sexual orientation

Same-Sex Couples Face Significant Housing Discrimination, Historic Government Study Says

Submitted by ONE Community on June 18, 2013 - 1:35pm

WASHINGTON -- Same-sex couples face significant levels of discrimination in the rental housing market, according to a landmark government study released on Tuesday.

The new survey by the Department of Housing and Urban Development is the first-ever study examining housing discrimination against same-sex couples at the national level.

HUD found that same-sex couples were "significantly less likely than heterosexual couples to get favorable responses to e-mail inquiries about electronically advertised rental housing." In fact, heterosexual couples were favored over gay male couples in 15.9 percent of the tests, and over lesbian couples in 15.6 percent. Read more »

Tom Carper Signs On As 51st ENDA Cosponsor

Submitted by ONE Community on June 17, 2013 - 11:56am

WASHINGTON -- The Employment Non-Discrimination Act now has majority support in the Senate.

On Monday, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) signed on as the bill's 51st cosponsor. The legislation would outlaw workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

"Senator Carper believes it is important for federal law to explicitly prohibit workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation -- in the same way that current law addresses race, sex or religion -- in order to ensure that all Americans are protected equally under the law," said Carper spokesman Ian Sams. Read more »

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Employment Non-Discrimination Act 2013: The 'T' In LGBT Protections

Submitted by ONE Community on June 11, 2013 - 11:13pm

When Congress last voted on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) in 2007, the bill would have prevented employers from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation but not gender identity or expression. House Democrats removed transgender protections from the legislation, claiming they wouldn't have enough votes to pass an inclusive ENDA.

"There is more resistance to protection for people who are transgender than for people who are gay, lesbian and bisexual," Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) said in a statement at the time. "This is not a good fact, but ignoring bad facts is a bad way to get legislation passed." Read more »

Presidential Proclamation -- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, 2013

Submitted by ONE Community on June 3, 2013 - 12:07pm

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

For more than two centuries, our Nation has struggled to transform the ideals of liberty and equality from founding promise into lasting reality. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans and their allies have been hard at work on the next great chapter of that history -- from the patrons of The Stonewall Inn who sparked a movement to service members who can finally be honest about who they love to brave young people who come out and speak out every day. Read more »

Minnesota Senate approves same-sex marriage bill

Submitted by ONE Community on May 13, 2013 - 2:31pm

With deafening cheers and overwhelming emotion, the Minnesota Senate voted 37-30 to legalize same-sex marriage.

“Today, love wins,” said Sen. Tony Lourey, DFL-Kerrick.

The vote, on the heels of a vote last week in the House, brings to a close a decade of debate over marriage that has echoed through the Capitol, bringing thousands of friends and foes of gay marriage to its marbled dome to express their deeply held feelings.

The measure next moves to Gov. Mark Dayton, who will welcome it with his signature in a celebratory ceremony likely on Tuesday. Read more »

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WNBA is fine with gay athletes such as Brittney Griner; why can't men’s major pro sports seem to handle it?

Submitted by ONE Community on April 21, 2013 - 7:29am

Coming out is not an issue in the WNBA, a place where closets aren’t necessary or crowded.

Consider the league’s newest star, Mercury center Brittney Griner. She is hailed as both a pioneer and a savior, the kind of player who can reach the mainstream, the kind of player who can lift a low-wattage league to higher ground.

She also revealed her homosexuality in a candid draft-day interview, before joining her new teammates in Phoenix. And it wasn’t the news or the timing that was shocking.

It was Griner’s nonchalance:

I’m gay. I’m free. Embrace me or not. Your call. Read more »

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Data on gays, lesbians poised to expand

Submitted by ONE Community on March 4, 2013 - 9:50pm

A few salient facts are known about the Americans whose lives might be changed by a Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage expected this summer.

About one in five gay and lesbian couples is raising children younger than 18. One in 10 men with a male partner or spouse is a military veteran. As many as 6 million Americans, roughly 2 percent of the population, have a parent who is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT).

These nuggets of demographic insight into same-sex couples were contained in an amicus brief filed in connection with cases before the Supreme Court on the constitutionality of California's gay marriage ban and the Defense of Marriage Act. Read more »

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Boy Scouts Board Will Consider Lifting National Anti-Gay Ban Next Week

Submitted by ONE Community on January 28, 2013 - 8:41pm

Days after forcing a Cub Scout pack to drop a non-discrimination policy that included sexual orientation — and just six months after a full-throated reaffirmation of the policy — the Boy Scouts of America’s (BSA) board is apparently considering dropping its nationwide policy of discrimination.

Deron Smith, national spokesman for the BSA told ThinkProgress that the national board will make any decision, “at the appropriate time,” but confirmed that they “anticipate discussion on the matter at the National Executive Board at the next regularly scheduled board meeting the week of Feb. 4.” The board’s meetings are not open to the public or press. Read more »

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Republican PA State Rep. Mike Fleck: I’m Gay

Submitted by ONE Community on December 2, 2012 - 8:44pm

State Rep. Mike Fleck (R-Huntingdon) publicly acknowledged Saturday that he is gay, making him the only* currently sitting openly gay Republican state legislator in the entire country.

In a deeply personal story by the Huntingdon Daily News (subscription), Fleck, a devout Christian, explained the difficult road to his announcement.

“Coming out is hard enough, but doing it in the public eye is definitely something I never anticipated,” he said. “I’m still the exact same person and I’m still a Republican and, most importantly, I’m still a person of faith trying to live life as a servant of God and the public. The only difference now is that I will also be doing so as honestly as I know how.” Read more »

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Gay civil rights in Flagstaff on move

Submitted by ONE Community on November 16, 2012 - 12:17am

The city of Flagstaff is moving forward on an anti-discrimination ordinance that for the first time would cover sexual orientation, gender identity and veterans in employment and public accommodations

Exempted would be religious-based organizations, "expressive groups" like the Boy Scouts and, at least for the moment, businesses with fewer than 15 employees.

Kathryn Jim, president of Northern Arizona Pride Association, said she was happy with the Council action on Tuesday. Read more »

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