Author Archives: Lisa Keen

Prop 8: An offspring of the Anita Bryant crusade?

Attorneys challenging the California ballot measure that banned same-sex marriage painted the “Yes on 8” campaign today as a modern day copycat of Anita Bryant’s late 1970s campaign to “Save the Children.”

Interim report: Tuesday morning Prop 8 trial

Take-home message from expert Nancy Cott’s testimony today: The push by gay and lesbian couples to obtain equal access to marriage has done much to improve the status of marriage in the U.S, not harm it.

Prop 8 trial: Probing judge and high court intervention

The trial to challenge Proposition 8 in federal court got underway Monday in San Francisco but the opening acts were upstaged in Washington, D.C.

Historic trial begins today; case seeks to strike Prop 8

The trial to challenge Proposition 8 opens at 9 a.m. Pacific time this morning, and it promises to be an event of historic proportions for the LGBT community on many levels—legally, politically, and dramatically.

Frank says LGBT still have chance in health reform bill

News on Capitol Hill Wednesday morning suggested there was little hope for keeping pro-LGBT provisions in the health care reform legislation Congress hopes to pass. But Rep. Barney Frank says he’s still “somewhat optimistic.”

Marriage repeal efforts underway in NH, Iowa

Efforts are underway in both New Hampshire and Iowa to overturn marriage equality laws there. On January 5, opponents of gay marriage were scheduled to deliver petitions to more than 200 town halls across New Hampshire.

Obama appoints first openly transgender people to posts

Amanda Simpson started work this week as one of the first transgender persons ever to receive a presidential appointment to an executive branch post in any administration. The honor as the first belongs to Dylan Orr, a 30-year-old law school

Health reform: Gay provisions likely to be lost in conference

It’s still a little bit of a guessing game as to whether the U.S. Senate will pass a health care reform bill this month or next or never, but if and when it does, there’s little likelihood any pro-gay provisions

D.C. marriage bill heads for Congress

Though it was long-expected, the D.C. Council’s vote Tuesday to give final approval to a marriage equality law for Washington, D.C., came as a large relief to many LGBT civil rights supporters. The 11 to 2 vote came on the heels

Parker wins mayoral race in Houston

Annise Parker, an openly gay public official, won the final mayoral election race in Houston Saturday, December 12, becoming the first openly gay person to be elected as mayor of one of the top five most populated cities in the