Out in America Features» domestic partnerships

WA Legislature OKs out-of-state gay unions

OIA Staff — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:49:51 +0000

The state Legislature has approved a measure that would make Washington the fourth in the country to recognize out-of-state domestic partnerships. On a 28-19 vote, the Washington Senate cleared the last hurdle for the bill, which now heads to Gov. Chris Gregoire for a signature. via. Read the full article @ WA Legislature OKs out-of-state [...]

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7 gay couples sue Montana over equal protection

OIA Staff — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:42:14 +0000

The ACLU of Montana may have found a way to force states like Texas that have outlawed same-sex marriage to provide rights to gay and lesbian couples. The lawsuit claims Montana violates its own state constitutional guarantees of rights like privacy, equal protection and due process. The suit seeks equal rights through domestic partnerships. By [...]

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Fedex reverses policy, now offers benefits to same-sex employees

OIA Staff — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:31:00 +0000

FedEx has made a positive step forward by offering protections to same-sex couples who are in domestic partnerships. The company also expanded their nondiscrimination policy to include transgender workers. [ via Queers United ] Read the full article @ Fedex reverses policy, now offers benefits to same-sex employees Read more articles @ our blogBecome a [...]

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Oops: Did Texas Ban Marriage?

OIA Staff — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:59:39 +0000

Texas lawmakers wanted to make sure gay people couldn’t be married. Instead, it seems, they may have made sure no one can. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram has the story. Here’s what happened: In 2005, Texas voters and the state Legislature approved a Constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. But the amendment included the following clause, [...]

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New study offers first demographic picture of same-sex spouses

OIA Staff — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:05:58 +0000

For the first time, the Census Bureau has released data in which same-sex couples who refer to one another as “husband” or “wife” are differentiated from those who refer to one another as “unmarried partners.” This study is the first to examine the difference and similarities among same-sex couples and married different-sex couples in the [...]

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Census Bureau: 150,000 Same-Sex Couples Report as Married in 2008

OIA Staff — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:10:12 +0000

Offering a preview of what’s to come in the 2010 Census, the Census Bureau has reported that almost 150,000 couples reported being in marriages last year: “About 27 percent of the estimated 564,743 total gay couples in the United States said they were in a relationship akin to ‘husband’ and ‘wife,’ according to the Census [...]

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Act to Repeal DOMA Now

OIA Staff — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:41:08 +0000

Legislation to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) may be introduced in the House of Representatives as early as next week. We must ensure that the President, congress, and our senate leaders speak out and co-sponsor a repeal of this discriminatory legislation. DOMA denies same-sex couples from receiving federal benefits, even in states where [...]

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Nadler Says DOMA Repeal Bill Will Not Include DP’s or Civil Unions

OIA Staff — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:44:55 +0000

In an interview with the Bay Area Reporter this weekend, New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler said that he plans to introduce legislation either this week or once Congress returns from its August recess to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, but that bill will not include extending rights to LGBT couples in domestic partnerships or [...]

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Big Victories For Marriage Equality

OIA Staff — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 01:10:22 +0000

The Issue The state of Vermont made history on this week when it became the very first state to legalize gay marriage through the legislature rather than through a court decision. The Vermont House overturned Gov. Jim Douglas’s veto on gay marriage with a 100-49 vote; the veto was overturned in the Vermont Senate with [...]

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Steps Towards Equality

OIA Staff — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:51:57 +0000

Today the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs reviews the nomination of John Berry to be Director of the Office of Personnel Management, or OPM. Berry, if confirmed, would face an urgent human capital crisis, with almost half of the federal workforce reaching retirement age in the next 10 years. He could use [...]

Read the full article @ Steps Towards Equality