Attorney General Hill stalls BMV gender change rule
Indiana’s attorney general is stalling a measure that would allow people to change their gender on driver’s licenses and IDs, according to the state’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
LGBT issues
Articles
Indiana Youth Group seeks to intervene in lawsuit against Brownsburg schools
A group representing transgender students filed a motion Thursday to intervene in a lawsuit brought by a teacher who claims Brownsburg Community School Corp. violated his religious freedom rights by requiring him to refer to students with gender dysphoria by their preferred names.
SUPREME COURT NOTEBOOK: Gender pronouns part of LGBT fight
Dozens of legal briefs supporting fired funeral director Aimee Stephens at the Supreme Court use “she” and “her” to refer to the transgender woman. Decisions about gender pronouns may seem minor, but they appear to reflect the larger issues involved in this high-stakes battle over LGBT rights.
Church: First Amendment protects decision to fire gay Indianapolis teacher
Catholic church leaders in Indianapolis are citing the First Amendment as a defense to a lawsuit filed by a teacher who was fired because he’s in a same-sex marriage.
Virginia transgender bathroom case: Judge favors ex-student
A federal judge in Virginia ruled Friday that a school board’s transgender bathroom ban discriminated against a former student, Gavin Grimm, the latest in a string of decisions nationwide that favor transgender students who faced similar policies.
Self-described retired drag queen gets 20 years for Gary slaying
A 75-year-old self-described retired drag queen has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for fatally stabbing a man in northwestern Indiana who allegedly used a gay slur during a dispute.
Guidance counselor sues Roncalli, Indianapolis archdiocese
A second teacher is suing the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, claiming she was subjected to a hostile work environment and discrimination because she is a lesbian and married to another woman.
Fired Cathedral High School teacher sues archdiocese
The teacher fired from Cathedral High School for being in a same-sex marriage sued the Archdiocese of Indianapolis in Marion Superior Court on Wednesday, alleging the church leadership illegally interfered with his contractual and employment relationship with the high school, which led to his termination June 23.
Big business to Supreme Court: Defend LGBTQ people from bias
More than 200 corporations, including many of America’s best-known companies, are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to rule that federal civil rights law bans job discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Brebeuf, Cathedral take opposing stances over gay teachers
Leaders at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School say the school will no longer be recognized by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis as a Catholic school after Brebeuf refused to fire a “highly capable and qualified teacher” who is married to a same-sex partner. Meanwhile, Cathedral High School took the opposite position.
COA allows transgender women to seal name-change records
Two transgender individuals seeking to keep private their name and gender marker change actions will be able to seal their case records after the Indiana Court of Appeals reversed trial court rulings requiring the transgender women to publish notice of the changes.
Lawsuit: School’s transgender policy violated teacher’s religious beliefs
A Brownsburg music teacher who claims he lost his job because he refused to address transgender students by the first names of their choice has filed a federal lawsuit against the Brownsburg Community School Corporation for violating his First Amendment religious freedom and free speech rights.
High court avoids new case over same-sex wedding cake
The Supreme Court is throwing out an Oregon court ruling against bakers who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. The justices’ action Monday keeps the high-profile case off the court’s election-year calendar and orders state judges to take a new look at the dispute between the lesbian couple and the owners of a now-closed bakery in the Portland area.
Susan Brooks to step down from Congress after fourth term
Indiana Rep. Susan Brooks, a Republican who has represented Indiana’s 5th District since 2013, announced Friday morning that she will not run for a fifth term in Congress.
Anniversary of equality: LGBTQ community reflects 5 years after state legalized same-sex marriage
In the five years since same-sex marriage became legal in Indiana, married same-sex couples say acceptance has grown, but some are concerned about pushback and the potential rollback of hard-won rights.
Judge: School district violated transgender students’ rights
A federal judge has found that an Indiana school district violated a transgender student’s civil rights by not allowing him to use male bathrooms at school.
Supreme Court to take up LGBT job discrimination cases
The Supreme Court is taking on a major test of LGBT rights in cases that look at whether federal civil rights law bans job discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Indiana Senate votes to send controversial hate crimes bill to governor
The Indiana Senate adopted the House’s version of a bias crimes bill Tuesday afternoon, sending the legislation to Gov. Eric Holcomb despite complaints from opponents who say the bill isn’t specific enough.
Police: 75-year-old Gary man says gay slur led to fatal stabbing
A 75-year-old man who described himself as a retired drag queen told authorities he fatally stabbed a 64-year-old man who allegedly used a gay slur during a dispute. Police responded Tuesday night to an apartment building in Gary and found Carlos Johnson, who had multiple stab wounds.
Indiana shelves bill on requirements for ID gender change
Indiana lawmakers have shelved a bill that would have made it harder for residents to change their gender on driver’s licenses or state identification cards.