Author Archives: Lisa Keen
High Court ponders another exception to 1st Amendment
Fred Phelps’ followers say their hate-filled messages constitute a contribution to public discourse. But, in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, attorney Sean Summers argued that these messages, when conveyed outside the funeral of a fallen soldier, inflict an injury
GOP rep. wants to defend DOMA in Mass. cases
Claiming that the Department of Justice is not doing enough to defend the Defense of Marriage Act, U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) has asked a federal court for permission to serve as an intervenor-defendant in two cases expected to come
LGBT inclusions in immigration: posturing or real?
LGBT concerns were included this month in a new immigration reform bill introduced to Congress, but they were not part of President Obama’s words in support of that bill and some say the bill is just a mid-term election tool.
New chief of staff: an ‘internal advocate’
President Obama announced that White House senior adviser Peter Rouse will take over immediately as his Chief of Staff, replacing Rahm Emanuel. Emanuel is leaving his post to launch a campaign to run for mayor of Chicago.
Obama: Orderly repeal of DADT protects gays
In the current issue of Rolling Stone magazine, President Obama says he’s “probably accomplished,” in the first two years of his administration, “70 percent of the things that we said we were going to do.” One of his accomplishments, he said,
Judge Walker to retire next year
The federal district court judge who earlier this year presided over the landmark trial challenging the constitutionality of California’s same-sex marriage ban announced Wednesday that he will retire in February. Judge Vaughn Walker, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for
NOM sues for protection from campaign disclosure laws
Imagine Ted Olson, the champion against a California law banning same-sex marriage, teaming up with attorneys who want to enable unlimited amounts of money to be spent to promote bans on same-sex marriage.
