Gender & Sexuality
Georgia bill aims to protect religious liberty. Opponents say it’s a license to discriminate
By Jeff Amy — February 23, 2024
ATLANTA (AP) — That religious protection bill resurfaced Thursday eight years after lawmakers passed a different version of the measure.
Georgia GOP senators seek to ban sexually explicit books from school libraries, reduce sex education
By Jeff Amy — February 22, 2024
ATLANTA (AP) — The measure passed by the Education Committee would ban distribution of any sexual materials to students in sixth grade and below and restrict them for seventh grade and above.
Despite reforms, victims say church’s in-house processes to handle sex abuse cases retraumatizes
By Nicole Winfield — February 21, 2024
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Despite new church laws to hold bishops accountable and promises to do better, the Catholic Church’s in-house legal system and pastoral response to victims has proven incapable of dealing with the problem.
New York Archdiocese denounces transgender activist’s funeral held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral
By Brian P. D. Hannon — February 19, 2024
(AP) — The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York condemned the funeral of Cecilia Gentili, which was held in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan and drew a large audience on Thursday.
Greece just legalized same-sex marriage. Will other Orthodox countries join them any time soon?
By Dasha Litvinova and Peter Smith — February 16, 2024
Roughly 200 million Eastern Orthodox live primarily in Eastern Europe and neighboring Asian lands, with about half that total in Russia, while smaller numbers live across the world.
Greece becomes first Orthodox Christian country to legalize same-sex civil marriage
By Nicholas Paphitis — February 15, 2024
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Supporters, waving rainbow banners, and opponents of the bill, holding religious icons and praying, held separate small, peaceful gatherings outside parliament Thursday.
Greek lawmakers are debating a landmark bill to legalize same-sex marriage. Here’s what it means
By Derek Gatopoulos — February 14, 2024
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The journey toward legalizing same-sex civil marriage in Greece has been long and contentious, with governments in the past shying away from a confrontation with the Orthodox Church.
Jesuits in US bolster outreach initiative aimed at encouraging LGBTQ+ Catholics
By David Crary — February 6, 2024
NEW YORK (AP) — Pope Francis, a Jesuit who has met with Martin and sent letters of support to Outreach, has made clear he favors a more welcoming approach to LGBTQ+ people.
Fuller seminary senior director fired for refusal to sign non-LGBTQ affirming statement
By Kathryn Post — February 2, 2024
(RNS) — Her termination comes as the evangelical, multidenominational seminary is re-visiting its approach to human sexuality.
CVS employee fired for refusing to sell birth control sues, claiming discrimination
By Fiona André — January 31, 2024
(RNS) — Gunna Kristofersdottir joins three other former CVS nurses who sued the company for religious discrimination after being fired for similar reasons.
Catholic clergy in Uganda accuse the West of a new colonialism through LGBTQ activism
By Tonny Onyulo — January 25, 2024
KAMPALA, Uganda (RNS) — Most Ugandan Catholics oppose Pope Francis' recent move to allow priests to administer blessings to same-sex couples.
UN concerned over Taliban arrests of Afghan women and girls for alleged Islamic headscarf violations
By Associated Press — January 12, 2024
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The U.N. statement said hijab-enforcing campaigns in the capital, Kabul, and the province of Daykundi have been ongoing since Jan. 1, with large numbers of women and girls warned and detained.
Africa’s Catholic hierarchy refuses same-sex blessings, says such unions are contrary to God’s will
By Nicole Winfield — January 11, 2024
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The controversy has deepened a growing chasm between Francis’ progressive, reform-minded papacy and the conservative church in much of the world
Wheaton College restricts employees’ ability to state preferred pronouns
By Kathryn Post — January 10, 2024
(RNS) — Updates to the policy do not appear to explicitly prohibit students from using or stating preferred pronouns, including they/them pronouns.
How to deal with same-sex unions? It’s a question fracturing major Christian denominations
By David Crary — January 9, 2024
Strikingly, the flare-up of debate in Catholic ranks coincides with developments in two other international Christian denominations that are fracturing over differences in LGBTQ-related policies.
