Sexual Orientation and the Law Blog

Conference on "Sexual Orientation Law Around the World"

Registration appears to still be open for this week's conference "Global Arc of Justice: Sexual Orientation Law Around the World," sponsored by UCLA Law School's Williams Institute and the International Lesbian and Gay Law Association, March 11-14 in Los Angeles. See the conference homepage for full information.

For 18,000 legally married California gay couples, a sigh of relief?

"With the California Supreme Court likely to uphold Proposition 8 but still recognize those already married," the LA Times reports, "the couples are feeling both elated and isolated." 

-- SS

British PM condemns homophobia, calls California's Prop 8 "unacceptable"

Brown made his comments at a reception for British LGBT leaders, observing that "we have always got to be vigilant, always got to fight homophobic behaviour and any form of discrimination."

-- SS

Florida school board sued for banning gay-straight alliance

Two high school students, represented by the ACLU, have sued a Florida school district over its ban on gay-straight alliance groups.  The school defends its ban by noting that "it is against       board             policy to allow student clubs to deal with sexual orientation" and that it has an abstinence-based sex education curriculum.

-- SS

"Definitive" book on Don't Ask, Don't Tell now out from St. Martin's

From the press release:

Military officials exaggerated the threat to unit cohesion and ignored research and data when formulating the current policy on gay troops, according to the much-anticipated new book, Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America, out [March 3].

The book, based on a a decade of research and hundreds of interviews, was written by Dr. Nathaniel Frank, senior research fellow at the Palm Center, and one of the nation’s most widely recognized authorities on gays in the military.

-- SS

Vermont moving closer to full marriage equality?

The Advocate has this report on recent legislative developments.

-- SS

Analysis of Prop 8 arguments

Our colleague Ruthann Robson over at the Con Law Prof Blog has some analysis of the Prop 8 arguments in the California Supreme Court.

-- SS

DOMA challenged in lawsuit filed by Massachusetts couples

Fifteen Massachusetts legally married gay and lesbian couples just filed a challenge to the federal Defense of Marriage Act claiming that it unconstitutionally denies federal rights to legally married couples.  Same Sex Spouses Challenge US Curbs, Boston Globe, Boston.com (March 3, 2009).  Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) filed the civil action on behalf of the couples.  Attorney General Martha Coakley Expresses Strong Support for GLAD, glad.org (March 3, 2009).