Civil Rights

BBC Sports reports: Diver Tom Daley has called for more Commonwealth countries to decriminalise homosexuality. Daley won his fourth Commonwealth Games gold medal as he and Dan Goodfellow won the synchronised 10m platform on the Gold Coast in Australia, where same-sex marriage was made legal in December. Homosexuality remains illegal in 70% of the 53 Commonwealth countries. “Coming to the …

Erasing 76 Crimes reports: Trinidad’s High Court today ruled that the nation’s law against same-sex intimacy is unconstitutional. Justice Devindra Rampersad, who is presiding over the case, stated in his ruling: “The court declares that sections 13 and 16 of the [Sexual Offences Act] are unconstitutional, illegal, null, void, invalid and of no effect to the extent that these laws …

I held off on reporting this earlier this week because there were still many uncounted ballots. But as of last night, we have a final result. The Anchorage Daily News reports: Anchorage voters have rejected an initiative that would have regulated access to restrooms and locker rooms by a person’s sex at birth instead of gender identity, a local version …

Courthouse News reports: Juli Briskman, the woman who was caught flipping off the presidential motorcade in a photograph that went viral last year, has sued her former employer for firing her, claiming it was a violation of her right to free speech. In a 10 page complaint filed in the Fairfax County Circuit Court, Briskman claims her former employer, government …

The Associated Press reports: Mississippi’s Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a woman has parental rights to a 6-year-old boy born to her ex-wife when the two were married, in a case watched by gay rights activists and groups aiding in vitro fertilization. Christina “Chris” Strickland brought the appeal, challenging a lower court decision that an anonymous sperm donor still had …

NPR reports: Linda Brown, who as a schoolgirl was at the center of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that rejected racial segregation in American schools, died in Topeka, Kan., Sunday afternoon. She was 76. Her sister, Cheryl Brown Henderson, confirmed the death to The Topeka Capital-Journal. The 1954 U.S. Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education, involved several …

The Associated Press reports: In a 4-3 decision, Louisiana’s Supreme Court on Friday rejected Gov. John Bel Edwards’ attempt to revive an executive order protecting the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in state government. The court refused to hear arguments on Edwards’ April 2016 order banning discrimination in state government and state contracts based on sexual orientation …

Via press release: Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee for Religious Liberty, and Bishop James D. Conley of Lincoln, chairman of the Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, gave their strong support for the First Amendment Defense Act, which was recently introduced by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) in …

The Associated Press reports: Protesters seeking to carry signs in an area being secured for Vice President Mike Pence to participate in the South’s largest St. Patrick’s Day parade won a brisk free speech fight Friday as city officials in Savannah backed off prohibiting signs and posters at the event. City officials reversed course and announced signs would be allowed …

The Charleston Post & Courier reports: Gov. Henry McMaster is coming to the defense of an Upstate foster care agency that requires participating families to be Christian. McMaster issued an executive order Tuesday that allows foster care providers to discriminate based on religion without losing their license. For nearly three decades, Greenville-based Miracle Hill Ministries has only allowed foster children …

The Hill reports: A group of 22 GOP senators is reintroducing a controversial measure that would protect opponents of same-sex marriage from federal actions intended to curb discrimination. The First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) would bar the federal government from taking any action against individuals who discriminate against same-sex couples or others based on “a sincerely held religious belief.” The …

CBS News reports: Starkville aldermen vote to allow Starkville Pride to hold a pride parade. The vote passed 3-3 with 1 abstention. Mayor Spruill was forced to break the tie. Ward 3 Alderman, David Little, chose to abstain, while Perkins, Vaughn and Carver voted against. Aldermen Sandra Sistrunk, Jason Walker and Patrick Miller voted in favor of the parade. The …

Portland’s ABC affiliate reports: An appeal has been filed with the Oregon Supreme Court in hopes of overturning a $135,000 penalty given to the owners of a Gresham bakery who refused to bake a cake for a gay couple. The Oregon Court of Appeals upheld a decision by the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries to penalize owners of Sweet …

Miranda Blue reports at Right Wing Watch: People For the American Way, the organization that runs Right Wing Watch, filed suit against the Department of Justice and the Department of Housing and Urban Development today to demand the release of documents concerning reported changes in federal policy toward LGBTQ people. Right Wing Watch had filed Freedom of Information Act requests …

As we await the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case, a sobering ad has been released in support of public accommodations rights for LGBT Americans. From the Movement Advancement Project: Inspired by a real legal case, Funeral Home, produced by MAP as part of the Open to All campaign, depicts a grieving widow who has just lost her …

From DNC chairman Tom Perez: Under Donald Trump and Jeff Sessions, the U.S. Justice Department has been wielded as a weapon of injustice, arguing that employers should be able to fire people simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. But despite the Trump administration’s best efforts, the LGBTQ community and their allies have prevailed in federal court today. …

Dominic Holden reports at Buzzfeed News: A federal appeals court on Monday ruled that a 1964 civil rights law bans anti-gay workplace discrimination. The decision rebukes the Trump administration — which had argued against a gay worker in the case — and hands progressives a win in their strategy to protect LGBT employees with a drumbeat of lawsuits. The dispute …

Hawaii News Now reports: Attorneys for California couple Diane Cervelli and Taeko Bufford are calling it a “great day for justice.” On Friday, Hawaii’s Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld a previous ruling that found a Hawaii Kai bed and breakfast was discriminatory for refusing the lesbian couple a room because of their sexual orientation. The women were represented by Lambda …

The Starkville Daily News reports: The Starkville Board of Aldermen voted to deny the request to hold an LGBT pride parade after hearing 16 people speak in favor of the event during its meeting Tuesday night. The board approved the motion to deny the request with a 4-3 vote. Alderman Ben Carver, Alderman David Little, Vice Mayor Roy Perkins and …

The Georgia Voice reports: The Georgia Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday morning passed a bill that would allow adoption agencies to refuse to place children with same-sex couples based on their religious beliefs. The bill would also prohibit the Georgia Department of Human Services from taking “adverse action” against such agencies. There were no public comments allowed, and the bill …