May 01 Longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy repealed at United Methodists meeting By Peter Smith, Associated Press Delegates voted 692-51 at their General Conference, removing a rule forbidding “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” from being ordained or appointed as ministers. Continue reading
Apr 30 Watch 6:24 State health care plans must cover transgender-related care, federal court rules By Stephanie Sy, Ian Couzens, Saher Khan A groundbreaking ruling by a federal appeals court ensures gender-affirming surgery is covered by state-run health insurance programs. The decision ordered the plans to “reinstate coverage for medically necessary services for the treatment of gender dysphoria.” It’s a win for… Continue watching
Apr 30 Republican states challenge new Title IX rules protecting LGBTQ+ students By Collin Binkley, Associated Press The lawsuits are the first to challenge Biden's new Title IX rules, which expand protections to LGBTQ+ students and add new safeguards for victims of sexual assault. Continue reading
Apr 29 United Methodists prepare for votes on ending bans on same-sex marriage, LGBTQ clergy By Peter Smith, Associated Press One-quarter of the country's United Methodist churches left between 2019 and 2023, mainly conservative churches dismayed by progressive trends, and some are calling for international churches to do the same. Continue reading
Apr 28 Watch 3:05 News Wrap: Hamas releases video of two hostages, including Israeli-American In our news wrap Sunday, Hamas released video of two hostages as efforts around a cease-fire deal with Israel intensify, protestors rallied against the Israel-Hamas war outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, tornadoes killed at least four people in Oklahoma,… Continue watching
Apr 28 Iraq passes harsh anti-LGBTQ+ law imposing up to 15 years in prison, drawing backlash By Abdulrahman Zeyad, Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Associated Press Human rights groups and diplomats criticized a law that was quietly passed by the Iraqi parliament over the weekend that would impose heavy prison sentences on gay and transgender people. A U.S. State Department spokesperson said that the law “threatens… Continue reading
Apr 23 What to know about United Methodists’ first major meeting since its breakup over LGBTQ inclusion By Peter Smith, Associated Press This will be the first General Conference since more than 7,600 mostly conservative congregations left the United Methodist Church between 2019 and 2023 because the denomination essentially stopped enforcing its bans on same-sex marriage and having “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” serving… Continue reading
Apr 19 California court to weigh in on fight over transgender ballot measure proposal language By Sophie Austin, Associated Press/Report for America Proponents of the measure say Attorney General Rob Bonta demonstrated bias in the language he released. They say this has hurt their ability to collect enough signatures to qualify the measure for the November ballot. Continue reading
Apr 19 Biden’s new Title IX rules protect LGBTQ students and sexual assault victims. Transgender athletes aren’t mentioned By Collin Binkley, Associated Press The administration originally planned to include a new policy forbidding schools from enacting outright bans on transgender athletes, but that provision was put on hold. Instead, Biden is officially undoing sexual assault rules put in place by his predecessor and… Continue reading
Apr 15 Supreme Court allows Idaho to enforce its ban on gender-affirming care for transgender children By Associated Press The justices' order Monday allows the state to put in a place a 2023 law that subjects physicians to up to 10 years in prison if they provide hormones, puberty blockers or other gender-affirming care to people under age 18. Continue reading