NEWS
Frontpage
Local
Russian River
Marin
Napa
North Counties
San Francisco
State
National
International
PERSPECTIVES
Opinions
Columns
Letter to the Editor
Sports
Creature Comforts
FEATURES
HIV & AIDS
Gay Scene
Marriage Rights
Health
Seniors
Spirituality
Wine
Transgender / Transsexual
Real Estate
Everybody's Business
Travel
bullet Fitness
ARTS &
ENTERTAINMENT
Theater
Music
Books
Television
Film
Radio
Happenings
Calendar
MARKETPLACE
PERSONALS
Men & Women
NEWSPAPER
Advertising Info
Contact Us
RESOURCES
Web Search
Links

National News
8 arrested in U.S. Capitol protest over ENDA
Eight people were arrested Wednesday during a protest in the U.S. Capitol building rotunda urging U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to take…

Target Funds Anti-gay Candidate in MN
A group funded by Minnesota corporations has begun running a TV ad praising Republican gubernatorial hopeful Tom Emmer. The ad is the lat…

Argentine Senate rejects same-sex marriage bill


A Senate committee yesterday rejected a same-sex marriage bill backed by the administration of President Cristina Fern‡ndez…

Court Strikes Down DOMA in Historic Ruling
A federal court in Massachusetts issued two decisions Thursday finding that the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional in response t…

Hawaii Gov Vetoes Civil-Unions Bill
Gov. Linda Lingle vetoed a civil-unions bill yesterday after concluding it was the equivalent to marriage, which she believes should be r…

The Smithsonian Museum Puts Gays In The Vault
A dozen picket signs on old wooden sticks carry the DNA of the gay civil equality movement in America. Forty-five years ago, this month, …

HUD Issues Guidance on LGBT Housing Discrimination Complaints
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced a new policy that provides lesbian, gay, bisexual and transge…

LGBT youth included in plan to end homelessness
The Obama administration highlighted the longstanding problem of homelessness among LGBT youth this week when it announced a strategy tha…

Christian Group Can't Bar Gays, Get Funding At Hastings College, Court Says
An ideologically split Supreme Court ruled Monday that a law school can legally deny recognition to a Christian student group that won't …

Clinton equates LGBT rights to human rights
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told State Department employees Îthat human rights are gay rights and gay rights are human rights…

HRC Calls on the Republican National Committee to Reject Texas Republican Party Platform
The Human Rights Campaign ö the nationâs largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization ö today condemne…

Supreme Court on Washinton's R-71: Names on petitions can be made public
The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the names of people who signed petitions in an attempt to overturn a new gay rights law in Washingt…

First Out To Protect National Scholarship Awarded
The Board of Directors of the Out To Protect Scholarship Program is pleased to announce their first award of a national scholarship to Ju…

Prop. 8 judge wants a discussion of 'choice' in sexual orientation
A federal judge who will decide the constitutionality of California's ban on same-sex marriage wants lawyers during closing arguments Wed…

Gay Couples Gain Under Violence Against Women Act
The Justice Department has decided that federal prosecutors should enforce criminal provisions in the Violence Against Women Act in cases…

Out Candidates Win Big in Primaries
Openly LGBT candidates made gains in primary elections across the country Tuesday, with wins in states including California, Montana, and…

Gay Couples Get Equal Tax Treatment
The Internal Revenue Service has ruled that same-sex couples must be treated the same as heterosexual couples under a feature of Californ…

Gay Couples Get Equal Tax Treatment
The Internal Revenue Service has ruled that same-sex couples must be treated the same as heterosexual couples under a feature of Californ…

President Obama Extends Benefits to Same-sex Partners of Federal Employees
President Obama extended Wednesday a wider range of benefits to the same-sex partners of eligible federal workers, including access to me…

Senate Approves Openly Gay Attorney Nominee Laura Duffy
Openly gay nominee Laura Duffy was confirmed Friday as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California in San Diego.

Duf…

President Obama's Proclamation: June is LGBT Pride Month 2010
As Americans, it is our birthright that all people are created equal and deserve the same rights, privileges, and opportunities. Since ou…

House Votes to End Don't Ask, Don't Tell
The House voted Thursday night to repeal "don't ask, don't tell," the controversial policy barring openly gay men and lesbians from servi…

LGBT staffer group returns to Capitol Hill
Members of the newly re-launched LGBT Congressional Staff Association intend to focus on networking and behind-the-scenes policy work. (W…

Coalition Urges Congress to Vote on Federal Legislation for Workplace in Honor of First Official Harvey Milk Day
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act Necessary and Overdue for Workers
A coalition of national, state and local lesbian, gay, bisex…

Kagan Nomination Gets Tepid Applause from LGBT Activists
Gay legal activists are applauding President Obamaâs second nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court: Solicitor General Elena Kagan. But it coul…

Backers Say Gay Rights Bills Will Win in House
Backers of gay rights bills in the House are pressing ahead despite grumbling from moderate Democrats, an uncertain future in the Senate …

Call for Entries: NLGJAâs 2010 Excellence in Journalism Awards and LGBT Journalists Hall of Fame
The National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) is happy to announce that nominations are now being accepted for the 2010 NLGJ…

Gay leaders may have sought a ''game change,'' but Friday's flurry of activity left the strategy and tactics of DADT repeal unclear
On Friday afternoon, April 30, at a little past 4 p.m., the Associated Press's Anne Flaherty posted a brief story that the secretary of d…

Obama nominates gay man to federal appeals court
In an historic move, President Obama this month nominated an openly gay person, Edward DuMont, to a federal appeals court judgeship÷…

Court splits sharply on campus Christian argument
WASHINGTON ÷ Supreme Court justices on Monday seemed to split sharply on whether a law school can deny recognition to a Christian student…

Obama orders hospital visitation rights for gays, lesbians
Washington (CNN) -- President Obama has asked the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a rule that would prevent hospital…

Houston mayor issues sweeping non-discrimination order
Lesbian Mayor Annise Parker has issued an executive order protecting LGBT city employees that is possibly the most comprehensive in the n…

NLGJA Scholarship Award Winners Announced
The National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) announced today that it will present two scholarship awards on Thursday, …

Immigration rally includes LGBT voices
An estimated 200,000 demonstrators descended on the National Mall on Sunday to urge passage of comprehensive immigration reform, includin…

Civil Rights, But Not Unions, Come to Kalamazoo
Audrey teaches middle school near Kalamazoo, Michigan. She's also a lesbian--but if she's fully open about this, it will put her job, and…

A Military Downgrading of ÎDonât Ask, Donât Tellâ
Two distinct messages could be heard after Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced new measures on Thursday to make it more difficult…

Lesbian Included Among Obama's Recess Appointments
Openly lesbian Georgetown University Law Professor Chai Feldblum is among the 15 administration nominees appointed Saturday by President …

New bill would bar housing bias against gay, trans people
Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, said she hopes the Fair & Inclusive Housing Rights Act 'gains mom…

Court Rules That Mississippi School Violated First Amendment Rights Of Lesbian Student
A Mississippi federal court today ruled that school officials violated a lesbian studentâs First Amendment rights when it canceled t…

First openly gay U.S. House reading clerk relishes role
Joe Novotny, the first openly gay U.S. House reading clerk, reads bills, resolutions and messages from the president to Congress. (DC Age…

ACLU Seeks Order to Protect Right to Form a Gay-Straight Alliance at Yulee Middle Schoo
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida filed a motion for summary judgment today in the U.S. District Court for the Middle Distri…

All Systems Go for Gay Marriage Applications This Week in DC
Barring some unforeseen development, the last legal hurdle that might have prevented the District's same-sex marriage law from going into…

ACLU Demands Mississippi School Allow Lesbian Student To Attend Prom With Girlfriend
The American Civil Liberties Union and the Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition today demanded that Itawamba County School District officia…

Senators Introduce Repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell
A coalition of United States Senators today introduced legislation to repeal Don't Ask, Don‰t Tell and enhance our country‰s …

HUD seeks help with anti-gay discrimination study
When federal officials studied housing discrimination based on race, the setup was simple: They sent in testers of different backgrounds …

Campaign Goes After Opponents of Gay Marriage
Angered by the defeat last year of a bill that would have allowed same-sex couples to marry, a group of well-financed gay rights advocate…

Attorney General Says Law is Clear: Maryland Law Permits Recognition of Legal Marriages of Same-Gender Couples

Equality Maryland and the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland applauded an opinion released today by the Office of Attorney Genera…

75% back letting gays serve openly
Three-quarters of Americans say that they support openly gay people serving in the U.S. military, according to a new Washington Post-ABC …

Pelosi unsure about ÎDonât Askâ repeal this year
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters Thursday sheâs unsure whether the House will overturn ãDonât Ask, Donâ…

Bipartisan Resolution Urges All Countries to Reject and Repeal Laws Criminalizing Homosexuality
U.S. Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI), Tom Coburn (R-OK), Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Susan Collins (R-ME) have introduced a resolution calling o…

Top Defense Officials Seek to End ÎDonât Ask, Donât Tellâ
The nationâs top two defense officials called Tuesday for an end to the 16-year-old ãdonât ask, donât tellä law,…

Proposition 8 Trial Pauses, but Not for Ruling
Testimony concluded Wednesday in the first stage of the federal trial over the fate of Proposition 8, Californiaâs voter-approved ba…

Rep. Polis introduces legislation to protect LGBT students from harassment in public schools
Citing ãrelentless harassment and discriminationä and ãlife-threatening violenceä faced by students ãbased on their sexual orientation,ä …

Hawaii Senate passes civil-unions bill, 18-7
The state Senate yesterday passed a civil unions bill with enough votes to override a potential veto, sending a strong message of support…

Explosive evidence exposes Prop 8 campaign
During the fall of 2008 ö and again in 2009 in Maine ö the forces behind Proposition 8 ran a very slick and clever campaign tha…

McCain's wife, daughter back gay marriage movement
Cindy McCain, the wife of 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain, and their daughter Meghan have posed for photos endorsing pro…

Chairmen sending mixed signals on ÎDonât Askâ
Even if President Obama includes a ÎDonât Ask, Donât Tellâ repeal as part of his upcoming defense budget request, the…

The Fight for Equal Marriage Rights Rages On
A witness at the trial of the California initiative banning same-sex marriage was testifying that such measures reflect moral disapproval…

A Transitional Year for Marriage Equality
For the gay marriage debate, 2009 was transitional instead of transformative, but the year was historic nonetheless. To mangle Churchill,…

LGBT Households Remain More Optimistic about Finances
With Black Friday unofficially launching the holiday spending season and constant news coverage of the nationâs economic health, a r…

The National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association Announces Call for Entries for Annual Scholarships
The National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) on DEcember 3 announced a call for entries for the Leroy F. Aarons scholarsh…

Desperately Seeking Freedom
Luiz enjoys cooking family dinners for a small household in New York City. He works as an au pair and cares for a 13-year-old boy who con…

The D.C. City Council Voted 11-2 in Favor of Same-sex Marriage
It was the first of two votes on the issue allowing same-sex marriage in the nation's capital.

The bill sponsored by openly ga…

'The Family' Is Directly Linked To Draconian Anti-Gay Death Bill in Uganda
Truth Wins Out (TWO) today urged world leaders and members of Congress to skip the National Prayer Breakfast in protest of 'The Family's …

Hate Crimes On The Rise
Statistics from the FBI have shown an 11 per cent rise in reports of homophobic hate crime across America in the last year. 

…

OurFamiliesCount.org Officially Launches LGBT Community Bilingual Public Education Campaign for Accurate 2010 U.S. Census
Many leaders and advocates among Americaâs lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community unite today in the launch of Our Fami…

Former Employees of Washington Blade Vow to Continue Mission, Begin New Venture
The Washington Blade, formerly the nationâs oldest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) newspaper, died on Monday, November 16th…

Gay leaders blame TV ads, Obama for loss in Maine
Stunned and angry, national gay rights leaders Wednesday blamed scare-mongering ads ö and President Barack Obamaâs lack of engagement ö …

NCAVP Releases Report On GLBT Violence In U.S.
The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) today released its report on domestic violence within lesbian, gay, bisexual, tr…

LGBT Americans Think, Act, Vote More Green than Others
Two-thirds (66%) of lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender adults, asked in a new national survey conducted online, say that it is imp…

OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO ENSURE INCLUSION OF THE LGBT COMMUNITY IN HUD PROGRAMS
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced a series of proposals to ensure that HUD's core housing programs ar…

Obama signs Hate Crimes Prevention Act
President Barack Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law this afternoon. It is the first…

Hate Crimes Legislation Heads to President Obamaâs Desk
Yesterday, the United States Senate took an historic step toward ensuring justice for the victims of hate crimes targeted for violence du…

Sponsors of the Respect for Marriage Act said Tuesday the bill has exceeded 100 co-sponsors
Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Jared Polis (D-CO) introduced the bill that would repeal the federal Defe…

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN DINNER
To Joe Solmonese, who's doing an outstanding job on behalf of HRC. To my great friend and supporter, Terry Bean, co-founder of HRC. R…

Equality March draws protesters from across the nation
From as far away as Alaska, thousands of LGBT people demanding marriage, adoption and immigration rights rallied Sunday at the National E…

Montana High Court Affirms Rights Of Lesbian Parent And Her Children
Court Recognizes Michelle Kulstad As A Parent To The Children She Raised With Her Partner And Approves Equitable Division Of Property

Congress Passes Hate Crimes Bill That Includes LGBTs
Civil rights groups and their Democratic allies have been trying for more than a decade to broaden the reach of hate crimes law. This tim…

Seven out of Ten LGBT Adults, Given the Choice, Prefer Jobs in States That Recognize Same-Sex Marriages
According to the 2009 Out & Equal Workplace Survey, other factors being equal, 71 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT…

Donor gives $100,000 to D.C. march
Gay philanthropist Bruce Bastian of Utah has donated $70,000 to the National Equality March in D.C. and plans to contribute another $30,0…

Outrage Over Gay Bar Raid
Forced to lie face down in a pile of broken glass from a dropped beer bottle, Garrett McClendon asked one of the 21 Atlanta police office…

New Census to Count Same-sex Couples
When the U.S. Census Bureau counts same-sex married couples next year, demographers expect hundreds of thousands to report they are spous…

Domestic Partners Seek To Intervene In Lawsuit Challenging Wisconsinâs Domestic Partner Law
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a motion before the Wisconsin Supreme Court today on behalf of five same-sex couples asking that…

Legislation Introduced To Repeal Discriminatory Defense Of Marriage Act
A bill was introduced in the House of Representatives today that would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and respect state marria…

Campus Pride Releases Official Call for the 2009-10 Voice & Action Award
Today Campus Pride (www.campuspride.org) releases its official call for the Voice & Action National Leadership Award, an honorary recogni…

Barney Frank Working for Greater LGBT Rights
Rep. Barney Frank is interested in capping his political career as a member of the presidentâs Cabinet, according to a new biography of t…

Two-Thirds of GLBT Americans Think Nation Headed in the Right Direction
As President Barack Obama focuses his attention on a multitude of critical issues facing the nation today, GLBT adults in the country sa…

Kennedy Remembered as Champion of Gay Rights
For decades, Edward Kennedy was considered the most powerful voice in the Senate for gay rights as a strong supporter of HIV/AIDS funding…

NLGJA Selects Eight Journalism Student Leaders for 2009 National Convention Student Project
The National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) announced today the eight undergraduate and graduate journalism students who h…

Lesbian official is a top contender in Houstonâs mayoral race
Move over New York, Boston and San Francisco ÷ Houston is poised to become the nationâs largest city with an openly LGBT mayor.
…

NYCLU Sues Herkimer Co. School District for Failing to Protect Gay Youth from Harassment
The New York Civil Liberties Union has filed a federal lawsuit against the Mohawk Central School District in Herkimer County for failing …

Obama disses marriage law as Justice defends it
President Barack Obama insisted Monday he still wants to scrap what he calls a discriminatory federal marriage law, even as his administr…

HRC Launches `No Excuses`
The Human Rights Campaign, the nationâs largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, today launched a…

LGBT Issues in Health Reform
Health care reform legislation will help lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans in the same ways that it would help all Americ…

President Obama to Bestow Presidential Medal of Freedom on Harvey Milk
Today President Obama announced that he will honor assassinated civil rights leader Harvey Milk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, t…

Senate votes to expand federal hate crimes law
People attacked because of their sexual orientation or gender would receive federal protections under a Senate-approved measure that sign…

Fort Worth Councilman says city will ask U.S. attorney to expand role in Rainbow Lounge
City officials will ask the U.S. attorneyâs office to expand its role in helping to determine what happened during an inspection last mon…

D.C. gay marriage law takes effect
Same-sex marriages performed in other states and countries became legal in the District of Columbia at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, when Congress …

ACLU of Texas Demands Inquiry on Reported Anti-Gay Discrimination in El Paso Restaurant
The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas Thursday called for an official investigation of the El Paso Police Department response to a …

Mass. Sues Feds Over Definition of Marriage
Massachusetts, the first state to legalize gay marriage, sued the U.S. government Wednesday over a federal law that defines marriage as a…

ACLU Urges Federal Appeals Court To Require Louisiana To Issue Birth Certificate To Adopted Child Of Gay Couple
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a friend-of-the-court brief on July 7 urging a federal appeals court to uphold an earlier decisi…

Victory Fund Endorses 15, One for House
Fifteen openly LGBT candidates have been endorsed by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, including Palm Springs, Calif., mayor Steve Pougne…

House Leaders and LGBT Reps Powow on Rights Plan
After five months of virtual inaction on the gay rights agenda, House Democratic leaders on Wednesday met privately to chart out a strate…

LGBT Leaders Cheer Obama During Pride Celebration
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender leaders enthusiastically cheered President Obama and shouted "I love you!" during a White House ce…

Outrage In Fort Worth
The fortieth anniversary of Stonewall, the 1969 bar riot that kicked off the modern gay rights movement, was supposed to be a time of ref…

Employment Non-Discrimination Act Introduced in U.S. House
The Human Rights Campaign, the nationâs largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, hailed today the…

Obama wants to count gay unions in Census
The Obama administration is taking steps to direct the U.S. Census Bureau to include same-sex marriages, civil unions and domestic partne…

Attorney General Holder commemorates Stonewall at DOJ Pride
The U.S. attorney general this week acknowledged the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots and their importance in starting the modern …

U.S. Conference of Mayors Passes Resolution Supporting the Freedom to Marry
The U.S. Conference of Mayors on June 15 passed a resolution in support of ending the exclusion of gay couples from marriage. The resolu…

LGBT Legal And Advocacy Groups Decry Obama Administration's Defense of DOMA
The U.S. Justice Department has moved to dismiss the first gay marriage case filed in federal court, saying it is not the right venue to …

Conservatives, Churchgoers Show Increased Support for Gays in Military
Americans who favor allowing openly gay men and lesbian women to service in the military has risen from 63 percent in 2004 to 69 percent,…

New Hampshire Become Sixth State To Allow Equal Marriage Rights For Same-Sex Couples
Gov. John Lynch has signed the New Hampshire equal marriage bill, making New Hampshire the sixth state to have gay marriage. The law will…

President Barack Obama Recognizes Pride Month
LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH, 2009
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A…

ACLU Sues To Stop Tennessee Schools From Censoring Gay Educational Web Sites

Filtering Software Allows Anti-Gay Sites
The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Tennessee sued two Tennessee school districts in federal court today, charging the sch…

Maine Makes Five
Today, Maineâs Governor John Baldacci signed into law a freedom to marry bill overwhelmingly approved by the Senate and House. Main…

Connecticut Governor Signs Gay Marriage Bill
Four years ago this week, Gov. M. Jodi Rell signed a bill allowing civil unions. Today, with the stroke of a pen, she abolished them.R…

Iowa Supreme Court Grants Same-Sex Couples Right To Marry
A unanimous Iowa Supreme Court today ruled that the state could no longer bar same-sex couples from being able to marry. The American Ci…

ACLU Tells Arizona School To Lift Rainbow Ban
After a school principal told a gay 14-year-old student to turn his rainbow wristband inside-out or stop wearing it to school, the Americ…

Court Prohibits School District From Refusing To Recognize Gay Straight Alliance At Yulee High School
U.S. District Judge Henry Lee Adams, Jr. today issued a preliminary order in a lawsuit seeking to force Nassau County School officials to…

Inaugural-Themed Facebook `Online March for LGBT Equality` Gains Momentum
Equality Matters, an organization working for LGBT equality, launched ãOnline March for Equalityä to coincide with the historic…

New Study Shows Why State Pols Should Support Equal Marriage Right For Same-sex Couples
Contrary to some political expectations, voting to support the freedom to marry and opposing anti-marriage measures helps rather than hur…










PFLAG - Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays