LGBT News

The Detroit Free Press reports: Michigan will no longer financially support adoption and foster care agencies that refuse to work with same-sex couples and LGBTQ individuals because of religious beliefs under the terms of a settlement of a lawsuit negotiated by Attorney General Dana Nessel. The settlement, which was announced Friday, sets up a battle with the Republican-led Legislature, which …

The Tennessean reports: A bill opposed by LGBTQ advocates that would prevent state or local government entities in Tennessee from discriminating against a business based on the company’s internal policies has advanced in the House. House Bill 563, sponsored by Rep. Jason Zachary, R-Knoxville [photo], passed in the House on a 68-22 vote. The legislation seeks to prohibit the state …

Minneapolis’ CBS affiliate reports: Rep. Ilhan Omar has rallied LGBTQ youth in support of a Minnesota bill to ban gay conversion therapy for minors or vulnerable adults. Omar spoke Thursday on the state Capitol steps to a crowd that marched from OutFront Minnesota’s seventh annual Youth Summit at Saint Paul College. The Minnesota Democrat called gay conversion therapy “torture” and …

The Montgomery Advertiser reports: The Alabama Senate on Thursday approved a bill that would eliminate marriage licenses and the need to solemnize marriages. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Range, passed 26 to 0. It moves onto the House. Albritton, who first filed the bill in 2015, said it “takes the state out of granting permission, saying who can …

The Washington Post reports: This year’s inductees for the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry include a speech from Sen. Robert Kennedy, the educational music of “Schoolhouse Rock!,” Jay-Z’s seminal album “The Blueprint,” soul, pop and disco songs that became anthems for underrepresented groups, and a number of other unique recordings. Every year, the registry preserves 25 “culturally, historically, or …

The Root reports: Looks like boxer Adrien Broner’s masculinity is so fragile that he had to go on a caveman-esque, homophobic disturbing rant that he titled a “PSA” to gay men who might be interested in him. “If any fag, punk ass nigga come run up on me, trying to touch me on all that gay shit, I’m letting you …

The Washington Blade reports: The D.C. Alcoholic Beverage Control Board on March 13 suspended the liquor license for the DC Eagle gay bar and nightclub for seven days and fined the club $2,000 over an incident last fall involving former mayor and current D.C. Council member Vincent Gray [photo]. News of the license suspension and fine surfaced on Wednesday when …

The Advocate reports: Democratic candidates for president will participate in a forum focused specifically on the lives and rights of LGBTQ people this fall. Showing the growing political influence of LGBTQ advocates and voters, the event provides a chance to educate the potential next president of the United States on the issues and challenges still facing queer Americans. It will …

The Chicago Sun-Times reports: Lori Lightfoot jokingly refers to herself as a “triple-threat” because she is an African-American woman vying to become Chicago’s first openly-gay mayor. Now, her sexuality is the subject of a dishonest and deceptive flyer distributed to parishioners at black churches on the South Side and elsewhere. On one side of the flyer is a picture of …

Politico reports: The West Virginia senator, perhaps the most conservative Democrat in Congress, said that he believes the bill should allow more local control after talking to officials in his state. The bill extends federal protections to people on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. “I am not convinced that the Equality Act as written provides sufficient guidance …

Chris Johnson reports at the Washington Blade: The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday announced it has refused to hear the case of a Hawaii bed and breakfast that sought to refuse service to same-sex couples out of religious objections. The high court indicated it had denied certiorari to Aloha Bed & Breakfast, or refused to take up its case, in …

The Charleston Register-Herald reports: U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia is the only Democratic senator who didn’t sign on to a bill introduced this week in Congress to extend protections in housing, employment and public accommodations to LGBT people. Senate Bill 788, sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., has 43 Democratic sponsors, two Independent sponsors, and one Republican sponsor, …

“I disagree with most of what the vice president stands for when he makes decisions about our LGBTQ community in a way that doesn’t understand they should be entitled to full equality and rights under the law as any other American. I disagree with him when he suggests it’s not possible to have meetings with women alone by himself. I …

The Irish Times reports: On Thursday, Mr Varadkar attended a breakfast at the residence of vice-president Mike Pence. In a short speech delivered beside the vice-president, the Taoiseach reflected on his ambition to become a politician when he was younger. “I also knew at the time that I lived in a country where if I tried to be myself at …

The Salt Lake Tribune reports: After years of stalling in the Utah Legislature, a bill to strengthen the state’s hate crimes law has now cleared both chambers by commanding margins. Before passing the bill, the House adopted an amendment that added “political expression” to the list of categories that would be protected by the updated hate crimes statue. Rep. Karianne …

The Associated Press reports: German authorities on Wednesday extended compensation payments to more gay men who were investigated under a law criminalizing homosexuality that was enthusiastically enforced in West Germany after World War II. German lawmakers in 2017 approved the annulment of thousands of convictions under the Paragraph 175 law, which remained in force in its Nazi-era form until homosexuality …

Via press release: Democratic leaders of the House and Senate will hold a press event at 2PM to introduce The Equality Act, which amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in education, employment, housing, credit, federal jury service, public accommodations, and the use of federal funds. The …

From the Public Religion Research Institute: Amid our currently polarized political climate, a new PRRI survey shows that majorities of Americans across virtually all demographic groups and geographical locations support laws protecting LGBT people. Support for nondiscrimination protections enjoys broad support across the political spectrum. Majorities of Democrats (79%), independents (70%), and Republicans (56%) say they favor laws that would …

From the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus: The Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus announced its membership list for the 116th Congress today. With eight openly LGBT Co-Chairs, eighteen Vice Chairs, and 155 total members, this is the largest LGBT Equality Caucus in the history of the U.S. House of Representatives. “Fairness and equality are core American values. Unfortunately, as he has shown …

NBC News reports: Thirty-five percent of gay and bisexual men at high risk of HIV infection were using PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, the daily pill that prevents HIV infection, in 2017, according to data released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2014, just 6 percent of these men used PrEP. However, despite the nearly 500 percent …