Welcome Back Cocktail Party at ONYX

OUTlaw is set to host a Welcome Back cocktail party at ONYX by the Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday, August 28th at 9 p.m.  There will be live music at the beginning of the night on the patio with a DJ taking over later. (Weather permitting, otherwise, music will move inside.) There will be beer and martini specials as well as reserved patio seating for WNEC Law students. The dinner menu at Onyx is available until 10 and the lounge/bar menu is available until 11.

Please email Erika Scibelli at outlaw.wnec@gmail.com with any questions.

A big thanks to Onyx for accommodating our event. We can't wait to see you all there and celebrate the start of the new school year.

9th Circuit extends Judge Walker's stay on CA same-sex marriages

• Check out this blogger article from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

• NPR had a brief, but interesting perspective on the radio this morning from Erwin Chemerinsky, Professor of Law at the University of California at Irvine. (Students may recognize his name if you carried around the giant and very helpful Constitutional Law supplement that he authored.) Professor Chemerinsky stated in his sound bite that the 9th circuit most likely made the decision to extend the expiration date of the stay so that the matter would not go to the Supreme Court.

• Professor Chemerinsky also wrote a very interesting article earlier this week for the LA Times about the appeal process of the Prop 8 decision. He writes that the Supreme Court could find that opponents of same-sex marriage have no legal standing to appeal the decision made by Judge Walker. Read the whole article here.

First OUTlaw meeting and elections

OUTlaw will hold its first meeting of 2010-2011 on Tuesday August 24th at noon in Room 2. We will be holding elections as well as discussing upcoming events for the new academic year. All are welcome and encouraged to attend. We look forward to seeing you there!

BREAKING: PROP 8 OVERTURNED!

Howard Mintz of San Jose Mercury news reported throughout the Prop 8 trial. Now he brings us the news that Judge Vaughn Walker has overturned California's ban on same-sex marriage, finding it unconstitutional.
Read the full article here.

Prop 8 decision to come today

The decision in the Prop 8 case should be handed down by Judge Vaughn Walker at some point today. Check back for further developments.

Text EQUAL to 69866 to receive a text message with the decision as soon as it happens.

OUTlaw back up on TWEN

If you haven't added OUTlaw as a "course" on TWEN, it's now available for you to do so. By adding OUTlaw, you'll have access to the event calendar, meeting minutes, bylaws, OUTlines and more.

Quick Links: Interesting Stories

ABC news reports that a Georgia student has filed a lawsuit against Augusta State University over "Gay Sensitivity Training".

The New York Times published a story on society's recognition of same-sex marriage in South Africa.

WNEC Law's Non-Discrimination Policy

WNEC Law was one of the first law schools in the nation to adopt a non-discrimination policy that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.

Here's WNEC's policy:

"Western New England College is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in education and employment. The College does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, creed, national origin, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or disability in admission to, access to, treatment in, or employment in its programs and activities."

Also, if you haven't been to WNEC Law's LGBT Life page, you can check it out here.

Mississippi school to pay damages to Constance McMillen

Constance McMillen, a Mississippi teen who was not allowed to bring her girlfriend to the prom, came to an agreement today with the school. Read the whole article from CNN here.

President of Ireland signs Civil Partnership Bill

Below is a press release from GLEN (Gay & Lesbian Equality Network):

President Signs Civil Partnership Bill into Law:

A great day for Ireland.

Today the 19th of July, the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, signed the Civil Partnership Bill into law.

“This is a great day for Ireland. Lesbian and gay people, their parents, families, friends neighbours, colleagues can now look forward to celebrating their civil partnerships in the near future” according to Kieran rose.

“It is a tribute to the openness and welcoming nature of Irish society and the commitment of all our legislators and is a major civil rights milestone for lesbian and gay people” continued Kieran Rose.

The Bill will deliver a comprehensive set of protections, rights and obligations for same-sex couples across a wide range of areas including home protections, pensions, taxation, maintenance, next of kin, social welfare, domestic violence, inheritance, enduring power of attorney and creation of joint tenancies.

The Bill was passed without a vote in the Dáil and with an overwhelming majority in the Seanad at the beginning of July.

For Further Information, contact:

Eoin Collins,: +353 87 9273341 or

Brian Sheehan, +353 86 2330417

W: www.glen.ie info@glen.ie