Marriage Equality, LGBTQ, Politics and Media, Homophobia; Religion, Church and State, Sex Abuse Scandal; Rape, Trafficking, Revenge Porn

Marriage Equality

• Federal appeals court: Gays have right to marry—"A federal appeals court ruled for the first time Wednesday that gay couples have a constitutional right to marry, extending the movement's legal winning streak and bringing the issue a big step closer to the U.S. Supreme Court."
• Judge throws out Indiana's same-sex marriage ban—A stay has been granted.
• Reagan Appointed Judge Expands Louisiana Marriage Case To All Same-Sex Couples
• Battle over same-sex marriages in St. Louis headed to court
• 34 gay couples issued marriage licenses in Boulder Co.
• 45 Years After Stonewall, Oklahoma Still Awaiting Marriage Equality
• GOP Senator Collins says she supports gay marriage
• Republican Senator Says Republicans Must Abandon Same-Sex Marriage Issue To Win Elections
• Ben Carson's breathtaking marriage equality compromise: Don't let gay people get married—"'I don't think I can impose my will on any two consenting adults,' Carson says but clearly does not mean." Salon
• Wis. GOP Candidate: Marriage Equality Will Lead to Sibling Marriages

LGBTQ

• Biden: Gay rights take precedence over culture
• Town Votes To Give Fired Lesbian Police Chief Her Job Back, Strips Mayor Of Power
• Former defrocked United Methodist pastor Frank Schaefer will get back pay, credentials restored
• Unearthing The Surprising Religious History Of American Gay Rights Activism

Politics and Media

• Why I Outed Gay Republicans: A decade later, I'm still not sorry.—"The reaction to these early posts was mixed, with some people backing me and others yammering that I was invading politicians' right to privacy. To the latter group, I pointed out that these very politicians were making my private life—and the lives of millions of other LGBT Americans—a very public political issue." Politco
• Inside George W. Bush's Closet
• Rep. Paul "Skip" Stam Compares LGBT North Carolinians to Pedophiles on House Floor
• Susan Rice challenges LGBT community to amplify message that 'gay rights are straight up human rights
• US ambassador officially celebrates LGBT Pride Month in the Philippines
• CNBC Panel Gets Awkward When Host Refers To Apple CEO Tim Cook As Gay

Homophobia

• Uganda Lashes Out at U.S. Sanctions; Will Hurt 'Most Vulnerable'—"Admonitions from Kampala follow last week's news of fresh U.S. sanctions, including the loss of millions in funding for a new health institute and visa denials."
• Gay couple targeted in homophobic attack by teenage gang on east London street
• Yankton Teen Alleges Discrimination From Name Tag

Religion

• Berlin House of One: The first church-mosque-synagogue?
• Mormons Expel Founder of Group Seeking Priesthood for Women NYT
• Blast from the Past: 'Kumare': Fake Guru Exposes Real, Desperate Desire to Believe

Church and State

• Roy Moore's twisted history: Islam and Buddhism don't have First Amendment protection, chief justice says
• GOP House Candidate: Islam Not A Religion, Not Protected By Constitution
• Wiccan says he was barred from giving invocation—"A member of the Wiccan faith says he was set to give the opening invocation at a Huntsville City Council meeting until the plan was publicized and he was asked about his faith. He was then told he was no longer invited."
• NC religious schools in line to get voucher money
• North Carolina: Student-led prayer bill signed into law

Sex Abuse Scandal

• Vatican defrocks ex-ambassador in sex abuse case—"The Vatican has defrocked its former ambassador to the Dominican Republic for sexually abusing boys. It's the first time a top papal envoy has been convicted of the crime and signals that Pope Francis is serious about imposing "zero tolerance" for abuse, regardless of rank."
• Seattle Archdiocese to pay $12.1 million to settle sex abuse lawsuit
• St. Ignatius: Settlement talks ordered in Catholic school, parish sex-abuse case
• Betrayed by Silence—"For decades, leaders of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis have been reassigning, excusing and overlooking sexually abusive priests among their ranks. Some received additional retirement benefits. In August, a top church lawyer, shocked at what she saw, brought the story to MPR News. What happened next is still unfolding."
• Church, Police give conflicting answers on child sex abuse—"The Catholic Church in Malta and the police have given conflicting details regarding priests involved in child sex abuse cases since 2010."
• Sleeping with boys was 'common practice': royal commission on sex abuse in Wollongong
• On sex abuse, pope's problems both simple and complex

Rape

• How Did the FBI Miss Over 1 Million Rapes?—"Systematic undercounting of sexual assaults in the US disguises a hidden rape crisis."
• How BBC star Jimmy Savile got away with allegedly abusing 500 children and sex with dead bodies WaPo
• 'We demand justice': Kenyans protest after men who brutally raped girl sentenced to cut grass
• Pakistani police say boyfriend admits woman was raped, murdered after refusing sex with his friends
• No quick fix for India's rape crisis

Trafficking

• FBI targets pimps, rescues 168 children in nationwide crackdown
• D.C. police officer admits prostituting girls WaPo
• Activist Resigns Amid Charges of Fabrication NYT
• Brides for sale: Vietnamese women, young girls trafficked to China
• Nepal adoptions chief raped and groomed orphans for prostitution, claims British teacher
• U.S. human trafficking report drops four nations to lowest tier
• Fighting sex trafficking with Jesus: How the religious right’s "healing" hurts—"New campaigns claim to fight sex trafficking with 'love and the power of Christ.' And their influence is growing." Salon

Revenge Porn

• Feds arrest "most hated man on the Internet" in revenge porn hacking case
• Houston woman wins $500,000 in 'revenge porn' lawsuit
• Woman Posted Explicit Material Inside Walmart—She gave away fliers of her naked husband's alleged mistress.
• 'Revenge porn' victims receive boost from German court ruling—"Koblenz court orders man to delete nude images of ex-partner, even though he had shown no intention of publishing them."
• Man faces trial over 'revenge porn' website

Marriage Equality, LGBTQ, Politics, Homophobia; Cosmos, Creationism; Church and State, Atheism, Francis Effect; Intolerance of Religion, Sex Abuse Scandals; Rape, Sexism, Culture Clash, Abortion and Birth Control

Marriage Equality

• Gay Marriages Continue in Wisconsin—But Trouble Looms
• Methodists fear split over same-sex marriage
• US: Church expels volunteer over gay commitment ceremony
• March To Nowhere: D.C. Anti-Gay Event Was Heavy On Rhetoric But Low On Facts
• Largest US Presbyterian Church Votes to Allow Gay Marriage
• Obama Administration To Extend Family Leave To Same-Sex Couples
• Hillary Jabs At NPR Host Over Gay Marriage
• Scott Walker Refuses To State A Position On Same-Sex Marriage
• Mike Huckabee: Martin Luther King Jr. would agree that gay marriage is like the Holocaust
• Mozilla under fire: Inside the 9-day reign of fallen CEO Brendan Eich
• Slovakia bans gay marriage in constitution
• Luxembourg Approves Same-Sex Marriage Bill

LGBTQ

• On Father's Day, Texas Sen. Chuy Hinojosa Says He Loves His Gay Daughter Unconditionally
• WWE Exec and Hall of Famer Pat Patterson Comes Out as Gay on 'Legends' House'
• AsapTHOUGHT: Coming out twice
• Allstate's "Safe in My Hands" gay pride ad is raw, moving
• Without fanfare, Obama advances transgender rights
• My beef with the (SJW) transgender community
• Denmark ends forced sterilisation for sex changes

Politics

• Oklahoma Candidate Says Gays Should Be Stoned
• House Committee Invites Witness To Go On Anti-Gay Rant, Because Religious Freedom
• Texas Governor Perry compares homosexuality to alcoholism
• CNBC Anchor Confronts Rick Perry About Remark Comparing Gays To Alcoholics
• More Or Less Everyone Agrees That Rick Perry Is a Moron for Comparing Homosexuality to Alcoholism
• Rick Perry Defers To Scientists On Gay Conversion Therapy, Forgets They Already Trashed It
• GOP Rep. Kevin Cramer Skeptical That LGBT Workplace Discrimination Exists
• Obama to Sign Executive Order on LGBT Discrimination
• Alabama appeals court rules state's sodomy law unconstitutional
• Gay candidate Brett Smiley has a very cute campaign ad
• First black, openly gay man confirmed as U.S. federal judge—Make that two.
• Canada: Kathleen Wynne's Liberals win majority government—"The first woman elected premier of Ontario — and Canada's only openly gay first minister ever — Wynne bested Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak, who announced his resignation, and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath."

Homophobia

• Judge: Gay Fathers' Names Cannot Appear On Their Biological Children's Birth Certificates
• UK: 30 schools using textbooks that teach homosexuality is a choice
• U.S. cuts aid to Uganda, cancels military exercise over anti-gay law
• Cop placed on leave after refusing to work at gay pride parade—"The Salt Like City police officer will be the subject of an internal investigation, the department announced." Salon
• Clubber sprayed with concentrated ammonia outside Vauxhall bar in homophobic attack

Cosmos

• "Why is God telling me to stop asking questions?"—Meet the woman behind Neil deGrasse Tyson's "Cosmos" Salon
• Neil deGrasse Tyson vs. the right: "Cosmos," Christians, and the battle for American science—"The real reason conservatives are freaking out about Neil deGrasse Tyson: He's laying bare their worst hypocrisies." Salon
• The 5 most important lessons from Neil deGrasse Tyson's "Cosmos"—"'Cosmos' may be ending on Sunday, but lessons will keep us thinking." Salon
• The Curious Passions of Mr. Cosmos: Neil deGrasse Tyson On Space, Climate, and Why Curiosity Wins Every Time
• Fox News guest says white liberal nerds love Neil deGrasse Tyson so much "he could defecate on them" Salon

Creationism

• Creationist author asks: If evolution is true, "is rape wrong?"—"Darek Isaacs appeared on 'Creation Today' with ridiculous claims about evolution." Salon
• Can This Class Be Saved? Bible Course Teaches That Adam and Eve Were Actual Historical People
• A Decade Later, This is the 500-Page Creationism Book a Public School Biology Teacher Gave His Students
• New creationism museum says Noah brought baby dinosaurs aboard the ark—More likely to believe Gilgamesh did it. Salon
• 4 in 10 Americans Believe God Created Earth 10,000 Years Ago
• UK: Government bans all existing and future Academies and Free Schools from teaching creationism as science
• Creationism Isn't Science, and Shouldn't Be Taught That Way

Church and State

• Faced with Threat of Atheists Speaking at Meetings, Troutman (NC) City Council Caps Invocations at Two Minutes
• A Church-PAC Link Raises Questions in Mississippi—"If a church's resources were used to help Senator Thad Cochran, the church could lose its tax-exempt status." NYT
• U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal over school graduation in church
• With Eric Cantor Defeat, Congressional Republicans Lose Only Non-Christian
• Dave Brat's Land of Magical Thinking—"The GOP's newest star doesn't believe that Wall Street deserves much of the blame for the financial crisis, that the U.S. should be a lot more like China, and that the fix for American banks is to 'preach the gospel and change hearts and souls.'"
• Bible-waving MN GOP Supreme Court nominee places God above U.S. law
• Kissing Congressman Reconsiders Retirement After Apologizing To God
• Sympathy for the Devils: Scenes From the Social Conservative Collapse—"There was a time when the bigoted, Bible-thumping crowd ran roughshod over D.C. Now, not so much."
• Christian-themed Park Will No Longer Be Getting a $140,000 Boost from Iowan Taxpayers
• Pagan Forbidden from Opening Temple in Beebe, Arkansas Because His God Isn't the Christian God
• UK: Taxpayers' cash should not be used to fund faith schools, say voters—"Labour wants talks on teaching of religion as poll shows 58% of the public urge abolition or axing of state funds."
• Australia: Father wins High Court challenge on federal funding of school chaplains program

Atheism

• Atheism explodes in Saudi Arabia, despite state-enforced ban Salon
• Convicted Heavy Metal 'Christian' Singer Admits Being Atheist, Duped Fans to Sell Music
• Bible Verses That Atheists Love—"We asked prominent atheists what parts of the Bible they find inspiring and beautiful."

Francis Effect

• Pope Francis Meeting With Israeli, Palestinian Leaders For Prayer
• Pope Francis Warns The Global Economy Is Near Collapse
• Pope tells super rich, bankers to find some ethics
• Pope Francis: Mafiosi are excommunicated from the church'—"Vatican spokesman Father Ciro Benedettini said the pope's stern words did not constitute a formal over-arching decree of canon (Church) law, regarding excommunication, which is a formal legal process."
• Pope doesn't see the point of having a bullet-proof car at his old age—Uhhhh... is this wise?

Intolerance of Religion

• Rape victims say Bob Jones University told them to repent—"Former students at 'the fortress of faith' who reported sexual abuse say they were told they had sinned."
• Obama Caricature Becomes Urinal Cake at Faith and Freedom Conference
• Religious right looks beyond gay marriage to next battles: 'We are in a war'
• More Mormons facing church scrutiny for online comments
• 10 most un-Christian church signs Salon

Sex Abuse Scandals

• St. Louis Archbishop Carlson claims to be uncertain if he knew sexual abuse was a crime
• Catholic church has 'sociopathic disregard for sex abuse victims'—"Victim of Marist brother speaks out at royal commission after church's counsel tries to discredit him over past drug use."
• Catholic Church: Our Priest Raped Off Duty, You Can't Sue Us
• Christian radio personality from Michigan arrested on sex assault charge involving children
• Jehovah's Witness elders were 'spiritually corrupt and morally bankrupt', court told—""Mark Sewell, 53, has denied 12 sex charges against girls and women across a 10-year period, at Merthyr Crown Court."

Rape

• 'Rape culture wins': Feminist freakout after Miss Nevada dares suggest self defense training for women—Miss Nevada is right.
• Angelina Jolie: Shame the rapist, not the victim Salon
• An OB/GYN's Open Letter To George Will About His Rape Column
• Major Newspaper Dumps George Will, Apologizes For 'Offensive' Rape Column
• George Will's Latest: College Rape Charges Fueled By 'Sea Of Hormones And Alcohol'
• Cleared Oxford Union president says rape accused should not be identified—"Oxford union president Ben Sullivan said identity of those accused should be withheld at least until police carry out a preliminary investigation."
• Long-forgotten rape evidence finally reveals its clues in Northern Virginia lab WaPo
• Congress poised to approve $41 million to help clear backlog of untested rape kits WaPo

Sexism

• Female Your Party member interrupted by sexist heckles—"A member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly said Thursday she was hurt by sexist remarks made by male politicians during a session the previous day in which she was ridiculed for being unmarried and lacking children."
• American Apparel boots CEO for being a pervert, stock surges
• Study: Judges with daughters are more likely to rule in favor of women WaPo
• Female prison inmates sterilized illegally, California audit confirms
• Facebook Lifts Ban on Exposed Nipples in Breastfeeding Pictures
• Hurricanes with Female Names Are Deadlier Than Masculine Ones

Culture Clash

• A Fight as U.S. Girls Face Genital Cutting Abroad—"Female genital cutting has been banned in the United States since 1996, and now it is also illegal to transport girls for 'vacation cutting.' But some are concerned that such cutting is on the rise." NYT
• Female genital mutilation exposed in Swedish class—"Some 60 cases of genital mutilation have been discovered in Norrköping in eastern Sweden since March with all 30 girls in one school class found to have undergone the procedure."
• Iranian child bride faces execution for killing the man she was forced to marry—"Iran's judiciary urged to halt Razieh Ebrahimi's execution as international law prohibits execution for crimes by juveniles."
• Pakistani woman: My relatives shot me, threw me in canal for marrying neighbor
• Pakistan: Man murders daughter for wearing makeup
• Pakistani woman raped, hanged
• Sexual assault on student sparks outrage in Egypt
• Tunisia: Man burns daughter to death in suspected honor killing
• YouTube refuses Egypt's request to remove footage of Tahrir Square sexual assault
• UK law banning forced marriage takes effect—"Those found guilty of the largely hidden practice face up to seven years in prison."

Abortion and Birth Control

• Republican: If a Woman Has Right to an Abortion, a Man Should Have Right to Force Himself on a Woman
• Kansas county twice rejects IUD grants, equating the devices to murder
• Louisiana governor signs into law new abortion restrictions
• Florida Gov. Scott Signs Late Term Abortion Bill
• GOP Governors Paying Big Bucks to Controversial Marriage Therapist to Defend New Abortion Laws
• Chris Christie Falsely Claims Democrats Barred Anti-Abortion Speakers From Conventions
• Michigan lawmakers push bill to repeal controversial abortion insurance law
• Utah's Catholic bishop: If you're pro-life, you're pro-Medicaid expansion
• Condom Use Drops Among US Teens—More fodder for MTV.
• Melinda Gates: 'Gates Foundation Has Decided Not to Fund Abortion'

Workers and Wage Slaves, Minimum Wage; Accountability, Class Warfare, Taxing, Vote Machinations, Race and Racism; Marriage Equality, Politics, LGBT; Abortion and Birth Control, Rape and Sexual Assault, Sex Abuse Scandal; The Francis Effect, Religion

Workers and Wage Slaves

• Where Does the USA Place in the World's Worst Places to Work Rankings?—"The United States is deemed one of the worst countries to be a worker."
• Americans Are Getting Less And Less Of Their Money From Their Jobs
• Temp Nation: How Corporations Are Evading Accountability, at Workers' Expense
• Philippines: Businessman locked up 8 employees who died in Pasay warehouse fire—Murderous intent.
• Flipside: How great would Sweden's proposed six-hour workday be? This great. WaPo

Minimum Wage

• Seattle raises minimum wage to $15 an hour—What's the implication?
• Reich: Seattle is Right
• CEO: McDonald's would 'manage' minimum wage hike—"Don Thompson told local college students what the company isn't likely to publicize: It could manage a hike in the minimum wage to $10.10."

Accountability

• U.S. appeals court voids judge's rejection of SEC-Citigroup accord—"A federal appeals court on Wednesday handed the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission a big victory by voiding a judge's pathbreaking decision to reject the regulator's $285 million fraud settlement with Citigroup Inc."
• US stock exchanges face lawsuit over high-frequency trading—"It is alleged HFT enables professionals to make quick profits at the expense of savers and pension fund investors."
• Judge lets U.S. pursue $5-billion fraud lawsuit against S&P
• Payday lenders sue US regulators over 'Operation Choke Point'
• Wall Street Traders Are About To Be In A World Of Pain—"A traders skills don't always translate well off Wall Street."

Class Warfare

• Savage capitalism is back – and it will not tame itself
• The Last Time Fatcats Tanked the Economy, the Backlash Was Huge. Why Didn't That Happen This Time?—"Explaining the power of 21st century plutocracy."
• One percent's twisted new heist: What's really behind privatization—"Outsourcing government not only leads to poor services -- it's killing the middle class...." Salon
• USDA To Georgia: You Can't Drug-Test Food Stamp Recipients

Taxing

• Florida Governor Rick Scott to Attend Fundraiser at the Home of a Tax Cheat
• Bundy owes the government more than all other ranchers combined
• What America Could Buy With Offshore Tax Money—"If the government closed loopholes that allow companies to stash profits in tax havens, we could collect $65 billion in taxes each year. Here's what that money could do for our country."
• 77,000 Foreign Banks to Share Tax Info With IRS
• Australia's rich come forward to declare their offshore tax structures

Vote Machinations

• Sheriff investigates McDaniel staffer—"An official investigation has been opened into three people who were found locked in the Hinds County Courthouse hours after it was closed by election officials Tuesday after returns had been counted in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate." Nothing reportedly happened.
• GOPer Bosworth Turns Herself In For Perjury Warrant—"[S]he had been charged with 'six counts of perjury and six counts of offering a false or forged instrument for filing.'"
• 'Year Of The Republican Establishment' Narrative Loses Even More Credibility
• One easy way to end gerrymandering: Stop letting politicians draw their own districts WaPo
• "Citizen Koch": The movie about our sick democracy PBS tried to kill—"Dumped by public TV, this long-brewing documentary explores the Koch brothers, Wisconsin and the death of the GOP." Salon
• Our New SuperPAC Is Going to Change American Politics for $12 Million

Race and Racism

• Owner of cotton warehouse responds to racist comments
• No charges will be filed against woman over racist rant—"Public's reactions to video prompt police to remove her children for their safety."
• Morgan Freeman, Don Lemon, and race: The actor doesn’t understand the link between inequality and race.

Marriage Equality

• Supreme Court won't put equal marriage ruling on hold in Oregon—"The high court refused to halt a federal judge's order declaring Oregon's equal marriage ban unconstitutional." Salon
• Judge strikes down Wisconsin same-sex marriage ban—And licenses are being issued.
• Texas' Gay Marriage Battle Heats Up As Attitudes Change
• How the National Organization for Marriage Doomed Itself to Collapse
• Opinion: Marriage equality is unstoppable
• For GOP Senate Candidates, Banning Same-Sex Marriage In The Constitution Has Lost Its Appeal
• Bakery Will Stop Making Wedding Cakes After Losing Discrimination Case
• Family Research Council Spokesman Links Isla Vista Shooting Spree To Gay Marriage
• Date set: same-sex couples can use British laws to marry in Australia—"Same-sex couples in which one partner has British citizenship will be able to marry from June 27 in British consulates in Sydney and Perth, with Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra to follow soon after."

Politics

• Waco, Texas extends anti-bias policy to LGBT employees
• U.S. Armed Forces color guard to march in gay pride parade in D.C.; called a first nationwide WaPo
• LGBT Republican Group GOProud Going Out of Business—"The gay conservative group officially closes up shop, though organizers say it will reemerge with a new name, format, and mission."
• Ted Cruz Addresses Rally Organized By Doctor Who Says Gays Recruit Children
• Texas GOP Platform Embraces 'Reparative Therapy' to 'Escape Homosexual Lifestyle'—They still want to criminalize homosexuality.

LGBT

• Cat On a Hot Tin Roof Production Canceled After Homophobic Fracas
• Wash. Times Editorial Spreads Slurs, Lies, on Medicare's Trans Coverage
• Louisville school OKs transgender bathroom policy
• How our genes could make us gay or straight WaPo

Abortion and Birth Control

• When Courts Consider Evidence, Abortion Supporters Win NYT
• Arizona Drug-Induced Abortion Limits Blocked by Court—"Arizona's law limiting drug-induced abortions was blocked by a federal appeals court, handing a victory to Planned Parenthood as it seeks to roll back a restriction it calls among the most stringent in the nation."
• Ohio Republicans Want to Make It Harder for Women to Get Long-Term Birth Control
• A Fantastic Quote From the Ohio Republican Who Wants to Ban Insurance Coverage of IUDs
• Alaska Senate Candidate Joe Miller Says Abortion Is Bankrupting Social Security
• Bodies of 800 babies, long-dead, found in septic tank at former Irish home for unwed mothers WaPo
• Shocking movie portrayal: Why "Obvious Child" is a revolutionary fairy tale—"In this striking new film, a woman has sex, gets pregnant and has an abortion. And she isn't punished for it!" Salon

Rape and Sexual Assault

• India state minister on rape: 'Sometimes it's right, sometimes it's wrong'—"Home minister in BJP-run Madhya Pradesh state describes rape as a 'social crime' in comments playing down rapes."
• Sexual harassment made a crime in Egypt—"Outgoing president issues decree criminalising sexual harassment, making it punishable by up to five years in jail."
• Flier arrested for alleged threat: 'I kill white people'
• The Montana Judge Who Blamed a 14-Year-Old for Her Own Rape Will be Censured

Sex Abuse Scandals

• Roman Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Scandal: 19 Accuse Mexican Priest, Activist Estimates as Many as '100 Victims'
• After US sex abuse scandals, an accused priest rises again in Paraguay
• Ex-megachurch pastor blames underage victim, wants out of prison

Francis Effect

• Pope Francis Sacks Entire Board of Vatican's Financial Watchdog—"The pontiff has replaced the all-Italian board of the Financial Information Authority with an international group of new members — including Juan C. Zarate, a Harvard professor and former Bush Administration official."
• Pope Francis Says 'Door Is Always Open' to Rethink Priestly Celibacy
• Pope Francis defends Gypsies in Vatican address—"Pontiff urges Italians to stem their suspicion and calls on authorities to help those at the margins of society."
• Pope criticises couples who choose having pets over children for an 'easy' life—"Pope Francis says couples who substitute pets for children so that they can have a "care-free life" will face a 'lonely' old age."

Religion

• Racism Lives On Under the Cover of 'Religious Freedom'—"A small portion of the population believes people should have the right not to serve black people—and even more believe the same thing about Jews, atheists, gays, and lesbians."
• Virginia atheist couple: Court-appointed officiant told us we had no right to get married
• Bill Maher Battles Ralph Reed: People Pull Faith 'Right Out of Their Ass'
• Alabama chief justice cites Pledge of Allegiance to show courts need God to function
• A litany of 'thou shalt nots': Catholic teachers challenge morality clause

Marriage Equality, Politics and Media, Homophobia, TG; Sex Abuse Scandal, Church and State, Religion; War on Women, Sexism, Abortion and Birth Control, Culture Clash, Rape

Marriage Equality

• South Dakota Couples Challenge Gay Marriage Ban
• North Dakota's same-sex marriage ban to be challenged WaPo
• GOP Congressman Comes Out In Favor Of Marriage Equality
• Gay Marriage Will Destroy the GOP—"If conservatives don't embrace the inevitable, they'll become irrelevant." Politico
• Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi: Gay Marriage Would Cause Harm
• Kan. Democrat who opposes same-sex marriage leaving party for GOP
• Mormon Family That Supported Prop 8 Discovers Their Son Is Gay

Politics and Media

• Obama Proclaims June LGBT Pride Month, Calls Out Congress For 'Injustice' Of Not Passing ENDA
• Anti-Gay Houston Official Threatens To Recall Mayor If Bill Prohibiting Discrimination Passes—Will he push through with it now that it has passed?
• Republican Gay Rights Groups Denied Booths At Texas GOP Convention
• Gay Republican congressional candidate's California office vandalized
• GOP Michigan Guv Backs LGBT Workplace Protections
• Out Gay Pennsylvania Republican Loses GOP Primary, But Will Remain On The Ballot As A Democrat
• Fighter Alex Reid: 'Sex with men doesn't make you gay or bisexual, just like a cigarette doesn't make you a smoker'
• Anderson Cooper on show host who called airing Sam kiss 'wrong'
• Robert De Niro opens up about gay father in 'Out': 'I wish we had spoken about it much more'
• Obamacare Is the Most Important Piece of Gay Rights Legislation Ever Passed

Homophobia

• Mistakenly believing one of them to be gay, two homophobes attack each other
• Couple says they were asked not to come back to East Texas restaurant because they are gay—"Here at Big Earl's we like for men to act like men and for ladies to act like ladies, so we want you to never return."
• Slovak parents fail to block adoption by gay couple
• Aiding Turkey's Gay Inmates—"Ankara's proposal to segregate gay, lesbian and transgender prisoners will do more harm than good." NYT

TG

• What Is This Child Doing in Prison?—"The transgender teenager needs treatment, not isolation." NYT
• Ban lifted on Medicare coverage for sex change surgery WaPo
• Parents make heartwarming tribute to 6-year-old transgender son
• Transgender tipping point: Laverne Cox on the cover of TIME

Sex Abuse Scandal

• Pope Francis to meet with sexual abuse victims
• UN Panel Slams Vatican on Priest Sex-Abuse Scandal
• Archbishop of Manila has been at forefront of sex-abuse scandal reforms
• Australia: Department defends claims sexual abuse commission funding redirected to insulation inquiry
• Protestant Church Faces New Sex-Abuse Scandal as Victims Defy Threats, Censorship to Speak Out

Church and State

• Virginia county board says no followers of 'pre-Christian deities' allowed to deliver prayers
• After Possible Church/State Violation, Mayor Allegedly Tells Atheist: "Take Me to Fucking Court because I Don't Care"
• Sudan to release woman facing death penalty for being Christian—"A Sudanese official says that Meriam Ibrahim will be released from prison. She was raised a Christian by her mother but a court ruled earlier this month that she is Muslim because that was her father's faith. She was sentenced to death by hanging for renouncing Islam."

Religion

• Investigators reveal alleged suicide note, suspect cites recent bible verse
• Evil cult beat woman to death at Chinese McDonalds
• Spies, Cash, and Fear: Inside Christian Money Guru Dave Ramsey's Social Media Witch Hunt—"When critics appeared online, employees say the evangelical financial whiz went ballistic, allegedly firing innocent employees and offering bounties for information."

War on Women

• Limbaugh: Hillary's 'Only And Greatest Achievement' Is 'Being Female'
• Why Jill Abramson's Firing Triggers Women's Worst Fears About Sexism
• National Review Writer: Liberals 'Brainwash' Women To Cry 'Rape'..

Sexism

• Scout Willis topless Instagram protest: Daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore rallies against female nudity policy
• Restaurant Responds to Review Requesting Servers 'Show Some Skin' In Clever Way
• Snapchat CEO 'mortified' by leaked e-mails—"In the e-mails, acquired by Gawker's Valleywag blog, Evan Spiegel encourages fellow Kappa Sigma members to get sorority women drunk enough to have sex, mocks another fraternity by suggesting its members are gay and refers to a different group of sorority members as 'sororisluts.'"

Abortion and Birth Control

• "There is so much shame": Emily Letts on why she filmed her abortion — and what happened next—"Emily Letts' abortion video became a viral sensation. Here's what she was thinking -- and the best reaction she got." Saon
• Commissioners reject KDHE grant—"Price said the long-term form of birth control, an intrauterine device, or IUD, which the grant would fund, was an abortion issue. 'I'm not very smart on this because I'm just a man. But I'm against it,' Price said. He said he was acting on the advice of two physicians." Emphasis mine.
• Things are about to go from bad to worse in Oklahoma: Governor signs off on Texas-style abortion restrictions—"An admitting privilege requirement threatens to leave one clinic to serve 3.8 million people." Salon
• Texas Ed Board Candidate Who Fathered Child at 16: Supports Ten Commandments, Opposes Sex Ed in Schools
• What If We Admitted to Children That Sex Is Primarily About Pleasure?
• Update on SC sex-ed law closer to passage
• Schools return 'suggestive' condoms
• School District To Allow Teachers To Give Condoms To Sixth-Grade Students

Culture Clash

• Pregnant Pakistani woman stoned to death by family—"I killed my daughter as she had insulted all of our family by marrying a man without our consent, and I have no regret over it." Jeebus.\
• Egyptian doctor to stand trial for female genital mutilation in landmark case—"Raslan Fadl, a doctor in a Nile delta village, is accused of killing 13-year-old schoolgirl Sohair al-Bata'a in a botched operation."
• Man killed wife for making vegetarian dinner: prosecutors—"Defense attorney Julie Clark admitted Hussain beat his wife — but argued that he is guilty of only manslaughter because he didn't intend to kill her. In Pakistan, Clark said, beating one's wife is customary."
• Iranian actress Leila Hatami faces public flogging—"Iranian court is asked to order the public flogging of award-winning actress Leila Hatami for greeting Cannes festival president with a kiss."

Rape

• Marital rape is officially legal in India—"A judge in India has officially confirmed that rape laws do not apply to married couples — once you’re legally wed, forced sex is no longer a crime."
• Young Widow to Be Caned After Gang Rape by Sharia Vigilantes—"A 25 yr. old Indonesian widow in Aceh will be caned under sharia law for having an affair. She was gang raped by sharia vigilantes."
• 2 dalit sisters gang-raped, bodies found hanging from tree
• Malaysian teenager gang-raped by 38 men

World News; US Politics, Grand Ol' Tea Party, Vote Machinations, Campaign Finance Deform; Racism; Marriage Equality

World News

• Indicted: China's army hacked into US companies, stole trade secrets—"Holder says 'enough' to China hacking, distances US from Snowden revelations."
• Soldiers, selfies and martial law: The unusual state of tourism in Thailand
• Russia's Davos: Where Vladimir Putin has gone from powerhouse to pariah
• Devastating Nigeria attacks show twisted ambition of Boko Haram
• #BBCtrending: Wishing for someone else's president—"Spaniards are swooning over a president - but not their own."

US Politics

• America dumbs down—"The U.S. is being overrun by a wave of anti-science, anti-intellectual thinking. Has the most powerful nation on Earth lost its mind?"
• Tea Party Members Really, Really Don't Trust Scientists—"The 'science gap' between traditional Republicans and tea partiers is huge in a new survey of New Hampshire residents."
• House Republicans propose letting schools opt out of healthy lunch programs—"Championed by first lady Michelle Obama..." welp, that's reason enough to scrap the program!
• House GOP leaders block immigration votes
• How Obama Derangement Led Conservatives to Laugh about Child Slavery

Grand Ol' Tea Party

• GOP's Business Wing Sends Tea Party a Chilling Message
• Payback: GOP incumbents learn how to win Politico
• Tea Party Flops in Georgia Senate Race
• Tea Party candidate falls in Idaho
• Broken Curse? Establishment GOPers Fend Off 'Akin 2.0' Candidates In GA
• The tea party isn't just losing; it's losing badly WaPo
• Don't be fooled: McConnell's victory in Kentucky is also a Tea Party win—"The top Senate Republican beat his conservative primary opponent, but it came at a price for the GOP."
• Tea Party Loses Key Battles, But Is Winning The War—"Defeats handed to Tea Party candidates last night only tell half the story—the Tea Party's real success has been to change the very DNA of the GOP."

Vote Machinations

• GOP's ugly photo ID scheme gets new life: Arkansas high court reverses decision Salon
• GOP Candidate Thwarted By Arkansas Voter ID Law At Polls—"A Republican candidate for Arkansas governor supports the new voter ID law, but he was left waiting after he forgot his identification."
• Texas officials won't allow 92-year-old woman to get voter ID—"[B]ecause she can't find her nearly 100-year-old birth certificate."
• America's most gerrymandered congressional districts—What do they look like? WaPo
• Courtroom clash pits Florida Democrats, Republicans in epic redistricting battle
• Redistricting trial hears of deleted emails, pilfered maps as Republicans deny wrongdoing
• GOP robocall firm slapped with $3 million fine

Campaign Finance Deform

• Harry Reid backs campaign spending amendment Politico
• D'Souza fails to win dismissal of U.S. charges over straw donors—And he has pleaded guilty.
• Jerry Brown signs law requiring political nonprofits identify donors

Racism

• Town's white police official calls Obama N-word—He resigned [WaPo] and remains unapologetic, it seems.
• Attorney General Eric Holder: Persistent, Subtle Racism Poses Bigger Threat Than 'Outbursts of Bigotry'
• "A matter of death and death": Confronting anti-black racism among Latinos—"For some of us who grew up in Latino families, anti-blackness was firmly instilled in our minds from a young age." Salon

Marriage Equality

• Oregon Ruling Marks 13th Gay Marriage Win in a Row
• Judge Strikes Down Pennsylvania's Gay Marriage Ban
• PA Gov. Corbett Won't Appeal Same-Sex Marriage Case
• Judge Rules Utah Must Recognize Marriage Licenses Issued To Gay Couples
• Gov. on AL gay marriage ban: 'This is how the people feel'

International Day Against Homophobia, Politics, Michael Sam, Marriage Equality, States, LGBT; World Telecommunication and Information Society Day: Broadband for Sustainable Development

International Day Against Homophobia

• How Fox News Shoved Shepard Smith Back Into The Closet
• Newt Gingrich: "Teach people who are gay to be open and understanding" toward the homophobic jerks who hate them Salon
• Fist-waving fired HGTV hosts are ready to 'clean house' on the gay 'agenda of silence'
• Salvation Army Refuses Housing Shelter To Transgender Woman
• Catholic school pulls senior's yearbook photo because she wore a tuxedo—"An LGBT student at the Catholic school won't be in the yearbook because she opted to wear a tux instead of a dress." Salon
• Notorious KKK Leader Frazier Glenn Miller Was Once Caught Doing 'Rather Salacious' Things With a Black Male Prostitute
• Homophobic acts in France up 78 percent, according to watchdog group SOS Homophobie

Politics

• Gay GOP House candidate Carl DeMaio won't support gay rights, upset gays don't like him
• Louie Gohmert Compares Gay Rights Advocates To Nazis In House Floor Speech
• GOP candidate was once a female impersonator
• Top Anti-Gay Lawyer Inadvertently Tells Court That Brown v. Board of Education Was Wrongly Decided
• Obama Judicial Nominee Vowed To Oppose Gay Boy Scout Leaders
• Arkansas Congressman: LGBT Job Protections Would Burden Businesses With 'Frivolous Lawsuits'
• How Conservatives Are Trying To Derail Houston's LGBT Nondiscrimination Ordinance

Michael Sam

• Michael Sam: 'Overwhelmed' by pick
• Michael Sam Proves It: Gay People Need to Kiss in Public Much, Much More—About that kiss.
• TV Host Explains Why She Stormed Off Set Over Michael Sam's Kiss
• Michael Sam calls foul on his late draft pick: "I should've been in the first three rounds"—"And Marshall Henderson says he tweeted homophobic comments about Sam as a noble intellectual pursuit!" Salon
• Brennan: Michael Sam most important football player in U.S.

Marriage Equality

• Same-sex marriage is winning, in two maps
• Federal Judge To Florida Family Association: Mind Your Own Business—"The rabidly anti-gay FFA... sought to insert itself in two lawsuits in which same-sex couples married legally outside Florida now seek recognition from the state."
• Federal Judge Rules Anti-Gay Group Can't Defend Oregon Gay Marriage Ban—"A federal judge has just ruled that NOM, the National Organization For Marriage, does not have standing and therefore cannot defend Oregon's ban on same-sex marriage."
• Anti-Anal Sex Lawmaker To Grab Coffee With Openly Gay Obama Campaign Aide
• Telling the stories behind the Supreme Court 'gamble' on same-sex marriage
• The Bible backs same-sex couples: Point by point, why the haters are wrong—"I was taught the Bible condemned same-sex relationships. So I spent years with the text, and that's simply not true." Salon

States

• Arkansas judge strikes down gay marriage ban—Gay marriage arrives at the Bible Belt at least for a while.
• Federal judge rules Idaho gay marriage ban unconstitutional
• Citing religious freedom, NC clergymen sue state for right to perform same-sex marriages
• How A Single Low-Level Election Could Change Same Sex Marriage In The South
• Kentucky gives the weirdest argument yet against gay marriage—"[P]eople who are physically unable to conceive or bear children shouldn't be allowed to marry...."

LGBT

• Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel "open" to reviewing military ban on transgender service members—"Every qualified American who wants to serve our country should have an opportunity." Salon
• What's Revealing About Neil Patrick Harris Naked On The Cover Of Rolling Stone—"Neil Patrick Harris is the first openly gay man to appear naked on the cover of Rolling Stone."
• Austria's Conchita Wurst wins Eurovision amid Russia, Ukraine tensions
• Nintendo says 'No' to gay characters—Here's their official statement.

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day: Broadband for Sustainable Development

• Obama Backs Away From Net Neutrality Campaign Promises After FCC Vote
• Bankrolled by broadband donors, lawmakers lobby FCC on net neutrality—"Watchdog decries politicians' claims that they 'are acting in the public interest.'"
• Net neutrality protesters removed by armed guards at FCC meeting
• Shocker: Cable TV prices went up four times the rate of inflation—"Even communities with multiple competitors weren't spared."
• These companies spend the most money to kill net neutrality—"They're putting their money where your open Internet is."
• Net Neutrality and the Idea of America—"Net neutrality is standing in for a national conversation about deeper values."
• Why the death of net neutrality would be a disaster for libraries WaPo
• Only you can save the Internet: Here's how to fight the FCC's controversial net neutrality plan

Marriage Equality, Cases; Schools; Latta, Intolerance, LGBT; War on Women, Abortion and Birth Control; Religion, Think of the Children

Marriage Equality

• Republican Activists Push Party On Gay Marriage
• Illinois GOP Replaces Officials Who Opposed Chairman On Gay Marriage
• Nauseating political cynicism led to inspiring gay marriage triumph—"A new book details how Obama's evolution on marriage equality was orchestrated. It's sickening -- but encouraging." Salon
• Idaho Won't Allow Lesbian Veteran To Be Buried With Her Wife
• Stop twisting the Bible: There is no message against same-sex marriage—"Moses and Paul are being misinterpreted: They were against gang rape and pederasty, not loving relationships." Salon
• Blast from the Past: Wrestler "Stone Cold" Steve Austin Body-Slams Marriage Equality Critics

Cases

• Judge: Indiana Must Recognize Gay Couple's Marriage
• 10th Circuit arguments on gay marriage ban focus on family, fairness
• Ted Olson: Va. gay marriage ban 'flatly unconstitutional'
• Prop 8 lawyer's views on gay marriage evolving
• Italian Court Recognizes Gay Marriage for First Time
• Malta: Same sex unions approved - Celebrations in Valletta - Opposition abstains because of adoptions

Schools

• College basketball player comes out as gay
• Best Protest Ever: Students Walk Out During Anti-Gay Lecture, Leaving Room All but Empty
• Law society rejects school over gay policy—"Ontario's law society has refused to accredit a new law school at a faith-based university over a policy prohibiting same-sex intimacy that some say is discriminatory."
• Publicly funded school with anti-gay policy spurs Alberta review—"Alberta's education minister faced questions today about why tax dollars are going to a school with anti-gay policies."
• Religious Oregon teens wear 'Gay Is Not OK' shirts to school to protest lack of 'straight day'
• Washington school district will hire gay administrator forced out of Catholic school
• Trans teacher reinstated by school board following parent complaints

Latta

• Mayor Who Fired Lesbian Police Chief Caught On Tape In Homophobic Tirade—"I would much rather have.. and I will say this to anybody's face… somebody who drank and drank too much taking care of my child than I had somebody whose lifestyle is questionable around children."
• Latta council fights for chief's job—"Mayor refuses to discuss police leader's dismissal before a packed meeting."
• South Carolina town rallies 'round fired gay police chief

Intolerance

• Tea Party Activist: 'Gay Supremacy Is Becoming A Monster That Carries Greater Evils Than White Supremacy Ever Did'
• Boy Scouts of America Shuts Down Seattle Troop Over Gay Scoutmaster
• Man gets 2 1/2 years for beating disabled brother to 'push the gay out'
• Brunei's new law permits stoning gay people to death
• Mistrust and Hate: The Frightening New Lives of Homosexuals in Uganda
• Serial Killer Arrested For Killing Gay Men In Pakistan
• For young women in China, slash fanfiction is a dangerous hobby

LGBT

• A frat boy's "gay experience"—"I always considered myself straight. What happened with Tom left me questioning everything about my sexuality." Salon
• Artist Creates Unique Portrait of Tom Daley to Combat Hate
• It's Not Just Frozen: Most Disney Movies Are Pro-Gay—"By preaching acceptance and questioning gender, the company's kids films offer a queer-studies crash course."
• Gun Barrel City mayor promises end to police surveillance of gay bar Garlow's
• Chelsea Manning: A Statement on My Legal Name Change

War on Women

• Chelsea Clinton's pregnancy gives birth to new conspiracies—"The news that Hillary Clinton is to become a grandmother has prompted questions about her ability to run for presidency. It's breathtaking sexism."
• Mitch McConnell Says He Stood Up for Women in a Senate Sexual-Harassment Scandal. The Real Story Is Damning.—"McConnell claims he led a 1995 investigation against a GOP senator accused of sexual misconduct. Actually, he took steps to keep it quiet."
• Prominent Republican: Women Need To Be Paid Less So They Can Find Husbands
• GOP Lawmaker Says Women Don't Deserve Equal Pay Because They're Lazier
• GOP Candidate: I'm Not Waging A War On Women Because I'm A Woman

Abortion and Birth Control

• North Dakota abortion ban ruled unconstitutional
• Lawsuit: Texas Hospital Caved to Anti-Abortion Activists' Demands
• Virginia GOPer: Incest exceptions in abortion restrictions unnecessary because sometimes incest is "voluntary"—"Asked to defend the remark, the delegate said, 'I don't care. ... if I say something in public, I say it in public.'" Salon
• South Carolina Bill Wants to Apply 'Stand Your Ground' Law to Fetuses
• Tennessee legislature passes bill to criminalize pregnancy: Women who have stillbirths after using illegal drugs may be charged
• The secret anti-abortion law that's sweeping America—"Pro-lifers can't reverse Roe v Wade. So they're shutting down clinics with red tape and a smile. Don't believe the lie."
• Nearly one-third of morning-after pills in Peru are fake

Religion

• Popes John Paul II and John XXIII made saints in double canonisation
• Pope Francis 'told divorced and remarried woman there is nothing wrong with her taking Communion', Italian newspaper says
• Britain in post-Christian era, says former archbishop of Canterbury—"Lord Williams says time of habitual worship is over and further decline of widespread faith likely in UK."
• "A Masturbation Lawsuit Is Rattling Christian Homeschoolers—"The sexual abuse lawsuit against 'Biblical Patriarchy' leader Doug Phillips is dividing Christian homeschoolers."
• Army approves 'humanist' as religious preference
• Court upholds ban on religious services in NYC public schools
• Shakespeare and atheism: What his works tell us about the playwright's religious views

Think of the Children

• Pope Francis asks forgiveness for child abuse by clergy
• Couple accused in death of daughter, 12, seek to exclude mention of faith healing
• 'Baptism is a crime against children': ECHR
• 'Muslim morality squads' accused of confiscating students' Easter eggs in U.K.
• SC Republican wants to end public schools: Nothing 'in the Bible about state education'
• W. Va. School Removes Bible Verse after Complaint
• US school's Bible class: Sinners will suffer