IN THE NEWS ARCHIVE

December 2007
On December 15, 2007, the Bolivian Constituent Assembly unveiled the final and definitive text of the new Bolivian constitution.  Article 14, paragraph II, of the document states explicitly that:  "The State prohibits and punishes all forms of discrimination based  on sexual orientation [and] gender identity." If this text of the Bolivian constitution is ratified, Bolivia will be the first  country in the world to protect gender identity-related concerns. Also, Article 66 of the new constitution says that, "Men and women  are guaranteed the exercise of their sexual and reproductive rights."

Nepal must enact laws ensuring gay rights and strike current discriminatory measures, according to a ruling by its Supreme Court. The ruling was in response to a petition by four gay-rights groups, a court spokesman said. The country currently prohibits homosexuality, and it wasn't clear whether the decision would nullify that law.

November 2007
Gay Republican Elected to Doraville City Council
Newly elected Doraville, Ga., councilmember Brian Bates, the first gay Republican to win office in the state, is profiled as someone who symbolizes "progress" in LGBT acceptance by the mainstream. Read more on the AJC online.

Transgender Student Claims "Homecoming King" Title
Andrew Gomez, who is in the process of shifting from being a woman to a man, was elected homecoming king at Pasadena City College this month, but had to fight for his crown. The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported that Gomez was originally declared ineligible by the organizing committee, but the election stood after students protested that denying the title to Gomez would have amounted to discrimination

October 2007
Adam Thomas, Lambda Alliance Executive Board Member, was selcted to serve on the UGA Homecoming Court.

Congress passes the Matthew Shepard Act. This legislation updates and expands the federal hate crimes laws to include bias motivated violence based on a victim's sexual orientation, gender identity, gender, and disability, and provides new resources and tools to assist local law enforcement in prosecuting vicious crimes. Read more at the Human Rights Campaign website.

September 2007

Lambda Alliance Executive Board Member, Adam Thomas, was named the UGA Amazing Student of the Week.

Lambda Legal wins a victory for same-sex marriage in Iowa. Read more here.

First hurdle for LGBT rights passed within Latin American Economic Union. Read more here.

August 2007
The Equality Forum released a study showing that 94% of Fortune 500 Companies provide non-discrimination policies protecting employees based on sexual orientation in 2007. This is up from 65% in 2003. Read more here.

Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (GenderPAC) released its 2007 GENIUS Index (Gender Equality National Index for Universities & Schools) showing that 69% of the nation's top-25 colleges and universities have inclusive non-discrimination policies. Read more here.