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Gay Nominee Rejected For State Position
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
(Des Moines, Iowa) The Iowa Senate has rejected Democratic Gov. Tom Vilsack's choice to sit on the state school board because he is gay. The Republican controlled Senate voted 22 - 24 on the nomination of Jonathan Wilson following two days of fiery debate on the Senate floor. Wilson needed 36 votes for confirmation. Many Republicans said they feared Wilson, a Des Moines lawyer, would "try to promote a gay agenda." Others in the GOP questioned his qualifications and whether he could move Iowa's educational system forward. Vilsack last week chastised senators for dragging their heels on Wilson's confirmation

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Kentucky Voters To Decide On Gay Marriage Ban
by 365Gay.com
(Frankfort, Kentucky) A proposed amendment to the Kentucky state Constitution that would ban same-sex marriage will be on the ballot in November.
The Senate endorsed the measure late Tuesday, the final step in sending it to voters. The amendment defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman, and denies not only marriage to same-sex couples but also prevents the state from giving legal recognition to civil unions. By a quick 33 - 5 vote with little debate the measure avoided the intense debate and political maneuvering that gripped the House, where the measure had stalled until winning passage in a dramatic vote Monday night.

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Gay Family Tax Grab
by Doreen Brandt
365Gay.com Newscenter
(Washington, D.C.) As same-sex couples rush to file their taxes before the April 15 deadline the disparity between them and their heterosexual counterparts becomes abundantly clear: Gay families pay on average higher taxes and get fewer benefits.
A joint study by the Human Rights Campaign and the Urban Institute also shows that when a gay or lesbian parent dies leaving a young child behind, the loss of Social Security survivor benefits to the family can range from $100,000 to $250,000, depending on whether state laws permitted both parents to establish a legal relationship to the surviving child. In addition, same-sex couples with children are far less likely to have access to employer-sponsored health insurance for their families than married couples - and those who do pay hundreds of dollars more in taxes for it.
"Our families are taxed on health insurance for our partners, are unable to secure Social Security survivor benefits and pay more federal income tax when one parent stays at home than married couples. Now, the president and many in Congress want to tamper with the Constitution to make that kind of treatment permanent," said HRC President Cheryl Jacques.
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Court approves sex change for girl raised as boy

A teenage girl has won the right to undergo a sex change process in a unique judgement handed down in the Family Court. The 13-year-old girl, known only as "Alex", has become the first child in Australia to be given legal approval for a sex change based purely on psychiatric grounds. Outgoing Chief Justice of the Family Court, Alastair Nicholson, has found in the favour of the teenager. She will start the change process with hormone treatment at the age of 16 but cannot have surgery until she turns 18.