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America's Most Followed LGBTQ News Source
Alabama Supreme Court orders judges to stop issuing same-sex marriage licenses
The Alabama Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the state's probate judges to stop issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, saying a previous federal ruling that gay marriage bans violate the U.S. Constitution does not preclude them from following state law, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman.
World
Slovenia lawmakers approve same-sex marriage, gay couple adoption
Slovenian lawmakers have approved same-sex marriage and child adoption by gay couples amid opposition from conservative groups and the Catholic Church.
USA
Ex-Rhode Island House speaker to plead guilty to federal charges
Former Rhode Island House Speaker Gordon Fox, who in 2010 became the state's first openly gay speaker, has agreed to plead guilty to charges of bribery, wire fraud and filing a false tax return following an investigation that included a dramatic federal raid on the Statehouse.
USA
East Grand Rapids, Mich., council supports adding LGBT protections
The city in western Michigan is adding sexual orientation and gender identity to an existing non-discrimination ordinance on housing and employment.
Newsmakers
Joe Biden to headline Human Rights Campaign annual convention
Vice President Joe Biden will deliver a speech this week at a convention hosted by the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBT rights group.
USA
Bill expected soon on LGBT discrimination, religious rights in Utah
Utah lawmakers are expected as early as Tuesday to unveil a compromise bill that protects LGBT individuals against discrimination in housing and employment while also protecting religious rights.
USA
Charlotte, N.C., rejects LGBT-inclusive ordinances after hours of public debate
The Charlotte, N.C., city council voted Monday night 6-5 against expanding the city's nondiscrimination ordinance to include sexual orientation, gender expression and gender identity to a list of protected groups.
USA
Calif. attorney files for ballot initiative seeking to have all gays executed
An Orange County, Calif., attorney has filed a proposed ballot measure with the California Attorney General's office asking voters to criminalize homosexuality in the state and impose a death penalty sentence.
USA
Arkansas AG opposes effort to lift stay in same-sex marriage case
The Arkansas attorney general's office has asked a federal judge who struck down the state's gay marriage ban as unconstitutional to not allow same-sex couples to wed while the ruling is being appealed.
USA
NYC mayor to skip St. Patrick’s parade over policy excluding gays
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is not planning to march in the nation's biggest and oldest St. Patrick's Day parade unless its organizers change their limitations on displays of gay pride.
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USA
Nebraska welfare officials ignoring state’s ban on gay, unmarried foster parents
Nebraska welfare officials have been placing foster children in the homes of gay, lesbian and unmarried couples since before Gov. Pete Ricketts took office in January, despite a 1995 policy barring the state from doing so.
USA
LGBT rights activists arrested for protests in Idaho House, Senate chambers
Police arrested roughly two dozen LGBT rights activists after protesters refused to leave the Idaho Senate and House chambers in an attempt to pressure lawmakers into passing anti-discrimination protections.
Newsmakers
Holder: ‘Nothing justifies excluding same-sex couples from the institution of marriage’
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder says the Justice Department will file a brief with the Supreme Court stating its position that same-sex marriage bans violate the fundamental constitutional guarantee of "equal protection of the laws."
USA
Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts denounces same-sex marriage ruling
Gov. Pete Ricketts is denouncing a federal judge’s decision to strike down Nebraska’s constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between one man and one woman.
USA
Supreme Court rejects appeal by Prop 8 donors to keep their identities secret
The justices let stand a lower court ruling against ProtectMarriage.com, the National Organization for Marriage and other supporters of a 2008 ballot initiative that outlawed same-sex marriages in California until the ban was overturned five years later.
USA
Federal judge strikes down Nebraska same-sex marriage ban
A federal judge blocked Nebraska’s same-sex marriage ban on Monday, but the decision will not take effect for a week and the attorney general’s office immediately appealed to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
USA
Marriage News Watch, March 2, 2015
Texas lawmakers are gunning for the judge who let two lesbians to get married. Meanwhile, homophobic lawmakers celebrate the 10th anniversary of the state's marriage ban. There's just one problem: the law will probably be overturned before it actually turns ten.
USA
California GOP officially recognizes gay faction ‘Log Cabin Republicans’
The California Republican Party on Sunday officially recognized the party’s organized gay wing that has fought years for formal acceptance.
USA
New York City mayor marches in LGBT-friendly pre-St. Patrick’s Day parade
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told hundreds of participants at an LGBT-friendly St. Patrick's Day parade on Sunday that a society for all is one that embraces and respects everyone.
LGBTQ Life
‘Tomboy’ Renee recalls shopping trip to ‘The Gap’ to fix gender
Renee was a "tomboy" as long as they can remember. As a teenager, Renee was part of an all-girls youth group, and was asked to represent the group at a pageant weekend. Part of that involved wearing a gown.
LGBTQ Life
Jonathan Knight on being outed and how ‘The Amazing Race’ helped his anxiety
New Kid on the Block Jonathan Knight, who appears on CBS' "The Amazing Race" with his partner Harley Rodriguez, opens up about how hiding his sexual orientation led to his struggle with stage fright and panic attacks.
Views & Voices
Will our prisons overflow with Christians?
Many leaders of the Christian Right, from megachurch pastors like Rick Warren to the top prelates in the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, have repeatedly threatened civil disobedience (and worse) over marriage equality. If they follow through on their claims, a summer of “martyrdom” may be at hand if the
USA
North Carolina mom believes bullying led to transgender teen’s suicide
Local LGBT community leaders in Charlotte, N.C., are responding with messages of support and encouragement, following the death Thursday of a transgender student. Ash Haffner, 16, died by suicide on Thursday.
Newsmakers
No evolution for Jeb Bush: ‘I believe in traditional marriage.’
Despite a perception that he’s the most LGBT-friendly Republican in the field of potential presidential candidates, Jeb Bush said Friday he remains opposed to same-sex marriage, reports The Washington Blade.
USA
Alabama court reverses itself, allows visitation case after same-sex couple split
An Alabama appeals court reversed itself on Friday, ruling that a woman who separated from her same-sex partner in Georgia can pursue visitation rights in Alabama.
USA
Mo. bill would make issuing same-sex marriage licenses a fireable offense
A Missouri legislator has introduced a bill that would make it illegal for the state to enforce a marriage other than between a man and a woman and could lead to the firing of government employees who issue such licenses.
Arts
Eddie Redmayne’s latest transformation: Transgender pioneer Lili Elbe
Fresh from his Oscar win for Lead Actor for his performance as famed astrophysicist Stephen Hawking in “The Theory of Everything,” British actor Eddie Redmayne is taking on another project that involves a drastic physical transformation.
USA
Ky. Senate OKs bill requiring separate restrooms for transgender students
Kentucky's state Senate voted Friday to force transgender students to use separate bathrooms in public schools, a move that recalled the dark days of segregation for some but for others represented a stand for privacy rights.
Newsmakers
Benhams working to defeat Charlotte ‘depraved’ non-discrimination ordinance
David and Jason Benham say they're working to defeat a proposed LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance in Charlotte, N.C., which David Benham called “so depraved and just absolutely craziness.”
USA
Mississippi justices say gay marriage ban should be declared unconstitutional
Two Mississippi Supreme Court justices said Thursday that the court should find the state's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional and not wait for a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court.
Views & Voices
The phantom roadmap to LGBT discrimination
Scheming villains thirst to rollback the progress our nation has attained toward full LGBT equality. But, could they actually do it? Insidious laws like Arkansas' innocent-sounding "Intrastate Commerce Improvement Act" (SB 202) may provide the roadmap.
USA
W.Va. Senate leader: ‘No way’ we’re considering LGBT discrimination bill
West Virginia Senate Majority Leader Mitch Carmichael says there's "no way" his chamber will consider a proposal to nullify local ordinances that protect LGBT people from housing and employment discrimination.
LGBTQ Life
Facebook adds new gender option for users: ‘Fill in the blank’
Facebook users who don't fit any of the 58 gender identity options offered by the social media giant are now being given a rather big 59th option: fill in the blank.
LGBTQ Life
Study: Stem cell breakthrough opens door to biological children of same-sex couples
An international team of scientists have shown that it is possible to create human sperm and eggs from stem cells derived from adult skin, regardless of the donor’s gender.
USA
West Virginia House panel advances bill to nullify local LGBT protections
A West Virginia House committee on Wednesday advanced a bill that would nullify local nondiscrimination ordinances that critics said amounted to “legislative gay bashing.”
World
Mexico’s quiet marriage equality revolution
Courts in more than two-thirds of Mexico’s 31 states have granted same-sex couples the right to marry over the past two years in a series of rulings that will likely make marriage equality a reality nationwide in the near future.
(BuzzFeed News)
(BuzzFeed News)
USA
Alabama religious groups support Roy Moore’s stand against same-sex marriage
Supporters who rallied around Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore during his 2003 Ten Commandments fight returned to Alabama Wednesday to praise his stand against same-sex marriage.
Views & Voices
Why do bakeries have to sell wedding cakes for same-sex ceremonies?
Why do some bakeries have to sell gay wedding cakes, but they don't have to sell cakes with homophobic slurs? And what's REALLY at stake here? Unfurrow your confused brow with this Fireside Chat from Matt Baume.
USA
Texas lawmakers, conservative leaders celebrate 10 years of marriage inequality
Several Texas lawmakers joined conservative leaders at the state capitol in Tuesday for a controversial slice of symbolic wedding cake in a 10th anniversary celebration of the state's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.
Newsmakers
Cop who objected to riding in gay pride says he was unfairly branded a ‘bigot’
A former Salt Lake City police officer who was put on leave and later resigned after he objected to riding in the motorcycle brigade at the front of last year's gay pride parade is speaking out against what he believes was a violation of his religious liberties.
USA
Rabbi who presided over same‑sex wedding leads Texas House in prayer
The rabbi who defied Texas' same-sex marriage ban and wed a lesbian couple last week led the morning prayer in the Republican-dominated Texas House on Wednesday, catching staunch supporters of the prohibition off-guard.
USA
Lawsuit settled over alleged bullying of gay students in Mississippi school district
The Southern Poverty Law Center has announced a settlement of its federal lawsuit alleging that gay students were routinely bullied in a south Mississippi school district.
USA
Texas lawmaker files complaint against judge who allowed same-sex wedding
A state lawmaker's complaint has prompted the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct to investigate a judge who ordered the issuance of a marriage license to a same-sex couple.
USA
Arkansas Senate panel rejects anti-LGBT ‘conscience-protection’ bill
A "conscience-protection" proposal in Arkansas that critics call an attempt to sanction discrimination against gays and lesbians has failed before a legislative panel.
USA
N.C. Senate OKs bill allowing officials to refuse to officiate same-sex marriages
Some North Carolina court officials could opt out of marriage duties - including same-sex marriages - under legislation approved by the state Senate.
USA
Southeast Alaska tribal organization to allow same-sex marriages
The Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska announced its new policy following a unanimous vote by the council’s governing board to define legal marriage without a gender requirement.
USA
Labor Dept. updates Family and Medical Leave Act to include same-sex spouses
The U.S. Department of Labor on Wednesday issued a final rule revising the regulatory definition of spouse under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) to include married, same-sex couples.
LGBTQ Life
Study details lives of LGBT youths engaged in ‘survival sex’
A unique federally funded study offers a detailed look at the lives of LGBT youth in New York City who cope with homelessness and poverty by engaging in what the researchers call "survival sex."
USA
Indiana Senate approves bill allowing discrimination against LGBT people
The Indiana state Senate on Tuesday approved a bill designed to allow private businesses, individuals and organizations to refuse services for same-sex weddings because of religious beliefs.
USA
Former Georgia AG: ‘Religious freedom’ bills deserve ‘a quick death’
Former Georgia Attorney General Michael Bowers said Tuesday that two bills being debated by lawmakers create an excuse to discriminate against LGBT people or break state laws and are "deserving of a quick death."
USA
Transgender teen gets support from Justice Department in school lawsuit
The federal government is supporting a Detroit-area teenager who, in a lawsuit, accuses several schools of discriminating against him because he's transgender.
USA
LGBT caucus membership drops by more than half in 114th Congress
The congressional caucus that aims to advance LGBT issues made public its membership for the 114th Congress, and the size of the group is not even half of what it was in its previous iteration.
(Washington Blade)
(Washington Blade)
USA
Walmart criticizes Arkansas ‘conscience protection’ religious freedom bill
Walmart on Tuesday criticized a “conscience protection” measure in the retail giant’s home state that opponents say sanctions discrimination against gays and lesbians, while Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson also expressed concerns about the legislation.
Newsmakers
Democratic icon Barney Frank on Congress, gay rights and partisan echo chambers
The highest profile openly gay member of Congress retired in 2013 after 32 years, leaving a legacy of legislation on financial reform as well as changes in perceptions and laws about homosexuality.
(Los Angeles Times)
(Los Angeles Times)
USA
Wyoming House shoots down LGBT anti‑discrimination bill
The House on Tuesday voted 33-to-26 to reject the bill that would have prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. It had already cleared the Wyoming state Senate.
USA
Arkansas governor says he’s concerned by ‘religious freedom’ bill
The Republican governor said he had reservations about the House-backed "conscience protection" measure that's pending before a Senate committee, but stopped short of saying whether he opposed the bill.
USA
Couple in Alabama same-sex marriage case still refused adoption petition
The couple whose lawsuit got Alabama's same-sex marriage ban ruled unconstitutional is headed back to court after a probate judge again refused to grant their adoption petition.
LGBTQ Life
Study: HIV drug can prevent new infection when taken before and after sex
For the first time, a study shows that a drug used to treat HIV infection also can help prevent it when taken before and after sex between two men.
USA
Iowa GOP lawmakers still seeking constitutional ban on same-sex marriage
Nearly six years after a unanimous Iowa Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage, Republican lawmakers are still battling to overturn the ruling by amending the state constitution.
USA
Oklahoma House committee OKs bill protecting conversion therapy providers
Legislation that would protect the practice of therapy that seeks to change people's sexual orientation or gender identity in Oklahoma was approved by a state House committee Tuesday.
USA
In latest update, Apple adds emojis depicting same-sex couples, gay parents
Lovers of emojis, the cute graphics that punctuate online writing and texts, will soon be able to pick from different skin tones and depictions of same-sex couples and families with two moms or two dads on Apple devices.
USA
North Carolina Senate panel advances anti-LGBT magistrate discrimination bill
A bill that would allow magistrates and registers of deeds to opt out of providing legal marriage services or issuing marriage licenses, passed out of a state Senate committee on Tuesday, and heads to a full hearing on the Senate floor.
USA
Both sides submit final arguments in Nebraska same-sex marriage lawsuit
Attorneys on both sides of the legal fight over Nebraska's ban on same-sex marriage have turned in final written arguments on a motion to quash the ban immediately.
USA
Colorado, Iowa, Oregon lawmakers considering ‘conversion therapy’ bans
Three more states could soon join California, New Jersey and the District of Columbia in outlawing therapy that seeks to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBT youth.
USA
Kentucky Senate panel takes another vote; advances transgender bathroom bill
Transgender students would have to use separate restrooms in Kentucky's public schools under a bill that cleared the Senate Education Committee on Monday.
USA
Walmart speaks out against Arkansas anti-gay law – after veto deadline passes
Walmart Stores Inc. said late Monday it opposes a new law in its home state of Arkansas to ban cities and counties from expanding anti-discrimination protections to include sexual orientation and gender identity.
Newsmakers
Graham Moore’s Oscar speech was not intended for LGBT kids
Moore is not gay. His speech was not about LGBT youth, many of whom experience depression because of the homophobia and transphobia in which our culture is mired. His speech was not even about the reality of Alan Turing’s life itself.
(BuzzFeed)
(BuzzFeed)
USA
No veto from Arkansas governor on bill banning LGBT discrimination laws
Arkansas on Monday banned local governments from expanding anti-discrimination protections to include sexual orientation and gender identity, becoming the second state to adopt a measure opponents call a thinly-veiled move to discriminate against LGBT people.
USA
State Department names first global envoy for LGBT rights
The United States named its first international envoy for gay rights Monday, tasking a veteran diplomat with leading U.S. efforts to fight violence and discrimination against LGBT individuals overseas.
USA
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter: Transgender Americans should be allowed to serve openly in the military
U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Sunday that transgender individuals should not be prevented from serving in the U.S. military solely based on their gender identity.
