Category Archives: National Politics

Schools have right to form GSAs, reminds Department of Education

Schools receiving federal funds must provide equal access to school resources for all student groups, including gay-straight alliances (GSAs), said Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in a "Dear Colleague" letter to educators on June 14.

Jennings leaving, but says White House commitment stays

Kevin Jennings, the openly gay head of the federal office that manages its largest safe-schools and anti-bullying programs, will be leaving the U.S. Department of Education next month. But he said President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan remain

Fighting without funds: Federal money pulls out of the war on bullying

When Congress and the White House worked out their differences in early April concerning the Fiscal Year 2011 budget, it was clear that some programs important to the LGBT community would take a hit. But the consequences of their final

As DOMA lawsuits proliferate, Boehner has a spending problem

The Antideficiency Act is not the sort of federal law that an ordinary American would be familiar with. It applies to government officials who are in a position to spend government money. And it prohibits those officials from spending federal

House Committee approves three DADT/DOMA amendments

The full U.S. House Armed Services Committee approved three amendments late Wednesday night that seek to delay implementation of repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and to reiterate Congress's support for the Defense of Marriage Act.

New bill seeks end to adoption bias

Hundreds of thousands of children are in foster care in the United States, while discrimination prevents millions of willing LGBT people from being able to foster or adopt. U.S. Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) reintroduced a bill that aims to fix

With children in need, states struggle over gay adoptive parents

Each year, over 100,000 children in the U.S. foster care system are waiting for adoptive homes. And over two million gay and lesbian people are interested in adopting a child. But legislative and court battles are being waged in several

HHS urges child welfare agencies to better serve LGBTQ youth

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a memo April 6 encouraging child welfare agencies to better serve the needs of “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth” in the foster care system.

House hired gun goes to work on DOMA; HRC attacks

The U.S. House has obligated itself to pay more than $500,000 for outside attorneys to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in federal courts. And the House has chosen a firm which clearly prides itself on including LGBT lawyers among

New ad campaign promotes equal access to housing for LGBTs

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that it is launching a national media campaign to promote equal access to housing regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity, among other characteristics.