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November 19, 2009 7:13 pm | By Stacey Gates
Reid Announces Senate Health Care Bill Without Stupak Amendment
Surely we have a lot of fighting left to do, but it’s encouraging that the Senate has introduced a health care bill without the Stupak-Pitts anti-choice amendment, which passed in the House. There’s no doubt that the right-wing will attack…
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November 18, 2009 6:18 pm | By Paul Gordon
DC Marriage Equality and Religious Liberty
Over the past few weeks, the DC Council has been considering a bill to allow gays and lesbians to marry in Washington, DC. In light of some misleading charges by Catholic Charities that the existing bill would impair its religious…
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November 18, 2009 6:00 am | By Rev. Timothy McDonald
Washington Post Publishes One-Sided Feature Story on Bishop Harry Jackson
The Washington Post published a one-sided piece on Bishop Harry Jackson that neglected to mention his ties to right-wing political figures such as James Dobson, Lou Sheldon, Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council.Bishop Harry Jackson has enthusiastically opposed equality…
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November 18, 2009 2:27 am | By Judith Schaeffer
D.C. Strikes Down Anti-Marriage Equality Initiative
The D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics issued a memorandum today keeping anti-marriage equality legislation off the ballot in the District of Columbia. A public hearing was held on October 26, 2009 on the “Marriage Initiative of 2009”, which would…
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November 13, 2009 9:51 pm | By Judith Schaeffer
Despite Anti-Choice Health Care Attacks, RNC Covered Abortion Services Since 1991
Despite 176 House Republicans voting for the Stupak amendment that makes it nearly impossible for private insurance companies participating in the new healthcare system to cover abortion services, as of yesterday, the Republican National Committee provided employees with an insurance…
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November 13, 2009 5:57 pm | By Judith Schaeffer
Is the End of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell on the Horizon?
Democratic leaders have announced that a repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell will likely be attached to next year's defense authorization bill. The 1993 policy prohibits anyone that "demonstrate(s) a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts" from serving…
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November 13, 2009 5:17 pm | By Rev. Timothy McDonald
10 Year Old Stands Up for Equality
Will Phillips, a 10 year old boy in Arkansas, recently refused to stand and recite the pledge of allegiance. His reason? He said he could not pledge allegiance to a country that continues to deny equality to the LGBT community.…
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November 13, 2009 6:00 am | By Stacey Gates
Quite the 360: The Mormon Church is backing gay rights bill in Salt Lake City
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is publicly supporting two proposed ordinances in Salt Lake City protecting gay and lesbian residents from housing and employment discrimination.According to Michael Otterson, the managing director of the LDS Church’s public affairs…
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November 10, 2009 11:29 pm | By Marge Baker
Health Care and the Politics of Anti-Choice Activists
Anti-choice politics have become dangerously entangled with health care reform as evidenced by the troubling vote in the House of Representatives over the weekend for the Stupak-Pitts amendment. The legislation makes it virtually impossible for private insurance companies participating in…
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November 10, 2009 9:18 pm | By Stacey Gates
Progressives Make Significant Gains at the Local Level
Among the mixed results from high profile races last week, progressives had many reasons to celebrate last Tuesday with the election of young progressives at the local and state level. Several members of our Young Elected Officials Network (YEO Network),…
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November 6, 2009 7:20 pm | By Paul Gordon
Extremism and Hypocrisy: A Capitol Tea Party
Yesterday's protest in front of the U.S. Capitol, organized by Rep. Michele Bachmann, had the usual cast of tea-party extremists. But this time, they were openly assembled by GOP leaders as an official House Republican event. Republican members of Congress…
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November 6, 2009 7:09 pm | By Drew Courtney
What a Shooting Doesn’t Mean
The attack that took place yesterday at Fort Hood was utterly horrifying, and Americans of all stripes are holding the victims of the violence in their thoughts and prayers. That the perpetrator of the attack was deeply disturbed is obvious,…
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November 5, 2009 7:48 pm | By Paul Gordon
What Do the Results of this Year’s Gubernatorial Races Tell Us About 2010?
With right wing candidates winning both Virginia and New Jersey's gubernatorial elections, the Far Right is gleefully portraying these victories as a national repudiation of President Obama - and a foreshadowing of crushing defeats for progressives in 2010. But it…
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October 30, 2009 9:46 pm | By Drew Courtney
A Not-So-Great End to a Very Good Week
In many ways it was a very good week for anyone interested in LGBT equality. Marriage equality legislation took a big step forward in the District of Columbia, federal hate crimes legislation was signed into law after a decade long…
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October 30, 2009 9:27 pm | By Marge Baker
Gearing Up for Enforcement of Hate Crimes Prevention Act
It was a thrill to be at the White House celebrating the historic enactment of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. And now hot off the presses is this memo from Tom Perez, the Assistant…
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October 28, 2009 7:57 pm | By Drew Courtney
Ellison Joins the Stand for Muslim Interns
Last week we mentioned the anti-Muslim witch hunt that some members of Congress wanted to start against, of all people, Congressional interns. And yesterday People For President Michael B. Keegan wrote about the chilling resurgance of McCarthy-like tactics coming from…
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October 28, 2009 7:31 pm | By Jen Herrick
Obama Honors Shepard and Byrd by Signing Hate Crimes Law
Today marks an historic step forward in the fight for equality. With the signing of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, President Obama sent loud and clear the message that freedom from violence is a…
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October 28, 2009 3:54 pm | By
Have they no decency?
McCarthyism is back. Let's call it what it is. We are seeing one witch hunt after another led by right-wing opinion leaders, media outlets, organizations and even members of Congress. They pursue personal smear campaigns, grasping at straws to create…
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October 27, 2009 2:53 pm | By Peter Montgomery
Marriage Equality Marathon
Almost 100 people testified on Monday, October 26 in a 7 ½ hour hearing on marriage equality legislation moving in the District of Columbia council. Another 169 people who signed up will testify on Monday, November 2. After that, marriage…
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October 26, 2009 7:50 pm | By Dennis
Changing Hearts and Minds
Changing Hearts and Minds. That was the focus this past weekend at two panel discussions I moderated at the California NAACP State Conference on the topic of Homophobia in the Black Church. From my vantage point it’s clear that these…