Author Archives: Lisa Keen

Speed Read: Hobby or agenda?

The Hobby Lobby chain seeking a religious exemption at the U.S. Supreme Court last week funds an organization that is funneling millions of dollars to smaller groups "to advance an agenda that would allow businesses to discriminate against gays and

Speed Read: Hate tour continues

The Westboro Baptist Church issued a press statement Friday vowing to take its “God hates fags” hate troupe to picket outside the NCAA’s Final Four games in Texas April 5. Billy Graham biographer suggests anti-gay statements Graham's son is attributing

Speed Read: No schism talk

President Obama downplayed any discussion about gay-related issues he may have had with Pope Francis during their first meeting Thursday. The Maryland legislature sent a bill to add gender identity to the state human rights law to the governor, who

Speed Read: A pulpit for bullies

The Tennessee legislature this week sent to the governor’s desk a bill the ACLU says the measure will make it easier for bullies to target LGBT students. The mega-charity World Vision said yesterday that it made a "mistake" Monday when

Speed Read: Michigan ban stays

The Sixth Circuit continues a stay on a decision striking Michigan's ban on marriage for same-sex couples. White House official visits L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center. California Assembly approves lesbian as its next speaker.

Supreme Court hearing on religious exemptions seems “deeply worrisome”

The implications of two U.S. Supreme Court cases argued Tuesday for LGBT people and for laws that seek to prevent discrimination against LGBT people were a big part of the political discourse Tuesday afternoon. Jenny Pizer, director of Lambda Legal’s

Speed Read: ‘Adjusting’ to reality

The U.S. Supreme Court this morning will hear oral arguments in two cases asking whether, under a religious exemption in the Affordable Care Act, employers can deny certain medical coverage by citing the religious objections of the companies’ owners. And

Speed Read: ‘Reasoned consideration’

About 100 same-sex couples were able to marry in Michigan Saturday before a federal appeals court issued a temporary stay of a ruling that the state ban on same-sex couples marrying is unconstitutional. Vice President Joe Biden set the bar

Sixth Circuit stays Michigan until Wednesday; hundreds already married

The Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals issued a stay at 5 p.m. Saturday of a district court decision Friday that struck down Michigan’s ban on same-sex couples marrying. Meanwhile, hundreds of same-sex couples married before the stay was issued.

Rhode Island gay House speaker resigns post following raid on home and office

The openly gay speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives, Gordon Fox, abruptly resigned his leadership position Saturday following a raid by state and federal investigators on his home and State House office Friday.