Roundup: Will Obama Ask to End Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell?
Tonight is the president's State of the Union address and while Obama is sure to address health care reform there is some hope that he may also call on Congress to repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy for the military.
Tonight is the president’s State of the Union address and
while he is sure to address health care reform there is some hope that Obama may
also call on Congress to repeal
the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy for the military.
Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Armed Services Committee,
set off the guessing game Monday when he told reporters that the White House
asked him to postpone an announcement about an upcoming hearing on the
so-called ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy because the president
plans to address the issue.The Michigan Democrat said he didn’t know what Obama plans
to say, but speculation is mounting that he will call on Congress to
repeal the 1993 law that established the policy that bars gays from serving
openly in the ranks — either by proposing his own legislation or backing a
draft bill in the House sponsored by Democratic Rep. Patrick Murphy,
an Iraq War veteran who represents suburban Philadelphia.
This would be welcome news, particularly since President
Obama promised to repeal "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" when campaigning in 2008.
Coincidentally the Williams
Institute at the UCLA School of Law, a public policy institute that studies
sexual orientation law, just released a survey that shows an increase of gay
men and women serving in the military.
An estimated 66,000 gay, lesbian
and bisexual people are serving in the U.S. military, roughly 2 percent of all
military personnel, according to a report released Tuesday by a gay rights
policy center. The figures suggest a slight increase in the number of gays,
lesbians and bisexuals in the military, and they provide opponents of the
military’s "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy with fresh data as they
lobby the Obama administration for its repeal.Gays, lesbians and bisexuals
account for about 13,000 active duty service members, equal to less than 1
percent currently deployed, the report estimated. About 53,000 others serve in
the National Guard and reserves, equaling about 3.4 percent.
In other good news for gay men and women the online dating
site eHarmony, which didn’t offer gay, lesbian and bisexual matching services
until last year, has settled
a class action lawsuit.
As a result of a 2008 settlement
with the state of New Jersey, which sued the company for discrimination, men
and women seeking same-sex matches were redirected from eHarmony to an
affiliate Web site, Compatiblepartners.net.A separate class-action civil
rights lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles in 2007, saying that eHarmony violated
California law barring businesses from discriminating based on sexual
orientation.The proposed settlement would
require eHarmony to display its gay and lesbian dating services more
prominently.
Bonus item: Remember the former president, George W. Bush?
He’s fundraising for a
crisis pregnancy center in Indiana.
Abortion-rights
activist speaks out in support of Hoeffel for governor … Philadelphia Inquirer
Katie
Couric’s Notebook: Teen Pregnancy CBS News
Prosecutors
to wrap case in abortion doc’s slaying Washington Post
US
teen pregnancy rise blamed on abstinence programs ABC Online
January 26, 2010
Tiller
Trial TPMMuckraker
Ante-up
Ladies. Huffington
Post
New
Washington state bill could have ‘chilling effect’ on pregnancy centers Catholic News Agency
Ruth
P. Smith, Abortion-Rights Pioneer, Dies at 102 New York Times
Woman
Dies After Botched Queens Abortion
Gothamist
Unplanned
Pregnancies: It’s Not Just About Irresponsibility AlterNet
After
Long Decline, Teenage Pregnancy Rate Rises New York Times
HAITI:
Country badly needs birth control
TheNewsTribune.com
Teen
Abortion, Pregnancy and Birth Rates Increased in 2006 New Report Says LifeNews.com
HIV
rate up sharply in Minnesota Minneapolis Star Tribune
Children
having children Sarasota
Herald-Tribune
Abortion-Related
Bill Clears Senate, 2Nd Ld WJTV
Abortion
shooting case keeps focus on details
Newsday
Amid
Tebow furor, CBS invites more advocacy ads Washington Post
Fla.
judge says abortion
records can be subpoenaed MiamiHerald.com
Planned
Parenthood Renewing Push to Pass Pro-Abortion Health Care Reform Bill LifeNews.com
Kentucky
Senate OKs Bill Allowing Women to See Ultrasound Before Abortion LifeNews.com
Prosecutors
detail defendant’s movements before antiabortion slaying Los Angeles Times
Blatant
pro-Planned Parenthood bias in Catholic college’s research guides Catholic Culture
Teen
pregnancy and abortion up for the first time in a decade … Feministe
Images
from the annual March for Life Washington Post
Pro-Life
Youth & Enthusiasm Frighten the Opposition National Catholic Register
Kansas
Supreme Court Judge Beier Subject of Pro-Life Groups Expose’ on Abortion LifeNews.com
Rep.
Smith to Pro-Lifers: Don’t Succumb To ‘False Sense of Security’ … CNSNews.com
New
DOH chief backs reproductive health bill ABS CBN News
Preventing
Unintended Pregnancy Best Route To Reducing Need For Abortion … Medical News Today
Coerced
Reproduction Newsweek
Senators
push for more efficient Haiti adoptions
CNN
Protecting
Haiti’s Most Vulnerable CBS News
Adoption
laws tweaked for out-of-state dads
Salt Lake Tribune