Ned Flaherty

The Boy Scouts of America just re-adopted the most unhealthy policy of its 103-year history, a rule which isolates gay and bisexual scouts, vilifies them in their teens as eventual criminals, teaches bigotry to all scouts, and hurts society in five…

The Republican National Committee has again aggressively affirmed its party’s permanent opposition to marriage equality. On April 12, the RNC unanimously adopted a resolution declaring that mixed-gender marriage is holy, but same-gender marriage is…

Five moral matters are about to be decided by the Supreme Court, in two of the many civil marriage disputes that have been percolating for 22 years in agencies, legislatures, and courtrooms across the nation. The Court is about to hear oral…

To regain relevancy and survive, conservatives — Republicans, libertarians, Tea Party members, independents — must clearly choose between returning to their true, core principles (e.g., fiscal responsibility, limited government) versus continuing to…

Twelve more states are adopting same-gender civil marriage in 2013-2014. Moreover, they're doing it 13 times faster than in 1990, when three same-gender couples first sought civil marriage licenses in Hawaii. The first wave of 10 states took 22…

Some Republicans are portraying their recent support for same-sex marriage as revolutionary, but there's nothing remarkable, different, or progressive about what they're doing. Last month, 131 Republicans, all of which support the overturn of…

For the first time ever, the U.S. government is appearing at the Supreme Court to: (1) defend lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered citizens in general (2) defend same-gender couples in particular (3) argue for their right to marry; and (4)…

A soldier’s wife disappears, and their marriage evaporates. This now is happening across the U.S. armed forces. Charlie Morgan graduated high school, enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1982, served 10 years, spent a year in Kuwait during the Gulf War,…

The Log Cabin Republicans now have squandered their last ounce of potential credibility. After 35 years in their dysfunctional relationship with the Republican Party, these gay conservatives have gotten nowhere, and are unable to admit it. And the…

The recent arrival of eight marriage equality cases at the U.S. Supreme Court won’t be the quick fix that many people assume, because LGBT rights remain a contentious, intricate topic in 31 states through nine ballot measures, 19 federal laws, 30…

The perfect success in repealing the U.S. military’s DADT (“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”) policy one year ago now is helping promote marriage equality, as the successful end of DADT has exposed many other ways in which federal law penalizes same-gender…

The Republican Party just ceded much political clout to extreme right-wing forces, and formalized new goals to oppress LGBT citizens via its official party platform. Even before the vote, evangelical Christian Dominionists from anti-LGBT hate groups…

A few wealthy Republicans are donating significantly to the same-gender marriage fights that are on the ballot this November in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington, but their donations are to support — not oppose — marriage equality. Hedge…

Since human survival depends mainly upon economics, education, environment, agriculture, health, housing, and peace, it’s logical to ask, “Why is same-gender marriage being treated as the most important political issue of 2012?” Over the last few…

Vice President Joe Biden’s endorsement of marriage equality isn’t anything new; he’s been at this same point for about a year now. Biden can speak freely because he isn’t running for office; Obama can’t speak freely because he is running. Not only…

For the first time ever, the Roman Catholic church is endorsing civil unions, announcing its second historic reversal in only two weeks. The Roman Catholic church of New Hampshire suddenly endorsed civil unions on March 19, just 48 hours before a…

Ned Flaherty is a Project Manager at Marriage Equality USA. For more info, see the Election 2012 Project and National Marriage Map Project. These five modest heroes  — hailing from the disparate worlds of health, research, law, journalism, and…