Tag: Kansas

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News Round-Up: May 18, 2018

(image via Instagram/Andrew Serkin)

Some news items you might have missed:

• I know its Friday, folks, but the rules are you have to finish your chores (above) before you get to have fun…

• Land Rover took back their sponsored car from rugby star Israel Folau over his anti-LGBT comments saying gay people will go to hell if they don’t “repent of their sins and turn to God.”

• Bill Gates shared with a crowd at a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation meeting that Donald Trump twice asked him if there was a difference between HIV and HPV. “He wanted to know if there was a difference between HIV and HPV,” Gates said of Trump. “So I was able to explain that those are rarely confused with each other.”

• Alabama’s only openly gay state legislator, State Rep. Patricia Todd, has had a job offer rescinded from an LGBT non-profit after she publicly announcing Republican Gov. Kay Ivey is a closeted lesbian.

• This “straight” prison guard was found guilty of repeatedly having sex with 3 prisoners and now faces up to 125 years in jail himself.

• The Peace Corps is removing gay men from the organization who test positive for HIV.

• Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer has signed anti-LGBT adoption legislation making his state the latest to enact a “religious freedom” law enabling taxpayer-funded agencies to deny placement into LGBT homes.

Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer
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Podcast: Anti-LGBTQ Adoption Discrimination In Kansas & Oklahoma; Adam Rippon Slays On DWTS; 2018 Tony Award Nominations; Pride Nights At Major League Baseball

In this week’s LGBTQ headlines:

• Oklahoma and Kansas state legislatures pass anti-LGBTQ adoption laws

• A new survey of over 40,000 Americans shows acceptance for same-sex marriage has hit 61%

• Ireland moves to ban so-called “conversion therapy”

• The ‘boys of summer’ are back and most Major League Baseball teams have scheduled special LGBT Pride Nights (head over to Outsports.com for a complete list of MLB Pride Nights)

• Drag queen Ada Vox exits American Idol with her head held high

• Tony Kushner’s Angels In America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes became the most Tony-nominated play in history as the 2018 Tony Award nominations were announced

• Adam Rippon came to slay on the premiere of the all-athletes season of Dancing with the Stars

All that and more on this episode of The Randy Report

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Kansas & Oklahoma Legislatures Approve Anti-LGBTQ Adoption Bills

We were looking good there, America.

Four months into 2018 and no new anti-LGBTQ legislation on the state level. Until this week.

Both Oklahoma and Kansas have passed bills that will allow faith-based adoption and foster care services to legally discriminate against LGBT folks while using public funds.

In Oklahoma, the House approved the measure by a vote of 56-21 on Thursday this week after the state Senate had previously voted to advance the bill.

Kansas followed just hours later as the Senate approved the bill 24-15 at 1:51 a.m. Friday after the House passed it Thursday night, 63-58.

The legislation had been sitting for weeks before lawmakers revived and passed it in a matter of hours.

Both bills now head to their respective governors’ desks to be signed into law.

More from The Advocate:

The bills could allow discrimination against many types of prospective parents who offend an agency’s religious beliefs — single parents, divorced and remarried parents, interfaith couples, and more, in addition to LGBT individuals and same-sex couples, Winterhof pointed out. But Oklahoma Senate Majority Leader Greg Treat, who authored his state’s legislation, mentioned that when agencies express objections to certain placements, they often cite opposition to same-sex marriage, the Family Equality Council noted.

Opponents of both states’ measures said the legislation would make the already-overloaded child welfare system even more so by making fewer people eligible to become foster or adoptive parents. But supporters said the religious protections would encourage more faith-based agencies to work with the states.

Texas, Alabama, South Dakota, Virginia, and Michigan have similar laws in place, NBC reports. Michigan’s is being challenged in court by the American Civil Liberties Union.

What’s truly sad is this reduces the number of possible adoptive homes for children who really need loving parents.

Bigotry at the expense of children.

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Kansas Supreme Court Clears The Way For Same-Sex Marriage

The Kansas state Supreme Court on Tuesday evening lifted its hold on marriage licenses to same-sex couples in Johnson County.

The justices last month blocked such licenses while reviewing a petition from Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.

As I reported earlier today, only a handful of county clerks were issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples while the majority waited on “further guidance” from the state Supreme Court.

Hopefully, this is the “guidance” those clerks need 🙂

UPDATE: Even after the state court issued it’s ruling, some counties are still not issuing licenses.

Equality Kansas has listed the 19 counties currently allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry on their Facebook page.

(source)

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Some Confusion Remains As Same-Sex Marriages Begin In Kansas

Although the US Supreme Court lifted the stay on US District Judge Daniel Crabtree’s ruling last Wednesday which allows for same-sex marriage to begin in Kansas, only a handful of county clerks are issuing licenses.

Attorney General Derek Schmidt has stated that, in his opinion, the ruling only applies to two counties where two couples were denied marriage licenses.

However, Judge Crabtree’s ruling was directed at the defendant in the case, Robert Moser, M.D., in his official capacity as Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and did not name specific counties in his ruling.

From the Washington Post:

“There’s a lot of frustration and impatience,” Thomas Witt, executive director for Equality Kansas, told The Washington Post.

Witt said he knows of at least six counties issuing marriage licenses. Others are accepting applications but refusing to issue licenses, while others are refusing to accept applications altogether.

Jennifer Rapp, a spokesperson for Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, said his office has asked the Kansas Supreme Court “to provide further guidance to the district courts in light of the federal preliminary injunction.”

“We are awaiting a decision on this case,” Rapp said in an email.

“I think the Kansas attorney general has abdicated his responsibilities,” Witt said. “If anybody is causing chaos and confusion … it’s the Kansas attorney general.”

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Still Disagreement In Kansas Over Same-Sex Marriage

Although SCOTUS decided 7-2 against issuing a stay on a federal judge’s ruling that Kansas’ ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, clearing the way for marriage equality, the state’s Attorney General continues to fight tooth and nail to stop gays and lesbians from marrying.

Today, AG Derek Schmidt says the ruling from the high court only applies to two counties in the state. The ACLU says all 105 counties are affected by the ruling.

Via LGBTQ Nation:

Marriage licenses in Kansas are issued by district court clerks’ offices after a mandatory three-day wait. Schmidt said the high court ruling applies only in Douglas County in northeastern Kansas and in Sedgwick County, in south-central Kansas.

In the state most populous county, Johnson County, Court Clerk Sandra McCurdy said about 70 applications from same-sex couples are pending.

“Until I hear something from the Kansas Supreme Court, I’m not issuing any marriage licenses,” McCurdy said Wednesday.

For now, same-sex marriages are taking place in at least four of the state’s 105 counties.

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SCOTUS Says “No” To Kansas For Stay on Same-Sex Marriage

On Monday, Justice Sotomayor granted a temporary stay to Kansas regarding the recent same-sex marriage ruling from the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Today, SCOTUS issued it’s decision and it’s for the good guys.  No stay for Kansas.

Only Justices Scalia and Thomas would have granted the stay, making the decision 7-2 against Kansas.

Kansas can head to the 10th Circuit, but seeing how that appellate court has already set precedent – AND the Supreme Court has given that ruling it’s blessing – don’t look for the 10th to reverse itself any time soon.

Expect marriage licenses to be issued to same-sex couples immediately.

Marriage equality is coming to Kansas, kids!

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Kansas Receives Stay From SCOTUS On Same-Sex Marriage Ruling – For Now

Today, the state of Kansas just requested an emergency stay on same-sex marriages in the state of Kansas pending the hearing of their appeal.

Kansas, being under the jurisdiction of the 10th Circuit Court, refers such requests to Justice Sonia Sotomayor. And she has given the state the requested stay but included the phrase “until further ordered.” So, upon further review she, or the entire Supreme Court, could revoke the stay.

Marriages were due to commence statewide at 5PM tomorrow.

Sotomayor also called for a response to Kansas’ request by 5PM tomorrow in her order today.

Many states have requested and received such stays regarding same-sex marriage as the issue has continued to march across America.

Read more at Buzzfeed.

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Westboro Baptist Church Gets Denied In Request To Intervene In Kansas Marriage Equality Case

Virulently anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church filed a request to intervene in the marriage equality case in Kansas.

And the court has sent back as it’s reply a big, fat “nope.”

Judge Crabtree denied the request, but allowed the church to file an amicus brief in the case. The judge did, however, point out that repeating already stated arguments need not be reintroduced in said brief.

Slam!