religious freedom

This is everything we don't want...

Lawmakers rushed through a revised bill claiming to protect religious freedom, which Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed this afternoon.

Asa Hutchinson thinks the revised 'religious freedom' bill is enough to protect gay and transgender people.

The Broadway singer and actress tweeted her disgust with the newly passed Religious Freedom Restoration Act in Indiana.

A marriage equality bill has been introduced in the Maryland house of delegates, following introduction of the bill in the state senate last week. Lawmakers and advocates including Equality Maryland, Freedom To Marry, and representatives from religious and civil rights groups held a press conference at the state capital in Annapolis on Tuesday morning to announce the introduction of the legislation. According to the media advisory, the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act, which was introduced in the house by majority leader Kumar Barve, “ends the exclusion of committed same-sex couples from civil marriage and protects the religious freedom of churches and synagogues.”

Yet another poll indicates that Indiana Gov. Mike Pence's popularity took a hit when he signed a discriminatory 'religious freedom' law last month.

A statement of support for marriage equality will be subject to approval by the Democratic Platform Committee meeting this weekend. The Democrats' Drafting Committee released the proposed language to Buzzfeed Thursday. The draft language, expresses the party's support for marriage equality, while also supporting the "freedom of churches and religious entities to decide how to administer marriage as a religious sacrament without government interference."

The Michigan house of representatives passed a bill last week that could prevent colleges from disciplining counseling, social work, or psychology students based on their religious beliefs. The Julea Ward Freedom Of Conscience Act, was inspired by former Eastern Michigan University counseling student Julea Ward, who refused to affirm the relationship of a gay client as part of her master's practicum. She was removed from the program for her actions.

A town clerk in rural New York has resigned her position rather than comply with the new marriage equality law, citing her religious convictions. Laura Fotusky, the clerk in Barker, is a Repubilcan elected twice to the post. Fotusky issued a statement on the website of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, a group of evangelical Protestants that led protests against the bill which was signed into law last month.

The New Hampshire Senate approved revisions to the proposed same-sex marriage bill on Wednesday morning, moving it forward to a House of Representatives vote, which passed this afternoon 198-176. Lawmakers in New Hampshire have spent months working on the bill, and gay-rights supporters hoped the newest revisions were enough to ensure it became law. The changes expanded the emphasis that in legalizing gay marriage, there will not be any impingement on the religious freedom of those who oppose, or do not believe in, same sex marriage by the state.

The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Michigan have filed a friend-of-the-court brief today in federal appeals court in support Eastern Michigan University in its dispute with a former student.  Julea Ward sued the university after it removed her from the graduate counseling program over her refusal to affirm the relationship of a gay client during a practicum. Ward was training to become a school counselor. She believes homosexuality is immoral and a choice and that she could not counsel the client in good conscience, and maintains being removed from the university program is a breach of her religious freedom.

Like the rest of us, Leslie has no time for what comes out of Mike Pence's mouth.

We broke it down so you didn't have to watch the whole thing.

Sen. Donna Campbell is trying to legalize discrimination against LGBT people for the second time.

The legislative session of 2015 is barely under way, but lawmakers in North Carolina are already looking for ways to sidestep marriage equality.

Funny or Die nails it.

A bill introduced this month would protect those who want to act in accordance with ignorant beliefs as long as they are religiously based.