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- Can judges refuse to perform same-sex weddings?
Judges are generally expected to avoid the appearance of bias, but what about when it comes to marrying couples whose union violates their religious beliefs? The question is so far an academic one, but experts say that judges who choose to perform weddings for straight couples may find it violates judicial ethics to decline to marry gay or lesbian couples. "There’re lots of arguments and ideas you can raise on either side of the case. It’s unsettled until its settled," said Reiko Callner, executive director of the state Commission on Judicial Conduct. The Seattle Times
(1/16)     
| Politics and Policy | | |
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- European court rules faith doesn't trump LGBT laws
The European Court of Human Rights, ruling in several cases testing the rights of people of faith, said religious objections are not sufficient to absolve certain individuals from complying with LGBT non-discrimination laws. "The court showed conclusively that the principle of equality and equal treatment cannot be circumvented with a simple reference to religion," said Sophie in ‘t Veld, vice-president of the European Parliament’s LGBT Intergroup. GlobalPost.com
(1/15), Washington Blade (Washington, D.C.)
(1/16)
- Obama’s second term a chance for more more progress, advocates say
LGBT activists are praising President Barack Obama for a first term in which he embraced marriage equality and kept a promise to end “don’t ask, don’t tell,” among other accomplishments. Still, advocates hope the president will continue to advance equality through actions such as signing an executive order mandating employment protections for LGBT workers at government contractors, and appointing the first openly LGBT cabinet-level official. Washington Blade (Washington, D.C.)
(1/17)
- Southern campaign highlights marriage discrimination
The WE DO campaign is employing civil disobedience tactics reminiscent of the African-American civil rights movement to draw attention to the inability of same-sex couples to marry in southern U.S. states. Same-sex couples are entering public offices and asking for marriage licenses in states such as North Carolina, Alabama and Virginia, sometimes refusing to leave until they are arrested. "In the 1960s, it was the right to vote. Now, it's the right to marry," said Martha Biondi, director of graduate studies for Northwestern University's department of African-American studies. USA Today
(1/15)
- Army base allows group to discriminate against gay spouses
An Army spokesman at Fort Bragg in North Carolina this week said the base will continue to allow a spouse's group to use base facilities even though the group has refused admission to a lesbian spouse of an officer stationed there, explaining the discrimination is allowed under federal law, a determination seconded by the Pentagon. LGBT advocates have filed a Freedom of Information Act request to determine if base officials worked with the group to maintain is exclusionary policies. NBC News
(1/16), BuzzFeed
(1/16)
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Group says army spouse allowed as "guest" member The officer spouse's club at Fort Bragg has offered to admit a lesbian
spouse as a "guest member" while it reviews its bylaws, a move which an
advocacy group called "offensive." "Ashley is not a 'guest' military
spouse. She is a military spouse, plain and simple," said Stephen
Peters, the executive director of the American Military Partner
Association. BuzzFeed
(1/18)
- Hagel vows to support LGBT military families
 Former Sen. Chuck Hagel, a Republican nominated by President Obama to become his next Secretary of Defense, said this week he supports the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” and would work to extend benefits to the families and spouses of gay and lesbian military personnel if he is confirmed. “I know firsthand the profound sacrifice our service members and their families make, and if confirmed as Secretary of Defense, I will do everything possible to the extent permissible under current law to provide equal benefits to the families of all our service members,” Hagel said in a letter to Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. The Huffington Post
(1/15)
| Opinion | | |
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Which of these LGBT advances do you most expect will happen in the second Obama administration?
 | Passage of federal legislation banning LGBT discrimination in employment. |
| Repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act. |
| Appointment of the first openly LGBT cabinet secretary. |
| Immigration reform that recognizes same-sex couples. |
| None of the above. |
- Gay Republican group launches new communications effort
Interim Log Cabin Republicans executive director Gregory T. Angelo
writes that the group has launched a new, bolder communications effort
that will boost its role as watchdog of the GOP's policies toward
LGBT Americans. "We’re poised to ride a massive wave of equality as
more and more Republicans understand that embracing civil marriage for
gay couples is a winning issue," writes Angelo, saying the group's
best days are yet to come. Advocate.com
(1/18)
| Leadership Spotlight | | |
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- NLGJA president succumbs to cancer
Michael Triplett, president and longtime member of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, died this week at the age of 48 after battling cancer. He is survived by his partner, Jack. Advocate.com
(1/17)
- Gay man leads group taking on the NRA
Mark Glaze, the openly gay director of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, has become a leading figure in the push for gun reform in the wake of the shooting deaths at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Glaze, in an interview with the Washington Blade, said the National Rifle Association’s political power is overstated, pointing out that most Americans back common-sense initiatives aimed at decreasing gun violence. "That he is an openly gay man helping lead such an important effort is a tribute to his professionalism, and how the country and
its understanding of our talent has changed," said Robert Raben of the public affairs firm The Raben Group. Washington Blade (Washington, D.C.)
(1/16)
| Beyond Politics | | |
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- Church of Scientology is anti-gay, new book claims
 Leaders in the Church of Scientology threaten to out celebrities and punish those members who are thought to be gay, according to a new book by author Lawrence Wright. The church claims 8 million adherents worldwide, including celebrities such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta, but former church officials say the number is far smaller, and that just 25,000 members are thought to exist in the U.S. The Daily Beast/Book Beast
(1/16)
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| Position Title | Company Name | Location |
| Vice President, Social Justice Programs | Arcus Foundation | NYC, NY |
| Office Manager | Freedom to Marry | New York, NY |
| Executive Director | LGBT Center of the Desert | Palm Springs, CA |
| Program Director | The Trevor Project | Los Angeles, CA |
| Senior Development Manager | Out & Equal Workplace Advocates | San Francisco, CA |
| Executive Director | Ruth Ellis Center | Highland Park, MI |
| Communications Director | Garden State Equality | Montclair, NJ |
| Foundation Relations Coordinator | LA Gay & Lesbian Center | Los Angeles, CA |
| Donor Services and Finance Specialist | LA Gay & Lesbian Center | Los Angeles, CA |
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| Director of Communications | National Gay and Lesbian Task Force | Washington, DC |
| Executive Director | Fairness West Virginia & Fairness West Virginia Institute | Charleston, WV |
| Deputy Director, mHealth Alliance | United Nations Foundation | Washington, DC |
| mHealth Alliance Consulting Project: Senior Project Director | United Nations Foundation | Eastern or Southern Africa, International |
| Development Staff | Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and Leadership Institute | Washington, DC |
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| SmartQuote | | |
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 | Just another day in the thoroughly cruel pundi-ministry of one Tony Perkins."
--Jeremy Hooper, blogging at Good As You, reacting to Family Research Council president Tony Perkins' comments that it's a "deceptive lie" to tell LGBT youth that 'It Gets Better'
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