Gay Legal Pad

Index:
Web Info

Gay Legal Pad (GLP) provides information about certain acts of the government of the United States that are of special concern to lesbians, gays and bisexuals. Much of the documentary material is from the Congressional Record (CR).


2001 Edition

Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Bill

(House Bill H.R.7)

The Salvation Army and the White House collaborated to discriminate against gays through the government fund charible choice initiative. See the press releases from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the Human Rights Campaign, and American United for Separation of Church and State, and the expose article in the Washington Post.

Passed in the Republican-controlled House on 19 July 2001 by a vote of 233-198. See who voted for this anti-gay bill.

Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act

(House Amendment 65 to H.R.1 and Senate Amendment 648 to Amendment 574 of S.1)

The general description of this amendment reads as follows:

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no funds made available through the Department of Education shall be provided to any public elementary school, public secondary school, local educational agency, or State educational agency, if the school or a school served by the agency--

(1) has a designated open forum; and (2) denies equal access or a fair opportunity to meet to, or discriminates against, any group affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America or any other youth group that wishes to conduct a meeting within that designated open forum, on the basis of the membership or leadership criteria of the Boy Scouts of America or of the youth group that prohibit the acceptance of homosexuals, or individuals who reject the Boy Scouts' or the youth group's oath of allegiance to God and country, as members or leaders.

An ACLU letter regarding this act urges congress and the senate to reject this amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The House version of this act was introduced by Rep. Hilleary and the Senate version by Sen. Jesse Helms. The amendment passed by voice vote in both houses.


Information on the Web

American Standard Law Dictionary
A searchable dictionary of legal terms.
Lesbian/Gay Law Notes
Edited by Prof. Arthur S. Leonard of New York Law School, Lesbian/Gay Law Notes is one of the best sources of current legal news pertaining to lesbians and gays. This is a first class archive.
New England School of Law: Sexual Orientation and the Law
This web site contains links to information on virtually every legal issue of general concern to lesbians and gays.
Oyez Oyez Oyez
Oral arguments (in RealAudio format) of major constitutational cases decided by the Supreme Court of the United States
Bowers v. Hardwick (1986)
Hurley v. Irish-American Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Group of Boston (1995)
State of Hawaii Report of the Commission on Sexual Orientation and the Law (1995)
The State of Hawaii Report of the Commission on Sexual Orientation and the Law was written to address the following primary issues: (1) the major legal and economic benefits extended to married opposite-sex couples but not to same-sex couples; (2) the public policy reasons to extend or not to extend all or some of such benefits to same-sex couples; and (3) to recommend legislative action to so extend such benefits.
Supreme Court Opinions
FindLaw's searchable database of Supreme Court decisions since 1937.
Bowers v. Hardwick (1986)
Hurley v. Irish-American Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Group of Boston (1995)
Romer v. Evans (1996)

THOMAS: Legislative Information on the Internet
The THOMAS databases include the Congressional Record, committee reports, bills and laws, historical documents, and other information about the U. S. Congress.
United States Code
A database of the laws of the United States in force as of 26 January 1994, from the most recent version of the Government Printing Office CD-ROM.
United States Sodomy Laws and the Age of Consent
A state by state list of sodomy laws and the age of consent in each state. This is part of the alt.sex FAQ maintained by Elf Sternberg.

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Copyright © 2000 Duane T. Williams. All rights reserved.
(Material drawn from the Congressional Record and other government documents is not subject to copyright, but the organization of that material on this page and the commentary about it is.)
Last edited on 28 Feb 2000.