- Two Democratic state legislators in California launched bills in support of overturning Prop. 8. If approved, they would place both houses on record as opposing Prop 8 and declaring it an illegal revision to the state constitution.
- One report says Indiana lawmakers are unlikely to give serious consideration next year to a constitutional amendment banning marriage of same-sex couples. Another says they will. As always, Bil is the go-to guy on Indiana LGBT news.
- The City Commission of Kalamazoo, Michigan voted to adopt an expanded anti-discrimination ordinance that now makes it makes it illegal to discriminate in housing, public accommodations and employment on the basis of sexual orientation. (Elsewhere, coverage says the ordinance bans discrimination against gays, lesbians and transgender citizens—but I don’t see anything specific to “gender identity,” unless the general ban on gender discrimination covers it.)
- New Hampshire Rep. Jim Splaine (D-Portsmouth), who sponsored the state’s civil union bill, says he plans to introduce full marriage equality legislation in January.
- New York Democratic leaders say they might not take up marriage equality in 2009, or even until 2011, despite earlier promises to do so. They may try first to pick up more Senate seats and wait until Gov. David A. Paterson is safely into his second term.
- The Carrboro, North Carolina, city council has passed a resolution supporting marriage of same-sex couples.and sent copies to the state and federal government. Will anything come of it? Perhaps not immediately, but consider: “North Carolina is one of the fast growing states in the country as many Northern businesses move South. That growth has seen a major increase in Democrats in North Carolina.”
Around the world:
- Lesbian couples and single women in Victoria, Australia will soon have access to IVF treatment, but some women and doctors say the new laws are discriminatory because they include mandatory criminal background checks of the mothers. (Thanks, PageOneQ.)
- The group Human Rights Watch has called on Burundi politicians to drop plans for amending the penal code to prohibit sexual acts between people of the same sex.
- India’s federal government has filed a brief with the Delhi High Court stating that, “homosexuality is the result of a perverse mind and should not be decriminalized.”
- Moscow’s mayor, speaking at an HIV/AIDS conference in his city, said, “We have banned, and will ban, the propaganda of sexual minorities’ opinions. “Moscow has banned gays and lesbians from promoting their way of life because they can help spread HIV/AIDS.”
- The Vatican has denounced a proposed United Nations declaration that condemns “discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.” France will present the declaration at the UN General Assembly on Dec. 10. It has been signed by the EU member states, but not by Australia or the U.S.