The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Westboro Baptist Church, an anti-gay hate group, had a first amendment right to protest near the funerals of American soldiers killed in Iraq.- U.S. House Speaker John Boehner announced he will convene a bipartisan meeting to determine how Congress can defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in court.
- Several LGBT rights groups jointly filed an amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals asking the court to lift the temporary stay preventing same-sex couples from marrying in California until the Prop 8 case is decided. The state attorney general has also asked that the stay be lifted. The court, however, refused a request from attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies that the next hearing in the case be moved up from September.
- A Maryland House committee passed the marriage equality bill that the Senate passed last week. It now goes to the House floor.
- A Michigan Senate committee approved a resolution that would overturn a January ruling by the Civil Service commission to extend benefits to state employees’ same-sex partners and others in their households.
- A New Hampshire House committee voted yesterday to postpone consideration of a bill to repeal the state’s marriage equality law until January 2012.
- All LGBT-rights bills in the Utah legislature are dead for this year. The good news? So are the anti-LGBT bills.
- The Wyoming Senate voted down legislation that would have banned recognition of out-of-state same-sex marriages.
Around the world:
- Ireland has elected its first openly gay Teachta Dála (Member of Parliament).