5 THINGS TO KNOW

GOP official compares Log Cabin gays to murderers and thieves.

A Republican official in Texas has compared the Log Cabin Republicans — an organization for LGBTQ conservatives — to groups that advocate for murderers, burglars, and adulterers. Sue Evenwel, chairwoman of the Titus County Republican Party and a member of the…

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Jamaica called out for colonial-era ban on same-sex relations.

Jamaica’s colonial-era ban on same-sex relations hasbeen ruled “incompatible” with human rights standards. This week, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights – an organisation that aims to protect human rights in the American hemisphere – recommended the law be repealed and for…

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US govt. removed condom images from HIV-awareness fliers.

The Department of Health and Human Services stripped from a government website HIV/AIDS educational material that featured condoms, calling the images “unapproved,” according to official correspondence obtained by Kaiser Health News. The images had been included in a 2017 fact sheet…

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How straight troops really feel about trans service members.

Donald Trump’s first year as president was marked by many unnecessary bans applauded mostly by bigots, namely travel bans and his ban on transgender service members. Almost immediately, federal courts began working to block both bans, fights that will surely continue…

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Hearings spotlight use of religious liberty against LGBT people.

The use of religious liberty — a right afforded fundamental protection in the United States — to assault LGBTQ rights was the focus of a congressional hearing Thursday drawing attention to faith-based adoption agencies denying child placement into LGBTQ homes. Chairing the three-hour…

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DOJ backs Kentucky photographer who won’t do gay weddings.

The Department of Justice is backing a Kentucky wedding photographer who is suing the city of Louisville over an ordinance banning local businesses from discriminating against gay customers. The DOJ’s “statement of interest,” filed this week in federal court…