National News - Washington Blade

Maine rejects marriage law

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST

Maine rejects marriage law
Amid disappointment, questions linger over national strategy
By Chris Johnson
Friday, November 06, 2009
The loss of same-sex marriage rights in Maine is being called a devastating blow to the gay civil rights movement, triggering criticism of President Obama and discussion about whether national LGBT groups need to rethink their strategy.

On Tuesday, Maine voters approved a “people's veto” of the law that legalized same-sex marriage in their state, abrogating the statute before any such unions could occur. With about 87 percent of precincts reporting Wednesday, voters appeared to have approved the initiative, known as Question 1, with 53 percent of the vote.

The loss in Maine echoes a loss last year in California, where the passage of Proposition 8 ended same- ...

Parker heads to runoff in Houston mayoral race

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST

Parker heads to runoff in Houston mayoral race
Lesbian candidate was top vote getter in Tuesday's election
By Amy Cavanaugh
Friday, November 06, 2009
Houston City Controller Annise Parker was the top vote getter in Tuesday's mayoral election and now advances to a runoff next month against the runner-up, former city attorney Gene Locke.

If Parker, a lesbian, wins the December election, Houston will become the largest U.S. city with an openly gay mayor.

Parker received 31 percent of the vote, Locke took 25 percent, and urban planner Peter Brown claimed 23 percent. Because no candidate received 50 percent of the vote, a runoff between the top two vote getters is required. All three are Democrats.

“We're thrilled at the first-place finish, but now the hard work really begins,” said Denis Dison, a v ...

Running into 'a DOMA problem' in health care reform

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST

Running into 'a DOMA problem' in health care reform
Questions linger as advocates praise LGBT provisions
By Chris Johnson
Friday, November 06, 2009
As gay rights supporters praise the House's recently unveiled health care bill for its LGBT and HIV/AIDS provisions, some acknowledge the Defense of Marriage Act could restrict benefits from flowing to LGBT people, depending on how the administration interprets the statute.

The $894 billion package, made public last week by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, compiled the work of three committees that produced health care bills. It includes a government-run insurance option that could extend coverage to about 36 million uninsured Americans.

Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), the only out lesbian in Congress and an advocate for the health care reform bill, said she's expecting House m ...

Obama signs hate crimes bill

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EST

Obama signs hate crimes bill
Measure named for Matthew Shepard becomes law after 10-year fight
By Chris Johnson
Friday, October 30, 2009
Flanked by Defense Department officials and members of Congress, President Obama on Wednesday signed into law an LGBT hate crimes measure as part of a massive Pentagon spending bill.

“After more than a decade of opposition and delay, we passed inclusive hate crimes legislation to help protect our citizens from violence based what they look like, who they love, how they pray or who they are,” Obama said in the East Room of the White House.

Obama signed the measure, known as the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, as part of the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Authorization Act. The law allows the Justice Department to assist in the prose ...

Lesbian mayoral candidate faces hurdle in Houston

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EST

Lesbian mayoral candidate faces hurdle in Houston
Even if Parker wins the most votes, race might end with runoff
By Chris Johnson
Friday, October 30, 2009
Annise Parker faces several candidates in an election set for Nov. 3 in her bid to become the next mayor of Houston, the nation's fourth largest city.

Parker, a lesbian, is ahead in some polls by several points, and recently picked up an endorsement from the Houston Chronicle, the city's largest newspaper.

But a majority vote is needed to secure victory and with so many candidates in the race, it's likely that none will reach that threshold. A run-off election featuring the top two vote-getters will likely take place Dec. 12.

Paul Scott, executive director of Equality Texas, said Parker, a Democrat who serves as Houston city controller, was “doing well& ...

N.Y. congressional race attracts nat'l attention

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EST

N.Y. congressional race attracts nat'l attention
Pro-gay GOP contender faces challenge from right
By Chris Johnson
Friday, October 30, 2009

A GOP congressional candidate in New York who supports same-sex marriage is struggling to eke out a victory in her race — apparently because of her positions on social issues and escalating national attention to the contest — even though she's running in a Republican district.

Diedre “Dede” Scozzafava is the Republican candidate seeking to represent her state's 23rd congressional district in a special election set for Nov. 3. A member of the New York Assembly since 1999, Scozzafava voted in 2007 and again earlier this year in favor of bills to legalize same-sex marriage in New York.

The contest to represent New York's 23rd congressional dis ...

Could ruling relax 'Don't Ask' without law change?

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EST

Could ruling relax 'Don't Ask' without law change?
Source: DOD examining Witt case as way to ease enforcement
By Chris Johnson
Friday, October 30, 2009
The Defense Department is examining whether a ruling in a lawsuit challenging “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” could be used to relax enforcement of the policy without changing the law, according to a Senate aide.

The Pentagon “is looking carefully” at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling last year in Witt v. Air Force “to see if there are any nationwide implications beyond the Ninth Circuit,” said the aide, who spoke to the Washington Blade on condition of anonymity.

The ruling challenged the U.S. military to prove that the presence of Maj. Margaret Witt, a lesbian nurse who was discharged under “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” after ...

Paterson calls lawmakers back for marriage bill

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EST

Paterson calls lawmakers back for marriage bill

By Staff & Wire Reports
Friday, October 30, 2009
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York Gov. David Paterson this week called for a special session of the legislature to deal with the latest budget deficit and other issues that are expected to include a bill to legalize same-sex marriage.

Paterson wants what is technically called an extraordinary session on Nov. 10 that would address the deficit and take on unfinished business. The regular session ended in June.

The special session is expected to include a possible vote by the Senate to give final legislative approval to a same-sex marriage bill. Paterson has predicted the bill will be passed and signed into law in the coming weeks.
...

Maine marriage to be decided by 'razor-thin election'

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EST

Maine marriage to be decided by 'razor-thin election'
Electorate to vote Nov. 3 on whether to retain gay nuptials
By Chris Johnson
Friday, October 30, 2009
One year after California's electorate ended same-sex marriage in the Golden State, voters in Maine are preparing to decide whether to allow gay nuptials. To avoid another defeat, supporters of same-sex marriage were ramping up their grassroots efforts in advance of Tuesday's vote on the proposed “people's veto.”

Only if the initiative, known as Question 1, fails can same-sex couples marry in Maine.

Jesse Connolly, campaign manager for “No on 1,” said his campaign is working on identifying supporters of same-sex marriage and ensuring they make it to the polls.

“I think that we're in as best a position as we could have hoped for ...

Congress approves funds for Ryan White renewal

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EST

Congress approves funds for Ryan White renewal

By Chris Johnson
Friday, October 30, 2009
The U.S. House has approved legislation that renews federal funding to care for low-income people living with HIV/AIDS.

The bill, known as the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009, would provide funding under the Ryan White program for an additional four years. The House approved the legislation Oct. 21 by a vote of 408-9, according to the clerk's office.

The Ryan White Care Act, first enacted in 1990, is the nation's largest federally funded program for people living HIV/AIDS and is designed to assist low-income victims with insufficient or no insurance.

Rebecca Haag, AIDS Action Council's executive director, praised the House for approving th ...

LGBT senior, housing issues win attention

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EST

LGBT senior, housing issues win attention
Obama administration acts to aid elders, study discrimination
By Lou Chibbaro Jr.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Obama administration officials are acting to address the needs of LGBT seniors and curtail housing discrimination against LGBT people, including same-sex couples that apply for public housing programs designated for low-income families.

Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Oct. 21 announced plans to establish the first national resource center to promote services and support for “older lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals.”

Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, and Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said the new resource center would help an especially ...

40 years, 40 headlines

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EST

40 years, 40 headlines
A look back at the biggest stories in Blade history
By
Friday, October 30, 2009
To help commemorate the Blade's 40th anniversary, employees worked to identify the top 40 headlines from our archives.

These headlines often represent single events, but sometimes are used thematically to encompass a series of related events. Each one survived several rounds of voting to make the cut and determine its order in the final list.

The stories are a mix of local and national events that helped shape the LGBT movement.

40 1982: An investigation by the Washington Blade reveals that the FBI is spying on D.C. gays. Sources said the FBI and D.C. police were looking into prostitution with adults or mi ...

Wash. man gets 18 months in gay immigration fraud

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EST

Wash. man gets 18 months in gay immigration fraud

By Staff & Wire Reports
Friday, October 30, 2009
SEATTLE (AP) — A man accused of advising straight immigrants to claim homosexuality — and potential persecution in their home countries — when they applied for asylum has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Steven Mahoney touted himself as an expert in immigration affairs and ran Mahoney and Associates in Kent, which advised immigrants on how to stay in the U.S. He pleaded guilty in April, acknowledging that between 1998 and 2007 he filed as many as 99 false immigration documents and was paid between $1,000 and $4,000 for each.

In addition to false claims of homosexuality, he advised some clients to claim they could be tortured due to their religiou ...

Stark introduces bill to fight bias in adoptions

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EST

Stark introduces bill to fight bias in adoptions
Measure would penalize states with anti-gay laws
By Chris Johnson
Friday, October 23, 2009
A federal lawmaker is touting an anti-discrimination in adoption bill he recently introduced as a way to find more homes for children living in the welfare system.

U.S. Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) on Oct. 15 introduced the Every Child Deserves a Family Act, which would restrict federal funds for states that discriminate in adoption or foster programs on the basis of marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Stark said in an interview that he introduced the bill, H.R. 3827, in part because thousands of children each year “age out” of the child welfare system without finding homes.

“We got 25,000 kids a year maturing out of the wel ...

Senate committee considers DP benefits bill

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EST

Senate committee considers DP benefits bill
Measure billed as good for federal government
By Chris Johnson
Friday, October 23, 2009
A Senate bill that would extend partner benefits to LGBT federal workers was praised during a recent congressional hearing as a way to make the federal workforce fair and competitive.

The Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee heard testimony Oct. 15 on the Domestic Partnership Benefits & Obligations Act, which would make the same-sex partners of federal employees eligible for the same benefits as the spouses of straight workers.

Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), the committee's chair and sponsor of the legislation, said he introduced the bill in the Senate because it “makes sense for the federal government as an employer.”

Udall asks Pentagon brass for views on 'Don't Ask'

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EST

Udall asks Pentagon brass for views on 'Don't Ask'
Udell sits on Senate Armed Services Committee
By Staff & Wire Reports
Friday, October 23, 2009
WASHINGTON — Top Pentagon officials are being asked to make known their views on “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” within 30 days, according to a U.S. Senator's letter sent to the White House and obtained by the Blade.

In the letter dated Oct. 15, Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) asks Obama to request that Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen to “send their views within the next 30 days on when repeal should happen and their plans for effective implementation of the proposed non-discrimination policy.”

“I know you are aware of the urgency,” Udall writes. “Not only has the injustice of DA ...

2 Maine newspapers: Preserve gay marriage

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EST

2 Maine newspapers: Preserve gay marriage
Two of the state's largest papers voice editorial support
By Staff & Wire Reports
Friday, October 23, 2009
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Supporters of Maine's same-sex marriage law picked up editorial support from two of Maine's largest newspapers last weekend.

The Maine Sunday Telegram and weekend edition of the Bangor Daily News both urged voters to reject Question 1, which calls for repeal of the gay marriage law that was enacted last May.

The Telegram says limiting marriage to a man and a woman “would not make families led by same-sex couples go away,” but just keep them in a legally inferior position.

The News says in Saturday's editorial that extending the right of marriage to a small segment of the population that has been excluded further ...

Justice blocks names in gay rights ballot measure

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EST

Justice blocks names in gay rights ballot measure
Federal appeals court ruling last week ordered release of names
By Staff & Wire Reports
Friday, October 23, 2009
WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy has temporarily blocked Washington state officials from releasing the names of people who signed a ballot measure on gay rights.

Kennedy's ruling Monday temporarily blocks a federal appeals court ruling last week that ordered the release of the names. Kennedy said his order would remain in effect while he considers a request by a pro-marriage group that asked him to reverse the appeals court ruling.

The case involves Referendum 71, a ballot initiative that asks Washington state voters to approve or reject the state's so-called “everything but marriage” law, which grants registered domestic ...

Looking back: Blade, Advocate joined forces for special report

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EST

Looking back: Blade, Advocate joined forces for special report
Congressman's gay sex scandal revealed FBI investigation of gay clubs
By Lou Chibbaro Jr.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Shortly before AIDS became one of the Blade's leading stories of the '80s, a gay sex scandal broke out in Washington in the midst of the 1980 presidential election campaign.

Then Republican Congressman Robert Bauman of Maryland, a staunch conservative known for berating Democrats on the House floor, was arrested for allegedly soliciting a 16-year-old male prostitute for sex at a D.C. gay bar that featured male strippers.

Under the direction of editor Don Michaels and associate editor Steve Martz, the Blade scrambled to compete with the mainstream press, including the Washington Post and Washington Star, in covering one of the biggest gay-related sex stories to hit the n ...

Immigration reform bill intrigues gay advocates

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EST

Immigration reform bill intrigues gay advocates
Lawmaker says measure aims to keep families together
By Chris Johnson
Friday, October 23, 2009
LGBT rights supporters on Capitol Hill are looking to an Illinois congressman for inclusion in his upcoming immigration reform bill that's expected to appeal to more liberal members of the U.S. House.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) last week issued a statement of core principles for his planned comprehensive reform legislation, which includes a belief in family “as a cornerstone of our immigration system.”

“Family is the bedrock of our society, and immigration reform must support strong, united families and treat all immigrant families fairly and equally,” says the statement. “Right now, our broken immigration system keeps too many American f ...