LGBT rights

Hawaii has passed legislation to authorize same-sex marriage, the Associated Press reports. The governor is expected to sign it. Illinois also has legislation to authorize same-sex marriage, and that will be signed next week.

The Associated Press reported: "The head of Hawaii's Senate judiciary committee said Saturday he expects an amended bill legalizing gay marriage to pass easily in the Senate next week, with no changes to the measure passed by the House Friday night after two grueling floor sessions and a lengthy public hearing." The legislation would allow same-sex weddings to begin on Dec. 2 in Hawaii, the AP also reported.

The Arkansas attorney general certified a ballot measure today that would allow voters to amend the state constitution to recognize same-sex matrimony, according to ArkansasMatters.com. The ballot measure must now have get signatures in support to get on the ballot.

After lawmakers approved legislation to authorize same-sex marriage in Illinois, Governor Pat Quinn has said he will sign the bill, the Chicago Tribune reports. The newspaper also reports that the prospects for the legislation improved when supporters could point to the situation "in in which gay couples living in states that recognize same-sex marriage have more rights than their counterparts in states that haven't legalized gay marriage. The two-class system was a clear narrative that advocates could use when lobbying lawmakers who were on the fence, contending it just didn't make sense for gay couples in Illinois to be denied access to benefits that were available to couples living just across the border in Iowa."

Iowa has same-sex marriage as the result of a ruling by that state's Supreme Court.

CBS reports: "With the support of every member of the Democratic caucus and some Republicans, the Senate on Monday voted to move forward with the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), a bill that would prohibit discrimination in the workplace on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity." That means the full Senate is very likely to pass the bill.

But the bill's prognosis in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives is not so good. Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner came out against the legislation Monday.

Legal news from last week: A federal judge ruled that a lawsuit can proceed on whether same-sex marriages from other states can be recognized on death certificates in Ohio despite the statewide ban on same-sex nuptials. The Associated Press reported the presiding judge "rejected a request from state attorneys asking to have a funeral director removed from the lawsuit, a move that essentially would have squelched it."

The prognosis is good for the bipartisan passage in the U.S. Senate of legislation that would make it illegal for employers to discriminate against people on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity, the Associated Press reports. However, it is unclear if the legislation would even be taken up in the House of Representatives.

The bill has bipartisan support. "In a sign of the times, the anti-bias legislation has traditional proponents such as the Human Rights Campaign, the largest gay and lesbian advocacy group, plus the backing of a relatively new group, the American Unity Fund. That organization has the financial support of big-name Republican donors — hedge fund billionaires Paul Singer, Cliff Asness, Dan Loeb and Seth Klarman — and former GOP lawmakers Norm Coleman of Minnesota and Tom Reynolds of New York," the AP also reports.

An Indiana appellate court asked for legislators to address custody issues involving children of same-sex and other non-traditional families in which an "intended parent lacks a genetic connection to the child," according to the Associated Press. "'What began as a trickle is rapidly becoming a torrent, and the number of children whose lives are impacted by rules that have yet to be written only increases with the passage of time,' Judge Ezra Friedlander wrote in the opinion, 'They, and we, would welcome a legislative roadmap to help navigate the novel legal landscape in which we have arrived,'" according to the AP.

Legislators may vote on same-sex marriage next week, according to GateHouse Media: "Advocates for same-sex marriage in Illinois say they're ready for a vote next week. It's been months of energetic lobbying, but there are signals lawmakers may be prepared for a tally after the measure was set aside earlier this year."

The Hawaii Senate has passed a bill to authorize same-sex marriage. The bill is expected to pass the House of Representatives too, Reuters reported. If the legislation is enacted, Hawaii could become the 15th state to legalize same-sex matrimony. The bill exempts houses of worship from having to perform same-sex wedding ceremonies.