In the first ruling of its kind in the state, a Knox County judge has granted a woman the legal rights of a husband. The ruling comes despite a new law designed to prevent just such a result.
Continue reading at: Knox County judge grants woman rights of ‘husband’ in Tennessee’s first same-sex divorce (Source)
Four expecting lesbian couples have taken a stand against a new Tennessee law requiring all state legal codes to be interpreted with ‘natural and ordinary’ meanings.Much of the state’s law gives rights to husbands and wives or the father and mother of a child, so Tennessee could deny same-sex couples their parental rights by interpreting these terms ‘naturally and ordinarily’.
Continue reading at: Four lesbian couples fight Tennessee law that could remove their parental rights (Source)
If you’re feeling hopeless with our current crop of legislators in Congress, consider Elaine Noble– the first out lesbian elected to state legislature– and be inspired.
Elaine Noble made US election history even before Maura Healey, Harvey, Milk, or Tammy Baldwin as she was elected as representative of the Boston district in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1974.
Prior to this, no out lesbian (or gay man, for that matter), had won a state-level office. So when she did run for the position, she faced an overwhelming wave of homophobic threats.
Continue reading at: Elaine Noble: The first lesbian state lawmaker | Lesbian News (Source)
Organizers led by Eastern Police District Director Romulo Sapitula, hope that the contest would help end gender discrimination and show equality for members of the LGBT community in the police force.
The event featured a talent section, a casual wear segment, and a formal wear round, and was held at the Tanghalang Pasigueño in Pasig City Friday night.
Continue reading at: ‘Gwapulis Din’: Pageant for lesbian cops aims to end discrimination | ABS-CBN News (Source)
In an 18-17 party-line vote, Republican members of the state Senate decided not to confirm her re-appointment by Gov. John Hickenlooper, which, according to The Denver Post, was originally recommended for approval by the Senate State Affairs Committee. For four years, Hess has served on the Civil Rights Commission, and currently acts as its chair.
Continue reading at: Colorado State Senate votes against re-appointment of lesbian Civil Rights Commission chair | The Wire (Source)
Sometimes you just want to fox-trot or cha-cha. Since it was often illegal for same-sex couples to dance together in public places in the 1950s, Del Martin and her partner, Phyllis Lyon, founded the Daughters of Bilitis, one of the first lesbian organizations in the United States, in 1955. But the DOB was much more than just a place to dance freely: In those dark days, it was a beacon of light, a refuge, and a bit of a miracle.
Continue reading at: Honoring Del Martin, Lesbian Rights Pioneer – Vogue (Source)
A jury on Thursday awarded more than $1.4 million to a former University of Iowa athletic administrator, ruling that the university had discriminated against her because of her gender and sexual orientation. Jane Meyer alleged she suffered workplace discrimination as a gay woman in a relationship with the school’s longtime and highly successful field hockey coach Tracey Griesbaum, that the school retaliated against her for complaining about Griesbaum’s firing, and that she was paid less than a male counterpart for similar work.
Continue reading at: Jury: Univ. of Iowa discriminated against athletic official – StarTribune.com (Source)
The women were also concerned about how difficult it was to get any information about lesbian history through traditional academic channels. Even when it could be found, the research process itself could be dehumanizing, requiring searching under categories like “deviant” and “abnormal.”
Continue reading at: Lesbian Herstory Archives – Brooklyn, New York – Atlas Obscura (Source)
In an email to Gould following a comprehensive complaint, an APO staff member acknowledged the Customer Service Charter had been breached and offered Gould an apology. “You have raised a number of issues in your email that speak to issues of training, diversity awareness and customer service across our organisation. It is clear from our dealings with you, that we did not manage these issues well,” he wrote.
Continue reading at: This Gay, Married Woman Was Told Her Relationship Isn’t Even De Facto At The Passport Office – BuzzFeed News (Source)
Posted in News
Tagged de facto relationship, Discrimination, Lesbians in Australia, Marriage equality
‘I thought we were not going to get out of [prison],’ said Rico. ‘They told me I could leave but she had to stay, and I said I wasn’t going without her.’
She described the treatment they received in jail as ‘unexpected, inhumane and horrible.’
She said that she hopes to marry Ismail, who is staying with her under a temporary visa issued by the Spanish government.
Continue reading at: Lesbian couple reveal more about their Turkey detainment (Source)
What is most saddening is, thanks to social stigma, a story like this is more often than not swept the under the carpet. It is because of such entrenched stigma that a couple — who merely sought to give their relationship a name — has been missing for more than two months, and it hasn’t received any mainstream media attention.
Continue reading at: Why a harassed Indian lesbian couple going missing does not make news (Source)
Paradzai Nkomo’s emailed description of her situation is succinct and shocking. She is Zimbabwean and has been in Britain for 15 years. First her application for asylum was rejected and then her request to be deported home was also refused, leaving her stuck in limbo.“It’s difficult to integrate as I am not permitted to work. Conversation becomes repetitive because of not doing anything apart from looking out of a damp, drenched window day after day. Hiding malnutrition under borrowed clothes,” she writes. “A quest for freedom has now turned into a hellish nightmare. I feel as though death may be the only way out of this.”
Continue reading at: Asylum limbo: the woman who can’t stay in Britain, but can’t leave either | World news | The Guardian (Source)
Posted in News
Tagged homelessness, Lesbians in the U.K., Lesbians in Zimbabwe, malnutrition, seeking asylum
Nancy E. Snow, a philosophy professor who helped O’Brien hunt for houses in the area last month, said O’Brien’s work is not the real issue. “I think it’s all about her sexual orientation,” she told the newspaper.Snow called the withdrawal of an offer to O’Brien “a public disgrace and an embarrassment.”
“This is a travesty that will have long-term impact for our ability to retain and hire high quality faculty,” she said.
Continue reading at: Marquette withdraws offer for lesbian dean | News | wisconsingazette.com (Source)
The women told police there were in love and wanted to live together, despite knowing homosexual sexual activity is illegal under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.
Continue reading at: Lesbian couple flee after their families try to break them up (Source)
“The extraordinary work of this year’s special honorees, Jeanette Winterson and Jacqueline Woodson, has made a deep impact, not just on LGBTQ culture, but on American and British culture, inspiring readers and writers on both sides of the Atlantic,” said Tony Valenzuela, executive director. “We are privileged to celebrate their tremendous contributions at this year’s Lammy Awards.”
Continue reading at: Jacqueline Woodson And Jeanette Winterson To Be Honored At LAMBDA Literary Awards (Source)
Listening 2 Lesbians will provide news of any updates to the “In Memoriam” blog on a monthly basis. This amazing record of the loss of those in our lesbian community to violence is not complete, but it is also the only record being kept at this time.
This month we honor the following sister:
Kathleen Ann Barrientos (March 18, 2017)
Continue reading at: In Memoriam: Lesbian Murder Victims: April 2017 (Source)
Cammermeyer stepped into the spotlight when, despite being a decorated soldier, she was given an honorable discharge on June 11, 1992. This came following her admission that she was a lesbian during a routine security clearance interview in 1989. Though this dashed her dream of becoming a Chief Nurse of the National Army Guard, it started her on the road of legal disputes as she filed a lawsuit against the decision in civil court. This paid off in June 1994, when Judge Thomas Zilly of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington ruled that her discharge and the ban on homosexuals serving in the military were unconstitutional.
Continue reading at: Margarethe Cammermeyer breaks the military silence | Lesbian News (Source)
The court said Oliveto’s marriage violates church law that bars clergy who are in same-sex relationships. The court said she’s now subject to a disciplinary review that could end with her being ousted from the job.
Continue reading at: Methodist court ruling a blow for openly lesbian bishop – NBC-2.com WBBH News for Fort Myers, Cape Coral & Naples, Florida (Source)
Women were missing for three days after one of their fathers tricked them into flying to the Middle East.
Continue reading at: ‘Vanished’ lesbian couple found safe in Istanbul (Source)
Posted in News
Tagged homophobia, Lesbians in the U.K., Lesbians in Turkey, Lesbophobia, Missing lesbians
A London-based lesbian couple has vanished after being ‘tricked’ into flying to the Middle East. Maria Jimena Rico Montero, originally from Argentina, and her Egyptian girlfriend Shaza Ismail have not made contact with their family since Monday (24 April).Montero’s mother alleges Ismail’s ‘disapproving’ father tricked them into flying to Dubai. Homosexuality is punishable by death in the United Arab Emirates.
Continue reading at: Lesbian couple vanish after father ‘tricked’ them into flying to Middle East (Source)
Listening to Lesbians 