News

Despite the U.S. Supreme Court extending marriage equality nationwide — and a recent declaration from justices affirming that decision — the Texas Supreme Court on Friday ruled against spousal benefits for married same-sex couples. Writing for the court, Justice Jeffrey Boyd determined the 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges “is not the end” on the same-sex marriage issue and state workers have no established right to obtain benefits, such as health insurance, for their same-sex spouses in the same way as other employees. “The Supreme Court held in Obergefell that the Constitution requires states to license and recognize same-sex marriages […]

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced efforts to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion in 2019. In June 1969, LGBT community members held spontaneous demonstrations at the Stonewall Inn in New York City, considered by many as the catalyst for the modern LGBT rights movement. As part of the state’s commemorative efforts, cultural events will be promoted statewide and New York will host the largest international LGBT pride celebration in 2019 – Stonewall 50 / WorldPride. “The Stonewall Rebellion was a decisive moment in both LGBT and New York history, and by remembering these events and the movement’s continued […]

The Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus has commended the House of Representatives for passing H.Res.351, a bipartisan resolution condemning the detention, torture, and murders of gay and bisexual men in Chechnya. H.Res.351 was introduced by LGBT Caucus founding member and former House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-27) on May 23rd and passed in the House Foreign Affairs Committee on May 25th by unanimous voice vote. H.Res.351 has 83 bipartisan cosponsors. H.Res.351 passed by voice vote. “I’m proud that the House passed this strong resolution condemning the recent violence targeting gay men in Chechnya. Now, it’s critical that we […]

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin joined Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and several of their colleagues in introducing the first-ever Senate Resolution recognizing June as “LGBTQ Pride Month”. The resolution notes major milestones in the fight for equal treatment of LGBT Americans and resolves to continue efforts to achieve full equality for LGBT individuals. Today, June 28, marks the 48th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. “America is right to be proud of the progress we have made to pass on to the next generation a country that is more equal, not less equal.  Every June, communities across America celebrate Pride Month and this […]

North Carolina’s law allowing magistrates to refuse to perform same-sex marriages survived a challenge Wednesday when an appeals court determined that three couples weren’t harmed enough to fight the state’s use of taxpayer money to apply the law. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed their lawsuit, rejecting arguments by the couples that their status as North Carolina taxpayers gives them standing to sue. Because two of the couples are already married and the third is engaged, the law hasn’t hurt their ability to wed, the judges said. “The outcome here is in no way a comment on same-sex […]

  A federal court in Denver on Tuesday reopened the case of an intersex person who sued the State Department after it denied them a passport.Dana Zzyym, a U.S. Navy veteran who is the associate director of the U.S. affiliate of the Organization Intersex International, applied for a passport in 2014 in order to travel to Mexico City for a conference. The State Department told Zzyym it denied the passport application because it was “unable to fulfill your request to list your sex as ‘X.’” Zzyym provided the Colorado Passport Agency with additional documentation in order to prove their intersex […]