HRC Blog

We are excited to release new polling today that shows the nation's Christians stand firmly on the side of LGBT equality. A new HRC poll released moments ago, in partnership with Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, shows the majority of Christian Americans oppose the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act, favor protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people from discrimination, and support anti-bullying laws. Armed with this information, hundreds of clergy from across the country will lobby members of Congress tomorrow during HRC’s Clergy Call for Justice and Equality.

In advance of HRC’s Clergy Call for Justice and Equality, Religion Council Member and Associate Pastor at All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, CA Rev. Susan Russell organized a letter writing campaign in support of various LGBT equality legislation following this past Sunday’s service. These letters will travel with her to Washington, DC where she will personally deliver them to lawmakers during her Clergy Call lobby visits. Many other clergy and congregations around the country are engaged in similar actions in preparation for the conference.

The following post is from Jeremy Kennedy, Rhode Island Marriage Campaign Faith Outreach Director: In the face of opposition by the Catholic Church, the Catholics for Marriage Equality group continues to grow. After an energetic strategic planning meeting, we are focused on making sure that legislators know that many Catholics in Rhode Island support marriage equality.

North Carolina is unique in being the only state in the South without a constitutional amendment banning gay and lesbian marriage. HRC is on the ground working with Equality North Carolina to help keep it that way. The North Carolina Senate has introduced a bill to amend the state constitution (Senate Bill 106) to ban any form of relationship recognition for gay and lesbian couples, and the House has introduced a narrower version of the bill (House Bill 777) to define marriage as legal only between a man and woman, which will also amend the state constitution. If these bills pass each chamber and are reconciled, North Carolina can expect a long and nasty fight in 2012 as the constitutional amendment goes up for a vote of people.

HRC is thrilled to announce that Dr. Thelathia “Nikki” Young, the inaugural winner of HRC’s scholarship and mentorship dissertation scholarship, has successfully completed her doctoral studies. Nikki reflects on what she gained through the experience at HRC’s summer institute, and on the support the dissertation scholarship provided as she deepens her commitment to being a scholar-activist committed to LGBT equality. Stay tuned for announcements of the class of 2011 summer institute awardees and dissertation winner. Dr. Sharon Groves, Director, Religion and Faith Program.