Category Archives: A closer look

LGBT support for Hagel now cautious but growing

The Senate Committee on Armed Services will hold its first day of Defense Secretary nominee Chuck Hagel’s confirmation hearing Friday, January 31. Many expect his positions on benefits for the families of gay service members and his willingness to update

Scalia: The reasonable and the absurd. Part 2: A reduction to stone-throwing

The depth of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s discomfort for things gay became apparent in 1996, ten years after he joined the court. He had voted against the interests of gays before—allowing the U.S. Olympic Committee to bar Gay Games

Scalia: The reasonable and the absurd. Part 1: A tiny call for recusal despite a widespread presumption of bias

There was a tiny outcry in December for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia to recuse himself from deliberating on the two marriage-related cases before the high court this session. It erupted mostly from liberal political bloggers after Associated Press

Supreme Court cases: Speculations swirl in media and behind-the-scenes

Court watchers and the mainstream media are having a field day with what the U.S. Supreme Court did and did not say about same-sex marriage cases during the past week–both raising and lowering expectations for a blockbuster LGBT legal victory

Obama nominating record number of openly gay federal judges

President Obama nominated Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro November 27 to a federal district court seat in Philadelphia, bringing to eight the number of openly gay people he has nominated for the federal bench. While Judge Quiñones declined to make any

Beyond the blue: Why marriage won this time

Was the sweep of victories for same-sex marriage on four state ballots November 6 a reflection of American society’s evolution toward acceptance of gay citizens or a lucky convergence of strong Democratic turnout in Democratic leaning states?

Obama victory bolsters LGBT issues, candidates

In the November 6 race with the greatest impact on the LGBT community, President Obama secured re-election Tuesday night, winning both the popular and electoral vote majorities.

Despite contrast, LGBT vote is likely to split 3 to 1 as usual

There are many key votes on the line next Tuesday: The first real prospect for electing an openly gay person to the U.S. Senate, the probability of winning a marriage equality vote in at least one of five states, and

Five ballot battles promise nail-biters as opponents pull out the old scare tactics

Anti-gay activists opposing marriage equality for same-sex couples are counting in fives. They’re distributing videotapes to pastors laying out a five-step plan-of-action for each church. They’re distributing another video offering five reasons voters should defeat marriage equality ballot measures at

Historic Supreme Court session starts Monday; DOMA, Prop 8, and NOM on potential agenda

Perhaps the most historic U.S. Supreme Court session ever for the LGBT community gets underway officially October 1, with a record nine gay-related cases seeking review, all involving same-sex marriage.