Changes proposed to Miss. religious practices bill
A Mississippi House panel is proposing changes that might neutralize concerns about whether a religious-freedom bill could lead to discrimination against gay people or other groups.
Future of Miss. ‘religious freedom’ bill uncertain
Several Mississippi lawmakers say they’re confused about whether a freedom-of-religion bill is similar to a widely criticized Arizona measure that would allow people to assert religious beliefs in refusing business services to same-sex couples.
Arizona governor’s veto aimed at own party’s right
Republican Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer slapped down the right wing of her own party, vetoing a bill pushed by social conservatives that would have allowed people with sincerely held religious beliefs to refuse to serve gays.
Arizona governor returns home amid furor over religious beliefs bill
Gov. Jan Brewer returned to Arizona on Tuesday and faced a pressing decision about a bill on her desk that has prompted a national debate over religious and gay rights.
Effort to build gay marriage support heads South
Less than two weeks after a federal judge declared Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, a new effort has been launched in the South seeking to build wider acceptance of gay and lesbian couples in the hope of overturning similar bans across the region.
Religious freedom bill riles gay rights supporters in Arizona
The Arizona Legislature gave final approval Thursday evening to legislation that allows business owners asserting their religious beliefs to refuse service to gays, drawing backlash from Democrats who called the proposal “state-sanctioned discrimination” and an embarrassment.
Methodists in crisis over gay marriage, church law
The dispute among United Methodists over recognition of same-sex couples has lapsed into a doctrinal donnybrook, pitting clergy who are presiding at gay weddings in defiance of church law against proponents of traditional marriage who are trying to stop them.
Nobel laureates pen open letter to Putin
Actor Ian McKellen and 27 Nobel laureates have written an open letter urging Russia’s president to repeal an anti-gay law and expressing their solidarity with critics of the legislation.
A&E reverses decision on ‘Duck Dynasty’ patriarch
A&E landed in the middle of America’s culture wars when “Duck Dynasty” patriarch Phil Robertson sounded off on gays and the Bible. The channel quickly found there was no safe ground.
Boy Scouts open ranks to gay youth on Jan. 1
The Boy Scouts of America will accept openly gay youths starting on New Year’s Day, a historic change that has prompted the BSA to ponder a host of potential complications — ranging from policies on tentmates and showers to whether Scouts can march in gay pride parades.
Gay marriage’s latest frontier: State courts
Advocates on both sides of the gay marriage debate predicted that the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June that overturned part of a federal ban on gay marriage would create a pathway for states to act.
They were right.
‘Duck Dynasty’ fans react to Robertson’s hiatus
When the A&E network suspended “Duck Dynasty” patriarch Phil Robertson for disparaging gay people, it may have followed a time-honored TV tradition of quickly silencing a star who, for better or worse, speaks his mind. But in doing so it also ruffled the feathers of possibly millions of fans of its most popular show.
Lawsuit: Gay students bullied in Miss. district
A lawsuit filed Tuesday says gay students are routinely bullied in a south Mississippi school district, including a lesbian who was forced to sit alone in the middle of a classroom when others were split into groups of boys and girls.
Miss. judge refuses to grant gay couple’s divorce
A Mississippi judge on Monday refused to grant a divorce to a lesbian couple who got married in California, saying the marriage wasn’t recognized under state law, according to the woman who filed and her lawyer.
Ahead of Winter Olympics, Russia sends mixed message on gays
Anyone who switched on Russian TV recently might have been forgiven for thinking the Kremlin was relaxing its hard line on gays: Images of rainbow flags and a happy same-sex couple looking adoringly at their child flashed across the screen.
After Senate win, gay groups shift focus to Obama
WASHINGTON — Moments after the Senate passed a historic measure to outlaw workplace discrimination against gays, activists turned their attention toward President Barack Obama and
Gay rights legislation gains bipartisan support
WASHINGTON — Gay rights advocates from both parties are newly upbeat about the prospects for Senate passage of legislation that would bar employers from discriminating
Despite pressure, ban on gay blood donors endures
NEW YORK — The U.S. gay-rights movement has achieved many victories in recent years — on marriage, military service and other fronts. Yet one vestige
Olympic Committe wants assurances from Russia on anti-gay law
MOSCOW — The International Olympic Committee is waiting for the Russian government to clarify the anti-gay law that is overshadowing preparations for the Sochi Games.
‘Who am I to judge?’ pope says of gay priests
ABOARD THE PAPAL AIRCRAFT — A remarkably candid Pope Francis struck a conciliatory stance toward gays Monday, saying “who am I to judge” when it