It’s not definitive, but this is a huge step. The Seventh Circuit ruled 8-3 that a woman who was denied a job because she was a lesbian had a cause of action under Title VII. Title VII is the civil rights law which prevents workplace discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, and religion. It generally applies to … Read More
Is This The End Of The Line For Judge Roy Moore?
Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore is set for a hearing at 1:30 p.m. (2:30 EST) today on charges he violated Alabama’s ethical standards for judges. Moore is asking the Alabama Court of the Judiciary to dismiss the ethics complaint filed by the state’s Judicial Inquiry Commission. The Judicial Inquiry Commission is asking for a summary judgment against Moore … Read More
Update To Pope Meeting Kim Davis
In a follow-up to an earlier post, I should mention that the Pope, while admitting to meeting Kim Davis the other day, is doing some serious backpeddling today: In a formal statement, the Vatican said Friday that Pope Francis’s meeting with Kentucky clerk Kim Davis “should not be considered a form of support of her position in all of its … Read More
Kim Davis Secretly Met With The Pope
Not much of a secret anymore: Pope Francis met privately in Washington last week with Kim Davis, the county clerk in Kentucky who defied a court order to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, a Vatican spokesman confirmed on Wednesday. Ms. Davis, the clerk in Rowan County, has been at the center of a nationwide controversy over whether government employees … Read More
The Back End Of The Kentucky Court Clerk
It looks like Kentucky County Clerk Kim Davis doesn’t want to go back to jail after all. Kim Davis, the embattled Kentucky county clerk, at the center of the dispute over gay marriage and religious liberty, appeared to back down from the threat of more jail time Monday, saying while she still refuses to authorize marriage licenses, she will not … Read More
Breaking: Kim Davis Released
Details coming. UPDATE – 1:00 pm: The contempt order was lifted by a US district court judge. Unclear if it was the same judge who gave the contempt order or if it was lifted on appeal. UPDATE – 1:15 pm: It was the same judge: A federal judge ruled Tuesday that a Kentucky clerk who has refused to issue marriage … Read More
Huckabee Needs To Attend Just One College Level Course On The Law
As far as conservative Christians candidates go, I always thought that Mike Huckabee was a slight cut above the rest. He doesn’t seem dogmatic, and he was governor at one time. So you would think that he would have some sense, while also being true to his conservative principles. But this past week he has proved to be either a … Read More
Kim Davis Is A Footnote To The Same-Sex Marriage Victory
I’m on vacation, but I am not completely off the grid. I just have a higher bar (this week)n as to what interests me enough to blog about. Checking in, I see not much has changed. Trump is still testing the bounds of open bigotry. Ho hum. And I see that Kim Davis, who I wrote about last week, has … Read More
Kentucky County Clerk Still Defying Court Order
Citing her Christian faith and constitutional right to religious liberty, Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis refused to issue a marriage license to William Smith Jr. and James Yates after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized marriage this summer. She was taken to court. U.S. District Judge David Bunning ordered Davis to issue marriage licenses two weeks ago. He later delayed that ruling … Read More
Kennedy’s Majority Opinion In The Same-Sex Marriage Case Is Conservative, Outdated And A Bit Offensive
Check out this argument, which I agree with, and which is making the rounds in one form or another: The immediate consequence — the legalization of marriage for same-sex couples in all 50 states — is a civil rights victory and a step toward the betterment of our people. But Kennedy’s argument, which is no elegant piece of law, reinforces … Read More
Pastor Calls For Execution Of Gays
I know. He’s fringe and we shouldn’t pay attention to fringe. But I couldn’t resist: Pastor Steven Anderson, of Faithful Word Baptist Church, called for stoning to death ministers who performed same-sex marriage ceremonies and repeated his call for the execution of all LGBT people. “I hate them with a perfect hatred,” Anderson shouted. “I count them mine enemies.” Yeah. … Read More
Bad Reactions
Helluva week last week. Supreme Court rulings upholding Obamacare and recognizing same sex marriage as a right. Obama sings at a funeral for slain pastor after he and others are killed by a white supremacist, and Confederate flags start coming down. Good week for progressives. They’re going nuts over at National Review Online. The once austere magazine and website is … Read More
Supreme Court Rules 5-4 To End The Sanctity Of Marriage
46 years ago this weekend, police in New York City raided a gay bar called the Stonewall Inn. Obviously, this is the end (we hope) of a remarkable civil rights story (despite my snarky headline). Here’s the opinion. Reactions are about what you expect. I will update as the day goes on. But the important thing is that about 3 … Read More