Welsh relatives of US whistleblower Chelsea Manning have made claims that she was “tortured” by US authorities, reports Pink News. Following the release of a CIA report into torture last week, relatives of the 26 year old army Private – who was sentenced to 35 years in jail for leaking classified information to WikiLeaks –…
Mississippian, Rev. Edward James took what he called a “ridiculous” approach Friday to protest a federal decision to strike down Mississippi’s ban on same-sex marriage, reports Adam Ganucheau in The Clarion-Ledger. James, pastor at Bertha Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Jackson, dressed a horse named Charlotte in a makeshift wedding gown and staked a spot…
A contentious billboard in the the middle of Virginia’s capital claims “nobody is born gay,” reports nydailynews.com. The sign paid for by by Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX) uses a pair of identical twins looking down upon drivers along one of the busiest stretches of Interstate 95 through Richmond. One of the twins is…
In an interview with USA Today, Wednesday Secretary of the Air Force Deborah James said that the ban on transgender troops is likely to be reassessed and should be lifted. According to the report James apparently is the first secretary of a branch of the armed forces to support the idea of ending the ban…
Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon has proposed legislation in Congress that would significantly expand civil rights for the LGBT community. According to PortlandTribune.com, Merkley plans on “[introducing] legislation to bar discrimination not only in employment but extending to financial transactions, housing and public accommodations.” Merkley, who was just elected to a second six-year term…
The openly gay CEO of clothing brand Abercrombie & Fitch, Mike Jeffries, has announced he is stepping down. Jeffries has headed the clothing brand for over two decades – and was one of the only openly gay business leaders in the US, reports Pink News. Jeffries will retire immediately as CEO and a member of the board, the …
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Voters in Fayetteville, Ark. Tuesday passed a measure to repeal Ordinance 119, an anti-discrimination city policy, reports Ozarksfirst.com. The now-repealed Civil Rights Administration ordinance was to protect against specific types of discrimination because of sexual orientation, gender identity and several other criteria. It would have also created a municipal civil rights administrator…
WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released its annual Hate Crime Statistics for 2013, including for the first time statistics for hate crimes reported based on gender identity. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) responded to the report by urging all law enforcement to report hate crimes in their jurisdiction in order to…
In addition to passing a Religious Freedom Restoration Act through the Michigan House of Representatives Dec. 4, in a surprise move the Michigan legislative body also resurrected three bills that would allow adoption or foster care providers to refuse services on the basis of their personal religious objections—the consequences of which would be immediate, random,…
JACKSON—Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) released its final ad in its LGBT public education campaign, All God’s Children. In addition to Mary Jane Kennedy and State Representative Alyce Clarke featured in the concluding ad, Rev. Stan Wilson also shares his thoughts on welcoming LGBT people into his congregation. Rev. Wilson is a pastor at Northside Baptist Church…
