Homosexuality

Most Americans are in favor of the Boy Scouts of America lifting its ban on gay scouts and gay leaders within its organization, a new poll shows.

The Washington Post-ABC News poll posted on May 9 found that 63 percent of Americans support allowing gay scouts to join the organization, while 32 percent remain opposed. Fifty-six percent say the ban on gay adults serving as leaders should be lifted, while 39 percent of respondents agree with the current policy.

Among Protestants, 49 percent support the ban on gay scout leaders while 47 percent oppose it. A majority of Catholics (56 percent) favor lifting the ban. more >>

A United Methodist Church minister who is also dean of Yale Divinity School will face an ecclesiastical court for officiating his homosexual son's wedding in New York last year.

After the Rev. Dr. Thomas W. Ogletree officiated his son's gay wedding, Methodist leaders demanded he be charged with violating the UMC's ban on clergy performing same-sex marriages.

"I was inspired … I actually wasn't thinking of this as an act of civil disobedience or church disobedience. I was thinking of it as a response to my son," said Ogletree to the New York Times. "Sometimes, when what is officially the law is wrong, you try to get the law changed … But if you can't, you break it." more >>

In the weeks since New Zealand passed legislation that would legalize same-sex marriage in the country, a pro-family charity in the country was notified that it will lose its charitable status because it offered support for traditional marriage.

The New Zealand charity, Family First NZ, was recently notified that it will lose its charitable status by the end of the month unless it appeals the decision.

Representatives for the group have claimed the move is solely political, aimed at quieting voices that advocate the maintaining the traditional notion of the family structure and silencing those who disagree with the current popular political culture. more >>

Pat Brady, the chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, revealed on Tuesday that he will be stepping down from his position in order to focus on his family and his wife who is battling cancer.

"I've been going hard for six years. It's time to move on," Brady said, according to The San Francisco Chronicle, adding that his wife has been in a serious fight against cancer for the past two years, and he needs to spend more time with her and their four children. His full letter of resignation can be found on the Illinois GOP website.

Brady has been mixed up in a gay marriage controversy ever since he opposed the party's platform and expressed support for including same-sex couples in Illinois's definition of marriage in January. more >>

[UPDATE: Monday, May 6, 2013 4:50 p.m.

Joseph Zwilling, director of Communications for the Archdiocese of New York, released this statement to The Christian Post in response to the gay rights supporters' protest:

"Yesterday, prior to the 10:15 a.m. Mass at Saint Patrick's Cathedral, a small group of individuals approached the Cathedral with blackened hands, as a form of protest in response to Cardinal Dolan's blog post, 'All Are Welcome.' Although organizers have attempted to call yesterday's events by another name, it is clear that they were trying to make a statement, had hoped to get media attention to spread their message, and were using the setting of the Mass in Saint Patrick's Cathedral as their forum. more >>

The state of Rhode Island has become the tenth state in the United States and the last state in New England to legalize same-sex marriage after Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee signed the bill Thursday.

Rick Jacobs, founder of the progressive advocacy group CourageCampaign.org, said in a statement that the Rhode Island bill represents one of many successes in recent months.  "Across the country we are seeing rapid and historic shifts towards equality and freedom for all. With 10 states down, and 40 to go, Rhode Island is leading the way into the double-digits of states that support marriage equality," said Jacobs.

Rhode Island joins Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia in recognizing same-sex marriage. more >>