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Delaware approves marriage equality

Gov. Jack Markell signed HB 75 into law after it passed by 12-9 vote margin.

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Jack Markell, Delaware, same-sex marriage, gay marriage, marriage equality, gay news, Washington Blade
Jack Markell, Delaware, same-sex marriage, gay marriage, marriage equality, gay news, Washington Blade

Gov. Jack Markell on Tuesday signs Delaware’s same-sex marriage bill into law in Dover, Del. (Photo courtesy of Patrick Jackson)

The Delaware Senate on Tuesday approved a bill that will allow same-sex marriage in the First State.

The 12-9 vote came more than three hours after lawmakers began to hear testimony from House Bill 75 supporters and opponents.

Senate President Pro Tempore Patricia Blevins (D-Elsmere,) Senate Majority Whip Margaret Rose Henry (D-Wilmington) and Senate Majority Leader David McBride (D-Hawkā€™s Nest) voted for HB 75 alongside state Sens. Brian Bushweller (D-Dover,) Catherine Cloutier (R-Heatherbrooke,) Bethany A. Hall-Long (D-Middletown,) Robert Marshall (D-Wilmington,) Harris McDowell (D-Wilmington,) Karen Peterson (D-Stanton,) Nicole Poore (D-New Castle,) David Sokola (D-Newark) and Bryan Townsend. Senate Minority Whip Gregory Lavelle (R-Sharpley) and Senate Minority Leader Gary Simpson (R-Milford) voted against the proposal along with state Sens. Colin Bonini (R-Dover,) Bruce Ennis (D-Smyrna,) Gerald Hocker (R-Ocean View,) David Lawson (R-Marydel,) Ernesto Lopez (R-Lewes,) Brian Pettyjohn (R-Georgetown) and Robert Venables (D-Laurel.)

ā€œIt is about treating couples the same under the law as all other couples,ā€ Equality Delaware President Lisa Goodman said. ā€œIt is about treating similarly situated people the same.ā€

Peterson came out as a lesbian while she spoke in support of House Bill 75.

ā€œWe are not seeking to redefine marriage,ā€ she said, noting she and her partner of more than 20 years entered into a civil union once the stateā€™s civil unions law took effect in Jan. 2012. ā€œWe are seeking to expand the definition of marriage just as the Supreme Court did in the Loving v. Virginia case.ā€

Venables noted ā€œanatomyā€ means ā€œa man should not be marrying a manā€ as he spoke against House Bill 75.

ā€œThis is a step to break [marriage] down,ā€ he said.

Father Leonard Klein of the Diocese of Wilmington also testified against the proposal.

ā€œMarriage exists obviously we believe by the will of God because the sexual orientation between men and women tends to create babies,ā€ he said. ā€œBecause of this, every human culture has found some way to see to it that children conceived by the interaction by men and women are raised ideally by the people who brought them into the ages.ā€

Lopez, whose district includes Rehoboth Beach, said on the Senate floor he and his family experienced “hate” during the final weeks of his campaign against gay Realtor Andy Staton last fall because of the fliers the Delaware Liberty Fund, an independent LGBT PAC, distributed. He said they came from and were “paid for from individuals who now support marriage equality.”

The Victory Fund, which endorsed Staton, declined to comment on Lopez’s claims.

Staton described the fliers to the Washington Blade on Wednesday as “unfortunate.”

Lopez did not immediately return the Blade’s request for comment, but Staton criticized his former opponent for voting against HB 75.

“He misrepresented his district,” Staton said. “This is a district that strongly favored marriage equality and it was unfortunate that he could not side with those people that were in favor for equality for all of us here in Delaware.”

Neighboring Maryland is among the nine states and D.C. in which same-sex couples can currently marry.

Gays and lesbians can legally tie the knot in Rhode Island on Aug. 1 after the stateā€™s same-sex marriage law that Gov. Lincoln Chafee signed last week takes effect.

Gov. Jack Markell signed HB 75 into law shortly after the Senate approved it.

ā€œToday, we wrote a new chapter in our history and proved, once again, justice and equality continue to move forward in Delaware,ā€ he said. ā€œBy signing House Bill 75 into law, we are another step closer towards achieving that goal.ā€

Delaware Sen. Chris Coons is among those who also applauded HB 75’s passage.

ā€œThis is a truly historic day for our state,ā€ he said. ā€œThe passage of HB 75 ushers in a new era of equality in our state and marks an important moment in our stateā€™s history. I am incredibly proud.ā€

ā€œIn Delaware, we do what is right for our citizens,” state Rep. Melanie George Smith (D-Bear,) who introduced HB 75 in the Delaware House of Representatives last month, added. ā€œThis bill is about equality and treating all couples in a loving, committed relationship with equal respect and dignity.”

Victory Fund CEO Chuck Wolfe also praised Peterson for coming out as he applauded the measureā€™s approval.

ā€œWe congratulate Sen. Peterson for telling her colleagues what marriage equality means to her and her partner and for standing up for freedom and fairness for everyone in Delaware,ā€ he said.

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The White House

Trump bars trans women and girls from sports

The administration reversed course on the Biden-Harris policy on Title IX

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President Donald Trump (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued another executive order taking aim at the transgender community, this time focusing on eligibility for sports participation.

In a signing ceremony for ā€œKeeping Men Out of Womenā€™s Sports” in the East Room of the White House, the president proclaimed “With this executive order, the war on womenā€™s sports is over.”

Despite the insistence by Trump and Republicans that trans women and girls have a biological advantage in sports over cisgender women and girls, the research has been inconclusive, at best.

A study in the peer reviewed Sports Medicine journal found ā€œno direct or consistent researchā€ pointing to this conclusion. A different review in 2023 found that post-pubertal differences are ā€œreduced, if not erased, over time by gender affirming hormone therapy.ā€

Other critics of efforts to exclude trans student athletes have pointed to the small number of people who are impacted. Charlie Baker, president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, testified last year that fewer than 10 of the NCAA’s 522,000+ student athletes identify as trans.

The Trump-Vance administration has reversed course from the Biden-Harris administration’s policy on Title IX rules barring sex-based discrimination.

ā€œIf youā€™re going to have womenā€™s sports, if youā€™re going to provide opportunities for women, then they have to be equally safe, equally fair, and equally private opportunities, and so that means that youā€™re going to preserve womenā€™s sports for women,” a White House official said prior to the issuance of the order.

Former President Joe Biden’s Title IX rules, which went into effect last year, clarified that pursuant to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County (2020), sex-based discrimination includes that which is based on the victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

The White House official indicated that the administration will consider additional guidance, regulations, and interpretations of Title IX, as well as exploring options to handle noncompliance by threatening federal funding for schools and education programs.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump ā€œdoes expect the Olympic Committee and the NCAA to no longer allow men to compete in womenā€™s sports.ā€

One of the first legislative moves by the new Congress last month was House Republicans’ passage of the “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act,” which would ban trans women and girls from participating in competitive athletics.

The bill is now before the U.S. Senate, where Republicans have a three-seat majority but would need 60 votes to overcome the filibuster.

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California

Los Angeles Blade names new publisher

Alexander Rodriguez brings deep media, business experience to outlet

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Alexander Rodriguez (Photo courtesy of Alexander Rodriguez)

The Los Angeles Blade, Southern Californiaā€™s leading LGBTQ news outlet, today announced the appointment of a new publisher, Alexander Rodriguez. 

Rodriguez has a long background in queer media, business development, and a deep commitment to the Los Angeles community. He has worked as a lead writer and podcast host for Metrosource Magazine and for GED Magazine; content director for FleshBot Gay; and as host and producer for the ā€œOn the Rocksā€ podcast. On the business side, Rodriguez spent years working in business development in the banking industry throughout Los Angeles. He also has an extensive background in event planning and management and has served on the boards of many LGBTQ non-profits. As a TV and radio personality, he has served as emcee for LGBTQ events around the nation. 

ā€œIā€™m excited to bring my diverse media and business experience to the Los Angeles Blade,ā€ Rodriguez said. ā€œWe will continue the Bladeā€™s mission of serving as our communityā€™s news outlet of record during these challenging times and work toward building bridges within our community and beyond.ā€

 Rodriguez starts in his new role on Monday, Feb. 3.

ā€œWe are thrilled to welcome Alexander to the Blade team,ā€ said Kevin Naff, one of the owners of the Los Angeles Blade. ā€œHis multimedia and business side experience will help us grow the Blade in L.A. and continue our commitment to best-in-class journalism serving the LGBTQ community in Southern California.ā€

Rodriguez becomes the Los Angeles Bladeā€™s second publisher following the unexpected death of founding publisher Troy Masters in December. Masters served in the role for nearly eight years. The community will come together for a celebration of Mastersā€™s life on Monday, Feb. 10, 7-9 p.m. at the Abbey. 

ā€œTroyā€™s legacy is in good hands with Alexander at the helm alongside our new local news editor, Gisselle Palomera,ā€ Naff added.

The Los Angeles Blade, launched in 2017, celebrates its eighth anniversary in March. It is the sister publication of the Washington Blade, founded in 1969, which offers unmatched coverage of queer political news and is the only LGBTQ outlet in the White House press pool and the White House Correspondentsā€™ Association, and the only LGBTQ outlet with a dedicated seat in the White House briefing room.

Alexander Rodriguez can be reached at [email protected].

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Board members for LGBTQ foreign affairs group resign amid Trump attacks

GLIFAA vows to keep fighting outside the government

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President Trumpā€™s ā€˜Defending Womenā€™ executive order forced GLIFAA to make drastic changes. (Screen capture via Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies/YouTube)

The board of the affinity group Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies (GLIFAA) announced ā€œextraordinary measures,ā€ including a spate of resignations, on Friday to keep in compliance with President Trumpā€™s ā€œDefending Womenā€ executive order. 

GLIFAA, an employee resource group that advocates for LGBTQ inclusion, equality, and workplace protections within U.S. foreign affairs agencies, announced that elected board members who were active U.S. government employees stepped down. The group was forced to take the drastic step amid Trumpā€™s attacks on federal workers and efforts to slash spending. In a letter obtained by the Washington Blade, GLIFAA says that its work within the Executive Office will end because of Trumpā€™s ā€œDefending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Governmentā€ order, but will continue advocating for LGBTQ federal workers through its independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization status outside of its former official government capacity. 

Executive Order 14168, also known as the ā€œDefending Womenā€ order, prompted this change within GLIFAA. It mandates that federal agencies recognize only two sexes, prohibits the use of gender identity in federal documents, and stops funding for gender-affirming care and any programs promoting ā€œgender ideology.ā€ 

In the letter sent on Friday, the organization explained its board members resigned to comply with the recent executive order on LGBTQ rights, but not before appointing an interim board to help make the shift out of the federal government. It also urged all members of GLIFAA to remove any work email accounts connected with the organization and switch them to personal email addresses to avoid any potential retaliation, as well as to pay membership dues to allow the organization to continue protecting LGBTQ federal workers.Ā 

Despite these changes to the organization’s structure and ability to work in an official capacity within the government, the message was clear that GLIFAA will adapt to these changes to continue supporting LGBTQ federal workers, as well as other LGBTQ people facing oppression. 

ā€œWe recognize the deep challenges this moment poses to both our membership and our mission to advocate for human rights, dignity, and equal access to opportunities for all members of our Community,ā€ the letter reads. ā€œSince 1992, GLIFAA has successfully advocated for policies that reversed discriminatory security clearance denials, secured benefits and accreditation for our spouses and family members, expanded healthcare and insurance coverage to meet the needs of our community, and promoted the advancement of human rights globally. We began this work in 1992 without official Department recognition, and while our activities as an employee organization have ceased for now, our mission to advocate for full legal and social equality for our members and their family members in the U.S. foreign affairs community will continue, albeit under different terms.ā€

The letter continued, advocating for perseverance amid an administration that has been hostile to the LGBTQ community, especially the trans community.

ā€œIn challenging times, the strength and resilience of our community matters more than ever. GLIFAA always has and always will represent all letters of the LGBTQIA rainbow. We are strongest when we stand together. So, we urge you to reach out to other members, uplift your colleagues and friends, and carry forward GLIFAAā€™s unwavering spirit of resilience, determination, and support for equality ā€” wherever you are.ā€

This comes days after multiple federal government websites wiped any mention of transgender people, removed mentions of how HIV and other health problems disproportionately impact the LGBTQ community, and information on Civil Rights protections to comply with Trumpā€™s executive order. Some websites affected by this order include formerly non-partisan organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Census Bureau, and National Park Service. 

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