LGBT News

The Human Rights Campaign has requested an “emergency meeting” with the NFL. From the letter sent to Commissioner Roger Goodell from HRC head Chad Griffin: With Houston slated to host Super Bowl LI in 2017, we are writing to request an emergency meeting about the urgent need for a nondiscrimination ordinance in this city that will ensure the thousands of …

In 2008 Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter issued an executive order establishing the Mayor’s Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs. Since that order could be undone by a future mayor, yesterday voters approved a referendum item permanently establishing the office in the city’s charter. The Philly Voice reports: The office is responsible for working on policies that aid the …

Two weeks ago Goshen, Indiana city council candidate Brent Randall was outed for having a profile on Adam4Adam. Divorced in 2007 after 22 years of marriage to a woman, Randall dismissed the hook-up profile as a “little experiment” and maintained that he continues to oppose a local LGBT rights ordinance, falsely declaring that Indiana already protects its LGBT citizens under …

And yet another big win in Salt Lake City. From the campaign’s Facebook page: Thank you! Thank you to my family for standing next to me through this campaign, for my volunteers for putting in countless hours knocking on doors, making calls, and talking to their friends. Thank you to all my supporters, your enthusiasm, donations, and moral cheers really …

Another bright spot from last night. The Salt Lake Tribune reports: Salt Lake City voters elected Jackie Biskupski as Utah’s first openly gay mayor and only the second female top executive in the capital city, according to the unofficial election-night count. Those vote tallies had Biskupski with 52.19 percent to two-term Mayor Ralph Becker’s 47.81 percent — less than a …

The polls have just closed in Houston and as you can see activists kept the pressure on until the very last minute. The Houston Chronicle and local television are both running live vote tabulations. Hit the links and follow along with us. The first precincts should be reporting shortly and early voting tabulations are already coming in.  

The Kentucky couple whose livid videotaped confrontation with Kim Davis catapulted the renegade clerk to global infamy has gotten married. The student newspaper of Morehead State reports: Two months ago, an infuriated David Moore pounded his fist on a counter in the Rowan County Clerk’s office as he pleaded for the right to wed his partner David Ermold. Now “the …

Well, this is encouraging. From a just-issued study by Pew Research: Pew Research Center surveys consistently show that not all religious “nones” are nonbelievers. In fact, the majority of Americans without a religious affiliation say they believe in God. As a group, however, the “nones” are far less religiously observant than Americans who identify with a specific faith. And, as …

Today’s the big day in Houston. From the editorial board of the New York Times comes a blistering denouncement of the ridiculous arguments put out by the haters. They write: Houston’s ordinance would allow transgender people to use public restrooms consistent with their gender identity. This is a fundamental right that does nothing to endanger others. There is absolutely no …

Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange has filed an objection to paying the “excessive” $200,000 in legal fees demanded by the attorneys who won same-sex marriage in his state. AL.com reports: Instead, Mobile attorneys Christine Hernandez and David Kennedy – who sought a $275 hourly rate – should be reimbursed about $50,000, according to the filing. The state’s figure factors in …

Franklin Graham was in Russia last week where he fawned over Vladimir Putin to the local media, praised Russia’s anti-LGBT crackdown, and accused gays of taking “other people’s children.” Right Wing Watch has a quote: “I have met the president [Obama] on several occasions. He’s a very nice person. But he supports and promotes policies that contradict the teachings of …

“This is an issued public apology from my heart. I want to address a few situations with the first being the false claims I made about being drugged during the Dog Pound adult film. I have never spoke negatively about the company that produced the film although the claim to have been given a drug by someone during set was …

The Associated Press reports: The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from a former lawyer for the state of Michigan who lost a defamation lawsuit filed by a gay student at the University of Michigan. The justices on Monday let stand a lower court ruling that upheld a $3.5 million jury award to Chris Armstrong, a former student government president. …

GOP Texas Gov. Greg Abbott this morning fired out the above tweet which parrots the douche-y meme being spread by anti-LGBT hate groups with an added attack on Hillary Clinton. Early voting in Houston’s repeal referendum has been heavy, particularly in districts considered to be right wing strongholds. It doesn’t look good at this point. The vote is tomorrow.

The Northern Ireland Assembly approved same-sex marriage this morning with a very slim majority vote, but the motion failed due to a “petition of concern” presented by the Democratic Unionists Party. The bill was opposed in an open letter issued by the Irish Catholic Bishops Conference. An excerpt: We wish to express our particular concern that the motion presented provides …

Northern Ireland’s Assembly convenes at noon local time (7AM Eastern) to consider a same-sex marriage bill for the fifth time since the 2011 election. Watch live here. The Belfast Telegraph reports: When gay marriage was last voted on in June there was only a two-vote difference overall, with the motion defeated by just 49 votes to 47. Last night there …

Philadelphia Gay News reports: A judge this week ordered Kathryn Knott to stand trial Dec. 9 for her alleged role in last year’s attack on a gay couple. Knott is charged with two counts each of aggravated and simple assault, as well as conspiracy and reckless endangerment in connection with the Sept. 11, 2014, attack on Zachary Hesse and Andrew …

Israel’s National LGBT Task Force, also known as The Aguda, today filed a same-sex marriage petition with the Supreme Court. The petition, a first for the group, declares that if rabbinical courts continue to refuse to authorize same-sex marriages, the Supreme Court has the authority to order civil courts to do so. The Times Of Israel reports: Israeli marriages are …

In a clip produced by the Human Rights Campaign, actor Matt Bomer identifies himself as a husband, a father, and a Houstonian. The repeal referendum is Tuesday and both sides are blanketing local media with last-minute pleas.

Michigan activists yesterday filed the paperwork to place a broad LGBT anti-discrimination constitutional amendment to a public vote in November 2016. The Detroit Free Press reports: Dana Nessel, the Michigan attorney who took the same-sex marriage case all the way to the Supreme Court, is leader of Fair Michigan, which hopes to begin gathering petition signatures for the ballot proposal early …