If you hadn't heard yet, the California Supreme Court has taken up cases on the legality of Prop 8. Gays & Lesbians in California won't be able to marry while the court hears arguments and deliberates on the case, which some opponents of the proposition had hoped the court would allow, but at least there is a chance that Prop 8 could be nullified.
This is another step in the ongoing battle for marriage equality and we'll all be watching closely. I think the demonstrations all over the country this past Saturday send the clear message that a growing number of people want change and eventually the courts will catch up to the will of the people.
In other news, President-elect Obama has named seven out gay & lesbian members to his various transitional teams as he prepares to take over the Presidency. Among them is Michael Guest, the former Ambassador to Romania who left the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute last year in protest of the department's refusal to extend spousal benefits to same sex partners of State Department employees working overseas. This refusal was a real issue beyond just the basic injustice of it, because part of the benefits being denied to same sex partners were basic security protections.
Hopefully, under the next Secretary of State, this policy will become a thing of the past.
By the way, did you know that just over two weeks ago voters in Colorado elected the first openly gay freshman Congressman in United States history? Congressman Jared Polis will be only the third ever openly gay member of Congress, but he's the first out gay man ever elected as a non-incumbent. Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts is, of course, the first out gay man to serve in Congress, but he was already in office when he came out.
The third out gay member of Congress is Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, who was also out when elected to office for the first time in 1998, making her the first out Lesbian ever elected to Congress and the first out person ever elected to a seat they didn't already hold.
On the one hand, it's sad that in 2009 only 3 openly gay people will have served in Congress, but on the other hand you could say that there are now more openly gay Members of Congress than ever before, and I'm sure the number will continue to grow. It also doesn't take in to account the many closeted members of the House and Senate who have served over the years and are no doubt still serving now.
365Gay has an article up on incoming Congressman Polis, you should check it out.
I'll be back later this evening with a post on today's As the World Turns.
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