Missouri looks to ban same-sex marriage certificates.

Senator Ed Emery of Mo. has proposed a law that plans to make it a crime to issue a marriage license to same-sex couples. Failure to abide by the new law, if passed, would cause public employees to lose their jobs.

The law also says that the state would not endorse any marriage besides between a man and a woman.

Apr. 28

The Supreme Court finally set the date that it will be hearing marriage equality cases from four states on Apr. 28.

The nine Justices of the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals since it became the first and only federal appeals court to uphold a state’s ban on same-sex marriage.

The case will hear from Mich., Ohio, Ky., and Tenn..

Alabama stops same-sex marriage

Just this Jan. a federal judge declared Alabama’s ban on same-sex marriage to be unconstitutional and ordered the state to begin issuing same-sex marriage licenses. Now in Mar., the Ala. Supreme Court has ordered a probate stopping the issuance of same-sex marriage licenses throughout the state.

The Ala. Supreme Court issued a 150-page opinion describing its reason for stopping and fighting equal marriage. According to the opinion, “throughout the entirety of history, Ala. has chosen the traditional form of marriage.”

The order to stop the issuance of same-sex marriage licenses came after an “emergency” request filed by two conservative nonprofit organizations.

Trans identification

According to a national survey, forty percent of transgender people face discrimination when their chosen form of identification, such as a license, doesn’t fit their gender identity.

Last year a new bill was passed in N. Y. not requiring confirmation of gender reassignment surgery in order to change gender of identifying documents. According to gender activist Kate Bornstein, this new law “says to the world that our gender assignment doesn’t depend on our genitals.”

Though proof of surgery is no longer required in N.Y., Trans individuals hoping to change their gender on identifying documents must have a number of licensed professionals vouch for them, including psychologists, social workers and nurse practitioners.

This sort of bill hasn’t been extended throughout the States, but it’s another step towards Trans equality.