PORTLAND — A six-term congressman and former paper mill worker hoping to unseat Maine Gov. Paul LePage next year announced that he’s gay — a response to what he called a “whisper campaign” by political opponents hoping to weaken his gubernatorial bid. Rep. Mike Michaud, 58, wrote in an op-ed that “whisper campaigns, insinuations and […]
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Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Gay rights legislation gains bipartisan support
WASHINGTON (AP) — Gay rights advocates from both parties are newly upbeat about the prospects for Senate passage of legislation that would bar employers from discriminating against workers on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The outlook for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act reflects the nation’s growing tolerance of homosexuality and the GOP’s political […]
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Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Tens of thousands march for same-sex marriage in Taiwan
TAIPEI — Tens of thousands of demonstrators, many displaying rainbows and glitter, thronged the center of Taiwan’s capital on Saturday to press demands to legalize same-sex marriage amid an increasingly tolerant environment on the island nation. Organizers and participants said they were heartened by the prospect of same-sex marriage becoming a reality, despite enduring traditional […]
Posted inLife & Culture, sj-web
George H.W. Bush witness at Maine same-sex wedding
KENNEBUNKPORT (AP) — Former President George H.W. Bush was an official witness at the same-sex wedding of two longtime friends, his spokesman said Wednesday. Bush and his wife, Barbara Bush, attended the ceremony joining Bonnie Clement and Helen Thorgalsen as private citizens and friends on Saturday, spokesman Jim McGrath said. Thorgalsen posted a photo on […]
Posted inBusiness, Nation / World, sj-web
IRS issues tax rules for married gay couples
WASHINGTON — The government on Thursday said that all legally married gay couples will be able to file joint federal tax returns even if they reside in states that do not recognize same-sex marriages. The decision came in rules issued by the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service designed to implement the tax aspects […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Pentagon plan would grant benefits to same-sex spouses but deny them to unmarried gay couples
WASHINGTON (AP) — Same-sex spouses of military members could get health care, housing and other benefits by the end of August under a proposal being considered by the Pentagon. But earlier plans to provide benefits to gay partners who are not married may be reversed. A draft Defense Department memo obtained Wednesday by The Associated […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Church marches to honor gay man killed in hate crime 29 years ago
BANGOR — On July 7, 29 years ago, three teenage boys beat 23-year-old Charlie Howard and tossed him to his death from a downtown Bangor bridge because he was gay. About 20 members of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Bangor marched on Sunday from their Park Street church to the place Howard died nearly three […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Court wins draw big crowds to gay pride parades across the nation
SAN FRANCISCO — Gay rights supporters crowded parade routes in San Francisco, New York and other major U.S. cities Sunday to celebrate what once was unimaginable — two Supreme Court victories on same-sex marriage. The high court gave celebrants one more reason to cheer Sunday when Justice Anthony Kennedy rejected a last-ditch effort by opponents […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Bangor Pride Festival attendees celebrate and ‘Keep up the Momentum’
BANGOR — The Bangor Pride Festival this week was full of celebration as Maine’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community joined their allies in the upbeat event, made even more special by the recent downfall of the Defense of Marriage Act on Wednesday. In addition, Friday was the 44th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, which […]