The Boy Scouts surprised many joining LGBT founded 'no name-calling' week

Anchorage anti-bias measure faces opposition

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — An initiative adding gender identity and sexual orientation to the Anchorage non-discrimination rules is up for vote a vote on April 3, but interference from larger national anti-gay groups may make the fight tougher for supporters.

The Anchorage Daily News reports that the Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund, which has intervened in pro-LGBT ballot measures across the country for many years, has begun weighing in on the measure.

“The ultimate concern with enacting something like that is that it infringes on religious freedoms,” said ADF lawyer Holly Carmichael. “There’s a huge constitutional concern here.”

But Anchorage employment lawyer Thomas Daniel is defending the expansion of protections, saying that religious institutions should remain confident that exemptions in the law will allow faith groups shelter from frivolous litigation.

Boy Scouts join ‘no name-calling’ week

NEW YORK — Despite a history of policies barring gay men from participation, Boy Scouts of America may be signaling a change this week by signing on to support a national gay group’s anti-bullying effort, according to the Huffington Post.

A contributor to the Scouts’ official blog published an editorial introducing readers to the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s “No Name-Calling Week,” an annual anti-bullying event.

“I’m delighted the Boy Scouts of America’s official publication is calling on its adult leaders to join with the tens of thousands of educators and other youth-serving professionals who are currently observing No Name-Calling Week in order to improve the lives of millions of youth,” said GLSEN executive director Dr. Eliza Byard.

Minn. court revives marriage case

MINNEAPOLIS — After a Hennepin County District Judge threw out a lawsuit brought by same-sex couples seeking marriage, the Minnesota Court of Appeals has revived the case.

The three-judge panel unanimously ruled that District Judge Mary Dufresne inappropriately relied on a 1971 Minnesota Supreme Court decision, and sent the case back to the trial court, according to New York’s Gay City News.

The decision in the 1971 case, Baker v. Nelson — brought by two men seeking to marry in Minnesota — was deemed faulty in this week’s appeals court decision, because it failed to take into consideration the state constitution in its analysis, as is required. The United States Supreme Court refused the case, saying it lacked any federal impact.

The decision, written by Judge Renee L. Worke, asserts both that the courts must apply an additional level of scrutiny in questions of due process and equal protections, and that constitutional law has evolved significantly since 1971, which merits a fresh analysis of the question.

“Appellants claim that the government cannot deprive them of their fundamental right to marry without showing that this denial is narrowly tailored to serve a compelling state interest,” Worke wrote. “But even if the right to marry is not considered a fundamental right, appellants should have been granted an opportunity to show that MN DOMA is not a reasonable means to its stated objective –– to promote opposite-sex marriages to encourage procreation. The district court failed to conduct an appropriate analysis under the Minnesota Constitution.”

Both sides will now decide whether to appeal this decision to the Minnesota Supreme Court or to return to district court.

Gay strategist runs for Maine state house

Matt Moonen, former political director for EqualityMaine, announced that he is running for an open seat in the Maine House of Representatives representing Portland, according to Maine progressive blog, Dirigo Blue.

Having spent many years working on LGBT issues, Moonen worked with Mass Equality during the first successful push for same-sex marriage in America in Massachusetts, as well as the Fair Wisconsin campaign to defeat a ballot measure barring same-sex marriage in that state. Most recently he worked with Maine Citizens for Clean Elections, and is the vice chair of the Portland City Democratic group.

“I am looking forward to a positive campaign,” Moonen said in a statement. “Working together with the people of Maine, we can find innovative and effective solutions to the problems we face, and ensure that Maine continues to be the best place to live, work and raise a family,”

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (Blade file photo by Michael Key)

Republican hopeful Rick Perry received no sympathy from LGBT advocates on Thursday after he announced that he giving up a presidential campaign renowned for its demonization of gay people.

Trailing in the polls — even in the socially conservative state of South Carolina where the primary will be held Saturday — Perry told supporters in North Charleston, S.C.., he was ending his bid for the White House and throwing his support behind former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

“As I’ve contemplated the future of this campaign, I have to come to the conclusion that there is no viable path forward for me in this 2012 campaign,” Perry said. “Therefore, today, I am suspending my campaign and endorsing Newt Gingrich for president of the United States.”

Perry called Gingrich a “conservative visionary who can transform our country.”

In likely reference to Gingrich’s marital infidelities, Perry said Gingrich is “not perfect,” adding “there is forgiveness for those who seek God, and I believe in power of redemption, for it is a central tenet of my Christian faith.”

But the thrice-married Gingrich came under additional scrutiny following Perry’s exit on Thursday when media outlets published interviews with Marianne Gingrich, his second wife, who said the former House speaker had asked her for an open marriage.

Perry’s exit and new support for Gingrich could give the former House speaker a fighting chance in South Carolina, where the candidate has been encroaching on Romney in the polls.

The three-term Texas bows out of the presidential race after heavily courting the evangelical vote and espousing anti-gay positions throughout his presidential campaign.

The unofficial kick-off of his campaign took place in August at controversial day of prayer called “The Response” that was attended by an estimated 30,000 people. The event was reportedly financed by the anti-gay American Family Association.

Upon officially entering the presidential race, Perry signed a pledge from the National Organization for Marriage committing himself to back a U.S. constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court. During in a speech New Hampshire, he praised efforts to repeal the same-sex marriage law in the state.

But Perry began pulling out the stops with anti-gay campaign tactics when fell from his status as front-runner to the bottom of the pack after poor debate performances and a series of gaffes — most notably when he forgot during a debate the third in a group of departments that he would eliminate as president.

In a Iowa TV ad called “Strong,” which was widely circulated on the Internet, in which Perry says, “There’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military, but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.”

Perry also criticized President Obama’s decision to require his administration to have more active engagement against anti-gay human rights abuses, saying the act was an example of ”an administration at war with people of faith in this country.” The candidate also riled LGBT advocates when he said during a CNN interview he would “absolutely” reinstate “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” if elected president.

During an event in Deborah, Iowa, an 14-year-old bisexual woman challenged Perry over his views on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” but was dismissed by the candidate.

“This is about my faith, and I happen to think that, you know, there are a whole hosts of sins — homosexuality being one of them,” Perry said.

LGBT advocates said Perry inability to rise in the polls after he made anti-gay campaign tactics part of his campaign is evidence they don’t appeal to voters.

Michael Cole-Schwartz, a Human Rights Campaign spokesperson, was among those chiding Perry for his approach to LGBT issues over the course of his campaign.

“Governor Perry distinguished himself by trying to use LGBT issues as a campaign weapon and it didn’t work,” Cole-Schwartz said. “It’s just another sign that going anti-gay doesn’t pay dividends, even in conservative-leaning primaries.”

R. Clarke Cooper, executive director of the National Log Cabin Republicans, said the 2012 election is about “liberty and prosperity” and Perry didn’t have the capacity to unite conservatives and win the general election.

“Tactical blunders such as his ‘Strong’ video exposed a disconnect with the general electorate and the average Republican voter,” Cooper said. “Our nation was built upon individual liberty and individual responsibility, and open service by gay and lesbian servicemembers is directly in line with the vision of our Founding Fathers.”

Jerame Davis, executive director of the National Stonewall Democrats, said Perry had “embarassed” himself throughout his campaign and his exit from the race was in line with that behavior.

“As the final act of idiocy in his quixotic bid for the GOP nomination, Perry chose to endorse Newt Gingrich — a thrice married serial philanderer who demanded an open marriage with one of his previous wives,” Davis said. “It just goes to show how closely he holds his much touted ‘family values.’ Then again, maybe he just forgot who else was in the race. Oops!”

Saturday is the South Carolina primary and choosing one of the Republican candidates left in the race must be agonizing. Members of the LGBT community might differ on a lot of issues but opposing candidates who want to enshrine discrimination shouldn’t be one of them.

Republican, libertarian, Democratic or Green, candidates should believe that our basic rights are inviolable. It was laughable when Rick Santorum tried to favorably compare his position on LGBT issues with those of President Obama. The president supports repealing DOMA, passing an inclusive ENDA and same-sex parent adoptions; he pushed for and signed the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Santorum doesn’t support any of that and has said some of the most outrageously homophobic things — like children being brought up by a mother and a father, even if the father is in prison, are better off than children being brought up by two loving same-sex parents.

But then Santorum is only the worst of the current crop of Republican presidential choices. Their stands on LGBT rights do share one thing in common with President Obama: they all oppose same-sex marriage. But that is where the comparison ends. Mitt Romney once said he favored LGBT rights but he just disavowed a flier from a previous campaign in which he said he believed that all people regardless of sexual orientation should have equal rights. Whether he no longer believes that or is just pandering to the bigoted voters who make up a big part of the Republican primary vote is irrelevant. He is asking people to vote for him based on what he says today. The best of the lot was Jon Huntsman, Jr. who dropped out of the race this week. But it was apparent since he is a fairly reasonable guy he would have zero chance of winning the Republican nomination.

Voters decide whom to support on more than just LGBT issues and that is the way it should be. We can and do have many differing views in the community on tax policy, immigration, the federal government’s role in stimulating the economy, healthcare and issues impacting the environment among others. But I find it hard to fathom any member of the LGBT community would vote for a candidate who believes in and backs policies that ensure members of our community will remain second-class citizens during their presidency.

In all likelihood there will be divided government for the next four years. The Founding Fathers understood that would happen and they provided for three distinct roles — the executive, legislative and the judiciary. We have also seen the method devised for the checks and balances between the two houses of Congress. What I don’t think these men foresaw was the unwillingness of elected leaders to communicate and compromise. The result of that unwillingness to compromise has brought us the current do-nothing Congress.

It is my hope that the American people will see fit to change that by electing individuals who may agree with their disparate positions but are also adult, educated and knowledgeable enough to understand the need for real compromise. Clearly, as we heard on a recent edition of “60 Minutes,” House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) doesn’t know the difference between the words cooperate and compromise. He either thinks they mean the same thing or is merely trying to obfuscate and that is just as bad for the nation.

In the next 20 years — despite the Rick Santorums of the world — the LGBT community will achieve full civil and human rights. People will see through the lies of the Newt Gingriches who blame marriage equality for the Catholic Church’s withdrawal from adoption and other programs in places that have passed it, rather than admitting they were only willing to provide such services if they got government money to pay for them.

In our community, let’s have the same debate as the rest of the nation on the myriad issues that the government faces. But let’s also agree we will not support candidates who support laws that will ensure that we remain second-class citizens.

Aubrey Sarvis will step down from SLDN after four years. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

Five months after the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Servicemembers Legal Defense Network executive director Aubrey Sarvis will leave the organization after four years in what the group called a “planned departure.”

“It’s not easy to leave SLDN,” Sarvis told The Advocate on Wednesday. “But there comes a time to move on, and this feels right. I think the next phase of the battle can be reinvigorated with new blood, new energy. For me, it was certainly a historic time to be here. I was honored to have been here during the fight.”

The organization announced that in order to fill the top position, it has retained the services of executive search firm McCormack and Associates of Palm Springs Calif. McCormack was the firm that led the search for a new executive at MassEquality in 2010.

SLDN was unable to disclose to the Blade the financial details of the search or what the organization plans to pay the new executive director, but tax returns from 2009 indicate that Sarvis was compensated $153,623 in salary and benefits for the year prior to the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.”

According to Zeke Stokes, SLDN’s communications director, the organization retains 12 employees, and at the moment there are “no other departures to report.”

Sarvis and SLDN played a crucial role in the successful 2010 effort to repeal the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” law that prevented open service by gay and lesbian service members in the military.

“The search for a new Executive Director comes at a critical moment in the fight for full LGBT equality in our armed forces,” SLDN Board Co-Chair April Heinze, who chairs the national search committee, said in a statement on Wednesday. “Repeal of the discriminatory ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law, alone, is not enough. The fight for full equality marches forward – especially for those legally married gay and lesbian service members who today do not receive the same recognition, support or benefits for their families as their straight, married peers. The board and staff at SLDN will not rest until we overcome these and the remaining inequalities for LGBT service members.”

“Aubrey Sarvis was a hero in the DADT movement,” Josh Seefried, co-director of the active duty group OutServe, told the Blade Wednesday. “He dedicated his life to improving the lives of thousands of gay service members. He led SLDN at the most difficult time and I am sad to see him go. We are excited to work with his replacement.”

“Aubrey has been one of the prime movers of our community when it comes to LGBT military rights,” Monica Helms, president of Transgender American Veterans Association, told the Blade. “He will be a very hard person to replace. And hopefully the next person will be just as enthusiastic about helping trans military people to serve openly.”

The SLDN statement references the ongoing push for equal benefits for same-sex couples in the military.

“The new Executive Director will manage SLDN’s ongoing legal and legislative efforts to change the definition of ‘spouse’ in three titles of U.S. Code that pertain to benefits for married LGB service members and veterans and dismantle the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA),” the statement reads. “He or she will oversee SLDN’s pro bono legal services for LGBT service members, work with the Department of Defense and congressional leaders for effective implementation of open service, and deal with any harassment or discrimination related to sexual orientation or gender identity that may occur.”

“In general, we all work together all the groups,” said Denny Meyer, media and public affairs director for Transgender American Veterans Association. “There’s little tensions and competitions, because every group has their own focus. But as of late SLDN has picked up on the trans issue, and has been helping trans veterans with issues, which wasn’t the main focus of the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,’ because the original 1993 law didn’t include trans people.”

“Its still sort of taboo on having trans service members serve openly,” Meyer continued. “Politics is politics unfortunately. In other countries England Canada and even Israel, transgender people were included [when they made their inclusive policies], but America is what it is, you know, we’re more backward. It just wasn’t on the table. The movement had to work with what they had. because in this country, if advocates said ‘its all or nothing,’ it would still be nothing.”

The open SLDN executive director position is currently posted at http://www.sldn.org/pages/careers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPtRdkXUeCg

Matt Baume of Marriage News Watch sums up all same-sex marriage-related news from 2011. Must watch.

The Iowa Capitol dome.

DES MOINES, Iowa — In the closest outcome in the history of the Iowa caucuses, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney edged former Sen. Rick Santorum by just eight votes Tuesday to win the first contest of the 2012 election.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Romney had 30,015 votes while Santorum had 30,007, according to Matt Strawn, chair of the Iowa Republican party. In terms of percentages, both Santorum and Romney claimed 24.5 percent of the vote.

The virtual dead heat in the Iowa caucuses, in which a record 122,255 Iowa Republicans participated, raises questions about whether Romney can attract support from the party’s conservative base.

On Monday, Romney reportedly crowed that he was going to win the Iowa caucuses by telling a crowd of supporters, “We’re going to win this thing.” A Romney spokesperson later downplayed the remarks and said the candidate was referring to winning the Republican nomination.

MORE IN THE BLADE: DNC CHAIR: SANTORUM ANTI-GAY ATTACKS ‘UN-AMERICAN’

Libertarian Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), who had enjoyed a lead in the polls just two weeks before the caucuses took place, finished in third place with 21.5 percent of the vote.

Troy Price, executive director of One Iowa, a statewide LGBT group, said the virtual tie demonstrates that social conservatives were unable to dominate the caucuses despite their efforts.

“This extremely close outcome shows that in spite of the millions of dollars and constant campaigning on the backs of loving, committed gay and lesbian couples in Iowa, the attempt by social conservatives to dominate the caucuses simply didn’t work,” Price said. “Rather, this tie between Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney shows the deep divisions that exist between social conservatives who want to harm loving and committed couples, and fiscal conservatives who prioritize job creation and a smaller government.”

Jimmy LaSalvia, executive director of GOProud, a gay conservative group, congratulated Romney and Paul in a statement for placing in the top three slots — but notably left out any mention of Santorum, who’s known for holding anti-gay views.

“Tonight, we congratulate Governor Romney and Congressman Paul on their strong showings in the Iowa caucuses,” LaSalvia said. “It is clear that the message of economic renewal and limited government is resonating with Republican voters.”

LaSalvia commended Romney and Paul for offering plans that he said contrasted with the “big government approach” of President Obama without resorting to anti-gay rhetoric.

“While there are certainly big differences between Governor Romney and Congressman Paul, especially when it comes to foreign policy, both chose to emphasize issues like the economy and the size of government over demonizing gay people,” LaSalvia said. “We are pleased to see that so many Republicans in Iowa are focused on the issues that unite us as conservatives, instead of the side show issues.”

MORE IN THE BLADE: YOUNG, GAY IOWA GOP CAUCUS GOERS DISCUSS CANDIDATES

Brian Brown, president of the anti-gay National Organization for Marriage, praised both Santorum and Romney over “their photo-finish” because of the candidates’ opposition to same-sex marriage.

“It’s especially satisfying to see Senator Santorum, a longtime friend and champion for the family, come from behind to mount such a successful campaign,” Brown added.

Santorum and Romney were among the candidates that signed NOM’s pledge to oppose same-sex marriage by backing a Federal Marriage Amendment and defending the Defense of Marriage Act in court if elected president.

“The strong showing by both Santorum and Romney shows that supporting marriage is not only the right thing to do, it is the politically smart thing to do,” Brown said.

But Brown criticized Paul, who twice voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment and isn’t among the candidates who signed NOM’s pledge.

“This is a lesson that Ron Paul may be learning the hard way,” Brown said. “Paul suffered a big loss by finishing third in Iowa, a state he was expecting to win.”

Brown said ads NOM aired against the candidate in Iowa in addition to grassroots work “were a factor in Ron Paul’s poor showing.”

The results triggered the end of Rep. Michele Bachmann’s campaign. She won just 5 percent of the vote even though Iowa is her home state. Bachmann announced Wednesday she was leaving the race.

“I have decided to stand aside,” she told reporters in Des Moines on Wednesday morning.

MORE IN THE BLADE: LGBT REACTION TO BACHMANN’S IOWA EXIT

Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who also enjoyed the status of GOP presidential frontrunners, had less than optimal finishes. Gingrich took fourth in the caucuses with 13.2 percent of the vote and Perry came in fifth with 10.3 percent.

In a speech after the contest, Perry said he was going to scrap plans to campaign in South Carolina and return to Texas to determine whether a path to victory remains.

The strong showing for Santorum comes on the heels of comments he made that raised the eyebrows of LGBT advocates in an interview Tuesday with ABC News’ Jake Tapper.

The candidate said he opposes the 2003 U.S. Supreme Court ruling of Lawrence v. Texas, which struck down state sodomy laws throughout the country. He also said he opposes a court decision preventing states from prohibiting the sale of contraceptives.

Santorum said he personally would have voted against the state law in Texas prohibiting consensual sex between two males, but still thinks states should be able to pass such laws.

“I wouldn’t have voted for the Texas sodomy law, but that doesn’t mean the state doesn’t have the right to do that,” Santorum said. “I just didn’t think they should do it. We shouldn’t create constitutional rights when states do dumb things. We should let the people decide. If the states are doing dumb things, get rid of the legislature and replace them as opposed to creating constitutional laws that have consequences beyond the specific case that was before them.”

As Republicans in Iowa were deciding on the best candidate to represent them, Democrats also held caucuses throughout the state, even though President Obama was the only candidate on the ticket. More than 25,000 Iowa Democrats were estimated to have participated.

Obama delivered a message to supporters attending the caucuses via video and took a couple questions from attendees pledging their support to him. Among the accomplishments that he touted during the video was repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

“Because of you, we’ve been able to end the policy of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ so that every American who want this country that they love can have that opportunity, regardless of who they love,” Obama said.

In a statement, Sue Dvorksy, chair of the Iowa Democratic Party, said the Democratic Iowa caucus was ”a great opportunity to test our campaign organization and expand our volunteer base as we move toward November.”

“In a strong show of support, more than 7,500 Iowans tonight pledged to volunteer for the campaign over the course of the next year, underscoring their commitment to continuing the change the country has seen under President Obama’s leadership,” Dvorsky said.

I marked my ninth year at the Blade in 2011 and can’t recall a busier time in the LGBT rights movement. From President Obama’s decision not to defend DOMA to the death of Frank Kameny, to the advent of marriage equality in New York and Barney Frank’s retirement from Congress, there has never been more news to cover. And thanks to the Blade’s growing online and social media presence, we’ve never had more readers to satisfy.

The year to come promises even bigger news, as cases on DOMA and marriage work their way through the courts, Maryland attempts to pass gender identity non-discrimination and marriage equality bills, and, of course, the 2012 elections approach. We’re not just electing a president in 2012, but the nation could see its first openly gay senator as Rep. Tammy Baldwin attempts to make history in Wisconsin.

Year In Review: 2011

We will work hard to cover all the LGBT angles to those stories and more, starting immediately in the New Year as we dispatch political reporter Chris Johnson to Iowa and New Hampshire to report on the caucuses and primary. Photographer Michael Key and reporter Lou Chibbaro, Jr. will also be hitting the road early in 2012 (stay tuned for details) as we commit more resources to our core work of quality journalism.

As we close out another year, a word of thanks to our readers, advertisers, staff and other supporters who make working here such a pleasure. When my business partners Lynne Brown, Brian Pitts and I re-launched the Blade nearly two years ago, we decided that community service and giving back to those who have supported us would be a key element of our corporate culture. We made good on that pledge in 2011 in myriad ways, from many event sponsorships to news coverage that highlights those in need in our community. Last week, we highlighted a group of local LGBT nonprofits that need monetary donations, office products and other basic supplies in 2012. I hope our readers will respond and help. In 2011, the Blade supported a wide array of community organizations with cash contributions and advertising. We will continue that commitment in 2012, starting with sponsorship of the Washington Literacy Council’s Love Letters for Literacy event on Feb. 15. Be sure to check out their good work at washingtonliteracycouncil.org.

We’ll be announcing many new sponsorships and plans early in the year. Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@washingtonblade), Facebook and washingtonblade.com for all the latest. Thanks for reading the Blade and best wishes for a happy and healthy 2012.

The story of the year was the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Here are our picks for the rest of 2011’s top LGBT news stories.

#2 N.Y. approves marriage

New Yorkers celebrated same-sex marriage during June Pride. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

The Empire State became the sixth and most populous state in the country to legalize same-sex marriage in June when the legislature passed and Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed into law a bill legalizing marriage rights for gay couples.

Upon passage of the legislation, Cuomo said New York has “finally torn down the barrier that has prevented same-sex couples from exercising the freedom to marry and from receiving the fundamental protections that so many couples and families take for granted.”

The achievement marks the first time that a Republican-controlled legislative chamber — in this case, the New York State Senate — passed legislation in this country legalizing same-sex marriage.

The law went into effect in the state on July 24. Kitty Lambert and Cheryle Rudd, a lesbian couple from Buffalo, N.Y., wed in Niagara Falls at midnight and became the first couple in the state to benefit from the law.

#3 Rep. Barney Frank retires

Rep. Barney Frank announced in November that he wouldn’t seek a 17th term in the House. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

The longest-serving openly gay member of Congress announced in November that he wouldn’t seek a 17th term in the U.S. House.

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), 71, was first elected to Congress in 1980. The lawmaker made his sexual orientation known in 1987 — becoming the second to do so after Rep. Gerry Studds (D-Mass.).

Frank said redistricting in Massachusetts and his desire to retire before reaching age 75 prompted his decision not to run.

“I have enjoyed — indeed been enormously honored — by the chance to represent others in Congress and the State Legislature, but there are other things I hope to do before my career ends,” Frank said.

The lawmaker is credited with helping shepherd through the passage of hate crimes protections legislation and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal in the 111th Congress. But Frank was criticized by transgender activists in 2007 for dropping gender identity protections from the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. The gay-only bill ultimately died in the Senate.

His most enduring legacy will likely be the passage of Wall Street reform legislation commonly known as Dodd-Frank, which he pushed through as chair of the House Financial Services Committee.

#4 Obama won’t defend DOMA; Boehner hires counsel

House Speaker John Boehner announced that he would hire counsel to defend DOMA in court after the Obama administration said it would no longer do so. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

The Obama administration made a significant reversal in policy in February when it announced it would no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court.

In a Feb. 22 letter, the U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder notified Congress that laws related to sexual orientation, such as DOMA, which prohibits federal recognition of same-sex marriage, should be subjected to heightened scrutiny.

“The president has also concluded that Section 3 of DOMA, as applied to legally married same-sex couples, fails to meet that standard and is therefore unconstitutional,” Holder said.

Obama’s decision riled House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), who accused the president of abandoning his constitutional duties. In March, Boehner convened the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group, which on a 3-2 party-line basis voted to defend the law in court in the administration’s stead.

To assist the House general counsel in defending the law, Boehner hired private attorney Paul Clement, a U.S. solicitor general under former President George W. Bush. The cost of the private attorney was initially announced at a blended rate of $520 an hour and total cost cap of $150,000, but Boehner later bumped up the cost cap to $1.5 million.

#5 Giffords shot; gay intern hailed as hero

Gay intern Daniel Hernandez was credited with helping to save the life of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords after she was shot. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

The nation recoiled in horror in January after pro-LGBT Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) became one of 20 people shot people by a gunman during a town hall event in her district.

Daniel Hernandez Jr., a gay 20-year-old who had worked as an intern for Giffords for just five days at the time of the shooting, was credited with providing the first aid that saved her life.

“The attitude that I had,” Hernandez said, “was trying to make sure that those who had been injured were going to be OK, so to try to provide whatever first aid I could until someone else could come in and take over.”

Medics arrived on the scene to take Giffords and others to the University Medical Center in Arizona. Giffords slowly recovered and made her first appearance on the House floor in August to vote in favor of the agreement to raise the debt ceiling limit.

At a memorial service, President Obama called Hernandez a “hero” during his eulogy. The White House invited Hernandez — along with his father, Danny Hernandez Sr., — to sit alongside first lady Michelle Obama during the State of the Union address in January.

#6. Clinton, Obama endorse int’l LGBT rights

Hillary Clinton delivered a sweeping pro-LGBT speech in December calling for other nations to respect gay rights as human rights. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in December gave a high-profile speech in Geneva, Switzerland in which she spoke out against human rights abuses committed against LGBT people overseas.

During the speech, Clinton reiterated her previously held belief that human rights are gay rights and gay rights are human rights and said LGBT people overseas “have an ally in the United States of America.”

“It is a violation of human rights when people are beaten or killed because of their sexual orientation, or because they do not conform to cultural norms about how men and women should look or behave,” Clinton said.

Clinton gave the speech on Dec. 6 in observance of Human Rights Day, which recognizes the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Dec. 10, 1948 by the U.N. General Assembly. More than 1,000 diplomats and experts were in attendance.

On the same day, President Obama issued a memorandum to government agencies urging them to step up efforts against anti-LGBT human rights abuses abroad. Among other things, the memo calls on agencies to work against the criminalization of homosexual acts overseas and directs the State Department to lead a “standing group” to respond swiftly to serious incidents threatening LGBT human rights abroad.

#7 Jamey Rodemeyer commits suicide

Year In Review: 2011

A 14-year-old from Williamsville, N.Y. took his own life in September after his parents said he was subjected to bullying in school over his sexual orientation.

Jamey Rodemeyer, who attended Williamsville North High School, took his life in an apparent hanging. Prior to his death, he sent his last message in the form of a tweet to Lady Gaga, which read, “Bye Mother Monster. Thank you for all you have done. Paws up forever.”

Rodemeyer made a video for the “It Gets Better” project, a website dedicated to preventing teen suicide, in which he identified as bisexual and described the harassment he endured from other students.

“I just want to tell you that it does get better [be]cause when I came out for being bi I got so much support from my friends and it made me feel so secure,” Rodemeyer says in the video.

Rodemeyer’s death inspired outrage across the nation. Lady Gaga told her fans via Twitter she spent the days after his suicide ”reflecting, crying and yelling.” She later met with President Obama over the issue of bullying.

#8 GOP hopefuls tout anti-gay views

Former Sen. Rick Santorum said he would resinstate ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ if elected president. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

Presidential election season officially kicked off this year as Republican candidates seeking to oust President Obama from the White House touted their anti-gay views.

Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum likely took the prize for emphasizing anti-gay positions most often in his campaign. In addition to pledging to reinstate “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Santorum said, “our country will fail” as a result of same-sex marriage. He also raised eyebrows in August when he said same-sex marriage is like “saying this glass of water is a glass of beer.”

Activists with Truth Wins Out revealed the therapy clinic that Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) co-owns with her husband, Marcus Bachmann, engages in widely discredited “ex-gay” conversion therapy aimed at turning gay people straight. The candidate has refused to answer questions about the clinic.

A total of five contenders — former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Santorum, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Bachmann — each penned their name to an anti-gay pledge from the National Organization for Marriage. Signing the document commits them to backing a U.S. constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage and to defending the Defense of Marriage of Act in court.

#9 Prop 8 fight continues in California

Litigation seeking to overturn Proposition 8 progressed through the courts this year amid questions over whether proponents have standing to defend the law and whether the sexual orientation of the judge who ruled against the marriage ban should have disqualified him.

In the case of Perry v. Brown, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in January sent the question of whether Prop 8 proponents had standing to defend the amendment in court to the California Supreme Court. The question emerged after state officials declined to litigate on behalf of the same-sex marriage ban.

In November, the California high court issued a unanimous decision that Protect Marriage and other groups who worked to pass the anti-gay initiative in 2008 indeed could continue the case.

Another challenge to U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker’s decision emerged in April after the retired magistrate told reporters he’s gay and has been living with a same-sex partner for 10 years. Proponents of Prop 8 said Walker should have recused himself from the case.

But in June, U.S. District Judge James Ware ruled that Walker’s sexual orientation wasn’t a factor in the judge’s decision to rule against Prop 8 and upheld the previous decision. The anti-gay activists appealed the ruling to the Ninth Circuit.

The Ninth Circuit heard oral arguments on whether Walker’s sexual orientation should have disqualified him as well as whether the tapes of the trial should be made public. The appellate court has yet to make a decision on any of these issues.

#10 Solmonese steps down from HRC

HRC President Joe Solmonese announced in August that he would step down after six years at the helm of the nation’s leading LGBT advocacy group. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

The head of the Human Rights Campaign announced in August that after six years he would be stepping down as president of the nation’s largest LGBT organization.

The co-chairs of the board of directors of HRC and its sister organization, the HRC Foundation, said Joe Solmonese will remain as head of both organizations until the completion of his contract in March to ensure a smooth leadership transition.

Solmonese oversaw the defeat of the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006 as well as passage of hate crimes protections legislation and repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” But he alienated many transgender activists in 2007 when he declined to oppose a decision by House Democratic leaders to remove protections for transgender people from the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

The search committee seeking Solmonese’s replacement is being co-chaired by board members Joni Madison of North Carolina and Dana Perlman of Los Angeles. The replacement has yet to be announced.

Last week, GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney’s campaign made a stop at a restaurant in New Hampshire, where a heated exchange between he and a patron made headlines. According to the Washington Post, Romney spotted Bob Garon and, noticing his hat, greeted him by saying, “Vietnam veteran!”

To Romney’s surprise, Garon is gay and was eating breakfast with his husband. Garon took the opportunity to ask Romney whether or not he would support repeal of New Hampshire’s same-sex marriage law and if he thought it was unfair that the spouse of a gay service member cannot receive the same benefits as the spouse of one in a heterosexual marriage. Romney’s answer was simple and robotic. He said, “I believe that marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman.”

The interaction got a great deal of attention because of its relation to a few political narratives that have been floating around as of late. Since the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” the mainstream media have been paying more attention to the existence of LGBT service members and veterans, and to the disrespect they have received from certain Republican politicians and supporters. Opponents of repeal have been confronted with the fact that the idea of LGBT people serving in the military is not just a theoretical possibility, but that they have always been there. When Mitt Romney approached Garon, he wasn’t expecting to be forced to defend his position on LGBT issues. He was after a photo op with a (presumably) straight veteran.

Fifteen or 20 years ago, a situation like this might not have gotten the kind of attention that it has, or if it had, many more people would have been sympathetic to Romney’s position, rather than Garon’s. But the media narrative that has emerged since the repeal of DADT is that Republicans are willing to throw the entire military under the bus over ending the policy. Indeed, at the GOP presidential debate on Sept. 22 when Capt. Stephen Hill was booed by audience members for revealing his sexual orientation in his question, it seemed to confirm that the Republican Party’s base is more interested in waging culture wars than in accepting the military as it currently stands. Between this incident and Rick Perry’s recent, widely panned gays-in-the-military campaign commercial, the question has arisen, are Republicans out of touch with the military and do they really care about the troops?

Such a narrative is one that liberals are jumping on, in part as retaliation for an idea that Republicans had tried to spread during the years of the Bush presidency as a way of demonizing their opponents — that the Republican Party was the only party that supported the military and that for liberals to speak against the Iraq war meant that they hated American soldiers. It was a shallow argument then and the fact that certain Republican candidates, as well as their supporters, are now so willing to see these service members first as gay and second as soldiers demonstrates this.

Democrats have been doing a great job talking about issues that people in the military have to deal with – repeal of DADT, fighting enforcement of DOMA when it comes to those who happen to be gay and, more broadly, defending the VA from budget cuts and privatization (as recently proposed by Romney). But Democrats should be careful not to use the military as a catchphrase or a slogan in the same way that Republicans have in recent years, and it would be shameful and opportunistic to do so.

When Americans join the military, they do it to defend the Constitution and protect the rights of their fellow Americans – that includes red America and blue America, gay and straight. When “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” was in effect, gay men and women signed up knowing that they were putting service to this country ahead of their sexual identities. Service members put politics, their families, and their very lives to the side in order to defend our rights and it is disrespectful to use them to spin political arguments, especially when their jobs prevent them from defending their own ideological views in the public arena.

It would make for a great sound byte to say that Republicans hate the troops, but to say that would be to engage in the very same pseudo-nationalistic hyperbole that characterized the Bush years. While it may be tempting for Democrats to use these recent incidents from the GOP primary campaign to depict themselves as the one party that truly represents military service members as a whole, they should refrain out of respect. Failing to do so would lead to the kind of blatant political opportunism that Mitt Romney showed us on the campaign trail, with his greeting, “Vietnam veteran!”

Sean Cotter is a freelance writer based in New York. Reach him at sean.robert.cotter@gmail.com.

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) — once a vote for DOMA — has signed on to help lead its repeal. (Photo by Luigi Novi)

Menendez is 32nd co-sponsor of DOMA repeal

WASHINGTON — Though he voted for the law in 1996, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) is now co-sponsoring the bill to kill the Defense of Marriage Act.

Joining 12 other colleagues that once supported DOMA and who are now co-sponsoring its repeal, called the Respect for Marriage Act, last week Menendez became the bill’s 32nd co-sponsor.

“Since my vote in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act 15 years ago, like tens of millions of Americans, I have reflected deeply and frequently about this issue,” Menendez wrote in an editorial for the New Jersey Star-Ledger. “For me, this comes down to the principles I learned as the child of immigrants and that I cherish as an American: that we believe in equality for all people under the law.”

Prop 8 repeal group to gather signatures

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Secretary of State has approved language for signature gathering to a group seeking to overturn by ballot California’s Proposition 8, which banned marriage rights for same-sex couples in that state.

Los Angeles-based Love Honor Cherish formed during the original Proposition 8 fight in 2008, and has pledged to take Prop 8 back to the ballot in 2012. The group will have until May 14 to collect 807,615 valid signatures in order to qualify for the November ballot.

Equality California decided against supporting a 2012 ballot measure due to optimism surrounding the Perry v. Brown federal trial and worries about the ability to raise enough cash to fund another ballot battle.

Orlando approves domestic partnership registry

ORLANDO, Fla. — Last week, the Orlando City Council voted unanimously to approve a domestic partnership registry, becoming the first city in central Florida to do so, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

The registry opens to both same-sex and unmarried opposite-sex couples on Jan. 12, and will allow couples to register for $30, giving them the ability to make health decisions for one another, end of life decisions and visit one another in the hospital and in jail — all rights automatically granted to married couples. Same-sex couples in Florida are denied marriage rights due to a voter-approved constitutional amendment.

Mich. seeks to void anti-bias ordinances

LANSING, Mich. — Republican state representative Tom McMillan introduced a bill in the Michigan House that would undo LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination ordinances around the state.

HB 5039 says that a state agency or local government cannot adopt ordinances or regulations protecting classes not specifically listed in the state’s list of protected classes, the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act. Currently Ann Arbor, Lansing, East Lansing and Kalamazoo bar employment and housing discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. Efforts to add LGBT Michiganders to the statewide list of protected classes have failed in the past.

Gov’t drops deportation case against couple

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Michael Thomas and John Brandoli now know they will be spending this holiday together, and likely many more in the future.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has stopped seeking deportation for Thomas — who is fighting his order to leave his husband and return to his native Trinidad. Upon the insistence of Sen. John Kerry, I.C.E. has agreed to join the motion to stop the removal.

Brandoli and Thomas were legally married in Wilbraham, Mass., on March 28, 2010. The 1996 Defense of Marriage Act prevents the federal government from recognizing legal marriages performed in states like Massachusetts that occur between members of the same-sex, which creates hardships for married bi-national couples.