Category Archives: Federal Courts
June 26: An historic date marking victories that almost didn’t happen
Three important U.S. Supreme Court decisions have made June 26 the most historic date on the LGBT civil rights movement’s calendar. But the powerful impact of two of those decisions has almost obscured the fact that they were narrow victories.
Judge dismisses most of NOM lawsuit against IRS over disclosure to HRC
A federal district court judge on June 3 dismissed most of a lawsuit by the National Organization for Marriage that claimed an employee of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service deliberately leaked a confidential tax document from NOM to the Human
Oregon becomes number 18, as openly gay judge rules ban is ‘completely irrational’
Oregon on Monday became the 18th state to allow same-sex couples to marry, bringing to 39 percent, the population of the U.S. now living in marriage equality states. The Oregon ban on same-sex couples marrying was struck down by a ruling
Fourth Circuit clash over Virginia ban: Whose children must the state protect with marriage laws?
The Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals hearing Tuesday was, as Judge Paul Niemeyer characterized it, just one step along the way to an eventual U.S. Supreme Court ruling on whether states, like Virginia, can ban same-sex couples from marrying.
Utah marriage cases cued up before the Tenth Circuit today, and next week
The Tenth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals today will become the second federal appeals court to tackle the question of whether statewide laws banning same-sex couples from marrying violate the U.S. Constitution. A three-judge panel will scrutinize the decision last
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
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.
Michigan marks 9th win in post-Windsor federal court challenges
A federal judge in Detroit ruled Friday that Michigan’s ban against same-sex couples marrying violates the couples’ constitutional rights to due process and equal protection. The Michigan decision, from U.S. District Court Judge Bernard Friedman (a Reagan appointee) falls squarely in
Lambda and others weigh in on ‘religious employers’ at Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear two cases next week that test the degree to which employers may use their personal religious beliefs to deny certain health coverage for employees. Neither case involves any LGBT-related health coverage; but the decisions
Federal judge says Texas marriage ban ‘demeans’ gays for ‘no legitimate reason’
A federal judge in San Antonio, Texas, ruled Wednesday that Texas’ ban on same-sex marriage violates the U.S. Constitution and demeans the dignity of gay couples “for no legitimate reason.”
