Monthly Archives: March 2013

Political jousting over DOMA standing, but legal activists encouraged

Today’s argument in the U.S. Supreme Court over the Defense of Marriage Act sounded at times as if President Obama was on trial for enforcing the law even though he considers it unconstitutional. At other times, it sounded like Congress

Prop 8 arguments roller coaster on standing and merits of marriage ban

The U.S. Supreme Court took the marriage equality issue on a roller coaster ride Tuesday as it heard almost 90 minutes of argument in the case testing the constitutionality of California’s ban on same-sex marriage.

Marriage cases preview, Part 4: Court day guide to the arguments

Part 4: Courtside guide. The avid reader’s guide to who and what to watch for at the Supreme Court on marriage argument days. The following is the last in a four-part series to prepare readers for what to expect March 26

Marriage cases preview, Part 3: Weighing the friendly advice

When the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to tackle a major legal controversy, such as next week’s marriage equality cases, it typically invites advice from groups and legal experts. These people are not a party to the litigation itself but have

Marriage cases preview, Part 2: The presidential punch

How strong a position did the Obama administration take in its briefs on the Supreme Court marriage cases—and can it make a difference? The following is the second in a four-part series to prepare readers for what to expect March

Colorado approves civil unions

The Colorado House passed a civil unions bill Tuesday (March 12), making Colorado the ninth state to pass a civil unions law and the 19th to have some form of legal recognition for same-sex relationships.

Obama signs inclusive VAWA bill

In signing the Violence Against Women Act Thursday (March 7), President Obama singled out a number of activists on the issue, including the head of an LGBT anti-violence group.

Marriage cases preview, Part 1: Standing in the way

It is hard to overstate the potential impact of the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court cases concerning marriage for same-sex couples. The primary questions posed by the two cases—Hollingsworth v. Perry involving Proposition 8 and U.S. v. Windsor involving the Defense

Six million in U.S. have LGBT parent

As many as six million adults and children in the United States have an LGBT parent, and an estimated three million LGBT Americans have had a child at some point in their lives, according to an analysis released February 27

Cliff hanging: LGBT and HIV centers brace for a domino effect

When Thelma and Louise drove off the cliff, the only people who got hurt were Thelma and Louise. But when Congress drives off the fiscal cliff, everybody’s going to feel the pain—especially those who depend on government-funded programs and organizations