This Week in Lesbian News…

The HRC fights back against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with a grassroots effort in Illinois – and all fear mongering and lies that have fueled the Right Wing’s anti-LGBT agenda with a new website – and the Vermont House and Senate Leadership commit to passing marriage equality legislation before the end of the legislative session in May while New Mexico says no to Domestic Partnerships. It’s all this and more in a week of lesbian news.

No Domestic Partners in New Mexico. The Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act stalled in the New Mexico state Senate, which voted 25 to 17 against the bill. The legislation would have allowed lesbian, gay, or unmarried straight couples to enter into domestic partnerships and receive certain rights, benefits, and responsibilities under state law. New Mexico lawmakers have considered similar legislation for the last two years, and in the past the bill has come within a single vote of passing.

Later hater. The conservative evangelical leader James Dobson, chairman of the anti-LGBT advocacy group Focus on the Family, announced his resignation from the organization last week. Dobson founded the group in 1977, and six years ago stepped down from his position as president and CEO. Dobson was largely responsible for the organization’s contributions to the campaign supporting Proposition 8, totaling over 700 thousand dollars in money and services.

Obama works to end discrimination by health care providers. The Obama administration has begun the process of repealing the so-called “provider conscience” rule from federal health regulations. Under the current rule, health care providers can refuse to give service or information to patients for religious or moral reasons. The Human Rights Campaign advocates the full repeal of these regulations, as they could be interpreted to allow the refusal of service based on sexual orientation, gender identity or family structure.

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” update. California Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher announced last week that she has introduced legislation aimed at ending the military’s discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Military Readiness Enhancement Act would replace the law banning open service by gays and lesbians with one of non-discrimination. Approximately 80 percent of Americans believe that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” should be repealed.

Defense of Marriage Act lawsuit. A lawsuit was filed last week on behalf of eight married same-sex couples and three surviving spouses who have been denied federal benefits under the Defense of Marriage Act. Enacted in 1996, the Defense of Marriage Act denies married same-sex couples access to Social Security survivors’ benefits, joint tax filing, and over 1000 other protections. The current lawsuit seeks to end federal discrimination against lesbian and gay couples who are validly married in the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts.

EndtheLies.org. Last week, HRC launched a new website as part of an all-out attack against the fear mongering and lies that have fueled the Right Wing’s anti-LGBT agenda. The website, EndtheLies.org, will work to combat these blatant distortions and untruths in the media, in Congress, in state capitals, and in our own neighborhoods. HRC encourages the LGBT community and our allies to visit the website and stand up for the truth, by holding our opponents accountable for the hateful lies that they continue to spread.

Battle in Illinois. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has sent a private e-mail to its members in Illinois, urging them to lobby their state legislators against civil unions legislation currently under consideration.   The message in the e-mail uses many of the same bigoted lies from the Mormon Church’s campaigns supporting Proposition 8 in California and Proposition 102 in Arizona. In response, HRC has launched a full-scale online grassroots campaign, calling to action its more than 35 thousand members in Illinois.

Power gay. Last week the White House officially nominated openly gay John Berry to lead the Office of Personnel Management. The position, for which appointment requires the approval of the United States Senate, would be the highest-ranking office in the Executive branch ever held by an openly gay man. Berry also served as assistant secretary for policy, management and budget at the Department of the Interior during the Clinton administration.

Vermont commits to marriage equality. The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, applauded last week the Vermont House and Senate Leadership for committing to pass marriage equality legislation before the end of the legislative session in May.  The legislation is expected to be introduced by Senate President Shumlin, Majority Leader Senator Campbell and the Assistant Majority Leader Senator Ayer on March 17th.  If passed by both chambers and signed by the governor, this would mark the first time marriage equality has become law by the legislative process.

“We have devoted the first half of the session to finding ways for the legislature to help stimulate the economy and create jobs for Vermonters,” said Senator Shumlin.  “We will continue our focus on the economy by encouraging green energy development, targeting money toward venture capital and funding a variety of transportation projects.  We will also pass legislation to improve our election system and end the inequality in our civil marriage laws.”

In addition to Vermont, nine states plus Washington, D.C. have laws providing at least some form of state-level relationship recognition for gay and lesbian couples.  Massachusetts and Connecticut recognize marriage for gay and lesbian couples under state law.  Four other states—California, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Oregon—plus Washington, D.C. provide gay and lesbian couples with access to the state level benefits and responsibilities of marriage, through either civil unions or domestic partnerships. Maine, Washington and Hawaii provide gay and lesbian couples with limited rights and benefits, not all the rights provided to married couples.  New York recognizes marriages by gay and lesbian couples legally married outside of the state. Gay and lesbian couples do not receive federal rights and benefits in any state.  To learn more about state by state legislation visit: www.hrc.org/state_laws.

Jewish survey shows support for LGBT inclusion. Results from a national survey of Jewish synagogues released at the end of February at conferences in New York and Los Angeles and revealed that 73 percent of the respondents—mostly rabbis—think of themselves as welcoming to gays and lesbians. Yet, the research collaborators, Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation at Hebrew College and Jewish Mosaic, found that only 33 percent of those who say they are welcoming actually have LGBT related programs or published statements of welcome.

Gregg Drinkwater, executive director of Jewish Mosaic, believes this is a sign of tolerance and not inclusivity, “Unless lesbian and gay Jews are explicitly invited, they don’t feel synagogues are safe. As a result, they don’t engage with Jewish life through these institutions.” For those synagogues that have welcoming programs, 41% experienced growth in membership and only 2% experienced a decrease. Ten congregations will be selected as pilot programs for the launch of a nationwide welcoming synagogues program.