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11 Weird Comments Australians Made About LGBT Issues In 2015

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These comments made people laugh, cry, and shake their damn heads.

When Eric Abetz allegedly used Dolce & Gabbana as an argument against same-sex marriage.

When Eric Abetz allegedly used Dolce & Gabbana as an argument against same-sex marriage.

It was reported in August that Eric Abetz had argued against marriage equality by saying gay men don't want to get married, pointing to Italian designers Dolce & Gabbana as an example. Abetz denied the reports, but didn't confirm whether or not he had mentioned the fashion designers.

Graham Denholm / Getty Images

When the Australian Marriage Forum compared marriage equality and slavery.

When the Australian Marriage Forum compared marriage equality and slavery.

After the US Supreme Court legalised same-sex marriage across the country in June, David van Gend at the Australian Marriage Forum was furious. So furious that he saw fit to compare the decision with the one that legalised slavery.

“The Supreme Court’s slavery decision was eventually repented of and reversed, just as the homosexual ‘marriage’ decision will have to be repented of and reversed – but after how much social damage is done?” van Gend asked.

Australian Marriage Forum

When Germaine Greer said transphobia isn't a thing.

When Germaine Greer said transphobia isn't a thing.

"I didn't know there was such a thing," the prominent feminist author said in a talk at Cambridge University.

"Arachnophobia, yes. Transphobia, no."

Gaye Gerard / Getty Images

When a grown man quoted the dictionary to tell a child her same-sex family isn't normal.

When a grown man quoted the dictionary to tell a child her same-sex family isn't normal.

News Corp columnist Piers Akerman turned to the Oxford Dictionary in order to refute an old quote from then 12-year-old Ebony, who appeared in the documentary Gayby Baby.

"Children in same-sex couple families are one in a thousand of all children in couple families (0.1 per cent). Statistically, you are not in a "normal" family, no matter how many LGBTIQ-friendly docos you may be forced to watch by politically-driven school principals," he wrote. Ebony wasn't fussed.

Gayby Baby


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18 Ways You Can Help A Loved One Going Through A Hard Time

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“Being there ~with~ someone can be more powerful than being there ~for~ them.”

Remind them that you value them — even if they don't ask!

Remind them that you value them — even if they don't ask!

"My boyfriend, family, and best friends are so great about sending the random text or email or whatever to say they're thinking of me — especially when I'm in a bad low — and sometimes it's the only thing that can pull me out of it."

Arianna Rebolini

Sarah Kobos / BuzzFeed

Put together a box of things that comfort them.

Put together a box of things that comfort them.

"When I was dealing with my illness, my friend learned my coping mechanisms and filled a box with things like silly putty, lotion, crayons, and encouraging notes. It was not only incredibly thoughtful and touching, but it really helped me. Thank you, Lexie."

Katherine Fiorillo

Sarah Kobos / BuzzFeed

Watch their favorite movie with them.

Watch their favorite movie with them.

"When I was going through depression, my friend (Allie) came over watched 500 Days Of Summer with me (yes, I'm a sap). I pretty much was just sitting there crying like a mess next to her the entire time, and she was just there. I've never forgotten about that."

Brett Vergara

Sarah Kobos / BuzzFeed

Make them laugh... just not at their expense. (Also, hugs are cool.)

Make them laugh... just not at their expense. (Also, hugs are cool.)

"I have ADD, and whenever I zone out, my friend calls me out but in this gentle, 'I get that you do this and it's ok but hi, I'm here!' kind of way. It doesn't feel accusatory, like when some people say 'you only care when you talk,' which genuinely isn't true. Plus, in general, me and her laugh all the time about everything, and those kinds of friendships only bring you good feelings. :)"

Julia Pugachevsky

Sarah Kobos / BuzzFeed


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18 Times Ruby Rose Was A Total Style Queen In 2015

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Flawless. All. Year. Long.

When she made you want to rip your own shirt to shreds.

When she made you want to rip your own shirt to shreds.

Rebecca Sapp / WireImage

When she ate fries while wearing fries and everything felt right with the world.

instagram.com

When she took a suited-up photo with Ellen Page and it was friendship and style goals.

When she took a suited-up photo with Ellen Page and it was friendship and style goals.

George Pimentel / Getty Images

When she made a simple black cap look stylish AF.

instagram.com


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Supreme Court Stops Alabama Order Voiding Same-Sex Adoption Temporarily

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Chris Geidner/BuzzFeed

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday granted a lesbian woman's request to have the adoption of her former partner's children be enforced while the court decides whether to hear her appeal of an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that the adoption was void.

The U.S. Supreme Court has not yet said whether it will hear the appeal of the Alabama Supreme Court ruling, but on Monday granted the woman's request that the state court's ruling be recalled and stayed until it decides whether it will do so.

That request, filed in mid-November, features a complex case in which a lesbian couple in Alabama went to Georgia in 2007 so that one of those women, referred to as V.L. in court filings, could adopt the children of E.L.

Years later, when E.L. and V.L's relationship ended, V.L. sued in Alabama to have the adoption decree enforced for visitation and other parental purposes. Although a lower court sided with V.L., the Alabama Supreme Court ruled otherwise in September of this year, holding that the Georgia adoption was "void" because, the Alabama court maintained, it should not have been allowed under Georgia law.

V.L. asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the decision and to put it on hold, in order to allow her visitation, while the high court decides what to do. Notably, the guardian ad litem — the representative of the children's interests in the litigation — also weighed in at the U.S. Supreme Court, siding with V.L. and also asking for a stay.

The U.S. Supreme Court action on Monday recalls the Alabama Supreme Court's judgment and puts it on hold until the Supreme Court decides whether to grant V.L.'s petition for certiorari. If the petition is denied, the stay will "terminate automatically." If cert is granted, the stay will remain in place until the final mandate from the U.S. Supreme Court is issued. No justices noted their disagreement with the order.

Lawyers for E.L. are to file a response to V.L.'s cert petition by Dec. 29, meaning that the justices could consider the petition in time to be heard this term, which would mean a decision by late June should they decide to hear the case.

If "Twelve Days Of Christmas" Were Written In 2015

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Featuring everyone’s true love, Nyle DiMarco.

With the help of Nyle DiMarco, the recently crowned winner of America's Next Top Model, we updated the holiday classic "Twelve Days of Christmas" with new lyrics to fit in with the ~modern~ holidays. Because who would want "six geese a-laying" in 2015?

With the help of Nyle DiMarco, the recently crowned winner of America's Next Top Model, we updated the holiday classic "Twelve Days of Christmas" with new lyrics to fit in with the ~modern~ holidays. Because who would want "six geese a-laying" in 2015?

Macey J Foronda / Charlotte Gomez / BuzzFeed

On the first day of Christmas my true bae gave to me / An HBO password to stream Game of Thrones for free.

On the first day of Christmas my true bae gave to me / An HBO password to stream Game of Thrones for free.

Macey J Foronda / BuzzFeed

On the second day of Christmas my true bae gave to me / Two hours of comfort after listening to Adele’s new CD.

On the second day of Christmas my true bae gave to me / Two hours of comfort after listening to Adele’s new CD.

Macey J Foronda / BuzzFeed

On the third day of Christmas my true bae gave to me / Three venti nonfat, no-whip Starbucks Gingerbread Lattes — sugar free.

On the third day of Christmas my true bae gave to me / Three venti nonfat, no-whip Starbucks Gingerbread Lattes — sugar free.

Macey J Foronda / BuzzFeed


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A Women-Only Festival Has Banned Trans Women Who Haven't Had Reassignment Surgery

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The festival reportedly told Facebook users that it would only allow trans women who have “undertaken all operative measures to become a woman”.

Seven Sisters Festival is a three-day women-only festival near Melbourne, Australia.

Seven Sisters Festival is a three-day women-only festival near Melbourne, Australia.

sevensistersfestival.com

Last month, Facebook user Caitlin Therese Sullivan posted to the festival's event page, asking whether trans women would be welcomed.

Last month, Facebook user Caitlin Therese Sullivan posted to the festival's event page, asking whether trans women would be welcomed.

Seven Sisters Festival / Via amazing-amy-w.tumblr.com

Festival organisers responded that individuals who are "physically men" would not be allowed onsite.

Festival organisers responded that individuals who are "physically men" would not be allowed onsite.

Both posts have since been deleted.

Seven Sisters Festival / Via amazing-amy-w.tumblr.com

A woman identified as Kylee has also posted what she said was a response email to an enquiry as to whether the festival is trans inclusive.

A woman identified as Kylee has also posted what she said was a response email to an enquiry as to whether the festival is trans inclusive.

Kylee / Via mobile.abc.net.au


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People Are Wearing Ties To Support A Lesbian Who Was Assaulted While Wearing One

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Helena Martins was attacked by a man who tried to pull her tie off her neck.

Last week, Helena Martins, 43, was assaulted by a man as she was walking home.

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Facebook: Helenamartins17

In her Facebook post after the attack, she wrote: "I don't think I'll be rocking a tie in the near future.

"Today, one street away from my home, I was assaulted by a man who just went berserk at me, trying to pull my tie off.

"I've got a scratched and punched face, a sore neckline by all the tie pulling and a very bruised soul."

Martins, who has lost her hearing due to Ménière's disease, lost her cochlear earplant, which she relies on to hear, in the assault.

She wrote that homophobia and transphobia are "still very much alive", and said: "If you hear or see someone making fun with pub jokes, harassing or bullying of LGBT people, making comments while watching TV or a movie or whatever... Act. Speak out."

She added: "Some women wear ties, some men wear skirts. Get the heck over it. One thing is true: I shouldn't be punched in the face for wearing a tie."

Martins told BuzzFeed News: "The support was spontaneous ... It started with my swimming friends ... H20 magazine were the first ones to start the support and get everyone involved."

She added: "I just like to wear ties because they add a vibrant flair to my personality ... but I think most strangers think that I want to be a man or dress like a man."


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Facebook’s Real Name Policy Enforcement Changes Are Here, But Questions Remain

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In late October, Facebook promised a number of enforcement changes to its controversial 'Real Names' policy, which had come under fire for its tendency to unfairly remove people from the platform. Today the company is rolling them out.

The policy, which requires people use their "authentic name" on Facebook, was being enforced with such rigidity that people with special circumstances – including members of the trans community and advocates for certain political causes – were often subject to process hell and long-term account suspension when reported as violators of the policy.

Facebook is rolling out its new enforcement procedures, which add a more human aspect to the "name confirmation" process, with the intent of easing the road back to the platform for those unfairly reported under the policy. Facebook is not, however, changing a word in the letter of the law.

"We want to make it easier for people to confirm their name if necessary."

"We want to reduce the number of people who are asked to verify their name on Facebook when they are already using the name people know them by," the company said in a blog post. "We want to make it easier for people to confirm their name if necessary."

The enforcement changes are significant. Facebook is adding a "I have a special circumstance," option for users reported as violators of the policy. When people are asked to "prove" their name and select that option, Facebook will put the case in the hands of its most experienced support representatives who will receive special training.

Facebook is also forcing people who report a "Real Name" violation to provide context along with their report, a change which should help cut down on instances of the policy being used to inflict harm on others. The company is also promising to not remove a person's account as long as they are engaged with a support representative.

The enforcement changes were promised after Facebook received a sternly worded letter demanding action from several groups including the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Human Rights Watch. The letter called the policy "broken," and said Facebook "maintains a system that disregards the circumstances of users in countries with low levels of internet penetration, exposes its users to danger, disrespects the identities of its users, and curtails free speech."

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg

Stephen Lam / Reuters

Though the enforcement changes will likely be welcome, it's still unclear whether they will be enough to substantially change the negative experiences of those affected by the policy.

The changes also seem to have overlooked some key issues, such as the fact that a person does not have to be Facebook friends with someone (the bedrock of connection on the platform) to report them as a real name violator. The company is also largely reliant on user reports, and it's difficult to imagine people would cite people to Facebook unless they are upset with them in some way.

Finally, Facebook requires significant documentation for someone to prove their name, which can be impossible to produce for people with shifting identities, such as those in the trans community, and political activists who use a pseudonym for safety.

In an email, Facebook sent along a number of quotes from groups approving the moves, including one by GLAAD CEO & President Sarah Kate Ellis, who said:

“By taking important steps to improve its name policy, Facebook is once again demonstrating a strong commitment to inclusion and respect for LGBT users.

GLAAD looks forward to our continued work with Facebook to further improve on this policy and ensure that the world’s largest social network remains a place where all people can feel accepted and safe to be their authentic selves."


Canada Wants To Deport This Gay Man Back To "Certain Persecution"

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Rolston Ryan says he’s built a life in Canada, and is desperate to stay.

Sitting in the home of the people who took him in when he first arrived in Canada, Rolston Ryan is nervous to speak with a reporter. Although he knows this could help him, it could also make everything that much worse.

Sitting in the home of the people who took him in when he first arrived in Canada, Rolston Ryan is nervous to speak with a reporter. Although he knows this could help him, it could also make everything that much worse.

Ryan at the home of Joel Dick and Dara Douma's, where he lived for five months after arriving in Canada.

BuzzFeed Canada

Ryan talks about the night a decade ago when he was stabbed and taunted with homophobic slurs because he was gay.

"He just attacked me and started calling me all kinds of names like 'battyman' [a slur for gay men] and kicked me, stabbed me," said Ryan.

He details other acts of discrimination and violence he says he faced on the island of St. Kitts, the home he left in 2013 to seek refuge in Canada.

But his applications for refugee status have twice been rejected. He's applied for judicial review but failing that he'll be sent back to St. Kitts, where he says life will be even harder than before he left.

Gay sex is punishable by up to 10 years in prison in St. Kitts.

"It's really hard. It's very much illegal to be gay there. We have to be very much on the low when it comes to dating and doing anything that's gay," he said.

In another incident, he says he was robbed and slashed on his hand with a knife while the attacker hurled insults about his sexuality.

In another incident, he says he was robbed and slashed on his hand with a knife while the attacker hurled insults about his sexuality.

BuzzFeed Canada

He told his hearing adjudicator about these attacks, but she wrote in her decision that she didn't find him to be credible. Though they are called "panels," refugee cases are decided by a single adjudicator. In this case it was Brenda Llyod, whom a 2014 analysis found to have among the lowest acceptance rate of cases.

She questioned why Ryan didn't go to police after the stabbing attack. She also decided that although Ryan "would face a serious possibility of persecution" if he returned home, St. Kitts offered adequate state protection.

"I was just really scared for my life, too. That if I went to the police I would get attacked again," he said.

"Living there for so many years, I know, I know definitely they're not about protecting us, especially gay people. It's pretty much illegal to be gay. If you get caught in any kind of sexual, any gay activities, you can be locked up."

He says he went to police to report the robbery, but they didn't follow up on his case. He's also been unable to obtain a record of his report, and suspects police never bothered to file one.


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30 Reasons To Be Proud In 2015

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From marriage equality to epic baby announcements to trans homecoming queens, this year had zero chill. (In the best way.)

The ban on same-sex marriage was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court, allowing couples in all fifty states to be — legally — with the one they love...

The ban on same-sex marriage was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court, allowing couples in all fifty states to be — legally — with the one they love...

David Mcnew / Getty Images

BFF


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22 Questions Not To Ask Your Queer Relatives This Christmas

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I don’t know, random cousin, how do YOU have sex?

“Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?”

“Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?”

Fine to ask if you're close and regularly talk about this sort of thing, not fine if you're not.

If we DO have one, we'll tell you. Or maybe we won't.

Fox / Via teenbeachmovie.wikia.com

“Oh you have a boyfriend/girlfriend, that’s nice, so which one of you is the girl/guy?”

“Oh you have a boyfriend/girlfriend, that’s nice, so which one of you is the girl/guy?”

Erm. Well neither, that's kind of how it works.

Lionsgate / Via queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com

“But how do you have sex?”

“But how do you have sex?”

Well how do you have sex, random cousin? See, it's not polite to ask that. And you know, you could just google it.

Walt Disney Pictures / Via tumblr.com

“But you always seemed so girlie/masculine?”

“But you always seemed so girlie/masculine?”

So what? Sexuality spans all kinds of people.

ABC / Via fanforum.com


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Transgender Woman "Injected Bleach Into Her Testicles" After Being Denied Treatment

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Parliament TV


A transgender woman injected bleach into her testicles and attempted to remove her own scrotum after allegedly being denied hormone treatment while in a male prison, an MP has told the House of Commons.

Cat Smith, the Labour MP for Lancaster and Fleetwood, said the anonymous prisoner had been a "victim of rape and sexual assault" while incarcerated and was not able to continue the healthcare and medical appointments she had been having as part of her transition.

"She is a very vulnerable prisoner, with recorded serious attempts of self-harm, and attempts at suicide," Smith told parliament during a debate on the treatment of transgender prisoners. "She began the transition process in 2008, and formalised her intention to remain living as a woman for the remainder of her lifetime in 2012."

The MP went on to quote from a letter she had received from the prisoner: “There is no knowledge of how suicidal I am because they don’t care what impact their choices have on me physically and psychologically. I’m totally destroyed, not the woman I was. I feel I will kill myself soon. I cannot do this now. Please will you help me? I cannot take no more – I’m a woman in a male prison. This is not right.”

Smith claimed the prisoner was still being denied access to her private hormone treatment, despite having won a court case on this matter at the end of October and having the backing of her local MP. "While she continues to be denied the right to surgery and to be moved to a female prison establishment, she remains extremely vulnerable and at a very high risk of harm," Smith said.

"Examples of her self-harm have included injecting bleach into her testicles and attempting self-surgery to remove her scrotum."

Smith's intervention and decision to hold the debate follows increased coverage of the treatment of transgender prisoners. Last month a vigil was held after Vicky Thompson, who identified as a woman, was found dead in an all-male prison.

Caroline Dinenage, minister for equalities, said she accepted the "current system may not sufficiently address the needs of transgender prisoners" and said a forthcoming government review would reform how transgender prisoners are treated.

She said reporting of some recent cases has been "rather wide of the mark in some parts" but insisted the government had the "utmost commitment to the care and management of transgender prisoners".

21 Times Gay Men Got It Wrong In 2015

19 Problems All Polysexual People Know To Be True

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“Polysexual? Isn’t that just pansexual?” *bangs forehead against wall*

Explaining the difference between bisexual, pansexual, and polysexual gets insanely tiring.

Which makes you all the more nervous to have to try and explain it.

So sometimes you just give in and say you're gay or bisexual to avoid an unproductive conversation.

Or sometimes, just not saying anything feels a lot better.


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These Are The World's Most Popular Hookup Apps For All Genders

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Because dating is hard, no matter where you live.

Sarah Karlan/Thinkstock

We decided to see which hookup apps are used most around the world based on the number of downloads in different countries (excluding apps designed specifically for gay men — we collected that data in a separate map). All data has been sourced from App Annie.

This map is based on the number of downloaded apps through the iOS App Store and Google Play in the month of August, a month chosen to keep the comparisons standardized. (App Annie considers that the best way, in this particular case, to independently measure an app's market penetration.) We list only the top-rated app for that month, but your favorite app may have been a close second or in the top spot in another month, since the competition is fierce.

Here are the apps people all over the world are using — in many different languages — to find love:

Michelle Rial/BuzzFeed News


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Here Are The World's Most Popular Dating Apps For Gay Dudes

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No matter where you roam, you won’t be alone.

Thinkstock

We decided to see which hook up apps designed specifically for gay men are used most around the world, based on the number of downloads in different countries. All data has been sourced from App Annie.

The data is based on the number of downloaded apps through the iOS App Store and Google Play in August, a month chosen to keep the comparisons standardized. (App Annie considers that the best way, in this particular case, to independently measure an app's market penetration.) We only list the top-rated app for August, but your favorite app may have been a close second or come out on, um, top in another month, since the competition is fierce.

You might be (rightly) thinking, "What about queer women?" We only mapped apps for gay dudes (and straight/mixed orientation apps in a separate map) because the market for apps specifically targeting lesbians is much less developed and couldn't be compared across borders in the same way. App Annie only identified two major apps targeting lesbians: LesPark, which is strongest in China, and HER, which has consistently ranked at around the 100th most popular free app in the U.S. Apple App store since July, on some days topping Grindr's downloads.

Here are the apps gay men are using — in many different languages — to find Mr. Right:

Michelle Rial/BuzzFeed News


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India's First Queer Graphic Anthology Is Here And It Looks Freaking Amazing

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30 artists and writers have contributed to The Gaysi Zine.

India has released its first queer graphic anthology The Gaysi Zine Edition 4, a magazine that curates stories of queer South Asians with beautiful illustrations.

India has released its first queer graphic anthology The Gaysi Zine Edition 4, a magazine that curates stories of queer South Asians with beautiful illustrations.

The cover for the zine has been designed by Ojoswi Sur, the Head of Art for Strip Tease the Magazine, who works in advertising.

Ojoswi Sur / The Gaysi Zine

Priya Gangwani

Himanshu Nandanwar /

Sreejita Biswas

The Gaysi Zine


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23 Unforgettable Wedding Moments That Defined 2015

Massachusetts Court: Catholic School Can't Refuse To Hire Married Gay Man

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via Fontbonne Academy website / Via fontbonneacademy.org

WASHINGTON — A state court in Massachusetts has ruled that a Catholic preparatory school violated the state's antidiscrimination law when it rescinded a job offer to a man because he was married to another man.

Matthew Barrett had accepted a job as Food Service Director at the Fontbonne Academy, a Catholic girls school. On his employment forms, he listed his husband as his emergency contact — a move that led the school to rescind the job offer.

On Wednesday, Superior Court Associate Justice Douglas Wilkins ruled that Fontbonne discriminated against Barrett based on sexual orientation and rejected the school's arguments as to why it should be exempted from the state law or otherwise not subject to its employment discrimination ban.

Barrett's lawyers from Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders praised the judge's ruling as "the first of its kind in the country."

Wilkins's first decision in the case was that Barrett was, in fact, discriminated against:

Despite that, the school argued it was exempted from the law and that the state could not, under the U.S. Constitution, enforce the law because it would violate the school's right of expressive association and free exercise of religion — all of which the court ultimately rejected.

The statutory exemption for education organizations "operated, supervised or controlled by or in connection with a religious organization" includes exemption for "any action with respect to matters of employment" — language that the court acknowledges "appears to confer upon Fontbonne the exemption it claims in this case."

However, the court pointed to later language in the statute limiting the "employer" exemption only to those schools that "limit membership, enrollment, admission, or participation to members of that religion." The school, the court found, does no such thing, so the exemption does not apply.

As to the constitutional claim, the school argued that its expressive association rights would be infringed if forced to hire Barrett. The court, however, found that the school failed to meet two of the three standards set by the Supreme Court for such claims in its 2000 decision regarding the Boy Scouts. Although the academy does engage in "at least some form of expression," meeting the first standard, the court found that there is "minimal risk" that Barrett's hire would "significantly and seriously burden [Fontbonne's] expression."

Explaining that, Wilkins wrote:

Additionally, the court found that Massachusetts "has a compelling interest in prohibiting discrimination" — an interest "rarely stronger than in the employment context" — such that any burden on associational rights is outweighed by that interest.

Finally, the court found that Fontbonne's free exercise claim — based on the "ministerial exception" — also failed. Looking at a 2012 Supreme Court case addressing the exception, the court found that Barrett "has no duties as an administrator or teacher of religious matters" and that the job is not subject to the exception. As Wilkins explained:

Responding to the ruling, Barrett's lawyer, Bennett Klein from GLAD, told reporters on a call Thursday morning, "Since the advent of marriage equality, we have seen efforts by religiously affiliated organizations to expand the grounds for exemptions from the obligation of nondiscrimination. The court's ruling ... affirms that a religious employer has no greater constitutional right to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation than it does to discriminate on the basis of a person's race or sex."

A message seeking comment from Fontbonne Academy was left with the school.

Read the ruling:

These Two Countries Are Deciding On The Rights Of Same-Sex Couples

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Protesters march during an 2015 Gay Pride rally in Athens, Greece

Yorgos Karahalis / AP

Two countries in Europe will hold key tests in coming days on partnership rights for same-sex couples.

One is Greece, where the parliament could vote as soon as Dec. 22 as legislation to open a civil partnership status currently restricted to opposite-sex couples to gays and lesbians.

If it passes, the legislation would bring Greece into compliance with a 2013 ruling of the European Court of Human Rights, one of several recent rulings recognizing rights for same-sex couples under international law, though the court has stopped short of deciding they are entitled to marry.

After years of lobbying, the ruling left-wing Syriza Party proposed legislation allowing for civil partnership earlier this year. Konstantina Kosmidou, who sits on the board of the Greek LGBT organization OLKE and the European branch of the International Lesbian and Gay Association said she expects it to pass by a wide margin when it’s put to a final vote.

“I’m happy — satisfied,” she told BuzzFeed News. “It's a first achievement for everybody.”

The law does not grant all the rights of marriage, dealing primarily with issues like insurance and inheritance and excludes matters including parental rights. But, Kosmidou said, “it’s a first step — this is what they can do.” She said LGBT advocates would return to the European Court of Human Rights after it becomes law to prod the government towards full equality.

Citizens in the former Yugoslav republic of Slovenia have already begun early voting on a referendum ending on Sunday that will decide the fate of a marriage equality law enacted by the Parliament in March. The law made Slovenia the only country in its region with marriage equality, enacted a little over a year after voters in neighboring Croatia passed a referendum barring marriage for same-sex couples.

The law’s opponents gathered more than 80,000 signatures in support of repealing it, twice the number required to put the matter to a vote. The country’s LGBT activists are bracing for a tight vote, but the rules of the election may give them a boost. Not only must a majority of those who cast ballots back repeal of the law, but the repeal vote must total at least 20 percent of the country’s entire electorate. If the election is low turnout, the law could still stand even if a majority vote in favor of repeal.

Simon Maljevac of the Slovenian LGBT organization LEGEBITRA is optimistic that a vote to uphold the law could resonate well beyond Slovenia’s borders.

“We would be the first country not only in the Eastern part of Europe but also in Central Europe that would have full marriage equality,” he told BuzzFeed News. “It would play a big part for the whole region.”

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