LGBT News

From the Chicagoist: The second creator behind the Matrix trilogy and other reality-contorting content has come out as transgender today. In a letter released to Windy City Times, writer-director Lilly Wachowski explained why she’s making the announcement now. “In response to this threatened public outing against my will,” Wachowski wrote. “I had a prepared a statement that was one part …

From the Lincoln County Times-News: Lincoln County state Sen. David Curtis is among 10 members appointed Tuesday by Senate Leader Phil Berger [PHOTO] to work with the N.C. House of Representatives in overturning a Charlotte City Council ordinance before it can go into effect April 1. The committee, headed by Wilkes Republican Sen. Shirley Randleman, will meet for the first …

UDPATE BELOW. Earlier, from the Riverfront Times: They’re still talking. The Democratic caucus of the Missouri Senate began filibustering a controversial “religious freedom” proposal on Monday at 4 p.m. And as of 6 a.m. this morning, they were still holding the floor — that’s 38 hours, and counting. That appears to be a new record for the Missouri Senate; the …

Anti-LGBT former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli was yesterday nominated to the Virginia Supreme Court by a state Senate panel. The Washington Blade has some reactions: Equality Virginia, a statewide LGBT advocacy group, on Tuesday noted that the former attorney general in 2008 described the “homosexual agenda” as “something that I believe brings nothing but self-destruction, not only physically but …

Chris Geidner reports at Buzzfeed: Puerto Rico’s marriage ban remains valid and the law of the territory, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday. Because Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory, the Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex couples’ marriage rights does not automatically apply there, U.S. District Court Judge Juan Pérez-Giménez ruled in a 10-page decision. The judge had previously upheld …

INCREDIBLE. From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Missouri is grabbing national headlines as word of Senate Democrats’ day-long filibuster spreads. A proposal by Sen. Bob Onder, R-Lake Saint Louis, is designed to protect wedding vendors and clergy from legal liability and government penalties if they decline to participate in same-sex marriage ceremonies. Republicans are trying to put the question on the …

UNBELIEVABLE. And it’s STILL going. Chris Johnson reports at the Washington Blade: A Democratic-led filibuster in the Missouri Senate of a religious freedom constitutional amendment passed the 24-hour mark late Tuesday afternoon as opponents of the measure charged it would enable anti-LGBT discrimination in the state. The filibuster, which was in response to Senate Joint Resolution 39, began shortly after …

Just in from One Iowa: The Iowa Senate passed a bill adding gender identity and gender expression to the state’s hate crimes law today with a 27-21 vote. Adding gender identity and gender expression to the law would provide transgender Iowans with legal protection from hate crimes. The bill will now make its way to the Iowa House of Representatives. …

Via press release from Lambda Legal: Today Lambda Legal announced the resolution of its lawsuit against the Social Security Administration (SSA) brought on behalf of Kathy Murphy, a Texas widow denied spousal benefits after the death of her wife, and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (the National Committee). “The Social Security Administration has finally adjusted Kathy’s …

Holy cow! From the Riverfront Times: How to stop a piece of a legislation that would codify the right to discriminate against same-sex couples? For Missouri Democrats, the answer may be to just keep talking. Last night at 4 p.m., the Senate Democratic caucus began filibustering a joint resolution aimed at bringing a constitutional amendment to Missouri voters that would …

From the Shanghaiist: A new advertisement by McCafé featuring a heartwarming coming-out scene has created something of a firestorm in a coffee cup in Taiwan, with religious fundamentalists up in arms, calling for a boycott against the chain. In the 90-second video, titled Acceptance, the third and latest video in the More Warmth in Conversations campaign by McCafé which started …

You may recall that in 2011 a gay man was arrested for “nudity” at San Diego Pride. On Friday the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will hear the case. The San Diego Reader reports: Do San Diego police officers interpret public nudity laws differently for a gay man at a Gay Pride event than, say, a woman in a g-string …

The Georgia Voice reports: The Atlanta City Council on Monday voted to pass a resolution in opposition to House Bill 757, Senate Bill 129 or any other legislation that would discriminate against the state’s LGBT community. The resolution, proposed by Councilmembers Mary Norwood [photo] and Alex Wan, passed unanimously. It was co-signed by Councilmembers Yolanda Adrean, Natalyn Archibong, Michael Julian …

The Kokomo Tribune reports: In front of a crowd filling both council chambers and the City Hall lobby, Kokomo’s Common Council voted Monday to approve legislation that would protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens from various forms of discrimination. After the 5-4 vote in favor of the ordinance’s first reading, the council will hold a second reading at 6 …

Hate group leader Tony Perkins is furious with Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, who last week denounced his state’s pending RFRA bill by quoting from the bible. Perkins rants: Georgia Governor Nathan Deal (R) used to be a Democrat, and on Thursday, it was easy to see why. The longtime congressman-turned-governor sounded a lot like his old party last week when …

From the Jamaica Gleaner: Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the government will put key constitutional and social issues to a referendum. Holness made the commitment in his inauguration speech yesterday. However, he did not name the issues which will be put to a vote by Jamaicans. The JLP has strongly opposed Jamaica’s departure from the United Kingdom-based Privy Council to …

From HBO’s press materials: “Look at the pictures,” said Senator Jesse Helms, denouncing the controversial art of Robert Mapplethorpe, whose photographs pushed boundaries with frank depictions of nudity, sexuality and fetishism, igniting a culture war that rages to this day. More than 25 years later, the HBO Documentary Films presentation MAPPLETHORPE: LOOK AT THE PICTURES does just that, taking an …

Oh brother. Via Pink News: Caitlyn Jenner has claimed that Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton only cares about herself. The former Olympian, who is a staunch Republican, made the claim on her reality show I Am Cait, which has just begun its second season. During the show, Jenner is discussing politics with her transgender friends, when she insists that the …

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Newly appointed state Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley in student newspaper columns 24 years ago said she had no sympathy for AIDS patients because they had effectively chosen to kill themselves, called gays “queers” and said Americans were “either totally stupid or entirely evil” for electing President Bill Clinton. In one column, she wrote people …

But he’ll totally party at Sydney’s gay mardi gras. From the Sydney Morning Herald: Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has failed to endorse a pledge made by Attorney-General George Brandis to hold a same-sex marriage plebiscite, and change the Marriage Act, by the end of 2016. Speaking on Sky News on Sunday, Senator Brandis said the government would hold a plebiscite …