Monday, January 30 – Trial to begin anew in Orozco v. Attorney General of Belize, the challenge to that country's sodomy law.    

Wednesday, January 25 – Hearing on motion for summary judgment in Doe v. Jindal, in which the Center for Constitutional Rights is challenging the selective enforcement of Louisiana's sodomy law (yes, it's still on the books) in federal district court. Also January 25 – Opening brief due in Ninth Circuit in Doe v. Reed, the […]

Trial in the challenge to the sodomy law of Belize – scheduled to begin a week ago, on December 5 – has been postponed until late January. The reason reportedly was the filing of motions by both parties to strike expert witnesses expected to testify for the other side. The case was brought by the […]

As I have noted before, Attorney General Holder is obligated under the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) to promulgate national standards to curb rape in prisons and other detention facilities. He testified a year and a half ago about the cruelty of prison rape, stating that the standards were needed "yesterday."  There are still no final standards. […]

President Obama issued a memorandum on Tuesday "directing all agencies engaged abroad to ensure that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBT persons." Specific steps included fighting criminalization and discrimination, aiding victims of persecution seeking asylum, and "swift and meaningful" responses to human rights abuses of lgbt persons. The memorandum was […]