2010 Census - It’s Personal and Political

Feb 9, 2010

It’s not just Uncle Sam - GLAD wants you to take part in the 2010 census!

This is an historic opportunity to show who we are as families.  For the first time, the census will count married same-sex couples, in addition to counting same-sex couples living in the same household.

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Posted by Lee Swislow on 9:22 am     0 Comments    

DOMA Damages Same-Sex Families and Their Children

Feb 4, 2010

Excerpted from the ABA Family Advocate

As Justice Ginsburg famously noted in 1996, the history of our constitution is the history of extending constitutional protections to those who were once ignored or excluded from American society. [United States v. Virginia, 518 U.S. 515 (1996)]. That journey to citizenship is well under way for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans as well.

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Posted by Mary Bonauto on 1:28 pm     0 Comments    

Tis the Budget Season So Let’s Get Busy

Jan 29, 2010

HIV service providers, people living with HIV, legislators, and community members filled the Grand Staircase at the State House on Thursday, January 28th to rally support for the funding of critical HIV/AIDS health services and prevention and education programs. The state budget proposed by Governor Patrick on January 27th for the 2011 fiscal year maintained the $35.4 million funding for HIV/AIDS programs, but as State Representatives Carl Sciortino and Gloria Fox (who emplored “Tis the budget season, so let’s get busy!”) State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz reminded us, 2010 is one of the toughest budget seasons our community and the state have faced, and this is no time for complacency.

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Posted by Noreen Giga on 10:23 am     0 Comments    

A Vermont Mother’s Heartbreaking Search Continues

Jan 28, 2010

My heart goes out to Vermont mother Janet Jenkins, who remains in the dark as to the whereabouts of her daughter Isabella.

Lisa Miller, Isabella’s other mother, disappeared with the child before January 1, the date she was ordered by the Rutland Family Court to transfer custody to Janet.

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Posted by Lee Swislow on 6:00 pm     0 Comments    

Someone Stood Up

Jan 22, 2010

Sitting in the packed committee room, listening to the animated testimony from both sides of the effort to repeal the New Hampshire marriage equality law passed last June, I found myself experiencing a range of emotions.  While the ignorance expressed was infuriating at times, it was inspiring to hear from the many gay couples who demonstrated immense courage by speaking publicly about their lives, in front of their legislators and neighbors.  They reminded everyone that they live normal lives as couples and families; feeding the dogs and cats in the morning, making the coffee, getting the kids ready for school, and paying taxes.  After the passage of the marriage equality bill, they felt that their relationships were truly validated, and finally given the “same pride, recognition and legal status” as those of straight couples.

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Posted by Sean P. Malloy on 10:22 am     2 Comments