Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai`i (ACLU) applaud Hawai`i Governor Neil Abercrombie's signing of SB232, which establishes civil unions for same-sex and different-sex couples in Hawai`i. The Hawai`i Senate approved the bill in an 18-5 vote on February 16. The new law takes effect on January 1, 2012.

(New York, February 23, 2011) — After the Department of Justice announced that it will no longer defend the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act" in court, Lambda Legal issued the following statement from Legal Director Jon Davidson:

"Under so-called 'income splitting,' the IRS is requiring all same-sex married couples or registered domestic partners in California to divide their combined income equally and report it on their separate tax returns.

"For some couples, it will mean more money in their 2010 refund; for others, they'll pay more in taxes.

"Either way, the change is significant, both monetarily and emotionally, officials of Lambda Legal, the national gay and lesbian legal rights group, said Tuesday in a conference call with reporters.

"An Arizona law removing domestic partner benefits for state employees discriminates against same-sex couples because they can't get married to qualify, an attorney argued Monday before an appeals court panel.

"'It requires gays and lesbians to go to work every day with the humiliating message that they are not equal,' said Tara Borelli, an attorney representing 10 same-sex couples suing over the change.

(Honolulu, February 16, 2011) — Lambda Legal reacted with pleasure to the final legislative approval today of SB 232, a bill establishing civil unions for Hawai`i couples. Voting 18-5, the Hawai`i Senate accepted amendments made before the House passed the bill last Friday, February 11, 2011 by a 31-19 vote.

The bill originated in the Senate, which approved it on January 28, 2011 by a 19-6 margin. It now goes to Governor Abercrombie, who not only has promised to sign it but made it a campaign issue last year. Once enacted, the new law will take effect on January 1, 2012.

(San Francisco, February 16, 2011) — Today the California Supreme Court agreed to answer a question by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on whether or not supporters of a California ballot measure can continue litigation about that measure’s constitutionality when state officials decide against doing so. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals certified the question in the Prop 8 case, Perry v. Schwarzenegger, on January 4. In response to today’s announcement, Marriage Project Director Jennifer C.

The state of Arizona has no valid reason for placing its lesbian and gay employees on a lower pay scale than heterosexuals, Lambda Legal today told a three-judge panel of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The oral arguments were part of a case to block a law stripping domestic partner benefits from gay and lesbian state employees.

Today, in the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Lambda Legal filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), and the Detroit-based organizations Affirmations and Ruth Ellis Center in a case involving a counseling student dismissed from Eastern Michigan University (EMU) for violating ethics related to treatment of LGBT patients.

"Carrie Sperling and Sue Shapcott moved here from Texas in 2007 knowing that Arizona wouldn't recognize their same-sex marriage, but at least they would qualify for domestic partner benefits available to state employees because of Sperling's job with Arizona State University.

"Then, in 2009, a budget-cutting measure signed by Gov. Jan Brewer narrowed coverage to employees' spouses and dependent children, effectively barring same-sex couples.

The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued a letter to state birth registrars announcing a procedure change allowing a woman to be named as a parent on the Maryland birth certificate of the child born to her same-sex married spouse, without the necessity of a court order. Lambda Legal applauds this advance for Maryland children.