News

WASHINGTON — A group of lawmakers on Thursday introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives to “prohibit discrimination through the federal tax code” against individuals or institutions that exercise religious conscience regarding marriage as between one man and one woman.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Alaska State Personnel Board has voted to include the same-sex partners of state employees in the definition of “immediate family” for purposes of leave.

CLEARWATER, Fla. — The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a complaint with U.S. Department of Education accusing the Pinellas County Schools of discriminating against a transgender nursing student who was banned from using the women’s restrooms at Pinellas Technical Education Center in Clearwater, Fla.

Newly elected Australian prime minster Tony Abbott said this week that his government is considering possibly blocking the Australian Capital Territory’s (ACT) proposed same-sex marriage legislation.

PORTERVILLE, Calif. — An ongoing clash in Porterville, Calif., between the mayor and city council members over a proclamation designating June as LGBT Pride month, has cost the mayor and vice mayor their jobs.

VALDAI, Russia — President Vladimir Putin denied Thursday that gays face discrimination in Russia, saying that a new law that has drawn protests worldwide does not infringe on their rights.

TOPEKA, Kan. — The Topeka City Council has voted to expand the work of the city’s Human Relations Commission to include education about discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

ALTOONA, Wis. — A Boy Scout troop will be able to keep its home base at a Catholic church in Altoona. Catholic leaders have reconsidered a tentative decision to have Troop 90 look elsewhere for a place to meet after the Boy Scouts revised a membership policy to allow openly gay boys to join the scouting program.

LANSING, Mich. — A legislative committee is waiting to vote on legislation that would allow faith-based agencies in Michigan refuse to participate in adoptions that violate their beliefs.

WASHINGTON — Legislation that would extend employee benefit programs to cover same-sex domestic partners of federal civilian employees on the same basis as spousal benefits was introduced Thursday in the U.S. House and Senate.