Religion & Law

MT: Revised Helena ?sex ed? plan faces scrutiny

Posted on September 29, 2010
KULR (AP): "Opponents of a revised sex education plan for Helena schools are bashing the new version for teaching too much, too soon, while supporters are lauding it as necessary instruction."

CO: In gubernatorial race, GOP becoming third party

Posted on September 29, 2010
Politico: "A new Pulse Opinion Research survey of the three-way contest released Tuesday showed Maes capturing just 15 percent of the vote, 19 points behind American Constitution candidate Tom Tancredo, who launched a bid after he rendered the Republican unelectable...

Australia: No free Labor vote on same-sex ?marriage?

Posted on September 29, 2010
Sydney Morning Herald: "Prime Minister Julia Gillard has ruled out Labor MPs being allowed a conscience vote on a new move to allow same-sex marriage."

Navajo Nation can?t fight adoption of tribal kids

Posted on September 29, 2010
Salt Lake Tribune: "The Utah Supreme Court dismissed an appeal Tuesday in which the Navajo Nation sought to undo the adoption of two Navajo siblings by a non-American Indian family. The justices unanimously ruled the Navajo Nation failed to file a properly signed appeal on time, leaving the high court no jurisdiction over the case...

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IN: Case goes to mediation, can mother place child for adoption without father?s consent?

Posted on September 29, 2010
The Courier-Journal: "A boy at the center of a court battle between an Indiana couple who wants to adopt him and his biological father in Ohio left a Floyd County court building Tuesday night in the arms of his adoptive father, but there was no clear indication of where he would stay...

Ontario prostitution decision could impact Manitoba

Posted on September 29, 2010
Global Winnipeg: "A court decision in a neighbouring province could end up decriminalizing aspects of the sex trade in Manitoba."

Canada: Federal government will likely appeal prostitution ruling

Posted on September 29, 2010
CTV Calgary: "The Harper government says it will likely appeal a court ruling which strikes down parts of Canada's prostitution laws."

Canada: Prostitution law decision could affect Saskatoon case

Posted on September 29, 2010
CKOM: "The striking down of three key prostitution laws by an Ontario court could have repercussions on a Saskatoon case."

?Islamic hard-liners protest Indonesia?s gay and lesbian film festival?

Posted on September 29, 2010
The Jakarta Globe: "More than 100 members of the Islamic Defenders Front launched protests against foreign-run venues participating in Indonesia?s gay and lesbian film festival on Tuesday."

British Army advised US on DADT repeal

Posted on September 29, 2010
People Management: "But while deliberation in American political circles continues, the British Army?s diversity unit confirmed it had been advising its military counterparts across the Atlantic on integrating such an equality policy and sharing the successes of the repeal in the UK...

Eric Holder: A confirmation crisis in our courts

Posted on September 29, 2010
Attorney General Eric Holder writes in The Washington Post: "Nominee after nominee has languished in the Senate for many months, only to be confirmed by wide bipartisan margins when they finally do receive a vote. As Congress finishes its last week in session before the November elections, our judicial system desperately needs the Senate to act...

Diaz closer to confirmation for 4th Circuit

Posted on September 29, 2010
Charlotte Observer: "Of all the judicial nominees awaiting confirmation by the U.S. Senate, none has waited longer than Charlottean Albert Diaz. Now supporters hope the wait is about to end. Diaz, who would be the first Hispanic judge on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, is among the nominees the U...

ADF: Voter-approved Act 1 adoption, foster care law should be upheld

Posted on September 29, 2010
Attorneys and allied attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed their opening brief with the Arkansas Supreme Court Wednesday in defense of Act 1, a voter-approved measure that protects children who are adopted or placed into foster care. An Arkansas judge struck down the law in April in a decision that erroneously characterized voters as attempting to target ?homosexual couples?one politically unpopular group? even though the law does not do so.

Arkansas AG files brief defending adoption ban

Posted on September 29, 2010
KTHV: "The Arkansas attorney general's office is asking the state supreme court to uphold an adoption ban, voters approved two years ago. It bans unmarried couples who live together, from adopting a child in the state. Some argue it is a law that targets homosexuals and a lower court overturned it...

Australia ex-PM Howard attacks ?multiculturalism?

Posted on September 29, 2010
AFP: "Australia's former prime minister John Howard has attacked 'multiculturalism' in English-speaking nations, saying that some sectors have gone too far in accommodating Muslim minorities."

Defenders of marriage are tolerant

Posted on September 29, 2010
MercatorNet / Sheila Reports: "[Californians] who want their constitutionally expressed will to be legally established have tolerated the repeated necessity of fighting for it in court . . . The breadth of support for the marriage amendment is showing ...

ACLU: ?Time to get rid of the abstinence-only zombie?

Posted on September 29, 2010
Allie Bohm writing at the ACLU Blog of Rights: "Fortunately, Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) are saying no. Today, they introduced the Repealing Ineffective and Incomplete Abstinence-Only Program Funding Act of 2010, which would repeal the entire Title V statute ...

Maine: Owner of strip club in Westbrook sues the city

Posted on September 29, 2010
The Portland Press Herald: "The owner of a full-nudity strip club on Warren Avenue that was shut down by city officials earlier this month has sued the city of Westbrook and Fire Inspector Charles Jarrett."

NJ: Library changes room use policy because of legal concerns

Posted on September 29, 2010
Millburn-Shorthills Patch: "Millburn Public Library officials last week approved changes to its room rental agreement after concerns were raised it was unconstitutional. Bill Swinson, library director, said the Alliance Defense Fund based in Kansas sent the library a letter warning the policy was unconstitutional because it specifically mentioned there could be no religious services or religious discussion groups to meet at the library...

Which words does Google Instant blacklist?

Posted on September 29, 2010
CNN: "Google has opened itself up to a potential PR problem, because some of these omissions will be at best bewildering and at worst offensive to particularly sensitive (or progressive) users who don't understand how Google Instant actually works. For example, 'bisexual' and 'lesbian' are among the restricted words...

Republican senators lash out at Jim DeMint

Posted on September 29, 2010
Politico: "South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint last week accused his Senate Republican colleagues of doing 'everything' in their power to help Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski?s write-in campaign against GOP nominee Joe Miller . . . A number of Republican senators told POLITICO Tuesday that DeMint was skewing the GOP Conference?s position solidly backing Miller, saying he was intensifying a rift within a party that?s trying to unite following a divisive primary season...

Obama to tap NY lawyer for DC circuit

Posted on September 29, 2010
Associated Press: "A government official said Wednesday that Obama was nominating Caitlin Halligan, general counsel at the D.A.'s office, to the court. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the nomination had not been made public."

OH: Galion City Council reviews sexually oriented business regulations

Posted on September 29, 2010
WMFD: "The first reading of a measure detailing regulations for sexually-oriented businesses was the topic of discussion at Tuesday's Galion City Council meeting."

Judge lifts ban on federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research

Posted on September 29, 2010
The New American: "The Alliance Defense Fund is involved in the lawsuit that challenges the use of federal funds for embryonic stem-cell research. [Steven Aden], senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund reacted to the Appeals Court decision...

Leahy introduces bill to allow retired Justices to serve

Posted on September 29, 2010
The Blog of Legal Times: "Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) has put into writing a proposal he first discussed publicly in June: allowing a retired U.S. Supreme Court justice to hear a case when a sitting justice has recused."

?US federal appeals panel orders review of gay Serbian?s asylum request?

Posted on September 29, 2010
Winnipeg Free Press (AP): "The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday ordered the Board of Immigration Appeals to review Mladen Zeljko Todorovic's case again. The board had ruled that Todorovic's testimony could not be used because he wasn't a 'credible witness...

UK: Labour?s top gay MPs stand for shadow cabinet

Posted on September 29, 2010
Pink News: "Four of Labour's best-known out gay MPs are among the 49 standing for the shadow cabinet elections. Former ministers Chris Bryant, Ben Bradshaw, Angela Eagle and Stephen Twigg were on the list on nominees published at 5pm today."

Europe court to hear Jehovah Witness tax case against France

Posted on September 29, 2010
Expatica: "The European Court of Human Rights said Wednesday it had agreed to consider a case brought by the Jehovah Witness Christian sect against the French government over taxation of donations."

MN: Basilica artist suspended over marriage DVD protest

Posted on September 29, 2010
The Minnesota Daily: "The DVD defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman and includes an appearance from Archbishop John Nienstedt of St. Paul and Minneapolis saying the definition of marriage should be brought before Minnesota voters . . ...

OK: Norman City Council approves October as LGBT Month

Posted on September 29, 2010
The Oklahoma Daily: "Nearly three hours of debate Tuesday night at Norman City Council's meeting resulted in a 7 to1 pass vote of a proclamation that designated October as Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered History Month in Norman."

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