Free Republic

Two men in Indonesia’s conservative Aceh province were publicly caned 77 times each on Thursday for having engaged in consensual sex. The men, aged 27 and 29, were arrested in November after neighbors became suspicious of their relationship. They broke into their rented room and caught them having sex, according to Heru Triwijanarko, Aceh’s acting Sharia police chief. Last month they were sentenced to 80 strokes each, but received 77 after having spent some time in prison. The flogging took place at Banda Aceh’s Tamansari city park. The men stood in the center of a circle, as dozens watched and...

The leading candidates in Washington's tight gubernatorial race both issued statements opposing the Boy Scouts of America's recent decision to retain a policy prohibiting gay Scouts and leaders. Democrat Jay Inslee and Republican Rob McKenna both chastised the organization for the announcement that their secret committee unanimously refused to change the discriminatory policy.

A photo studio’s refusal to photograph a same-sex couple’s commitment ceremony violates the New Mexico Human Rights Act, the Court of Appeals has ruled, rejecting the Albuquerque studio’s argument that doing so would cause it to disobey God and Biblical teachings. It was the third loss for the studio, and victory for Vanessa Willock. Willock first contacted photographer Elaine Huguenin of Elane Photography in fall 2006 about taking pictures of a “same-gender ceremony” and was informed the studio only handled “traditional weddings.” When her partner contacted the studio without revealing her sexual orientation, the studio responded with a price list...