The justices of the U.S. Supreme Court seemed closely divided Tuesday over the question of "gay marriage," with Justice Anthony Kennedy likely holding the deciding vote. Kennedy appeared skeptical of both sides. A decision is expected by the end of June.
On Saturday, the National Organization for Marriage hosted the third annual March for Marriage, with over 10,000 participants. Mat Staver and Deacon Keith Fournier have co-drafted the Defend Marriage Pledge, a commitment to disregard any redefinitions of marriage by the Supreme Court.
A recent poll found that 61 percent of Americans support the legalization of "same-sex marriage." These five charts illustrate the dramatic shift that has taken place in public opinion since 1988, and also display the views of those connected with various religious and political groups.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments today on whether the states should be forced to recognize "same-sex marriage." The session, which is scheduled to last two and a half hours, is the last public step before the expected decision by the court in June.
U.S. diplomat Randy Berry has been named to the carefully titled position of America’s "special envoy for the human rights of LGBT persons," by the Obama administration. Berry hopes to travel to Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Europe by the end of the year, in an effort to soften views towards sodomy.
GOP presidential candidate Marco Rubio believes there is no constitutional right to "same-sex marriage." "You have to have a ridiculous, absurd reading of the U.S. constitution to reach the conclusion that people have a right to marry someone of the same sex," he said in Des Moines, Iowa last weekend.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said Saturday that his preference for what he calls the "traditional view of marriage" wouldn't stop him from attending the "same-sex wedding" of a loved one. "Sure, if it's somebody I loved and cared for, absolutely," Jindal told reporters.
Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz has sent a letter to tens of thousands of pastors nationwide, urging them to preach about biblical marriage the weekend before the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments over states’ rights regarding the definition of marriage.
Alabama For Marriage is "Calling all pastors, churches, families and individuals to join thousands in Montgomery on June 6th, to send a united message to elected officials, the Supreme Court and the world: Alabama is for Marriage." The rally will take place at the Alabama Capitol Building on June 6th at 3:00 PM.
Two NC churches recently suffered thousands of dollars in damage as their buildings and property were trashed and spray-painted with pro-sodomy messages, such as "God loves gays," and "Gay is ok!" The local police are asking for anyone with information to contact them as they conduct a criminal investigation.
Sen. Ted Cruz has filed two bills in an attempt to protect state sovereignty. The first would establish a constitutional amendment shielding states that define marriage as between one man and one woman. The second would bar federal courts from further weighing in until such an amendment is adopted.
A recent poll said that 6 in 10 Americans support "same-sex marriage," and a similar share say individual states should not be allowed to define marriage as only between a man and a woman. The numbers indicate a reversal from a decade ago, when opponents outnumbered supporters 58 to 39 percent.
Attorney General Mark Brnovich is standing by his legal advice that the state of Arizona should not allow same-sex couples to jointly adopt children, because state law says only a husband and wife can jointly adopt. Brnovich is maintaining this position despite a directive by Gov. Doug Ducey to the contrary.
Karina Willes and Kami Young, a lesbian couple living in Wisconsin, are fighting for the right to both be listed as parents on the birth certificate of Young's daughter. After the couple's request to Wisconsin's vital records office went unanswered, the American Civil Liberties Union decided to take the matter to court.
Yesterday, The New England Journal of Medicine published an editorial urging the US Supreme Court to recognize "same-sex marriage." The journal claims that if the court were to rule against "same-sex marriage," the "injustice would damage the health and welfare of millions of Americans."
On Wednesday, Texas lawmakers approved a bill in committee that would bar state or local funds from being used to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. "We are a nation made up of sovereign states, and we retain that sovereignty," said Texas Rep. and bill sponsor Cecil Bell Jr.
A federal court in Michigan ruled Tuesday that it won’t allow state recognition of Bruce Morgan and Brian Merucci's out-of-state "gay marriage." The decision was based on legal precedent established by the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld Michigan's ban on "same-sex marriage" in March of 2014.
Bobby Jindal, the governor of Louisiana, wrote an article today for the New York Times in which he criticizes the cowardice of Indiana and Arkansas on religious freedom and "same-sex marriage." Jindal also said that he plans "in this legislative session to fight for passage of the Marriage and Conscience Act."
Chase Culpepper, who is a male, has received an apology from the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles because they forced him to remove his makeup for his driver's license photo last year. In addition, a promise has been made to write a new policy on the "proper" treatment of "transgendered" applicants.
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland has announced it's opposition to "same-sex marriage," upholding the Christian view of marriage as exclusively between one man and one woman. A national referendum on the issue will be held on May 22.
On Tuesday, Pastor David Gonnella of the Magnolia Springs Baptist Church in Theodore led the opening prayer for the Alabama Senate, asking God to "Forgive us for allowing sexual perversions to be considered as normal."
On Tuesday, the governing board of Arkansas’s capital city adopted an ordinance forbidding discrimination against gays and transgender people in municipal hiring, setting the stage for a legal confrontation with the state government which has banned such regulations.
On Friday, the Coalition of African American Pastors (CAAP) awarded Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore the “Letter from Birmingham Jail Courage Award" for maintaining his stand on marriage between one man and one woman.
Several GOP candidates who claim to be opposed to "gay marriage" are beginning to waver in their views. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio believes sexual preference is decided at birth, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has attended a "gay wedding reception," and Ohio Gov. John Kasich plans to attend his friend's "gay wedding."
On Sunday, Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio told CBS News in an interview that “I believe that sexual preference is something that people are born with."