News

TRENTON, N.J. — The New Jersey Senate has put off a vote on a bill that would prohibit licensed therapists from performing controversial gay-to-straight conversion therapy on minors.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Two Oregon bakeries who cited their moral principles and religious convictions as the basis for refusing to bake wedding cakes for gay couples, are seemingly selective in which Biblical “sins” they are willing to accommodate.

MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. — Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder is sidestepping the debate over whether gay marriage should be allowed in Michigan.

CHICAGO — President Barack Obama, appearing at a Democratic fundraiser in Chicago Wednesday night, encouraged Illinois state lawmakers to approve a pending marriage equality, calling it “the right thing to do.”

PORTLAND, Maine — Maine’s highest court has rejected an appeal by the National Organization for Marriage to keep its donor list confidential.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Black lawmakers undecided on gay marriage are feeling increasing pressure as a vote nears, but are keeping mum on their plans.

ABUJA, Nigeria — Lawmakers in Nigeria passed a bill Thursday banning same-sex marriage and outlawing anyone from forming organizations supporting gay rights, setting prison terms of up to 14 years for offenders.

MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass. — Cody Tubman, a high school student in Middleborough, Mass., became her school’s first transgender prom queen after being selected by her classmates on Tuesday.

LOS ANGELES — LGBT-supportive workplace policies are linked to positive business-related outcomes, according to a new study by Williams Institute, a national think tank at UCLA’s School of Law.

BATON ROUGE, La. — A bill making its way in the Louisiana state legislature that would establish provisions to block gay and unmarried couples from becoming parents using a surrogate, is headed to a joint House-Senate conference committee this week.