Federal judge rules Ohio must respect married same-sex couples

Today, U.S. District Judge Timothy Black struck down part of a constitutional amendment in Ohio that denies gay couples the freedom to marry and withholds legal respect for gay couples who have gotten married. He ordered the state to treat couples married elsewhere like any other couples who marry out of state — as married….

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Federal judge announces he will strike down Ohio ban on recognition of same-sex marriages

A federal judge announced he will strike down Ohio’s constitutional amendment banning the state from recognizing same-sex marriages performed in states where they are legal.  The case Henry V. Wymyslo, was brought by legally married same-sex couples living in Ohio who wish to be listed as married on their children’s’ birth certificates.j “For the second…

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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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Mississippi’s ‘Religious Freedom’ Bill passes state legislature

After differing versions of Mississippi’s so-called “Religious Freedom Restoration Act” passed the House and Senate, yesterday a conference committee reported out a final bill that fails to prohibit discrimination against customers based on business owners’ personal religious beliefs.  Tonight the final bill passed both houses of the Mississippi legislature and now heads to the desk of Gov….

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Federal judge orders Tennessee to recognize same-sex couples’ marriages

Today U.S. District Court Judge Aleta Trauger ordered Tennessee state officials to recognize the out-of-state marriages of three same-sex couples during consideration of their lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s constitutional amendment banning their recognition.  Human Rights Campaign (HRC) President Chad Griffin issued the following statement: “Yet another federal judge has recognized that bans on marriage equality don’t…

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Juror discrimination case will not be appealed

In January, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled in a pharmaceutical contract dispute, Abbott Laboratories v. SmithKline Beecham, that it violates the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection to exclude someone from jury service because of his or her sexual orientation.  In doing so, the court also concluded that discrimination based on…

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HRC Foundation releases comprehensive state-by-state legislative report

WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil rights organization, has released a comprehensive state-by-state report detailing LGBT-related legislation in 2013, a year marked by huge victories for the LGBT community from statehouses across the nation to the United States Supreme Court.  The…

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True Detective

dvr this HBO, Sunday, March 9, 9 p.m. The season finale of this television season’s inarguably great drama is this weekend, and if you haven’t been watching, now is your time to catch up either on HBOGo or through other, less legal ways. Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson are detectives with the Louisiana state police…

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