Celebrating 40 Years!
Issue 09 Volume 41
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Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
HRC endorses Ed Murray for mayor National group rarely gets involved in local politics
In a surprise move, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) announced on February 28 that it was endorsing Washington state Sen. Ed Murray for mayor of Seattle.
tory of changing politics, not just here [in Washington] but nationally. We thought it was important to acknowledge that work.” “It’s boots on the ground, volunteers,” Kaushik said, explaining the significance of HRC support. Kaushik added that once Murray
HRC was effusive in its praise for Murray. “State Senator Ed Murray has changed the national landscape for LGBT equality by demonstrating exceptional dedication over his more than 15 years in public office in fighting for equality for all
Daniel Hanks / Social Outreach Seattle
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
“Ed as an individual is so unique. He has such a long history of changing politics, not just here [in Washington] but nationally. We thought it was important to acknowledge that work.” “This is a good day for us,” Murray campaign consultant Sandeep Kaushik told SGN by phone. “This is a really big deal!” HRC, which typically does not get involved in local races, has 1.5 million members nationally and some 65,000 in Washington state. “Ed as an individual is so unique,” Lacey All, a member of HRC’s national board of directors, told SGN. “He has such a long his-
is legally able to begin fundraising again – which he is prohibited from doing while the legislature is in session – it may be a financial base as well. “I suspect that as we get into springtime, many of our members will want to get involved,” All said. “The best is still ahead!”
Washingtonians,” HRC President Chad Griffin said in a statement. “He has shown unwavering commitment to taking on – and winning – the tough fights that are paramount to our community, including successfully building bipartisan support for Washington state’s historic marriage equality
‘DEDICATION’ CITED In its endorsement statement,
see murray page 4
Senator Ed Murray (r) with longtime partner Michael Shiosaki
Justice Dept. files historic brief Republicans sign Federal government defends LGBT civil rights for the first time ever
In the first comprehensive defense of LGBT civil rights ever put forward by the U.S. government, the Department of Justice filed an amicus brief in Windsor v. USA, the DOMA case now before the Supreme Court, on February 25. In the 67-page document, which cites 60 judicial precedents and 30
additional professional references, DOJ – which is technically representing the defendant in the case, the U.S. government – explained why the plaintiff, Edie Windsor, should win. Windsor, an 83-year-old widow, says the IRS unconstitutionally charged her $363,053 in inheritance taxes solely because she was married to another woman, rather see justice dept. page 14 than to a man.
Weddings By the Sea
on to support marriage equality Amicus brief in anti-Prop 8 case draws 75 GOP endorsers
Nate Gowdy, Jen DeLeo / seattle gay news
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
BIAS ‘PERVASIVE’ In its brief, DOJ agreed with Windsor that DOMA is unconstitutional, but it went far beyond the facts of the Windsor case to argue that LGBT people are targets of pervasive discrimination, affecting every area of their lives, and that laws limiting LGBT rights deserve the same level of judicial scrutiny as those affecting race or religion. All levels of government and private entities have a history of discrimination against LGBT people, the DOJ said, and not just in marriage rights. LGBT people in the U.S. suffer discrimination in employment, immigration, hate crimes, child custody, law enforcement, and voter referenda. The DOJ also acknowledged that the vast majority of LGBTrelated state voter initiatives either repealed anti-discrimination laws or added laws denying the right to marry. “[G]iven its breadth and depth, the undisputed 20th-century discrimination has lasted long enough,” DOJ concluded. The LGBT community in the U.S. also shares a characteristic of relative political powerlessness with communities of color, the DOJ brief concluded. In 1996,
Former Republican Party Chairman Ken Mehlman organized the brief.
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer In a development that caught many observers by surprise, 75 prominent Republicans have filed an amicus brief supporting marriage equality in Hollingsworth v. Perry, the case in which the U.S.
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Supreme Court will decide on the constitutionality of California’s anti-equality Prop 8. “[We] start from the premise – recognized by this Court on at least 14 occasions – that marriage is both a fundamental right prosee republicans page 14