Blogs

There's an interesting case around a lesbian couple in Austin seeking divorce -- which could have legal implications not only on how Texas but how the entire nation views same-sex marriage. Austin's NBC affiliate, KXAN-TV, did a story on the case last night, and interviewed Atticus Circle founder Anne Wynne to get her perspective.

The segment is viewable via this link to the story on KXAN's site.

As you might have seen in our news section (or in various news reports), the District of Columbia took a significant step toward approving same-sex marriage yesterday. The legislation still requires a mayoral signature and needs to survive a 30-day legislative review process after that, but both of those are expected to take place, and provided this happens, same-sex marriage would be allowed in the nation's capital by next spring.

Great news for the LGBT Community and its straight allies -- and, of course, for the City of Houston!

The run-off elections this coming Saturday in Houston were already notable for LGBT advocates, with openly lesbian City Controller Annise Parker in position to become Houston's next mayor. In fact, there's a slate of candidates endorsed by the Houston GLBT Political Caucus who would work to protect the rights of LGBT individuals and couples in one of the nation's largest cities.

By now, you've heard about last week's defeat of a bill in the New York State Senate seeking to legalize same-sex marriage. This, coupled with the Election Day defeat of same-sex marriage in Maine, certainly seems like a setback for same-sex marriage rights advocates after a string of victories over the past year.

Atticus Circle founder Anne Wynne was featured in a recently-published article on the Edge New York website analyzing how the Obama Administration has done in its first year on LGBT issues. Gay marriage, military service, and hate crime protection are all part of the current dialogue on LGBT rights and protections, and the article explores views from myriad leaders in the LGBT rights movement.

Last night's elections included three high-profile ballot measures directly related to rights and protections for LGBT individuals. It was a night of good news and bad news, with perhaps the highest-profile item of the three being a setback for LGBT couples and straight allies seeking marriage equality.

Tomorrow is Election Day.  Only three states have ballot measures that define LGBT partnerships and work place discrimination.  To learn more about these states, go here.

President Obama signed his first civil rights legislation on October, 28, 2009, making the assault of people based on sexual orientation, gender and gender identity a federal hate crime. The new measure expands the the scope of a 1968 law that applies to people attacked because of their race, religion or national origin. The U.S. Justice Department will have expanded authority to prosecute such crimes when local authorities don't.

This week, Congress took one of its most significant stands yet to support LGBT Americans. On Thursday, the Senate voted 68 to 29 to approve the National Defense Authorization Act for 2010. That defense funding bill included language that would add federal penalties for attacks on gays and lesbians. The bill, known as the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, was named for two hate crime victims whose 1988 deaths brought a greater awareness of hate crimes to Americans.