Warren’s win in notable as she won in the traditionally conservative state of Florida.

Her opponent, Orlando, told WUFT news, “It’s very very close, and I ran a great campaign. Kept it to the issues. Didn’t get into her personal life and you know that’s what works unfortunately; it’s very sad.”

Warren has been active in her community for decades with Audubon of Florida, serving as president of the Alachua Audubon Society. Additionally, she’s worked for LGBT rights wtih Equality Florida.

She’s also a Realtor with Prudential Trend Realty and is on the task force for Plum Creek’s Envision Alachua planning process.
Now Warren, 60, is making her first run for elected office. She is campaigning for the at-large seat on the Gainesville City Commission up in March’s election.

The post Lesbian wins Florida run-off election first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Vice President Joe Biden spoke to over 1,000 LGBT rights supporters at the Human Rights Campaign Los Angeles gala on March 22. Vice President Biden’s inspiring remarks in support of global LGBT equality represent the latest step from a White House that has made fairness and dignity for LGBT people one of its top priorities.

The post Joe Biden speaks at HRC gala first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) are circulating a letter among their Senate colleagues that calls on President Barack Obama to issue an executive order extending workplace nondiscrimination protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.

“We are writing to urge you to fulfill the promise in your State of the Union address to make this a ‘year of action’ and build upon the momentum of 2013 by signing an executive order banning federal contractors from engaging in employment discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans. As you have said before, ‘now is the time to end this kind of discrimination, not enable it,'” reads the letter, which was provided to The Huffington Post.

Read more at Huffington Post Gay Voices

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Following rumors he was planning a run, gay singer and “American Idol” runner up Clay Aiken on Wednesday officially announced his decision to run for Congress.

Aiken, a 35-year-old Raleigh native, declared in a video announcement his intent to run for North Carolina’s 2nd congressional district, which is currently occupied by Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.).

In the video, Aiken invokes his childhood, saying his mother had to flee from his abusive father and work long hours to support him growing up.

Read more at Washington Blade

Washington Blade is America’s leading gay news source.

The post Aiken announces Congressional bid first appeared on Lesbian.com.

A Hawaii Democrat introduced on Thursday new legislation in the U.S. Senate that would ensure gay veterans discharged because of their sexual orientation have the designation of “honorable” discharge on their records.

The bill, known as the Restore Honor to Service Members Act, would apply to gay veterans who were in service prior to the lifting of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in 2011, when the U.S. military expelled troops for being openly gay.

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), the chief sponsor, said “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal was “a watershed moment,” but his bill would address remaining issues for the estimated 114,000 service members expelled because of their sexual orientation since World War II.

Read more at Washington Blade

Washington Blade is America’s leading gay news source.

The post Legislation affecting discharged gay service members introduced first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring

BY The Seattle Lesbian

The Virginia attorney general announced Thursday that his office has concluded Virginia’s bans on marriages for same-sex couples are unconstitutional, and he will no longer defend legal challenges to the bans now pending in federal court.

“We’re pleased to welcome the attorney general and the commonwealth to the right side of history, and we want to be sure that whatever happens next will result in a quick, clear, and final decision affirming the freedom to marry for our clients and for all Virginians,” said Claire Guthrie Gastañaga, executive director of the ACLU of Virginia.

Read more at TheSeattleLesbian.com

The Seattle Lesbian online magazine reaches more than 188,000 readers per week globally.

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This quote from President Obama’s second inauguration is an example of his acknowledgement of LGBT Americans.

BY MORGAN WELCH
dot429

A study by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) on contemporary US presidents’ use of the word “gay” in public speeches or statements found that current president Barack Obama has said it the most, with 272 instances in the five years since his inauguration in 2009 and has used the widest LGBT vocabulary; the report found that he said “lesbian,” “gay,” “bisexual,” and “transgender” 421 times in total.  Second place went to Bill Clinton, who said “gay” 216 times while in office. He said it 46 times in reference to gays in the military and 80 times when discussing hate crime legislation. In 1998, during Clinton’s second term, University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard was beaten to death for being gay; his murder put anti-gay violence on the national radar and furthered efforts to enact laws against hate crimes.

In contrast, between 2001 and 2009, George W. Bush said “gay” only twice, and one use was to express disapproval of same-sex marriage.

Read more at dot429.com

The post Words matter: How much ‘gay’ does the President say? first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Amid expectations that President Obama will issue a national call to address income equality in his upcoming State of the Union address, some advocates are asking him to take the opportunity to speak out against anti-LGBT workplace discrimination.

With no explicit federal language in place protecting LGBT workers from job discrimination, advocates are calling on Obama to incorporate as part of his speech a call to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and a pledge to sign an executive order prohibiting anti-LGBT discrimination among federal contractors.

The details of the speech are under wraps, but Obama already hinted earlier this month the address — which will be delivered Tuesday before a joint session of Congress — will seek to mobilize the country to ensure “the economy offers every American who works hard a fair shot at success.”

Read more at Washington Blade

Washington Blade is America’s leading gay news source.

The post Will State of the Union address ENDA? first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Houston Mayor Annise Parker, right, and new wife Kathy Hubbard, her parnter of 23 years.

BY Huffington Post Gay Voices

Houston Mayor Annise Parker tied the knot with longtime partner Kathy Hubbard in a Jan. 16 ceremony in Palm Springs, Calif. ABC Eyewitness News 13 reports that the couple was married before an intimate group of friends and family, which included Parker’s mother and Hubbard’s sister, on the 23rd anniversary of their relationship. Officiating was Rev. Paul Fromberg of San Francisco’s St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church, who is also a family friend,according to media reports.

She also told the Associated Press in a statement, “This is a very happy day for us. We have had to wait a very long time to formalize our commitment to each other. Kathy has been by my side for more than two decades, helping to raise a family, nurture my political career and all of the other ups and downs and life events that come with a committed relationship.”

Read more at Huffington Post Gay Voices

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President Obama added to his list of openly gay judicial appointments on Thursday by naming a black lesbian to serve on the federal court.

Obama nominated Staci Michelle Yandle for a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois on Thursday as part of a group of four nominees.

“I am pleased to nominate these distinguished individuals to serve on the United States District Court bench,” Obama said in a statement. “I am confident they will serve the American people with integrity and a steadfast commitment to justice.”

Read more at Washington Blade

Washington Blade is America’s leading gay news source.

The post Obama nominates first black lesbian judge in 20 years first appeared on Lesbian.com.