Yesterday the U.S. Senate passed the first version of the Violence Against Women Act to include specific protections for LGBT survivors of domestic violence.

The law was first enacted in 1994 but has never included language that specifically aided LGBT communities. The law will give more resources to programs for investigating and prosecuting in cases of domestic violence and support victim service programs as well. The law passed in the Senate 68-31, and the House will likely vote in May.

According to Sharon Stapel of the Anti-Violence Project, 25%-35% of same-sex relationships are marked by domestic violence and abuse, which is about the same rate as other relationships. However, LGBT domestic violence victims have fewer supportive services, and they often face discrimination when seeking help. This latest reauthorization ensures that all people are able to access services regardless of his or her actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.

“To be the target of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence or stalking is terrifying and traumatic,” National Gay and Lesbian Task Force executive director Rea Carey said in a statement issued shortly after the vote. “Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are not immune from this violence, and their distress should not be further heightened by a lack of proper response from service providers or law enforcement. Imagine being assaulted, scared and in pain — and then being turned away from receiving basic services and care. No one should ever be subjected to such inhumane treatment.”

There’s been a lot of buzz around this bill in general, but it’s really important to acknowledge how it goes somewhere totally new for LGBT communities. We will certainly see how this unfolds - hopefully for the better.

Have you seen this yet? A new ad for Belvedere Vodka essentially pokes fun at date rape and seems to place the blame on victims for “not going down smoothly.” How incredibly, incredibly uncool. (They have since tweeted an apology, but really, the damage is done.) More.

Edit: Apparently this is a couple weeks old and the ad has since been pulled, but the actress in the ad is suing Belvedere for misappropriating her image.

There’s no doubt that Katniss Everdeen, the main character of The Hunger Games, is a sort of feminist icon for our generation. In light of the franchise’s huge success, Mattel’s now making a Barbie-style doll in her likeness. Does this ruin her badass image? More.

Lesbian feminist author Adrienne Rich died at her home in California yesterday from complications of rheumatoid arthritis. She was 82.

If you have ever taken a gender studies or women’s studies class, you’ve probably read something by Adrienne Rich. Here’s a little more background from The Advocate in case you’re unsure:

Her poetry and prose showed feminist sympathies from the 1950s onward, and her 1980 essay “Compulsory Heterosexuality and the Lesbian Continuum” challenged the idea that heterosexuality was the only normal orientation and formed the heart of theories of lesbian feminism. Her work features prominently in gender studies classes.

She also wrote passionate antiwar poetry and concerned herself with issues of class. In 1997 she turned down the National Medal for the Arts, writing to President Bill Clinton, “The radical disparities of wealth and power in America are widening at a devastating rate. A president cannot meaningfully honor certain token artists while the people at large are so dishonored.”

Rich gave all she had for this field and was truly one of the most prominent voices in shaping it. She will be missed.

This year’s Miss California USA pageant was unlike any before, with the first openly gay contestants ever in the running. 

Jenelle Hutcherson, 26, and Mollie Thomas, 19, were the first openly gay contestants in the pageant’s 60-year history. More than 400 women started in the running, with a final round of 20 people before crowning a winner this weekend. 

From the LA Times:

Thomas, a part-time UCLA student, said this is her first time in a pageant. She agreed to compete because it allowed her to represent the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in a positive way, she said.

“I’m running for equality and will use this in order to promote visibility on current issues, to become a youth advocate and a role model,” Thomas said in an interview. …

Hutcherson, sporting a pierced nose and tattoos, is also using the contest as part of an effort to spread a message of tolerance and equality. A mentor at the LGBT center in Long Beach, she also hopes to inspire young people.

“We have the power to create a better future for our kids by setting an example of treating each other with love and equality,” she said.

Neither of the girls won, but I bet they’ll be remembered anyway.