Race, diversity and equality issues on college campuses in the US to be addressed at national conference

NORMAN, Okla.– The National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in American Higher Education (NCORE) will address challenging topics of diversity and opportunity this May during its national conference. NCORE, sponsored by OU Outreach at the University of Oklahoma, will host its annual conference at the Fort Worth Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas, from May…

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Oklahoma leads the nation in number of anti-LGBT bills

Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and Freedom Oklahoma sounded the alarm on a barrage of anti-LGBT bills being pushed in the Oklahoma state legislature by anti-equality activists. With state lawmakers set to convene  Feb. 1 for the 2016 legislative session, at least 26 bills attacking LGBT Oklahomans and their families are already in the…

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Oklahoma Pro-Conversion ‘Therapy’ Bill dies on State House floor

OKLAHOMA CITY — This afternoon, a bill introduced to the Oklahoma State House by Representative Sally Kern that would legalize anti-LGBT therapy died without coming to a vote. The defeat follows months of extensive grassroots organizing by national and state organizations working in coalition to educate parents and families about the ineffective and harmful practices…

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Tenth Circuit rules Oklahoma ban on marriage equality unconstitutional

Today the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit issued a historic ruling affirming the January 2014 decision from U.S. District Judge Terence Kern in Bishop v. Smith that Oklahoma’s constitutional amendment barring marriage for same-sex couples violates the U.S. Constitution.  The 2-1 decision was authored by Judge Carlos Lucero, who was joined by Judge…

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‘Open for Business Coalition’ begins new effort to block anti-gay laws

WASHNGTON, D.C.—The Open for Business Coalition, comprised of some of the nation’s leading business associations, has formed to actively oppose the so-called “Religious Freedom Bills” that are really anti-gay bills and are currently before several state legislatures. The coalition formalized its efforts as Miss. Gov. Phil Byrant signed his state’s version of the bill. Many…

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Beginning next week: Tenth Circuit to hear Utah, Oklahoma marriage equality cases

As the national spotlight on marriage grows ever brighter and polling continues to show Americans moving inexorably in the direction of supporting equality for same-sex couples, appeals on two cases challenging state constitutional marriage bans will be heard by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in Denver this month.  On Thursday, April…

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ASA Amicus Brief supports suits to overturn Utah, Oklahoma gay marriage bans

WASHINGTON — The American Sociological Association (ASA) filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit today supporting the fight to overturn gay marriage bans in Utah and Oklahoma and continuing its now 13-month effort to highlight the overwhelming body of social science research that confirms “children fare just as…

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