Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, the New Majority Whip, is introducing a bill that would allow bars in Philadelphia to be open until 3 a.m. with the liquor tax revenue aiding the city's schools.
Massachusetts' US Representative Barney Frank, one of the first openly gay politicians in national office, is planning to wed his long-time partner, Jim Ready.
Starbucks is supporting the gay marriage legislation in the Washington state House and Senate. Karen Holmes, executive vice president of Partner Resources, released the below letter to the group.Dear partners,
Starbucks is proud to join other leading Northwest employers in support of Washington State legislation recognizing marriage equality for same-sex couples. Starbucks strives to create a company culture that puts our partners first, and our company has a lengthy history of leading and supporting policies that promote equality and inclusion.
This important legislation is aligned with Starbucks business practices and upholds our belief in the equal treatment of partners. It is core to who we are and what we value as a company. We are proud of our Pride Alliance Partner Network group, which is one of the largest Employer Resource Groups for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) employees in the U.S., helping to raise awareness about issues in the communities where we live and work.
For the last 20 years, our benefits program has offered domestic partner benefits in the U.S. These benefits include medical, dental, vision, prescription drugs and alternative health care coverage. All partners (part-time and full-time) in all work locations, whether in a store, a roasting plant or a corporate office, adhere to the same eligibility requirements for health coverage and have access to the same comprehensive health plans.
We are deeply dedicated to embracing diversity and treating one another with respect and dignity, and remain committed to providing an inclusive, supportive and safe work environment for all of our partners.
We look forward to seeing this legislation enacted into law.
Regards,
Kalen Holmes
Oscar Isaac, Andrea Riseborough, Madonna, James D'Arcy, and David Harbour:
Carson Kressley:
Lady Bunny:
Photos courtesy of The Weinstein Company. Photographers were Marion Curtis and Amanda Schwab
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie wants the issue of gay marriage in his state to be decided by the people of New Jersey in November - not by the state legislature or himself.
A bill to legalize gay marriage in Washington now has enough votes to pass the state legislature, a lawmaker who sponsored the measure said on Monday, as the state moved closer to becoming the nation's seventh to legalize same-sex unions.
NJ Governor Chris Christie is nominating Bruce Harris to the New Jersey Supreme Court. Bruce will become the first openly LGBT person in history, and the third African-American person in history, to serve on the New Jersey Supreme Court.
A bipartisan coalition of 75+ Mayors pledged to support marriage for gay and lesbian couples today. Philadelphia's Mayor Michael Nutter was among the signers. The official statement is as follows:
An Australian hacker has compromised Grindr - potentially exposing users personal chats, explicit photos and private information.
Johnny Weir announced yesterday that he will be returning to competitive figure skating in hopes of competing at the Sochi Olympics in 2014.
