Pastor Protection Act passes despite discrimination concerns

A Pastor Protection Act that supporters say protects religious freedom - but critics call unnecessary and discriminatory against gay couples - passed the Ohio House on Wednesday. The bill says that no licensed minister or religious society can be forced to perform or host a marriage ceremony that does not conform to their sincerely held religious beliefs while protecting them from lawsuits.

‘We’re here’: Thousands in rainbow colors make a statement at New York City’s Gay Pride parade

NEW YORK Thousands of people clad in rainbow colors marched Sunday through Greenwich Village and up Fifth Avenue for the annual Gay Pride parade, a massive celebration of LGBTQ identity. One of this year's grand marshals is tennis legend Billie Jean King, along with transgender advocate Tyler Ford and the civil rights organization Lambda Legal.

Sen. Orrin Hatch: LGBT youth deserve ‘unwavering love and support’

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, called the prevalence of suicide, especially among LGBT teens, "a serious problem that requires national attention" in a speech delivered on the Senate floor to commemorate Pride Month. "No one should ever feel less because of their gender identity or sexual orientation," Hatch said Wednesday, describing the bullying, discrimination and even estrangement experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth.

Michael Gerson: Can religious institutions maintain their identity in the public realm?

Such is the case with the Supreme Court's Masterpiece Cakeshop ruling. The decision properly smacked down the anti-religious bigotry of the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, which not only wanted to compel baker Jack Phillips to provide a cake for a same-sex wedding but also to sneer at him in the process.

Ricardo Lara Could Be California’s First Out Statewide Official

California could elect its first openly gay statewide official this fall in Ricardo Lara, who was one of the top two finishers for insurance commissioner in the state's primary Tuesday. Under California's "top two" system, the two leading vote recipients in the primary, regardless of party, advance to the general election.

Poll: Most Americans oppose businesses refusing to serve gay people

"Nearly three quarters of U.S. adults believe that businesses should not have the right on religious grounds to deny services to customers based on their sexual orientation, a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Monday showed. The findings of the poll, conducted Friday to Monday, were issued on the same day the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a baker from Colorado who had refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple, citing his Christian beliefs.

In narrow decision, Supreme Court sides with baker who turned away gay couple

The Supreme Court on Monday ruled in favor of a Colorado baker who had refused to create a wedding cake for a gay couple. The court's decision was narrow, and it left open the larger question of whether a business can discriminate against gay men and lesbians based on rights protected by the First Amendment.

Supreme Court rules in favor of baker who refused to make wedding cake for gay couple

The Supreme Court ruled on Monday in favor of a Colorado baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple because it violated his religious beliefs. In the opinion issued by Justice Anthony Kennedy, the court disagreed with a Colorado court's previous ruling that the gay couple, Charlie Craig and Dave Mullins, had been discriminated against based on sexual orientation.