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‘Religious Freedom’ Rally Sets Stage for 1st Amendment Collision

By Sarah Posner

…lt for contraceptive and abortion services. Although the Bishops and their Republican allies argue that requiring them to refer women and girls for reproductive health services amounted to a government interference with their religious freedom, Judge Richard Stearns held that allowing them to refuse to make these referrals amounted to an impermissible government endorsement of religion. While that case would not require courts outside of Massachus…

Exclusive: Religious Leaders for Immigration Equality for Gay and Lesbian Couples

By Sarah Posner

…o so. Although Immigration Equality’s faith coalition takes no position on DOMA, repeal of that law would positively impact same-sex couples living in states which recognize marriages performed outside the state or outside the country. Still, though, Ralls noted that passage of UAFA would provide an “immediate non-judicial solution that would help the most number of families.” Ralls acknowledged that “this Congress presents a steeper hill to climb…

Lessons from the Defeat of the Oklahoma Personhood Bill

By Sarah Morice-Brubaker

…he development of ill will between the personhood lobby and the Republican representatives. To recap: In the past few weeks, Oklahoma house Republicans have been heavily lobbied by both Oklahomans for Life and Personhood Oklahoma (a state affiliate of Personhood USA). Those groups firmly opposed any amendment to the bill — even amendments that would protect access to IVF and birth control, and would clarify that women with life-threatening pregnan…

UPDATED: Oklahoma Personhood Bill Not Dead…

By Sarah Morice-Brubaker

…e Oklahoma look like a backward state.” (To me, that sounds like the state Republican party, but obviously that’s just a guess because vague language is vague.) And finally, this afternoon, the statement from Speaker Steele that the House Republican Caucus thinks that they’ve made plenty of pro-life statements, thanks, and so they’ll pass on this one. This is a bad defeat for the personhood movement. What this means is that their ballot initiative…

Malawi Catholic Bishops Call For Enforcement of Sodomy Law; Ukrainian Thugs Disrupt Equality Festival Opposed by Orthodox Church; Indonesian Islamists Continue Rhetorical War on LGBTs; Global LGBT Recap

By Peter Montgomery

…sts can adapt it for same-sex couples.” Colombia: Marriage Equality Ruling Reportedly Coming After Holy Week According to media reports, the Constitutional Court has agreed to rule in favor of marriage equality and against a conservative judge’s proposal for civil unions as an alternative. The reports predict a 6-3 victory after the Court meets. Cuba: Obama Meets With Dissidents, Including LGBT Activists U.S. President Barack Obama met with dissid…

Pastor of Kentucky Church Severed From Baptists Over LGBT Inclusion: Not Activism, Just Honesty

By Mike Greer

…years. I came about the time that folks from Burma began arriving in large numbers and uniting in membership with Crescent Hill, and much of my time in those early years was spent trying to figure out how in the world we might be able to be a unified body that includes people who don’t speak English, who have a completely foreign background and cultural experience. It took a lot of hard work but we reached a place a number of years ago where, whil…

For the Love of God, Bono, Please Stop Touring

By Ben Swihart

…ly black, a stadium full of white people who paid more than a Benjamin for tickets is not going to be the nexus for authentic justice conversations. I work for a white, affluent, suburban, mega-church, so I’m used to that. But at that moment, before the music even started, I knew what my friend was referencing—I was about to get spiritual too. “They knew they were born to weep and keep the morticians employed as long as they pledge allegiance to t…

“Tell Me What You Believe About Ferguson, and I’ll Tell You What You Believe About God”: A Missouri Pilgrimage

By Anita Little

…h of the actions, says he now takes the bus because he got tired of the random stops and numerous traffic tickets he would get each month due to racial profiling. At 30 years old, he says he has been stopped or arrested for unjust cause more than 150 times. “If you’re a person of color in Missouri, it’s just part of the normal experience. You go five miles over the speed limit, you sit in jail for two weeks.” Masri, whose family is Palestinian and…

The ‘Freedom Convoy’ is Inspired by a Biblical Account of Divine Massacre: Welcome to the Jericho March

By Thomas Lecaque

…and occupying space around Parliament for about 20 days, though in smaller numbers than in American rallies. It’s part of the broader effort to bring global attention to the “convoy.” CBC has reported on the prayer circles and speeches and signs, while Christine Mitchell has written about the Christian nationalist imagery of 2 Chronicles in the crowd. More worrisome, though, is how much international presence, interference and support there is. Fo…

NPR “Ex-Gay” Report Neither “Fair” Nor “Balanced”

By Candace Chellew-Hodge

…e and contrast. Voila! Balance. That’s what NPR has done in this morning’s report about “reparative therapy” for gay and lesbian people. The report took someone who claims to be “cured” of his homosexuality, Rich Wyler, and juxtaposed his story with that of Peterson Toscano, a man who went through “reparative therapy” and says he was deeply harmed psychologically by the experience. While the NPR piece does have moments of clarity, to call it balan…