National
BREAKING: Senate panel approves DOMA repeal legislation
Committee approves bill on 10-8 party-line vote

A Senate committee took historic action on Thursday against the Defense of Marriage Act by approving legislation that would lift the anti-gay law from the books.
The Senate Judiciary Committee reported the legislation to the floor by a vote of 10-8 along a party-line basis.
The committee vote marks the first-time ever that any component of Congress has voted to repeal DOMA, which prohibits federal recognition of same-sex marriage, since it was first enacted in 1996.
Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) in his opening statement said legislation to repeal DOMA, which is known as the Respect for Marriage Act, is necessary because “thousands of American families are now being treated unfairly by their federal government.”
“They are shunted aside — singled out from all other marriages recognized by their states,” Leahy said. “This unfairness must end. The Respect for Marriage Act would provide for the equal treatment of all lawful treatment of all lawful marriages in this country by repealing DOMA.”
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the sponsor of the legislation, said she thinks DOMA is “discriminatory” and “should be stricken in its entirety from federal law.”
“Marriage is legal preserve of the states,” Feinstein said. “DOMA infringes on this state authority by requiring the federal government to disregard state law and deny more than 1,100 rights benefits to which all other legally married couples are entitled.”
Republicans said they oppose DOMA repeal because they believe it would undermine the definition of marriage as one man, one woman and impose same-sex marriage in states where it isn’t recognized. The GOP committee members also questioned why the panel was taking up the bill when passage of the floor is unlikely and the country is facing other matters such as jobs and the economy.
The Respect for Marriage Act wouldn’t require states to recognize marriage equality. However, the bill would enable federal benefits to continue to flow to same-sex couples if they marry in one jurisdiction and move to another state within the country that doesn’t recognize their union.
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), ranking Republican on the committee, said the longstanding definition of marriage as between one man, one woman was one of the reasons he voted against the bill.
“For thousands of years, across all cultures and nations, marriage was exclusively a heterosexual institution,” Grassley said. “Obvious biological realities were a major reason why. Another reason was the universal religious view that marriage was about procreation and child-bearing.”
But Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) disputed the argument that marriage has been static for centuries and said Grassley “misstated” the history of the institution.
“Marriage has not existed as a union between one man and one woman for thousands of years in every culture,” Franken said. “In many cultures, men are able to marry many women, and even young girls. For centuries, women were treated as chattle in marriage.”
Franken continued, “Further, if the religious purpose of marriage is for procreation, why would we sanction marriage between an 80-year-old widower and a 80-year-old widow? I just think we need to be accurate when talk about … the history of our institutions.”
Grassley also disputed the notion that marriage is a civil rights issue, drawing a recent column from the New York Times’ Frank Bruni. Among the quotes from the column that Grassley selected was from Wade Henderson, president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, who was quoted as saying attempts to equate the persecution of gays and blacks is “deeply offensive.”
In a statement, Henderson said he in fact believes marriage is a civil right issue and Grassley mischaracterized his remarks before the committee.
“Sen. Charles Grassley chose to misappropriate and misconstrue statements attributed to me in a news article in order to make an illegitimate case against equality for LGBT Americans,” Henderson said. “He was wrong. Marriage equality is a civil rights issue and I am a supporter of marriage equality.”
LGBT advocates heralded the committee vote and called it one step toward ridding the books of an anti-gay law that has barred married same-sex couples from enjoying the federal benefits of marriage.
Rick Jacobs, chair of the Courage Campaign, said the panel vote marks a milestone in which the Senate for the first time “voted to make gays and lesbians whole people.”
“This truly historic vote today should never have been necessary because this absurd law should never have been on the books,” Jacobs said. “Thanks to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, we have a bill that can move to the Senate floor where fair-minded people who believe in a nation united, not divided, can end federal discrimination against gay and lesbian couples legally married in six states and the District of Columbia.”
Jacobs also criticized committee Republicans for voting in unison against the bill, saying, “Sadly, the Republicans think this is a partisan issue.”
Rea Carey, executive director of National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, was also among those praising the committee for moving forward with the Respect for Marriage Act.
This vote marks an important step toward recognizing our common humanity, and moves us closer to ending a grave injustice against thousands of loving, committed couples who simply want to provide and care for each other as other married couples are allowed to do,” Carey said. “It is shocking and an outrage that, in modern-day America, legally married same-sex couples are being singled out and selectively denied fundamental rights by their own federal government.”
The White House also praised the committee for moving forward DOMA repeal legislation. In July, President Obama endorsed the Respect for Marriage Act, although he previously campaigned on DOMA repeal in 2008.
“President Obama applauds today’s vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee to approve the Respect for Marriage Act, which would provide a legislative repeal of the so-called ‘Defense of Marriage Act,’ said Shin Inouye, a White House spokesperson.
Inouye continued, “The president has long believed that DOMA is discriminatory and has called for its repeal. We should all work towards taking this law off the books. The federal government should not deny gay and lesbian couples the same rights and legal protections afforded to straight couples.”
Whether the bill will come to a vote before the full Senate remains to be seen. In addition to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the bill’s sponsor, the bill only has 30 co-sponsors — far short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a Senate filibuster.
A Senate Judiciary Committee spokesperson deferred comment on scheduling to office of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), which didn’t immediately respond to the Washington Blade’s request to comment on the bill.
Ranking Member Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) noted the difficulties of passing DOMA repeal on the Senate floor as a reason why the committee shouldn’t even have taken up the legislation. Cornyn said Democratic leaders would face a revolt in their own caucus if a vote was scheduled because of the political difficulties in passing the bill.
Asked by Cornyn during the markup whether a floor vote on DOMA would happen this Congress, Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said he’s uncertain because of the Republicans’ extensive use of filibusters on the Senate floor.
But Durbin said “it would be worth it” to hold a floor vote on DOMA repeal even if the bill only received support from its 30 co-sponsors.
No amendments were offered during the markup to amend DOMA. The Washington Blade obtained three amendments that were set to come up during consideration of the bill, but no committee member introduced them. It’s unlikely Republicans had the votes to adopt any of the amendments as part of the legislation.
Among those in attendance during the Senate committee markup was Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), the sponsor of the DOMA repeal legislation in the House.
Following the vote, Nadler told the Washington Blade the Senate markup was “another step forward” in moving toward DOMA repeal, but expressed pessimism about a similar vote in the Republican-controlled House.
“This is a subject that the more people get used to it, the better it is, the easier it makes it,” Nadler said. “I don’t believe the Republicans are going to allow a vote in the House anytime soon. We may have to wait for the next election for that, but this will help. It’ll definitely help.”
Federal Government
RFK Jr.’s HHS report pushes therapy, not medical interventions, for trans youth
‘Discredited junk science’ — GLAAD

A 409-page report released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services challenges the ethics of medical interventions for youth experiencing gender dysphoria, the treatments that are often collectively called gender-affirming care, instead advocating for psychotherapy alone.
The document comes in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order barring the federal government from supporting gender transitions for anyone younger than 19.
“Our duty is to protect our nation’s children — not expose them to unproven and irreversible medical interventions,” National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya said in a statement. “We must follow the gold standard of science, not activist agendas.”
While the report does not constitute clinical guidance, its findings nevertheless conflict with not just the recommendations of LGBTQ advocacy groups but also those issued by organizations with relevant expertise in science and medicine.
The American Medical Association, for instance, notes that “empirical evidence has demonstrated that trans and non-binary gender identities are normal variations of human identity and expression.”
Gender-affirming care for transgender youth under standards widely used in the U.S. includes supportive talk therapy along with — in some but not all cases — puberty blockers or hormone treatment.
“The suggestion that someone’s authentic self and who they are can be ‘changed’ is discredited junk science,” GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. “This so-called guidance is grossly misleading and in direct contrast to the recommendation of every leading health authority in the world. This report amounts to nothing more than forcing the same discredited idea of conversion therapy that ripped families apart and harmed gay, lesbian, and bisexual young people for decades.”
GLAAD further notes that the “government has not released the names of those involved in consulting or authoring this report.”
Janelle Perez, executive director of LPAC, said, “For decades, every major medical association–including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics–have affirmed that medical care is the only safe and effective treatment for transgender youth experiencing gender dysphoria.
“This report is simply promoting conversion therapy by a different name – and the American people know better. We know that conversion therapy isn’t actually therapy – it isolates and harms kids, scapegoats parents, and divides families through blame and rejection. These tactics have been used against gay kids for decades, and now the same people want to use them against transgender youth and their families.
“The end result here will be a devastating denial of essential health care for transgender youth, replaced by a dangerous practice that every major U.S. medical and mental health association agree promotes anxiety, depression, and increased risk of suicidal thoughts and attempts.
“Like being gay or lesbian, being transgender is not a choice, and no amount of pressure can force someone to change who they are. We also know that 98% of people who receive transition-related health care continue to receive that health care throughout their lifetime. Trans health care is health care.”
“Today’s report seeks to erase decades of research and learning, replacing it with propaganda. The claims in today’s report would rip health care away from kids and take decision-making out of the hands of parents,” said Shannon Minter, legal director of NCLR. “It promotes the same kind of conversion therapy long used to shame LGBTQ+ people into hating themselves for being unable to change something they can’t change.”
“Like being gay or lesbian, being transgender is not a choice—it’s rooted in biology and genetics,” Minter said. “No amount or talk or pressure will change that.”
Human Rights Campaign Chief of Staff Jay Brown released a statement: “Trans people are who we are. We’re born this way. And we deserve to live our best lives and have a fair shot and equal opportunity at living a good life.
“This report misrepresents the science that has led all mainstream American medical and mental health professionals to declare healthcare for transgender youth to be best practice and instead follows a script predetermined not by experts but by Sec. Kennedy and anti-equality politicians.”
The White House
Trump nominates Mike Waltz to become next UN ambassador
Former Fla. congressman had been national security advisor

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced he will nominate Mike Waltz to become the next U.S. ambassador to the U.N.
Waltz, a former Florida congressman, had been the national security advisor.
Trump announced the nomination amid reports that Waltz and his deputy, Alex Wong, were going to leave the administration after Waltz in March added a journalist to a Signal chat in which he, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and other officials discussed plans to attack Houthi rebels in Yemen.
“I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States ambassador to the United Nations,” said Trump in a Truth Social post that announced Waltz’s nomination. “From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our nation’s Interests first. I know he will do the same in his new role.”
Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as interim national security advisor, “while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department.”
“Together, we will continue to fight tirelessly to make America, and the world, safe again,” said Trump.
Trump shortly after his election nominated U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) to become the next U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Trump in March withdrew her nomination in order to ensure Republicans maintained their narrow majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
U.S. Federal Courts
Second federal lawsuit filed against White House passport policy
Two of seven plaintiffs live in Md.

Lambda Legal on April 25 filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of seven transgender and nonbinary people who are challenging the Trump-Vance administration’s passport policy.
The lawsuit, which Lambda Legal filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland in Baltimore, alleges the policy that bans the State Department from issuing passports with “X” gender markers “has caused and is causing grave and immediate harm to transgender people like plaintiffs, in violation of their constitutional rights to equal protection.”
Two of the seven plaintiffs — Jill Tran and Peter Poe — live in Maryland. The State Department, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the federal government are defendants.
“The discriminatory passport policy exposes transgender U.S. citizens to harassment, abuse, and discrimination, in some cases endangering them abroad or preventing them from traveling, by forcing them to use identification documents that share private information against their wishes,” said Lambda Legal in a press release.
Zander Schlacter, a New York-based textile artist and designer, is the lead plaintiff.
The lawsuit notes he legally changed his name and gender in New York.
Schlacter less than a week before President Donald Trump’s inauguration “sent an expedited application to update his legal name on his passport, using form DS-5504.”
Trump once he took office signed an executive order that banned the State Department from issuing passports with “X” gender markers. The lawsuit notes Schlacter received his new passport in February.
“The passport has his correct legal name, but now has an incorrect sex marker of ‘F’ or ‘female,'” notes the lawsuit. “Mr. Schlacter also received a letter from the State Department notifying him that ‘the date of birth, place of birth, name, or sex was corrected on your passport application,’ with ‘sex’ circled in red. The stated reason was ‘to correct your information to show your biological sex at birth.'”
“I, like many transgender people, experience fear of harassment or violence when moving through public spaces, especially where a photo ID is required,” said Schlacter in the press release that announced the lawsuit. “My safety is further at risk because of my inaccurate passport. I am unwilling to subject myself and my family to the threat of harassment and discrimination at the hands of border officials or anyone who views my passport.”
Former Secretary of State Antony Blinken in June 2021 announced the State Department would begin to issue gender-neutral passports and documents for American citizens who were born overseas.
Dana Zzyym, an intersex U.S. Navy veteran who identifies as nonbinary, in 2015 filed a federal lawsuit against the State Department after it denied their application for a passport with an “X” gender marker. Zzyym in October 2021 received the first gender-neutral American passport.
Lambda Legal represented Zzyym.
The State Department policy took effect on April 11, 2022.
Trump signed his executive order shortly after he took office in January. Germany, Denmark, Finland, and the Netherlands are among the countries that have issued travel advisories for trans and nonbinary people who plan to visit the U.S.
A federal judge in Boston earlier this month issued a preliminary injunction against the executive order. The American Civil Liberties Union filed the lawsuit on behalf of seven trans and nonbinary people.
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