Free Republic

(CNSNews.com) - The White House has published a series of brief reports outlining what the administration considers President Barack Obama’s record of achievements in various areas of public policy. The report on Obama’s record on “Social Progress and Equality” begins by listing the Supreme Court’s declaration that same-sex marriage is a right and the administration’s swift enforcement of that decision as among Obama’s top achievements

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said on Friday that his city and the state of Illinois support the values he and his wife are teaching their children, including a law in place that “embraces gay marriage.” “Amy and I teach our children about that differences should be something that you look to, learn from, etc.,” Emanuel said at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., during a discussion focused on cities in the wake of Trump’s election and the UK’s exit from the European Union. …

A pair of Christian artists may face several months in prison for refusing to make wedding invitations for a same-sex ceremony due to an Arizona city ordinance. Joanna Duka and Breanna Koski of Brush & Nib Studio are appealing a court decision from a September ruling against their lawsuit, claiming that a Phoenix city ordinance violates their freedom of expression and freedom of religion. Duka and Koski are being represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative law firm that often tackles religious liberty cases. ADF attorney Kristen Waggoner, who is representing the two artists, said in an interview last...

The presidential election was so close that many factors were “but-for” causes of Donald Trump’s victory. One that’s been mostly overlooked is Trump’s surprising success with religious voters. According to exit polls, Trump received 81 percent of the white evangelical Christian vote, and Hillary Clinton only 16 percent. Trump did significantly better than the overtly religious Mitt Romney and the overtly evangelical George W. Bush. He likely over-performed among other theologically conservative voters, such as traditionalist Catholics, as well. Not bad for a thrice-married adulterer of no discernible faith.

A decision forcing a Christian-owned bed and breakfast to pay a same-sex couple $30,000 for refusing to host their wedding ceremony will stand. A 3-member panel of the Illinois Human Rights Commission refused to hear an appeal in a decision compelling TimberCreek Bed & Breakfast to pay a fine for declining to host a gay wedding on their property, although they have hosted opposite-sex weddings in the past. TimberCreek owner Jim Walder told The Christian Post that they took issue with the panel decision and were planning to appeal to the full state Human Rights Commission. "Citizens should only decide...

‘Marriage equality is vulnerable’ under Donald Trump’s presidency, says nephew of gay rights activist Harvey Milk. Stuart Milk warned of ‘dark days ahead’ due to a rise in anti-gay rhetoric spurred on by the US election of Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence, who supports gay conversion therapy. The nephew of Harvey Milk, who was the first openly gay person to be elected in public office in California and was assassinated 38 years ago, was speaking exclusively to the Standard on his disappointment that friend Hillary Clinton lost out to Trump. He said: “It was very tough, but having been...

TAIPEI -- Taiwan's momentum toward becoming the first republic in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage has run up against religion. President Tsai Ing-wen, who came into office in May, supports legalizing marriage rights for all. Last month, in the lead-up to Taiwan's annual pride parade, expectations rose that the Legislative Yuan would pass a bill to that effect by the end of this year. On Nov. 17, the legislature began fully debating a revision to the civil code. That same day, some 10,000 opponents demonstrated in the streets. A week later, when the Yuan's Legal System Committee held a public...

I believe that the two most difficult jobs in the world are being a good spouse and a good parent. The reason: after our relationship with our Creator, the most important relationship in the universe is that of a husband and his wife. As I’ve often pointed out, the biblical family model is at the foundation of every institution in the history of humanity. This is what makes the infamous Obergefell ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in late June of 2015 so egregious. It strikes at the heart of America. As my new book, The Miracle and Magnificence of...

You’ve seen the story multiple times already: a Christian baker declines to cater a gay wedding, and gets sued in the process. The most publicized came out of Oregon, where the bakery Sweet Cakes by Melissa chose not to bake a wedding for a same-sex wedding. Rachel Bowman-Cryer and her mother visited Sweet Cakes planning to order a wedding cake. Bowman-Cryer had purchased a cake previously from the Kleins for her mother’s sixth wedding. Bowman-Cryer wanted to have the same cake she had purchased for her mother. That’s when Aaron Klein asked what the name of the bride and groom...

Republican President-elect Donald Trump said he’s “fine” with same-sex marriage as the law of the land, calling the issue "settled" by the Supreme Court. The comments – in his first television interview since winning the presidency – sharply contrast with his party’s orthodoxy, his running mate’s longtime position and comments the New York Republican made during the primary. “It’s law,” he said in an interview with CBS’ ‘60 Minutes’ that aired Sunday. “It was settled in the Supreme Court. I mean it’s done.” “These cases have gone to the Supreme Court. They’ve been settled. And I’m – I’m fine with...

Your grievances could be worth millions, to the ACLU. The legendary "public interest" lawyers are suing a florist from the state of Washington for refusing to do floral designs for an "alternative" wedding. "The attorneys’ fees in the case alone come to one to two million dollars," the florist, Barronelle Stutzman, said in the other Washington--D.C.--last week at a conference sponsored by the Alliance for Defending Freedom (ADF), which is representing her. Of course, the case could bankrupt Mrs. Stutzman and her husband. By the way, ADF works pro bono, or free. "Barronelle Stutzman, the sole owner of Arlene's Flowers...

A mother from Brooklyn, N.Y., took Twitter by storm yesterday when she shared a picture of her 8-year-old son in his Halloween costume: He dressed up as Hillary Clinton. In a bright yellow blazer, with his hair blown out in Clinton’s signature ‘do, he’s waving to the people and toting a candy box with the campaign’s logo on it. And that’s his real hair, his mother notes — #notawig.

Australia’s prime minister introduced legislation to Parliament on Wednesday that would allow a public but non-binding vote on gay marriage early next year. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, a marriage equality advocate who is the only serving prime minister to attend the Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, introduced the bill on the first anniversary of his ascension to the top government job. […] Although such a vote appears to be a move toward changing the law, most gay rights activists are against a plebiscite, saying it should be decided in Parliament without the potential divisive public debate. They fear that...

Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Kaine, a practicing Catholic, on Saturday described his evolution on same-sex marriage and predicted that his church would change its views as well. “My full, complete, unconditional support for marriage equality is at odds with the current doctrine of the church that I still attend,” Kaine said at a dinner celebrating gay rights. “But I think that’s going to change, too.” Kaine, a senator from Virginia, spoke to a crowd of about 3,700 attending the 20th Annual Human Rights Campaign National Dinner in Washington, at which he also touted reasons why his running mate, presidential nominee...

By 2015, she had risen through the ranks at Paramus Catholic High School, her alma mater, to dean of guidance in just four years, and she had been serving as head coach of the elite Lady Paladins basketball team since the retirement of the longtime coach, Al Roth, the year before.But in January, she lost it all.  Drumgoole, of Bogota, says the school fired her from both of her jobs after administrators learned that she was married to a woman.  Now, she has filed a lawsuit in Superior Court in Hackensack alleging that Paramus Catholic; its president, James P. Vail;...

<p>A homosexual in Georgia raped and sodomized an 18 month old boy.</p> <p>An 18-month-old baby boy was allegedly sexually assaulted by a male suspect last month.</p> <p>The case was only recently reported to authorities after the little boy’s grandmother took him to hospital for an examination.</p>

Aug. 5, 2016 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Homosexuals who “marry” each other are almost three times more likely to commit suicide than their heterosexual counterparts, even in very gay-friendly Sweden, according to a study published in the May issue of the European Journal of Epidemiology. The authors of the study noted that social intolerance of homosexual behavior could not so easily be blamed for increased suicide risk, given that Sweden is known for its accepting attitude towards same-sex relationships. “Even in a country with a comparatively tolerant climate regarding homosexuality such as Sweden, same-sex married individuals evidence a higher risk for suicide...

A day after the Anglican Church of Canada narrowly voted not to authorize gay unions, questions about the integrity of the voting process emerged Tuesday, leading to a reversal of the result with the church approving the measure.More than 200 delegates attending the six-day General Synod 2016 narrowly rejected the resolution Monday night after hearing from more than 60 speakers, most of them in favor of gay marriage. However, on Tuesday — the last day of the triennial conference — some members stood up to say their ballot had not been recorded during voting late Monday, when the resolution failed...

“U.S. won’t ‘collapse’ because of same-sex marriage and abortion.” — Lt. General Michael Flynn Evangelicals are already reluctant to vote for Trump. The only thing that’s giving many of them pause is seeing Hillary Clinton sworn in as President in January 2017. I view Trump as a way to rid our nation of the Clintons once and for all. We may actually end up with a working Congress if Trump is elected. That’s a good thing. No one will be able to pull either the race or woman card when Congress opposes something unconstitutional Trump does. Trump could blow any...

With the Republican National Convention less than two weeks away, moderate Republicans are drafting an amendment that would soften the GOP's official position on gays and lesbians, CBS News has learned. The party's official stance on LGBT issues will be debated during next week's meeting of the RNC's platform committee, a 112-member group of Republican activists from around the country. ... Currently, the language adopted during the 2012 platform calls the "redefinition of marriage" by state courts an "assault on the foundations of society." It's unclear whether or not this language will be eliminated. But the compromise that some delegates...