Here’s our daily round-up of the marriage equality / LGBT rights stories that don’t warrant a full posting on the blog, or that we didn’t have time to add. We’re able to get more news and analysis to you this way every day – enjoy!
Film: The Star Wars universe is getting its first official LGBT character in the franchise’s new canon. full story
Online: An iPhone app has been created to provide a network of toilets where transgender, intersex and gender nonconforming individuals are free to pee in peace. full story
TV: After weeks of not commenting, 31-year-old Empire actor Jussie Smollett has publicly come out. full story
TV: Nightline looks at two intersec cases in which doctors decided that children were female, and castrated them. But the children grew up to identify as male. full story
Iraq: ISIS extremists have beheaded three gay men in Iraq. full story
Ireland: An Irish bishop has compared homosexuality to Down’s syndrome , while claiming it is not “what God intended”. full story
Ireland: A pro-equal marriage has been officially launched in the Republic of Ireland – just over two months before the country’s referendum.
full story
Ireland: Citing the Northern Ireland’s civil rights movement in the 60s, a lovely couple, married for over 50 years, is urging Irish people to vote “Yes” on the country’s upcoming marriage referendum video. full story
Ireland: Catholic priest Iggy O’Donovan said this week that he will ‘unquestioningly be voting yes’ in Ireland’s referendum on same-sex marriage because he believes in the freedom for all people to choose how they live their lives. full story
Jamaica: An angry mob stoned a young, allegedly gay man to death in Jamaica and filmed themselves hurling rocks at his head. full story
Peru: Hundreds of LGBT people marched in downtown Lima on Saturday to make known to Congress that they demand equal rights. full story
South Korea: A British expat took on the mayor of Seoul last Friday (6 March) over rights for gay couples. full story
Taiwan: A Taipei government official has promised to do his utmost to include gay couples in the city’s mass weddings. full story
USA: Actress Lena Dunham once again pledged to not get married until marriage is legal for everyone in all 50 states. full story
USA: Marriage Equality USA filed a pro-marriage equality amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court. full story
USA: The Dow Chemical Co. has signed on to a pro-marriage equality amicus brief filed in the U.S. Supreme Court. full story
USA: 207K people signed HRC’s “The People’s Brief”. full story
USA: Former NFL players Chris Kluwe (Minnesota Vikings), Brendon Ayanbadejo (Baltimore Ravens) and Scott Fujita (New Orleans Saints) on Friday filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in support of plaintiffs challenging bans on gay marriage. full story
USA: The US Supreme Court has received a flood of briefs in the marriage equality cases. full story
USA: If the US Supreme Court rules for marriage equality, NOM wants the GOP to continue to try to undo it, forever. full story
USA: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) has joined other LGBT advocates in calling for administration action to ensure spousal veterans benefits flow to same-sex military couples across the country. full story
USA: Just seven votes stand between approval or disapproval of same-sex marriage by the Presbyterian Church USA. full story
USA, Alabama: The U.S. Supreme Court refused once again Monday to let Alabama block a ruling against its ban on gay marriage, with two conservative justices opposed. full story
USA, Alabama: Attorney General Luther Strange urged a federal judge to oppose a new motion that would force the state’s 68 probate judges to issue same-sex marriage licenses, court filings Monday indicate. full story
USA, Colorado: Colorado mental health professionals would be barred from practicing gay conversion therapy with minors under a bill given initial approval Friday by the state House. full story
USA, Colorado: Democrats in the legislature killed a GOP “right to discriminate” bill. full story
USA, Illinois: The state has reached its one year anniversary for marriage equality. full story
USA: Former SMU and New England Patriots running back Craig James is upset that sports teams, including the Patriots, have signed on to a brief urging the Supreme Court to make gay marriage legal in the country, and called it the work of Satan. full story
USA, Michigan: More than 20 GOP legislators want to stop transgender students born as male from playing on girls’ sports teams, undoing a state high school league vote that drew fervent support and opposition last year. full story
USA, Nebraska: More than 250 same-sex marriage supporters rallied in Lincoln Monday. full story
USA, Texas: The state GOP’s newly elected chair believes being gay is a choice, and that businesses should be free to turn away LGBT people. full story
USA, Texas: GOP state Rep. Molly White filed a bill that seeks to uphold Texas’ ban on same-sex marriage regardless of any federal court ruling to the contrary. full story
USA, TX: Speaking at the FRC’s “Faith and Family Summit”, Alabama Chief Justce Roy Moore said marriage equality would lead to the government taking your children. full story
USA, Utah: A proposal that would allow Utah government employees to refuse to marry same-sex couples passed its first hurdle Friday. full story
USA, Utah: A House committee has postponed voting on a Mormon church-backed anti-discrimination bill that protects LGBT Utah residents and religious rights until Tuesday. full story
