Category Archives: A closer look

2010: The perfect alignment and the quiet costs

The suspense is over: The U.S. Senate finally took a vote on a bill to repeal the ban on openly gay people in the military and passed it, 65 to 31. Having Congress pass that bill, to repeal Don’t Ask

Viewers’ Guide to Prop 8 argument December 6

A federal appeals panel in San Francisco will hear oral arguments Monday in the landmark challenge to Proposition 8—California’s voter-passed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. We’ve compiled some key information most court watchers will need to know and will want to

Gay vote 2010: Questions loom for 2012

The number seemed startling: 31 percent of voters who identified as “gay, lesbian, bisexual” in a national exit poll on November 2 said they voted Republican. Just two years ago, only 19 percent voted for Republican presidential candidate John McCain. Is

Field of zeros and shattered hopes

For two years, Democrats held the White House and the majority in both chambers of Congress. The window of opportunity for eliminating federal laws that treated the LGBT community as second-class citizens was open. The window of opportunity for passing

Big losses in the U.S. House and Senate

Republicans won control of the U.S. House in Tuesday’s elections. As of 3 a.m. Wednesday, it appears the GOP will hold at least 234 seats, to Democrats’ 180.

13 races to worry about Nov. 2

For hard-core political junkies in the LGBT community, there’s a lot to worry about in the November 2 voting—and not just because there’s the possibility of Republicans taking over the U.S. House and Senate. A number of races around the

Obama on DADT repeal: Promise or prediction?

One word stuck out as tough, but basically Bridget Todd’s query to President Obama was delivered very respectfully: She told the president that she had voted for him based on his “alleged” commitment to equality for all Americans, gay and

House mid-terms: A sinking feeling

The mid-term election for Democrats is beginning to sound like the Titanic. The gigantic wonder that set sail in January 2009 is now sinking, the passengers are in a state of panic, and the rich corporations have taken all the

With House in question, is Frank ‘running scared’?

The first in a three-part series on the mid-term elections It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the angst surrounding next month’s Congressional elections. The 24/7 media are hyping a Republican takeover of the House and maybe the Senate. A switch in

Bullied to death: New cases shine light on old problem

The string of recent suicides by teens bullied for being gay or perceived to be captured nationwide media attention last week. But what seemed like an emerging new problem for the public at large is not new at all for