Massachusetts

BOSTON — Massachusetts Democrats are faulting Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Michael Sullivan on the issue of same-sex marriage even as Sullivan scrambled to say he opposes a federal law that bars benefits for same-sex couples. [ Read more → ]

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. — The head of a western Massachusetts charter school says a student production of a play that retells the biblical story of Genesis with gay characters will go on as planned despite objections from some who say it's offensive to Christians. [ Read more → ]

BOSTON — A federal appeals court will hear arguments in April in an appeal of a judge's ruling granting a taxpayer-funded sex change for a Massachusetts transgender inmate. [ Read more → ]

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Education on Friday issued directives for handling transgender students, including allowing them to use the bathrooms or play on the sports teams that correspond to the gender with which they identify. [ Read more → ]

MEDFORD, Mass. -- An openly gay Massachusetts state lawmaker has announced plans to seek a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives should U.S. Rep. Edward Markey (D) be successful in his bid for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by John Kerry. [ Read more → ]

Rather than honor Martin Luther King Jr.’s commitment to civil rights, or the President’s call for LGBT equality during his inaugural address, vandals at Boston College Law School used the three-day weekend to deface the office of an LGBT student group, reports Above The Law. [ Read more → ]

A Massachusetts-based biotechnology company announced it will join just a few dozen companies in the United States to supplement gay employees for taxes incurred when covering their spouse or partner in the company's health plan -- taxes that are not paid by their straight counterparts. [ Read more → ]

BOSTON -- A federal judge, who earlier this year ordered that convicted murderer Michelle Kosilek be allowed taxpayer-funded gender reassignment surgery, ruled Tuesday that he would suspend his order until an appeal of his ruling by the administration of Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. [ Read more → ]

NORFOLK, Mass. -- Convicted murderer Michelle Kosilek — who was granted taxpayer-funded gender-reassignment surgery ordered by a federal judge — is demanding $698 in reimbursement for legal expenses for arguing her case from behind bars, and her attorneys are seeking legal fees of in excess of $800,000, according to documents filed this week in U. S. District Court. [ Read more → ]

BOSTON, Mass. -- Retiring U.S. Representative Barney Frank (D-Mass.) says will not support the election of another openly gay man running for his seat because the congressional hopeful, Richard Tisei, is a Republican. [ Read more → ]

BOSTON -- A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Massachusetts Department of Corrections to provide taxpayer-funded gender reassignment surgery to an inmate serving life in prison for murder, "because it is the only way to treat her serious medical need." [ Read more → ]

Richard Tisei, an openly gay Republican candidate for Congress in Massachusetts, now has an even shot at beating his opponent, incumbent Democratic Rep. John Tierney, according to a new rating of the race by the paper Roll Call. [ Read more → ]

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said he won’t back down from his stance against Chick-fil-A and its anti-marriage equality stance, but acknowledged Thursday he cannot prevent the fast-food chain from opening a new franchise across the street from City Hall. [ Read more → ]

BOSTON -- The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court -- the state's highest appellate court -- ruling in a case regarding divorce proceedings, said that a civil union in Vermont is “the equivalent of marriage in the Commonwealth.” [ Read more → ]

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino on Thursday vowed to block fast-food chain Chick-fil-A from opening a restaurant near the city's "Freedom Trail," a response to comments by the chain's president that gay marriage is “inviting God’s judgment on our nation.” [ Read more → ]

BOSTON -- A Tea Party rally in Boston on Sunday -- featuring guest speakers from two noted anti-gay hate groups -- drew a crowd of counter protesters from LGBT advocacy group Join the Impact Massachusetts and members of the Occupy movement, and led to arrests of at least three people. [ Read more → ]

The Democratic senior senator from Massachusetts is seeking to aid a married lesbian couple in his state by asking the Department of Homeland Security to take administrative action to ensure the foreign national in the relationship won’t be deported back to Pakistan. [ Read more → ]

BOSTON -- Organizers of the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade that takes place in South Boston have rejected applications submitted by two LGBT advocacy groups to participate in Sunday’s parade. [ Read more → ]

BOSTON -- Students at Northeastern University have blocked fast-food chain Chick-fil-A from opening a restaurant on its Boston campus, citing the chains financial support of anti-gay rights organizations. [ Read more → ]

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- A student journalist at Bridgewater State University was attacked on campus Thursday evening becuase she wrote a pro-gay editorial in the college newspaper that advocated for same-sex marriage. [ Read more → ]