Out in America Features» Political

Cyndi Lauper Unhappy “True Colors” Used in Romney Attack Ad

OIA Staff — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 23:39:32 +0000

Iconic entertainer Cyndi Lauper, whose song “True Colors” has become synonymous with the advancement of LGBT equality, is unhappy about its unauthorized use in a negative political campaign ad. via. Read the full article @ Cyndi Lauper Unhappy “True Colors” Used in Romney Attack Ad Read more articles @ our blogBecome a fan on FacebookFollow [...]

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CONTEST: The Ides of March prize pack

OIA Staff — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:39:34 +0000

Enter to win a prize pack for The Ides of March including a t-shirt and mini-poster! Columbia Pictures and Cross Creek Pictures Present THE IDES OF MARCH In Theaters October 7 http://www.idesofmarch-movie.com The Ides of March takes place during the frantic last days before a heavily contested Ohio presidential primary, when an up-and-coming campaign press secretary (Ryan Gosling) [...]

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Karger Has a Shot – General Gayety

OIA Staff — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 18:51:01 +0000

If you haven’t heard of Fred Karger, you have an awful lot of company. Karger is a retired political consultant from California. He’s also a gay activist, and he’s running for the presidency. As a Republican. Clearly this is a fellow who fancies adventure. Does he stand more than a Popsicle’s chance in hell? Yes, [...]

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The Fabric of Our Lives – General Gayety

OIA Staff — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 16:07:19 +0000

We Americans like to express ourselves with our chests. I’m not speaking of Jane Russell, or even Arnold Schwarzenegger. I’m talking about our proclivity for wearing T-shirts with slogans on them. Americans have been human billboards for decades. The slogans on T-shirts celebrate, advocate, advertise, unify, decry and polarize. Americans have lots to say—on shirts [...]

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Target Changes Policy following Gay Protest

OIA Staff — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 13:45:45 +0000

Target’s policy on political contributions changed six months after receiving criticism for endorsing an anti-gay politician, reports say. The policy now mandates that an executive committee be responsible for balancing business interests with other important considerations. Target spokesman Jessica Carlson said that “these changes are reflective of that perspective that we gained over the 2010 [...]

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Lambda Legal: Statement on Arizona Shootings

OIA Staff — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 15:54:51 +0000

In response to the weekend’s shootings in Arizona which left six dead, including U.S. District Judge John Roll, and six injured, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-Tucson), Lambda Legal Executive Director Kevin Cathcart issued the following statement: “Like many Americans, I spent much of the weekend glued to the news as the horrifying events in Tucson [...]

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Sarah Palin: Misinformer of the Year

OIA Staff — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 17:23:20 +0000

Congratulations to the Fox commentator, political activist and reality TV star who has boldly created new frontiers in spreading falsehoods and distorting the national conversation. Palin has truly earned the 2010 Glenn Beck Honorary Award for Excellence in Misinformation. via. Read the full article @ Sarah Palin: Misinformer of the Year Read more articles @ [...]

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Zachary Quinto: Gay rights issues more important discussion than who he sleeps with

OIA Staff — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 15:09:09 +0000

”[I’ve] come to realize through experience that ultimately I really do have a lot of power in terms of the way I relate to the public or to people outside of my intimate circle of friends and family. Boundaries are very important to me…. The fact that these things are such hot-button issues right now, [...]

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HRC penalizes Target, Best Buy in latest Corporate Equality Index rating

OIA Staff — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 14:37:34 +0000

Retailers Target and Best Buy, along with 3M Corporation, all based in Minnesota, have been stripped of their perfect scores in the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) 2011 Corporate Equality Index. HRC said in a statement Moday: “Fifteen points were deducted from the otherwise perfect scores of Target, Best Buy and 3M for failing to respond [...]

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MSNBC’s Maddow to Obama: Stand up for what is right

OIA Staff — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 16:02:04 +0000

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow last night delivered a commentary on the continued enforcement of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” under the Obama administration, saying if the White House wants to motivate its base, it needs to stand up “for what is right because you know it is right, because we know you know it’s right, even though [...]

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Daily Show: The Homosexual and Nazi Connection That Should Prevent Gays in the Military

John — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:20:49 +0000

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart correspondent Jason Jones interviews Scott Lively, president of Abiding Truth Ministries, a conservative Christian organization that promotes family values. In the interview he states that all of the Nazis were homosexuals and that homosexuals tent to be savage and without morals. When asked why Scott’s mission has has been [...]

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Target CEO defends Minn. donations

OIA Staff — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:02:44 +0000

Target Corp.’s CEO on Tuesday defended the discount retailer’s political donations to a Minnesota group helping the state’s Republican candidate for governor… In the past week I’ve heard from some of you, including our GLBT team members, regarding your concerns with Target’s recent contributions to MN Forward, an independent expenditure committee that is supported by [...]

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HRC to NOM: Your summer bus tour is a sham

OIA Staff — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:59:47 +0000

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) today challenged the National Organization for Marriage’s so-called “Summer for Marriage” bus tour, saying it’s nothing more than legal and rhetorical posturing in its campaign to keep its donor base secret. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, today challenged [...]

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Maddow Interviews Lt. Dan Choi About His Discharge Under DADT

OIA Staff — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:15:50 +0000

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow last night interviewed Lt. Dan Choi, who was discharged from the military under the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy after coming out on “The Rachel Maddow Show” nearly 18 months ago. Transcript: MADDOW: It started here on this show. And now, it doesn`t end here, but it does take a very sharp [...]

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Pentagon: Gay soldier survey won’t lead to segregation

OIA Staff — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:05:19 +0000

The Pentagon today strongly pushed back against an allegation from a prominent political blogger that the military could segregate gay and straight servicemembers if and when lawmakers repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. The suggestion the Defense Department or the Obama administration could allow for segregation of any kind is “absurd,” a Pentagon spokesperson said. [...]

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Court skeptical on keeping R-71 names private

OIA Staff — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 16:17:54 +0000

Supreme Court justices appeared skeptical Wednesday about keeping secret the names of people who signed a petition to repeal Washington state’s gay rights law, suggesting citizens cannot always hide behind anonymity if they want to be heard. Opponents of gay rights want the court to keep the names private to avoid intimidation by the other [...]

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Is Gregg Kravitz Hiding His Heterosexuality to Win a Pennsylvania House Seat?

OIA Staff — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:46:54 +0000

In Pennsylvania’s House race, Philadelphia’s Democratic incumbent Rep. Babette Josephs is claiming her opponent is, in fact, a heterosexual. And is lying about being bi. On the campaign trail, Josephs’ challenger Gregg Kravitz, 29, is a proud bisexual man. But Josephs, 70, says that’s just a ploy to attract LGBT voters. And by anyone’s recollection, [...]

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Hundreds Rally in Los Angeles to Demand Equal Social Security Benefits for Same-Sex Couples

OIA Staff — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 13:35:23 +0000

An energized crowd of more than 700 people rallied at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and marched more than a mile to the Social Security Administration office in Hollywood today to demand an end to the unconscionable discrimination that deprives older lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) taxpayers of more than $120 million in [...]

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Meghan McCain Defends Support of Same-Sex Marriage to GW Audience

OIA Staff — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:03:18 +0000

Last week Meghan McCain spoke at George Washington here in DC and defended her support for marriage equality as principled, not politically expedient. She also said she is not too fat or too blonde to be a Republican. “I am not Ann Coulter, I am not Glenn Beck, I am not trying to be a [...]

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Jon Stewart takes on Catholic Church scandals in three minute

OIA Staff — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:53:54 +0000

Last night on the Daily Show, Jon Stewart took on a wide range of issues regarding the Roman Catholic Church in a segment entitled Holy Sh*t. He managed, in three minutes, to cover the latest scandals of the Catholic Church. The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c Holy Sh*t www.thedailyshow.com Daily Show [...]

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The Turkey Count – General Gayety

OIA Staff — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:36:01 +0000

It’s that time of year when we think about turkey. Or in my case, turkeys. In honor of the season, I’m highlighting many people, at home and abroad, who’ve recently behaved like turkeys. I realized I didn’t know what to call a group of turkeys, a drawback when writing about multiple foul fowl. I searched [...]

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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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National Organization for Marriage Loses Effort to Keep Names of Donors Disclosed in Maine

OIA Staff — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:50:25 +0000

The New Jersey-based National Organization for Marriage (NOM) has been fighting to keep the names of donors to the “Yes on 1″ campaign in Maine private. They lost: “Judge D. Brock Hornby ruled that Maine’s reporting requirements for ballot question campaigns do not violate the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as claimed in a [...]

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LGBT & The Census count: What’s new, Why it matters.

OIA Staff — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:14:44 +0000

The Census doesn’t just collect information, it educates people. It helps people discover the trends that affect their daily lives. That part of the Census Bureau is called the 2010 Census Partnership and Data Services Program. The man who runs the program for the nation recently paid a visit to the Los Angeles region. Tim [...]

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Remarks by the President at Human Rights Campaign Dinner

OIA Staff — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:06:22 +0000

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, everybody. Please, you’re making me blush. (Laughter.) AUDIENCE MEMBER: We love you, Barack! THE PRESIDENT: I love you back. (Applause.) To Joe Solmonese, who’s doing an outstanding job on behalf of HRC. (Applause.) To my great friend and supporter, Terry Bean, co-founder of HRC. (Applause.) Representative Patrick Kennedy. (Applause.) David Huebner, [...]

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Will Obama Speak Out on Maine’s Anti-Gay Marriage Measure?

OIA Staff — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:38:17 +0000

“If the president doesn’t want his own words to be used in a hate-filled campaign then he better speak up now. We all remember what happened in California. Even though Obama opposed Proposition 8, his profile on the initiative was very low. As a result, the YES on 8 folks did mass mailings using Obama’s [...]

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Inside Whose Mind? – General Gayety

OIA Staff — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:13:45 +0000

You remember Mark Foley. How could you forget him? It was just three years ago that the Republican Congressman from Florida resigned over the salacious instant messages he’d sent male teenagers who were former Congressional pages. The dude was disturbed. Now he’s been given a radio show. If it flies, this will be a resurrection [...]

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Rep. Blumenauer Blogs About Worst Vote of His Career

OIA Staff — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:01:13 +0000

On July 12, 1996, Congressman Blumenauer (D-Ore) cast what he calls the “worst vote of my political career.” He explains why his vote for the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was a mistake and candidly addresses the time he has spent “understanding the problems in his, which has “resulted in frank and important conversations with [...]

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This Week in HIV/AIDS News

OIA Staff — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:40:26 +0000

Controversy Surrounds CDC’s Consideration Of Circumcision Guidelines A Chicago Tribune health column discusses recent findings indicating routine male circumcision could help prevent the spread of HIV, evidence which has “led both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics to consider issuing first-ever recommendations on routine circumcision of boys.” According [...]

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Sandra Bernhard Will Do ‘Whatever It Takes’ for Truth

OIA Staff — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:49:03 +0000

Sandra Bernhard isn’t one for conversational detours or verbal frills. This may not surprise many. Bernhard needs not a garden of adjectives and imagery from which to pick; she’s got a pocket full of ammunition in the form of pointed observations. And let it be known: she’s got rapid fire. What may come as a [...]

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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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Is Obama A Champion For Gay Americans?

OIA Staff — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:25:31 +0000

President Obama, who has come under harsh criticism from gay rights advocates for not yet acting on many campaign promises on gay issues, Monday afternoon said that his administration has made some progress on behalf of gay Americans and plans to do more. “I know that many in this room don’t believe that progress has [...]

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AARP Marks 40TH Anniversary of Stonewall Riot with Multiplatform Media Campaign

OIA Staff — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:38:22 +0000

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, a defining moment for the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender (LGBT) movement, AARP today announced the launch of a multiplatform media campaign consisting of exclusive new online, television, radio and print content that includes contributions from many of the nation’s most prominent and outspoken members of [...]

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White House Official Expressed Regret at Some Cites in Pro-DOMA Justice Department Brief

OIA Staff — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:59:28 +0000

In a panel discussion at the liberal American Constitution Society Friday, President Obama’s staff secretary, Lisa Brown, expressed personal reservations about some of the language in the Justice Department brief against same-sex marriage that cited the ability of states to refuse to recognize incestuous marriages as a comparison with same-sex ones. [ blogs.abcnews.com ] Read [...]

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Colbert Takes on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in Iraq

OIA Staff — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:02:20 +0000

Steven Colbert has taken The Colbert Report to Iraq to help entertain the troops. While Obama may be afraid to discuss Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Colbert apparently isn’t. Colbert takes on the issue of dismissing Arabic linguists like Lt. Dan Choi. The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c Formidable Opponent – Don’t Ask, [...]

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Religious Voices Critical To The Advancement Of LGBT Equality

OIA Staff — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:32:20 +0000

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s National Religious Leadership Roundtable and the Center for American Progress released two groundbreaking reports today analyzing religious and secular advocacy of marriage equality ballot initiatives in California and Michigan. Although examining different campaigns in different states in different years, the two reports draw remarkably similar conclusions about the [...]

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Outrage: An Interview with Director Kirby Dick

OIA Staff — Fri, 15 May 2009 15:42:39 +0000

By: Adam Lippe Along with allowing us to see his documentary Outrage, about outing closeted gay politicians who vote against their own interests (I’ve reviewed the movie here), director Kirby Dick was kind enough to go on a press tour. There were 4 reporters in the room, 3 if you don’t count me. Since I [...]

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This Week in HIV/AIDS News

OIA Staff — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:01:26 +0000

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Obama: Which Water Fountain Should Gays Use?

OIA Staff — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:44:22 +0000

We’re tired. Tired of the Obama administration backpedaling on promises it made to the gay community. Tired of pointing out the many ways the president is failing on equal rights. Tired of showing how Barack is not our buddy when we need him the most. After reneging on the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, [...]

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Rough Songs and Soft Ones: An Interview with Indigo Girl, Amy Ray

OIA Staff — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:24:00 +0000

Sarah Terez Rosenbum The fact that singer/songwriters Amy Ray and Emily Saliers have been around for almost thirty years is no accident. Gifted musicians and driven businesswomen, Indigo Girls owe the longevity of their career perhaps in equal parts to their determination and the way in which they cultivate their musical partnership. On tour supporting [...]

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This Week in HIV/AIDS News

OIA Staff — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:58:53 +0000

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Right Sounds False Alarm On Hate Crimes Legislation

OIA Staff — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:48:54 +0000

Religious Right leaders’ portrayal of the hate crimes bill as an attack on religious liberty is false; it reflects a larger political strategy to portray equality advocates as enemies of faith and freedom Why the controversy over a hate crimes law? Hate crimes are violent attacks on people who are targeted because of who they [...]

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This Week in HIV/AIDS News

OIA Staff — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:21:25 +0000

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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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Out Magazine’s 3rd Annual Power 50

OIA Staff — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 18:49:36 +0000

April 6, 2009: What a difference a year makes. The global economic crisis has pushed Democratic congressman Barney Frank to the top of Out magazine’s third annual list of America’s most influential gay men and woman. The 69-year old head of the House Financial Services Committee, who ranked second last year, has been a leading [...]

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Gay Marriage Legal in Iowa

OIA Staff — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:27:19 +0000

The Iowa Supreme Court this morning unanimously upheld gays’ right to marry. “The Iowa statute limiting civil marriage to a union between a man and a woman violates the equal protection clause of the Iowa Constitution,” the justices said in a summary of their decision. The court rules that gay marriage would be legal in [...]

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This Week in HIV/AIDS News

OIA Staff — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:45:11 +0000

Reps. Introduce Bill To Expand Medicaid Coverage to Some HIV-Positive People Reps. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have introduced a bill (H.R. 1616) to allow states to expand Medicaid coverage to low-income HIV-positive people, CQ HealthBeat reports. The bill would permit states to change their Medicaid eligibility policies [...]

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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 [...]

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Stand Up and Be Counted

OIA Staff — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:52:26 +0000

Last week Census Bureau officials announced that they would waste time and money to remove any same-sex couple from being listed as married in the 2010 census survey. This expensive and insulting policy – a holdover from the Bush administration – simply cannot stand. Yep, you heard me right. The census is supposed to count [...]

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State Department Statement: UN Statement on “Human Rights, Sexual Orientation, & Gender Identity”

OIA Staff — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:03:42 +0000

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman Statement by Robert Wood, Acting Spokesman UN Statement on “Human Rights, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity” The United States supports the UN Statement on “Human Rights, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity,” and is pleased to join the other 66 UN member states who have declared their support [...]

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