Appellate court asks California Supreme Court to weigh in on gay-marriage ban

Jerry Markon reports in The Washington Post: “A federal appeals court in California on Tuesday took the unusual step of asking a state court to decide a key legal question before it considers whether the state’s ban on same-sex marriage violates the U.S.…

A milestone for Mikulski, the ‘dean’ of Senate women

Ben Pershing writes for The Washington Post: “With a new Congress beginning, hundreds of new lawmakers will be sworn in Wednesday. But only one will break a record that’s lasted four decades. At the moment Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) completes the o…

FCC Approves Net Neutrality Rules, but Reform Groups Unsatisfied

Nadia Purpis writes on Truthout: “In a 3-2 vote [Dec. 21], the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved net neutrality regulations that will ensure cable companies provide consumers with equal access to legal web sites and content.”

Why the Repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is a Win for Women

The repeal of DADT is not just a victory for LGBT service-members and their families, or even for Americans and our quest to seek justice and freedom for all. It is also a victory for the women’s movement, because furthering the conversation about LGBTQ sexual preferences also serves to break down traditional gender identities, which can be barriers to advancing female quests for equality.

Abortion fight at Catholic hospital pushes ACLU to seek federal help

Rob Stein reports in The Washington Post: “The American Civil Liberties Union [on Dec. 22] asked federal health officials to ensure that Catholic hospitals provide emergency reproductive care to pregnant women, saying the refusal by religiously affiliated hospitals to provide abortion and other services was becoming an increasing problem.”