Harry Reid reveals his niece is a lesbian, gives push to Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA)

From Huffington Post:

WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has long been a supporter of legislation to ban workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation. But on Wednesday, he revealed a more personal reason for his support.

"My niece is a lesbian," Reid said during a sit-down with reporters. "She's a school teacher. Her employment shouldn't be affected with that. We should have a law that says that, not just the good graces of wherever you work."

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ThinkProgress: Mondale, Dukakis join every living Democratic presidential nominee for marriage equality

From ThinkProgress.org:

Former Vice President Walter Mondale and former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis told ThinkProgress this week that they support marriage equality. With their endorsements, every living former Democratic presidential nominee is now on record in support of same-sex marriage.

Every other living Democratic nominee had previously made their support explicit.

Click here to read the list.

Video | Jason Collins and Jarron Collins joke on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jason Collins would always make excuses for why he wasn't interested in the women his twin brother and sister-in-law would set him up with on dates.

Jarron Collins still never figured out that Jason was gay.

Jarron joked Wednesday on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" that he missed "red flags" about Jason, who recently came out as the first active gay male athlete in one of the major U.S. sports.

The brothers, who played together at Stanford before playing in the NBA, appeared together on the show and discussed how Jason finally let Jarron know after being hesitant for so long.

"He's my best friend and any time you come out to someone, you always have that apprehension that they're going to reject, even though I knew that that wasn't going to be the case," Jason Collins said.

Jarron was supportive but said he botched his response at first, saying things such as "Are you sure?" and "Since when?"

"He's my twin brother, of course I was going to be supportive of him all the time," Jarron said.

Jarron said since Jason's announcement, he's been approached by other men asking if he is Jason. To help clear that up, Kimmel gave him a T-shirt that read: "I'm the straight one."

ACLU: Time for 'Modern Family' gay couple to wed

ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK -- The ACLU is lobbying for the gay couple on "Modern Family" to get married.

ACLU Action started a campaign to urge the show's producers to write a wedding episode for Mitchell and Cameron, fathers of an adopted child and one of three couples at the heart of the show.

The ACLU says it is appealing to the fictional family to draw more attention to the real issue as it awaits Supreme Court decisions on two important marriage equality cases.

"Mitch and Cam are a couple that America has come to know and love, and seeing them get married, and seeing the characters in the story grapple with their desire to get married, makes it real for a bigger part of America," said James Esseks, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Project at the ACLU.

Supporters are invited to "RSVP" to the wedding online. The ACLU plans to deliver the online "guest list" to the show's producers but said it had not yet contacted the show.

Esseks said the petition was a departure for the group, but that along with filing lawsuits, lobbying for bills or organizing ballot initiatives, the group saw public education and changing the culture as part of its mission. He applauded what "Modern Family" has done already for public perception of gay couples.

"It's a popular show, they're a lovable, very real couple, and it would be great to see them walk down the aisle," he said.

ABC referred questions to 20th Century Fox Studios, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Show creator Steven Levitan tweeted a link to the campaign with a simple "Wow." Jessie Tyler Ferguson, who plays Mitchell, tweeted: "Love this! Thank you ACLU! Maybe once Prop 8 is overturned!"

North Miami mayoral candidate -- with 56 votes -- says voters chose Lucifer ‘over Jesus’

BY NADEGE GREEN, NGREEN@MIAMIHERALD.COM

A North Miami mayoral candidate who did not make it into the runoff is not going away quietly.

Anna Pierre, who has said Jesus Christ endorsed her campaign, sent out a rambling mass email Wednesday morning warning the city chose Lucifer “over Jesus.” She also posted the message on her Facebook page.

The two top vote-getters, Lucie Tondreau and Kevin Burns (North Miami's gay former mayor), will head to a runoff on June 4 since both were shy of the more than 50 percent needed to win outright.

Pierre received less than 1 percent of the votes, but she said does not believe the numbers. Of 6,786 ballots cast for mayor, she captured 56 votes.

“They claimed I only have 56 votes, you can believe them if you want. I know they are corrupted and some members of the current administration were ready to do anything to have their protégé elected to (perhaps) prevent their butt from going to jail in the near future. But I never expected them to go this far,” she wrote.

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Brazilian must register gay unions as marriages (with video of men celebrating council's decision)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

BRASILIA, Brazil -- Brazilian notary publics must register same-sex civil unions as marriages if the couple requests it, the country's National Council of Justice said Tuesday.

The council that oversees the country's judiciary said in a statement that notary publics cannot refuse to marry gay couples or convert a same-sex civil union into a marriage if that's what the pair wants.

The council based its decision on a 2011 Supreme Court ruling that recognized same-sex civil unions. The court said at the time that gay couples are entitled to same legal rights as heterosexual pairs when it comes to alimony, retirement benefits of a partner who dies and inheritances, among other issues.

Those opposed to the council's ruling can file an appeal with the Supreme Court.

Fourteen of Brazil's 27 states so far have legalized same-same marriages.

Efforts in Congress to approve a bill legalizing gay marriage across the nation have been thwarted by conservative evangelical legislators.

Gay rights movements cheered the council's decision.

"It is a major step that will ensure equality among heterosexual and homosexual couples," Carlos Magno Fonseca, president of the Brazilian Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Association told reporters.

Last year, 1,277 same sex couples registered such civil unions with notary publics.

Hallandale Beach may require companies doing business with city to offer domestic partner benefits

BY CARLI TEPROFF, CTEPROFF@MIAMIHERALD.COM

Any companies doing work for the city of Hallandale Beach may soon be required to offer domestic partnership benefits to their employees if they provide equivalent benefits to married couples.

On Wednesday, the commission will decide whether to beef up its procurement code to match Broward County and several other cities that will hire only companies that offer equal rights to all employees.

“Everyone should be treated equally,” said Hallandale Beach Vice Mayor Alexander Lewy, who is sponsoring the requirement.

“I do not support spending our tax dollars on companies that discriminate based on whether you can or cannot be married,” Lewy said.

Hallandale Beach began offering equal benefits to domestic partners in 2006.

Wednesday’s proposal — which applies to businesses with five or more employees, and for contracts over $100,000 — comes on the heels of Hallandale Beach becoming what is believed to be the first in the nation to offer a tax reimbursement to employees in domestic partnerships.

In November, the commission agreed to give employees with domestic partners what could amount to be between $500 and $900 to offset federal taxes that the employee pays on benefits for a partner.

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Video | 'My Boyfriend is Gay' by Hailey Rowe, who performs this week at Driven Music Conference

Singer Hailey Rowe, whose YouTube hit, My Boyfriend is Gay, has had more than 150,000 views since Feb. 1, performs this week at Driven Music Conference in Fort Lauderdale.

Click here for more information.

Fired gay Ohio teacher outed in mother's published obituary: Catholic educators union won't back her

ASSOCIATED PRESS

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A gay teacher challenging her firing by an Ohio Catholic school says the local union for Catholic educators has decided not to proceed with her complaint.

Carla Hale said Monday the grievance committee for the Central Ohio Association of Catholic Educators isn't supporting her efforts to get back her job as a physical-education teacher. The association hasn't returned telephone calls seeking comment.

Hale also filed a complaint with the city of Columbus, which prohibits firings based on sexual orientation.

Hale says she was fired from Bishop Watterson High School after her partner's name was revealed in her mother's published obituary and someone complained.

Bishop Frederick Campbell says Hale was fired not because of her sexual orientation but because she violated the church's moral teaching by having what he describes as a "quasi-spousal relationship" with a woman.

Minnesota Senate OKs gay marriage; Gov. Mark Dayton to sign marriage equality law on Tuesday

BY PATRICK CONDON AND BRIAN BAKST
ASSOCIATED PRESS

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Spurring onlookers' cheers, the Minnesota Senate voted Monday to make gay marriage legal, putting the state on the brink of becoming the 12th to allow same-sex couples to marry. Gov. Mark Dayton immediately announced he would sign the legislation Tuesday.

The Senate vote of 37-30 came four days after the House passed the bill on a 75-59 vote. When the tally was announced after more than four hours of debate, a huge cheer erupted in the chamber and gallery, where spectators stood and applauded.

Minnesota will become the first state in the Midwest to make gay marriage legal via a legislative vote. Iowa legalized same-sex marriage in 2009 through a court ruling. Under the legislation, gay couples will be able to get married starting on Aug. 1.

Last week, Dayton, a Democrat, called the bill "one of those society-changing breakthrough moments." His staff scheduled a signing ceremony for 5 p.m. Tuesday on the Capitol steps.

Click here for updates.