A Colorado Administrative Law Judge ruled on December 6, 2013, that a bakery had violated the state’s public accommodations law when its owner refused to sell a wedding cake to a gay male couple on July 19, 2012.
Colorado does not have same-sex marriage, and only enacted a civil union law open to same-sex couples early in 2013. Back in 2012, however, Coloradans Charlie Craig and David Mullins planned to get married in Massachusetts and … <Read More>
Having responded affirmatively to an invitation from Lynne Hayden-Findlay, the treasurer of Chelsea Opera, to attend their December 6 program and write a review, I am herewith holding up my side of the bargain, having attended last night and greatly enjoyed “More Songs for My Brother.” The brother of the title is the late Nicholas S. Priore, a central New York lawyer and avid participant as singer and actor in musical/theatrical performances, who died tragically … <Read More>
Last night I attended the New York Philharmonic’s first presentation of a program that will be repeated on December 6 and 7, led by guest conductor David Zinman with Richard Goode as piano soloist. The program included “Three Studies from Couperin” by Thomas Ades in a first performance by the orchestra, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 18, K. 456, and Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony, Op. 56.
I was surprised that I was not as enthusiastic after the … <Read More>
New York State Supreme Court Justice Margaret A. Chan (Supreme Court, New York County) ruled on December 2 that a transgender Jane Doe plaintiff had stated a cause of action against New York City based on the treatment she received when she requested that the Human Resources Administration’s HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA) update it records and issue her a new benefits ID card that correctly identifies her name and gender. My first reaction on reading … <Read More>
Over the past several days I’ve had three intense, but very different, theatrical experiences. On Saturday night, I finally caught up with the Metropolitan Opera’s “new” production of Giuseppe Verdi’s “Rigoletto,” which was introduced last season. Then on Sunday afternoon I attended Atlantic Theater Company’s presentation of the Donmar Warehouse production of Conor McPherson’s “The Night Alive.” Finally, last night, I was at a performance of Shakespeare’s “MacBeth” presented by Lincoln Center Theater. All were … <Read More>
On November 14, Governor Jay Nixon of Missouri issued an executive order directing that the state’s tax authorities accept joint tax filings from married same-sex couples, even though the state’s constitution and laws forbid same-sex marriages. When carefully considered, the Executive Order appears to be a straightforward interpretation of Missouri tax statutes. The state’s tax laws provide that Missouri residents file their tax returns using the same tax status as on their federal returns. By … <Read More>
Finding that the Board of Immigration appeals erred in finding that a gay asylum applicant from Russia had failed to show that he had been subjected to persecution by non-governmental actors whom the Russian government was unable or unwilling to control, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit granted the petition for review and remanded the case so that the Board of Immigration Appeals can determine whether the government … <Read More>
The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom ruled today that a lower court, with the support of the U.K. Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), correctly found that Mr. and Mrs. Bull, operators of a hotel, had violated UK non-discrimination law by refusing to honor a reservation for a room with a double bed made by a gay couple who are registered as civil partners, the UK equivalent status to marriage for same-sex partners now … <Read More>
Yesterday afternoon U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin signed a temporary restraining order and permanent injunction directing Cook County Clerk David Orr to issue a marriage license to Vernita Gray and Patricia Ewert. Gray v. Orr, Case No. 1:13-cv-8449 (Nov. 25, 2013). The marriage equality bill signed into law last week by Governor Patrick Quinn does not go into effect until June 1, 2014, but that may be too late for Gray and Ewert, who … <Read More>
The Executive Committee of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit’s Judicial Council ruled on November 25 that a former federal court employee in Oregon was entitled to compensation for the cost of providing health insurance for her same-sex domestic partner because the refusal by the federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to recognize Oregon domestic partnerships for this purpose violates the 5th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, as well as the Oregon … <Read More>