LGBT

Reflecting on the pursuit of equality and non-discrimination on LGBT Day

Boris Dittrich — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:20:00 +0000

Every year on May 17, people all around the world celebrate the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia, while reflecting how to achieve full equality and non-discrimination. In Cameroon, a young man was sentenced to three years in prison for sending a text message to another man, saying “I’ve fallen in love with you.” The young man’s brave lawyer received emails and text messages threatening to kill his wife and kids. When the lawyer showed the death threats to the police, their response was, “Stop defending gays and you will be fine.” So in Cameroon you can end up behind bars for sending a message of love, but the authorities look the other way when someone threatens to kill children.

Conservative French MP accidentally votes for gay marriage

Samantha Stainburn — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:29:00 +0000

“There were three buttons flashing, and yes, I pressed the wrong button! I went to the services of the Assembly to correct my vote,” UMP party member Henri Guaino told Le Lab.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan: gay people only ‘entitled to friendship’

Samantha Stainburn — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 18:28:02 +0000

A recent ABC poll found that 60 percent of American Catholics think the church is out of touch with their concerns.

Dutch lesbian couple in hiding as foster son’s Turkish parents escalate complaints

Samantha Stainburn — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 17:27:53 +0000

The Dutch vice prime minister, Lodewijk Asscher, said today that political interference from Turkey would be "inappropriate,” the AP reported.

Coy Mathis, transgender 1st grader, banned from using girls’ bathroom

Samantha Stainburn — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 23:41:09 +0000

"I'm certain you can appreciate that as Coy grows older and his male genitals develop along with the rest of his body, at least some parents and students are likely to become uncomfortable with his continued use of the girls' restroom," school officials wrote in a letter to the Mathis family, according to the AP.

With Benedict’s resignation, LGBT Catholic group hopes for change

Sarah Parvini — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 18:43:00 +0000

DignityUSA fights for the LGBT Catholic community, stressing the message: “By the grace of God I am what I am.”

Sarah Parvini

LOS ANGELES — At first glance, the Catholic service held at St. Matthew’s Church is like any other—members of the congregation sing hymns, pray for those in need and send rings of hallelujah throughout the chapel.

But St. Matthew’s is a Lutheran church, not a Catholic one, and the parishioners are members of the San Fernando Valley chapter of DignityUSA, the nation’s largest LGBT Catholic organization that fights for change in the Vatican’s teachings on homosexuality.

Paris prepares for massive pro-gay marriage march (PHOTOS)

Talia Ralph — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 16:06:00 +0000

Paris is bracing for a massive pro-gay marriage march Sunday, as thousands of activists converged on France's capital to show their support for President Francois Hollande's controversial marriage equality bill.

Same-sex marriage: Liberte, egalite, fraternite — also for French gays?

Paul Ames — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 11:00:41 +0000

BRUSSELS — This was one day when it really wasn't “Gay Paree.” The center of Paris was packed with hundreds of thousands of demonstrators converging on the Eiffel Tower to protest government plans to grant marriage and adoption rights to gay couples.

Obama endorses Illinois gay marriage bill

Samantha Stainburn — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 02:24:06 +0000

"Were the president still in the Illinois State Legislature, he would support this measure that would treat all Illinois couples equally," White House spokesman Shin Inouye told Reuters.

Maine's gay couples wed at midnight Saturday

Talia Ralph — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 15:38:44 +0000

Maine's gay couples exchanged their vows for the first time since same-sex marriage was legalized in the state in November.

UPS stops funding Boy Scouts due to group’s anti-gay policies

Samantha Stainburn — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 23:25:00 +0000

This past July, following a two-year review of its rules, a Boy Scouts committee chose to continue the group’s policy of excluding gay members, prompting criticism from civil rights groups and some current and former scouts.

Gay politicians signal attitude change in Italy

Paul Ames — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 04:17:09 +0000

ROME — Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi once fended off accusations of sexual impropriety by stating that "it's better to like beautiful girls than to be gay." That kind of macho sentiment may be losing its appeal among Italians after Sicilians elected an openly gay man to be governor of a region traditionally seen as one of the country’s most conservative.

Chick-fil-A: customers increase, despite anti-gay-marriage stance

Samantha Stainburn — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 21:44:03 +0000

"There was a lot of talk that this would hurt Chick-fil-A, but it actually helped the brand," Jeff Davis, president of Sandelman, told USA Today.

US LGBT population at 3.4 percent: Study

Nina Goldman — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 12:43:00 +0000

More than 120,000 adult respondents' data shows diversity of LGBT community.

Russian nationalists attack Moscow gay bar on international Coming Out Day celebration

Faine Greenwood — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 20:16:36 +0000

A group of Russian nationalists attacked a Moscow gay bar on Thursday, threatening patrons with broken bottles and guns in an assualt that coincided with International Coming Out Day.