Delaware becomes the 11th state to make same-sex marriage legal

Lawmakers in the US state of Delaware have voted 12 to 9 in favour of a bill to legalise equal marriage on Tuesday, making the Diamond State the 11th to allow same-sex marriage. The bill has the support of Governor Jack Markell. The bill explicitly aims to respect religious freedom, in that no religious organisation would be forced to marry anyone against their beliefs. The legislation which aims to strike down a ban on equal marriage, which was... Read More

Gay marriage debate: Supreme court indicates cautious approach

Justices question claims that central purpose of marriage is procreation and suggest court may be entering ‘uncharted waters’. US supreme court justices tore into a central argument of opponents of same-sex marriage on Tuesday as the court heard for the first time arguments over whether gay couples have a constitutional right to wed. The sceptical questioning from the liberal justices hinted that they had doubts about whether the supporters... Read More

Obama administration launches campaign against anti-gay bullying

Barack ObamaThe US Obama administration has launched a campaign against homophobic bullying. The new advice for schools and colleges comes shortly after President Obama recorded a video for the It Gets Better project, which aims to encouraged bullied gay teenagers. Officials said that the new advice does not break legal ground. Instead, it is a comprehensive guide to how civil rights law applies to schools, colleges and university campuses. It also... Read More

American newspaper refuses to publish gay wedding announcements

The largest newspaper in New Hampshire, US, has come under fire for refusing to publish gay marriage announcements. The Union Leader refused to publish notice of a marriage between two men in Portsmouth at the weekend. Although gay marriage is legal in New Hampshire, the newspaper said that its stance was that marriage was reserved for a man and a woman. Union Leader publisher Joseph McQuaid said: “While the law sanctions gay marriage, it neither... Read More

US gay soldiers warned not to come out yet

The Pentagon has warned gay US troops not to declare their sexual orientation just yet. Despite complying with a court order suspending the firings of gay troops, the Pentagon has said that soldiers who do come out while the law is uncertain may still face punishment. A publicly-released memo from the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness to military chiefs warned of “adverse consequences” if the court order is reversed. Clifford... Read More

NY Governor Signs Gay-Inclusive Adoption Bill

David Paterson, NY Governor New York Governor David Paterson has signed an adoption bill that allows gay couples to jointly adopt a child, New York-based NY1 reported. Paterson, a Democrat and a gay ally, signed the bill on Sunday. The law allows unmarried partners to jointly adopt a child in New York State. The bill also replaces the term “husband and wife” with “married couple.” Bill sponsors say the law was needed to ensure children get... Read More

Obama administration objects to injunction against “don’t ask, don’t tell”

The Obama administration objected Thursday to immediately ending the military’s ban on openly gay service members, saying that an injunction to stop the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy might harm military readiness at a time of war. In a filing with a federal court in California, the Justice Department said that a judge who struck down the policy as unconstitutional should not enforce that ruling with a military-wide injunction... Read More

President Obama’s Promise to LGBT People

Speaking last night at the annual HRC dinner, President Obama told attendees that he remains committed to ending the military policy of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, ending discrimination in the workplace and pushing for acceptance and inclusion of loving couples and their families. This came the night before the National March for Equality happening in the nation’s capital today. The president also made a point to let those in attendance know he is... Read More