Joe Solmonese
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A Preview and Schedule of the 2020 Democratic National Convention
There will be a lot of history made at this week's Democratic National Convention. Some of it will be highly visible – like prime-time closing night speeches [...]Read more about A Preview and Schedule of the 2020 Democratic National Convention
DNC Announces CEO Of 2020 Democratic National Convention
Washington, DC – Today, Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez announced the appointment of Joe Solmonese to be Chief Executive Officer of the 2020 [...]Read more about DNC Announces CEO Of 2020 Democratic National Convention
Only Amnesia Can Explain New Democratic Support for Bush
After more than a year of President Trump, the administration of George W. Bush is looking better to many Democrats in retrospect — but that might be the [...]Read more about Only Amnesia Can Explain New Democratic Support for Bush
Obama pick of anti-gay minister angers gay community
By Lisa Keen President-elect Barack Obama set off a controversy this week, by inviting anti-gay evangelical Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his [...]Read more about Obama pick of anti-gay minister angers gay community
Creep of the Week: George W. Bush
When the going gets tough, the tough get going… after gay families. And the "tough" aren't actually tough, but are hoping to appear so by taking a swing at [...]Read more about Creep of the Week: George W. Bush
Transitioning city manager fired in Largo, Fla.
LARGO, Fla. – Steve Stanton didn't think it would be easy. But he also didn't believe that his decision to transition into Susan and have gender reassignment [...]Read more about Transitioning city manager fired in Largo, Fla.
CDC reports shows HIV infections continuing to increase in African Americans
ATLANTA – A new report issued by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention shows HIV infections rates continue to be on the rise in the African-American [...]Read more about CDC reports shows HIV infections continuing to increase in African Americans
Viewpoint: Political correctness wins out in gay candy ad controversy
By Chris Crain Under pressure from gay groups, the candy maker Mars pulled a TV ad for Snickers that aired during last week's Super Bowl showing two tough [...]Read more about Viewpoint: Political correctness wins out in gay candy ad controversy
Gerald Ford remembered as gay-friendly president
By Bob Roehr Stonewall had occurred but its importance was only beginning to become etched into the consciousness of an emerging gay community, let alone [...]Read more about Gerald Ford remembered as gay-friendly president
Creep of the Week: Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist Last week I predicted that lesbian and gay families would be dragged through the mud again as soon as it was politically [...]Read more about Creep of the Week: Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist
Kerry pans same-sex marriage
By Bob Roehr BOSTON- The Massachusetts Democratic Party is expected to adopt a party platform that includes a provision supporting marriage equality when it [...]Read more about Kerry pans same-sex marriage
Remembering a childhood lesson
By HRC President Joe Solmonese As kids we all learned the old lesson that you can't change the rules in the middle of a game, no matter how difficult the game [...]Read more about Remembering a childhood lesson
HRC president visits Detroit 'On the Road to Equality'
DETROIT – New Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese was in Detroit April 14-15 as part of HRC's national "On the Road to Equality" tour, a project to [...]Read more about HRC president visits Detroit 'On the Road to Equality'
And so on, and so on...
An old advertising campaign for hair products used to say, to paraphrase, "You tell two friends – and they'll tell two friends – and so on, and so on…" Joe [...]Read more about And so on, and so on...
A Political Coming-of-Age for the LGBT Rights Movement
By Wendy Howell 11/08/2006 In my travels about the country on the campaign trail, I've noticed something striking: in most places, there has been a yawning [...]Read more about A Political Coming-of-Age for the LGBT Rights Movement
In Apology To Trans Community, HRC Pledges Push For Broad LGBT Bill
by Chuck Colbert Masen Davis, executive director of the Oakland, California-based Transgender Law Center (TLC). In a gracious and surprising move, the [...]Read more about In Apology To Trans Community, HRC Pledges Push For Broad LGBT Bill
Veep Biden OK with gay marriage
By Lisa Keen WASHINGTON D.C. – Responding earnestly to a question, Vice President Joe Biden has hoisted personal and legal support for same-sex marriages [...]Read more about Veep Biden OK with gay marriage
S/he Said: Richard Grenell's resignation
Compiled by Howard Israel "If you came to earth from another planet as the proverbial 'visitor from Mars' and tried to figure out what most religions all seem [...]Read more about S/he Said: Richard Grenell's resignation
Grenell resigns Romney post, citing 'personal issues'
By Lisa Keen Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's openly gay advisor on foreign policy resigned Tuesday, just two weeks after the campaign [...]Read more about Grenell resigns Romney post, citing 'personal issues'
Santorum success likely to increase gay-related debate
By Lisa Keen The Republican presidential field's most anti-gay candidate scored big Jan. 3 when he landed in a virtual tie for first place in the Iowa [...]Read more about Santorum success likely to increase gay-related debate
Anti-bullying measures left out of education bill
by Dana Rudolph WASHINGTON, DC-In a blow to activists seeking to stop anti-gay bullying, two proposals to address the issue in schools were left out of an [...]Read more about Anti-bullying measures left out of education bill
HRC calls for action against LGBT violence in Puerto Rico
by Rex Wockner U.S. NEWS The Human Rights Campaign on June 8 urged federal and local officials and law-enforcement authorities to strengthen efforts to [...]Read more about HRC calls for action against LGBT violence in Puerto Rico
House members attempt to delay DADT repeal
By Lisa Keen The full U.S. House Armed Services Committee approved three amendments on May 11 that seek to delay implementation of repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't [...]Read more about House members attempt to delay DADT repeal
Gay bills introduced in Congress
by Rex Wockner U.S. NEWS Two recurring LGBT-rights measures were introduced in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives in April – the Employment [...]Read more about Gay bills introduced in Congress
85 nations sign UN statement defending LGBT people
by Rex Wockner U.S. NEWS In what LGBT advocates described as "a stunning development for the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," 85 [...]Read more about 85 nations sign UN statement defending LGBT people
ENDA reintroduced in House
By Lisa Keen U.S. Rep. Barney Frank re-introduced the Employment Non-Discrimination Act today, characterizing it as "winnable." But the bill, which seeks to [...]Read more about ENDA reintroduced in House
DOMA repeal bills introduced in Congress
by Rex Wockner U.S. NEWS Bills were introduced in both houses of the U.S. Congress on March 16 to repeal the Clinton-era Defense of Marriage Act. The act [...]Read more about DOMA repeal bills introduced in Congress
White House names openly gay fundraiser as first male Social Secretary
By Lisa Keen The White House announced that the first man, and openly gay individual, took the position as President Obama's Social Secretary Feb. 25. Jeremy [...]Read more about White House names openly gay fundraiser as first male Social Secretary
Hawaii civil-union bill sent to supportive governor
by Rex Wockner INTERNATIONAL NEWS A civil-union bill granting Hawaii same-sex couples all the state-level rights, benefits, responsibilities and obligations [...]Read more about Hawaii civil-union bill sent to supportive governor
Supremes squash last-ditch effort to undo D.C. marriage law
by Rex Wockner The U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 18 refused to hear an appeal by anti-gays hoping to force a voter referendum on the law that legalized same-sex [...]Read more about Supremes squash last-ditch effort to undo D.C. marriage law
Obama mentions gays in State of the Union address
by Rex Wockner The night before President Barack Obama gives the State of the Union address, the lights of the U.S. Capitol are seen in an ice-covered [...]Read more about Obama mentions gays in State of the Union address
Maryland expected to legalize same-sex marriage
by Rex Wockner Obama has said he supports civil unions for gays but thinks marriage is for straight couples. The Human Rights Campaign called on President [...]Read more about Maryland expected to legalize same-sex marriage
Don't ask, don't tell' heads for the history books
President Barack Obama makes Congressional calls from the Oval Office before today's final Senate vote repealing the ban on gay men and women serving openly in [...]Read more about Don't ask, don't tell' heads for the history books
U.S. Senate again blocks DADT repeal
The U.S. Senate voted again Dec. 9 against taking action to authorize repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" ban on open gays in the military. The vote was [...]Read more about U.S. Senate again blocks DADT repeal
Gays sue feds over marriage again
by Rex Wockner The New England legal group Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders filed a multiplaintiff lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the federal [...]Read more about Gays sue feds over marriage again
Gov't seeks to resurrect 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
by Rex Wockner The U.S. government moved Oct. 14 to block a Riverside, Calif., federal judge's worldwide injunction issued two days earlier that bars the [...]Read more about Gov't seeks to resurrect 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
Judge blocks 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
by Rex Wockner U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips in Riverside, Calif., issued a permanent worldwide injunction Oct. 12 immediately barring the U.S. [...]Read more about Judge blocks 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
Viewpoint: Bullseye
Somebody call Tom Cruise. The Human Rights Campaign is on a Mission: Impossible. Its goal? To convince two of the world's largest corporations, Target and [...]Read more about Viewpoint: Bullseye
McCain: Against filibuster of Defense Bill before he was for it
WASHINGTON – Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., was quoted in Congressional Quarterly Aug. 5 as saying "I do not plan to filibuster" the National Defense [...]Read more about McCain: Against filibuster of Defense Bill before he was for it
HRC Calls on Ball Memorial Hospital to adopt LGBT Inclusive Patient's Bill of Rights
WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign – the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization – today called Ball Memorial [...]Read more about HRC Calls on Ball Memorial Hospital to adopt LGBT Inclusive Patient's Bill of Rights
Malawian couple pardoned
by Rex Wockner International News Briefs The Malawian couple recently sentenced to 14 years in prison with hard labor after they held an engagement ceremony [...]Read more about Malawian couple pardoned
U.S. House, Senate committee vote to end DADT
by Rex Wockner The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee and the full U.S. House of Representatives both voted to repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban on open [...]Read more about U.S. House, Senate committee vote to end DADT
Human Rights Campaign staffers depart
by Rex Wockner The two top people in the Human Rights Campaign's communications department have left the nation's biggest gay rights group. Communications [...]Read more about Human Rights Campaign staffers depart
Barrage of protests in D.C., California
by Rex Wockner Gays and lesbians were arrested in three separate protests March 18 at the White House and at the offices of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in [...]Read more about Barrage of protests in D.C., California
S/he said: Theodore B. Olson, Rhianna, Joe Solmonese
Compiled by Howard Israel "Has anyone noticed that now that lesbians and gay men have left the closet to assert their equal rights as citizens, their [...]Read more about S/he said: Theodore B. Olson, Rhianna, Joe Solmonese
HIV travel ban fully lifted
By Bob Roehr The U.S. HIV travel and immigration ban was officially lifted on Jan. 4, 22 years after first going into effect. South Korea also lifted its HIV [...]Read more about HIV travel ban fully lifted
S/he said: Shannan Wilber, Joe Solmonese, Kenyon Farrow
Compiled by Howard Israel "The justice system has historically paid scant – if any – attention to the experiences of LGBT youth in the system. As a result, [...]Read more about S/he said: Shannan Wilber, Joe Solmonese, Kenyon Farrow
