Chris Geidner: What the LGBT Community Should Expect in 2011

By David Mixner -

Chris Geidner is one of the new breed of tough investigative journalists residing in Washington, DC. His reporting for "Metro Weekly" has become must reading for those interested in the LGBT legislative agenda and politics. While I have not always agreed with Chris, I have respected his journalism and always looked forward to reading him.

In his latest column, "Marching On" he outlines what to expect in the coming year given the changing political situation. Read this important piece by clicking here but to give you a taste here is an excerpt or two.

"The change in the control of the House – while not entirely characterized by the sort of polarization separating Boehner and Pelosi – nonetheless puts a likely end to consideration of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and legislative repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act over the next two years. HRC, on Jan. 5, released a document asserting that 225 members of the House – a majority – have an anti-LGBT record.

Other legislation, though, remains front and center. Among one of the pieces mentioned late in 2010 by Log Cabin Republican officials was the Tax Equity for Health Plan Beneficiaries Act, which was introduced in the House in 2009 with bipartisan support. GOProud is looking to other initiatives – including personal savings accounts under Social Security and a permanent repeal to the estate tax – both of which would offset the discrimination faced by same-sex couples because of DOMA". 

Regarding the Obama White House:

"Down Pennsylvania Avenue at the White House – and across the river at the Pentagon – the first LGBT question of the new year was how quickly the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama on Dec. 22, would result in open military service. Before 2010 had even come to a close, the government filed a motion in the ongoing appeal of LCR's challenge to DADT asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to put the case on hold until the repeal implementation can be completed.

The government is scheduled to submit its opening brief in the appeal of U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Phillips's ruling striking down DADT by Jan. 24. In the December filing, though, Justice Department lawyers ask for the case to be held to conserve the court system's resources, and out of ''respect for determination by the political branches that the orderly process mandated by the Repeal Act is necessary and appropriate to ensure that military effectiveness is preserved.''

Repeal of 10 U.SC. 654, the DADT law, will occur under the Repeal Act 60 days after the president, defense secretary and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff certify to Congress that the changes needed to implement repeal are ''consistent with the standards of military readiness, military effectiveness, unit cohesion, and recruiting and retention of the Armed Forces.'

for more from David visit Live from Hell's Kitchen.

-end-