Compare LGBT Rights Between Any Country With Equaldex’s New Feature

Equaldex just launched a new tool that lets you compare LGBT rights and public opinion data between countries, states, and provinces.

The new tool lets you compare the legal status of homosexuality, same-sex marriage, adoption by same-sex couples, right to change legal gender, discrimination protections, ability for LGBT people to serve in the military, age of consent, blood donation, and conversion therapy. Many major countries include public opinion data as well.

Popular comparisons are now available on the sidebar of region pages, letting you easily compare a region with a similar region.

Try it now!

Compare LGBT Rights

Or, try one of these comparisons:

• Compare LGBT rights in United States vs. Canada
  
• Compare LGBT rights in Russia vs. Germany
  
• Compare LGBT rights in China vs. Japan
  
• Compare LGBT rights in Ghana vs. Uganda
  
• Compare LGBT rights in Mexico vs. Brazil
  
• Compare LGBT rights in California vs. New York
• Compare LGBT rights in France, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland
  

(Source: blog.equaldex.com)

Obama signs Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal

In a historic achievement for gay rights, President Obama signed the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal this morning, which will allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military.

“This is a good day, this is a very good day." Obama said. "No longer will tens of thousands of Americans in uniform be asked to live a lie, or look over their shoulder in order to serve the country that they love.”

Last weekend, the US Senate voted to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. On Monday, Robert Gibbs, the White House Press Secretary, tweeted:

President to sign repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy on Wednesday at 9:15 AM…

The repeal is not immediately effective, reports the New York Times. The change will go into effect once Obama and defense officials certify the military’s readiness.

(Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

BREAKING: Federal judge orders US military to immediately stop enforcing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

A federal judge ordered the US military to immediately stop enforcing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

Judge Virginia Phillips ordered the government “immediately to suspend and discontinue any investigation, or discharge, separation or other proceeding” and to stop enforcing the law, according to CNN.

In September, the judge found the policy to be unconstitutional.

The US Department of Justice attorneys have 60 days to appeal the ruling. MSNBC reports that “Legal experts say the government is under no legal obligation to do so and they could let Phillips’ ruling stand”

(Photo: ktgracee)

Which is the gay one?

A cartoon by Chan Lowe.

(via snooz3r, loser078)

July 19, 1993: United States President Bill Clinton announces his compromise to the controversy around gays in the military: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

(Quote by @Citizens4Repeal via @NOH8Campaign. Photo courtesy US Army)

Pentagon survey on DADT biased, derogatory

A copy of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell survey has been acquired by Servicemembers United, the United States’ largest organization of gay and lesbian troops and veterans. The organization strongly condemns it for being “biased and derogatory.”

The organization believes that the “biased and derogatory design of the long-awaited Defense Department survey on issues related to the repeal of the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law.“

Alexander Nicholson, Executive Director of Servicemembers United, is a former U.S. Army interrogator who was discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” He explains that the survey has an overwhelming focus on the negative aspects of the repeal, completely ignoring the positive impact the repeal could have.

Nicholson says that it is safe for gay and lesbian troops to participate in the survey, but that it is "simply impossible to imagine a survey with such derogatory and insulting wording, assumptions, and insinuations going out about any other minority group in the military.”

According to ABC News, Servicemembers United believes that the summary of the survey “implies that the repeal of this law will result in the open performance of ‘homosexual acts’ on duty and throughout the military,” which they believe is wrong and "highly inflammatory.”

View the full survey at servicemembersunited.org/survey (32-page PDF).

What do you think? Is the survey biased? Reblog or comment with your responses.

8 things gay people can’t do

Ranker.com user cdu827 created a [mostly US based] list of things gay people can’t do:

After Gay Pride in Los Angeles this last weekend, and the recent news that the ban on gay men giving blood may have a hard time being overturned, and ENDA being in question again, we thought it would be a good time to give the world a reminder of things that gay people still can’t do (but should be able to); from donating blood to even living in certain communities. Hopefully this list is an eye-opener for people (of any sexual orientation) who aren’t paying attention.

View the list »

What do you think? Is anything missing from the list? Reblog and share your thoughts!

BREAKING: House votes to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

The United States House of Representatives just voted to repeal ’Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’. The measure passed with a 234-194 vote. Just a few hours ago, The United States Senate voted to repeal it.

The measure includes a provision that the ban could not be lifted until December 1st, when the Pentagon completes a review to ensure that the repeal would not affect military readiness.

The New Civil Rights Movement reports:

The House still needs to vote on the actual Defense Authorization Bill, as does the Senate. The bill is “must-have” legislation and is widely-expected to pass. The president is expected to sign the bill.

(Photo: C-Span)