One particular baker has once again become intertwined with legal questions about religious rights and the First Amendment. In 2012, a same-sex couple tried to have this baker make them a cake for their upcoming wedding. The baker refused, and ever since then, this individual has been fighting numerous lawsuits against LGBTQ folks who want Read More

In response to House Bill 1084, California’s government has prohibited all state-funded travel to Georgia. 1084, which was recently passed in Georgia, bans transgender women from playing on athletic teams that match the gender with which they identify. In addition to prohibiting travel to Georgia, California has similarly prohibited state-funded travel to several other states, including Read More

A dispute regarding an LGBTQ training session in which Michigan teachers were taught how to help LGBTQ students has led to requests that Michigan’s superintendent resign. Training from Michigan’s Department of Education instructed teachers how to discuss a student’s suicidal thoughts with parents without potentially outing the student, and having the student guide that process. Republicans Read More

In 2015, the United States Supreme Court issued the landmark decision of Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage throughout the country. Despite this Supreme Court decision, discrimination against same-sex couples remains in countless state constitutions, in the form of bans on same-sex marriage.  Virginia’s state constitution is one of the harshest when it comes Read More

A recent lawsuit claims that the “medical conscience clause” in an over $70 billion budget bill goes against the terms of the single-subject requirement found in Ohio’s Constitution. This clause lets medical professionals decline to provide services to individuals based on their religious, ethical, or moral beliefs. Ohio’s single-subject regulations prohibit legislatures from placing policies in bills Read More

A Virginia House subcommittee recently struck down legislation that would have given voters in the state the chance to update the constitution. The legislation in question would have potentially removed a now defunct same-sex marriage prohibition in the Virginia state constitution.  The Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition in the State Constitution In 2006, Virginia passed the Marshall-Newman Read More

The country’s treatment of LGBTQ individuals has changed substantially over the last decade. Among other developments, the United States Supreme Court in 2015 ruled that same-sex marriage must be recognized nationwide. Despite such advancements, four Colorado lawmakers recently introduced a bill to prohibit same-sex marriage in the state. The anti-LGBTQ law also would have prohibited Read More

At the end of January, 2019, the North Dakota senate defeated legislation prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The senator, who was the primary sponsor of the bill, also known as Senate Bill 2303, has said that the measure was created to decrease the rate at which discrimination against LGBTQ individuals occurs in Read More

In less than a month, courts in Arizona will hear arguments connected to a 2016 lawsuit that challenge a section of Phoenix’s nondiscrimination ordinance that applies to gender identity and sexual orientation. While it remains uncertain how this case will be resolved, it will have a substantial impact on LGBT laws in Arizona and might Read More

A Massachusetts state law that is designed to protect transgender individuals from discrimination, including in areas like locker rooms and restrooms, has been affirmed. This decision comes after opponents of the anti-discrimination law collected enough signatures for a repeal question to be placed on the ballot. With this vote, Massachusetts has become the first state Read More