(AP) Republican officials rejected an emotional plea Monday to back off the GOP's opposition to same-sex marriage, renewing the party's embrace of religious conservative values as delegates prepared to welcome Donald Trump to their national convention.

(WB) House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), eager to capitalize on the U.S. government coming to the brink of a shutdown with Democrats in control of Congress, was thrown off on Thursday when asked about an LGBT issue in other news of the week.

Three Iowa Supreme Court justices who helped legalize gay marriage in the state seven years ago will face voters on Nov. 8 for the first time since the ruling, but they are refusing to campaign for their jobs because they argue the courts should remain above politics.

One small island has succeeded where most countries struggle.

(WB) A Japanese court on Wednesday ruled the country’s constitution does not ban same-sex couples from legally marrying and ensures them a right to marry.

An ad agency approached Jefferson Starship Singer Grace Slick to use her group’s song “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” for a Chick-fil-A commercial. The faith-based company “pisses (her) off” because of their anti-LGBT history, but she agreed — with a catch.

Last year, a woman who describes herself as “a Louisville, Kentucky photographer and private photo editor with a heart for Jesus," sued the city over its Fairness Ordinance, which prevented discrimination based on sexuality and gender identity.

A widow seeking survivor benefits is hoping for a change of heart from the Justice Department.

If there was any doubt that social media sows discontent and division, media coverage of Facebook cleared that up for us last week.

The daughter of Cuban President Raúl Castro on Saturday said hate crimes remain a problem in countries that have extended marriage rights to same-sex couples.

(WM) Las Vegas has been known for decades as the place for exuberant nuptials blessed by the swirl of Elvis’ white capes. But for years, legal marriages were barred for same-sex couples.

(WM) Nevada will vote this November on whether to repeal a same-sex marriage ban from the state’s constitution, the first statewide vote on such a ban in the five years since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized the marriages nationwide.

(WB) The president of the Philippines on Sunday said he supports marriage rights for same-sex couples.

(WB) An all-time high of 64 percent of Americans now support same-sex marriage nearly two years after the U.S. Supreme Court’s historic decision in favor of marriage equality nationwide, according to a Gallup poll.

Protestants came in at their highest, 55 percent, and Republicans at theirs, 47, in support of same-sex marriage during Gallup’s annual Values and Benefits poll conducted May 3 – 7.  The specific question, as worded by the Gallup poll pertains as to whether same-sex marriage “should be recognized by the law as valid,” compared to similar polls that ask whether a person is in favor of same-sex marriage, leaving the question up for moral interpretation, versus legal.

(WM) A Nebraska lawmaker known as a strong advocate for the LGBT community presented a ballot measure to a legislative committee Jan. 29 that would abolish the state’s unenforceable ban on same-sex marriages.

Debut author Tasha Suri, who has written the epic tale, "The Jasmine Throne," talks about her book that is filled with action, suspense and LGBT characters that you'll love.

(AP) Romania's constitutional court says it will consult with a European court regarding the case of a same-sex American-Romanian couple who want their union to be legally recognized in Romania.

(WM) Five years after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriages around the U.S., more than a half-million households are made up of married same-sex couples, according to figures the U.S. Census Bureau released Sept. 17.

You may be able to discriminate over sexual orientation, but you can’t discriminate over religious beliefs. The Satanic Temple is using that right to help same-sex couples get the wedding cakes they need.

While there was cause for alarm for LGBT people watching the opening day of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020-21 session Monday, there was also at least a tiny bit of reassurance, too. 

Chloe Rogerson, like many others, adopted a dog during the COVID-19 lockdown. She fell in love with her new pet, Diesel, but had trouble finding cute bandanas for him due to his large size.

In the short time since same-sex marriage became legal throughout the U.S., wedding trends among LGBT couples have changed dramatically. A survey conducted via collaboration between WeddingWire, Inc., GayWeddings, The Gay Wedding Institute and Community Marketing & Insights (CMI) found that 79 percent of same-sex couples are now celebrating their unions with a formal ceremony and reception with invited guests. That figure represents a 36 percent increase since a similar survey conducted in 2013.The average same-sex couple spends $11,000 on their wedding, according to the survey, an 88 percent increase since 2013. More than two-thirds of those weddings are held in the couple’s home state because they no longer need to travel to other states or countries to tie the knot.

Now Jonathan and Frederic the Tortoises can have the wedding of their dreams.

(WB) A referendum on the extension of marriage rights to same-sex couples in Switzerland is likely to take place later this year.

(AP) Teen suicide attempts in the U.S. declined after same-sex marriage became legal and the biggest impact was among gay, lesbian and bisexual kids, a study found.

(AP) Tens of thousands of people have marched in Paris to call for the repeal of a law allowing gay marriage, six months before France's next presidential election.

You may have heard the term “Trauma-Informed Care” lately.

A Canadian gay man my age wrote to ask if I felt we had lost something special because of the progress we’ve made in our movement. 

(WB) A spokesperson for the British Foreign Office on Monday said a bill that would rescind marriage rights for same-sex couples in Bermuda is “a matter for the” island territory’s government.