Not too many stories, but some potentially very significant ones:
Don’t Ask. Don’t Tell. Do Call.- The end of ENDA (along with tired ENDA-related puns)?
- Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the Health Data Collection Improvement Act to allow Health and Human Services to collect voluntary data on sexual orientation and gender identity in federal health surveys and programs. The bill was passed on to the full Energy and Commerce Committee by the Health Subcommittee.
- Twenty-nine of the 33 primary candidates endorsed by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund won nomination or election outright.
- Mary Washington, running for state rep in Maryland, “is on track to becoming just the second openly lesbian African-American to be elected to a state legislature anywhere in America.”
- David Cicilline, the openly gay mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, won his primary. If elected, he would become the fourth openly gay member of Congress.
Around the world:
- United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon called on countries to get rid of laws that discriminate against gay men and lesbians.
- Russian gay rights campaigner Nikolai Alekseev was arrested in Moscow Wednesday, but is now rumored be applying for political asylum in Belarus and withdrawing his legal challenge against Moscow authorities for banning Pride marches. Some LGBT activists are questioning the truth of these rumors and are concerned for Alekseev’s safety.