The United States Supreme Court has been at the center of American political life for decades. The court’s recent actions, though, have laid the groundwork for a more combative relationship with the public. While the court used to be the champion of progressive politics, the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade marks a new and aggressive conservative […]

As the United States anxiously awaits a final ruling on reproductive rights from its Supreme Court, Japan is reeling from a devastating decision on marriage equality from a district court in Osaka.  The Osaka District Court recently ruled against three same-sex couples and declared that the island nation’s current ban on marriage equality doesn’t violate […]

We are social creatures, and marriage is strongly linked to our need for family, community, and belonging. It also provides us with a means to grapple with our mortality. The love that we share with a lifelong partner is a bond that gives us meaning that transcends our physical bodies. Marriage is a beautiful idea. […]

A significant victory for marriage equality in the United States was achieved in 2015 with the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision. Nevertheless, the struggle continues around the world for same-sex couples to win and retain this right. Recent gains in countries such as Mexico are still challenged by their adversaries, while marriage reform […]

A lawyer whose firm has filed a friend of the court brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in favor of ending marriage discrimination notes that marriage equality is not a threat to any religious liberties. The courts are addressing civil marriage for same-sex couples, and it will have no impact on how religions prepare sermons, […]

A religious and LGBT support group gathers in Harlem to discuss the struggles and joys of being gay and faithful. Leading an open public forum titled “Ain’t no Hurt Like a Gospel Hurt,” the group hosts discussion leading toward healing and understanding. While many in the LGBT community have felt shunned and hurt by guilt […]

As the Supreme Court prepares to consider whether states must license and recognize same-sex marriage, the U.S. military takes substantial steps in changing LGBT rights in the military. Due partly to prior Supreme Court decisions, including the Windsor case that struck down parts of DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) in 2011, as well as the […]

Lately, conservative bakers have been in the news for their objections to constructing wedding cakes for same-sex couples. Melissa Klein was the darling of the Values Voter Summit as she sobbed onstage about being “forced” to close her bakery, Sweet Cakes By Melissa, after incurring a lawsuit for refusal of service to a lesbian couple. […]

A recent study in Science reveals some potentially surprising findings about our understanding of morality. As it turns out, individuals who identify themselves as religious are no more “moral” in their day-to-day behavior than individuals who don’t identify as being religious. The study, conducted with over 1,200 people, required participants to receive five random texts […]

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to question long-accepted myths about the sanctity of marriage. If you are preparing to get ordained, you may be pondering the moral and philosophical nuances of traditional marriage. The deeper you look, the more you may find that your ideas about marriage, and what you take for granted […]