Gov. Jerry Brown has signed Senate Bill 1140 (Religious Freedom in Marriage Solemnization), authored by Sen. Mark Leno and co-sponsored by Equality California and California Council of Churches IMPACT. The new law, which will go into effect Jan. 1, 2013, reaffirms the freedom of clergy to make faith-based decisions regarding which marriages they solemnize and…
California became the first state in the nation to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth (LGBT) from the dangers of psychological abuse by deceitful mental health professionals, who falsely claim to be able to change their sexual orientation or gender expression. The historic event came yesterday when California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a landmark…
A coalition of more than 30 national religious leaders gathered by Gaylesta, an LGBTQ psychotherapy association that provides mental health services including therapist referrals, education and consultation and Rev. Rebecca Voelkel, faith work director for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund and convenor of the National Religious Leadership Roundtable, have endorsed Senate Bill 1172,…
SAN FRANCISCO – The California state Senate have voted 34-1 to approve AB 1700, which remedies unequal treatment in the tax code that would protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender seniors at significant financial disadvantage from unfair tax increases that may result in the loss of their homes after the death of a partner. The…
