California gubernatorial GOP front-runner Meg Whitman gave an interview to the Mercury News in which she was asked about some of her positions on gay rights: "Asked to reconcile her stance against same-sex marriage with her willingness to allow gays and lesbians to adopt children, Whitman said she believes the term 'marriage' should apply only to the union of a man and a woman. Still, she's in favor of granting equal rights to gay people through civil unions and domestic partnerships. And she approves letting gays adopt because 'many kids need a great home.'" ...

If you've ever wondered why there are so many inauthenticities on eBay, perhaps you should look no further than the company's former head: Asked to reconcile her stance against same-sex marriage with her willingness to allow gays and lesbians to adopt children, [CA Republican gubernatorial hopeful Meg Whitman] said she believes the term "marriage" should apply only to the union of a man and a woman. Still, she's in favor of granting equal rights to gay people through civil unions and domestic partnerships. And she approves letting gays adopt because "many kids need a great home." Meg Whitman holds forth on ...

Gay charity to help British men convicted of homosexuality White supremacist militia members threaten gay blogger Gossip Boy New Mexico’s domestic partnerships done for 2010, but will be back, supporters say Eugene Robinson: Dick Cheney’s dose of reality on ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’. Straight and gay blogs joined the DADT blog swarm today that asked readers to call the HRC and demand a repeal of DADT this year. The HRC issued a tepid statement. (Sorry I’m just posting about this now — I spent quite some time pulling together a post about it this morning, ...

"On Monday, the House Judiciary Committee passed a bill that would recognize same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions" but only as domestic partners, according to The Stranger. However, despite a big majority, the openly gay State Rep. Jamie Pedersen is unsure if there is enough votes to pass the bill in the State Senate.Since it only recognizes same-sex marriage as registered domestic partnerships I imagine Washington State's very own DOMA law, signed by then Governor Gary Locke, will have no effect on the issue. ...

The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari in the now high-profile case of Doe v. Reed on Friday, just like I had hoped for in late October.This was the second time this week the nation's highest court has intervened in the controversy over whether heterosexual supremacists will be able to shield themselves from public oversight while advocating for public policy changes which would harm the LGBT community. The first action was in their ruling upholding a stay preventing the broadcast of the Perry v. Schwarzenegger federal trial.The second action is summarized by the Washington Post: ...

Day 4 starts. First witness: "Edwin A. Egan is up now. He’s Chief Economist, City and County of SF, director of the office of economic analysis within the controller’s office of SF. Was and still is Adjunct Prof. at UC Berkeley where he teaches grad students, teaches course “Urban and Regional Economy” to masters and PhD students." His testimony is that married couples are wealthier and healthier than single people. His testimony continues, saying weddings bring an economic benefit to the community and married couples pay less federal income tax. The City of San Francisco loses $25 million ...

A few updates on the Prop 8 trial, which the NYT reports opened with "sharp words" from Judge Walker. The trial is expected to reach the Supreme Court, but not before what's estimated to be three weeks of wide-ranging testimony from a variety of sources.The Mercury News has some good coverage of the day's events, in a timeline.The first day saw opening statements as well as testimony from plaintiffs Jeffrey Zarrillo and Paul Katami, and Kristin Perry and Sandy Stier (all pictured, bottom right).The AP's Lisa Leff reports: Among other things, Walker asked how Proposition ...

Mike Heath was completely shut out of Maine's "yes on 1" campaign. Deliberately, decidedly, and by Mike's own admission. The campaign, which needed a broader coalition to "win" on their discrimination ticket, simply could not risk a public embrace of a man who has directly blamed gays for causing things like bad weather, graffiti, and economic crises, and who has gladly partnered up with extremists like Scott Lively. But never mind that reality. David Barton and Rick Green went ahead and booked Heath on their "WallBuilders Live" show to discuss last November's ...

cartoon: Tim Toles Obama Official Asked About Antigay Ugandan Bill Gay Democratic Utahstate Sen. Scott McCoy will be resigning from office effective the end of this week, he said Tuesday, to focus more time on practicing law. Harvey Milk officially inducted into California Hall of Fame. Some good news today . . . .WA State’s Domestic Partnership Law Goes into Effect Tomorrow ...

A ridiculous talking point from the Family Research Council regarding the D.C. Council's pro-marriage equality vote: Some Council members proudly recounted the various steps, from repeal of sodomy laws to adoption of domestic partnerships, which led to this day--unintentionally confirming "slippery slope" arguments against incremental "homosexual rights" legislation. D.C. Council Proposes 'Marriage' [FRC] Only problem for FRC? There's enough hogwash in their quip to slip-up all of the world's slopes (with another bucket of hogwash to spare)! We LGBT activists do indeed cite our journey to freedom. But doing so does not show our descent into the immoral oblivion of ...

The Family Policy Institute of Washington lost its recent anti-domestic partnerships fight by waging one of the most over-the-top, faith-based, wantonly hostile campaigns in recent memory. Now that it's on the record books, FPIW is trying a new approach. Namely: Muddying the line of church/state separation, so as to create a convoluted "justification" for their desire to strip gays of civil rights: This is a big ol' strawman. No gay activist -- NO GAY ACTIVIST! -- is saying that ideas are innately unconstitutional simply because one faith or another might see them as being consistent with their personal religious doctrine. But ...

And I don't mean a gay marriage ban. The 2005 Texas constitutional amendment that was intended to ban gay marriage and domestic partnerships actually banned ALL marriages. That's the opinion of Barbara Ann Radnofsky who is a Democrat running for Texas attorney general. Here's the complete text of the relevant part of the Texas Constitution: Sec. 32. MARRIAGE. (a) Marriage in this state shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman. (b) This state or a political subdivision of this state may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage. (Added ...

   ::: The Domestic Partnerships Benefits and Obligations Act of 2009 passed out of committee Wednesday, Victory Fund’s GayPolitics blog reports. The vote was split along party lines, with Republicans expressing concern that the bill would undermine the Defense of Marriage Act. Lisa Keen reports in Metro Weekly that Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform emphasized the bill's aim to end discrimination against LGBT federal employees by providing them with equal pay for equal work, while Republicans often insisted they would vote against it to protect “traditional marriage” and the so-called “Defense of Marriage ...

Friday’s headlines see Barney Frank foretelling victory over “Don’t Ask,” Fort Worth trans protections,  gay sex in “From Here to Eternity” revealed, and an odd flip-flop from Rhode Island’s governor. • Barney Frank (top photo): Democrats plan to use military budget bill to overturn Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell ‘by next year’ • Governor to consider domestic partnerships in R.I. days after vetoing partners’ funeral rights (video) • Celebrations mark first anniversary of gay marriage in Connecticut • Furor erupts over anti-gay Purdue blogger contending that gays are an economic drain • Gay rights ordinance expands to approval of trans protections in Fort Worth • Arkansas 10-year ...

If you're gay and you die in Rhode Island your domestic partner won't be able to make funeral arrangements for you because Governor Donald Carcieri just vetoed a bill providing for that. Why?According to Carcieri, "This bill represents a disturbing trend over the past few years of the incremental erosion of the principles surrounding traditional marriage, which is not the preferred way to approach this issue. If the General Assembly believes it would like to address the issue of domestic partnerships, it should place the issue on the ballot and let the people of the state of Rhode Island decide.''Carcieri, ...

- She uses the "this gay marriage thing" line yet again. TWICE! - She uses her other overplayed talking points, like "the two great halves of humanity" - She dances around the issue of civil unions and domestic partnerships, even though she and her cronies ABSOLUTELY oppose the same. - Fair discussion being her movement's Achilles heel, she uncouthly talks over both Evan Wolfson and the interviewer. - She laughably claims that she has to "talk over the heads" of gay people, reporters, countless learned officials, educated justices, and everyday citizens who understand constitutional fairness in a non-theocratic nation - She brings ...

During the campaign, she was simply a "teacher": Now Charla's back in her real, always-was role: Campaign worker who fallaciously hid her affiliations (and the fact that she teaches as a small, private, Christian school), likely because the "yes" campaign couldn't find an actual public school teacher to step in and speak their discriminatory lines! And in this role, Charla's revealing some interesting things. Like, for instance, we now learn that Charla herself has not been the best "marriage defender," as she herself is divorced. And most importantly, we get a full-on admittance that the campaign's supposed ...

The New York Times website ends up coming through...Maine: Reject Gay Marriage Law Do you want to reject the new law that lets same-sex couples marry and allows individuals and religious groups to refuse to perform these marriages? Maine: Reject Gay Marriage Law Answer Party Votes Pct. Yes — 240,647 52.4% No — 218,478 47.6 50% reporting Washington: Domestic Partnerships Washington: Domestic Partnerships Answer Party Votes Pct. Approve — 506,936 51.1% Reject — 484,567 48.9 ...

Today is election day and it is vital that the LGBT community and allies get out to the polls to vote for progressive and equality minded candidates for our local districts throughout the country.There are also some key races and ballots for consideration today that effect the LGBT community and this blog is endorsing some candidates and positions. *Election day recommendations are always based on the LGBT record of the candidate and not on the basis of their political affiliation.MaineVote NO on question 1 to protect marriage equality.WashingtonVote YES on Referendum 71 to protect domestic partnerships.MichiganKalamazoo vote YES on ...

For the LGBT communities of Maine, Washington, New Jersey and Michigan, today marks the end of months-long battles on their rights, as voters head to the polls and cast their votes for marriage referendums, a new governor and employment protections. Marriage & Domestic Partnerships Voters in Maine will decide whether or not to repeal a bill granting [...] ...