VIDEO: Equality Act Introduced

Lambda Legal reacts:

We applaud the introduction of this essential bill. Today, it spotlights the pervasive, unjust, and unacceptable discrimination facing LGBT Americans and their families; when passed, it will be a crucial next step forward in ending that discrimination. Its introduction comes nearly one month after the Supreme Court’s historic decision in Obergefell v. Hodges that made marriage equality the law of the land and just one week after the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) landmark ruling in Baldwin v. Foxx that the sex discrimination provisions of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, properly understood, protect employees who suffer workplace discrimination because of their sexual orientation. LGBT equality keeps advancing because fairness is a fundamental American value.

The ACLU reacts:

Today is a historic day that has been decades in the making. The Equality Act would transform the lives of countless women and LGBT people. Our country’s most basic promise of equal treatment under the law will never be real if you fear losing your job, being kicked out of your home, denied access to healthcare or turned away from a business because of who you are. Both the lack of clear and explicit federal protections for LGBT people and the lack of protections for women in core areas of American life are unacceptable. We urge Congress to take up this landmark bill and make our country a more just nation for all.

The Center For American Progress reacts:

This historic legislation would provide clear and vital protections from discrimination for LGBT Americans in all areas of life, from the workplace to the public marketplace. Despite last month’s historic Supreme Court decision, many LGBT people and their families live in constant fear that discrimination could lurk around any corner at school, in the office, or on Main Street. Modernizing our federal nondiscrimination laws to include sexual orientation, gender identity, and, where currently excluded, sex, will bring our laws into the 21st century and ensure that all Americans, including our LGBT friends and neighbors, are judged on their merits, can provide for their families, and live free from fear. The progressive cause in our country has always been about ensuring people can live free of fear regardless of who they are. This bill promises to be a major priority for the LGBT movement and broader progressive community moving forward, and CAP applauds Sens. Merkley, Booker, and Baldwin and Rep. Cicilline for their leadership on behalf of all Americans.

The HRC reacts:

The time has come for full federal equality -- nothing more, nothing less. While America is now a marriage equality nation, the tragic reality is that millions of LGBT Americans face persistent discrimination in their lives each and every day. In most states in this country, a couple who gets married at 10 AM is at risk of being fired from their jobs by noon and evicted from their home by 2 PM, simply for posting their wedding photos online. Congress must pass the Equality Act to ensure that LGBT people and their families are just as safe at work or at school as they are in their marriages. This bill will guarantee all LGBT Americans have the clear, permanent, and explicit protections from discrimination that they deserve.

Smoking Crayfish & Gay Marriage

Rep. Jared Polis gets the Gregory Brothers treatment.

Rep. Jared Polis Intros House Bill To Stop Rep. Steve King From Introducing Bills

From the official site of openly gay Rep. Jared Polis:

On the heels of Rep. Steve King’s outrageous announcement Wednesday of his “Restrain the Judges on Marriage Act,” Rep. Jared Polis (CO-02) today proposed the “Restrain Steve King from Legislating Act.” The bill would prevent Steve King from abusing taxpayer dollars by substituting the judgments of the nation’s duly serving judicial branch of government with his own beliefs.

“For too long, Steve King has overstepped his constitutionally nonexistent judicial authority,” Polis said. “Mr. King has perverted the Constitution to create rights to things such as discrimination, bullying, and disparate treatment. These efforts to enshrine these appalling values as constitutional rights were not envisioned by the voters, or by King’s colleagues who must currently try to restrain his attempts to single-handedly rewrite the nation’s founding principles on a bill-by-bill basis.

“I urge the House to bring this bill to the floor. If passed, my bill would preserve the right of millions of voters in all 50 states who would prefer that Steve King refrain from legislating a role for himself in their marriage decisions.”

(Tipped by JMG reader Dustin)

RE-ELECTED: All LGBT House Members

The 2014 midterms were not a total disaster, at least for the six openly LGBT members of the US House. Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA), Rep. Jared Polis* (D-CO), Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), Rep Mark Pocan (D-WI), Rep David Cicilline (D-RI), and Rep. Kysten Sinema (D-AZ) all retained their seats today. 

Openly gay US House candidates who lost their bids today include Oklahoma state Sen. Al McCaffrey, Texas military veteran Louie Minor, North Carolina American Idol finalist Clay Aiken, former Massachusetts GOP legislator Richard Tisei, and New York investment banker Sean Eldridge, the husband of Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes.

The House bid of scandal-plagued homocon Carl DeMaio is too close to call at this writing.

*Not pictured.

Civil Unions Begin In Colorado

Colorado's first civil unions took place moments after midnight local time.  Photos are going up on Twitter and we'll excuse the sideways shots because folks are understandably excited.

Half Of Congress Files DOMA Brief

Almost half of the sitting members of Congress today filed a joint Supreme Court brief in the support of the overturn of DOMA. Via press release:

Today, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Ranking Constitution Subcommittee Member Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) in the House, and Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) in the Senate, along with House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Ranking House Judiciary Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), and Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL), are filing an amicus brief in the United States Supreme Court in U.S. v. Edith Schlain Windsor, a landmark challenge to Section 3 of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).  Section 3 defines marriage for purposes of federal law as “only a legal union between one man and one woman,” excluding same-sex couples from all marriage-based federal responsibilities and rights.  A total of 172 Members of the House and 40 Members of the Senate – including LGBT Equality Caucus Co-Chairs Jared Polis (D-CO), David Cicilline (D-RI), Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), and Mark Takano (D-CA), as well as Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) – signed onto the brief.

These 212 Members decided to participate as amici in this case because they want the Supreme Court to hear the full story from Congress, and to explain why they believe that Section 3 of DOMA is unconstitutional.  They disagree with the arguments being made by lawyers hired to defend DOMA in court by the House Majority following the divided 3-2 vote of the House Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG).  The amicus brief filed today makes clear that BLAG does not speak for Congress, and that many members believe that Section 3 should be struck down because there simply is no legitimate federal interest in denying married same-sex couples the legal security, rights and responsibilities that federal law provides to all other married couples.  As the brief explains: “DOMA imposes a sweeping and unjustifiable federal disability on married same-sex couples.”

Hit the link for the full list of signees.

Rep. Jared Polis Introduces Bill To Decriminalize Marijauna Possession

Openly gay Rep. Jared Polis today introduced a House bill that would decriminalize the possession of marijuana and allow states to collect taxes on legal sales.

Polis said he expects his measure could draw bipartisan support from fellow Democrats and from Republicans, especially those with Libertarian leanings. "The more states lead the way, the more pressure it puts on Congress to recognize that the drug war has failed policies," Polis said. Polis' act would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act; transfer the DEA's authority over marijuana to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana and Firearms, which would be tasked with regulating marijuana like it does alcohol; and require marijuana producers to purchase a permit. States could choose to continue to outlaw marijuana production or use of the drug in their states, and it would be illegal to transport marijuana to a state where it's not legal. Boulder attorney Jeff Gard, who has represented several medical marijuana businesses, said he will be traveling to Washington, D.C., in coming weeks to advocate for Polis' legislation.

Voters in Polis' home state of Colorado voted in November to legalize personal use of marijuana.

ENDA Stalled For Next Congress

"I hope to continue to increase the number of sponsors of ENDA in the next session. I am confident we will be able to do that. We still face opposition from Republican leadership, both in the committee and within the wider House, and their opposition makes it very unlikely that we will be able to bring it to the floor even if we’re able to get a majority of members to commit to support it." - Rep. Jared Polis, confirming to Buzzfeed's Chris Geidner that ENDA has little chance of passage in the next Congress.

Rep. Jared Polis Wins Re-Election

Openly gay Rep. Jared Polis has won a third term in the U.S. House.  And the hits keep coming!

Jared Polis: I'm Jewish, Gay, And A Father

Bradlee Dean Vs Rep. Jared Polis

Hate group leader Bradlee Dean, he of the lawsuit against Rachel Maddow, has taken aim at openly gay Rep. Jared Polis and the proposed federal Student Non-Discrimination Act. Seven minutes of lies, if you can bear it.

Gay Night At DC's Ballpark

Clip description:

For it's 8th annual Night Out at the Nationals, Team DC broke a new record with more than 4,000 tickets sold as part of the nation's largest LGBT night in professional sports. Taking part in the celebrations were Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.), who threw out the first pitch; special guests Benjamin Jealous, president of the NAACP and outspoken supporter of marriage equality; the DC Different Drummers; and the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, who performed the national anthem as well received Team DC's "Team Spirit" Award.

LGBT Equality Caucus - It Gets Better

Just Posted To NOM's Blog

House Democrats To Boehner: What Are Your Plans Regarding DOMA Defense?

Via press release, a letter from the six House Democrats who are lead sponsors of the bill to repeal DOMA.

Dear Mr. Speaker,

It is our understanding that deadlines for Congressional action are fast approaching and that House General Counsel or outside counsel retained to represent the House must appear and move to intervene or otherwise participate, if it chooses to do so, in at least one case, Windsor v. United States of America, on or before April 18, 2011. We therefore ask that you brief all interested Members before April 18, 2011 regarding the course of action with regard to the Winsor case and any other proceedings where the House intends to defend DOMA. Among other things, we are interested in a status report on who will be representing the House, estimates regarding the cost and length of proposed litigation efforts, the anticipated role of the House in litigation (i.e., intervenor or amicus curiae), and your assessment regarding the likelihood of success on the merits. If you or House General Counsel already have arranged for representation by outside counsel, we would welcome and appreciate their participation in this briefing.

The letter was signed by Jerrold Nadler, Barney Frank, Tammy Baldwin, Jared Polis, David Cicilline, and John Conyers. Metro Weekly has the full letter (PDF).

Ten Richest Members Of Congress

It may surprise you to know that seven of the ten richest members of Congress are Democrats. Openly gay Rep. Jared Polis, at number five, made his fortune with online greeting card and flower delivery companies. And all ten of the above voted to extend the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy. Mother Jones has lots more interesting graphs at the link.

Jared Polis Vs. Nutcase Steve. King

Openly gay Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) tangled today with lunatic Rep. Steve King (R-IA), who says that health care reform is unconstitutional because some babies are born in trash cans and never see a doctor. I sincerely have zero idea what that is supposed to mean.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand & Rep. Jared Polis On Tomorrow's DADT Senate Vote

Rep. Jared Polis On McCain: Old White Male Senators Need To Get Over Their Bigotry

AC360: Rep. Jared Polis & LCR's Clarke Cooper Discuss Chambliss Scandal

Tonight CNN's Anderson Cooper discussed the "all faggots must die" comment left by a Sen. Saxby Chambliss staffer here on JMG, bringing on Rep. Jared Polis and Log Cabin head R. Clarke Cooper. (The same pair discussed the issue on MSNBC's Hardball yesterday.) Tonight's conversation focused more on the delay in identifying the culprit, although LCR's Cooper once again attempted to derail the issue by launching into an attack on Obama over DADT.

UNRELATED: CNN really has a problem with my name, this is the third mention in as many weeks in which they get it wrong. Whatevs.