Fox News reporter defends ‘Duck Dynasty’ star’s anti-gay comments

Media Matters for America’s latest post reveals Fox News Radio reporter Todd Starnes has defended homophobic remarks made by a star of the A&E reality show Duck Dynasty, blasting “intolerant, anti-Christian,” and “Anti-Straight” “haters” for deigning to criticize the comments. In an interview with GQ, Duck Dynasty‘s Phil Robertson called homosexuality a sin, comparing it to bestiality and equating gay people…

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Bay Area education leaders support the School Success and Opportunity Act

Local school boards and communities this week continued their progress towards implementing the School Success and Opportunity Act, which Governor Brown signed earlier this year.  The new law, AB1266, restates existing anti-discrimination law to ensure that all students, including transgender students, have the opportunity to fully participate and succeed in schools. Kane Tajnai, a student…

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How Obamacare helps the LGBT community

Since taking office, President Obama and his administration have taken significant steps to advance equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. You’ve probably heard of many of these accomplishments: repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” prohibiting anti-LGBT discrimination in hospitals and in housing, promoting international LGBT human rights, standing up against DOMA and…

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Treasury notice advances federal tax equality for same-sex married couples

From the U.S. Department of the Treasury: The Supreme Court’s decision in U.S. v. Windsor last June, invalidating a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act, has given rise to crucial protections to same-sex married couples nationwide. In August, Treasury and IRS helped to clarify the federal tax implications of Windsor by determining that…

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LGBT Youth Conference prepares hundreds to change their schools

SAN FRANCISCO, – Hundreds of California students joined together Dec. 14 with the goal of ensuring all youth, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth, have the opportunity to succeed in school. The 9th annual Youth Empowerment Summit (YES), hosted by the Gay-Straight Alliance Network of California and planned and led by youth, drew high…

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Statement by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on same-sex benefits

Statement by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on same-sex benefits, released by the U.S. Department of Defense today: On Oct. 31, I called on the chief of the National Guard Bureau to work with several states to fully implement Department of Defense policy by providing DoD identification cards to all eligible military spouses, regardless of sexual orientation.  Following…

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Education Department announces that all legal same-sex marriages will be recognized for federal financial aid purposes

As part of the U.S. Department of Education’s ongoing efforts to implement inclusive policies that reflect the diversity of American families, and consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in United States v. Windsor, the Department announced today new guidance on the use of “marriage”…

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Viet Rainbow demands change from culturally conservative Asians in Orange County

Pitting the old against the new, a group of young, impatient LGBT activists are challenging the status quo in Orange County by refusing to be marginalized any longer among the nation’s largest Vietnamese-American population. According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, a group of millennials, headed by Hieu Nguyen, have formed Viet Rainbow…

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‘Friendfactor Workplace Ally Challenge’ to Launch January 2014 with blue chip participation

SAN FRANCISCO — Friendfactor, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights organization for straight friends, has announced  that it is now accepting additional applications for its first ever Friendfactor Workplace Ally Challenge. The six month program challenges businesses to engage as many employees as possible in taking action to create LGBT-inclusive culture in their…

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