DOJ sends top attorney to DOMA challenge

The Department of Justice sent its top civil rights attorney, Tony West, to argue against the Defense of Marriage Act in a federal district court in San Francisco Friday. ...

Keen News Service • Dec 16, 2011

DOMA repeal rescheduled

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy announced during the November 3 business meeting that Senator Charles Grassely, the ranking Republican on the committee, had asked that the vote on the Respect for Marriage Act (S. 598) be held over until next week. ...

Keen News Service • Nov 3, 2011

Iowa debate: GOP pushing hard to the right on marriage for same-sex couples

It was a highly contentious debate -the third nationally televised debate for Republicans seeking the party's nomination for president in 2012. There were several head-turning zingers, and combative attacks on fellow candidates (and reporters asking the questions). None of the eight candidates on the stage strayed from their already stated positions on marriage for same-sex couples, but there was ...

Keen News Service • Aug 12, 2011

Olson-Boies won't be in court Monday

Olson said in a telephone conference with reporters Friday, June 10, that he is needed on a hearing in a 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals case concerning copyrights and can't make it to San Francisco for the June 13 hearing. Arguing both issues for the Olson-Boies team will be another of its star attorneys, Theodore Boutrous, of Olson's law firm. Boutrous, who was on Friday's phone conference, s...

Keen News Service • Jun 13, 2011

Republicans block judicial nominee's confirmation

The nomination of a liberal judicial candidate considered supportive, at least personally, of marriage equality, failed to muster enough votes in the U.S. Senate Thursday, May 19, to bring his confirmation to the floor. The Senate voted 52 to 43 on a motion for cloture--to end debate on the nomination of California law professor Goodwin Liu. But such motions require 60 votes to pass, so the resul...

Keen News Service • May 20, 2011

New bill seeks end to adoption bias

Rep. Stark's "Every Child Deserves a Family Act," which was introduced with 33 original cosponsors, would withhold federal adoption and foster care assistance funds from states that discriminate against LGBT people in foster placements or adoption. Individuals seeking redress under the law would have access to federal courts. It would also require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to ass...

Keen News Service • May 7, 2011

Marriage Equality in 2011: Opportunities and Risks

After a 2010 with few marriage equality measures contested outside the courtroom, 2011 will likely see a number of battles state by state across the country. Three states are facing the prospect of losing marriage equality, an additional seven states could start the process of amending their state constitutions to ban marriage equality, and five could gain marriage equality. Here are the key stat...

Keen News Service • Jan 20, 2011

Conservatives raise $1.2 million for Prop 8 litigation

The group sponsoring the legal challenge to California's same-sex marriage ban announced Thursday that a recent fundraiser by conservative supporters in New York brought in more than $1.2 million for the effort....

Keen News Service • Sep 24, 2010

Prop 8 proponents lose pre-closing skirmish

Closing arguments get underway Wednesday in the Proposition 8 case in California, and attorneys representing the various officials who campaigned for the ban on same-sex marriage were just dealt another blow. U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker issued an order Friday denying their request to strike from the evidence certain emails that demonstrate how heavily involved Catholic and Mormon chur...

Keen News Service • Jun 15, 2010

Prop 8 sideline fight rages on

A sidelines skirmish over document production in the Proposition 8 lawsuit rages on this month, forcing the continued delay of closing arguments and, ultimately, a decision on the constitutionality of California's ban on same-sex marriage. And Ted Olson, the well-known conservative attorney leading the litigation against the ban, accused the ACLU and Yes on 8 proponents of "delaying the progress" ...

Keen News Service • Apr 25, 2010

9th Circuit nominee grilled over Prop 8

Although he did not discuss his personal views on Proposition 8 during the hearing, in one of many essays he has published in various newspapers and publications, Liu told the Los Angeles Times, "there is no question that [Proposition 8] targets a historically vulnerable group and eliminates a very important right." He has predicted that same-sex marriage will eventually "become an unremarkable th...

Keen News Service • Apr 19, 2010

Mid-day report: Day 10 Prop 8 trial

A significant dispute broke out today in court over whether Yes on 8 campaign manager Frank Shubert can be called to the witness stand by the legal team defending the constitutionality of California's same-sex marriage ban. Plaintiffs, the legal team challenging Proposition 8, had sought, during deposition, to elicit testimony from Shubert--who was also instrumental in putting together both the Y...

Keen News Service • Jan 25, 2010