DOJ Approves Gay Employee Group

A fascinating change of policy at the Department Of Justice:

Five years after a gay advocacy group was told that it could no longer use the e-mail, bulletin boards and meeting rooms at the Justice Department, Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey has reversed that decision and issued a revised equal-employment-opportunity policy barring discrimination against any group.

Mukasey informed leaders of DOJ Pride last week that the department would give it the same rights as all other DOJ employee organizations, said the group's president, Chris Hook. In a statement, Mukasey said the department will "foster an environment in which diversity is valued, understood and sought" and maintain "an environment that's free of discrimination."

DOJ Pride and its 110 members had been barred from holding an annual Gay and Lesbian Pride Month celebration since 2003, when then-Attorney General John D. Ashcroft told the group that the Bush administration observed an unwritten policy of not sponsoring events without a presidential proclamation, Hook said. The group also was told it could not post notices of general meetings and events on department bulletin boards, he said.

DOJ Pride president Chris Hook says about Attorney General Mukasey: "He has gone out of his way to ensure that the department has a new air of inclusiveness and an open and welcoming environment for all employees." Kinda unexpected, innit?.

Congress: Mukasey In, ENDA MIA

A Senate panel just cleared the nomination of Michael B. Mukasey as Alberto Gonzales' replacement as Attorney General, despite concern that Mukasey has refused to condemn waterboarding as torture. The full Senate will now likely approve Mukasey later this week.

Over on the House side, I've been monitoring C-SPAN2 for today's supposed ENDA vote, but so far the only business has been several long, droning speeches (to an empty house) in support of a resolution congratulating the Boston Red Sox for winning the World Series. Thankfully, that critically important piece of legislation was passed. Democracy survives.