Tag Archives: marriage equality

Thai Lawmakers Overwhelmingly Pass Marriage Bill

The Associated Press reports: Lawmakers in Thailand’s lower house of Parliament overwhelmingly approved a marriage equality bill on Wednesday that would make the country the first in Southeast Asia to legalize equal rights for marriage partners of any gender. The bill passed its final reading with the approval of 400 of the 415 members of the House of Representatives in …

Read More »

Virginia Gov Signs Bill Codifying Same-Sex Marriage

The Virginia Mercury reports: In the first signals of how he’ll act on legislation approved by Virginia’s Democratic General Assembly, Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a largely symbolic bill protecting same-sex marriage but took a more adversarial stance to bills dealing with gun control, reproductive rights and marijuana. Youngkin had until Friday night to take action on 84 bills the legislature …

Read More »

Hate Group Continues To Flail Against Kim Davis Ruling

Via email from the Liberty Counsel: Liberty Counsel filed a reply brief this week in Ermold v. Davis to the U.S. District Court of Eastern Kentucky supporting its previous motion to reverse the jury verdict against former Rowan County Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis who was sued by two same-sex couples for not issuing them marriage licenses. The Ermold plaintiffs objected …

Read More »

Tennessee Gov Signs Bill Allowing State Officials To Refuse To Perform Same-Sex Marriages Because Jesus

CNN reports: Tennessee Republican Governor Bill Lee has signed a bill that allows people in the state to refuse to “solemnize,” or perform, a marriage if they disagree with it. Last week, Tennessee state lawmakers passed HB 878, which states “a person shall not be required to solemnize a marriage.” In Tennessee, only certain people can “solemnize” the “rite of …

Read More »

Samuel Alito: I Was Right To Predict That Christians Would Be Labeled Bigots For Opposing Homosexuality

USA Today reports: Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito attempted an “I told you so” on Tuesday when he criticized a judge’s dismissal of potential jurors in a workplace discrimination case because they believed homosexuality is a sin. Alito said that’s exactly the type of outcome he warned against when, against his objections, the Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that the …

Read More »

Greek Parliament Votes To Legalize Same-Sex Marriage

Reuters reports: Greece’s parliament approved a bill allowing same-sex civil marriage on Thursday, a landmark victory for supporters of LGBT rights that was greeted with cheers by onlookers in parliament and dozens gathered on the streets of Athens. The law gives same-sex couples the right to wed and adopt children and comes after decades of campaigning by the LGBT community …

Read More »

Greek Far-Right Protests Against Marriage Bill [Video]

The Associated Press reports: Thousands of protesters gathered in central Athens on Sunday to oppose legislation that would legalize same-sex marriage in Greece. Greece’s conservative government is sponsoring the bill but it will require votes from center and left opposition parties to be approved. However, even some center-left lawmakers have gone on record as opposing the bill. Organizers of Sunday’s …

Read More »

MI Wedding Venue Hit With Complaint For LGBTQ Ban

The Holland Sentinel reports: A formal complaint has reportedly been filed after a West Michigan wedding venue sparked controversy for its anti-LGBTQ marriage policy. The venue, the Old Wooden Barn, was hand-built in 1905. It was converted into a wedding venue over the past decade. The business, owned by Mitch and Kelli VanOverloop, states its marriage policy clearly online. “Because …

Read More »

DeSantis: “I Respect SCOTUS’s Decision” On Marriage

“I respect the Supreme Court’s decision. We’ve abided by that in Florida even though our Constitution defines it as between a man and a woman. But I think what we need to recognize is, you know, you are going to have people try to wield power against our religious institutions and try to marginalize them simply by upholding the biblical …

Read More »

Greek Govt Vows To Legalize Same-Sex Marriage

The Associated Press reports: Greece’s center-right government said Thursday it would fulfill a commitment to legalize same-sex marriage, sidestepping staunch opposition from the country’s influential Orthodox Church. The legislation would be brought to parliament during the house’s current term, which ends in 2027. The statement comes after the Church’s governing Holy Synod issued a 1,500-word opinion late Wednesday, expressing strong …

Read More »

Thai Lawmakers Approve Marriage Bill In 369-10 Vote

Reuters reports: Thai lawmakers on Thursday overwhelmingly passed four draft bills on same-sex marriage in their first reading, moving the country closer towards its legalisation in a country with one of Asia’s most open and visible LGBT communities. All but 10 lawmakers present in parliament’s lower house voted to approve the draft legislation, paving the way to the formation of …

Read More »

POLL: Sweden Most Supportive Of Same-Sex Marriage

Pew Research reports: Attitudes about same-sex marriage vary widely around the world, according to several Pew Research Center surveys fielded in 32 places in the last two years. Among the surveyed publics, support for legal same-sex marriage is highest in Sweden, where 92% of adults favor it, and lowest in Nigeria, where only 2% back it. In the US, 63% …

Read More »

Thailand’s Govt Set To Legalize Same-Sex Marriage

The Associated Press reports: Thailand’s Cabinet on Tuesday approved an amendment to its civil code to allow same-sex marriage, with an expectation for the draft to be submitted to Parliament next month. Karom Polpornklang, a deputy government spokesperson, said the amendment to the Civil and Commercial Code will change the words “men and women” and “husband and wife” to “individuals” …

Read More »

Mike Johnson Once Lied That Pastors Nationwide Were Being “Prosecuted And Fined” Over Same-Sex Marriage

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports: During a 2016 Louisiana Senate hearing on an anti-marriage equality measure, the bill’s author, then state Rep. Mike Johnson, found himself in a bit of a political pickle. The bill’s blanket protections for clergy refusing to marry someone because of their religious beliefs had Black and brown lawmakers concerned it would open the door not …

Read More »

Texas Supreme Court Set To Hear Suit From Christian Judge Who Refuses To Officiate Same-Sex Marriages

The Dallas Morning News reports: Dianne Hensley felt guilty. sitting behind her desk at the county courthouse in Waco, she could hear someone crying outside her office door. The young woman wanted to get married, Hensley recalled, but she couldn’t find anyone to do the ceremony. It was 2016, the year after the U.S. Supreme Court toppled bans on same-sex …

Read More »

Indian Supreme Court Rejects Same-Sex Marriage

Reuters reports: India’s top court on Tuesday declined to legalise same-sex marriage and left it to parliament to decide, agreeing with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government that the legislature is the right forum to rule on the contentious issue. The unanimous order by a five-judge bench came as a huge disappointment to the large LGBTQ community in the world’s most …

Read More »

Indian Supreme Court To Rule On Marriage Tomorrow

The Indian legal site Bar And Bench reports: The Supreme Court will deliver on Tuesday its verdict on whether same-sex marriages should be legally recognised in India. A Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud and comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, S Ravindra Bhat, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha had reserved the verdict on May 11 …

Read More »

Jury Awards $100K To Gay Couple In Kim Davis Lawsuit

The Associated Press reports: A federal jury has awarded $100,000 to a Kentucky couple who sued former county clerk Kim Davis over her refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Davis, the former Rowan County clerk, drew international attention when she was briefly jailed in 2015 over her refusal, which she based on her belief that marriage should only …

Read More »

Same-Sex Marriage Ban Repeal Makes 2024 CA Ballot

CNN reports: California voters will have the chance to remove language barring same-sex marriage from their state’s constitution in 2024’s general election. The California Senate passed a proposed constitutional amendment on Thursday that would repeal Proposition 8 – which voters approved in 2008 to ban the state from recognizing same-sex marriages. The state Senate voted 31-0 to repeal the proposition, …

Read More »

Texas Judge Cites Recent SCOTUS Ruling In Renewed Lawsuit To Refuse To Officiate Any Same-Sex Marriages

The Texas Tribune reports: Since Waco judge Dianne Hensley received a public warning from the State Commission on Judicial Conduct for refusing to perform same-sex marriages in 2019, she’s waged a public battle against the state agency. She’s long claimed the governmental body violated state law by punishing her for actions taken in accordance with her religious faith. Now, she …

Read More »