Alabama chief justice ousted over gay marriage defiance

The chief justice of Alabama's Supreme Court was effectively ousted on Friday by a judicial panel that found he unethically resisted U.S. court rulings that legalized same-sex marriage. Chief Justice Roy Moore, 69, violated judicial ethics by ordering probate judges to defy federal court orders on same-sex marriage, the Alabama Court of the Judiciary ruled.

Alabama justice off bench for defying feds on gay marriage

Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore's defiance of federal court rulings on gay marriage violated judicial ethics, a disciplinary court ruled on Friday before suspending him for the rest of his term. The punishment effectively removes Moore from office without the nine-member Alabama Court of the Judiciary officially ousting him.

Will either side blink over North Carolina’s House Bill 2?

North Carolina's Republican leaders and gay-rights supporters are daring each other to clean up the mess over the state's law limiting LGBT protections against discrimination, which is crimping the state's economy as sponsors of major sporting events pull out of the state. Gov. Pat McCrory and GOP legislators have offered to consider rescinding the law, but only if the Democrats who lead Charlotte's City Council act first and essentially admit they were wrong to pass a local ordinance that would have expanded protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

N.C. drops ‘bathroom bill’ lawsuit: Why that won’t settle the issue

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory dropped a lawsuit against the federal government Friday, but debate over the state's so-called 'bathroom bill' rages on. North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory speaks June 24 during a candidate forum in Charlotte, N.C. After suing the federal government in May to defend the state's controversial new law limiting LGBT rights, Gov. McCrory dropped the lawsuit Friday.

Kaine says Catholic Church might change on gay marriage

Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine is predicting that the Roman Catholic Church may eventually change its opposition to gay marriage. Kaine is a devout Roman Catholic as well as a U.S. senator from Virginia and a former governor of that state.

Kaine predicts Catholic church will change its teaching on gay marriage

Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Kaine, a practicing Catholic, on Saturday described his evolution on same-sex marriage and predicted that his church would change its views as well. "My full, complete, unconditional support for marriage equality is at odds with the current doctrine of the church that I still attend," Kaine said at a dinner celebrating gay rights.

The Latest: Streisand sings of Trump, ‘sad, vulgar clown’

At an LGBT fundraiser Friday for Hillary Clinton, the singer performed a parody of the Stephen Sondheim song "Send in the Clowns" with lyrics about the Republican nominee. "Is he that rich, maybe he's poor, 'til he reveals his returns, who can be sure?" Streisand sang to an applauding crowd.

Will anti-semitism go unchecked at UC?

As the school year begins, one thing is certain: There will be anti-Semitic outbursts and incidents at campuses of the University of California. We know this because of a long history of such episodes at campuses like Berkeley, Irvine and UCLA, where Jewish students have been subjected to everything from physical obstruction and attempted intimidation to questions by Palestinian students and their sympathizers about whether their faith allows Jews elected to student government posts to make objective decisions.

Editor’s Letter: Turn Off Trump TV

It makes sense that former Fox News chairman Roger Ailes and Breitbart 's executive chairman Stephen Bannon are now adviser and chief executive, respectively, for the Donald Trump campaign. Ailes, who the campaign insists has no formal or informal role, turned Fox News into the de facto mouthpiece for the GOP; Breitbart , the site for those who think Fox News is too namby-pamby, was instrumental in the proliferation of birtherism, the rise of Tea Party darling Sarah Palin, and the propagation of the idea that the American straight white Christian man is losing ground to people of color, women, queers, and infidels; and both outlets constantly echo the strains of American nationalism.

Drudge Report Goes for Hillary Clinton Lesbian Rumor With Its Weiner Headline

Not much is beneath the standards of right-wing blogger Matt Drudge, even insinuating Hillary Clinton's aide is leaving her husband to shack up with the presidential nominee. Former New York congressman Anthony Weiner today found himself in the middle of another sexting scandal, even after the first one derailed his political career and embarassed his wife, powerful Clinton aide Huma Abedin.

Marco Rubio tells Florida Christians to show more compassion toward the gay community

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio spoke about the perils of being intolerant toward the gay community at a Christian conference Friday 'Abandoning judgment and loving our LGBT neighbors is not a betrayal of what the Bible teaches, it is the fulfillment of it,' Rubio preached The former presidential candidate decided to run for re-election in the Senate in the aftermath of the Orlando gay nightclub mass shooting While maintaining his position against same-sex marriage, Sen. Marco Rubio used a speech before a group of Christians to speak of the perils of intolerance toward the gay community.

Marco Rubio: Religious Right Should Love Gays Not Judge Them

In a speech to pastors, Sen. Marco Rubio urged religious conservatives to love gay people, instead of judging them for their behavior. Rubio began by reasserting his belief that marriage was between one man and one woman, but cautioned people of faith to avoid "heated rhetoric" against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans.

Rubio defends opposition to gay marriage but urges a lovea for LGBT community

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio stressed his opposition to same-sex marriage while also calling on fellow Christians to "love" and understand LGBT people in a speech before a gathering of conservative pastors in Orlando on Friday. The two-day event, titled "Rediscovering God in America Renewal Project" and sponsored by the Florida Renewal Project, was described as "an anti-LGBT rally" by Florida Democrats who criticized Rubio for speaking there two months after the Pulse shootings at a gay nightclub.