Equality Matters latest post reveals how the Family Research Council (FRC) used actor and comedian Robin Williams’ suicide to champion discredited “ex-gay” therapy, comparing treatment for mental illness to treatment for homosexuality. In an August 18 post for the FRC’s blog, Senior Fellow for Policy Studies Peter Sprigg compared the late actor’s struggles with addiction and depression to people struggling…
James Jeffords, the former Republican congressman and senator from Vermont who famously dropped his party affiliation in 2001 has died at age 80. A moderate with a clear-eyed independent streak, Jeffords was an early supporter of LGBT equality within the Republican Party—jointly introducing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to the U.S. Senate with Senators Edward Kennedy…
WASHINGTON – Dozens of the nation’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) advocacy organizations have joined an open letter of solidarity in response to the tragic death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager who was shot and killed by a police officer in suburban St. Louis. Since Tuesday when the letter was released with 17 signers, an…
Pleasant Hill, IOWA — After 16-year-old Alexander Betts Jr. passed away following a suicide attempt, his family chose to have his organs donated. His heart, liver, kidneys and lungs were all donated to recipients in need. His eyes, however, were not. The young man’s eyes were rejected for donation, not because of any medical condition,…
A poll released by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion in New York shows that Americans are supporting LGBT civil rights in record numbers. More extraordinary still, the change in attitudes from as recently as 1999 when a majority of Americans stood firmly against same-sex marriage or admitted to knowing someone who is gay, lesbian,…
Campus Pride announced today the annual Campus Pride 2014 Top 50 LGBT-Friendly Colleges & Universities. The listing highlights the positive efforts to improve safety and academic life for LGBT students as well as the top institutions leading the way. “More than ever colleges today want to be viewed as LGBT-friendly and a welcoming place for…
Marriage Equality USA (MEUSA) has announced the launch of a its redesigned, state of the art Web site featuring new and expanded features for both the media and the public. Users will experience a clean, responsive design that immediately puts critical information at their fingertips regardless of whether viewing on a desktop or mobile device. The improved navigation…
The National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Veteran’s Memorial Project has published the final design for its three-panel memorial to honor LGBT veterans. The memorial would be placed at the Congressional Cemetery. According to the Project’s Web site the Project’s mission is, ” … to raise funds and construct an LGBT Veterans Memorial in our nations capital….
The Fourth Circuit Court has refused to stay its decision striking Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage Wednesday, which means LGBT couples might be able to marry as soon as next week. The Washington Post reported that opponents of the law said they will ask the Supreme Court to stay the decision before marriages could start Aug….
WASHINGTON – Last week, The Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in America, representing one of the world’s largest Christian denominations, announced that Jay Sekulow will be the next recipient of their annual Athenagoras Human Rights Award. Sekulow is the chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), a group that actively advocated against…
