Read Our First Amendment Defense Act House Committee Hearing Storify!

Did you miss Tuesday's hearing on the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA)? Don't worry– you can catch up on our Storify, where we bring you video, commentary, and tweets from the afternoon's events. 

Bogus Defense: U.S. House Holds Hearing On Bill That Would Violate First Amendment and Harm LGBT Persons

Tuesday was the one-month anniversary of the shooting at an LGBT nightclub in Orlando that killed 49 people. This has been a difficult month for the LGBT community, yet on the anniversary, House Republicans held a hearing on a bill aimed at allowing discrimination against same-sex couples and their families in the name of “religious freedom.”

Not One, But Three: All Versions Of FADA Sanction Discrimination In The Name Of "Religious Liberty"

The legislators pushing FADA have realized just how egregious it is and have floated two other proposals that might make it better at the margins—but at heart, they still sanction discrimination under the guise of religion.

Congress Should Learn From FADA Backlash In The States

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform announced that it will hold a hearing on HR 2802, the deceptively named First Amendment Defense Act (FADA), on July 12. The Committee’s decision to hold this hearing is surprising given the backlash that states have faced when trying to pass and enact their own FADA legislation

Federal FADA Hearing Set for July 12

It's official: Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), the Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, announced that he has scheduled a hearing on this harmful legislation for July 12, 2016 at 10:00 AM.

Keeping Secrets?: Kim Davis Accused Of Violating Ky. Open-Records Law

Kim Davis’ legal woes aren’t quite over yet. The office of the State Attorney General announced yesterday that the embattled Rowan County clerk may have violated the Kentucky Open Records Act when she refused to comply with a records request from a Washington, D.C.-based government watchdog.

File Under: Troubling. Congress To Hold Hearing on Unconstitutional Bill

Congress intends to hold a hearing on the federal First Amendment Defense Act, which sanctions discrimination against same-sex couples, unmarried couples, married couples in which one person had been married before, single mothers, and individuals who have had sex outside of marriage. 

Discrimination Defeated!: A Miss. Law That Used ‘Religious Freedom’ To Undermine Rights Is Struck Down

A Mississippi law that purported to defend “religious freedom” by allowing state officials and others to discriminate against LGBT residents was scheduled to go into effect today. That won’t be happening, thanks to a federal court ruling.

District Judge Grants Preliminary Injunction Barring Mississippi's "Religious Liberty" Law

A district judge granted a preliminary injunction that bars the state from enforcing Mississippi’s HB 1523, which was set to go into effect July 1.

Federal Judge: Obergefell Will Be Enforced In Mississippi

Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves blocked a key provision of Mississippi’s HB 1523 that was scheduled to take effect this Friday. The new law—which Americans United has opposed since its introduction in February—would create sweeping religious exemptions for those who object to marriage equality, including county clerks who refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Legislative Blowback: One Year Later, States Are Trying To Undermine The Marriage Equality Ruling

Yesterday we celebrated the one-year anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark Supreme Court decision that made marriage equality the law of the landToday we want to remind you that there’s still much work to do.

Federal Court Refuses To Halt Enforcement of Mississippi's "Religious Liberty" Bill

A federal court in Mississippi has refused to halt enforcement of HB 1523, the Mississippi law passed in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s upholding marriage equality last year. The bill is apparently the brainchild of a Religious Right organization that has litigated denial-of-service cases across the country.

Kim Davis Wants To Have Her Own Appeal Dismissed—And Claim Victory

Kim Davis—the Rowan County, KY, clerk who stopped issuing all marriage licenses so that she would not have to issue them to same-sex couples—filed a motion today with the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing that her own case is moot and should be dismissed. But that’s not all: she also argues that the court should throw out the preliminary injunction issued by the trial court last year, which prohibits Davis from refusing marriage licenses altogether.  

Accommodating Transgender Students In Public Schools Is Nothing New

What happens when a school district allows a transgender student to use the bathroom consistent with his or her gender identity? According to a recent article in The Miami Heraldnot much.

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly Of The 2016 State Sessions, Part 2: The Bad And The Ugly

In part 1, we recapped the good— the harmful bills that were stopped. In today’s post, we cover the bad and the ugly of the 2016 state legislative sessions. 

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly Of The 2016 State Sessions, Part 1: The Good

Over the next two days, we will be reviewing the good, the bad, and the ugly of the 2016 state sessions. Today’s post will cover the good— harmful bills that were stopped.