State Rep. Mary Johnson, a Republican from Fargo, has introduced legislation to address alleged discrimination based on sexual orientation in areas like hiring and housing. It’s HB1441, which you can read in full below. Perhaps more interesting than Johnson’s bill, however, is the reaction from supposed gay rights activists who are coming out in opposition…
Supreme Court: Colorado Commission Violated the 1st Amendment Rights of Baker Who Declined Cake for a Gay Wedding
“The [Colorado Civil Rights] Commission’s hostility was inconsistent with the First Amendment’s guarantee that our laws be applied in a manner that is neutral toward religion,” Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the majority opinion in Masterpiece Cake Shop vs. Colorado (read it in full below). More: As the record shows, some of the…
Republican Lawmakers to Library: Put Those Gay Books Back in the Closet
Apparently because they didn’t have anything better to do, a couple of Republican lawmakers from West Fargo got their skirts up over their heads because of a display at the local public library promoting LGBT-themed books. From the Fargo Forum: The library mounted the display of 24 books on LGBT topics in early August in anticipation…
North Dakota Democrats Are Goldbricking on the Gay Rights Debate
Earlier this month legislation to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity failed in the state Legislature for the fourth consecutive time. After that latest failure I asked a question: Why do Democrats keep trying to win this policy fight by doing the same thing over and over again? For more than eight…
North Dakota’s Democrats Are Sandbagging Gay Rights Legislation
For the fourth time in the last decade legislation to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity failed in the state Legislature (watch video of the floor debate here). Not surprisingly that news inspired frustration and disappointment among some, including U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, the only Democrat elected to statewide office in our state.…
Peter Thiel addresses the Republican National Convention in Cleveland on July 22, 2016. Photo via YouTube
The Republican Party Needs More Peter Thiel
I wrote about Trump’s speech nomination acceptance speech earlier today – I was impressed with his speech in terms of its political effectiveness, but I still think he’s a problematic candidate – but the real highlight of the RNC convention for me was Peter Thiel’s speech. You can watch it in full below. It’s short,…
John Andrist: Searching First For Understanding
I can’t think of a single good reason why a North Carolina legislator would feel compelled to set rules for bathroom use in that state, nor why the legislature would pass the thing. But the whole fire storm it created is even sillier, and is being compounded by everyone else. I think Minnesota Gov. Mark…
Fargo Business Won't Make Logo For Gay-Friendly Church
Fargo’s St. Mark’s Lutheran Church – a gay-friendly congregation – asked a local business called Custom Graphics Inc., to design a new logo for them. The owner of that business initially worked with them, but after finding out that the design would include rainbow themes which are representative of the homosexual rights movement, he decided he…
Matt Evans: Leadership In Scouting Is About Ideas Not People
Yesterday, Rob reported that the current leader of the Boy Scouts stated that he wanted to lift the ban on openly gay adults serving in positions of leadership within the organization. Rob’s larger point was that it was great that the BSA was looking at doing this, even though the government wasn’t forcing them. I…
When Social Change Doesn't Require Courts Or Laws: Boy Scouts Reconsidering Ban On Gay Leaders
“We must deal with the world as it is, not as we might wish it to be. The status quo in our movement’s membership standards cannot be sustained,” former Secretary of Defense and current President of Boy Scouts of America Robert Gates said, as reported by Reuters. That’s a remarkable thing to hear. For decades…