Israel Will Not Deport Gay Partners of Citizens

Judge Uzi Vogelman of the Tel Aviv District Court, in deciding in favor of a gay couple who had filed an emergency petition against deportation, has ruled that Israel's ban on deporting foreign citizens who are married to Israeli citizens should apply to common law marriages as well, and has included same sex relationships in this category.



The couple were represented by The Association for Civil Rights in Israel.

Fines for Druid Hills Golf Club

There's been a move in the long standoff between the City of Atlanta and the Druid Hills Golf Club over the club's refusal to treat same sex spouses on equal footing as opposite sex couples.



Atlanta has had a human relations ordinance in place since 2000, and at the start of this year the commission that reviews allegations of violations determined that the golf club was indeed operating contrary to the requirements of the ordinance. The club refused to change their policies, and Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin attempted to have the two sides (the club and the members requesting the benefit) work out the issue through mediation, but those efforts failed.



Mayor Franklin has now announced that the city solicitor will be fining the golf club $500 per day for a maximum of 180 days ($90,000) unless the benefits are extended to domestic partners of gay club members. The club's board of directors has announced their intention to maintain their current policies and to fight the validity of the fine. Georgia state law bars gay marriage, and some state legislators are attempting to invalidate the Atlanta ordinance. Mayor Franklin is having the ordinance reviewed, and if necessary modified to strengthen it against possible legal challenges.