Tag Archives: marriage equality

The Kansas City Star reports: For the second time in a month, an openly gay Missouri Republican lawmaker will face a censure vote from the Jackson County Republican Party for trying to redefine marriage in the state constitution as between “two individuals” instead of “a man and a woman.” The planned censure targets state Rep. Chris Sander, a Lone Jack …

Fox News reports: Leaders of the Catholic Church in Germany must be punished for breaking from the Vatican and approving blessings for same-sex marriages, two cardinals say. Cardinal Raymond Burke of the United States and Cardinal Gerhard Müller of Germany spoke about the de facto schism underway in Germany during an interview with EWTN. “Whether it’s a departure, heretical teaching …

Reuters reports: The ideological parent of India’s ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has backed the government position against recognising same-sex marriage, months after raising hopes with supportive comments on gay rights. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP government has opposed recognising same-sex marriage and urged the Supreme Court to reject challenges to the current legal framework lodged by LGBT …

The New Republic reports: The Tennessee House of Representatives has passed a bill that would allow people to refuse to perform a marriage if they disagree with it. According to the bill, “a person shall not be required to solemnize a marriage if the person has an objection to solemnizing the marriage based on the person’s conscience or religious beliefs.” …

The Japan Times reports: Japan’s leading opposition party submitted to parliament on Monday a bill to legally recognize same-sex marriage in an effort to spur debate on the issue. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan’s bill proposes amending wording in the country’s Civil Code that has been written on the premise that marriage is a union between partners of different …

Via email from the Family Research Council: The political battle to defend natural marriage is far from over in the nation’s heartland, as Iowa legislators have introduced two bills that would expunge same-sex marriage from state law and declare a national law redefining marriage “null and void.” The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Brad Sherman (R) felt moved to introduce the bill …

Iowa Starting Line reports: The lead sponsor of two bills that would outlaw gay marriage in Iowa—where it has been legal since 2009—told his Iowa House colleague his bills aren’t actually about banning gay marriage despite the language in the bills doing just that. Starting Line acquired a copy of an email Rep. Brad Sherman (R-Williamsburg) sent from his legislative …

Des Moines’ CBS affiliate reports: Some Republican lawmakers want to change the state constitution to ban gay marriage. House Joint Resolution 8 was introduced in the Iowa House on Tuesday. The bill has eight sponsors: Brad Sherman, Luana Stoltenberg, Mark Cisneros, Helena Hayes, Zach Dieken, Skyler Wheeler, Mark Thompson and Thomas Gerhold. The resolution wants to add the following amendment …

Agence France-Presse reports: Nominations for a leader to succeed First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as head of Scotland’s ruling party will close on Friday amid an uproar over a top contender’s conservative views on gay marriage. Finance Secretary Kate Forbes, a 32-year-old rising star in the SNP, caused controversy this week after revealing that she would have voted against same-sex marriage, …

The Virginia Mercury reports: A scaled-back proposal to repeal Virginia’s antiquated constitutional ban on same-sex marriage was blocked Friday by the Republican-controlled House of Delegates, despite supporters’ attempts to win bipartisan votes by stripping out any language overtly backing LGBTQ equality. Just prior to Friday’s vote in a House Rules subcommittee set up to hear proposals for constitutional amendments, a …

The Associated Press reports: California, a U.S. trendsetter for progressive policies and a state where the current governor once made news issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in San Francisco before it was legal, will attempt to enshrine marriage equality in the state constitution. The effort comes 15 years after a voter-approved initiative, called Proposition 8, banned the state from …

Reuters reports: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday fired an aide who said he wouldn’t want to live next to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender couples and warned that people would flee Japan if same-sex marriage was permitted. In remarks reported by local media, Masayoshi Arai, an economy and trade official who joined Kishida’s staff as a secretary in …

Richmond’s ABC affiliate reports: A bill adding language in the state code legalizing same-sex marriage passed in the Virginia Senate with a bipartisan vote. The bill introduced by state Sens. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) and Jennifer Boysko (D-Loudoun) would give religious organizations and clergy members the right to refuse to perform any marriage. The 40-member chamber voted 25-12 to pass the …

Reuters reports: Four gay couples have asked India’s Supreme Court to recognise same-sex marriages, setting the stage for a legal face-off with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government which has in the past refused to legalise such marriages. The pleas have already triggered a debate on prime-time TV news and generated editorials in newspapers whether the time has come for the …

Politico reports: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, appearing in one of his familiar and comfortable slots on Fox News, suggested last night that he was opposed to the signing of new congressional legislation enshrining federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriages. “They are using the power, I think, of the federal government in ways that will absolutely put religious institutions in …

The Hill reports: The Biden administration lit up the south portico of the White House in rainbow colors on Tuesday evening after the president signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law earlier in the day. President Biden signed the legislation, which provides federal protections for same-sex marriage, during a celebratory event on the South Lawn with more than 2,000 …

CNN reports: The White House is planning to mark the occasion with a ceremony built to a scale that it believes is fitting of the moment. Among the guests invited to the bill signing at the White House are prominent members of the LGBTQ community and activists. They include Judy Kasen-Windsor, widow of gay rights activist Edie Windsor; Matthew Haynes, …

The Independent reports: Singer and activist Cyndi Lauper made a surprise appearance in the White House briefing room on Tuesday to thank President Joe Biden for his support of same-sex marriage ahead of a signing ceremony for the Respect for Marriage Act. “I came here because I wanted to say thank you to President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, Vice President Harris …

NPR reports: President Biden will sign into law Tuesday a bipartisan bill that will codify same-sex and interracial marriages with a large celebration on the South Lawn of the White House. “Today, Congress took a critical step to ensure that Americans have the right to marry the person they love,” Biden said in a statement Thursday after the House passed …

“Aunt Vicky, that’s just not right. Institutions of faith like religious universities are not being silenced. “They’re being empowered by the U.S. government to discriminate against tens of thousands of LGBTQ students because of religious exemptions, but they still receive federal funding. “It’s more like you want the power to force your religious beliefs onto everyone else and because you …