Free Republic

There’s a kind of unique club in the world called “friends of Tony and Peggy Campolo.” I’m a grateful member of that group.... I prayed about it and said yes, which led to my meeting Randy Eddy-McCain and the beautiful church he served. What neither Randy, Peggy, nor I knew was that about four months later, one of my sons would be coming out. When he did, I kept thinking, “Thank God my son didn’t have to worry that his coming out would in any way hurt my work and reputation. Thank God Randy and Peggy invited me and I...

The leader of an anti-gay group in Texas has been hit by his own relationship troubles after his wife walked out on him… for a woman. Jonathan Saenz was previously a socially conservative lobbyist but recently became leader of homophobic group Texas Values, according to Lone Star Q . The website puts his change in views down to his wife Corrine's affair with a woman called Ercilia Paredes after uncovering divorce papers that revealed the development. Saenz is described as a devout catholic who had previously worked on abortion and religious liberty.

New survey research shows that Christians who support same-sex marriage are more likely to hold permissive views on other sexual morality issues, such as divorce and pornography, similar to the general population and far different from Christians who support traditional marriage.The "Relationships in America" survey, conducted by University of Texas sociologist Mark Regnerus, interviewed 15,738 Americans between the ages of 18 and 60. From that sample, Regnerus compared the average views on a range of sexual morality issues of churchgoing Christians who oppose same-sex marriage (2,659 in the sample) and churchgoing Christians who support same-sex marriage (990 in the sample)....

Gay immigrants are mounting a campaign to demand that they be included in any unilateral moves President Obama makes this year to halt deportations, arguing that they face unusual circumstances that otherwise might leave them on the outside. The demands pose a tricky test for Mr. Obama, who has made major inroads with gay rights groups during his time in the White House, but who will have to draw lines somewhere as he seeks to craft a more lenient deportation policy without canceling deportations altogether. “We hope that he evolves and he gets it right, and he can push for...

Somewhere over the rainbow, people with AIDS are dying from tuberculosis. The illegal border-crossers from Central America have a high incidence of TB on their side of their rainbow, and are bringing it into the United States. One demographic that is particularly vulnerable to catching TB and should be made aware of this health hazard is members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. A new report published in the Journal of American Medical Associates shows that while the annual diagnosis rate of HIV—the virus that causes AIDS—has declined by one-third in the general population, the rate has...

A federal appeals court has denied a request to delay its ruling striking down Virginia’s same-sex marriage ban. A panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond on Wednesday denied the request by a county court clerk in northern Virginia to stay the decision while it is appealed to the Supreme Court. That means that without intervention from the U.S. Supreme Court, same-sex couples could begin marrying and have their out-of-state marriages recognized by next Wednesday.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target Corp. is adding its name to a legal defense of gay marriage, joining other large companies that are taking a stand, just four years after the retailer came under criticism for supporting a strident opponent of same-sex unions. Target said it has signed a court brief backing marriage equality in a pending court case and publicly declared its support of gay marriage, a move similar to those taken by Starbucks, Intel and Apple.

Anytime I hear negative comments on the decision of Nigeria to ban homosexuality and gay marriage, my body develops goose pimples. I have made efforts at trying to rationalize why a man with his six senses, working at optimal level, will engage in animalistic actions and still make efforts at justifying such, hiding under the fallacious canopy of human right. Procreation, as designed by the creator, is meant to be carried out between a male and a female, and this had been the norm for generations. However, with some persons deciding to behave like animals; in fact, going below the...

Neither the Ebola outbreak nor the ongoing Boko Haram crisis in Nigeria prevented U.S. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden from raising the issue of homosexuality during last week’s U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington. The American leaders, along with other current and former Obama administration officials, capitalized on economic concerns to encourage African leaders to expand legal protections and privileges for homosexuals and call for cultural acceptance of homosexuality. Asked repeatedly by African leaders what the continent’s largely war-torn, impoverished nations can do to promote economic growth and development, Obama and Biden both said African countries need to...

Wary of criminal record restrictions in Obama ‘deferred action’ policy for dreamersGay immigrants are mounting a campaign to demand that they be included in any unilateral moves President Obama makes this year to halt deportations, arguing that they face unusual circumstances that otherwise might leave them on the outside. The demands pose a tricky test for Mr. Obama, who has made major inroads with gay rights groups during his time in the White House, but who will have to draw lines somewhere as he seeks to craft a more lenient deportation policy without canceling deportations altogether. "We hope that he...

A homework project that asks pupils to look out for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender characters in TV shows has been criticized by campaigners. The project includes a bingo-style game where children are asked to cross off squares when they come across an LGBT character or reference. The game encourages children as young as 11 to analyze how the media portrays same-sex relationships. It is part of a series of teaching resources developed by the Sex Education Forum, which lobbies for compulsory sex education in all schools. The Forum launched the game in its latest e-magazine for teachers in primary...

The US Virgin Islands -– St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John -– are facing a “gay marriage” battle. A bill was drafted in their legislature in May, and although it hasn’t yet been formally filed, the fight has already started. Pastors have organized across the territory and have begun to confront the “gay marriage” threat. The bill was written by Sen. Judi Buckley, a liberal who is not running for re-election this year. (The Virgin Islands has a unicameral legislature with 15 senators, each with 2-year terms.) Being a lame-duck – and not having to face voters -- is part...

Speaking at a breakfast in Iowa, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said last week he supports marriage as the union of a man and a woman. “I am in favor of traditional marriage, and I think that’s been the foundation for civilization for thousands of years,” he said in response to a question about whether he would support an amendment to the U.S. Constitution protecting marriage. But while he said he favored the “concept,” he added he would oppose a federal amendment, because he does not believe the federal government should have a role in defining marriage. “I’d rather see it...

First such prohibition to withstand a constitutional challenge since June 2013 Tennessee’s same-sex marriage ban has survived a constitutional challenge in court, the first prohibition to withstand such a challenge in almost 14 months. Roane County Circuit Judge Russell Simmons ruled that “neither the Federal Government nor another state should be allowed to dictate to Tennessee what has traditionally been a state’s responsibility,” in ruling from last Tuesday, SCOTUSblog reports. More than two dozen federal and state court rulings since the Supreme Court’s United States v. Windsor decision in June 2013 have successfully challenged and/or nullified bans. Simmons’ ruling rejects...

Israel’s Right of Return also gives citizenship to spouses of the same sex when Jews choose to immigrate to Israel together, Interior Minister Gidon Sa’ar (Likud) decided Tuesday. According to Sa’ar’s decision, gay and lesbian Jews married abroad wishing to immigrate to Israel could do so—even if one of the partners is not Jewish—and both would receive Israeli citizenship. “The gates of Israel will be open to every Jew and his family without any discrimination against his lifestyle,” Sa’ar stated, in the precedent-setting decision. […] The landmark decision surfaces amid ongoing tension over what defines a “family” in Israel, and...

Churchgoing Christians who support same-sex marriage are more likely to think pornography, cohabitation, hook-ups, adultery, polyamory, and abortion are acceptable. And it’s reasonable to expect continued change in more permissive directions. As mainline Protestant denominations increasingly accept the ordination of gay clergy and publicly affirm same-sex unions, the sociologist in me wishes to understand what this development means for people in those denominations. I’m not talking about subtle linguistic shifts. While the difference between speaking of marriage as a “civil contract between a woman and a man” and as “a unique commitment between two people” is obvious to those who...

Homosexuals Often Had a High Status in Native American Tribes Native American males were expected to become warriors and hunters, but it was also recognized that the stress of being under such burdens often demanded spiritual advice and healing. This duty would usually fall upon a homosexual Shaman. In the Native culture, to be gay meant to be "from the outside world," to be "spiritually gifted." However, Homosexual only included men who preferred social and sexual "female roles." Needless to say, they were highly respected within the community. In fact, straight men could have sex with a homosexual without having...

There is this notion, one we hear more and more, that the Republican Party has to shed the social issues to seize the future. "Social issues are not the business of government!" says thoroughly modern millennial. It's a seductive cry, one repeated this past Tuesday in an article about how some young libertarians dubbed the "Liberty Kids" are taking over the moribund Los Angeles GOP. Oh, wouldn't the political landscape be simple if we could just boil things down to fiscal responsibility? But life is seldom simple. If you would claim to be purely fiscal, or assert that "social issues"...

President Barack Obama has helped kick off the international Gay Games in Cleveland with a surprise video message shown at the opening ceremonies. […] The president said the United States has come a long way in its commitment to equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. He also noted that some athletes come from places where publicly acknowledging their sexual orientation can put them at risk. …

President Obama made a surprise video appearance at the opening ceremonies of the 2014 Gay Games in Cleveland on Saturday. Joining Greg Louganis, Lance Bass, the Pointer Sisters, and Broadway’s Andrea McArdle and Alex Newell in celebrating the event, Obama said, “Since 1982 the Gay Games have given lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender athletes and supporters around the world a chance to come together to compete, celebrate, and inspire others.” President Obama, who is vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard, noted how the country has changed since the games began in 1982. “We’ve also seen America change in that time, even since...