Chris Johnson
Supreme Court OKs Making Video Records of Prop 8 Trial Open to Public
By Chris Johnson, Washington BladeThe U.S. Supreme Court announced on Tuesday it has declined to take up a case on video recordings from the 2010 trial against the California’s marriage ban known as Proposition 8, effectively green-lighting the [...]
New Supreme Court Term Includes Critical LGBTQ+ Case With ‘Terrifying’ Consequences
By Chris Johnson, Washington BladeThe U.S. Supreme Court, after a decision overturning Roe v. Wade that still leaves many reeling, is starting a new term with justices slated to revisit the issue of LGBTQ+ rights.In 303 Creative v. Elenis, the court [...]
Court Rules Transgender People Have Protections Under ADA
By Chris Johnson, Washington BladeTransgender people have additional protections from discrimination under federal law for having a disability if they experience gender dysphoria, the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday in a [...]
Fla. Senate Approves ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill
The Florida Senate, rebuffing protests from students and LGBTQ activists over the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, gave final approve to the legislation on Tuesday, sending the measure to the desk of the Gov. Ron Santis, who’s expected [...]
Biden Renews Call to Pass LGBTQ Equality Act in State of the Union Speech
In a State of the Union address front-loaded with calls to challenge Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, President Biden on Tuesday called for assistance from Congress in enacting his domestic agenda — and renewed his call for passage [...]
Supreme Court Rules For Religious Agency Seeking to Reject LGBTQ Families
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Thursday in favor of a religious-affiliated foster care agency seeking to refuse child placement into LGBTQ homes, determining the City of Philadelphia's enforcement of a contract with non-discrimination provisions [...]
Equality Act, Contorted as a Danger by Anti-LGBTQ+ Forces, Is All But Dead
Despite having President Biden in the White House and Democratic majorities in both chambers of Congress, efforts to update federal civil rights laws to strengthen the prohibition on discrimination against LGBTQ+ people by passing the Equality Act [...]
Anticipation Builds Amid Delay: Will Biden Name LGBTQ+ Ambassadors?
More than 100 days into his presidency, President Biden has yet to name picks for a multitude of ambassadorial positions in a delay unusual for a presidency at this stage, raising questions about whether he'll miss an opportunity to exhibit [...]
Biden Calls for Passage of Equality Act in Speech to Congress
President Biden, delivering his first joint speech before Congress on the eve of his 100th day of his presidency, urged Congress to pass the Equality Act to protect LGBTQ people against discrimination, signaling support for transgender youth amid a [...]
Biden Seeks to Ramp up Funds to Beat HIV/AIDS in Budget Request
President Biden, unveiling on Friday his initial budget request to Congress in the first year of his administration, called for ramping up funds to beat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States, signaling he'd continue the PrEP-centric initiative [...]
In First, Biden Issues Presidential Proclamation for Transgender Day of Visibility
President Biden, in a first for any U.S. president, issued on Wednesday a formal presidential proclamation recognizing the Transgender Day of Visibility, according to an advance copy of the White House document obtained by the Washington [...]
Biden Outlines Plan for Senate Filibuster Reform: 'It's Been Abused'
President Biden, in the first presidential news conference of his administration, outlined his views for reforming the filibuster in the U.S. Senate, which remains the sole obstacle for getting the LGBTQ Equality Act to his desk. Asked by Yamiche [...]