(New York, June 25, 2010) — Today, Lambda Legal sent a letter to Senators Leahy and Sessions of the Senate Judiciary Committee expressing its views on two issues that may arise during Solicitor General Kagan's confirmation hearings and that directly affect the legal rights of LGBT people and people with HIV: ensuring the appropriate balance between enforcement of antidiscrimination laws and protections for religious freedom; and constitutional protections for the fundamental freedom to marry.

Excerpt from the letter on religious freedom and antidiscrimination laws:

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn will sign into law SB 3266, the Prevent School Violence Act, a bill that covers bullying specifically targeted at students because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, among other categories. In response, Lambda Legal released the following statement from Christopher Clark, Senior Staff Attorney in Lambda Legal's Midwest Regional Office in Chicago.

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected 8-1 a claim in Doe v. Reed by backers of Washington State's Referendum 71 that releasing the names of people who sign petitions to get an initiative on the ballot exposes them to harassment and intimidation and thus violates their First Amendment right to free speech.

A new study co-authored by Lambda Legal and the UCLA School of Public Health finds a close correlation between state and federal marriage discrimination against same-sex couples and disparities in health coverage between married heterosexuals and partnered gay men and lesbians.

The New York Senate passed the "Dignity For All Students Act" that would clearly prohibit all bias-based bullying, including harassment and discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity and expression, in the state's public schools.

The U.S. Labor Department's wage and hour division announced a rule clarification that allows LGBT workers to qualify for family leave to care for their nonbiological or nonadoptive children. In response to this announcement, Lambda Legal released the following statement from Greg Nevins, Supervising Senior Staff Attorney.

6/23/2010

"Although there's no standard definition of the 'gay panic' defense, it rests on the defendant's being so offended or shocked by sexual advances from a person of the same gender that the defendant assaults or kills the victim.

"...Jon Davidson, legal director at Lambda Legal, a national organization for gay, lesbian and transgender people, said the gay-panic defense could be used as part of an insanity defense or shown as a form of provocation.

6/20/2010

"Hawaii's highly charged issue of civil unions is about to try to clear its last hurdle as the governor ponders whether to veto a measure that would enable same-sex and heterosexual couples who are not married to receive the same protections as married couples under the law. On Monday, June 21, Hawaii Republican Governor Linda Lingle is expected to include the civil-unions bill on her list of bills she may veto. She has until July 6 to indicate her intentions. Otherwise, on that date, the measure will become law without her signature.

6/21/2010

"The threat to civil rights can also be seen in the recent case of an HIV-positive person who was charged as a terrorist for allegedly biting another man. Daniel Allen, a 45-year-old Black, HIV-positive gay man, was charged as a bioterrorist for allegedly biting a neighbor's lip during an October 2009 scuffle in suburban Detroit. Allen claims that the neighbor harassed him because he is gay. In addition to two felony assault charges, he was charged with using a 'harmful biological device' after admitting that he was HIV-positive.

(Honolulu, June 21, 2010) — Today, in a notification letter to the Legislature, Governor Linda Lingle included HB 444 in a list of bills she may veto. This notification has prompted a renewed call from civil unions supporters for her to allow the bill to become law.