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Mary Bonauto, who argued on behalf of same-sex couples in Obergefell and now serves as the civil rights project director at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, or GLAD, dismissed the idea that the same-sex marriage ruling will be overturned. Sophie Park for NBC NewsBut during his first administration, Trump did enact policies that advocates say harmed LGBTQ people as a whole and particularly transgender Americans. He banned transgender Americans from enlisting in the U.S. military and ended some discrimination protections for LGBTQ people in school and in health care settings. Several states have also taken up measures in recent years to protect same-sex marriage, either by enshrining the right into state constitutions or by striking down defunct laws that once prohibited same-sex marriage. Nonetheless, concern among same-sex couples remains.

Persons: Roe, Wade, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Obergefell, Thomas, Mary Bonauto, Trump, Scott Bessent, —, ”, Sophie Park, “, ” Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s, Leavitt, Sarah Narcus, Biden, enshrining, Michael Kaye, ” eloping, Kaye, ” Kaye Organizations: Defenders, Mar, GOP, NBC, U.S ., Obergefell, NBC News Congress, Capitol Locations: Obergefell, Palm Beach , Florida, Peabody ,, U.S, New York City

☆ How a Trump Presidency Might Affect Benefits for Gay Couples
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Tara Siegel Bernard | More About Tara Siegel Bernard | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For nearly a decade, same-sex married couples have received the same federal rights and protections that their straight counterparts enjoy. They include a long list of financial benefits, from spousal health coverage to less expensive tax preparation, not to mention the immeasurable comfort from knowing their unions must be recognized. The Supreme Court granted those rights in two landmark cases — first in 2013, when it ruled that same-sex couples are entitled to federal benefits, and more broadly in 2015, when gay marriage was legalized across the country. But even now, when The New York Times asked readers if they had money-related questions in the wake of the presidential election, several gay couples wrote with concerns about whether they and their finances may face new risks under a second Trump administration. “It allows people to organize their families and affairs, pool finances, buy property and have kids.

Persons: Trump, “, ”, Mary Bonauto, Obergefell, Hodges Organizations: The New York Times, Supreme

☆ After their son came out as gay, these conservative Christian parents went into a closet of their own
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-03 | by ( John Blake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +37 min

But that’s not what happened to Greg Jr. That’s what happened to his parents, Greg Sr. and Lynn McDonald. One of them is a portrait of their son, Greg Jr., around the time his parents confronted him about his secret. An undated family photo shows Greg Jr., Greg Sr., Lynn and Connie McDonald. Courtesy Greg Sr. and Lynn McDonaldEven so, Greg Jr. learned to be quiet and blend in. They didn’t know how to answer this question: Can you still love God, the Bible and your gay son?

Persons: Greg McDonald Jr, “, you’re, ” Greg Jr, Betsy, Greg Jr, he’d, He’d, ”, that’s, Greg Sr, Lynn McDonald, Greg, ’, Austin Steele, ” Rob Bell’s, Charles Swindoll’s “, Ali Forney, –, PFLAG –, Lynn, ‘, McDonald, Hodges, Jon Cherry, Kahlib Barton, Barton, they’re, ” Barton, Connie, Grace ’, ” Greg Sr, He’ll, Connie McDonald, ” Lynn, James Dobson, ” Dobson, Jeff Fusco, ” Lynn McDonald, Abraham, Isaac, “ Wanna, Karen, David Gushee, ethicists, Gushee, ” Gushee, Gushee’s, Jesus, —, Lynn’s, ’ ’ ’ Lynn, David Quinones, Quinones, Deb, Josh, ” Quinones, David Quinones Quinones, ” David Quinones, Andy Stanley, Stanley, Sterling Graves, Albert Mohler, podcaster, Mohler, ” “, ” Mohler, Dominic Gwinn, ” Stanley, Andy, “ Greg Jr, ” Greg McDonald, ‘ We’re, Greg McDonald, They’ve, Patrick Potulski, Potulski, ” Potulski, Standing, he’s Greg Jr, Jon, doesn’t, John Blake Organizations: CNN, McDonalds, Christian, Ali, Supreme, Kentucky State Capitol, DePaul University in, DePaul, Fashion Institute of Technology, ”, Episcopal, North Point Community Church, North, “, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, National Conservative Conference, Washington D.C, McDonald Locations: Grand Rapids , Michigan, America, Chattahoochee, Atlanta, Christian, Frankfort , Kentucky, DePaul University in Chicago, Philadelphia, Chicago, New York City, Duluth , Georgia, New Zealand, Georgia, North Point, Atlanta ., North, Washington, AFP, England, South Africa, Australia, Ethiopia, Poland

California, Colorado and Hawaii will soon allow their residents to vote on ballot measures that would remove language from their state constitutions prohibiting same-sex marriage. The landmark 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling, guaranteeing same-sex couples across the country the right to marry, makes these state bans unenforceable. However, these ballot measures seek to proactively protect these marriage rights should Obergefell ever be overturned. Without Obergefell, there is federal legislation that would keep same-sex marriage rights mostly, but not entirely, intact: the Respect for Marriage Act. It’s a personal issue for LGBTQ couples who had to navigate a time when same-sex marriage wasn’t legal or straightforward.

Persons: Roe, Wade, Hodges, Paul Smith, Lawrence, Dobbs, “ We’ve, ”, don’t, ” Smith, Clarence Thomas ’, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Erin Schaff, Griswold, ” Thomas, Alito, Donald Trump, Mary Bonauto, Obergefell, ” Bonauto, Smith, Joe Biden, Bonauto, there’s, …, “, —, ” Susy Bates, It’s Organizations: . Texas, Jackson, Health Organization, . Connecticut, Republican, Movement Advancement Locations: California , Colorado, Hawaii, Georgetown, ., Washington, Lawrence, New York

☆ 10 historical photos that capture turning points of gay liberation in America
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Myron Caringal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Jim Obergefell, the named plaintiff in the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court case that legalized same sex marriage nationwide. Eric Gay / AP PhotoOn June 26, 2003, same-sex sexual activity was legalized in Lawrence v. Texas. The Supreme Court of the United States held that criminalizing consensual, same-sex sexual conduct violates the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. On June 26, 2015, exactly 12 years after Lawrence v. Texas, the United States Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriages are recognized under the 14th Amendment in the Obergefell v. Hodges case. More recently, on June 28, the Texas Supreme Court upheld its 2023 ruling that bans transgender minors from receiving gender-affirming medical care.

Persons: Jim Obergefell, Hodges, Eric Gay, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton's, Lawrence, Momo Takahashi Organizations: Lawrence v . Texas, . Texas, United States Supreme Locations: Lawrence v ., United States, ., Texas

☆ Opinion | Gay Marriage Was a Big Missed Opportunity
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Omar G. Encarnación | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It’s a strange time for gay rights in America. As the country nears the 10th anniversary of the legalization of gay marriage nationwide, support for same-sex unions has risen to 70 percent of the American public. Even Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage, is under attack. Clearly, marriage equality was not enough to bring full equality to L.G.B.T.Q. But the gay marriage campaign was a major missed opportunity to expand L.G.B.T.Q.

Persons: Anita Bryant’s, Hodges, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Roe, Wade Organizations: Republican, Congress Locations: America

☆ The US did a complete 180 on same-sex marriage
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The vast majority of Americans opposed same-sex marriage on May 17, 2004, when the first same-sex couples took their vows after a court decision in Massachusetts. Barack Obama notably opposed same-sex marriage when he ran for president as a Democrat in the 2008 election and, as public opinion was rapidly shifting, changed his tune in 2012 to support same-sex unions. Warnings were unfoundedThere is also evidence that warnings about same-sex marriage somehow endangering “traditional marriage” simply never materialized. A new study by researchers for the RAND Corporation to assess two decades of same-sex marriage in the US argues marriage rates actually increased among opposite-sex couples as same-sex couples were granted the ability to marry in certain states. A key difference between support for same-sex marriage and support for abortion rights, according to Lundry, is that support for abortion rights has remained positive for decades, in contrast to same-sex marriage, which saw a complete turnaround.

Persons: CNN —, Mitt Romney, George W, Bush, Hillary, Julie Goodridge, Charles Krupa, Sen, John Kerry, Hodges, Barack Obama, Obama, Romney, Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, weren’t, ” Romney, Obergefell, —, PRRI, Alex Lundry, Republican pollster, “, ” Lundry, Gen, Dick Cheney, Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, Republican, House, Boston City Hall, Massachusetts Democrat, Democrat, Supreme, Gallup, RAND Corporation Locations: Massachusetts, Utah, Oregon, Ohio, Without Ohio, America

☆ Supreme Court might not give Trump sweeping immunity — but it's likely to give him the one victory he wants
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But a majority of Supreme Court justices appear ready to hand the former president an immediate victory. Still, the Supreme Court justices do not appear likely to dismiss the former president's claims quickly, raising the likelihood that Trump may not face trial for trying to overturn the 2020 election before November. He drew his arguments from an earlier Supreme Court case that mapped the line for presidential immunity in civil matters. The Supreme Court weighs Trump's immunity claim. It is possible that the Supreme Court could rule that a more detailed review of Trump's conduct is best left to a lower court.

Persons: Donald Trump, —, Trump, Jack Smith, Trump's, you've, Brett Kavanaugh, Sauer, Kavanaugh, Tanya Chutkan, Smith, Joe Biden, it's, John Sauer, Jabin, Samuel Alito, Alito, Amy Coney Barrett, Barrett, Michael Dreeben, Dreeben, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Jackson, John Roberts, Jackon, Justice Alito, Roe, Wade, Anthony Kennedy's, Hodges, Neil Gorsuch Organizations: Service, Trump, Washington, Getty Locations: DC, Dobbs v, Obergefell

☆ When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, it opened the floodgates for abortion-related lawsuits
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Joan Biskupic | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

CNN —The Supreme Court on Tuesday will hear its first abortion case since the 2022 reversal of Roe v. Wade and upheaval of reproductive rights in America. All the while, public regard for the Supreme Court has degenerated. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is photographed at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in September 2015. Dirck Halstead/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images Breyer and his daughter Chloe jog with Clinton in May 1994. Mai/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images Breyer works in his office with his staff of clerks in June 2002.

Persons: Roe, Wade, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Dobbs, Biden, Elizabeth Prelogar, mifepristone, Prelogar, what’s, ”, Susan B, Anthony Pro, ’, Evelyn Hockstein, Breyer, Stephen Breyer, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Samuel Alito, Hodges, Trump, “, ” Breyer, Damon Winter, Stephen, Irving, Anne, Charles ., Chloe, Nell, Michael —, Joanna Breyer, Ira Wyman, Sygma, Byron White, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, John Harrington, Joanna, John Tlumacki, Bill Clinton, Clinton, Harry Blackmun, Dirck Halstead, Doug Mills, US Sen, Ted Kennedy, Laura Patterson, John Blanding, Colin Powell, George W, Bush, Mai, David Hume Kennerly, Seuss, Evan Vucci, Charles, Marcio Jose Sanchez, William Rehnquist, Clarence Thomas, David Souter, William Kennedy, Antonin Scalia, Sandra Day O'Connor, John Paul Stevens, Chip Somodevilla, John Roberts, Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Samuel Alito's, Gerald Herbert, Cole Mitguard, Mourning, Penni Gladstone, Clara Scholl, Elise Amendola, Nicholas Kamm, Michelle Obama, Barack Obama, Alex Wong, ABC's George Stephanopoulos, Heidi Gutman, Andrew Harrer, Hu Jintao, Eli, Shutterstock Breyer, Britain's Prince Charles, Mandel Ngan, Tom Williams, Carolyn Kaster, Ben Bradlee, Bill O'Leary, Pete Marovich, Stephen Colbert, Jeffrey R, Win McNamee, Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch, Anthony Kennedy, Sonia Sotomayor, Maureen Scalia, Andrew Harnik, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, Erin Schaff, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Saul Loeb, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Patrick, Fred Schilling, Matthew Kacsmaryk, Erin Hawley, GYN, … Organizations: CNN, Alabama Supreme, Republican, Food, Drug Administration, FDA, Jackson, Health Organization, District of Columbia, America, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Alamo Women's, Reuters, Supreme Court, Democratic, Supreme, New York Times, Harvard Law School, Appeals, First Circuit, Circuit, Getty, White House, Airport, Boston Globe, US, Suffolk University Law School, Francisco's Lowell High School, San Francisco Chronicle, Belgium's Catholic University of Louvain, Georgetown University Law Center, Administrative, Administrative Conference of, Jewish American Heritage Month, Walt Disney Television, Bloomberg, White, Office, Committee, Washington Nationals, Washington Post, Financial Services, General Government, CBS, State, The New York Times, Library of Congress, Alliance, Hippocratic, Alliance for Hippocratic, OB, Department, Justice Locations: America, New York, Carbondale , Illinois, Cambridge , Massachusetts, Maine , Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, AFP, San Francisco, Lowell, Washington , DC, United States

☆ Mike Johnson backed Clarence Thomas' suggestion that the Supreme Court 'reconsider' its rulings on contraception and same-sex marriage
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Mike Johnson backed Clarence Thomas' suggestion that SCOTUS "reconsider" its rulings on contraception and same-sex marriage. "There's been some really bad law made," he said in a podcast interview unearthed by CNN's KFILE. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementHouse Speaker Mike Johnson backed up Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' suggestion last year that the court revisit its landmark rulings on contraception and same-sex marriage. CNN's KFILE unearthed an audio clip this week in which Johnson said that what Thomas was "calling for is not radical."

Persons: Mike Johnson, Clarence Thomas, SCOTUS, There's, CNN's KFILE, —, Johnson, Thomas, Todd Starnes, Roe, Wade, Griswold, Lawrence, Hodges, there's Organizations: Service, Supreme, . Connecticut, . Texas, CNN Locations: ., American

☆ 'Give him the benefit of the doubt': Why one gay GOP leader is holding his fire on Mike Johnson — and wants to know if he has any gay friends
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

Again, not to predetermine or predispose the speaker, I just don't know how many gay people he knows. Marjorie Taylor Greene said she voted against him in part because he voted for the "Democrat gay marriage bill." So you're out of step, you're out of line, Marjorie, if you've got a problem with gay marriage. I don't think during that time, President Obama or then-Vice President Biden were supportive of LGBT equality. I'm not surprised it tracks with where he is on gay marriage, it tracks with where he is on LGBT acceptance issues in society.

Persons: Mike Johnson's, We've, Charles Moran, —, Mike Johnson, Johnson, litigating, Moran, he's, Steve Scalise, Tom Emmer, …, Jim Jordan, I'm, Kat Cammack, Johnson's, litigate, He's, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Rick Allen, Emmer, Joe Biden, Marjorie, you've, I've, we've, Donald Trump's, Dylan Mulvaney, Bud Light, Obama, Biden, Hillary Clinton, It's, it's, Lawrence, Barack Obama, Eric Holder, That's, they're, haven't Organizations: Republican, Service, Republicans, Republican Conference, Representatives, Research, LGBT, Democrat, House Republican Conference, Senate, US Initiative, Trump, . Texas, Defense, Republican Party, Human, Education Law, HRC Locations: Roman, America, Louisiana, Georgia, ., Florida

☆ Kelly Johnson, who is married to House Speaker Mike Johnson, practices an ancient form of Christian counseling that classifies people into 'choleric', 'phlegmatic,' and other personality types purport
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Kelly Johnson, the wife of House Speaker Mike Johnson, was a Christian therapist. It is not clear if Kelly Johnson will continue her practice. Not long after Rep. Mike Johnson became House speaker last week, Kelly Johnson's website became inaccessible. The couple is deeply religious; both Kelly and Mike Johnson previously worked with religious organizations and causes the religious right advocates for. Along with her counseling, Johnson is also listed as an advisor to the Louisiana Right for Life, an anti-abortion organization.

Persons: Kelly Johnson, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Hippocrates, —, Kelly Johnson's, Kelly, Richard, Phyllis Arno, Tim LaHaye, LaHaye, Jack Kemp's, George W, Mike Huckabee, LeHaye, Hodges Organizations: Service, National Christian Counselor's, National Christian Counselors Association, The New York Times, Arkansas Gov, APS, Education, Louisiana Tech, Centenary College, Cypress Baptist Church, Johnsons, Southern Baptist Convention, LGBT, CNN Locations: Louisiana, Benton, La

☆ Kelly Johnson, who is married to House Speaker Mike Johnson, practices a form of Christian counseling that classifies people into 'choleric', 'phlegmatic,' and other ancient personality types purporte
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

☆ Opinion | Mike Johnson Is a Right-Wing Fever Dream Come to Life
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Jamelle Bouie | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

He is staunchly against the bodily autonomy of women and transgender people and supports a nationwide ban on abortion and gender-affirming care for trans youth. In a 2003 essay, Johnson defended laws that criminalized homosexual activity between consenting adults. If Johnson is known for anything, however, it is for his tireless advocacy on behalf of Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Johnson wrote one of the briefs purporting to give a legal justification for throwing out the voting results in several swing states. The new speaker is, in short, an election-denying extremist who believes that his allies have the right to nullify election results so that they can impose their vision of government and society on an unwilling public.

Persons: Johnson, Hodges, Donald Trump’s, Jim Jordan Organizations: House Republican, Republicans Locations: ”, Venezuela, United States

☆ New House speaker Mike Johnson knocks Biden's 'cognitive decline' but can't remember all the times he attacked LGBTQ relationships
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In the same interview, Johnson said couldn't remember a number of comments attacking LGBTQ Americans. AdvertisementAdvertisementHouse Speaker Mike Johnson on Thursday night agreed with Fox News host Sean Hannity that President Joe Biden is showing a "cognitive decline." Johnson, who is an evangelical Christian, worked to thwart same-sex marriage and served in leadership roles with the Southern Baptist Convention. Asked about the comments, Johnson, perhaps conveniently, forgot years' worth of statements. The House speaker said that now views the issue of same-sex marriage as settled after the Supreme Court's landmark ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Biden, Johnson, Sean Hannity, couldn't, —, Joe Biden, Hannity, chatted, Hodges Organizations: Fox News, Service, Louisiana Republican, Southern Baptist Convention, CNN, White Locations: Louisiana, Obergefell

☆ New House Speaker Mike Johnson once wrote that homosexuality will lead to 'chaos and sexual anarchy'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana was elected to be the speaker of the House on Wednesday. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAdvertisementNewly-elected speaker of the House , Mike Johnson, has a history of making anti-LGBTQ+ statements, once going so far as saying homosexuality was a "dark harbinger of chaos and sexual anarchy." AdvertisementAdvertisement"If everyone does what is right in his own eyes, chaos and sexual anarchy will result," he wrote. While working for the ADF, Johnson wrote an amicus brief , first published by CNN, opposing a US Supreme Court decision, Lawrence v. Texas , which struck down state laws that criminalized consenting same-sex relationships in 2003.

Persons: Mike Johnson of, —, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Lawrence, Louisiana's, Hodges, — Johnson, Joe Biden's Organizations: CNN, Service, The Times, Alliance Defense Fund, Alliance Defending, Southern Poverty Law Center, ADF, Lawrence v . Texas, Associated Press, Freedom Guard Locations: Mike Johnson of Louisiana, Shreveport , Louisiana, Lawrence v ., Louisiana, Obergefell

☆ Anti-LGBTQ+ activism spiked during Pride Month, with California leading the way
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Anti-LGBTQ+ activism spiked in June, according to the monitoring group ACLED. Pride Month saw more anti-LGBTQ+ demonstrations than any other period since 2020. As the LGBTQ+ community has become increasingly visible in entertainment, politics, and corporate America, there has been an accompanying spike in anti-LGBTQ+ activism. "This new peak in our data comes after anti-LGBTQ+ demonstrations had already surged to their highest point on record by late 2022." That — visibly showing up for LGBTQ+ rights — is what Bjorn-James argues will determine whether far-right activism proliferates or recedes.

Persons: Vanderbilt, Sophie Bjork, James, ACLED, Kieren Doyle, Wesley Phelps, Hodges, there's, Phelps, It's, There's, they've, Bjork, Donald Trump —, —, Bjorn Organizations: Service, University of North, Lone Star State, District of Columbia, Golden State, Vanderbilt University, Miss America, Target Locations: Wall, Silicon, America, California, United States, North America, University of North Texas, Obergefell, ACLED, Texas , New York, Golden

☆ The Supreme Court’s Conservatives Even Control Which Cases the Justice - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Jeffrey L. Fisher | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

More often, the cases were relatively low-profile — lower court decisions refusing, for example, to apply civil rights protections that are already established. And here’s the thing: In many of those cases, the court ultimately reversed by an overwhelming vote. The lower court decisions were indefensible. But for the court to reverse a lower court decision refusing to honor a civil liberty, the case first has to be put on its docket. Seven years before, the Supreme Court had chastised the Louisiana courts for allowing exactly this kind of unconstitutional gamesmanship.

Persons: Hodges, David Brown, Brown’s, Brown, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan Locations: . Louisiana, Louisiana

☆ Kennedy, Christie and the Supreme Court: Are They Changing the Race?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Nate Cohn | More About Nate Cohn | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But the requests I do have nonetheless center on a similar set of topics: a major Supreme Court decision, this time to end affirmative action programs, and two upstart candidates who weren’t receiving a lot of attention before I left, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Chris Christie. Court gives Democrats some coverAs I wrote at the time, the Supreme Court’s decision to make same-sex marriage a fundamental right was probably politically advantageous for Republicans. Yes, the court decision was popular and the Republican position on same-sex marriage was increasingly unpopular, but that’s precisely why that decision did them a favor: It all but removed the issue from political discourse, freeing Republicans from an issue that might have otherwise hobbled them. In theory, something similar can be said for the court’s affirmative action ruling, but this time with the decision helping Democrats. Here again, the court is taking a popular position that potentially frees a political party — this time the Democrats — from an issue that could hurt it, including with the fast-growing group of Asian American voters.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Chris Christie Organizations: Republicans, Republican, Asian American Locations: China, Pacific

☆ LGBT rights yield to religious interests at US Supreme Court
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( John Kruzel | Industry Insight | Corporate Attorneys Don T Want To Pay Law Firms For Chatgpt When They Could Use It Themselves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

"We've seen a dramatic expansion of rights for conservative religious communities that has had a detrimental impact on equality rights, certainly for LGBTQ people," said Elizabeth Platt, director of the Law, Rights and Religion Project at Columbia Law School. Smith, who said she opposes gay marriage based on her Christian beliefs, was represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative religious rights group. Still, the ruling illustrated a disparity in how the court views protections for LGBT people in contrast to the competing conservative Christian interests, Platt said. He stood out among conservatives in his espousal of sympathy both for conservative Christian causes and for what is sometimes called the "dignity interests" of marginalized groups including LGBT people. Barrett's addition gave it a 6-3 conservative margin and recalibrated how it weighed conservative Christian causes against the dignity interests of people protected by civil rights laws.

Persons: Read, Lorie Smith, Smith, Elizabeth Platt, Kristen Waggoner, Waggoner, Jack Phillips, Phillips, Platt, Anthony Kennedy, Brett Kavanaugh, Trump's, Neil Gorsuch, Friday's, Amy Coney Barrett, Kennedy, Kennedy's, Hodges, Obergefell, Barrett, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Barrett's, Rachel Laser, John Kruzel, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S, Supreme, Law, Columbia Law School . Colorado, Alliance Defending, Defending, Colorado Civil Rights Commission, FOSTER CARE, Catholic Church, Philadelphia, Republican, Trump, Americans United, and State, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, Denver, Colorado, U.S, Fulton, City of Philadelphia, Obergefell

☆ The ground has shifted on gay marriage for conservative Christians.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Ruth Graham | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For decades, opposition to same-sex marriage was a marquee issue for the religious right in the United States. Activists like Anita Bryant, Jerry Falwell and James Dobson characterized homosexuality as a threat to traditional family life. Public opinion on same-sex marriage has turned rapidly toward acceptance this century. In the early 2000s, about 60 percent of Americans opposed it, according to the Pew Research Center. Another poll by Pew found that almost half of white evangelicals born after 1964 favored same-sex marriage in 2017, compared to about a quarter of older white evangelicals.

Persons: Anita Bryant, Jerry Falwell, James Dobson, Hodges, Tony Perkins, ”, Franklin Graham, Pew Organizations: Family Research, Christianity Today, Pew Research Center Locations: United States, Obergefell

☆ Don't say anti-gay: As GOP approval for same-sex relationships plummets, Republican senators insist they're only coming after trans rights, not gay rights
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

GOP senators insist they don't hear about it from their voters — and that trans issues are different. "You mentioned that eight years ago, the Obergefell decision created a constitutional right to same-sex marriage," said Graham. Since the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision, same-sex marriage has largely faded as an issue targeted by Republicans, at least at the national level. "To be honest, I don't hear a lot about that issue," Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, one of the more eager Republican culture warriors, said of same-sex marriage. Still, support for the legality of same-sex marriage remains broadly popular — it's not the potent wedge issue it once was, such as during the 2004 presidential campaign when President George W. Bush campaigned on a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.

Persons: —, Sen, Lindsey Graham of, Graham, Hodges, Josh Hawley, Hawley, George W, Bush, Cynthia Lummis, Ron DeSantis, Lummis, Drew Angerer, Thom Tillis, Republican Sen, you've, JD Vance, Ohio, Vance, it's, Anita Bryant's, Biden, Dr, Roger Marshall, Roger Marshall of, Marshall, I've Organizations: Pride, Service, Republican, Republicans, Gallup, Gov, Getty, Rights, House Locations: Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Wyoming, Florida, North Carolina, United States, statehouses, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Kansas

☆ Ted Cruz is citing the Bible and preaching on Twitter in defense of the LGBT community, and it's quite something
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ted Cruz preached tolerance for the LGBT community during a Twitter spat with a pastor. "Let he that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her," Cruz tweeted. The Texas senator then invoked another Bible verse to support his argument that gay people should not be persecuted. We are talking the laws of man, not the Old Testament laws of God,'" Cruz tweeted. Cruz also mentioned another Bible verse — "let he that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her" — arguing that it is cruel and hypocritical to judge others for sinning.

Persons: Ted Cruz, Cruz, —, Sen, Tom Ascol, Jesus, Caesar, Ascol, Hodges, Roe, Wade Organizations: Service, Newsweek, The Texas Tribune Locations: Florida, Texas, Uganda

☆ Ted Cruz calling Uganda's anti-gay law 'horrific' is odd considering he voted against protecting same sex marriages just last year
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ted Cruz was one of many politicians who condemned Uganda's new anti-gay bill, calling it "horrific." He added: "ALL civilized nations should join together in condemning this human rights abuse." President Joe Biden, for one, called for the law's "immediate repeal" in a statement on Monday, saying that it was a "tragic violation of universal human rights." He also added that he would consider implementing "sanctions and restriction of entry into the United States against anyone involved in serious human rights abuses or corruption." However, Cruz's strong criticism of Uganda's new law is interesting, considering his established stance on gay rights.

"Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts made a surprise announcement on the ABC morning show Monday, saying she's ready to tie the knot with her girlfriend of nearly 18 years, Amber Laign. OK, I’m saying ‘yes’ to marriage,” Roberts told motivational speaker and author Gabby Bernstein during a conversation about setting intentions for the new year. The pair's decision to wed comes amid a nationwide uptick in same-sex couple households. For the first time, the number of same-sex couple households in the U.S. has surpassed 1 million, data from the Census Bureau's annual American Community Survey revealed in November. In 2021, there were more than 1.2 million same-sex couple households across the country, up from 540,000 in 2008, an increase of more than 120%, the data found.

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