Ten Things You Should Know

Ten Things You Should Know

Ten important things to know in the LGBT community

1. Military chaplains can perform same-sex weddings

The Pentagon has issued a new rule allowing military chaplains to perform same-sex weddings if state and local laws allow. "A military chaplain may participate in or officiate any private ceremony, whether on or off a military installation, provided that the ceremony is not prohibited by applicable state and local law," according to a memo from Undersecretary of Defense Clifford Stanley. The memo also said chaplains are not required to officiate a marriage if it conflicts with their religious beliefs. "A military chaplain's participation in a private ceremony does not constitute an endorsement of the ceremony" by the Department of Defense, the memo said.

2. President Obama speaks at HRC national dinner

President Barack Obama again called for the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) at the annual Human Rights Campaign (HRC) fundraising dinner. About 3,000 attendees at the Oct. 1 dinner in Washington gave the president standing ovations when he touted the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, the establishment of hospital visitation rights for same-sex couples and spoke out against the bullying of LGBT youth. In an interview with ABC News, Obama said his position on gay marriage is "still evolving" and refused to say whether his position might change before the 2012 election.

3. Appeals court dismisses DADT case

The 9th District U.S. Court of Appeals has dismissed the Log Cabin Republicans v. United States appeal as moot, following the end of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell law. Log Cabin Republican's lead attorney Dan Woods said the group would not be giving up its fight and anticipates seeking re-hearing before the full court.

4. Rep. Polis becomes first gay parent in Congress

Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) is the first openly gay parent in the U.S. Congress. Polis and his partner, Marlon Reis, have announced the arrival of their son, Caspian Julius. Polis and Reis have declined to comment on whether it was a surrogate pregnancy or an adoption.

5. Number of gay TV characters down slightly

The number of gay and bisexual characters on scripted broadcast network TV has dipped slightly this season to 19 out of nearly 650 roles, according to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLADD). The annual "Where We Are on TV" report found that 2.9 percent of actors appearing regularly on prime-time network drama and comedy series in the 2011-12 season portray gay, lesbian or bisexual characters. That's down from 3 percent in the 2009-10 season and 3.9 percent last season. Fox leads the networks in gay representation, with eight regular characters out of a total of 117.

6. Study says gays promote workplace teamwork

New research supports the notion that people who don't hide their sexual orientation are not only more pleasant to be around, but also perform more effectively in the workplace by improving teamwork. University of California-Los Angeles' Anderson School of Management released a study conducted among undergraduates to coincide with the end of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Activists say the research will serve as ammunition in aiding passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

7. 2010 Census overcounted gay families

Officials say that the 2010 U.S. Census overcounted gay and lesbian families, due to confusion about how to fill out last year's questionnaire. The Census did not directly ask about gay and lesbian couples, making it necessary for the numbers to be extrapolated. A tally still shows that the presence of gay and lesbian couples in the nation had grown substantially. The 2000 count showed 358,390 same-sex families. That number leapt to 646,464 in 2010. The initial count for 2010 had indicated that 901,997 gay and lesbian families had identified themselves.

8. Gay man rejoins race for president of Ireland

An openly gay politician who withdrew from the Irish presidential race, then re-entered the race, has gathered the support needed to put his name on the ballot. David Norris, a member of the Irish senate, was the subject of controversy when a journalist released comments that Norris had made to her nine years ago about older men and younger male lovers, remarks that critics called proof that Norris supported pedophilia.

9. Wal-Mart adds transgender protections

Retail giant Wal-Mart has added transgender protections to its employee non-discrimination policy. The protections include gender identity and gender expression said Phillip Keene, a company spokesperson, who said the change was made several weeks ago, In last year's Human Rights Campaign's annual Corporate Equality Index, Wal-Mart received a 40 percent ranking out of 100, for a failure to amend its anti-discrimination policy to include gender protections.

10. Transgender inmates can receive treatment

New rules adopted by the US. Bureau of Prisons as part of a court settlement will allow transgender inmates who did not begin treatment prior to entering federal custody to receive hormones, specialized mental health counseling and possibly gender reassignment surgery while they are in prison. According to a memo issued to wardens at federal prisons, "current, accepted standards of care" will be applied to inmates who believe they are the wrong gender.