Author Archives: Lisa Keen

Supreme Court finale: 3 big results

A church school that discriminates against LGBT people gets state funding; Arkansas does not get to exclude both same-sex parents from a child's birth certificate; and the Supreme Court cues up a fight for next session over a cake baker's

Supreme Court ruling helps “Dykes on Bikes”

Following a U.S. Supreme Court decision Monday, the non-profit Dykes on Bike organization filed a request that the Patent and Trademark Office reconsider its application for a trademark of a logo using the group's name. The application had been previously

Trump Executive Order: No bite (yet)

President Trump's new executive order defending "religious liberty" did not change any existing laws or regulations affecting LGBT people specifically, but its directives to various departments to "consider" amending regulations concerning such things as preventive care for HIV and breast

Trump, so far: a ‘mixed bag’ of ‘no surprises’

President Trump has managed to worry both his right-wing religious supporters and the LGBT community in his first 100 days, as he gives with one hand and takes away with the other.

Gorsuch now looms over upcoming LGBT battles

Neil Gorsuch's evasive responses to questions about how he much respect he would give precedents in major LGBT Supreme Court decisions left LGBT legal activists with much to be worried about with upcoming cases.

7th Circuit: Title VII protects sexual orientation

A full federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation -- a ruling that will almost certainly be heading to the U.S. Supreme Court for final resolution.

Census deletion: An ‘error’ or ‘malicious’ snub?

Census Bureau director John Thompson said Wednesday that the deletion of "sexual orientation and gender identity" from a list of proposed Census survey questions in a document released Tuesday was simply correcting an error; the subjects were considered but never

Trump guts important executive order

Lambda Legal calls "very disturbing" the news Monday that President Trump revoked an executive order that included important safeguards against discrimination against LGBT people by federal contractors.

Gorsuch on LGBTs: ‘What about them? They’re people’

Several Democratic senators pressed U.S. Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch for some clarity about his views on LGBT people and the law. Gorsuch dodge many questions but suggested big changes in the area should be handled by Congress, not the

Gorsuch on Supreme Court: ‘Does not keep status quo’

LGBT legal activists are united in their opposition to federal appeals judge Neil Gorsuch. Though he is reportedly accepting of gay friends, activists say he is "recklessly conservative" and that he will be "far worse" than Justice Scalia, the justice