A number of same-sex spouses and widows who were legally married in Massachusetts have filed a lawsuit against the federal government, claiming that a 1996 federal law discriminates against married same-sex couples by limiting certain protections and benefits that are normally provided to married...

Today the New Jersey Supreme Court sided with Scabby the Rat in a battle over First Amendment rights in Lawrence Township, New Jersey. The court ruled that a local ordinance enforced against a labor protester displaying the ten foot tall rat balloon was an unconstitutional restriction of speech. T...

Hate crimes in the U.S. saw a slight decline overall in 2007, but crimes against gay and lesbian victims increased over the previous year, according to statistics released Monday by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In its report Hate Crime Statistics, 2007, the FBI analyzes 7,624 hate crim...

Same-sex couples in California began officially tying the knot on Monday evening, as a historic state court ruling opening the door to same-sex marriage went into effect. A number of counties in the state -- including Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sonoma counties -- began issuing marriage licenses...

The state of New York will recognize same-sex marriages and unions that are formed and legally validated in other jurisdictions, under an order issued by New York Governor David Paterson. According to CNN.com, Governor Paterson's legal counsel has instructed state agencies to revise their policies "...

A federal appeals court has reinstated an Air Force reservist's challenge to the constitutionality of the U.S. military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, ordering the lower court to re-examine the policy under a stricter standard of review. The suit was filed by U.S. Air Force Major Margar...

The Michigan Supreme Court ruled yesterday that public employers in the state cannot provide health-insurance benefits to their employees' same-sex domestic partners, because the provision of such benefits violates a Michigan Constitution amendment defining marriage and "similar unions." In a 5-2 de...