Same-Sex Marriage

The Supreme Court ruled Friday that Colorado cannot require an evangelical Christian web designer to provide same-sex wedding websites.

The court found that the state’s anti-discrimination law violates Lorie Smith’s free speech rights under the First Amendment by demanding she creates same-sex wedding websites if she wants to do so for opposite-sex unions. Smith argued the requirement violated her religious beliefs.

The decision narrows states’ ability to apply public accommodation laws to artists, dealing a significant blow to LGBTQ advocates.

The U.S. Supreme Court held that a Colorado graphic designer who wants to make wedding websites does not have to create them for same-sex marriages, in a landmark decision that pit the interests of LGBTQ non-discrimination against First Amendment freedom.

In a 6-3 decision issued Friday, the high court ruled in favor of artist Lorie Smith, who sued the state over its anti-discrimination law that prohibited businesses providing sales or other accommodations to the public from denying service based on a customer's sexual orientation.

A large Methodist church outside of Dallas, Texas that left the United Methodist Church (UMC) last year, has decided to start its own denomination.

White's Chapel Methodist Church overwhelmingly voted last November to disaffiliate itself from the UMC over theological disagreements about same-sex marriage.

The 17,500-member church now belongs to a new denomination it is calling the Methodist Collegiate Church (MCC). 

So far, they are the only members of the network but according to its website, the new denomination will be a middle ground among Methodists.

A conservative group of 12 Anglican archbishops from around the world have signed a resolution stating they will no longer recognize the Archbishop of Canterbury as the head of the Anglican Communion following the Church of England's decision to allow the blessing of same-sex unions by its priests. 

In comments Catholic LGBTQ advocates described as “historic,” Pope Francis called for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality—making him the first pope to ever take such a stance.

“Being homosexual is not a crime,” he said in an interview with the Associated Press, which was published on Wednesday. “It’s not a crime. Yes, but it’s a sin. Fine, but first let’s distinguish between a sin and a crime. It’s also a sin to lack charity with one another.”

“And being homosexual is not a crime,” he said again. “It’s a human condition.”

The hard-Left Associated Press blared the “news” from the rooftops: “Pope says homosexuality not a crime,” screamed the headline on Wednesday.

“Pope Francis criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality as ‘unjust,’ saying God loves all his children just as they are and called on Catholic bishops who support the laws to welcome LGBTQ people into the church,” said the lead.

“‘Being homosexual isn’t a crime,’ Francis said during an exclusive interview Tuesday with The Associated Press.”

Pope Francis took one of his strongest positions yet against legislation around the world that criminalizes homosexuality or otherwise discriminates against LGBTQ individuals Tuesday, seemingly indicating that the leadership of the Catholic Church—long divided over the question of its position toward the community—was beginning to take a firmer position of solidarity with the LGBTQ community.

"Being homosexual isn't a crime," Francis said during an exclusive interview with the Associated Press published Wednesday.

Pope Francis criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality as “unjust,” saying God loves all his children just as they are and called on Catholic bishops who support the laws to welcome LGBTQ people into the church.

“Being homosexual isn’t a crime,” Francis said during an exclusive interview Tuesday with The Associated Press.

Right-wing commentators are cynically leveraging a horrific story of alleged child sexual abuse to drum up opposition to adoption by gay and lesbian couples.