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An Alabama Synagogue Takes a Big Stand for Marriage Equality
As the much-anticipated oral argument approaches in the marriage equality cases coming out of the Sixth Circuit Court before the Supreme Court, the fight for marriage equality within states wages on.
Standing for Marriage Equality in Israel
I recently ended a three-week trip to the United States and returned home to Israel. This was a particularly emotional trip, as I was in Boston the day of Marathon. I saw firsthand how resilient the people of Boston are in a crisis.
Family and Medical Leave Denied to Same-Sex Couples in Non-Marriage Equality States
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was signed into law 22 years ago to allow workers to take a maximum 12 weeks unpaid time off of work to care for a new child (including adopted and foster children); care for a sick child; act as a caregiver for a parent; address personal serious health concerns; and care for wounded service members. After the decision in United States v. Windsor, in which the part of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) defining marriage as between a man and a woman for federal purposes was struck down, the Department of Labor announced that FMLA would apply to eligible employees in same-sex marriages if the employee resided in a state that recognized their marriage. Rachel Laser, Deputy Director of the Religious Action Center, submitted comments last August to the Department of Labor in support of this change when it was proposed.
What’s Happening in Alabama, and What it Means for the Bigger Picture of Marriage Equality
As we get closer to the much-anticipated oral argument in the marriage equality cases coming out of the Sixth Circuit Court before the Supreme Court, the fight for marriage equality within states wages on.
On January 23, Federal District Court Judge Callie V. S. Granade ruled that that Alabama’s ban on marriage equality was unconstitutional. Yet, in the weeks following the court ruling, many counties refused to offer marriage licenses to same-sex couples following a February 8 order by the chief justice of the Alabama State Supreme Court, Roy S. Moore who stated that state court probate judges are “not bound by any rulings of the Federal District Court.” On the same day (February 9) that counties started refusing to provide marriage licenses to same-sex couples, the Supreme Court refused to halt same-sex marriages from starting in Alabama.
Reform Movement Calls for Marriage Equality in Advance of SCOTUS Arguments
Contact: Max Rosenblum or Jordan Dashow
202.387.2800 | news@rac.org
At the Consultation: LGBT Equality From Marriage Equality to Trans Rights
On April 26-28, hundreds of Reform Jews will gather in Washington, D.C. for the RAC’s Consultation on Conscience, the Reform Movement’s flagship social justice event. On Monday, April 27 at 2:00 PM, Evan Wolfson, Founder and President of Freedom to Marry, will join Rabbi Denise Eger, President of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, Jen Kaufman, Chair of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism, and Rabbi Judith Schindler, Senior Rabbi at Temple Beth El, for a discussion on LGBT equality. A live stream will be available on the RAC homepage if you are unable to join us in person at the Consultation. In the meantime, you can brush up on some of the latest developments in the fight for LGBT equality!
LGBTQ Rights and Position of the Reform Movement
Position of the Reform Jewish Movement The Reform Movement has been an advocate of the LGBTQ community since 1965, when the Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ) passed a resolution calling for the decriminalization of homosexuality.
This Shabbat: Join Congregations Nationwide for a National Weekend of Prayer
Next Tuesday, April 28, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on four combined cases relating to marriage equality. The joint suit is known by one of the cases, Obergefell v. Hodges, and could establish the freedom to marry in all fifty states. As oral arguments approach, the RAC has joined other faith organizations in co-sponsoring a National Weekend of Prayer for marriage equality on April 24-26, 2015.
Sample Pride Shabbat Sermon II
Pride Shabbat 2013 Delivered June 21, 2013 by Rabbi Karen R. Perolman As a 5 th year rabbinic student, the ink on my contract at B’nai Jeshurun still drying, I met with the Rosh Yeshivah and President of Hebrew Union College, Rabbi David Ellenson for my exit interview.
The Status of the States: LGBT Equality Across the US in 2014
Last month, the Human Rights Campaign and the Equality Federation Institute released their 2014 State Equality Index (SEI), which analyzes the state of LGBT rights in all fifty states and the District of Columbia. Although the fight for marriage equality is often in the headlines, this report highlights the many other laws that impact LGBT people, for better and for worse. Ultimately, while 2014 included many victories for LGBT people on the state level, there is clearly much more that needs to be done in order to achieve full equality.