European Court rules same-sex partnership a right

Today, the European Court on Human Rights ruled that all signatories to the European Convention of Human Rights – including countries like Turkey and Russia, where discrimination and violence against LGBT people has recently made headlines – should recognize same-sex partnerships. This ruling, which could impact 47 countries, and 800 million people, is a major…

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Federal court rules Indiana must recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages

WASHINGTON – Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Richard L. Young ruled in Bowling v. Pence that Indiana’s law prohibiting the recognition of same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions is unconstitutional. The decision was stayed, pending an appeal.  Judge Young previously struck down the state’s marriage ban in a ruling on a case known as Baskin…

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Miami court rules in favor of marriage equality in Florida

Today, a state trial court in Miami issued a decision striking down Florida’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples and ordering Miami-Dade County to allow same-sex couples to marry. The court stayed the order pending appeal. The case was brought by Equality Florida Institute and Catherina Pareto and Karla Arguello, Dr. Juan Carlos Rodriguez and…

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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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The Lego Movie

dvd of the week The Lego Movie could be the greatest advertisement ever made. I couldn’t prevent myself from buying Legos after seeing it. But it’s a great movie in and of itself, brilliantly animated, extremely funny and surprisingly emotional affecting. Emmet (Chris Pratt) is a construction worker in a city that runs with clockwork…

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Maine Commission rules unanimously against NOM; imposes record fines and disclosure of donors

Today, the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices voted unanimously to impose record civil penalties against the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) totaling $50,250 and directed NOM to file disclosure reports with the Commission after a four-year investigation exposed “a significant violation of law” by the national anti-LGBT organization. The penalties are reportedly…

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