama transition team, continuing later with officials from the White House, Census Bureau and Commerce Department.
* In February, the Task Force Policy Institute convened 20 leading lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights organizations to meet with top census outreach officials. In this meeting, the groups collectively refused to engage in community outreach on the census until the anti-marriage policy was reversed.
* The Task Force partnered with the Williams Institute to provide officials from the White House, Census Bureau and Commerce Department with research essential to making this change.
* The Task Force undertook a major grassroots campaign to both educate the public on this issue and to apply pressure to the administration.
* The Task Force worked with key elected officials to provide them with
information so they could write letters to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and
the incoming director of the Census Bureau to advocate for change.
* The Task Force is part of a coalition of researchers and advocates
crafting a community education campaign to launch following the change of
policy.
* Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
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Lambda Legal Urges Unbiased Nominees to Fill 54 Federal Bench Vacancies
‘The foremost consideration in nominating federal judges should be their commitment to rendering decisions impartially.’
(New York, January 15, 2009) — As inauguration day draws near, Lambda Legal sent a letter to President-Elect Obama and the leadership of the Senate Judiciary Committee, explaining the monumental need for fair and impartial nominees to the federal bench who will address issues facing the gay community without bias.
“In the coming years, a number of key issues that significantly impact the gay community are likely to arise in the federal courts,” said Lambda Legal Executive Director Kevin Cathcart, “The foremost consideration in nominating federal judges should be their commitment to rendering decisions impartially.”
During his two terms, President Bush appointed 326 judges to the federal bench.
“It is no secret that the Bush Administration’s goal was to pack the federal courts at all levels with arch-conservative judges who would be unfriendly to the vigorous protection of civil rights — not only for gay people, but for everyone,” said Cathcart.
“To start, President-Elect Obama will have 54 vacancies to fill and we hope that those nominees can provide balance to what has become a federal system that is often hostile the gay community,” added Cathcart.
Today’s letter is a follow-up to a memo Lambda Legal provided to the Obama Transition Team. It urges President-Elect Obama to nominate federal justices who adhere to precedents established in cases of importance to the gay community- including the right to privacy, protection against laws based on antigay bias, the right to sue in state courts under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and protections against HIV discrimination, among others.
Finally, the letter seeks to promote judicial integrity through nomination of jurists who represent the nation’s diversity including people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, people of color, women, and those with public defender and public interest legal backgrounds.
To read the full text of the letter submitted, please visit Lambda Legal’s website www.lambdalegal.org or the email version of this press release includes an attached PDF of the letter.
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Obama Passes On Gay Cabinet Member
With the appointment of California Representative Hilda Solis (Democrat) to the position of Labor Secretary, the aspirations of gay rights leaders for a cabinet-level appointment have most likely evaporated.
Openly lesbian Mary Beth Maxwell had been considered a strong contender for the position. Maxwell is the founding executive director of American Rights at Work, and had helped line up support for the pro-union Employee Free Choice Act.
It was just last week that members of President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team met with dozens of gay and lesbian activists fueling speculation that a cabinet-level appointment might be in the offing.
But no openly gay, bisexual or transgender person has ever served in one of the fifteen cabinet secretary positions that report directly to the president.
In that meeting, Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, made it clear to the Obama transition team that he felt the political aspirations of the gay community had not yet been fully realized: “We have paid our political dues, but still have not benefited greatly from that.”
See Obama Passes On Gay Cabinet Member
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Gay Appointments Appear Likely In Obama Administration
A December 11 meeting between members of President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team and dozens of gay and lesbian activists has fueled speculation of openly gay appointments in an Obama administration.
With half the senior White House staff chosen, gay activists have increased their concern over the lack of a gay appointment to a cabinet level position.
And while no openly gay, bisexual or transgender person has ever served in one of the fifteen cabinet secretary positions, gay activists believe they have a strong case this year.
See Gay Appointments Appear Likely In Obama Administration
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Obama taps Kingston gay activist as part of advisory team
INGSTON — Barack Obama’s transition team has reached out to local gay activist Ginny Apuzzo to be part of an advisory team for the new administration.
The Obama team has asked that Apuzzo not go into any details of her new assignment, and she has agreed.
But only someone unfamiliar with Apuzzo’s career would be surprised by the appointment of the long-time community organizer, advocate for people with AIDS, and state and federal administrator to the temporary post.
Apuzzo attended SUNY New Paltz and taught high school history in Marlboro and Newburgh before becoming a Sister of Charity. In 1970, she came out as a lesbian, continued to teach at Brooklyn College, ran unsuccessfully for the state Assembly and won a court battle for what is now the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. She became a national spokeswoman for the effort to win understanding and support for people suffering from AIDS-related diseases.
One of her proudest achievements was negotiating to get Social Security disability payments for people with AIDS.
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