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Sixth Circuit Upholds Same-Sex Marriage Bans
By a two-to-one vote, a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld the right of states to ban same-sex marriages yesterday , overturning rulings in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. Going forward, the challengers in the cases can either ask the full Sixth Circuit bench to reconsider their cases (en banc) or appeal directly to the Supreme Court.
Barriers to Forming Loving Families: Adoption Laws and Same-Sex Couples
After a historic summer for marriage quality and the decision by the Supreme Court to deny review of seven petitions challenging state bans on same-sex marriage, 32 states and the District of Columbia now allow same-sex couples to marry. Although these marriage equality victories helped remove some barriers to same-sex couples looking to start a family, many barriers still exist to same-sex couples—in both marriage equality and non-marriage equality states—that want to raise children.
Reform Rabbis Weigh in on Marriage Equality
As marriage equality legislation advances in Washington state, New Jersey and Maryland, pro-equality faith voices have been making their voices heard at legislative hearings – and Reform Jews have wasted no time in speaking u
Fighting for Marriage Equality in Maine
Here in the Maine wilderness, fighting for justice can feel lonely.
A Welcome Achievement of Marriage Equality in Washington State
Rabbi David Saperstein: This progress has been a long time coming and brings our country closer to fully reflecting our founding values of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness for all.
Former RAC Staffer Testifies for Marriage Equality in MD
Marriage equality advocates have had much to celebrate over the last few days: An appeals court struck down California’s anti-marriage equality Proposition 8,
Court Strikes Down Discriminatory "Defense of Marriage Act"
The month of February has been a good one for those of us who believe that all Americans deserve the equal protection of the law.
Appeals Court Strikes Down Proposition 8
Today, the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth District issued a ruling in the Perry v.
January Hate Crimes Watch: Real Violence, Real Victims
Discussions of hate crimes often revolve around statistics and numbers, sometimes making it easy to lose sight of the human cost and the horrific nature of many of these attacks.
How LGBT Inclusion in Sports can Inform our Jewish Inclusion Work
I’ll be honest: I don’t normally read articles about sports. I usually skip over the entire sports section of the newspaper, but the other week, I found myself reading some exciting sports-related news: on November 14, the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) first openly gay male athlete will compete in one of the big four sports (basketball, baseball, football and hockey). Although I’m not a sports fan, as someone who cares deeply about building inclusive Jewish communities, I felt this story and the reaction of the team could inform our own inclusion work as a Jewish community.
Last April, Derrick Gordon came out publicly, becoming the first openly gay player in Division I men’s college basketball. Since coming out, Gordon’s relationship with his team has changed significantly. A recent profile by Outsports illustrates the transformation of his relationship with his teammates from one in which they made snide remarks and avoided showering with him when they suspected him of being gay to one in which they now ask him about his dating life and treat him just like any other teammate. Gordon’s story illustrates the impact coming out can have on transforming a homophobic atmosphere into one of acceptance and inclusion.