Equality Press

By Linda Spiller

Marcus Hurn is not your typical law school professor. He doesn’t like to write legal articles or treatises for obscure legal publications. He is a conservative Republican who happens to be one of the most effective advocates for GBLT rights in this state.

Instead, as Marcus said in a recent interview, “I don’t write about laws—I draft them. Someone else can write articles on the law. I prefer to write the laws.” He has authored or co-authored a number of New Hampshire laws. His work includes the AIDS Testing and Confidentiality Act, Self-Nominated Guardian Act, the Hate Crimes Act, and the repeal of a statute banning foster care and adoption by gays and lesbians. (more…)

By Joelle Ruby Ryan

For some time now, it has been common practice to use the acronym GLBT to refer to the community of gender and sexual minorities. Back in the early 1990s, I can remember arriving at the University of New Hampshire and the name of the group was the Campus Gay, Lesbian Bisexual Association (CGLBA). As a young person just discovering my transgender identity, I was disheartened to not have my identity included. I prompted the group to add the “T” and the UNH GLBT Alliance was born. However, adding the trans was just the beginning.

Being the only trans person in a predominantly gay group can sometimes be isolating and frustrating. Often the specificity of our issues is omitted by a “homocentric” lens that puts gay issues center stage. The reality is that transgender liberation lags behind gay civil rights by approximately 20 years. Many gay rights advocates are now focused on same-gender marriage and the civil union issues. I fundamentally support this effort, but many transgender people are still fighting for the most basic rights and dignities. Only a handful of cities and states around the nation have laws that protect transgender people against discrimination. (more…)

By Lisa Bennett

I have an idea for a new reality show. Call it “Not Married by America” and watch what happens when same-sex couples face everyday family challenges, like, say, birth, accidents and death. It may not be quite as funny as Fox’s new “Married by America,” where Americans get to vote on who should marry whom. But it might be refreshing to see a reality show about something…well, real.

Here’s episode one. Susan and Mary, a happy couple in their 20s, are entertaining their parents at their home in Florida. As they sit down to dinner, Susan announces, “I’m pregnant!” Smiles and tears appear on every face. Then Mary drops the bombshell. “But we have to move to Pennsylvania.” Cut to commercial. Pennsylvania, the women later explain, is the nearest state that will guarantee same-sex couples access to second-parent adoption, or the right of both to be legal parents of the child they will raise together.

Episode two. Joe and Brandon, a 40-something couple, are driving to the supermarket one morning when they pull over to help a stranded motorist on the side of the highway. A passing car hits Joe and he’s rushed to the hospital. Although Joe and Brandon have been together for 14 years, the hospital won’t let Brandon visit Joe, let alone make medical decisions on his behalf. Hospital officials say he is not considered “family.” Instead, they telephone Joe’s parents, to whom he hasn’t spoken in years. (more…)