Tag Archives: LGBT rights

Dan Savage Battles Instagram Over Anti-Trump Sign

Dan Savage writes on Instagram: “My husband posted this pic and @instagram appears to have taken it down after “Gays For Trump” complained. For info about the sign & the queer artists who created it and how to get one of your own, head over to @terrysphots! And happy Presidents’ Day!” Dan’s husband Terry Miller writes: “So @instagram in its …

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Deep Dive: Trump Dismantles Obama’s LGBT Policies

Politico has published a deep dive into the myriad ways the Trump administration is rolling back, curtailing, or completely ignoring the many pro-LGBT advances won during the Obama administration. The piece begins: The nation’s health department is taking steps to dismantle LGBT health initiatives, as political appointees have halted or rolled back regulations intended to protect LGBT workers and patients, …

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Adam Rippon: I Don’t Want My Olympics To Be About Mike Pence But I Won’t Stop Being Myself [VIDEO]

CNN reports: Speaking Tuesday, Rippon regretted his feud with Pence overshadowing the Olympics itself: “It’s brought a lot of attention to my other teammates and I don’t want it to distract from them.” “I don’t want my Olympic experience being about Mike Pence,” he said. Despite that, the US figure skating star, who was part of the American roster that …

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NOM Claims Credit For Bermuda Marriage Repeal

Via press release: NOM played a significant behind-the-scenes role in the tremendous victory in Bermuda. Our team advised pro-marriage supporters there on strategies to preserve marriage and I travelled there twice to meet with activists from Preserve Marriage Bermuda to discuss potential strategies. In 2016, Bermuda conducted a national referendum to advise the Parliament on whether gay ‘marriage’ should be …

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PAYBACK: Colorado Republicans Vote To Defund Civil Rights Commission That Ruled Against Anti-Gay Baker

The Denver Post reports: Republican members of a powerful budget committee in the legislature on Thursday voted to withhold funding for the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, a move that could be revisited but which quickly stoked political outcry from Democrats and the LGBT community. State Sen. Kevin Lundberg, a Berthoud Republican who sits on the Joint Budget Committee, which held …

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BERMUDA: UK-Appointed Governor Approves Repeal Of Same-Sex Marriage, Replaced With Domestic Partners

The Bermuda News reports: The Governor has given assent to the Domestic Partnership Act 2017, Government House has just confirmed, meaning the legislation can now take effect. In a statement this afternoon [Feb 7], Governor John Rankin said, “After careful consideration in line with my responsibilities under the Constitution, I have today given assent to the Domestic Partnership Act 2017.” …

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COSTA RICA: Court’s Ruling For Same-Sex Marriage Vaults Evangelical To Front-Runner In Presidential Race

The Associated Press reports: An international court ruling saying Costa Rica should allow same-sex marriage has upended the Central American nation’s presidential race, turning an evangelical candidate who opposes it from an also-ran with just 2 percent in the polls into the leading contender in Sunday’s vote. Following last month’s decision by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, Fabricio Alvarado, …

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RNC Votes To Back Trump’s Trans Military Ban

The Associated Press reports: The Republican National Committee is siding with President Donald Trump on his order to bar transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military. In a resolution passed at its annual winter meeting Friday, the committee voted to support Trump’s August demand that military recruitment policy consider transgender as “a disqualifying psychological and physical” condition Trump’s order …

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Indonesia Moves To Criminalize All Non-Marital Sex

The Associated Press reports: Riding a tsunami of moral conservatism and anti-gay prejudice, Indonesia’s Islamic political parties appear on the cusp of a major victory: outlawing all sex outside marriage. Revisions to Indonesia’s criminal code being considered by Parliament would allow prison sentences of up to five years for sex between unmarried people. Those changes would also criminalize gay sex, …

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LIVE VIDEO: Rep. Joe Kennedy Delivers SOTU Response

CNN reports: In his response to the State of the Union address, Rep. Joe Kennedy is set to indirectly refer to President Donald Trump as a “bully,” according to excerpts provided ahead of his speech. “Bullies may land a punch. They might leave a mark,” the Massachusetts Democrat will say, according to excerpts released by his office. “But they have …

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Russian Couple Charged With “Damage To Passports” After Official Validates Their Denmark Marriage

The Independent reports: A Russian same-sex couple who had their marriage recognized after finding an apparent legal loophole have been charged with “intentional damage to passports or negligence”. Eugene Wojciechowski and Paul Stotzko tied the knot in Denmark on 4 January and returned home to Russia, where their documents were stamped and approved, despite same-sex marriage being illegal in the …

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TRUMP EFFECT: LGBT Acceptance Drops In New Poll

Via press release: GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, today announced the findings of its fourth annual Accelerating Acceptance report, a national survey among more than 2,100 U.S. adults conducted on GLAAD’s behalf by The Harris Poll. The results were announced during a panel discussion hosted by GLAAD and The Ariadne Getty …

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90 Year-Old Lesbian Awarded Honorable Discharge From Air Force 62 Years After Her Expulsion For Being Gay

NBC News reports: A FedEx delivery arrived at Helen Grace James’ door on Wednesday. It was a message from the U.S. Air Force. She called two of her closest friends to come be with her before she opened it, and they arrived 20 minutes later. Once she opened it, she received the good news: The military had upgraded her discharge …

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Northern Ireland May Get Marriage Referendum

The Belfast Telegraph reports: Three senior unionists who were involved in establishing power-sharing at Stormont 20 years ago have called for a referendum on issues currently causing deadlock in the talks. These include whether there should be a stand-alone Irish Language Act for Northern Ireland, same-sex marriage laws and our abortion laws. Former Ukip MLA David McNarry, ex-Ulster Unionist chairman …

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HHS Unveils “Religious Freedom” Division For Health Workers Who Want To Refuse LGBT Patients [VIDEO]

ABC News reports: The Trump administration announced on Thursday a new division within the Department of Health and Human Services devoted to “conscience and religious freedom.” Social conservatives and religious liberty leaders have anticipated conscience and religious freedom protections to come out of HHS, and the work of the new division, which will fall under the purview of the Office …

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DNC Blasts Trump’s Letter To Log Cabin Homocons

Via press release: In celebration of their 40 year anniversary, the Log Cabin Republicans recently received a letter from President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. Despite recent actions stripping LGBTQ Americans of their rights, President Trump proclaimed that LGBTQ Americans are “equal under our Constitution” and that his administration would “work to ensure that all Americans live in …

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Indonesia Asks Google To Block LGBT Apps

Coconuts Jakarta reports: Indonesia’s IT Ministry says it has filed a request to Google to block around 70 LGBT social networking apps from being available to download in the country through the Google Play Store. IT Minister Rudiantara confirmed today that the ministry is unable to block the apps themselves as they are all available under Google’s platform. One of …

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Trump Sends Letter Hailing Log Cabin Homocons As His Administration Works To Erode LGBT Civil Rights

Daniel Reynolds reports at The Advocate: The signed note, dated December 21, 2017, and printed on White House stationery, also addressed gay and racial equality. “We are a Nation founded on the undeniable truth that all of us are created equal. We are equal in the eyes of our Creator. We are equal under the law. And we are all …

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Trump Administration Seeks To Shield Health Workers Who Refuse To Treat LGBT Patients Because Jesus

Politico reports: The Trump administration is poised to overhaul the HHS civil rights office as part of a broader plan to protect health workers who don’t want to perform abortions, treat transgender patients seeking to transition or provide other services for which they have religious or moral objections. Under a proposed rule — which has been closely guarded at HHS …

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Alabama Senate Passes Bill To End Marriage Licenses

The Birmingham News reports: A bill to eliminate marriage licenses in Alabama and set up a process under which probate judges accept affidavits from couples as official records of marriage has passed the Alabama Senate. The cost would be the same that it now costs to buy a marriage license. The requirement of a ceremony to solemnize the marriage would …

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