Microsoft isn't as friendly to gay rights as the company claims. The software giant withdrew support for a Washington state bill that would have banned LGBT discrimination in employment, housing and other areas. Microsoft withdrew support after local minister Ken Hutcherson threatened a nationwide boycott, although Microsoft claims Hutcherson's comments had nothing to do with their decision. Sarah Luthens is the National Treasurer for Pride at Work. She says Microsoft's actions set a standard for other corporations.

[Luthens1] "Clearly Microsoft is part of the larger neo-liberal corporate attempt to engage everybody in a race to the bottom."

As gay marriage bans sweep the nation, Wisconsin considers its own constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships. Last June, the Service Employees International Union passed a resolution in support of gay marriage. Sasha Gorman, Communications Coordinator of the Wisconsin SEIU Council says the ban would affect unmarried couples, gay or straight.

[Gorman 1] "I have four children. The mother of my children and I live together, we're not married. We get benefits that would be impacted by this constitutional change in Wisconsin."

A handful of taxpayers in Michigan are seeking a legal challenge to stop Ann Arbor public schools from providing same-sex benefits. The 17 taxpayers, working with a religious law center, are asking the Michigan Court of Appeals to apply a state constitutional amendment passed in November to a suit that failed in 2003. The original ruling was made before the current amendment was implemented and the Washtenaw County Circuit Court said the plaintiffs had no right to sue. The taxpayers claim the amendment prevents employers from giving benefits to gay couples benefits because it would be recognizing their union as a marriage. The city of Ann Arbor has filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the school district.

A public defender has begun using Ohio's amendment that bans gay marriage to block prosecution of domestic abuse in unmarried heterosexual relationships. The Ohio amendment was the strictest in the country passed in November, in addition to banning gay marriage and civil unions, it also prevents the state, counties and cities from offering domestic partner benefits. However, the way the amendment is worded, it bans creating or recognizing legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that would give that relationship right's similar to marriage. On at least two occasion's the Cuyahoga County public defender's office has argued that under the amendment spousal abuse laws do not apply to unmarried couples. Lawyers told the Cleveland Plains Dealer they believe the amendment is a violation of the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment that guarantees equal protection under the law.

Employers in Massachusetts have begun dropping domestic-partner benefits for unmarried same-sex employees. According to the Boston Globe, many companies are now saying that if gays and lesbians can legally marry in that state, they should no longer receive special treatment. IBM, Emerson College, the National Fire Protection Association and the New York Times Company are just a handful of the companies terminating domestic partner benefits. Some are cutting the benefits outright, others are giving employees until January 1st, and some are giving employees a year notification.

Reversing a lower court decision, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the city of Philadelphia acted within it's powers by extending benefits to same-sex life partners of employees. The benefits were awarded in 1998, but in 2002 the Commonwealth Court ruled the city had overstepped it's authority. The state Supreme Court ruling says that while their are "facial similarities between marriage and life partnership, we simply do not agree that they are sufficient to establish that the city has legislated in the area of marriage. William Devlin, a conservative activist says he plans to appeal the court's decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. Of the decision, Devlin says, "I guess what they're saying is that 'the family' is anybody who has appeared on Jerry Springer." Gay marriage is prohibited in Pennsylvania.

An aide to Governor Jennifer Granholm says that benefits are being removed because voters passed an amendment on November 2nd that bans gay marriage and similar unions. The contracts will be adopted on December 15. Granholm aide David Fink says that if the courts resolve the issue of same-sex benefits before the contracts take effect on October 1, 2005, then they could be reinserted. After Granholm, spoke at the Democratic National Convention, many characterized her as a rising star in the party.

Although 11 states voted to reject gay marriage on Tuesday, Ohio's was the most extreme. The Ohio measure not only defines marriage as between a man and a woman, it also bans civil unions and denies any legal status to all unmarried couples and prohibits two unmarried people from jointly adopting a child. Private companies based in Ohio have already expressed concern that the measure will prevent them from offering domestic partner benefits, thereby making it harder for them to attract top-notch employees.

A gay appointee has resigned in new York City over the mayor's opposition to legislation that would expand domestic partnership benefits. Scheduled to take effect on October 27, the law would require companies with city contracts worth at least $100,000 to provide health, family and bereavement benefits to domestic partners, gay or straight. The City Council passed the legislation in May, Mayor Michael Bloomberg vetoed it, and the City Council overrode the veto. Last week the Bloomberg administration sued to stop the new law. Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force wrote to the mayor saying he had to resign out of principle. Bloomberg spokesman Jordan Barowitz said the administration filed suit because the law violates state and federal law. She adds that the decision has nothing to do with the mayor's commitment to equal rights.