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OPINION For LGBTQ+ children, the holidays are often the most challenging time of the year
Holiday time for most of us is a time to spend more time with family and loved ones, but for many children, it is a harsh reminder of their non-acceptance and thus, is all the more difficult as well. ...
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Jamaica court upholds sodomy law; activist ends fight in that country
On Oct. 27, the Jamaica Supreme Court upheld the country's anti-sodomy law, claiming that only Parliament could repeal the statute—and the ruling has resulted in a longtime advocate/attorney ending his fight for LGBTQ+ rights in the ...
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Several dozen people arrested over 'gay wedding' in Nigeria
Nigerian security personnel arrested more than 70 young people after accusing them of organizing a same-sex wedding, The South China Morning Post reported. Same-sex marriage is illegal in Nigeria under a 2014 law. Gombe, where the ...
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Community marks 10th anniversary of marriage-equality march
Community members, activists and politicians gathered at Sidetrack Video Bar to mark the 10th anniversary of the 2013 March on Springfield for Marriage Equality Oct. 22. Celebrants also marked the passage of the marriage-equality bill (SB10), ...
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Celebrating March on Springfield for Marriage Equality's 10th anniversary Oct. 22
--From a press release
Advocates will mark 10 years since the March on Springfield for Marriage Equality on Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023 at Sidetrack bar, 3349 N. Halsted, Chicago, from 1-3 p.m. There will be speakers and memorabilia and posters ...
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India's supreme court declines to recognize marriage equality
India's top court, led by Chief Justice Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud, declined to grant legal recognition to same-sex marriages, saying it is beyond its scope and should be decided by parliament, The Guardian reported. However, the court ...
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COMMENTARY Pope Francis permits blessings of same-gender couples on a case-by-case basis
Pope Francis affirms the spiritual value of blessings of same gender couples in Church sanctioned ceremonies on a case-by-case basis when judged pastorally appropriate. In a letter, released by the Vatican on Oct. 2, Francis states ...
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GLAAD responds to Pope Francis' statement allowing blessing for same-sex couples
--From a press release
(Monday, October 2, 2023) GLAAD, the world's largest l LGBTQ media advocacy organization, is responding to Pope Francis' groundbreaking statement allowing blessings on same-sex unions. According to New Ways Ministry ...
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Support group for LGBT widows and widowers unites members in grief
In May of 2016, C. Russell Bond of Wilmette founded a Meetup.com monthly support group for LGBT widows and widowers. The group's most recent September meeting happened to fall one day after an anniversary date with ...
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In D.C., Black LGBTQ+ lawmakers protest Nigerian wedding arrests
On Sept. 12, Black LGBTQ+ lawmakers—led by Maryland state Del. Gabriel Acevero and D.C. Councilmember Zachary Parker, and alongside the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) and other advocacy groups—protested outside ...
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'We've had a ball': Prominent activists Jim Darby and Patrick Bova celebrate 60th anniversary
One of the first couples to be legally married in Illinois is celebrating their 60th anniversary this year. Jim Darby and Patrick Bova fell in love decades before they became the lead plaintiffs in Lambda Legal's ...
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Hong Kong court grants rights of same-sex couples, stops short of marriage
On Sept. 5, Hong Kong's top court ordered the city's government to legally recognize the rights of same-sex couples in a partial victory for LGBTQ+-rights activists, CNN reported. Five judges from Hong Kong's Court of Final ...
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Queer parenthood explored: A transparent dive into surrogacy and hope
By Matthew Schueller. Guest commentary for News is Out
I feel extraordinarily lucky. As a kid, I never imagined my life could look like this. Growing up in the closet in the mid-Willamette Valley of Oregon, an area many consider to be the conservative Bible ...
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Calif. Senate passes constitutional amendment protecting marriage equality
On July 13, the California Senate unanimously passed a proposed state constitutional amendment to secure marriage equality, per an Equality California press release. Assembly Constitutional Amendment 5 (ACA 5), authored ...
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Nepal's Supreme Court orders marriage registration for same-sex couples
The Supreme Court of Nepal recently issued an interim order directing the office of the prime minister and council of ministers as well as other relevant ministries to establish a "transitional mechanism" to ensure the registration ...
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Organization holds surrogacy information event at Center June 2-3
A national surrogacy organization will host a conference and expo—aimed at gay couples and individuals wishing to learn about surrogacy and gay parents that have already used surrogacy strategies—at Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., ...
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Second Japanese court finds marriage equality ban unconstitutional
On May 30 in Japan, the Nagoya District Court ruled that prohibiting same-sex marriage was unconstitutional—a decision activists welcomed as a step toward marriage equality, Reuters reported. Japan is the only Group of Seven (G-7) nation ...
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Q Christian Fellowship to present: 2023 Parent & Family Summit
--From a press release
Chicago, IL, April 2023 — Q Christian Fellowship presents the 2023 Parent & Family Summit at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago, May 5 through 7 . At a time when political climates are increasingly hostile towards ...
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Study: Outcomes for children similar regardless of the LGBTQ+ identity of the children's parents
--From a press release
NEW YORK — This week a new report was released by BMJ Global Health examining outcomes between LGBTQ+ families and families headed by heterosexual couples. The report, a literature review and synthesis of dozens of academic ...
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Gay Calif. lawmakers introduce Prop 8 repeal
On Valentine's Day, two gay California lawmakers introduced a constitutional amendment to repeal Prop 8—the state's same-sex marriage ban that remains on the books despite being ruled unconstitutional years ago, according to The Bay Area Repo ...
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Cook County's Kevin Morrison attends signing of Respect for Marriage Act at the White House
-- From a press release
Washington D.C. — December 13thth 2022 — Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison attended the signing of the historic Respect for Marriage Act recently passed by both chambers of congress. The bill guarantees the federal rights ...
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With President Biden's signature, Respect for Marriage Act is law
-- From a press release
WASHINGTON — The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) — the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization — celebrated today as President Biden signed the Respect ...
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President Biden signs Respect for Marriage Act into law; groups and leaders respond
-- From press releases
In response to President Biden signing the Respect for Marriage Act into law, groups and leaders release statements. ...
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Respect for Marriage Act passage important step but not equity says LGBTQIA+/ally Catholic group
-- From a press release
Dec. 8, 2022. DignityUSA, the nation's foremost organization of Catholics working for justice, equality, and full inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people in our church and society, is pleased that both houses of Congress have now passed the ...
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Groups and leaders celebrate passage of the Respect for Marriage Act
-- From press releases
U.S. Representative Mike Quigley: Washington, D.C.— Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), Vice-Chair of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, released the following statement celebrating the passage of ...
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Congress passes Respect for Marriage Act, sends to President Biden for signature
-- From a press release. Video below
(New York, NY - December 8, 2022) — GLAAD, the world's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, is responding to the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act in the U.S. ...
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Landmark step toward equality: Senate passes bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act
-- From press releases
WASHINGTON — The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) — the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization — today celebrated the bipartisan passage of the Respect ...
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Senate marriage equality bill advances with 62-37 bipartisan vote
A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators voted 62-37 for cloture—the end of debate—for the Respect for Marriage Act (RMA), signaling passage in the near future for the measure that enshrines marriage equality into federal law. The ...
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Rights advocates: Nov. 16 Senate vote a 'backstop' against SCOTUS overreach
Representatives from HRC and GLAD met with media virtually the morning of Nov. 16 to discuss the implications of the Respect of Marriage Act. That legislation, scheduled for a Senate vote the same day, codifies marriage ...
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WORLD Indian judge, marriage items, LGBTQ+-friendly countries
A judge who could pave the way to legalizing marriage equality in India took charge as chief justice, Bloomberg reported. As a judge on the top court, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud was a member of the five-member ...
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Actress Rebel Wilson gets engaged, announces birth of first child [UPDATE]
Actress Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect) is engaged to girlfriend Ramona Agruma after dating for seven months, according to Page Six. ...
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Last Mexican state approves marriage equality
On Oct. 27, Mexico's northeastern border state of Tamaulipas voted to recognize same-sex marriage, making it legal in every district in the country, Reuters reported. In its official Twitter account, the congress of Tamaulipas approved the ...
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Calif. judge rules for anti-LGBTQ+ baker in wedding-cake case
In California, a judge has ruled in favor of a bakery owner who refused to make wedding cakes for a same-sex couple because it violated her Christian beliefs, according to a U.S. News & World Report ...
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Singapore moves to legalize male same-sex relations, protect definition of marriage
On Oct. 20, Singapore's government filed bills in parliament seeking to decriminalize sex between men, and to amend the constitution to prevent court challenges to laws and policies concerning marriage, Reuters reported. The proposed legislation in ...
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Slovenia legalizes marriage equality, adoption
Slovenia has become the first Eastern European country to legalize same-sex marriage and adoption. The historic moment has come about after a six-to-three Constitutional Court decision in July said that same-sex marriage and adoption are constitutional ...
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Cuba legalizes same-sex marriage
Cuba has legalized marriage equality after Cubans voted in favor of a family code that increased protections for minorities on the island, CNN reported. With 94% of the votes counted as of 8 a.m. CT on ...
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Family Equality discussion at Center on Halsted on Sept. 9
On Friday, Sept. 9, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Center on Halsted will host a special Family Equality educational panel discussion about issues facing LGBTQ+ people and families. According to Family Equality, at least 11.3 million U.S. adults identify ...
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Singapore to decriminalize same-sex relations, but will ban marriage equality
Singapore will decriminalize sex between men by repealing a colonial-era statute but will amend the constitution to ensure same-sex marriage is not allowed, ABC News reported. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he believed repealing the ...
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Senate vote on marriage bill pushed back to September
Hope for a quick vote on the Respect for Marriage Act in the U.S. Senate this week has faded, but U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin said over the weekend that she has 10 Republican senators willing to ...
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Andorra passes civil marriage for same-sex couples
On July 21, lawmakers in the tiny European country of Andorra voted unanimously to extend civil marriage rights to same-sex couples, The Los Angeles Blade reported. Andorra is a small country known for its ski areas ...
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U.S. House passes Respect for Marriage Act
On July 19, almost 50 House Republicans joined Democrats to pass legislation that would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enshrine marriage equality into federal law, Axios reported. The legislation, approved 267-157, is part of ...
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Ted Cruz wants marriage equality revoked
To the surprise of few, a leading Republican figure would like marriage equality overturned. On July 16, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said the U.S. Supreme Court was "clearly wrong" and "overreaching" when it legalized same-sex ...
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Supreme Court justice says marriage-equality ruling should be reconsidered
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas argued in a concurring opinion regarding the revocation of the constitutional right to abortion that the U.S. Supreme Court "should reconsider" its past rulings codifying rights to contraception access, same-sex ...
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Clela Rorex, first County Clerk to issue same-sex marriage licences, has died
-- From a press release
BOULDER, CO - Out Boulder County and the family of Clela Rorex are saddened to announce the death of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer pioneering ally, Clela Rorex. On March 27,1975 Clela issued the first ...
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Church of Scotland votes to allow same-sex marriages
The Church of Scotland has voted to allow same-sex marriages after recent warnings that its historical opposition had increased the church's decline toward irrelevance, The Guardian reported. The church's general assembly voted 274-136 to allow it ...
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Same-sex couple have historic wedding in Antarctica
RRS Sir David Attenborough crew members Eric Bourne and Stephen Carpenter are now the first same-sex couple ever married in the British Antarctic Territory on April 24, The Maritime Executive noted. The Maritime Executive noted that ...
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Judge: Former clerk Kim Davis violated same-sex couples' rights
A federal judge found that Kim Davis—the former Kentucky clerk whose refusal to sign marriage certificates for same-sex couples made national headlines in 2015—violated their constitutional rights, NPR reported. Now it has to be determined if ...
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Top UK court upholds Cayman Islands marriage-equality ban
On March 14, the UK Privy Council ruled that the Cayman Islands Constitution does not provide a right for same-sex marriage and ruled in favor of the Cayman Islands government by dismissing the case of lesbian ...
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Skydeck Chicago announces Valentine's Day 'Love on The Ledge' contest
Skydeck Chicago has announced its annual "Love on The Ledge" social media contest. The event at the Willis Tower observation deck gives adventurous couples of all backgrounds the chance to tie the knot or renew their ...
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Israel allows surrogacy for same-sex couples, trans people and single men
Israel Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz announced that, starting next week, same-sex couples, single men and transgender people will be able to parent children through surrogacy, an option that was previously banned for them in the country, ...
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New Jersey legislature votes to codify marriage equality
On Dec. 20, New Jersey lawmakers took steps to protect marriage equality, with both houses of the state legislature voting to enshrine the right to same-sex marriage into state law, PhillyVoice.com reported. Sponsors of the legislation ...
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WORLD Chile's marriage law, Tokyo's move, Iran arrest, Mr. Gay World resigns
Chilean President Sebastian Pinera signed a historic bill legalizing same-sex marriage into law, days after the measure was approved by Congress, Al-Jazeera reported. The law "puts all love relationships between two people on an equal footing," ...
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Chile's political houses approve marriage equality by landslide margin
Chile approved marriage-equality legislation in a landslide vote on Dec. 7, NPR reported. Both houses of Chile's Congress authorized the measure with overwhelming majorities, making it the eighth Latin American country to allow same-sex marriage, as ...
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Thailand, Switzerland go in opposite directions regarding marriage equality
Thailand's Constitutional Court ruled a law that defines marriage as between a man and a woman in the country is constitutional, The Washington Blade reported. The Foundation for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Rights and Justice, ...
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Same-sex partners can now access Social Security survivor's benefits
--From a press release
[New York, NY] This week, Lambda Legal has announced that the Social Security Administration (SSA) has withdrawn its appeals in two cases on behalf of surviving same-sex partners and spouses whom SSA had previously denied from ...
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Departments dismiss appeals of same-sex Social Security survivor case
On Nov. 1, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Social Security Administration (SSA) dismissed their Ninth Circuit appeals of two nationwide class-action suits that Lambda Legal won. The original ruling was in favor of surviving ...
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Nearly two-thirds of Swiss residents vote for marriage equality
Almost two-thirds of Switzerland's voters backed the government's plan to introduce same-sex marriage in a referendum held Sept. 26, with campaigners calling it a historic day for gay rights in Switzerland, Yahoo! News reported, citing AFP. ...
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WORLD Marches, world leaders, Swiss marriage, soccer match
Thousands of people including soldiers and diplomats marched peacefully through the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in an annual Pride parade despite some opposition to an event called off last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, Reuters ...
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Pope again refuses to bless same-sex marriages
Pope Francis told reporters recently on a return flight from Hungary that the Catholic Church is unable to bless same-sex marriages because marriage is a divine sacrament between a man and a woman, per The Advocate. ...
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Polis marriage marks first same-sex wedding of sitting governor
On Sept. 15, Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis wed longtime partner Marlon Reis marking the first same-sex marriage of a sitting U.S. governor, NPR reported. Polis keeps making history. In 2018, Polis became the first openly gay ...
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LGBTQ advocates celebrate two Illinois marriage certificate modernization bills
--From a press release
Trans and non-binary people who were married in Illinois will now be able to obtain marriage certificates that reflect their authentic selves thanks to legislation signed today by Governor JB Pritzker, according to Equality Illinois and ...
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LGBTQ advocates celebrate passage of Illinois marriage certificate name change legislation
--From a press release
LGBTQ advocates are celebrating passage of state legislation that will provide certainty for individuals requesting that their Illinois marriage certificates reflect a legal name change. HB 2590 is an initiative of Equality Illinois and Chicago House ...
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Simmons, family advocates argue for $600-per-child state tax credit before Senate committee
--From a press release
SPRINGFIELD Speaking alongside other advocates for Illinois children and families, Illinois state Sen. Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) argued the necessity of his plan to institute a $600-per-child income tax credit at the state level before the ...
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Starting May 3, ceremonies in Cook County's downtown Marriage Court can be performed by Zoom
CHICAGO (April 30) Marriage and civil union ceremonies at Cook County's downtown Marriage and Civil Union Court (Marriage Court) may be performed via Zoom videoconference, as well as in person, starting next week, according to ...
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Illinois Senate passes proposal removing gendered language from marriage certificates
--From a press release
On April 21, on its third reading, the Illinois Senate passed (by a bipartisan vote of 44-13) a proposal that amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act to allow the removal of gendered language ...
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Russian leader Putin officially bans same-sex marriage
On April 5, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a series of constitutional amendments that, among other things, formally defines marriage as between a man and a woman in the country, The Washington Blade reported. ...
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Michigan Court recognizes same-sex parents have parental rights
--From a NCLR press release
DETROIT, MI Yesterday, the Michigan Court of Appeals recognized two unmarried women as parents where one parent is a genetic parent and the other parent gave birth. LaNesha Matthews and Kyresha LeFever were a same-sex ...
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Global momentum for marriage equality surges,"Freedom to Marry Global" website created
--From a freedomtomarry.org press release
April 1st marks twenty years since the Netherlands ended the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage, becoming the first of so far 30 countries worldwide to affirm the freedom to marry for same-sex couples. Now, two ...
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LETTER The Vatican's words and actions do not echo love
The LGBTQA community is responding with shock, anger and frustration at the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith statement concerning same-sex unions. Many in our community can't understand why Pope Francis would allow such a ...
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DignityUSA: Vatican denying same-sex blessings "Exacerbates pain and anger"
--From a press release
March 15, 2021. DignityUSA, the organization of Catholics working for justice, equality, and full inclusion of LGBTQI people in the church and society, is deeply disappointed by the Vatican's statement unequivocally denying blessings to same-sex coupl ...
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Vatican won't bless same-sex unions
The Catholic Church said it cannot bless same-sex unions, adding that it is "not licit" to bless relationships that involve sexual activity outside of marriage, according to an NBC News item. The Congregation for the Doctrine ...
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Commission: Jamaica should repeal same-sex ban
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the top rights body of the Americas, said in a symbolic landmark ruling on Feb. 17 that Jamaica should repeal its colonial-era gay sex ban, Reuters reported. Two Jamaicans ...
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Leading groups submit amicus briefs against discrimination against LGBT surviving spouses
--From a press release
WASHINGTON D.C. AARP, AARP Foundation, SAGE and the American Society on Aging (ASA) filed amicus briefs today in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit arguing that the ...
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Switzerland's parliament okays marriage equality,
residents to have final say
On Dec. 18, the Swiss parliament approved a bill allowing same-sex couples to marry, finally bringing the nation in line with much of Europe on LGBTQ rights, TheLocal.ch reported. However, the Swiss residents themselves will have ...
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WORLD Canada museum, gay NZ leader, marriage items, 'Drag Race'
The embattled Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) said it's planning sweeping changes to rebuild the organization more than four months after staff came forward with shocking allegations of racism and LGBT censorship, CBC.ca reported. The ...
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