Republican Ted Olson Going to North Carolina to Help Fight Antigay Amendment One

Renowned conservative Republican attorney and marriage equality hero Ted Olson is going to Greensboro, North Carolina on April 1 for a rally to help defeat the antigay initiative Amendment One. The proposed antigay constitutional amendment on the ballot for the May 8 Republican Primary would not only ban marriage rights for same sex couples but would prohibit recognition of all same sex unions. ...

LGBT POV • Mar 13, 2012

Equality California Posts Job for Interim Executive Director

EQCA is seeking an Interim Executive Director who brings demonstrated experience to the position. S/he will be an objective, passionate, credible and articulate individual who will be able to successfully advocate on behalf of the LGBT community and serve as a leader and visible spokesperson for LGBT issues in California. S/he will have strong interpersonal skills and will be a team player as well...

LGBT POV • Jan 11, 2012

Former EQCA Staffer Joins Love Honor Cherish as Interim Executive Director

Eric Harrison, the former statewide development director for Equality California, has joined Love Honor Cherish as the marriage equality grassroots organization's Interim Executive Director, LHC announced Monday morning. Harrison was hired as LHC's first paid employee at a salary akin to what he was paid at EQCA, LHC Board Chair Tom Watson told Frontiers. His task is to build the organization and...

LGBT POV • Nov 29, 2011

Equality California Says No to Prop. 8 Repeal Ballot in 2012

Asked earlier about his reaction should EQCA decide not to go back to the ballot, Tom Watson, Acting Executive Director of Love Honor Cherish, told Frontiers: "If EQCA abdicates their responsibility to fight for equality for the LGBT Community in California and to honor their prior commitments, Love Honor Cherish will fill the void. If they move forward as they should, we will work hand-in-hand w...

LGBT POV • Oct 6, 2011

House committee approves three anti-gay DADT, DOMA amendments

The full U.S. House Armed Services Committee approved three amendments late Wednesday night that seek to delay implementation of repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell and to reiterate Congress's support for the Defense of Marriage Act. The votes were largely along partisan lines and are unlikely to be sustained in the Democratic-controlled Senate, even if they are approved by the Republican-dominated H...

LGBT POV • May 12, 2011

New RNC Chair Reince Priebus Embraces NOM, Tea Party

Priebus, who previously had ties to the more moderate outgoing chair Michael Steele, told the National Organization for Marriage's Maggie Gallagher in a candidate interview that he is a vigorous advocate for marriage between a man and a woman and would use RNC resources to help NOM push their antigay marriage cause....

LGBT POV • Jan 19, 2011

My Year in Review Report on the Prop 8 Trial for OutQ News

OutQ News kindly sent me the Year in Review radio report on the federal Prop 8 trial I contributed, which was broadcast New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. It runs about six minutes and features audio from a Prop 8 campaign commercial entered into evidence at the district trial; Ted Olson, lead attorney for the plaintiffs, explaining to Fox News why Prop 8 is unconstitutional, law professor Tobias ...

LGBT POV • Jan 5, 2011

RNC's Michael Steele Tells NOM if Prop 8 is Struck Down, GOP Would Call for a Federal Marriage Amendment

Steele says he's "on the same page" with NOM and that the fight against marriage equality now requires a "pincer move - from the federal and the state level because that's how it's being played out nationally." And he always looks for an opportunity to "talk about what we stand for as Republicans," which, while Pro-Life and Pro-Family, is "not doctrinaire." Indeed, Steele insists he is not "exclus...

LGBT POV • Jan 1, 2011

Reinhardt Refuses to Recuse Himself in Prop 8 Case

Here, for reasons that I shall provide in a memorandum to be filed in due course, I am certain that "a reasonable person with knowledge of all the facts would [not] conclude that [my] impartiality might reasonably be questioned." United States v. Nelson, 718 F.2d 315, 321 (9th Cir. 1983); see also Sao Paulo State of the Federated Republic of Brazil v. Am. Tobacco Co., 535 U.S. 229, 233 (2002) (per...

LGBT POV • Dec 3, 2010

Is Prop 8 Panel Judge Norman Randy Smith a Mormon?

I think that anyone crying foul/unfair due to a judge's religious views makes the same amount of sense as crying foul/unfair because of a judge's orientation. Just as it was absurd to question Judge Walker's ruling because he's not straight, it is absurd to question the ability of any judge based solely on his/her religious beliefs. Any judge worth his salt knows better than to judge civil law b...

LGBT POV • Nov 30, 2010

Lambda Legal's Jon Davidson on the DOMA Lawsuits

Earlier this year, Ninth Circuit Chief Judge Alex Kozinski agreed with Lambda that refusing Golinski those benefits for her spouse violate the court's own employment discrimination policy. He ordered Blue Cross/Blue Shield to enroll Cunninghis in the court's plan. But OPM told Blue Cross/Blue Shield not to. Lambda is seeking an injunction against OPM - again, a department run by an openly gay man ...

LGBT POV • Nov 11, 2010

Prop 8 Defender Flees Television Discussion

Allowing those who would deprive others of their rights to act in secrecy allows them to act free of any accountability. While the histories and tolls of racism and homophobia are not the same, banning efforts to oppress others without accountability is the reason why there are laws that prohibit members of the KKK from engaging in their activities in hoods. Such concealment is not part of our Ame...

LGBT POV • Oct 10, 2010

Equality California Releases Ads Warning About Whitman, Cooley and Prop 8

Meanwhile, the statewide LGBT lobbying group Equality California has been warning that if Prop 8 supporter Meg Whitman is elected governor, she will order the new Attorney General to try to intervene in the federal Prop 8 case, now before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Additionally, while current AG Jerry Brown believes Prop 8 is unconstitutional and has refused to defend it in court, the man s...

LGBT POV • Sep 24, 2010

Equality California Releases Ads Warning About Whitman, Cooley and Prop 8

Meanwhile, the statewide LGBT lobbying group Equality California has been warning that if Prop 8 supporter Meg Whitman is elected governor, she will order the new Attorney General to try to intervene in the federal Prop 8 case, now before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Additionally, while current AG Jerry Brown believes Prop 8 is unconstitutional and has refused to defend it in court, the man s...

LGBT POV • Sep 22, 2010

DEVELOPING: California Supreme Court Wants Governor and Attorney General to Explain Themselves on Prop 8

Last week the 3rd District Court of Appeal rejected a lawsuit filed by the Pacific Justice Institute trying to force Attorney General Jerry Brown (who is running for governor in the 2010 elections) and the Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to file an appeal in the federal challenge to Proposition 8. According to an email from the right wing Capitol Resources Institute, the California Supreme Court w...

LGBT POV • Sep 8, 2010

Prop 8 Trial Update with Questions About Imperial County

Imperial County passed Prop 8 by 20,217 votes or 70 percent, according to the Union Tribune. Last December the Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to hire the outside firm, arguing that they had a governmental interest because their county clerks had to issue marriage licenses. The county board appealed Walker's ruling denying their petition to intervene. So when the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals...

LGBT POV • Sep 8, 2010

Defending Prop 8: The Meg Whitman, Steve Cooley Morass - with Insight from Lambda Legal's Jon Davidson

If Whitman or Cooley are elected, they definitely could submit amicus briefs setting forth their positions at any of these stages. There is precedent for newly-elected officials doing this after they take office when their predecessors did not appeal. It therefore matters significantly whether or not they are elected....

LGBT POV • Aug 23, 2010

Protest National Organization for Marriage's Ruth Institute Gala in Los Angeles on Thursday

The NOM Tour Tracker - the important off shoot of the amazing Prop8TrialTracker - has been following the National Organization for Marriage's month-long-plus national bus tour where they've attracted only handfuls of supporters, while Freedom to Marry and local marriage equality groups have turned out hundreds to protest NOM's stops. See Freedom to Marry's map for past and future NOM events. NOT ...

LGBT POV • Aug 11, 2010

Advisory: If Judge Walker Says It's OK to Get Married

As Lambda Legal's Jon Davidson noted, there is some confusion over the appeals process. There may only be a small window of opportunity for same sex couples to marry if Judge Walker lifts the stay on his affirmative ruling before the defendant-interveners appeal to the 9th Circuit to impose a stay and stop or prohibit marriages while Walker's ruling is appealed - if the defendant-interveners have...

LGBT POV • Aug 11, 2010

New Report: Proposition 8 Ballot Loss Based on Myth

A lot of California politicos have been waiting for a report on Prop 8 by David Fleischer for about a year. It's finally out - and it's 511-pages long. He wrote about it in Tuesday's LA Times. And he's set up a very useful website where you can read the report or just sections, as well as see supplemental material. There's also a conference call with reporters so a number of us will be writing abo...

LGBT POV • Aug 3, 2010

Should Angelenos Boycott Hawaii Over Civil Unions Veto? Or Is Hawaii the Next Marriage Battleground State?

I spoke with Donald L. Bentz, Treasurer of Equality Hawaii, about three hours after the veto. Bentz had been treasurer for the Human Rights Task Force in Tampa, Florida and dealt with two ballot initiatives there. He had just finished singing along to the YouTube song "Fuck You, Fuck You Very Much" at a post veto-gathering. "Right now we're very angry. We're disappointed. The governor basically ...

LGBT POV • Jul 7, 2010

Preparing for the Prop 8 Trial Decision

Umhoefer says that, unlike other court decisions where there is often ample notice given to the attorneys, Walker can issue his ruling at any time. The Media Coalition, represented by Thomas Burke of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, sent a letter to Walker Thursday requesting 48 hour advance notice....

LGBT POV • Jun 27, 2010

Federal Prop 8 Trial Closing Argument Transcript Posted

The American Foundation for Equal Rights has posted the official transcript of the closing arguments in the federal Prop 8 trial in Judge Vaughn Walker's San Francisco court room yesterday. See for yourself what all the fuss is about....

LGBT POV • Jun 17, 2010

Brief Guide to the Federal Prop 8 Trial Closing Arguments

To lay people like me, the federal Prop 8 case seems to boil down to the constitutional rights of gays as a group of historically disadvantaged people versus the political will of "the people" based on their religious beliefs. After the majority of the case concluded last Januray, philosopher/columnist Linda Hirshman wrote in the Daily Beast that the "gay-marriage case now unfolding in a San Franc...

LGBT POV • Jun 15, 2010

Federal Prop 8 Trial Schedule for Closing Arguments

Next week, on Wednesday, June 16, attorneys arguing in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Prop 8, will deliver their closing arguments before District Court Judge Vaugn Walker in San Francisco. Please check the American Foundation for Equal Rights for updates. The court just released the schedule for those arguments:...

LGBT POV • Jun 8, 2010

Protect Marriage Lawyer Asks Federal Prop 8 Trial Judge Not to Permit Broadcast of Closing Arguments

The issue of allowing cameras in the federal Prop 8 trial courtroom is still being played out behind the scenes as June 16 - the date scheduled for closing argument - fast approaches. Monday, Charles Cooper, attorney for Protect Marriage and the Defender-Interveners, filed a letter with Judge Vaughn Walker asking the judge to continue to ban cameras because "permitting public broadcast would viola...

LGBT POV • May 24, 2010

Federal Prop 8 Trial Hearing Wednesday - Judge Could Set Date for Closing Arguments

The hearing had originally been planned to deal with the outstanding discovery issues - Equality California and the ACLU argued that internal communications between organizations should be protected, as well as those specified by Walker and upheld by the 9th Circuit. With that "clarification," EQCA, one of the lead No on Prop 8 campaign groups, turned over internal strategy documents to the Yes on...

LGBT POV • Apr 28, 2010

Gay Republican Fred Karger Tells Southern GOP That He Might Run for President

The Southern Republican Leadership Conference (SRLC) apparently reveled in the presence of Sarah Palin during their convention in New Orleans over the weekend - expected GOP presidential contenders Tim Pawlenty and Mitt Romney skipped the event. Also putting in an appearance at the Riverside Hilton was Californians Against Hate activist Fred Karger, a longtime gay Republican who announced that he...

LGBT POV • Apr 12, 2010

No Repeal of Prop 8 in 2010

"Our signature collection effort may have fallen short, but we stand tall as being the only statewide campaign that fought for repealing Proposition 8 in 2010," Sean Bohac, Chair of the Restore Equality 2010 Statewide Advisory Panel, said in a statement reported by the Sacramento Bee. Both Restore Equality 2010 and Love Honor Cherish are now expected to join with Equality California and other LGB...

LGBT POV • Apr 12, 2010

Federal Prop 8 'Mastermind' Chad Griffin Graces The Advocate's Cover

The Advocate monthly magazine is out with its new issue and gracing the cover for the feature piece "Forty Under 40″ is Chad Griffin, who they describe as "aggressive, calculating, and determined to end inequality for gay and lesbian couples once and for all. This is why Chad Griffin, mastermind of the federal lawsuit against Proposition 8, is the new face of the marriage movement."...

LGBT POV • Apr 8, 2010

Breaking: Judge Walker Rules EQCA and ACLU Must Turn Over Documents in Federal Prop 8 Trial

In a 24-page ruling issued Monday afternoon, Judge Vaughn Walker denied motions by the ACLU and Equality California to overrule an order to turn No on Prop 8 campaign documents to Prop 8 proponents in the federal Prop 8 trial. As LGBT POV previously reported, on March 5, U.S. Magistrate Joseph Spero ordered Equality California, Californians Against Eliminating Basic Rights, an ACLU campaign commi...

LGBT POV • Mar 23, 2010

At HRC Gala, Kathy Griffin Calls for DADT Protest in DC, de Rossi Now a Post-Prop 8 Activist

Boxer is facing a difficult re-election in this year of antipathy towards incumbents - a campaign that may get harder if her opponent is gay-friend Republican Tom Campbell who has long supported marriage equality and publically opposed Prop 8. However, Campbell also opposes the current federal court case challenging the constitutionality of Prop 8 - he thinks the issue should not be decided in th...

LGBT POV • Mar 16, 2010

Prop 8 federal trial update: Court names 'Core Groups' excluded from document order

The court notes that Equality California Executive Director Geoff Kors argues that, because EQCA "is a nonparty and because it worked to oppose Proposition 8, its internal campaign communications are not relevant and production would be unduly burdensome. Doc #546 at 7- 10. The ACLU argues the documents proponents seek are irrelevant and privileged. Doc #543 at 11-18." Kors' declaration to the co...

LGBT POV • Mar 11, 2010

Prop 8 federal trial update: Court names 'Core Groups' excluded from document order

The court notes that Equality California Executive Director Geoff Kors argues that, because EQCA "is a nonparty and because it worked to oppose Proposition 8, its internal campaign communications are not relevant and production would be unduly burdensome. Doc #546 at 7- 10. The ACLU argues the documents proponents seek are irrelevant and privileged. Doc #543 at 11-18." Kors' declaration to the co...

LGBT POV • Mar 11, 2010

Prop. 8 trial closing arguments will not be televised

On January 15, 2010, Chief Judge Walker withdrew his previous request to include Perry et. al. v. Schwarzenegger et. al . in the Ninth Circuit's pilot program permitting broadcasting of district court proceedings in limited circumstances. On the same date, Chief Judge Kozinski approved the request to withdraw the Perry case from the program. Broadcasting closing arguments would require Chief Judge...

LGBT POV • Feb 28, 2010

San Francisco Bloggers: Come Canvass for Equality!

Bay Area bloggers are hitting the streets this weekend to build support for marriage equality. If you can make it out, please join us at 10:00 am this Saturday in San Francisco. The canvass is a great excuse to meet and mingle with a crowd of awesome online writers, and learn about some of the work being done to restore marriage for same-sex couples in California. Non-bloggers will also be there a...

LGBT POV • Feb 12, 2010

Countering NOM's missive on Prop 8 Judge Walker with the facts

Brown is just plain wrong when it comes to Walker being one-side throughout the trial. Even before the trial began, Walker - who was randomly selected to preside - denied the attempt by LGBT groups such as Lambda Legal to intervene in the case. Walker did allow Charles Cooper and ProtectMarriage and their legal ally, the Alliance Defense Fund, to intervene because the named defendants were all st...

LGBT POV • Feb 9, 2010

American Foundation for Equal Rights' Prop 8 Trial Summary

Documents and videos presented by the Olson and Boies team also revealed that the Prop. 8 campaign paid for broadcasts that sought to link marriage equality to incest, polygamy, bestiality, and pedophilia to justify the restriction of people's civil rights. This clearly points to the discriminatory motivations and unconstitutionality of the initiative. Olson and Boies also presented to the court ...

LGBT POV • Jan 30, 2010

Olson/Boies Prop 8 trial sponsors ask for donations

LGBT POV is among the many LGBT and MSM blogs that have been covering the federal challenge to Prop 8 (see here and here, for example). And with the decision by the US Supreme Court not to allow broadcasts of the trial outside the San Francisco federal courthouse, bloggers such as Courage Campaign's Rick Jacobs have been live-blogging the events. But many of us also begged the American Foundatio...

LGBT POV • Jan 28, 2010

Prop 8 trial transcripts to be posted online

Available immediately are the transcripts from all past days of trial. Yesterdays transcript is still forthcoming. Please note that while we hope to post these transcripts daily, their availability is subject to change. Please note these transcripts may be read, linked to and quoted from, but not reposted or sold in any way....

LGBT POV • Jan 20, 2010

American Foundation for Equal Rights responds to ban on cameras

Before today's midday recess, powerful evidence was introduced that exposed the discriminatory motivations of Proposition 8, as demonstrated by campaign communications and statements by William Tam, an Official Proponent of the initiative. Video of Tam's deposition, which was taken on Dec. 1, 2009, was shown in court today. Question: "And it is your understanding that part of the gay agenda is le...

LGBT POV • Jan 13, 2010

Olson/Boies have until noon Sunday (EDT) to reply to Prop 8 plea to US Supreme Court

As we noted earlier, citing the report by Variety's Ted Johnson, the Prop 8 proponents filed a motion with the US Supreme Court to ban the camera in the federal Prop 8 trial set to start on Monday. Johnson wrote that the Prop 8 proponents asked Justice Anthony Kennedy for a stay to the proceedings while they petition the Supreme Court about allowing in the camera and posting the video on YouTube....

LGBT POV • Jan 9, 2010

Prop 8's Tam wants to withdraw from federal Prop 8 trial

The timing is very interesting, coinciding as it does with the Prop 8 proponents asking both Judge Walker and the 9th Circuit to delay the trial show they can show evidence that their witnesses fear for their lives if their faces are broadcast....

LGBT POV • Jan 9, 2010

Prop 8 backers ask federal judge to ban cameras, plaintiffs reply

Charles Cooper, the attorney representing the Prop 8 supporters in the Perry v Schwarzenegger federal case challenging Prop 8, filed two letters asking the judge not to allow TV cameras into the courtroom. The letters are in response to a Media Coalition's request to allow at least pool TV coverage by In Session, formerly Court TV (see my coverage here and here - and Ted Johnson's coverage at Vari...

LGBT POV • Dec 30, 2009

Repeal Prop 8 in 2010 hits a major snag

The effort to return to the California ballot to repeal Prop 8 in 2010 hit a major snag Monday. After conducting "the first phase of extensive and groundbreaking research about public beliefs and concerns about marriage and homosexuality," the Courage Campaign and Lambda Legal both announced that they are waiting until more hearts and minds are changed before launching another campaign....

LGBT POV • Dec 1, 2009

Is President Obama a sissy?

How in the world can he have the gumption - the audacity - to speak so movingly about freedom and equality and then tell us it will come for us "one day." That he is "unwavering" in his commitment to us - but WE are the ones who need to fight for equality and justice, individual by individual. How can he talk about the values laid down in our founding documents, the values we all share as America...

LGBT POV • Oct 11, 2009