Marriage Bans Upheld

With the recent growth in court cases ruling equal marriage bans unconstitutional, it was beginning to feel like there was hope for any upcoming cases across the U.S. However, last week the sixth circuit court of appeals found the ban on LGBT marriage completely lawful in four states. This is the first appeals court in the U.S. to make this ruling.

Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, the sixth circuit court of appeals made the ruling that the marriage ban in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee are all constitutional.

The sixth circuit is considered one of the most conservative in the nation, and many weren’t surprised by the decision even though it strays from the recent trend. The likelihood that the Supreme Court will have a marriage case in the near future has significantly increased.

A New Voice in the LGBT Community

A new radio program, OutCasting, is bringing young LGBT voices into the community. Outcasting is a radio series from Media for the Public Good. It’s the only series produced and created by LGBT high school students and their ally peers.

Founder and executive producer, Marc Sophos, started the air show in October 2011 after reaching out to a local high school gay-straight alliance for volunteers. The students have covered big topics like DOMA, New York’s Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act and teen suicide.

Sophos hopes to expand OutCasting throughout the country and giving LGBT youth a bigger voice in the community.

North Carolina Judges Resign

North Carolina judges are resigning left and right. Six judges have left their offices since the recent court decision to strike down North Carolina’s ban on same-sex marriage. Rather than upholding the new law, accepting and performing same-sex marriages, they have resigned due to religious beliefs.

Magistrates from Rockingham, Gaston, Graham, Union and Jackson counties have all stepped down.

Dallas Strengthens LGBT Protection

LGBT residents of Dallas, Texas will now be protected by a bigger and better nondiscrimination ordinance.

Voters in Dallas overwhelmingly approved the proposal to update the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance. The ordinance is more inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity. It passed with more than 75 percent of the vote.

The passing of this proposal is important for a clearer ordinance, but also because it shows the overwhelming support of the LGBT community in Dallas in contrast to the Huston Mayor, Anisse Parker’s efforts to get rid of a similar ordinance in Huston.