Author Archives: Lisa Keen

DOJ says DOMA justified to prevent ‘inequities’

The U.S. Department of Justice filed its brief January 13 with a federal appeals court that will hear the government’s appeal of two district court decisions that found the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional.

Hernandez hailed as hero

Daniel Hernandez Jr., the openly gay intern who ran to the rescue of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords during last Saturday’s shooting in Tucson, was seated next to President Obama Wednesday during a memorial for the victims of that shooting. President Obama

Shooting prompts calls for a more civil Congress

The 112th Congress went barreling into all-out partisan warfare, as expected, in its opening week, and then the unexpected took over. A man gunned down a member of Congress in broad daylight.

Gay intern rushed to Giffords’ side, hailed as hero

The young Congressional intern who provided critical first aid to U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords after she was shot in the head Saturday is a gay man, Daniel Hernandez Jr.

Captain relieved over videos, but many clips depicted nonchalance toward gays in the Navy

The Navy on Tuesday, January 4, relieved from command permanently its new commanding officer of the USS Enterprise, the Navy’s best-known aircraft carrier, after widespread media attention for training videos he created that used an anti-gay slur and depicted both

9th Circuit punts key Prop 8 question to California Supreme Court

A 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals panel surprised many Proposition 8 observers Tuesday when it suddenly issued five documents relating to the case. But there was no decision Tuesday in Perry v. Schwarzenegger.

9th Circuit delays ruling on Prop 8; asks California court about standing

A 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals panel surprised many Proposition 8 observers Tuesday when it suddenly issued five documents relating to the case.

2010’s events predict more, and less, in 2011

If past is prologue, 2011 should turn out to be a fairly decent one for the LGBT community. It’s not that everything turned out so rosy for the community in 2010, but the gains registered more powerfully than the losses.

Senate confirms Feldblum for EEOC

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday gave final approval to lesbian law professor Chai Feldblum as President Obama’s nominee to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

President signs historic bill to repeal DADT

Following a dramatic and eloquent speech, President Obama Wednesday morning signed the legislation that will launch the repeal of a 17-year-old law that prohibits openly gay people from serving in the military.