Supreme Court: Kentucky Clerk Must Issue Marriage Licenses
The court today turned down Kim Davis’s appeal, meaning she must issue licenses to all eligible couples beginning Tuesday or face penalties.
Trudy Ring
Monthly Archives: August 2015
Supreme Court Turns Away Kentucky Clerk Who Turned Away Gay Couples Wishing To Marry
Supreme Court Turns Away Kentucky Clerk Who Turned Away Gay Couples Wishing To Marry
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to delay a federal court order Monday that effectively requires a Kentucky clerk to begin issuing marriage licenses to gays and lesbians within her jurisdiction.
The court’s one-line order offered no explanation for its response to Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis.
Around the time Davis filed her plea with Justice Elena Kagan on Friday, the federal judge who initially ordered her to not enforce her “no marriage policy” against gay couples declined to put on hold his own ruling to that effect, according to BuzzFeed News’ Chris Geidner.
Absent an extraordinary move by Davis on Tuesday, she would seem to have no other option but to comply with the judge’s order.
In her emergency petition with the court Friday, Davis argued that her “conscience forbids her from approving” marriage documents for gays and lesbians “because the prescribed form mandates that she authorize the proposed union and issue a license bearing her own name and imprimatur.”
Lawyers for Davis had argued in court papers that if she couldn’t be accommodated based on her religious objections, “then elected officials have no real religious freedom when they take public office.”
After the Supreme Court ruled in June that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear (D) — who was a losing party in that case — ordered state clerks to begin issuing marriage licenses to all couples without regard to sexual orientation.
But Davis refused time and again, even in the face of a federal lawsuit against her and an order from U.S. District Judge David Bunning telling her to comply. Last week, an appellate court told her that she had “little or no likelihood” of winning on her religious-freedom claim.
“I hope Ms. Davis will resume issuing marriage licenses tomorrow not just to our clients but to everyone who is eligible under the law,” tweeted Joe Dunman, a local civil rights attorney who was also involved in the case the Supreme Court decided in June.
Despite the Supreme Court’s refusal to intervene in Davis’ case, her dispute remains alive in the court system: She remains free to challenge the merits of Bunning’s decision before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit.
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US Supreme Court denies Kentucky clerk’s request to continue no marriage license policy
US Supreme Court denies Kentucky clerk’s request to continue no marriage license policy
Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis suffered another legal setback late Monday (31 August) – this time from the highest court in the United States.
The US Supreme Court denied an emergency request from Davis to continue to not issue marriage licenses to any couples – gay or straight – as she continues her legal battle in a lower federal court.
Davis, citing religious beliefs, has refused to issue marriage licenses from her Kentucky office since the Supreme Court’s 26 June ruling that made same-sex legal in all 50 US states.
The court issued its denial without comment.
‘Today the U.S. Supreme Court resoundingly affirmed that government officials must carry out the duties of public office,’ Steven R. Shapiro, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement.
‘Davis has no basis for any further delay in denying couples the freedom to marry.’
The ACLU is suing Davis on behalf of four couples – two gay and two straight – who have been denied licenses by her office.
All eyes will be on the Rowan County Clerk’s office on Tuesday (1 September) as there will no doubt be couples seeking marriage licenses. If they are refused, this could result in Davis being held on contempt of court charges.
The post US Supreme Court denies Kentucky clerk’s request to continue no marriage license policy appeared first on Gay Star News.
Greg Hernandez
U.S. Supreme Court Declines Emergency Stay Request from Anti-LGBT Rowan County Clerk
U.S. Supreme Court Declines Emergency Stay Request from Anti-LGBT Rowan County Clerk
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court declined a petition from Kentucky’s Rowan County clerk Kim Davis for an emergency stay on a court order requiring her to immediately start issuing marriage licenses to all eligible applicants, including same-sex couples.
HRC.org
Anti-gay Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis’s SCOTUS Emergency Stay Request Denied
Anti-gay Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis’s SCOTUS Emergency Stay Request Denied
Rowan County clerk Kim Davis has failed in her efforts to get the highest court in the land to intervene in her anti-gay crusade.
The Supreme Court today turned down Davis’s emergency request for a stay on a federal order calling on her to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. BuzzFeed’s Chris Geidner reports Justice Elena Kagan, who handles such claims from the Sixth Circuit, referred the request to the full court.
#SCOTUS denies #KimDavis application for a stay pic.twitter.com/LDLzlmHVMd
— Equality Case Files (@EQCF) August 31, 2015
The stay on the federal order expired today. Davis has a big decision to make tomorrow, as Kentucky station WKYT notes:
Davis will have to choose whether to issue marriage licenses Tuesday, defying her Christian conviction, or continue defying a federal judge who could fine her or send her to jail.
A gay couple who was denied a marriage license three times have filed a federal lawsuit against Davis, saying they were deprived of their “fundamental, Constitutional right to marry.”
The lawsuit was filed Aug. 25 in U.S. District Court by William Smith Jr. and James Yates, but a summons was delivered Monday to Rowan County Judge Executive Walter Blevins, who is named as a defendant with Davis and the county. Other defendants, including Davis, were expected to be served this week, attorneys have told WKYT.
The AP adds:
“She’s going to have to think and pray about her decision overnight. She certainly understands the consequences either way,” Mat Staver, founder of the law firm representing Davis, said on Monday, hours before a court-ordered delay in the case expired. “She’ll report to work tomorrow, and face whatever she has to face.”
The Rowan County Attorney’s Office has already filed a charge of official misconduct against Davis.
Related, Anti-LGBT Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis Unknowingly Issued a Marriage License to a Trans Man in February
The post Anti-gay Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis’s SCOTUS Emergency Stay Request Denied appeared first on Towleroad.
Kyler Geoffroy
Anti-gay Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis’s SCOTUS Emergency Stay Request Denied
Black Trans Woman Ashley Diamond Released from Prison After 3 Years
Transgender Awareness Training: A Business Essential
Transgender Awareness Training: A Business Essential
We have already reached the tipping point for transgender people in society and are quickly moving beyond it into new, uncharted territory. One seemingly cannot read a newspaper or magazine or turn on the television these days without encountering some mention of the transgender phenomenon. Caitlyn Jenner nearly broke the internet when she publicly revealed her gender realignment. Laverne Cox is winning awards for her acting. Janet Mock is appearing regularly on television news and current affairs programs. More transpeople than ever are coming out and making themselves visible to the world. There has never been a time in history when information about the transgender phenomenon was more readily available.
Due in no small part to this increased interest by the public, gender diversity in the workplace is an issue whose time has come. Over two thirds of the Fortune 500 companies now have non-discrimination policies that include gender identity and/or gender expression. These successful companies are not adopting such policies because they want to be nice — they’re doing it because they recognize that inclusion for gender diverse employees is a beneficial business strategy that works well on a variety of levels. In today’s war for top talent, such a strategy can help create a significant competitive advantage in the areas of recruitment and retention.
However, even for companies with strong Diversity & Inclusion programs, there is often an information gap around the issue of transgender in the workplace. As with most complex issues in today’s society, education is the key. There are many reasons why transgender awareness training is becoming a must for today’s businesses. Here are a few of those reasons.
• The business case for transgender inclusion is strong and irrefutable. In order to be more effective in their work, employees need to understand 1) why this is so and 2) what the ramifications are for their organization. Effective transgender awareness training can help to educate them about this newly emerging business reality.
• Employers should be aware that the visible presence of transgender employees in the workplace is becoming increasingly commonplace. Global business expectations are shifting accordingly and organizations need to be appropriately responsive.
• In the United States, recent federal initiatives make employers directly responsible for the ways in which their organizations treat gender diverse employees. Violators may potentially face legal action.
• The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission will actively pursue alleged sex discrimination cases based on transgender status and gender stereotyping. Violations of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act are being taken seriously by the federal government, and associated litigation is increasing.
• A Presidential executive order has been issued that bans discrimination against openly gay or transgender federal employees and government contractors.
• All employees deserve to be able to ask questions, voice potential fears and concerns and engage in meaningful dialogue about the issue of transgender in the workplace. Awareness training can provide such an opportunity in a safe and respectful environment that is conducive to learning, growth and enhancement of an organization’s culture. Also, an effective training situation will offer valuable information about the scope and complexity of gender diversity as a social phenomenon that is receiving increased attention. The results of such initiatives often include improved morale, teamwork and overall productivity.
• Top management as well as HR and legal professionals need to be informed about the existing and emerging business implications of the transgender phenomenon. Certainly, organizations need to ensure they are in compliance with the law. Companies also need to respond effectively to changing public perceptions, new marketing trends and shifting business expectations.
• Transgender awareness training allows an organization to actively demonstrate its commitment to diversity in its workforce, to inclusion in its work environment and to respect for each individual. By offering such training the company is effectively stating that it values every employee’s contributions and intrinsic human worth. In fact, the organization places such important on these principles that it is willing to devote time and money to educating its people about this emerging workplace trend. Efforts like these almost always result in improved morale and enhanced internal branding among the company’s workforce, which is conducive to a stronger, more cohesive organization overall.
A knowledgeable, experienced, professional transgender consultant/trainer can provide lasting value through the sharing of insights and factual information from a unique and personalized perspective. This creates a memorable opportunity for the organization’s employees to learn about the benefits of gender diversity inclusion from a qualified expert. Equipped with accurate information and effective tools, these employees can then return to their jobs better prepared to meet the challenges of a changing marketplace and an evolving work environment.
A company’s own internal trainer can potentially do a good job. However, and primarily because of their status as a recognized expert, an outside transgender awareness trainer may do a better one. The ultimate goal is the creation of lasting value through an enhancement of an organization’s culture. An effective consultant/trainer will ensure that the goal is met and, if at all possible, surpassed.
The world will continue to change and the business community must continue to respond to those changes in effective ways. New information will arise to inevitably impact society’s expectations. The emergence of the gender diversity phenomenon is creating a need for companies to become more aware of the inherent challenges and opportunities created by this significant new social development. The key to success in this leading-edge area of business interest is education, and that is why transgender awareness training can be extremely beneficial for today’s organizations. That is also why such training can help provide significant competitive advantages for companies that wisely choose to educate their people about transgender in the workplace. Finally, that is why transgender awareness training has become an essential initiative for businesses that seek to be more successful through a strategy of intentional inclusion for gender diverse employees.
If your organization is in need of transgender awareness training and/or transgender consulting assistance, please contact Vanessa via www.vanessasheridan.com.
— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Political foes Rosie O’Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck clash again
Political foes Rosie O’Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck clash again
There was no split screen involved this time but Rosie O’Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck are clashing again publicly.
O’Donnell took to Twitter on Monday (31 August) to call out her former co-host on The View – and frequent political sparring partner -for a comment she made in her current job on Fox and Friends about the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
‘Why has the #BlackLivesMatter movement not been classified yet as a hate group?’ Hasselbeck asked a guest earlier in the day. ‘I mean, how much more has to go in this direction before someone actually labels it as such?’
The question came in response to the execution-style shooting death of Deputy Darren Goforth near Houston, Texas, by an African-American suspect on Friday. It’s not known if suspect Shannon J. Miles is connected to #BlackLivesMatter which campaigns against what it calls police brutality against African Americans in the US.
In response, O’Donnell tweeted Hasselbeck’s question to her more than 840,000 followers with her own observation that: ‘Some are slow to wake.’
Hasselbeck had on-air clash with O’Donnell in 2007 that was so traumatic (see video below) that O’Donnell left the show nearly a month before her one-year contract had expired.
The two women did not speak for the next seven years.
Then in the spring of 2014, they were reunited for the farewell show of The View’s creator and longtime co-host Barbara Walters. While they were friendly on the air on that day, Hasselbeck pounced when a short time later it was announced that O’Donnell would be returning to the show that fall as a regular co-host.
She said: ‘Here in comes to The View the very woman who spit in the face of our military, spit in the face of her own network, and, really, in the face of a person who stood by her and had civilized debates for the time that she was there – coming back with a bunch of control, ready to regain a seat at The View table’
At the time, O’Donnell said she wasn’t surprised by the tirade.
‘I’ve come to expect nothing from her, even though I feel I continually make the effort to break through,’ she says.
The post Political foes Rosie O’Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck clash again appeared first on Gay Star News.
Greg Hernandez
www.gaystarnews.com/article/political-foes-rosie-odonnell-and-elisabeth-hasselbeck-clash-again/
PHOTOS: Big Brother’s Austin Gets Naked For Straight Housemate, Demands A Rub Down
PHOTOS: Big Brother’s Austin Gets Naked For Straight Housemate, Demands A Rub Down
Not that removing his clothes in front of a camera is really new territory per se, but current “Celebrity” Big Brother UK contestant and former A-List: New York plastic / boyfriend of Marc Jacobs Austin Armacost recently stripped down for housemate James.
Though James is straight, the two have been embarking down a beautiful bromance, bathing together and sharing a bed.
Claiming sore hamsrings, Austin tried tirelessly to get James to massage his aching muscles. In the process, he showed off his ass for all to see.
Click here to catch the full moon rising.
Dan Tracer
What To Watch On TV This Week: Debbie Harry and Amy Sedaris Are ‘Difficult People’
What To Watch On TV This Week: Debbie Harry and Amy Sedaris Are ‘Difficult People’
Check out our weekly guide to make sure you’re catching the big premieres, crucial episodes and the stuff you won’t admit you watch when no one’s looking.
— Rejoice, awful persons! Hulu’s original series Difficult People has been renewed for a second season. Check out the latest installment of the series, starring comedian Julie Klausner and out performer Billy Eichner. This week’s episode also features appearances from gay icons Amy Sedaris and Debbie Harry. It drops Wednesday on Hulu.
— YouTube’s popular purveyor of parody Todrick Hall is bringing his schtick to cable. His show, Todrick, debuts tonight at 10 p.m. on MTV. Find out how his signature songs get the visual treatment as the series follows the creation of a new video each week.
— Do you love learning? Do you love drinking? Celebrate them both with the return of Drunk History, Tuesday at 10:30 p.m. Eastern on Comedy Central. Each episode has a comedian or storyteller get tipsy and then recount important moments from history. Check out a sample of a previous episode above.
— Thank goodness we have Project Runway to get us through the TV wasteland that we’re usually facing in August. It’s a tense team challenge this week, and, this time, they’re armed! See what happens when Project Runway and paintball combine Thursday at 9 p.m. Eastern on Lifetime. Catch up with anything you missed last week with a recap above.
— If you’ve been missing your antiheroes since Breaking Bad and Mad Men ended, tune in to Hand of God on Amazon, debuting Friday. The drama follows a judge (Ron Perlman) as he goes on a rampage of vigilante justice after suffering a mental breakdown.
What are you watching on TV this week?
The post What To Watch On TV This Week: Debbie Harry and Amy Sedaris Are ‘Difficult People’ appeared first on Towleroad.
Bobby Hankinson
What To Watch On TV This Week: Debbie Harry and Amy Sedaris Are ‘Difficult People’
