Shock! UTAH Gov Vetoes Anti-Sex Education Bill

Well, this is a surprise. The Mormon Republican governor of Utah Gary Hebert refused to go along with his homophobic, theocratic and Republican-dominated legislature to ban sex education or any mention of homosexuality in Utah schools.

Instead Gov. Hebert vetoed HB 363, as reported by Reuters:

In vetoing the measure, dubbed HB 363, Herbert said that as a parent and grandparent he considered proper sex education in public schools an important component to the moral education youngsters receive at home.

"If HB 363 were to become law, parents would no longer have the option the overwhelming majority is currently choosing for their children. I am unwilling to conclude that the state knows better than Utah's parents as to what is best for their children," he said.

"In order for parents to take on more responsibility, they need more information, more involvement, and more choice—not less. I cannot sign a bill that deprives parents of their choice," he added.

Supporters of the bill argued that sex education was best left up to parents.

When even the Republican Governor of Utah won't go along with your know-nothing policy agenda, don't you think perhaps you may have gone too far?

Apparently not. Here is what the Salt Lake Tribune attributed to HB 363 proponents (read it and puke!):

"It never entered our minds that the governor who told us he was conservative would veto such an appropriate piece of legislation," she said. "By vetoing this bill, he just sent the message that Utah’s stamp of approval [is] on teaching children how to have sex, teaching contraception and saying this is the safest way to have sex." 

Sen. Margaret Dayton, co-sponsor of the bill, said she was disappointed the governor hadn’t contacted her to discuss his concerns and said teaching children about contraception is comparable to telling kids not to do drugs, then showing them how to "mainline" heroin.

Yes, a state senator did just compare teaching about contraception to promoting drug addiction. I really have no words in response. How can one engage in meaningful dialogue or debate with a raving lunatic? I bet she thinks mentioning homosexuality makes kids gay. But then again, she probably didn't have any sex education and wants to make sure that Utah produces more, ignorant, homophobic adults who share her views!

All I can say to the kids of Utah, "It Gets Better" (when you leave Utah)!

O'Malley Signs Maryland Marriage Equality Bill!

Democratic Governor Martin O'Malley signed Maryland's marriage equality bill into law on Thursday February 29th, making his state the 8th state in the country to currently have a same-sex marriage law on the books. However, since the bill will not go into effect until January 1, 2013, there will be no actual marriages in Maryland until a November 2012 referendum on the law is resolved.

Heterosexual supremacists have already announced that they intend to place the question on the ballot, and thus have until July 1, 2012 to collect 55,736 signatures and must also submit at least one third of that amount, 18,579 by June 1, 2012.

But February 29th was all about celebrating a long journey to have Maryland join the other states in the Union which have ended illegal gender discrimination in civil marriage (Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Iowa, New York, New Hampshire and Washington). Governor O'Malley himself used to oppose marriage equality and only supported civil unions but has since moved enthusiastically into the pro-marriage equality camp and demonstrate that by his willingness to sign the bill in front of television cameras and then open the Governor's mansion for a celebration afterwards.



Maryland is the third state legislature to pass a marriage equality bill in 2012 (following Washington State on February 8, 2012 and New Jersey on February 17, 2012) with the two Democratic Governors (like Chris Gregoire in Washington and O'Malley in Maryland signing the bills into law, both of which will be faced with referendum campaigns to annull these measures at the ballot box. In New Jersey, Republican Governor Chris Christie vetoed his state's marriage equality bill, but said he would have signed it into law if it included a referendum provision, which is anathema to Democratic legislators and LGBT activists in New Jersey.

Congratulations to Maryland! Now let's make sure same-sex couples will have the right to protect their families with all the responsibilities and privileges of civil marriage starting in January 2013 by defeating any campaign to prevent the bill from going into effect.

MD: Senate Passes Marriage Equality Bill 25-22!

Woo hoo! The Maryland State Senate completed work on  HB 438, the Civil Marriage Protection Act, by passing the legislation on a 25-22 vote, sending the measure to Democratic Governor Martin O'Malley who has promised to sign it into law.

NGLTF's Executive Director Rea Carey made a statement:

“Maryland and marriage equality will certainly make a lovely couple. Maryland is the Free State, after all. To be able to share and celebrate one's love and commitment both publicly and legally is a lifelong dream for thousands of same-sex couples and their families. It’s thrilling that Maryland is poised to make this a reality by becoming the latest state to treat its families fairly. This has been a long journey of changing hearts and minds, of breaking down walls, of shining a spotlight on our common humanity. Congratulations to Equality Maryland, Marylanders for Marriage Equality and all those who have been part of the journey leading to this victory.”

By this action Maryland will likely become the 8th state to legalize marriage equality. However, as I noted earlier in a blog post, it is not clear if the law will actually go into effect January 1, 2013 due to the referendum process in Maryland.

Heterosexual supremacists have until May 31st to gather 55,736 signatures to put the measure up for a vote on the November 6, 2012 ballot. Whether same-sex couples will be able to get married will depend on the outcome of the vote.

Maryland House Passes Marriage Equality 71-67!

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley (D)

On the same day (within hours actually) that Republican Governor Chris Christie joined the wrong side of history by vetoing marriage equality legislation passed by the New Jersey legislature the day before, Democratic Governor Martin O'Malley showed the potency of his political capital with the 71-67 passage of a marriage equality bill in the Maryland House of Delegates.

Just one year ago, the Maryland House of Delegates had failed to even vote on a marriage equality bill after it passed the Maryland State Senate. During that vote, it revealed a lack of political will, even among allegedly progressive politicians like Sam Arora who had campaigned on their support for marriage equality then changed their minds when the vote became a reality.

The news today that Republican politicians like the karmically challenged Ken Mehlman and even the odious Dick Cheney were lobbying legislators in favor of the marriage equality legislation while Sam Arora was refusing to take a public stand roiled the LGBT blogosphere.

Governor O'Malley released a statement:

“Today, the House of Delegates voted for human dignity. Speaker Busch and his fellow Delegates deserve a lot of credit for their hard work. At its heart, their vote was a vote for Maryland’s children….Now, as the Senate prepares to vote, all of us are needed – and we’re prepared to redouble our efforts. The common thread running through our efforts together in Maryland is the thread of human dignity; the dignity of work, the dignity of faith, the dignity of family, the dignity of every individual. Love is an unalienable right.”

As for Arora? He voted no (again). There are numerous people, yours truly included, who have a decided interest in making sure that his vote today against equality for all (after being personally lobbied by phone to vote yes by Bill Clinton, Governor O'Malley and Terry Mcauliffe) was a career-ending decision.

The bill is expected to pass the State Senate fairly quickly and be enthusiastically signed into law by Governor O'Malley, who becomes another 2016 Democratic presidential contender and sitting Governor who fought for marriage equality in his state (following in the footsteps of New York governor Andrew Cuomo and Washington governor Chris Gregoire). Only New York will definitely have marriage in 2013, because there is no practical process by which the state's marriage equality law can be challenged by referendum.

It also means that the 2012 elections will have three affirmative marriage equality ballot fights (if we win then same-sex couples can get married) in Maryland, Washington and Maine and two defensive marriage equality ballot fights (if we lose then marriage equality is banned at the state constitutional level) in North Carolina and Minnesota. Interestingly, all 5 states are considered "blue" (Democratic) states likely to cast their votes for President Barack Obama.

A serious question will need to be asked: do you spend more money on defense (North Carolina and Minnesota) or on offense (Washington, Maryland and Maine)? Plus there's the possible election of Tammy Baldwin as the first openly LGBT member of the United States Senate from Wisconsin.

It's definitely going to be an interesting election year!

NJ Gov. Christie Vetoes Marriage Equality Bill

Republican Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey has officially vetoed the marriage equality bill sent to him by the State Legislature yesterday.

According to the Associated Press:

In returning the bill to the Legislature, Christie reaffirmed his view that voters should decide whether to change the definition of marriage in New Jersey. His veto also proposed creating an ombudsman to oversee compliance with the state's civil union law, which same-sex couples have said is flawed and promotes discrimination.

"I am adhering to what I've said since this bill was first introduced — an issue of this magnitude and importance, which requires a constitutional amendment, should be left to the people of New Jersey to decide," Christie said in a statement. "I continue to encourage the Legislature to trust the people of New Jersey and seek their input by allowing our citizens to vote on a question that represents a profoundly significant societal change. This is the only path to amend our State Constitution and the best way to resolve the issue of same-sex marriage in our state.

"I have been just as adamant that same-sex couples in a civil union deserve the very same rights and benefits enjoyed by married couples — as well as the strict enforcement of those rights and benefits," the statement continued. "Discrimination should not be tolerated and any complaint alleging a violation of a citizen's right should be investigated and, if appropriate, remedied. To that end, I include in my conditional veto the creation of a strong Ombudsman for Civil Unions to carry on New Jersey's strong tradition of tolerance and fairness."

LOL. I am amazed Christie thinks that in New Jersey he can get away with continuing to promote civil unions, especially when there is detailed documentation that the separate but equal status of providing "the same rights and benefits that married couples enjoy" simply does not work. If all we're fighting about here is the word "marriage," then how can that be a "profoundly significant change"?

The point is that even when states allow for marriage equality, same-sex couples are still not equal because there is still profound discrimination against us in federal law, thanks to the so-called Defense of Marriage Act.

But the point is that it is becoming completely insupportable to say "let them have all the rights and benefits" but "Just Don't Call It Marriage." Unsurprisingly, as a Republican, Christie is slow to understand or even recognize that the notion that marriage equality is now viewed as a civil rights issue, and a seismic shift in the public's understanding of the issue has happened in the last two-three years.

NJ Assembly Passes Marriage Equality Bill 42-33!

The New Jersey State Assembly passed a marriage equality bill by a vote of 42-33, becoming the seventh state legislature in history to pass a marriage equality bill. (The bill passed the State Senate 24-16.) Previously, state legislatures in California (2005 and 2007), Vermont (2009), Connecticut (2009), Maine (2009), New Hampshire (2009), New York (2011) and Washington (2012) had passed marriage equality bills through both houses. Of these states which enacted marriage equality legislatively, only Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut and New York currently have marriage equality currently legal in their state. It should also be noted that the District of Columbia enacted marriage equality through its legislature in December 2009. California has an estimated 18,000 same-sex couples which are legally married but no more can get married until the Perry v Brown federal lawsuit is finally resolved. Massachusetts and Iowa also allow marriage equality, thanks to rulings by their respective state supreme courts.

In New Jersey, marriage equality will not go into effect because Republican Governor Chris Christie has announced his attention to veto the bill.

Garden State Equality sent out a press release on this historic achievement:

Since Stonewall, we have been on a 40-year journey toward our freedom.  Today, the legislature has brought us to the edge of the promised land.  We know the Governor won’t let us enter, but we finally behold the view of our dreams and we will never turn back.

Today’s milestone came in the face of some of the toughest obstacles in the history of the marriage equality movement.  Instead of a Governor twisting arms on our behalf, we have a Governor who twisted arms against us right up until the final votes in each chamber.    And Garden State Equality’s budget was one-tenth of what it was two years ago.

But we had the people and the passion – and the greatest leaders in Senate President Steve Sweeney, Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver, Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald, Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Jerry Green, Democratic Party Chair Assemblyman John Wisniewski, and the peerless pioneer in the New Jersey legislature, Assemblyman Reed Gusciora.   We thank the unsung heroes of the legislative process – the legislative staff, especially the Assembly Majority and Senate Majority staff.

We are exuberant advocates but also methodical strategists.  To win an override, we will take the time we need, assisted by a changing world.  Look how the world changed since the last vote two years ago.   We have until the end of the legislative session, January 2014.  The key is winning.

We could not have achieved this milestone without our partner organizations.  Freedom to Marry was the national linchpin that never stopped believing in Garden State Equality, not even after our profound disappointment two years ago, and made this milestone possible.

The Human Rights Campaign lent us a spectacular field director and was invaluable and gracious at every juncture.  The ACLU, The Task Force and Marriage Equality NY/USA gave us additional power.   Our sisters and brothers in labor, especially the Communications Workers of America, have been relentless fighters by our side.   Our state’s progressive blog, Blue Jersey, has been an unsurpassed voice for justice.

And once again, we thank our spectacular lobbying firm, the Kaufman Zita Group, including Jeannine LaRue, Tom Wilson, Adam Kaufman and Trish Zita.  They are second to none.

Pursuing all roads to justice, Garden State Equality and seven-same sex couples will continue our lawsuit for marriage equality, where we are represented by Lambda Legal and the nationally renowned Gibbons law firm.  With this victory, the courts will see the legislature’s clear intent to replace the state’s failed civil union law with marriage equality.

Congratulations to the Garden State!

New Jersey Senate Passes Marriage Equality 24-16

What a difference two years makes in the kulturkampf over civil marriage equality. In January 2010 the New Jersey Senate defeated a marriage equality vote by a vote of 14-20, denying lame duck governor Jon Corzine a chance to sign the measure into law and giving Governor-elect Chris Christie his first legislative victory.

Yesterday the New Jersey senate passed a new marriage equality bill by a vote of 24-16, just three votes short of a veto proof majority, which they have until the end of the current legislative session in January 2014 to get. Republican Governor Chris Christie, who is up for re-election in November 2013 has vowed to veto the legislation if it reaches his desk despite overwhelming public support in recent polls. He, bizarrely, has called for a public referendum on the question of equal marriage rights for all, revealing his disdain for and ignorance of the civil rights tradition in this country. New Jersey does not have a large history of referenda; the last time there was a referendum on civil rights the gentle citizens of the Garden State voted in 1910 to continue denying women the right to vote.

On Thursday the New Jersey Assembly is expected to pass the marriage equality and send it to Gov. Christie for his enthusiastic veto. Then the fun will begin to see if the votes to override his veto can be found in both houses.

Hat/tip to Rod 2.0

WA: Gov. Gregoire Signs Marriage Equality Bill!

As promised, Democratic Governor Chris Gregoire of Washington, signed the marriage equality bill into law today which was passed by the legislature last week. The bill will not go into effect until June 7th at the earliest, and with her signature today opponents now have the opportunity to collect 120, 557 signatures by that date to place a referendum on the enactment of SB 6239 on the November 2012 ballot. The referendum process prevents the law from going into effect unless and until the referendum is approved by the voters. If you're feeling a sense of déjà vu you are not alone. In 2009, Washington State enacted a comprehensive domestic partnership statute (which on the east coast they call "civil union" or an "everything but the title marriage" law) that became subject to a referendum, Referendum 71.

The ballot measure was later approved by voters and went into effect on December 7, 2009. However, since we all know that separate but equal does not work, Washington marriage equality advocates continued to work for full equality and now have convinced the Legislature and Governor to enact a marriage equality bill. It is quite likely that Evergreen State voters will again approve of equality for same-sex couples and become the first state to enact marriage equality at the ballot box in the process.

If so, Washington will join Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, District of Columbia and New York as granting equal marriage rights to same-sex and opposite-sex couples.

WA: State Senate Passes Marriage Bill 28-21!

The Washington State Senate, as expected, passed marriage equality bill SB 6239 last night by a vote of 28-21. The vote was bi-partisan.

The umbrella group Washington United for Marriage issued a statement:

OLYMPIA – Washington United for Marriage, a broad statewide coalition of organizations, congregations, unions and business associations that will work to obtain civil marriage for lesbian and gay couples in Washington State in 2012, today cheered the Washington State Senate’s vote in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage legislation in Washington State.  The measure passed by a bipartisan vote of 28-21, with 23 Democrats and four Republicans joining together to advance the bill.

“We thank Majority Leader Brown, Sen. Murray and the bipartisan coalition of senators who stood with us today in the name of equality,” said Lacey All, Chair of Washington United for Marriage.  “The overwhelming support we’re seeing from businesses, labor, faith communities and people all across the state is a testament to the momentum of this movement and sensibilities of Washingtonians.  Volunteers from every part of the state have contributed thousands of hours of their time to make today possible, and we thank them for their commitment to this issue.”

“As small business owners who pride ourselves on contributing to our community, we are so grateful that today has arrived, and especially for the support of our senator, Mary Margaret Haugen,” said Larry Lowary and Gerry Betz, longtime residents of Washington who live on Whidbey Island.  “We’ve been together for 23 years and entered into our domestic partnership five years ago.  Now we’re looking to the day when we’ll be able to look into each other’s eyes, exchange our vows and finally say ‘I Do’ just like anybody else.”

“The action of the senate today means so much to us, and we thank all the senators who supported this legislation” said Tara Wolfe and A.J. Stolfus, longtime partners from Olympia.  “We moved to Washington years ago in part because of the open and welcoming nature of the people here – something we didn’t always see in Kansas.  We’re simply overjoyed that our friends, family and neighbors can soon recognize us as spouses and our family as being whole.”

The bill now awaits final house approval, which could come as early as next week.  Once the house has passed the legislation, Gov. Chris Gregoire would have five business days to sign it into law, which she has indicated she will do.  Opponents wishing to challenge the new law would have until June to collect 120,557 valid signatures – the amount required to place a referendum on the November 2012 ballot.


Washington United for Marriage is a coalition of organizations, congregations, unions, and business associations working together to secure civil marriage for loving, committed gay and lesbian couples. To find more information and learn how you can help, visit WashingtonUnitedForMarriage.org. Engage with Washington United for Marriage on social media at Twitter.com/WA4Marriage and at Facebook.com/WashingtonUnited.

Cnogratulations to Washington! Now all wehave to do is defend it against the inevitable referendum which will occur on the Nvember 2012 ballot. But Washington has defended gay rights at the ballot before (Referendum 71 in 2009).

NH Gov Issues Veto Threat On Marriage Equality Repeal

Hat/tip to Joe.My.God

Virginia: As Homophobic As They Wanna Be

Careful readers of this blog may realize that I currently live in California and Virginia (Los Angeles and Arlington County, respectively). Anyway, so these days I am paying more careful attention to what goes on in the Virginia legislature, especially as it affects "teh gays."

This little news nugget at Joe.My.God struck my eye. A Virginia legislative committee rejected a bil which would have outlawed discrimination in employment on the basis of sexual orientation. Last November Republicans seized control of the Virginia Senate (there are equal number of Democrats and Republicans but the Lieutenant Governor is a Republican and he can break ties) and anti-gay public policy is one consequence:

Reflecting the recent switch from Democratic to Republican control of the Virginia Senate, a bill aimed at prohibiting discrimination in state hiring on the basis of sexual orientation was defeated today.

The Senate General Laws and Technology Committee rejected Sen. Adam Ebbin’s bill,SB263, on an 8-7 party-line vote.

A similar measure was passed by the Senate last year when it had a Democratic majority, only to be defeated in the Republican-led House of Delegates. Republicans won effective control of the Senate in the November election.

Really? In 2012 when lots of other states are talking about enacting marriage equality (which has majority public support among Americans nationally in polls) and most people already think it is illegal to fire someone because of their sexual orientation and upwards of 70% support laws to ban anti-gay discrimination, the Virginia legislature is continuing the homophobic status quo.

And, that, basically tell you all you need to know about Virginia!

WA: Majority Of Senators Support Marriage Equality

Excellent news! In Washington State, there is now a majority of Senators who have publicly announced their support for pending marriage equality legislation.

According to the Seattle Times ("Legislature has the votes"):

Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, announced Monday that she supports gay-marriage legislation in the Senate, giving proponents the 25 votes needed for passage.

The state House already has enough lawmakers in support of the measure to approve it. Gov. Chris Gregoire backs the bill as well.

[...]

"I know this announcement makes me the so-called 25th vote, the vote that ensures passage. That's neither here nor there. If I were the first or the seventh or the 28th vote, my position would not be any different," Haugen said in a statement.

"I happen to be the 25th because I insisted on taking this much time to hear from my constituents and to sort it out for myself, to reconcile my religious beliefs with my beliefs as an American, as a legislator, and as a wife and mother who cannot deny to others the joys and benefits I enjoy," she added. Haugen said her preference would be to send the issue to voters to decide, but there aren't the votes in the Legislature to do that.

It is widely expected that the same heterosexual supremacists who forced a referendum in 2009 on Washington's comprehensive domestic partnership bill (which they lost!) will do so again when Governor Gregoire signs the marriage equality bill into law.

The legislative majority correctly is refusing to include a ballot measure provision in the legislation because marriage equality is a civil right and they are supporting the  principle that the rights of a minority should not be decided by a majority vote.

In other exciting marriage news, the Democratic Governor of Maryland, Martin O'Malley is expected to introduce a marriage equality bill today.

Hat/tip to Joe.My.God.

NJ Poll Shows Majority Support For Marriage Equality

More good news on the marriage equality front. For the first time, a publicly released poll is showing majority support for marriage equality in the state of New Jersey. The Quinnipiac University Poll shows that 52 percent of respondents support marriage equality while 42 percent oppose it, with a margin of error of +/- 4.2 percentage points.

There are interesting details in the poll, such as:

In today's survey, support for same-sex marriage is 62 - 33 percent among Democrats and 54 - 38 percent among independent voters. Republicans are opposed 59 - 35 percent. White Catholics support it 50 - 45 percent while white Protestants are opposed 51 - 44 percent. Voters who attend religious services weekly are opposed 58 - 36 percent, while voter who attend services less frequently support same-sex marriage 61 - 33 percent. 
On related issues, New Jersey voter opinions are:

• 65 - 32 percent that same-sex marriage is not a threat to traditional marriage;

• 53 - 45 percent that denying same-sex marriage is discrimination;

• 69 - 26 percent support for New Jersey's same-sex civil union law;

• 66 - 29 percent support allowing same-sex couples to adopt children.

New Jersey's Democratic legislators have set marriage equality as a legislative priority, naming the bills to enact the priority S.1 and A.1. And although Republican Governor Chris Christie had previously declared he would veto any marriage equality bill, but now Christie is taking a "wait and see" approach.

Hat/tip to TowleRoad.

Microsoft Endorses WA Marriage Equality Bill

Good news! Microsoft corporation, one of the largest employers in the state of Washington and still one of the leading tech companies in the world, has endorsed marriage equality legislation currently pending in their state's legislature.

In a posting on its website, Microsoft said:

“Microsoft’s greatest asset is a talented workforce as diverse as our customers. As other states recognize marriage equality, Washington’s employers are at a disadvantage if we cannot offer a similar, equitable and inclusive environment to our talented employees, our top recruits and their families. This legislation would put Washington employers on equal footing with employers in the six other states that already recognize the committed relationships of same-sex couples. Passing the bill would be good for our business and for the state’s economy.”

This is excellent news and is another measure of the growing momentum for the legislation to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from civil marriage in the state of Washington.

According to Dan Savage's The Slog, Washington State marriage equality advocates are now just one vote short of having a majority of Senators as publicly declared in support of voting for SB 6239, the legislative vehicle which was introduced and endorsed by the state's governor, Chris Gregoire.

There are still 5 Washington State Senators who are undeclared on marriage equality. Let them know your thoughts on SB 6239, especially if you live in Washington state.

White House Opposes SOPA and PIPA

The White House has finally come out against legislation which would have a dramatically negative impact on the free and unfettered nature of the Internet, the so-called Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and its House companion bill, the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA).

The White House blog says:

Right now, Congress is debating a few pieces of legislation concerning the very real issue of online piracy, including the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), the PROTECT IP Act, and the Online Protection and Digital ENforcement Act (OPEN). We want to take this opportunity to tell you what the Administration will support—and what we will not support. Any effective legislation should reflect a wide range of stakeholders, including everyone from content creators to the engineers that build and maintain the infrastructure of the Internet.

While we believe that online piracy by foreign websites is a serious problem that requires a serious legislative response, we will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet.

Any effort to combat online piracy must guard against the risk of online censorship of lawful activity and must not inhibit innovation by our dynamic businesses large and small. Across the globe, the openness of the Internet is increasingly central to innovation in business, government, and society and it must be protected. To minimize this risk, new legislation must be narrowly targeted only at sites beyond the reach of current U.S. law, cover activity clearly prohibited under existing U.S. laws, and be effectively tailored, with strong due process and focused on criminal activity. Any provision covering Internet intermediaries such as online advertising networks, payment processors, or search engines must be transparent and designed to prevent overly broad private rights of action that could encourage unjustified litigation that could discourage startup businesses and innovative firms from growing.

We must avoid creating new cybersecurity risks or disrupting the underlying architecture of the Internet. Proposed laws must not tamper with the technical architecture of the Internet through manipulation of the Domain Name System (DNS), a foundation of Internet security. Our analysis of the DNS filtering provisions in some proposed legislation suggests that they pose a real risk to cybersecurity and yet leave contraband goods and services accessible online. We must avoid legislation that drives users to dangerous, unreliable DNS servers and puts next-generation security policies, such as the deployment of DNSSEC, at risk.

NJ Lawmakers Set Marriage Equality As Legislative Priority

Garden State Equality, New Jersey's leading Lesbian and Gay political organization, announced that majority leaders in both houses of the New Jersey legislature have decided to fast-track passage of a marriage equality bill, A. 1 and S.1.

(Trenton, NJ, January 9, 2012) – Today New Jersey Senate President Stephen Sweeney and House Speaker Sheila Oliver announced that they will fast-track and prioritize legislation that would end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage in New Jersey.  The announcement was made at a press conference today in which Freedom to Marry’s National Campaign Director Marc Solomon offered the  organization’s full support in helping secure passage of the law.

The below is an excerpt from Solomon’s remarks: 

“Freedom to Marry is proud to partner with Garden State Equality and New Jersey’s tremendous legislative leaders, Senate President Sweeney and House Speaker Oliver, as we work together to make New Jersey the next state to end the exclusion of gay couples from marriage.  What New Jersey’s legislative leaders are telling us clearly today is that the Garden State values its gay and lesbian citizens fully, and does not accept treating same-sex couples and their families as second class citizens, as it presently does with civil unions.  Marriage matters for same-sex couples and their families, both because it says we’re a family through thick and thin in a way that nothing else does, and because it provides a critical safety-net of protections that civil unions do not.”

Following the 2006 passage of civil union legislation, the 2008 New Jersey Civil Union Commission concluded there was “overwhelming evidence that civil unions will not be recognized by the general public as the equivalent of marriage in New Jersey with the passage of time.”  It recommended enacting marriage in its place.  

The House and Senate bills (respectively numbered A. 1 and S. 1) are expected to be taken up early this year.  The numbering of the bills reflects the importance which the legislative leaders are giving to the effort.

Interestingly, Republican Governor Chris Christie has repeatedly announced that he would veto any marriage equality bill that the legislature passed and even before he was sworn in, Governor-elect Christie was instrumental in preventing the passage of a marriage equality bill in a lame duck session which Governor Jon Corzine would have signed into law.

Another sign of the widespread support for marriage equality in the Garden State is that the entire 7-member Democratic congressional delegation sent a letter supporting marriage equality and urging fast passage of the pending legislation.

Hopefully 2012 will be the year New Jersey joins its neighboring state of New York in enacting marriage equality. New Jersey has had a civil unions law since 2005.

Haters Effort To Repeal CA DREAM Act #Fail

Ha-ha! This is excellent news. The California DREAM Act was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown last year and the racist xenophobes started circulating petitions to put a referendum on the November 2012 ballot. The CA Dream Act  allows undocumented youth to receive state financial aid and scholarships for college.

Today comes words that the haters have had a major #fail!

Opponents of the California Dream Act have failed to gather enough petition signatures to qualify an initiative for the November ballot that would have repealed the legislation, organizers said Friday. 

Volunteers and a small group of paid signature gatherers had hoped to collect more than 500,000 valid signatures by this week to stop the legislation, which gives illegal immigrants access to state financial aid at public universities and community colleges. They were able to gather nearly 450,000 signatures, Assemblyman Tim Donnelly (R-San Bernardino) said in a statement. 

Supporters of the California Dream Act have argued that many young undocumented immigrants came to the country through no fault of their own; those opposed stressed that the state should not use scarce resources on illegal immigrants.

The haters can still try and get signatures to put an initiative statute on the ballot in November but they have to collect twice as many signatures, and they have to have that done at least 150 days before the election.

I think even if the DREAM Act was up for debate on the ballot that California voters would re-affirm their commitment to equal opportunity and fairness.

Australia Labor Party Endorses Marriage Equality

Openly gay Minister of Water Penny Wong is expected to
play a crucial role in passing marriage equality in Australia next year

The ruling Labor Party of Australia has voted to endorse marriage equality, a big step towards Australia becoming the next country to end marriage discrimination in February 2012. However by a vote of 208 to 184 it was made a conscience vote, in other words individual MPs will be allowed to vote their conscience and not be "whipped" to adhere to the party line.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports:

The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, had called for a conscience vote and personally moved the amendment backing this.Had this been defeated, Ms Gillard’s leadership would have suffered a serious blow. She dodged a bullet when the conscience vote was endorsed by 208 votes to 184.Support to change the platform to one of explicit support for gay marriage was much stronger and some see this as a defeat for the Prime Minister.She has not publicly opposed a platform change but she does oppose changes to the Marriage Act which defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.The platform change endorsed today says ‘‘Labor will amend the Marriage Act to ensure equal access to marriage under statute for all adult couples irrespective of sex who have a mutual commitment to a shared life’’.

The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, is an unmarried atheist who is the first female head of the Australian government. She has been getting much flak from the Australian LGBT community for her position,, which most liken to Barack Obama;'s in its political expediency.


Polls show strong support for marriage equality among the Australian public.

Nigeria Senate Passes Insanely Anti-Gay Bill

Very bad news out of Nigeria. For the last 18 months or so the LGBT blogosphere has been tracking an anti-homosexuality bill in Uganda which included the death penalty for some homosexual acts. Happily that legislation died when the legislative session ended earlier this year, although there are some reports that Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill is being revived.

Now comes news that an arguably even more repressively homophobic bill has passed one legislative body i Africa's most populous nation, Nigeria.

The Washington Post reports:

Nigeria’s Senate voted Tuesday to criminalize gay marriage, gay advocacy groups and same-sex public displays of affection, the latest legislation targeting a minority already facing discrimination in Africa’s most populous nation. 

The bill, now much more wide-ranging than its initial draft, must be passed by Nigeria’s House of Representatives and signed by President Goodluck Jonathan before becoming law. However, public opinion and lawmakers’ calls Tuesday for even harsher penalties show the widespread support for the measure in the deeply religious nation. 

“Such elements in society should be killed,” said Sen. Baba-Ahmed Yusuf Datti of the opposition party Congress for Progressive Change, drawing some murmurs of support from the gallery. 

Gay sex has been banned in Nigeria, a nation of more than 160 million people, since colonial rule by the British. Gays and lesbians face open discrimination and abuse in a country divided by Christians and Muslims who almost uniformly oppose homosexuality. In the areas in Nigeria’s north where Islamic Shariah law has been enforced for about a decade, gays and lesbians can face death by stoning.

Hat/tip to Rod 2.0.

MA: Transgender Rights Bill Passes Legislature

The Massachusetts House passed the Transgender Civil Rights Bill 95-58 and the Senate passed it on a voice vote this week.

The Rainbow Times reports:

The measure, adopted by the House last night, passed the Senate by a voice vote this morning.  Governor Deval Patrick has indicated he will sign the bill into law. It would go into effect July 1, 2012. 

The transgender civil-rights bill would add protections based on “gender identity” to the statutes banning discrimination in employment, housing, education, and credit. It would also add gender identity to current hate-crimes laws. 

The measure, however, does not include protections for public accommodations, such as hotels and restaurants, restrooms, locker rooms, public buildings and transit, including subway and bus lines. 

That omission bothers a lead sponsor of the bill, Representative Carl M. Sciortino, Jr. (D-Medford). But he said, the bill is a step forward  “It makes sure that people who have faced violence and discrimination have legal remedy.”

Massachusetts will become the 16th state to include protections for transgender people from discrimination into law. Curious that this is happening more than 7 years after the state embraced marriage equality. Better late than never.

It's also a big deal that public accommodations are not included in the bill, but hopefully that will happen in the near future.