lesbian

Democrats' victory in Oregon House clears path for openly lesbian Speaker

Submitted by ONE Community on November 11, 2012 - 3:09pm
Democrats' victory in Oregon House clears path for openly lesbian Speaker

After fiercely contested races around the state, Democrats are poised to take over Oregon’s House of Representatives with a 34-26 majority, clearing the path for the ascension of openly lesbian House Democratic Leader Tina Kotek to the Speaker's chair.

The victory breaks the previous split legislative body, that saw a 30-30 tie in the state House.

Kotek (D-North Portland), a third term lawmaker, said she will ask the Democratic caucus to support her bid to be the Speaker nominee. She says the next speaker will be chosen by the Legislature in January, and if confirmed, would be Oregon's first openly lesbian Speaker. Read more »

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Evangelical support for gay families

Submitted by ONE Community on October 29, 2012 - 2:12pm

By Joanna Weiss |  GLOBE COLUMNIST  

Last week, I had a long and fascinating conversation with Shari Johnson — a retired dental hygienist, conservative voter, and evangelical Christian from Odessa, Texas — about what happened when her daughter announced, at age 37, that she was a lesbian. Johnson’s chain of reactions would sound familiar to many families of gay, lesbian, and transgender kids: shock and sorrow, followed by grudging acceptance, followed by a full embrace. What was striking, though, was the language she used — about prayers, appeals to God, and direct answers. Read more »

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Election Day may reveal shift on same-sex marriage

Submitted by ONE Community on October 23, 2012 - 9:28am

Baltimore, Maryland (CNN) -- From her Baltimore kitchen, Rebecca Murphy is lobbying legislators, crafting signs and making phone calls as she wages a battle to allow gays and lesbians to marry in her state.
The married mother of two doesn't have a personal stake in the fight. Rather, Murphy represents the growing number of people nationwide who support gay rights regardless of their own sexual orientation.
"I have gay and lesbian friends and family who are raising children and creating lives, and they deserve to be treated fairly," she says.
As national polls show a shift in attitudes about same-sex marriage, Murphy's state of Maryland is one of three poised to put the issue to an up-or-down popular vote for the first time next month.   Read more »

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$75K fund opens to help GLBT undocumented immigrants pay for application fees under deferred action program

Submitted by ONE Community on September 21, 2012 - 7:25pm

San Francisco — Young lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender undocumented immigrants struggling to pay application fees under President Obama’s new "Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals" (DACA) can now receive financial help.

Today, the LGBT Dreamers Fund—made possible by more than $75,000 in contributions from GLBT movement leaders—officially begins accepting applications, giving many young LGBT undocumented immigrants a chance to apply for the protections available under the President’s new program. Read more »

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NY court to hear arguments in gay marriage case

Submitted by ONE Community on September 18, 2012 - 9:10pm

NEW YORK — The Defense of Marriage Act is set for a showdown in a federal appeals court later this month between those who say it is right for the government to speak of marriage only in heterosexual terms and those who say doing so discriminates against same-sex unions. Read more »

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Gays, lesbians comprise record-high 8 percent of delegates at Democratic convention

Submitted by ONE Community on September 5, 2012 - 9:16pm

There's a platform endorsing same-sex marriage, a roster of speakers that includes three gay members of Congress, and a record number of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender delegates hailing from all 50 states _ 486 in all, more than 8 percent of the total.

"We've been an underrepresented demographic in politics for a long time," said Jerame Davis of National Stonewall Democrats, a gay-rights affiliate of the party. "Finally seeing us appropriately represented is just a thrill." Read more »

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Google to launch global bid to ‘Legalize Love’ for gays

Submitted by ONE Community on July 7, 2012 - 4:29pm

Global giant Google searches for a way to make the world a better place for lesbians, gays and bisexuals with new campaign

Google is launching a new campaign calling on countries to ‘Legalize Love’ – making it legal to be lesbian, gay or bisexual around the world.

The campaign, which will officially launch tomorrow (7 July), is likely to start by focusing on Poland and Singapore but eventually spread to every country where Google has an office around the world.

It will tackle places where it is illegal to be gay, or where there are other anti-gay laws or where the culture is homophobic. Read more »

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Preventing bias on the job

Submitted by ONE Community on June 18, 2012 - 1:43pm
Preventing bias on the job

Even before President Obama endorsed same-sex marriage, that cause had become synonymous in many minds with gay rights. But an equally important item on the equality agenda is protection of gays, lesbians and transgender people from job discrimination.

Last week the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions held a hearing on the proposed Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA, which would outlaw workplace discrimination on the basis of "actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity." Sixteen states, including California, and 140 localities protect gays and lesbians from discrimination, but 56% of the U.S. population lives in areas without such protection. That would be remedied with the enactment of ENDA. Read more »

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Charles L. Worley, North Carolina Pastor: Put Gays And Lesbians In Electrified Pen To Kill Them Off

Submitted by ONE Community on May 21, 2012 - 8:48pm
Charles L. Worley, North Carolina Pastor: Put Gays And Lesbians In Electrified Pen To Kill Them Off

The barrage of anti-gay sermons delivered by North Carolina-based pastors to hit the blogosphere continues with yet another disturbing rant caught on tape.

The pastor, identified on YouTube as Charles L. Worley of Providence Road Baptist Church in Maiden, N.C., condemns President Obama's much-publicized endorsement of same-sex marriage while calling for gays and lesbians to be put in an electrified pen and ultimately killed off.

"Build a great, big, large fence -- 150 or 100 mile long -- put all the lesbians in there," Worley suggests in the clip, reportedly filmed on May 13. Read more »

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