Out in America Features» civil rights

16 Reasons We Should Be Protesting – General Gayety

OIA Staff — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:38:19 +0000

My view of the Occupy Wall Street protest is that it’s an unfocused jumble, but at least somebody’s doing something. At last. What began with a few dozen demonstrators on Wall Street has grown into a national conniption over corporate greed and government collusion. It’s easy for those in power to dismiss the protesters as [...]

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American Psychological Association Supports Marriage Equality – HRC

OIA Staff — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 14:23:10 +0000

The policy making body of the American Psychological Association (APA) unanimously (157-0) passed a resolution supporting full marriage equality for same-sex couples. Reacting to this important move, Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese made the following statement: “The American Psychological Association has long supported equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community based on [...]

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California First State to include LGBT History | dot429 article

OIA Staff — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 14:37:55 +0000

Along with the civil rights and women’s suffrage movements, the LGBT community became the newest minority whose struggles will be taught to California schoolchildren. On Thursday July, 14th Governor Jerry Brown (D) signed SB48 into law, which will make LGBT history a part of California’s public school curriculum. The law was created in response to [...]

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Openly Gay CNN Anchor Don Lemon to Moderate First NAACP Town Hall on LGBT Issues

OIA Staff — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 05:00:25 +0000

The NAACP will host its first-ever town hall meeting on GLBT issues during the 102nd Annual National Convention in LA. Panelists at the event include lesbian mom/actress/comedian Wanda Sykes and civil rights icon Julian Bond. Moderated by CNN News Anchor Don Lemon, the forum will examine the significant contributions of black gay leaders within the [...]

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Delaware Senate Passes Civil Unions Bill

OIA Staff — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 15:09:40 +0000

The Human Rights Campaign and Equality Delaware applauds the Delaware Senate for passing a civil unions bill by a 13 to 6 vote. The bill now goes to the Delaware House of Representatives for consideration. “Today, we applaud the Delaware Senate for valuing all Delaware families,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “We call on the [...]

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LGBT & Civil Rights Groups Urge U.S. Ninth Circuit to Uphold Ruling Striking Down DADT

OIA Staff — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:38:37 +0000

Lambda Legal, Knights Out, OutServe, the Human Rights Campaign, and the Anti-Defamation League today filed a friend-of-the-court brief with the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals urging it to uphold a lower court ruling that declared “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) unconstitutional. The brief was filed in support of a case originally filed in 2004 [...]

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HRC Poll: Voters Oppose Republican Defense of DOMA

OIA Staff — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 18:23:23 +0000

Washington – American voters oppose the Defense of Marriage Act(DOMA) – the law that forbids the federal government from recognizing legally married same-sex couples – as well as efforts by the House Republican leadership to intervene in court cases defending the law, according to new polling released today by the Human Rights Campaign in partnership with [...]

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Obama Appoints Lesbian to U.S. Commission on Civil Rights

OIA Staff — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 15:30:16 +0000

President Barack Obama today announced his appointment of Roberta Achtenberg, an out lesbian, to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Prior to her public service, Achtenberg was a civil rights attorney, nonprofit director and legal educator who helped found the National Center for Lesbian Rights. via. Read the full article @ Obama Appoints Lesbian to [...]

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President Obama Signs “Defining Civil Rights Measure” – DADT Repeal

OIA Staff — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 15:45:44 +0000

“In signing this bill today, President Obama delivered on a defining civil rights measure for our country and for gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members who have been silenced for far too long. Clearly, this is President Obama’s Lyndon Johnson moment in history. A measure of dignity has been restored to thousands of service members [...]

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National Organization for Marriage Poured $5M into Campaigns of Fear But Lost More Than It Won

OIA Staff — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 17:37:34 +0000

Today, the Human Rights Campaign and the Courage Campaign released a report card on the political activities of the so-called, anti-gay National Organization for Marriage (NOM) that shows a mixed outcome this election cycle despite pouring an estimated $5 million into federal and state campaigns in the 2009-2010 election cycles. NOM endorsed at least 29 [...]

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Who Cares Who Wins The Elections – opinion

OIA Staff — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 15:41:09 +0000

Either way, we will not win on November 2nd. Sure, party hangers-on hoping for sweetheart contracts and other favors care, and are working overtime using the issues we care about, and fears about what “the other guy” might do to us, to try to make us care who wins as well. But these party operatives have horses [...]

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HRC Sends Open Letter on DADT to President Obama

OIA Staff — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 15:03:18 +0000

HRC released an open letter from HRC President Joe Solmonese to President Barack Obama regarding the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law and the necessity of administration action to end the discharges this year. The full text is below: Dear Mr. President: Years from now, students of the movement for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality [...]

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Ray Castro, Veteran of 1969 Stonewall Rebellion Dies at 68

OIA Staff — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 16:54:56 +0000

Raymond Castro, a veteran of the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion in New York City, died in his hometown of Madeira Beach, Florida on Saturday, October 9th. He was 68 years old and is survived by his husband of 31 years, Frank Sturniolo, 50. On June 27, 1969 Castro was inside the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street, [...]

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Dept of Justice to Appeal DOMA Rulings

OIA Staff — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 15:35:08 +0000

Today, the Department of Justice filed a notice of appeal in the case of Gill v. Office of Personnel Management, the challenge brought by Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) to Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Representing seven married same-sex couples and three widowers, GLAD filed Gill in March 2009. [...]

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On DOMA’s 14th Birthday, DNC Remembers It’s Committed to Its Repeal

OIA Staff — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 15:45:07 +0000

On its “Civil Rights” page, the re-branded Democratic National Committee has added the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act — which was missing before — to the list of items the organization is “committed to.” VIA. Read the full article @ On DOMA’s 14th Birthday, DNC Remembers It’s Committed to Its Repeal Read more [...]

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‘Citizen of the State of California’ Wants Prop 8 Reinstated Because Judge Vaughn Walker Is Gay

OIA Staff — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 15:22:20 +0000

Is this really how supporters of Prop 8 plan on handling the appeal of Judge Vaughn Walker’s ruling — by relying on the Bible and Walker’s sexual orientation as reason to overturn the decision? OFFICIAL PROP. 8 PLAINTIFFS’ STATEMENT ON TODAY’S 9th CIRCUIT FILING Statement from Chad Griffin, Board President, American Foundation for Equal Rights [...]

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Repeal of Doma Not On List of Democratic Party Civil Rights Goals

OIA Staff — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 14:32:53 +0000

The DNC has included a page devoted to “civil rights.” Here are the gay civil rights promises the party is now making us: Enacting the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which includes measures prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity; Ensuring full civil unions and federal rights for LGBT couples; Repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” [...]

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Target Corporation Message to LGBT Community: We Won’t Make it Right

OIA Staff — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 14:00:32 +0000

After two weeks of good-faith discussions – and two tentative agreements – with Target Corporation, the company has informed the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, that it will take no corrective actions to repair the harm that it caused by contributing $150,000 to an organization [...]

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GetEQUAL Stages Sit-In at Capitol Rotunda

OIA Staff — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:31:56 +0000

Today, GetEQUAL, a national, direct action lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, staged a sit-in inside the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC protesting in support of a vote on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) this year. The sit-in, outside the door to the Speaker’s office, targeted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) by demanding she fulfill her [...]

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Queer Questions Straight Talk – Q&A with author Abby Dees

OIA Staff — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:10:18 +0000

How many important questions go unasked because a straight loved one doesn’t know what to ask, doesn’t want to pry or judge – or just feels embarrassed? Designed around the idea that there are no bad questions, and no “wrong” answers, Queer Questions Straight Talk is an invitation to talk, honestly and lovingly, about what [...]

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Dr. Rand Paul abhors discrimination but advocates for discrimination

OIA Staff — Thu, 20 May 2010 14:44:14 +0000

Dr. Rand Paul is running for the Senate in Kentucky, and he apparently had never thought through his own arguments. Comparing people who want to openly carry guns in public but privately owned spaces to racial minorities, Dr. Paul wants to remove portions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in order to allow businesses [...]

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Stories from the Frontlines: Clifton Truman Daniel

OIA Staff — Fri, 07 May 2010 14:49:26 +0000

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), a national, legal services and policy organization dedicated to ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT), released a letter today from Clifton Truman Daniel — grandson to President Harry Truman — written to President Barack Obama. The letter calls on Obama to repeal DADT this year because it’s “the right thing [...]

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California Assembly Passes New Hate Crimes Bill to strengthen protections for victims of hate crimes

OIA Staff — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:58:58 +0000

Today the California State Assembly passed the Hate Crimes Protection Act (AB 1689) in a 44-25 vote. Sponsored by Equality California and introduced by Assemblymember Lori Saldaña (D-San Diego), the bill would exempt hate crimes from mandatory arbitration clauses, often included in employment contracts and would prohibit contracts from requiring an individual to waive his [...]

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Culver: Gay marriage discrimination has no place in Iowa’s constitution

OIA Staff — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:44:49 +0000

Gov. Chet Culver today made his strongest public statements to date about gay marriage, telling reporters that discrimination has no place in Iowa’s constitution. “We stood firm for the civil rights of every Iowan by saying loudly and clearly that any and all efforts to add discriminatory amendments to our state constitution have no place [...]

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Fighting for the right to party – General Gayety

OIA Staff — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:15:40 +0000

The month of March has come to mean one thing to me: prom struggles. Last year at exactly the same time I wrote about a lesbian in Indiana who sued her school district for the right to wear a tuxedo to her prom. She was represented by the ACLU and Men’s Wearhouse. Now a case [...]

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After 22 Years, HIV Travel and Immigration Ban Lifted

OIA Staff — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:35:05 +0000

A regulation promulgated by the Obama administration last summer and finalized in November goes into effect today, removing HIV from the list of communicable diseases that bar foreign nationals from entering the United States. “The United States of America has moved one step closer to helping combat the stigma and ignorance that still too often [...]

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Gay Is Not The New Black But Gay Rights Are Civil Rights

OIA Staff — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:15:46 +0000

Gay is the new Black is one of the most offensive slogans that the LGBT community has employed to help fight for their civil rights. If these claims originated with same gender loving people of color, it would be problematic but hardly the racial offense that it constitutes coming from Whites. There has been much [...]

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Applauds For Mormon Church’s Support of Civil Rights Measures, but Suspicions Remain

OIA Staff — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:30:39 +0000

Recently, the Mormon Church, also known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints or LDS, threw their support behind LGBT Civil Rights initiatives regarding things like employment and housing discrimination. Of course, they drew the line at marriage equality. Today, the Empowering Spirits Foundation applauded the Mormon Church for their move to support [...]

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The Dangers of Voting on Civil Rights

OIA Staff — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:52:06 +0000

In an election that had been billed for weeks as too close to call, Maine’s often unpredictable voters repealed a state law Tuesday that would have allowed same-sex couples to wed. Gay marriage has now lost in all 31 states in which it has been put to a popular vote — a trend that the [...]

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CA Governor Signs Harvey Milk Day and Marriage Recognition Bills

OIA Staff — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:21:49 +0000

Today Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law two historic LGBT rights bills – recognizing the contributions of slain civil rights leader Harvey Milk and a bill that underscores that same-sex couples married before the passage of Proposition 8 are entitled to full recognition as married spouses in California, regardless of whether they married in California or [...]

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House Extends Hate Crime Law to Cover Gays

OIA Staff — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:26:56 +0000

Civil rights groups and their Democratic allies have been trying for more than a decade to broaden the reach of hate crimes law. This time it appears they will succeed. The measure is attached to a must-pass $680 billion defense policy bill and President Barack Obama — unlike President George W. Bush — is a [...]

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Cleve Jones Invites Obama to National Equality March

OIA Staff — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:26:01 +0000

Prominent gay activist Cleve Jones has invited President Barack Obama to speak at the National Equality March on October 11, event organizers revealed today. Jones’ letter was delivered to the White House on Friday, September 25. In it, Jones compares the event with the Civil Rights March of 1963, and asserts that lesbian, gay, bisexual [...]

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A Candid Debate On Black Manhood, Same Gender Love & Civil Rights: Fact & Fiction

OIA Staff — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:23:41 +0000

A Summer 2009 debate in Atlanta, GA, on homosexuality in Black communities, Civil Rights and attitudes behind Black resistance to affirming homosexuals, and some breakthroughs on the issue. [ Vimeo ] Read the full article @ A Candid Debate On Black Manhood, Same Gender Love & Civil Rights: Fact & Fiction Read more articles @ [...]

Read the full article @ A Candid Debate On Black Manhood, Same Gender Love & Civil Rights: Fact & Fiction

Justice civil rights hire to handle gay liaison

OIA Staff — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:08:39 +0000

On the same day that the Justice Department softened its position in a gay-marriage lawsuit, word is emerging that the department has hired a liaison to the gay community. Matt Nosanchuk, a former adviser to Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), will join the department as a senior counselor to the assistant attorney general for civil rights [...]

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Do Signs point to a gay-friendly Sotomayor?

OIA Staff — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:34:05 +0000

“[G]ay legal experts — having sifted through her rulings, statements, civil rights advocacy and comfort around gay clerks and friends — are cautiously optimistic that she will help gay men and lesbians finally secure legal protections that other Americans can take for granted,” she noted. “Let’s hope the nation’s first Hispanic justice will turn out [...]

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Momentum Building For October 11 National Equality March

OIA Staff — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:23:34 +0000

Equality Across America, the new grassroots network calling for Federal action to protect the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans, has moved forward with plans for a massive national day of action on Sunday, October 11, 2009.. Major national LGBT organizations including the Gay Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and the Universal Fellowship [...]

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Senate Adopts Unwelcomed Amendments to the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act

OIA Staff — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:44:53 +0000

The Senate passed four amendments to the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act: three offered by Senator Sessions (R-AL) and one offered by Senator Kennedy (D-MA). The Matthew Shepard Act was added this past Thursday, July 16, to S. 1390, the Senate version of the Department of Defense Authorization bill. “Today’s vote brings us closer [...]

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Two gay men kicked out of Chico’s Tacos restaurant for kissing

OIA Staff — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:44:38 +0000

Two gay men kissed at a Chico’s Tacos restaurant, prompting guards to eject them and a police officer to endorse their ouster. Civil-rights lawyers say the security staff was out of line. Police, though, contend that a business such as a restaurant can refuse service to anybody, any time. [ El Paso Times ] Read [...]

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