Marriage Equality

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports: Ohio Republicans added another hurdle for proponents of a measure to overturn Ohio’s dormant ban on same-sex marriage and expand anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ residents. In a party-line vote, Ohio Ballot Board divided the Ohio Equal Rights Amendment into two issues: one to overturn a 2004 vote that defined marriage as between one man and one …

Axios reports: More than two dozen U.S. states have trigger laws that would limit marriage equality if the Supreme Court overturned its legalization of gay marriage. On the 10 year anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges, access to marriage equality faces increasing opposition. By the numbers: 32 states have constitutional and/or legislative bans on marriage equality — currently unenforceable because of …

“Today marks the 10th anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark decision that legalized same-sex marriage across the nation. Obergefell is living proof of the power of the states to serve as beacons of progress that can lead to national milestones. Prior to Obergefell, 37 states had legalized same-sex marriage. “Today, Democratic-led states continue to push for full equality for …

The Burlington Free Press reports: LGBTQ+ trailblazer Stan Baker, the named plaintiff in the landmark Baker Case that led to the creation of civil unions for same-sex couples in Vermont, died June 23 from a heart attack. He was 79. “Stan has always been there for others,” former Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman said in a social media post. “He was …

The New York Times reports: Southern Baptists voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to call for the overturning of Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage. The denomination has long opposed gay marriage, but Tuesday was the first time its members have voted to work to legally end it. Expanding on conservatives’ success in overturning Roe v. Wade in …

The New York Times reports: Southern Baptists plan to vote this week on acting to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage 10 years ago this month. The step is part of a growing effort by evangelicals nationwide to reverse Obergefell, and coincides with a renewed campaign in state legislatures to challenge the widely accepted …

The Washington Blade reports: This year, the Equality Chamber of Commerce in D.C. is offering nine queer couples a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to legally marry on the Little Gay Chapel float during the 2025 WorldPride Parade. As the parade rolls through the heart of D.C., the float will transform into the ultimate queer altar – giving couples the chance to say …

Bloomberg Law News reports: The full Sixth Circuit won’t take up an appeal by a former Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses after the US Supreme Court legalized it in 2015. The three-judge panel for the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit determined that the issues Kim Davis raised in front of the court …

The New York Times reports: State senators in North Dakota voted down a measure on Thursday calling for the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn its decision that established a national right to same-sex marriage, an issue that has divided the Republicans who control that legislative chamber. State Representative Bill Tveit, a Republican who sponsored the North Dakota resolution, cited the …

NPR reports: Hundreds of same-sex couples tied the knot across Thailand on Thursday, as the country became the first in Southeast Asia to legally recognize equal marriage. A luxury shopping mall in Bangkok hosted over 150 same-sex weddings alone, as members of the LGBTQ+ community celebrated the landmark ruling. “I feel more secure in our life because we can be …

Rochester, New York’s PBS affiliate reports: Love and resilience were on full display this past weekend at the inaugural Big Gay Wedding Day, held at Rochester’s First Universalist Church. Organized by local Unitarian Universalist congregations, including First Unitarian Church of Rochester, First Universalist Church of Rochester and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Canandaigua, the free event offered LGBTQ couples the …

The Washington Post reports: President Joe Biden will honor former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney and 19 others on Thursday with the Presidential Citizens Medal, a tribute given to those who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or fellow Americans. Alongside Cheney, Biden will award Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Mississippi), who served as the chairman of the Jan. …

Via press release from Boulder County, Colorado: The historic Boulder County Courthouse has been designated a National Historic Landmark, recognizing its pivotal role in advancing LGBTQ+ rights in the United States. The courthouse became a beacon of equality and justice in 1975 when Boulder County Clerk Clela Rorex issued the first same-sex marriage license in the nation. On March 26, …

CNY Central reports: The administrative judge in Syracuse is removing Judge Felicia Pitts Davis from her role overseeing the Human Trafficking Intervention Court, linked with her alleged refusal to approve the marriage of two women, according to Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick. On Nov. 16, Pitts Davis performed the wedding for a heterosexual couple before walking out of the …

The Associated Press reports: Japan’s refusal to recognize same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, a high court ruled Friday, the latest victory for the LGBGQ+ community to add pressure on the reluctant government. Friday’s decision marks the eighth victory out of nine rulings since the first group of plaintiffs filed lawsuits in 2019. In Friday’s ruling, presiding Judge Takeshi Okada noted that …

The Syracuse Post-Standard reports: A Syracuse City Court judge recently refused to perform a wedding ceremony for a same-sex couple. Judge Felicia Pitts Davis was the assigned judge for arraignments on Saturday, Nov. 16, and two weddings were scheduled, according to the members of the legal community familiar with what happened. Pitts Davis performed the first wedding — a heterosexual …

The Associated Press reports: Former U.S. Solicitor General Ted Olson, who served two Republican presidents as one of the country’s best known conservative lawyers and successfully argued on behalf of same-sex marriage, died Wednesday. He was 84. The law firm Gibson Dunn, where Olson practiced since 1965, announced his death on its website. No cause of death was given. One …

Des Moines’ CBS affiliate reports: A local chaplain is helping dozens of same-sex couples across the state tie the knot before President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House in January due to concerns about marriage equality protections under the new administration. Des Moines area chaplain Anitta Milloro said they’re working with more than 40 couples who want to get …

Colorado Public Radio reports: Amendment J, which takes language out of Colorado’s constitution that declared marriage only to be valid if it’s between a man and a woman, passed decisively Tuesday night. Voters put the ban into the state constitution in 2006, adding an amendment that stated, “Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or …

The Associated Press reports: A second high court in Japan ruled on Wednesday that the government’s policy against same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, the latest in a series of decisions upholding plaintiffs’ demands for marriage equality. The Tokyo High Court called the ongoing ban “a groundless legal discrimination based on sexual orientation”, saying it violates the constitutional guarantee of right to …