(MNW) Texas Still Using DOMA to Attack Gay Couples!

Texas has won the right to have gays and lesbians fired for taking medical leave. The state's also working on a sneaky work-around to stop marriage equality, just in case the Supreme Court overturns the state's ban. And Alabama officials says that maybe gays and lesbians don't want to get married after all.

(Gay USA) Progress and Regress!

IN THE NEWS THIS WEEK WITH ANN AND ANDY (taped 3/18/15):

• Progress to report in Iowa, Alabama, Arizona, Puerto Rico, Michigan, Washington, DC, and East Grand Rapids, MI.
• Regress to report in Alabama, Florida, and Indiana.
• Reform Jews elect their first out gay or lesbian leader.
• The Presbyterian Church opens marriage to same-sex couples as rightwing fundamentalist Christians mobilize to take over the country.
• Former gay couple Dolce and Gabbana inspire calls for a boycott of their products over their condemnation of gay families and children born through IVF.
• LGBT groups march in St. Patrick’s Day parades in Boston, Washington, DC, and New York for the first time, but New York still bans Irish gay groups from an Irish parade.
• Andy reviews Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II in THE AUDIENCE and Kristen Chenoweth in the revival of ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY.

(MNW) Texas Sues to Stop Gays From Taking Family Leave!

It's been nearly two months since marriage was supposed to start in Alabama, and the state still doesn't have its act together. Texas just filed a lawsuit to prevent gays and lesbians from taking family medical leave. And it's going to take at least five different bills to overturn Michigan's marriage ban.

(Gay USA) Forwards and Backwards!

IN THE NEWS THIS WEEK WITH ANN AND ANDY (taped 3/11/15):

• There are now more than 60 anti-LGBT bills pending in 25 states as the backlash continues.
• The US Supreme Court sets April 28 for oral arguments on the big same-sex marriage cases.
• On the 50th anniversary of the Selma march, President Obama integrates the fight for LGBT rights into the Civil Rights struggle as we remember some of the gay veterans of that march.
• Oklahoma is in process of maybe ending state marriage licenses.
• Colorado moves to ban so-called “conversion therapy” for minors.
• Wellesley College, a historically women’s college, announces it will accept transgender women as students.
• We mourn the loss of New York gay and AIDS activist Vinny Allegrini.
• Transgender activists in Canada have a unique way of fighting back against anti-transgender bathroom bills.
• Peru rejects civil unions for gay couples.
• Florence Henderson sings a saucy rendition of “There is Nothing Like a Dame” at the Broadway Backwards benefit

(Gay USA) Resistance is Futile!

• The Alabama Supreme Court engages in massive resistance, ordering county probate judges to cease licensing same-sex marriages.
• In Nebraska, a federal judge rules the ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional.
• Texas will try to ban local LGBT rights laws, undoing protections for more than seven million people compliments of a Republican bigot with a gay activist son.
• Anti-gay legislation advanced in North Carolina, West Virginia and Oklahoma. There are more than 30 such bills in 12 states.
• Charlotte, NC narrowly defeated its LGBT rights ordinance. And Springfield, Missouri will vote on whether to repeal theirs on April 7.
• A suspect is finally indicted in the 2013 killing of transwoman Islan Nettles in Harlem.
• Gay pioneer Rev. Malcolm Boyd has died at 91.
• Slovenia opens marriage and adoption to same-sex couples, while Russia tries to stop the UN from providing spousal benefits for gay employees.
• James Lecesne who wrote the Academy Award-winning film “Trevor” has an exciting new solo show about a gay youth in a small town. James and director Tony Speciale will be our guests on GAY USA next week. The show is at Dixon Place to March 27, but we expect it to have a life after that. For info on the Dixon Place production, go here.

(MNW) Alabama Goes Rogue on Marriage!

by Matt Baume

The Alabama Supreme Court just went rogue on marriage, and that has George Takei pretty annoyed. Hundreds of Republicans just asked the U.S. Supreme Court to enact full federal equality. And the National Organization for Marriage's losing streak continues with yet another slapdown in court.

(Gay USA) First the BAD News.....!

• In Arkansas, a bill is allowed to become law that stops localities from enacting civil rights protections beyond what the state does, effectively banning local LGBT rights ordinances.
• Criticism grows that national LGBT groups, Arkansas-based corporations and prominent Arkansans such as the Clintons did little or nothing to stop this hateful law.
• Wyoming defeats an LGBT rights bill, but by the time it was voted on it was not worth having.
• One same-sex marriage was conducted legally in Texas, but state officials want it voided.
• The Pope compared transitioning as transgender to nuclear war.
• Researchers have found a way for a same-sex couple to have a biological child without sperm or egg donation.
• Two big wins in the fight against HIV criminalization.
• Andy reviews an evening of new one-act plays by David Ives.
• We’ll give you the gay angle on the Oscars.

(MNW) Texas Gets Things Wrong!

Texas lawmakers are gunning for the judge who let two lesbians to get married. Meanwhile, homophobic lawmakers celebrate the 10th anniversary of the state's marriage ban. There's just one problem: the law will probably be overturned before it actually turns ten. Plus various native American tribes are in the process of legalizing marriage.

(Gay USA) Moves and Losses!

• The backlash against advances in LGBT rights is in full swing in some states.
• Arkansas is enacting a law to preclude localities from protecting LGBT rights.
• Activists fight back in Arkansas and Kansas, but where are the big LGBT groups?
• Murderous violence against LGBT people continues.
• Kate Brown is sworn in as Governor of Oregon and much note is made that she is the first open bisexual U.S. governor.
• Lesley Gore, pop singer, feminist and lesbian has died at 68.
• Jerry Hoose, Stonewall veteran and activist to the end, has died at 69.
• Big marriage moves in Mexico and Chile, but mixed result in Italy.
• Andy reviews Eugene O’Neill’s “The Iceman Cometh” starring Nathan Lane.

(GAY USA) Tense Relations!

• Same-sex marriages did get underway in parts of Alabama amid chaos and massive resistance in most parts of the state.
• In New Jersey, a judge rules that so-called “gay conversion therapy” is consumer fraud.
• The wicked governor of Kansas finds another way to show his contempt for gay people.
• Murders of LGBT people to report on from New Orleans to Massachusetts.
• In Slovakia, 90% of those who showed up to vote approved anti-gay referenda, but the measures lost despite a push by the Pope. We will explain how.
• The rightwing government in Malaysia uses an anti-gay law to imprison the opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim.
• The big winner at the Grammys is an out gay man.
• We will review Cynthia Nixon’s directorial debut—“Rasheeda Speaking,” a play about race relations—and “The Events” about coping with mass murder.

(MNW) Alabama homophobes lose another round -- but could still come back!

Things are finally settling down in Alabama. We'll take a look at just how messy it got last week, and what happens now. Plus, Justice Ginsburg makes some pretty candid predictions for the Supreme Court's upcoming marriage decision.

(Gay USA) Total Denial!

• A federal appeals court won’t stop same-sex marriages from going forward in Alabama on February 9th.
• President Obama proposes Social Security justice for gay married couples who live in states that don’t recognize their marriages.
• The Republican chair of the US House’s subcommittee on human rights says that LGBT rights are not human rights.
• Some progress on the legislative front in Virginia……and regress in Indiana.
• A couple of stories on how it is never too late to come out.
• Sao Paulo launches a new way to help transgender kids.
• The Massachusetts Department of Health says why HIV rates are lower in the Commonwealth.

(MNW) Things just got even messier in Alabama!

Marriage starts today in Alabama, and the usual suspects are still trying to figure out some way to stop it. Nebraska accidentally passed a bill that will recognize gay and lesbian couples, but only when they're carrying a concealed firearm. And we're on a fast track for rulings in several southern states.

(Gay USA) Opening Up, but Not Backing Down!

-Turn out the lights. A federal judge ordered Alabama to open marriage to gay couples. And then she did it again.


-An out Alabama legislator is threatening retaliation against so-called “family values” colleagues who themselves are threatening massive resistance to marriage equality.

-The Mormons act as if they are for LGBT rights, but propose a dangerous catch.

-An Arizona woman wins a landmark decision dismissing her arrest for walking while transgender.

-Saks department stores back down in their challenge to the right of transgender people to sue for discrimination.

-The fire chief of Atlanta, fired for pushing an anti-gay, anti-woman gospel, files a suit saying he was discriminated against based on his religion.

-President Obama went to visit anti-gay foreign leaders and all we got was this stupid t-shirt.

-We’ll talk about a new gay way to fight off Alzheimer’s.
-Andy reviews Turgenev’s A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY starring Peter Dinklage and Taylor Schilling.

(MNW) Anti-Gay Lawmakers Seek Revenge with New Laws!

Marriage could be starting next week in Alabama. Anti-gay officials are saying that they don’t have to let gay couples get married, but their reasoning isn’t exactly what you would call true. Oklahoma’s marriage equality backlash is getting dangerous, with a proposed law that would hand new victims to ex-gay predators. And the National Organization for Marriage thinks they’ll have an impact on the 2016 presidential election.

(GAY USA) Winners and Losers!

• We are going to the Supreme Court again with a national right to marriage on the line.
• President Obama breaks new ground in his State of the Union speech.
• The Pope calls gay marriage a threat.
• A new controversy over cake in Colorado.
• Thailand looks to protect a third gender in its constitution.
• Chile close to legalizing civil unions for gay and non-gay couples.
• Billy Crystal says gay themes are going too far.
• Coach Beiste comes out on Glee.
• Andy reviews “Constellations” with Jake Gyllenhall and Ruth Wilson.

(MNW) Politician Wants Arrests After Gays Marry!

There's a big fight underway right now in Alabama, with a Judge overturning a marriage ban and state officials refusing to obey his order to issue licenses. Anti-gay politicians are threatening to ban all marriage licenses if the Supreme Court rules in favor of equality. And one lawmaker even wants to send clerks to jail if they issue licenses to anyone -- gay or straight.

(Gay USA) Victories in Marriage and Themes!

• Another state heard from: Judge strikes down ban on same-sex marriage in South Dakota

• The Fifth Circuit seems poised to overturn gay marriage bans in Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi
• As the Mayor of Atlanta stands up to religious anti-gay bigotry, more and more states are scrambling to pass “religious freedom” laws that would bless anti-gay discrimination.

• Illinois’ new Republican governor appoints an anti-gay bigot to head state board of education.
• A Catholic priest in Dublin comes out and gets a surprising reaction from his congregation.
• Russia has found a new way to be cruel to people of transgender experience.
• A breakthrough in the persecution of 26 men arrested in a bathhouse in Cairo.
• Big wins for transgender and gay and AIDS themes at the Golden Globes.

(MNW) More Sneaky Anti-Gay Laws Popping Up!

It's been a huge week for marriage equality. Florida became the 36th state with the freedom to marry, judges in three southern states heard oral arguments, and the Supreme Court considered cases from five states. Plus a lawmaker in Texas is wasting everyone's time with a new anti-gay law that would make life difficult for everyone.

(MNW) Florida Marriage Equality is Still in Jeopardy!

Marriage is starting this week in Florida. So why are our opponents saying it's not? We'll take a look at what's really going on, and how they're still trying to stop the weddings. Also this week: oral argument in Louisiana could get pretty heated. Another Supreme Court conference. And some surprising polling.