We've learned that Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is working with Leadership Pittsburgh to form a permanent LGBT Advisory Council, comprised of 8-10 individuals.  The Mayor is currently working with more than 35 leaders in the LGBT community to solicit recommendations for the Council.  He and his staff will review the recommendations and determine whom will participate. 

Finally.  I've been blogging about this for months.  The participation of Leadership Pittsburgh may be a signal that this won't be a perfunctory nod to the local gay community.  With all of the new energy surrounding Prop 8, perhaps we can start to tackle some of the remaining sticky issues in the City.  Beginning with the fact that most of my contacts who work for the City and are gay do not believe their work environment is particularly gay supportive. 

Do you have any suggestions for the Council?

Pam's House Blend has all the details.

The California Supreme Court agreed today to review legal challenges to Prop. 8, the voter initiative that restored a ban on same-sex marriage, but refused to permit gay weddings to resume pending a ruling.

Meeting in closed session, the state high court asked litigants on both sides for more written arguments and scheduled a hearing for next March. The court also signaled its intention to decide the fate of existing same-sex marriages, asking litigants to argue that question.

Today's decision to review the lawsuits against Proposition 8 did not reveal how the court was leaning. The court could have dismissed the suits, but both opponents and supporters of Proposition 8 sought review to settle legal questions on a matter of statewide importance.

What's Comes After 8, Pittsburgh? popped onto the local blog scene recently.   California transplant and newly married Christopher Hixson (also a scientist) started blogging:

Welcome aboard, Christopher.  We need more LGBT voices in the Burghosphere -- talking politics, sure but also other topics of interest to the general community. 

It always brightens my day to read a letter in the Post-Gazette section focusing on the civil rights of the gay community.  Here's one example from Tuesday.

Creating inequality

Electing Barack Obama to be our president is a step toward eliminating racism; for this I am joyous and grateful. But sadly, eliminating racism does not mean ending discrimination.

This Election Day, voters in several states chose to enshrine discrimination into their state constitutions; Arizona, Florida and California voted to outlaw gay marriage while Arkansas voted to end the right to adoption for a targeted group of people.

All of these states passed constitutional amendments to eliminate civil rights for same-sex couples. Unequal treatment under the law is being written into state constitutions across our country.

Shame on all of us.

CHRISTINE ALLEN
Sewickley

Christine makes an excellent point about constitutionalizing discrimination against an entire set of people.  The follow up point would be the fallout these actions have on our most vulnerable citizens - children.  The law in Arkansas prohibits unmarried couples of all stripes from adopting or fostering children.  Any foster care recruiter or adoption specialist can tell you how many children languish because there are not enough homes that meet the existing standards or willing to step forward.  So now that state just wipes an entire class of people off the consideration board because they are in an unmarried relationship to restrict the rights of gay people.  Who suffers?  The teenagers living in residential settings because there aren't enough families.  The teens living on the streets because there aren't enough families.  The little children living in substandard homes because the pool of qualified homes has been reduced.

Shame is right.