Obama: DOMA Unconstitutional, DOJ Should Stop Defending In Court. WASHINGTON -- In a major policy reversal, the Obama administration said Wednesday it will no longer defend the constitutionality of a federal law banning recognition of same-sex marriage.
Attorney General Eric Holder said President Barack Obama has concluded that the administration cannot defend the federal law that defines marriage as only between a man and a woman. He noted that the congressional debate during passage of the Defense of Marriage Act "contains numerous expressions reflecting moral disapproval of gays and lesbians and their intimate and family relationships - precisely the kind of stereotype-based thinking and animus the (Constitution's) Equal Protection Clause is designed to guard against. " The Justice Department had defended the act in court until now. "Much of the legal landscape has changed in the 15 years since Congress passed" the Defense of Marriage Act, Holder said in a statement.
US House committee approves measure for aid cut to anti-gay countries. A US House committee has approved a measure which would discourage aid to homophobic countries like Uganda.
The amendment to the House Financial Services Committee bill was tabled by Democrat representative Barney Frank, who is gay. It reads: “The Committee urges Treasury to advocate that governments receiving assistance from the multilateral development institutions do not engage in gross violations of human rights, for example, the denial of freedom of religion, including the right to choose one’s own religion, and physical persecution based on sexual orientation or gender identity.” Mr Frank cited Uganda as an example of a country which receives US aid but persecutes gay people. Stuff Queer People Need to Know. Suspect indicted in Northern Kentucky hate crime. Devlin Burke | Fox 19 The man accused of attacking two lesbian women in Covington, Ky., has been indicted on three counts of second-degree assault and one count of fourth-degree assault.
Devlin Burke allegedly beat the women as they were leaving Yadda Club in August 2010, and stabbed two men who intervened. According to Fox 19, Burke was previously convicted of beating a gay man in 2003, and he served prison time for killing a man in a fight. Several similar incidents were reported last summer, and residents met with Covington city officials to demand action. The commissioners reaffirmed Covington’s commitment to human rights.