July 1, the West Virginia DMV officially changed its license photo policy to be trans-inclusive, allowing trans individuals to be photographed as they regularly appear, without being required to alter their gender expression by doing things such as removing makeup and other items, reports GLAAD. This comes after five trans women, with the help of…
For Tasha Grant, a passenger travelling from New York to Manila with a ten-hour layover in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a question asked of a customer service agent has convulsed into a 15-page lawsuit against a major international carrier. This incident took place over the phone. According to the lawsuit: “On April 10, 2015, she spoke…
In what is believed to be the first of its kind, ChinaPost.com.tw is reporting that a man, known pseudonymously as Mu Yi, has filed a 50,000 yuan (US$8,000) gay discrimination lawsuit against a former employer after a video he was in went viral revealing his sexual orientation. “We’re very optimistic,” Liu Xiaohu, a lawyer for…
Eschewing any personal gain, Chris Kluwe, the former Minnesota Vikings punter and outspoken and unlikely gay rights activist, has settled an ongoing battle against the sports franchise, announced the National Journal. Kluwe, who sued for wrongful termination, announced the settlement yesterday at a press conference. The settlement, which will avert a full-blown lawsuit, will require…
NEW YORK — The Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) joined as plaintiff in a pending Federal District Court lawsuit challenging North Carolina’s same-sex marriage ban. Among the suit’s charges is that North Carolina’s ban on same-sex marriage restricts the rights of individuals to freely practice their religion and therefore violates the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment…
CHARLOTTE, N.C., — Defendants in the case, General Synod of the United Church of Christ v. Cooper, filed motions for a 30-day extension of time to respond to the lawsuit today in U.S. District Court in Charlotte. The Attorney General of North Carolina, Roy Cooper, on behalf of himself and all Defendant District Attorneys, specifically…
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The City Attorney’s office has won a case filed against the San Diego Police Department for alleged violation of constitutional rights arising out of an arrest under the City’s public nudity ordinance at the 2011 Pride Event. Plaintiff, William X. Walters, alleged that SDPD conspired with Pride organizers to enforce the…
Claiming defamation, “false light” (a legal term, referring to unwanted, malicious publicity) and intentional infliction of emotional distress, former District 4 City Council candidate, Dwayne Crenshaw is suing his one-time rival, Councilwoman Myrtle Cole, who defeated Crenshaw by about 1,000 votes (or 10 percentage points) during last year’s hotly contested election. “We have sadly come…
SAN FRANCISCO — The California Supreme Court refused Wednesday to revive Proposition 8, ending the last remaining legal challenge to same-sex marriage in the state. The Los Angeles Times reported that in its challenge before the state’s highest court ProtectMarriage, Prop. 8’s sponsors argued that a single judge lacked the authority to overturn a state…
Olympia, WA (KCPQ-CNN) — State Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a consumer protection lawsuit Tuesday against Arlene’s Flowers and Gifts of Richland, Wash., for refusing to provide wedding flowers for a same-sex marriage ceremony. The Attorney General’s Office said that on March 1, Barronelle Stutzman, owner of Arlene’s Flowers, refused to provide wedding flowers to…
