Free Republic

Together with my good friend and occasional courtroom adversary David Boies, I am attempting to persuade a federal court to invalidate California's Proposition 8—the voter-approved measure that overturned California's constitutional right to marry a person of the same sex.... Many of my fellow conservatives have an almost knee-jerk hostility toward gay marriage. This does not make sense, because same-sex unions promote the values conservatives prize. Marriage is one of the basic building blocks of our neighborhoods and our nation. At its best, it is a stable bond between two individuals who work to create a loving household and a social...

In the first signals of how he’ll act on legislation approved by Virginia’s Democratic General Assembly, Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a largely symbolic bill protecting same-sex marriage but took a more adversarial stance to bills dealing with gun control, reproductive rights and marijuana. Youngkin had until Friday night to take action on 84 bills the legislature sent to him on a shorter-than-usual timeline. He vetoed eight, recommended changes to 12 and signed the rest. The General Assembly finished its work Saturday without taking up any of the governor’s initial amendments and vetoes, which means they will be dealt with during...

The Greek parliament on Thursday passed a law legalizing same-sex marriage, in a landmark victory for human rights in Greece and making it the first majority Orthodox Christian country to establish marriage equality for all. The decision, supported by 176 out of 300 lawmakers in parliament and with 78 against, follows months of polarized political and public discourse, and has been welcomed as a long-awaited vindication by the country’s LGBTQ+ couples.

As reported at the Gateway Pundit, moments after the DOMA ruling in the Prop 8 case, Sandy Steir promised "to keep pushing until gay marriage is legal in all states..." "[Steir]: "...we thank the Justices for letting us get married in California. But that's not enough. It's gotta go nationwide. And we can't wait for that day."" Now my take: While the polls may show a shift concerning same-sex marriage, only a few states have legalized same-sex marriage. The questions now are: 1.) How many of the members of Congress still around from the June 7, 2006 Senate vote (concerning...

When I first heard that 2020’s Miss Puerto Rico and Miss Argentina had secretly gotten married, I’ll be honest—I thought I was hallucinating. A secret queer femme romance born out of pageant culture? When my two favourite things in this world are LGBTQ+ love stories and the movie Miss Congeniality? Are you kidding me?

t has come to light that the 12 Republican senators who threw their support behind the so-called “Respect for Marriage Act” (RMA) were swayed by cash and political clout wielded by a group of prominent donors, several of whom identify as “gay.” At least ten GOP senators were needed to join Senate Democrats to reach the required 60-vote threshold for passage of the bill, which mandates that all 50 states must recognize same-sex “marriages,” even in the event that the Supreme Court overturns its 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision. The New York Times reported: Behind the scenes, a group of...

Sen. Mitt Romney (R.-Utah), who was the losing Republican presidential nominee in 2012, voted on Wednesday to move forward to a final vote in the Senate on the “Respect for Marriage Act,” which would recognize same-sex marriages in federal law. “While I believe in traditional marriage, Obergefell is and has been the law of the land upon which LGBTQ individuals have relied,” said Romney. “This legislation provides certainty to many LGBTQ Americans, and it signals that Congress—and I—esteem and love all of our fellow Americans equally.” “This legislation provides important protections for religious liberty—measures which are particularly important to protect...

The governing body of the largest Mennonite denomination in the United States passed a resolution on Sunday (May 29) confessing to “committing violence against LGBTQ people” and committing to LGBTQ inclusion. In a separate vote, Mennonite Church USA also repealed instructions to pastors not to officiate at marriages between people of the same sex. The denomination’s official confession, which views marriage as between a man and a woman, remains unchanged. Nearly 83% of the delegates meeting at a special assembly in Kansas City, Missouri, voted in favor of repealing the guidelines barring marriage for same-sex couples, while the resolution for...

For same-sex couples, being gay and being a Christian doesn’t always fit together easily, especially when they are making plans for their wedding day. They may be welcomed week-after-week to worship within the Church of England, but it is a welcome that is not extended to hosting their marriage ceremony. But one vicar, who is part of the team leading a project reviewing the church’s position on same-sex relationships says he believes the church has reached a point where change in some form is now inevitable. It means the church could be closer than ever to allowing gay couples to...

Christians shouldn't attend same-sex wedding ceremonies, as attending would be to an inherent show of support, according to Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler Jr.In an episode of Mohler’s “The Briefing” podcast that aired Friday, the Evangelical theologian was asked by a listener about what to do if one is invited to a same-sex wedding ceremony.Mohler responded by noting that the “whole context of the wedding as a public event is the public exchange of vows and the public declaration of the rightness of this relationship.”“Remember that the traditional word used of those who are attending a wedding is...

Tens of thousands protested in Switzerland on Saturday for the legalization of same-sex marriage in the Alpine country. The protests came ahead of a national referendum on Sept. 26 on the legalization of gay marriage, which has already been introduced in many other European countries including Germany, Austria, France and the Netherlands. Public broadcaster SRF reported that tens of thousands participated in the Zürich Pride parade, which had the slogan “You can do it. Marriage for everyone now.” …

Chick-fil-A is getting skewered by a group of New York lawmakers who are looking to block the company’s bid to open restaurants at state highway rest stops because of its owner’s anti-LGBTQ stance. The Atlanta-based fast-food chain is among a handful of restaurants that were awarded contracts by the New York State Thruway Authority to be part of a $450 million plan to renovate 27 service areas. But Chick-fil-A’s chief executive, Dan Cathy — whose father, S. Truett Cathy, founded the $8.4 billion company in 1946 — has publicly disparaged LGBTQ rights, which some legislators say should disqualify the privately...

[Catholic Caucus] German Catholics plan huge blessing of gay unions on May 10An LGBT choir sings outside the Pastoral Congress at the World Meeting of Families in Dublin Aug. 23, 2018. (Credit: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters via CNS.)Continuing to openly challenge the Vatican, several Catholic leaders in Germany are openly supporting the blessing of same-sex couples, with a massive blessing service scheduled for May 10, in direct opposition to Rome’s chief doctrinal office.ROME – Continuing to openly challenge the Vatican, several Catholic leaders in Germany are openly supporting the blessing of same-sex couples, with a massive blessing service scheduled for May 10,...

Five centuries ago in Rome “there were marriages between men,” during Holy WeekI read:“On my return from San Pietro I met someone who warned me, with great courtesy, of two things: that the Portuguese were doing their 'obedience' during the week of the Passion, and that since on this same day the visit was to San Giovanni a Porta Latina, in which church some years before certain Portuguese had formed a strange brotherhood. During the Mass there were marriages between men with the same ceremonies that we use for our weddings: they took communion together, they read the same nuptial...

Episcopal Request for Civil Unions in Latvia Bishop Zbignevs Stankevics In Latvia, the episcopate has just asked the executive to grant legal status to homosexual “couples.” An astonishing statement that comes after recent remarks by Pope Francis on civil unions between people of the same sex.The Latvian episcopate did not take long to rush into the breach opened in the high walls of the Leonine enclosure by the documentary film screened in October 2020, previewed at the Rome Film Festival, organized by the Vatican.In this award-winning film, viewers were shocked to discover an interview in which the successor to...

In a major win for the LGBTQ community, Switzerland lawmakers approved the legalization of same-sex marriage last week. At the same time, the law also allowed transgender people to alter their legal gender at civil registry offices in the country and allows lesbian couples to conceive children using donated sperm, Reuters reports. Despite passing parliament, the same-sex marriage law may have to pass a national referendum in the coming year. However, activists expect a potential referendum to succeed, after a recent survey found support for marriage exceeding 80% in Switzerland. Campaign group Marriage For All posted a statement on their...

It’s San Francisco. Rightly, when it comes to love, anything goes. But one wedding this month garnered attention for breaking one of the last barriers in this country’s long fight for marriage equality. Rick Welts, president of the Golden State Warriors, married Todd Gage, a Southwest flight attendant, in Room 200. It is believed to be the first time an executive for a professional men’s sports team married his same-sex partner. According to the Advocate, there are no out players in professional male sports and just a smattering of out executives and coaches. Same-sex weddings in the macho world of...

Same-sex marriage is legally recognized in Northern Ireland from today. Following a legal change last autumn, same-sex couples can now register to marry and the first ceremonies will take place next month. Those who are already married will have their marriage legally recognized in Northern Ireland. Heterosexual couples will also be able to enter into civil partnerships from today. But same sex couples in a civil partnership will not yet be able to convert it to a marriage in the province — the Northern Ireland Office is set to begin a consultation on the matter later this year. The status...

There’s at least one area of agreement among conservative, centrist and liberal leaders in the United Methodist Church: America’s largest mainline Protestant denomination is on a path toward likely breakup over differences on same-sex marriage and ordination of LGBT pastors. The differences have simmered for years, and came to a head in February at a conference in St. Louis where delegates voted 438-384 for a proposal called the Traditional Plan, which strengthens bans on LGBT-inclusive practices. A majority of U.S.-based delegates opposed that plan and favored LGBT-friendly options, but they were outvoted by U.S. conservatives teamed with most of the...

Full Title: EXCLUSIVE: Lesbian couple who plunged to their deaths with their six adoptive black children fled their Minnesota home after the Ku Klux Klan left a burning cross in their yard, neighbor reveals The lesbian couple who died alongside at least three of their adopted children when their truck inexplicably drove off a California cliff had fled a former home after being targeted by the Ku Klux Klan, it has been claimed. Married Jennifer and Sarah Hart, both 38, were living in Alexandria, Minnesota when they and their African American youngsters allegedly became a target of the hate group,...