Don’t Ask. There’s no telling. The Senate vote on repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is scheduled for tomorrow. Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) is planning to have service members sitting in the public gallery of the Senate chamber until the vote.- Remember ENDA? Chris Geidner of Metro Weekly has a good article on what happened to the Employment Nondiscrimination Act.
- The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California heard oral arguments in the case of Karen Golinski, an employee of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, who seeks the same spousal health insurance for her wife that heterosexual spouses receive. Jennifer C. Pizer, Senior Counsel for Lambda Legal, said, “This case could result in the next major court ruling on the constitutionality of DOMA.”
- Rep. Patricia Todd (D) of Birmingham, Alabama—the only out legislator in the state— asked the very good question of whether a new ethics bill applying to members and their spouses would apply to her spouse. The two were wed in another state, but Alabama does not recognize marriages of same-sex couples.
- Freshman California Assemblymember Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), an out lesbian, has been named Majority Whip.
- Out lesbian Monica Marquez was sworn in as a justice of Colorado’s Supreme Court. The Denver Post has a nice story about her and her father, a retired state judge.
- Also in Colorado, State Sen. Pat Steadman (D-Denver) plans to introduce a civil union bill.
- Three freshmen Republicans in the Iowa House are drafting legislation to begin the impeachment process for the remaining four justices on the state Supreme Court who voted to legalize marriage for same-sex couples. (Personally, I don’t think this stands a snowball’s chance. Impeachment under Iowa law requires a “misdemeanor or malfeasance in office.”)
Around the world:
- Eight British couples will argue before the European Court of Human Rights next week to overturn the bans on same-sex marriages and opposite-sex civil partnerships.
- The Brazilian Social Security Ministry said same-sex couples in stable relationships are entitled to the same social security benefits as opposite-sex couples.
- Human Rights Watch reported that Iranians convicted for same-sex activities are on death row, including several who were arrested when minors.
- U.K. parliament staff will soon have an LGBT network, named ParliOut. (“ParliOut”? I suppose it’s better than yet another acronym with L, G, B, and T, but really. Doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.)