5 THINGS TO KNOW

Gay man wins lawsuit against Catholic employer over benefits

A federal judge in Maryland has ruled that a Catholic nonprofit organization illegally discriminated against a gay employee by denying spousal benefits to his husband. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake said Catholic Relief Services, based in Baltimore, violated…

5 THINGS TO KNOW

Town votes votes to defund library after ‘grooming’ claims

Voters in Jamestown Township, Michigan rejected a ballot measure during the primary elections earlier this week to renew a property tax that funds the local library. The tax pays for 84% of Patmos Library’s $245,000 yearly budget. The failed measure…

5 THINGS TO KNOW

Evangelist Ted Haggard faces new allegations of gay sex abuse

Evangelist Ted Haggard, who was ex-communicated from his own church in 2006 following allegations he regularly paid for a male escort and was a methamphetamine addict, is facing new claims of misconduct from members of the church he founded in…

5 THINGS TO KNOW

Hate group reorganizes as a ‘church’ to avoid government oversight

The Family Research Council, the far-right policy “think” tank and political lobbying group, was granted non-profit tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service as a church with its head, Tony Perkins, as minister. FRC has lobbied for legislation…