National

Supreme Court rules in Westboro’s favor

Outrageously anti-gay church wins on controversial free speech ruling

Published

12 years ago

March 2, 2011

Staff reports

Members of Westboro Baptist Church (Blade file photo by Michael Key)

The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church is entitled to First Amendment protections when picketing at funerals.

The court ruled 8-1 in favor of the small Kansas church, which is mostly comprised of family members of Rev. Fred Phelps. Westboro picketed the funerals of gay men who died from AIDS for years before shifting tactics and targeting funerals of service members killed in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Phelps and his followers blame America’s tolerance of homosexuality for various tragedies.

A lower court had awarded $5 million to the father of a dead Marine who sued Westboro after a protest at his son’s funeral in Westminster, Md. An appeals court tossed out that judgment and the Supreme Court upheld that decision.

“Speech is powerful. It can stir people to action, move them to tears of both joy and sorrow, and — as it did here — inflict great pain. On the facts before us, we cannot react to that pain by punishing the speaker,” said Chief Justice John Roberts. “As a nation we have chosen a different course — to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate.”

Justice Samuel Alito was the sole dissenter, writing, “Our profound national commitment to free and open debate is not a license for the vicious verbal assault that occurred in this case.”

Virginia

Va. Senate committee kills six anti-transgender bills

Democrats control chamber by 22-18 margin

Published

12 hours ago

February 2, 2023

Staff reports

(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The Virginia Senate Education Committee on Thursday killed six anti-transgender bills.

The committee rejected state Sen. Mark Peake (R-Lynchburg)’s Senate Bill 960, state Sen. Amanda Chase (R-Colonial Heights)’s Senate Bill 791 and state Sen. Bryce Reeves (R-Spotsylvania County)’s Senate Bill 1203. All three measures would have banned transition-related health care for minors in Virginia.

The committee also killed state Sen. John Cosgrove (R-Chesapeake)’s Senate Bill 911, Reeves’ Senate Bill 1186 and Peake’s Senate Bill 962. The measures would have banned transgender athletes from school teams corresponding with their gender identity.

Equality Virginia in a tweet said committee members received more than 3,000 emails “in opposition” to the bills. The statewide advocacy group further noted 10 out of 12 anti-trans bills introduced during this year’s legislative session have been defeated.

“Thank you to everyone who has spoken up against these bills,” said Equality Virginia. “Virginia is remaining a better, more inclusive state because of your efforts.”

“The fight isn’t over,” added the advocacy group. “But we know Virginians will show up for trans youth, day after day.”

Thank you to everyone who has spoken up against these bills. Virginia is remaining a better, more inclusive state because of your efforts.

The fight isn’t over, but we know Virginians will show up for trans youth, day after day. Because #transyouthbelong.

— Equality Virginia (@EqualityVA) February 2, 2023

Virginia

Va. Senate subcommittee essentially kills three anti-transgender bills

Measures would ban transition-related health care for minors

Published

2 days ago

February 1, 2023

Staff reports

(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

A Virginia Senate subcommittee on Tuesday essentially killed three bills that would have banned transition-related health care for minors in the state.

Equality Virginia in a tweet noted the Senate Health Subcommittee “recommended killing” state Sen. Mark Peake (R-Lynchburg)’s Senate Bill 960, state Sen. Amanda Chase (R-Colonial Heights)’s Senate Bill 791 and state Sen. Bryce Reeves (R-Spotsylvania County)’s Senate Bill 1203.

“We expect these bills to be officially dead after the full committee meets on Thursday,” said Equality Virginia.

🎉VICTORY 🎉 Tonight a Senate subcommittee recommended killing all three trans healthcare bans! We expect these bills to be officially dead after the full committee meets on Thursday! #TransYouthBelongVA #VAleg

— Equality Virginia (@EqualityVA) January 31, 2023

Democrats have a 22-18 majority in the state Senate, and they have said they will block any anti-LGBTQ bill that reaches their chamber. State Del. Danica Roem (D-Manassas), who is the first openly transgender woman seated in a state legislature in the U.S., on Tuesday reiterated this point.

“With the defeat of these bills in the Senate, our (Virginia Senate Democrats) made it clear that *any* bills in the House targeting trans kids during the final week before crossover will not become law if they make it to the Senate,” she tweeted. “Let’s focus on feeding kids, not singling them out.”

With the defeat of these bills in the Senate, our @VASenateDems made it clear that *any* bills in the House targeting trans kids during the final week before crossover will not become law if they make it to the Senate.

Let’s focus on feeding kids, not singling them out. https://t.co/vF8MOp4I8C

— Del. Danica Roem (@pwcdanica) January 31, 2023

The White House

Doug Emhoff visits monument to gay victims of the Nazis in Berlin

Second gentleman marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day at Auschwitz

Published

2 days ago

January 31, 2023

Michael K. Lavers

The Memorial to Homosexuals persecuted under Nazism in Berlin on July 23, 2022. Second gentleman Doug Emhoff visited the memorial on Jan. 31, 2023. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff on Tuesday visited a monument to gay victims of the Nazis in Berlin.

A readout from Emhoff’s office notes he visited the Memorial to the Persecuted Homosexuals under National Socialism with Philipp Braun of the Lesbian and Gay Federation of Germany, a German LGBTQ and intersex rights group. Christopher Schreiber and Alexander Scheld of the Berlin-Brandenburg Lesbian and Gay Federation were also with Emhoff.

“The Memorial to the Persecuted Homosexuals under Nazi Socialism is intended to honor the homosexual victims of National Socialism and at the same time ‘set a constant sign against intolerance, hostility and exclusion towards gays and lesbians,'” notes the readout.

Emhoff on Tuesday visited other memorials that honor the Sinti and Roma and people with disabilities who the Nazis killed. The second gentleman also visited Berlin’s Holocaust memorial before he met with five people who survived it.

The second gentleman earlier in the day participated in a roundtable with Jewish, Muslim and Christian leaders and met with Ukrainian refugees at Berlin’s New Synagogue. Emhoff on Monday participated in a meeting at the city’s Topography of Terror Museum that focused on antisemitism.

In Berlin, I met with experts from around Europe to hear about what our allies and friends are doing to combat antisemitism. We can build coalitions, learn from each other, and trade best practices. It’s going to take a global effort to tackle this epidemic of hate. pic.twitter.com/BeA1tP4aMy

— Douglas Emhoff (@SecondGentleman) January 31, 2023

International Holocaust Memorial Day, which commemorates the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland in 1945, took place on Jan. 27.

Emhoff, who is Jewish, traveled to the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Memorial and Museum and participated in ceremonies that commemorated the camp’s liberation. He later attended a Shabbat dinner with members of the Jewish community in Krakow, visited Oscar Schindler’s factory and met with Ukrainian refugees at a U.N. Refugee Agency community center before he traveled to Germany.

I’m still processing what I saw today at Auschwitz. It was emotional. Displays of children’s shoes. Piles of women’s hair.

We must educate the next generation on the horrors of the Holocaust and call out those who deny it. pic.twitter.com/a6NjlTvYqd

— Douglas Emhoff (@SecondGentleman) January 27, 2023