Legal & Financial Articles

The California Supreme Court ruled today that same-sex couples should be permitted to marry, and recognizes state marriage laws as discriminatory.

California Supreme Court to hear case of lesbian denied infertility treatment by Christian fundamentalists

The California Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Wednesday, May 28, 2008 in the case of an Oceanside lesbian whose doctors at North Coast Women's Care Medical Group denied her fertility treatments based on their religious beliefs.

The Washington Blade reports on the results of a recent poll conducted by City University of New York’s Hunter College. The poll asked if the U.S. Constitution bans same-sex marriage, whether gays can serve openly in the U.S. military, whether same-sex marriages were legal in the respondent’s state, and if there’s a federal law barring the firing of workers based on their sexual orientation.

Only 38 percent of poll respondents answered all four questions correctly.

“We will push on until we bring full marriage equality to New York state.” - New York Gov. David A. Paterson

NY Gov. David Paterson recently addressed the guests of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's [NGLTF] 2008 New York Leadership Awards dinner.

Although lesbian and gay citizens of New York cannot marry, those who marry elsewhere in the world will be supported by the state.

According to The New York Times:

"...the appellate court in Rochester held that a gay couple’s 2004 marriage in Canada must be respected under the state’s longstanding marriage recognition rule..."

In April 2005, David Parker, then a father of a kindergarten student, angrily met with school officials at a Massachusetts elementary school. His child had described to him a classroom lesson in which the teacher read from a book about different types of families - including those with homosexual parents.

The Associated Press is reporting that a federal appeals court today upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by Parker against school officials.

Cynthia Wade's moving 38-minute documentary film - Freeheld - chronicling New Jersey Police Lieutenant Laurel Hester's landmark legal battle to transfer her pension to her domestic partner has been nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Documentary Short Subject category.

The film was awarded a Special Jury Prize at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and picked up eleven additional awards at film festivals in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Seattle and Denver.

Two courts in Iowa have different views of adoption legislation in the state. The Supreme Court has sided with fair-minded citizens.

The AP is reporting on a story involving a female couple raising two children. One mom is biological, and one adoptive. They have separated, and the adoptive mom has asked the courts to determine custody and support for the kids.

In most areas of the U.S., it takes the law some time to catch-up to today’s definition of family. As gay and lesbian parents - forming our families - we are cultural pioneers. Most governments have not (or will not) offer security via marriage equality, so it's our responsibility to protect our families.

Lambda Legal - a national GLBT civil rights organization - is celebrating a victory in California. In a major show of support for same-sex couples, the California Supreme Court denied a petition by county assessors seeking review of a California Court of Appeal decision affirming the validity of basic property tax protections for domestic partners. The Court's decision means that the validity of these protections is now secure. No further appeals are possible.