First, an opportunity: The Bilerico Project and PFLAG have partnered to provide funding for unemployed LGBT people to go to Washington, D.C. on March 16 and lobby on behalf of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). Details are here.
- Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and 11 Democratic cosponsors introduced a bill to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. The House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee held hearings on the policy Wednesday.
- Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) called for an end to the ban on blood donation by gay men.
- An unknown senator or senators have put a hold on the nomination of lesbian law professor Chai Feldblum to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
- The New York Assembly for the third time passed a bill to extend employment protections on the basis of gender identity. The bill’s fate in the State Senate is uncertain.
- Rhode Island saw its largest-ever rally for marriage equality. Four gubernatorial candidates expressed their support.
- Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II asked the state’s public colleges and universities to rescind policies that ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. He says only the General Assembly can create such protections. Coincidentally (!), an Assembly subcommittee refused to pass such a bill just this week.
- Same-sex couples in Washington, D.C. celebrated their first day of being able to obtain marriage licenses. The first marriages will take place next week, after a mandatory waiting period.
Around the World:
- The European Court of Human Rights ruled that Poland cannot discriminate against same-sex couples in housing, and a gay man in the city of Szczecin could continue living in the flat he and his now-deceased partner had shared.
- The Slovenian Parliament passed a first reading of a bill to legalize marriage and adoption by same-sex couples.
- Mexico City became the second national capitol this week to allow same-sex couples to apply for marriage licenses.
- The U.K. House of Lords approved an amendment to the Equality Bill, permitting same-sex couples to have civil partnerships in church. Churches may choose whether to host civil partnership ceremonies.