Japanese court says government’s policy against same-sex marriage is unconstitutional
May 30, 2023 GMTTOKYO (AP) — A Japanese court ruled Tuesday that the government's policy against same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, in a closely watched decision that supporters say is a step toward marriage equality.
Free concert, other celebrations in Jordan ahead of kingdom’s first major royal wedding in years
May 30, 2023 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Several thousand cheering and flag-waving Jordanians packed a sports stadium for a free concert in the capital of Amman as part of celebrations leading up the kingdom's first major royal wedding in years.
Vermont governor signs bill raising marriage age to 18
April 21, 2023 GMTMONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — A new Vermont law that raises the eligibility age for marriage to 18 takes effect in July.
Republican Gov. Phil Scott signed the legislation on Thursday, making Vermont the eighth state in the country to end child marriage.
Woman seeks parental rights after same-sex relationship ends
April 4, 2023 GMTDETROIT (AP) — The Michigan Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a dispute over parental rights when a same-sex relationship ends outside marriage.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan said the case could break new legal ground in the state.
West Virginia bans marriage for children age 15 or younger
March 29, 2023 GMTCHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia will no longer allow children under 16 to marry, after the governor signed a compromise bill Wednesday.
The law signed by Republican Gov. Jim Justice continues allowing children ages 16 and 17 to get married with restrictions.
Chipotle agrees to pay after closing store that sought union
March 28, 2023 GMTPORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Chipotle Mexican Grill has agreed to pay $240,000 to former employees as part of a settlement stemming from a complaint that the company violated federal law by closing a restaurant where workers wanted to unionize.
Child marriage ban bill defeated in West Virginia House
March 9, 2023 GMTCHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A bill that would have prohibited minors from getting married in West Virginia was defeated Wednesday night in a legislative committee.
Vermont House passes bill that raises marriage age to 18
March 3, 2023 GMTMONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — The Vermont House has passed a bill that would raise the marriage age to 18, with no exceptions, a move that supporters say would reduce domestic violence and unwanted pregnancies and improve the lives of teens.
Bill to ban child marriage passes West Virginia House
March 1, 2023 GMTCHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The West Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill Wednesday that would prohibit minors from getting married.
The Republican-dominated House passed the bill 84-13, sending it to the state Senate.
Japan PM: Ban on same-sex marriage not discrimination
March 1, 2023 GMTJapanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the country's ban on same-sex marriage is not discriminatory, insisting that constitutional freedom of marriage only envisions heterosexual unions, a comment that triggered criticism he is backtracking despite his recent apology and meeting with LGBTQ people.
‘Love doesn’t exist’: Immigrants defy forced marriage abroad
February 27, 2023 GMTGUASTALLA, Italy (AP) — From the day of her birth in Pakistan, Iram Aslam was betrothed to a cousin 17 days older. But to the young woman, who emigrated as a teenager to this Italian farm town on the Po River plain, the cousin felt like a brother.
Would-be Scottish leader under fire over gay marriage stance
February 21, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — A front-runner to become Scotland’s next leader fought to keep her campaign alive Tuesday amid a backlash over her opposition to same-sex marriage.
Scottish Finance Secretary Kate Forbes, who belongs to the evangelical Free Church of Scotland, said Monday that her faith would have prevented her from voting in favor of allowing same-sex couples to wed.
Some Anglican bishops reject leader Welby over gay marriage
February 20, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — Several Anglican bishops from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific said Monday that they no longer recognize Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby as their leader, deepening a rift within the global Anglican Communion over gay marriage.
Virginia GOP panel kills proposed amendment on gay marriage
February 17, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Republicans in the Virginia House of Delegates on Friday rejected a proposal to let voters decide whether to remove outdated language prohibiting gay marriage from the state Constitution.
US envoy confident Japan will ban LGBTQ discrimination
February 16, 2023 GMTTOKYO (AP) — U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said Wednesday he has “full confidence” that the Japanese government will take the necessary steps to ban discrimination against LGBTQ people.
LGBTQ people have been campaigning for the government to adopt an anti-discrimination law after an aide to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters he wouldn’t want to live next to LGBTQ people and that citizens would flee Japan if same-sex marriages were allowed.
California will try to enshrine right to same-sex marriage
February 15, 2023 GMTSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California, a U.S. trendsetter for progressive policies and a state where the current governor once made news issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in San Francisco before it was legal, will attempt to enshrine marriage equality in the state constitution.
Church of England allows blessings for same-sex couples
February 9, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — The Church of England’s national assembly on Thursday voted to let priests bless same-sex marriages and civil partnerships, while continuing to ban church weddings for the same couples.
LGBTQ groups demand Japan adopt equal rights law by G-7
February 7, 2023 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Japanese LGBTQ people and rights groups condemned a recent discriminatory remark by a senior aide of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, demanding his government enact laws to ban discrimination against sexual minorities, legalize same-sex marriage and guarantee equal rights before Japan hosts a Group of Seven summit in May.
Indian police nab over 2,000 men for illegal child marriages
February 4, 2023 GMTGUWAHATI, India (AP) — Indian police have arrested more than 2,000 men in a crackdown on illegal child marriages involving girls under the age of 18 in a northeastern state, officials said Saturday.
Indian gay couples begin legal battle for same-sex marriage
February 3, 2023 GMTNEW DELHI (AP) — Utkarsh Saxena and Ananya Kotia’s love story began just like any other college romance. Except no one else knew about the gay couple’s relationship.
It was 2008. Homosexuality was yet to gain a degree of acceptance in deeply conservative India, with many gay couples facing stigma and isolation.
Column: Brady’s finale didn’t go as planned, but not too bad
February 1, 2023 GMTIn a perfect world — and so much of Tom Brady's career was as close to perfection as a football player can get — the first retirement would've stuck.
He certainly did nothing to enhance his legacy by returning for another season.
Pope clarifies homosexuality and sin comments in note
January 28, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — Pope Francis has clarified his recent comments about homosexuality and sin, saying he was merely referring to official Catholic moral teaching that teaches that any sexual act outside of marriage is a sin.
Astronaut Buzz Aldrin marries longtime love on 93rd birthday
January 21, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Astronaut Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin announced on Facebook that he has married his “longtime love” in a small ceremony in Los Angeles.
Aldrin, who made history along with Neil Armstrong as the first humans to set foot on the surface of the moon, said the wedding took place on Friday, which was his 93rd birthday.
Church of England refuses to back same-sex marriage
January 18, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — The Church of England said Wednesday it will allow blessings for same-sex, civil marriages for the first time but same-sex couples still will not be allowed to marry in its churches.
The decision followed five years of debate and consultation on the church's position on sexuality.
Over 2,000 join LGBTQ march in New Delhi after COVID break
January 8, 2023 GMTNEW DELHI (AP) — More than 2,000 members of the LGBTQ community and their supporters returned to New Delhi streets on Sunday after a three-year break caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to press for equal marriage rights.
Polygamous leader pleads not guilty amid FBI investigation
December 29, 2022 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — A polygamous leader accused of taking more than 20 wives, including underage girls, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to kidnapping and tampering with evidence charges stemming from a federal investigation into his community on the Utah-Arizona border.
Judge who threw out Indiana’s gay marriage ban stepping down
December 22, 2022 GMTEVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — The federal judge who struck down Indiana’s ban on same-sex marriages a year before the U.S.
Shirley Watts, widow of drummer Charlie Watts, dies at 84
December 19, 2022 GMTShirley Ann Watts, a former art student and prominent breeder of Arabian horses who met drummer Charlie Watts well before he joined the Rolling Stones and with him formed one of rock's most enduring marriages, has died.
Biden signs gay marriage law, calls it ‘a blow against hate’
December 14, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — A celebratory crowd of thousands bundled up on a chilly Tuesday afternoon to watch President Joe Biden sign gay marriage legislation into law, a joyful ceremony that was tempered by the backdrop of an ongoing conservative backlash over gender issues.
Biden called gay marriage ‘inevitable’ and soon it’ll be law
December 10, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — A decade ago, then-Vice President Joe Biden shocked the political world and preempted his boss by suddenly declaring his support for gay marriage — one of the country's most contentious issues — on national television.
How senators ‘defied political gravity’ on same-sex marriage
December 9, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin was on the Senate floor, but her mind was on the other side of the Capitol.
The House was voting that July afternoon on Democratic legislation to protect same-sex and interracial marriages in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the federal right to an abortion.
Bill protecting same-sex, interracial unions clears Congress
December 9, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The House gave final approval Thursday to legislation protecting same-sex marriages, a monumental step in a decadeslong battle for nationwide recognition that reflects a stark turnaround in societal attitudes.
Interracial marriages to get added protection under new law
December 8, 2022 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — One day in the 1970s, Paul Fleisher and his wife were walking through a department store parking lot when they noticed a group of people looking at them. Fleisher, who is white, and his wife, who is Black, were used to “the look.” But this time it was more intense.
AP WAS THERE: Supreme Court legalizes interracial marriage
December 8, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — EDITOR’S NOTE: On June 12, 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court was wrapping up the final orders for the term. Among the cases before them was that of Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple who had been sentenced to a year in jail for violating Virginia’s ban on marriage between people of different races.
AP WAS THERE: Supreme Court gives same-sex marriage rights
December 8, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Editor's Note: On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples had the right to marry. The narrow, 5-4 decision did away with same-sex marriage bans in 14 states.
Interracial marriages to get added protection under new law
December 7, 2022 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — One day in the 1970s, Paul Fleisher and his wife were walking through a department store parking lot when they noticed a group of people looking at them. Fleisher, who is white, and his wife, who is Black, were used to “the look.” But this time it was more intense.
Friction over LGBTQ issues worsens in global Anglican church
December 7, 2022 GMTFriction has been simmering within the global Anglican Communion for many years over its 42 provinces’ sharp differences on whether to recognize same-sex marriage and ordain LGBTQ clergy.
Indonesia’s Parliament votes to ban sex outside of marriage
December 7, 2022 GMTJAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s Parliament unanimously voted on Tuesday to ban sex outside of marriage and insulting the president and state institutions.
Once in force, the bans will affect foreign visitors as well as citizens.
Same-sex couples wary despite federal marriage rights bill
December 5, 2022 GMTMary and Sharon Bishop-Baldwin were jubilant after winning a decadelong fight for the right to wed in Oklahoma.
But eight years after tying the knot — on the day they won their lawsuit challenging a state ban on gay marriage — and seven years after the U.S.
LGBTQ students wrestle with tensions at Christian colleges
December 5, 2022 GMTCOLLEGEVILLE, Minn. (AP) — As monks chanted evening prayers in the dimly lit Saint John’s University church, members of the student LGBTQ organization, QPLUS, were meeting in a dedicated, Pride flag-lined lounge at the institution’s sister Benedictine college, a few miles away across Minnesota farmland.
EXPLAINER: Congress is acting on gay, interracial marriage
December 5, 2022 GMTCHICAGO (AP) — Legislation that ensures same-sex and interracial marriages are recognized as legal unions appears headed for final approval and President Joe Biden's signature, a bipartisan agreement that reflects a wider acceptance of gay rights in both Congress and the country.
Landmark same-sex marriage bill wins Senate passage
November 30, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed bipartisan legislation Tuesday to protect same-sex marriages, an extraordinary sign of shifting national politics on the issue and a measure of relief for the hundreds of thousands of same-sex couples who have married since the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision that legalized gay marriage nationwide.
Tokyo court: Lack of law for same-sex union unconstitutional
November 30, 2022 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Japan's lack of law to protect the rights of same-sex couples to marry and become families violates the constitution, the Tokyo District Court ruled Wednesday in a closely watched case in a country still largely bound by traditional gender roles and family values.
Spanish government presents bill to fight human trafficking
November 29, 2022 GMTBARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain’s government presented a new bill Tuesday with the goal of providing better protection for economically vulnerable migrants who are in the clutches of international human trafficking rings.
Senate set to vote on bill protecting same-sex marriages
November 29, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is set to vote Tuesday on legislation to protect same-sex and interracial marriages, putting Congress one step closer to passing the landmark bill and ensuring that such unions are enshrined in federal law.
Pakistan arrests man accused of killing daughter in Italy
November 25, 2022 GMTLAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A Pakistani man suspected of killing his 18-year-old daughter in Italy after she reportedly refused an arranged marriage has been arrested and is being questioned by investigators in the capital, Islamabad, a senior police official said Friday.
Pope Francis IDs successor to conservative Providence bishop
November 23, 2022 GMTPROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Pope Francis has named a Catholic priest from New York to succeed Rhode Island Bishop Thomas Tobin when the conservative cleric retires, potentially next year.
Tobin held a press conference Wednesday morning at the cathedral in Providence to announce the changes.
US Catholic bishops worry about abortion views in the pews
November 17, 2022 GMTBALTIMORE (AP) — Even as they signaled a continued hardline stance on opposing abortion and same-sex marriage, the nation’s Catholic bishops acknowledged Wednesday that they’re struggling to reach a key audience: their own flock.
Same-sex marriage legislation clears key Senate hurdle
November 16, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Legislation to protect same-sex and interracial marriages crossed a major Senate hurdle Wednesday, putting Congress on track to take the historic step of ensuring that such unions are enshrined in federal law.
Faith groups split over bill to protect same-sex marriage
November 16, 2022 GMTAmong U.S. faith leaders and denominations, there are sharp differences over the bill advancing in the Senate that would protect same-sex and interracial marriages in federal law.
The measure, a high priority for congressional Democrats, won a key test vote Wednesday when 12 Senate Republicans joined all Democrats to forward the bill for a final vote in the coming days.
Mormon church voices support for same-sex marriage law
November 16, 2022 GMTSALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said Tuesday it would back proposed federal legislation to safeguard same-sex marriages, marking the latest show of support for the measure from conservative-leaning groups.
Congress faces leaders in flux, big to-do list post-election
November 14, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is returning to an extremely volatile post-election landscape, with control of the House still undecided, party leadership in flux and a potentially consequential lame-duck session with legislation on gay marriage, Ukraine and government funding.
LGBTQ-friendly votes signal progressive shift for Methodists
November 12, 2022 GMTThe United Methodist Church moved toward becoming more progressive and LGBTQ-affirming during U.S. regional meetings this month that included the election of its second openly gay bishop. Conservatives say the developments will only accelerate their exit from one of the nation’s largest Protestant denominations.
Designer ready for high court fight on excluding gay couples
November 8, 2022 GMTLITTLETON, Colo. (AP) — A Christian web designer who contends her religious beliefs prevent her from making wedding websites for gay couples said Monday that her legal battle in the U.S. Supreme Court next month is about protecting everyone’s right to free speech.
Miss Puerto Rico, Miss Argentina announce they are married
November 3, 2022 GMTHAVANA (AP) — Two former beauty queens, Fabiola Valentín of Puerto Rico and Mariana Valera of Argentina, announced this week that they had secretly married.
The joint Instagram post spurred celebration in LGBTQ communities across Latin America, a region that has historically lagged on gay rights but has made small steps in recent years.
Voters can erase racist wording in Alabama Constitution
November 1, 2022 GMTMONTGOMERY, Ala (AP) — The Alabama Constitution, approved in 1901 to entrench white supremacy, still has language regarding segregated schools, poll taxes and bans on interracial marriage.
Japan’s capital begins same-sex partnership recognition
November 1, 2022 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Japan's capital, Tokyo, began issuing certificates recognizing same-sex couples on Tuesday, becoming the largest municipality to do so in a country in which same-sex marriage is not allowed.
120,000 parade at Taiwan Pride celebration despite rain
October 29, 2022 GMTTAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Some 120,000 paraded in the streets of Taipei as the city’s 20th annual Pride event celebrated the LGBTQ community Saturday in spite of the rainy weather.
The Taiwan Pride Parade began in 2003 with just 700 participants gathering in a park in central Taipei — most of them wearing face masks to avoid stigmatization.
Florida faculty vote no-confidence in process to pick Sasse
October 27, 2022 GMTGAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — University of Florida faculty members expressed their displeasure Thursday with Nebraska U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse being named as the lone finalist for the school’s presidency.
The Faculty Senate approved a no-confidence vote on the selection process by a margin of 67-15, the Gainesville Sun reported.