Bay Windows
Melissa Etheridge for Boston Pride?
LGBT Bostonians have spoken, and they want Melissa Etheridge. The big question is, does she want us back?
Court strikes down California video game law
A federal appeals court on Friday struck down a California law that sought to ban the sale or rental of violent video games to minors.
Out With Alix
Bay Windows’ Scott Kearnan recently spoke with legendary women’s music icon Alix Dobson. Here’s the interview.
Hot ’Pepper’ to spice up Friday the 13th bash at Club Cafe
Pepper MaShay to deliver signature gay anthems "Dive in the Pool," "Lost Yo Mind," and more at Boston’s Club Cafe (Feb. 13) and Providence’s Mirabar (Feb. 14).
More than half the legislature signs on to trans rights bill
After an aggressive lobbying campaign advocates managed to convince 21 senators and 83 House members, a majority in both chambers, to sign on as original co-sponsors of the transgender rights bill.
Robinson testifies at New Hampshire marriage bill hearing
Bishop Gene Robinson told the House Judiciary Committee that the bill to legalize same-sex marriage "will affect religion in no way."
Bill would require parental notification for school discussions of ’sexual orientation issues’
House Minority Leader Bradley Jones (R-North Reading) has filed a bill that would expand the state’s sex education parental notification law to require written parental approval for students to participate in any "curriculum, or a school sanctioned program or activity, which involves ... sexual orientation issues." Sponsor says measure not anti-gay, but advocates differ.
Abrupt Exit for Randy Price
A 7NEWS co-anchor since 1998 and Boston media fixture for more than 27 years, Randy Price marked his abrupt exit from WHDH without fanfare following his final 7NEWS broadcast on Feb. 4. And viewers barely had time to adjust to Price’s departure when word began to spread that weekend news anchor Brandon Rudat has also been let go from the station, leaving WHDH less two openly gay newscasters.
Dream Comes True
It took pianist Alla Elana Cohen 20 years to achieve her dream of giving her first ticketed concert. But for Russian ?migr?, tomorrow night’s concert is tribute to her determination to succeed.
Middlesex DA leads roundtable discussion on LGBT domestic violence
Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone held a roundtable discussion on same-sex domestic violence at Waltham District Court Feb. 3, which drew a crowd of about 40 local police officers, domestic violence service providers, prosecutors and victim-witness advocates.
News Analysis: SOCO-phobia
LGBT readers of the South Coast’s SOCO magazine can be forgiven for doing a double take after seeing the cover for the mag’s Valentine’s Day issue. Right underneath the headline, "V-Day is for Everyone," comes a teaser that undercuts that message, "We Revisit Gay Marriage and Take Another Look at the Progress (or is it Regress?)."
William Saltonstall, 1927-2009, former Republican state senator actively fought for equality
With the death of former state senator William Saltonstall on Jan. 23, the state’s gay community lost a distinguished and outspoken ally in the struggle for equality. Saltonstall, a Republican and the son of former governor and U.S. senator Leverett Saltonstall, was 81 years old.
LGBT legislation at a glance
Here’s a list of the LGBT-related legislation that was filed at the start of the legislative session last month. For complete coverage of the bills, see "Flurry of pro-LGBT bills on Beacon Hill".
Boston City Council supports passage of trans rights bill
Boston’s transgender community got a big boost from the City Council Jan. 28, after it unanimously approved a resolution offered by Council President Michael Ross to support "An Act Relative to Gender Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes," a bill currently before the state legislature that would add transgender-inclusive language to the state’s non-discrimination and hate crimes laws.
Flurry of pro-LGBT bills on Beacon Hill
While passing a transgender civil rights bill remains the top priority among the state’s LGBT advocacy organizations, there are a handful of other LGBT-related bills that advocates will be pushing this session, on topics ranging from bullying prevention to LGBT elder issues to pension benefits to codifying the Goodridge decision into the Massachusetts General Laws.
As funding cuts take toll, AIDS lobby day brings huge crowd to State House
More than 500 people turned out at the State House Jan. 29 to send lawmakers the message that despite the economic downturn the state should make no further cuts to HIV/AIDS funding.
Boston School Committee chair pledges support for LGBT students, staff
The Rev. Gregory Groover, who was elected to chair the Boston School Committee on Jan. 5, has made a name for himself in education circles as an advocate for strengthening the public schools and closing the achievement gap between black and white students, but many in the LGBT community first became acquainted with Groover in a very different context.
DiMasi’s departure a blow to LGBT community
The LGBT community lost one of its most powerful allies on Beacon Hill this week, as House Speaker Sal DiMasi bid farewell to his colleagues after a 30-year career in the legislature on Jan. 27. But despite the loss, advocates were heartened by the election the following day of House Ways and Means Chair Robert DeLeo to succeed DiMasi.
News in Brief
ACLU to hold panel on Prop 8 at Bay State conference, AntiViolence Project to launch survey on transgender hate crimes, GLAD announces new board officers and members, Meet the new Fenway Health
HIV/AIDS funding takes big hit, LGBT programs largely spared in Patrick’s recovery plan
Gov. Deval Patrick released his Emergency Recovery Plan Jan. 28, including a new round of budget cuts for the current fiscal year and the budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2010 (FY10). As Bay Windows went to press advocates were still working to understand how the FY10 budget proposal would impact the state’s LGBT and HIV/AIDS programming.