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by Dyana Bagby
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May 06, 2013 17:49 |
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U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) will join U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) tomorrow at the U.S. Capitol to discuss the Every Child Deserves a Family Act.
The legislation, if passed, would prohibit federal funds going to foster care or adoption programs that "discriminate against potential adoption families because of marital status, gender identity, sexual orientation or the gender identity of the adoptive child."
More than 40 LGBT organizations have signed on to support the act including Georgia Equality and the Stonewall Bar Association of Georgia. Dozens of other adoption and foster care groups as well as civil rights and faith-based organizations are also part of a broad coalition backing the legislation.
Joining Lewis will be Philip McAdoo and Sean Cavanaugh of Atlanta, who have adopted 7-year-old Zaden into their family.
“This bill is an important addition to existing non-discrimination law in this country,” said Rep. John Lewis in a prepared statement.
“With it we are saying that no agency receiving federal money has the right to stop adoptions because a willing and able family is headed by a single mother or father, a same sex couple or because of the gender identity of the child. With about 400,000 children in this country who need to find a home, we should open up the process to all families who are loving and capable of raising responsible children."
Photo: U.S. Rep. John Lewis is a sponsor of the Every Child Deserves a Family Act. (file photo)
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by Laura Douglas-Brown
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April 29, 2013 11:35 |
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 Jason Collins of the Washington Wizards comes out in the May 6 issue of Sports Illustrated, becoming the first gay athlete in major U.S. men's professional sports to come out during his career.
"I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay," Collins writes in the first-person essay, which is online now.
"I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, 'I'm different.' If I had my way, someone else would have already done this," he writes. "Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand."
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by Dyana Bagby
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April 26, 2013 00:00 |
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At a recent reception at the upscale STK restaurant and bar in Midtown, dozens of Human Rights Campaign members gathered to network, socialize and bid on some silent auction items while they sipped cocktails.
The members and supporters were just weeks away from the annual Atlanta Gala Dinner, set for May 4 at the Hyatt Regency, and several members excitedly received their nametags noting they are officially members of the dinner committee.
About an hour into the party, dinner co-chairs Andrew Land and Kaitlin Porter stood atop a counter and toasted everyone for coming out. Porter announced the dinner is almost sold out so people need to buy their tickets now.
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by Ryan Watkins
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April 25, 2013 12:11 |
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Yesterday, the Rhode Island state senate approved a same-sex marriage bill that will almost certainly see the small, New England state enact marriage equality. The state's House of Representatives had already passed similar legislation and Gov. Lincoln Chafee has promised to sign.
Rhode Island would be the 10th U.S. state to allow such unions to be performed in its jurisdiction.
Freedom to Marry's National Campaign Director Marc Solomon hailed the victory and thanked local politicos for their efforts in a statement released yesterday:
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by Ryan Watkins
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April 19, 2013 11:26 |
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 The Boy Scouts of America is poised to allow openly gay scouts but not out leaders.
BSA spokesperson Deron Smith told Reuters that if a proposed policy is approved in May, "no youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone.”
The proposal, however, would still ban openly gay and lesbian scout leadership.
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