Free Republic

We’re fascinated by the bizarre beliefs of those who lived long ago. To learn that people once thought the Earth was flat. To see old maps that depicted dragons and mysterious lands where giants might roam freely. We look at these old beliefs and shake our heads, so secure in the knowledge that we have come so far. In some ways, though, the things we believe today are as far off the mark as those old maps. Consider a new poll from Gallup that shows that Americans think 23% of the population is either gay or lesbian. That’s not an...

Civil liberty issues dominated the Supreme Court in 2014, a year that included rulings that protected or enhanced free speech, religious and privacy rights but featured few bombshell decisions of the kind that overshadowed recent terms. But with the justices under increasing pressure to take up the hot-button issue of gay marriage in the New Year, the court’s 2014-15 term is poised to be historic. In the year’s most high-profile case, the court gave a nod to religious and corporate freedoms as it struck down a key provision of the Affordable Care Act. The 5-4 decision said that businesses can...

On Sunday, December 10, 1989, the direct-action group ACT-UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) mobilized several thousand people outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York to protest the Roman Catholic Church’s opposition to AIDS education and the distribution of condoms. Of these thousands of protesters, a few dozen entered the church during Mass, and one of them crumbled a consecrated communion wafer. ACT-UP’s incursion into St. Patrick’s became legendary, and in the minds of many Americans that one protestor’s act of desecration remained an indelible image, forever defining both gay and AIDS activism. Every gay person I knew was appalled...

San Francisco's annual homosexual pride extravaganza was missing one factor this year -- law enforcement. During the public event, people saw nudity, lewd acts, and other debauchery, plus open marijuana use. "And this year, due to some of the negative publicity San Francisco was getting, the San Francisco police department promised they would crack down on the nudity and lewdness on the streets," said Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality. According to the pro-family activist, actions during the recent party were clearly illegal -- but police made no arrests.

WASHINGTON - The public backlash over gay marriage has receded since a controversial decision by the Massachusetts Supreme Court in 2003 to legalize those marriages stirred strong opposition, says a poll released Wednesday. Gay marriage remains a divisive issue, with 51 percent opposing it, the poll by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press found. But almost two-thirds, 63 percent, opposed gay marriage in February 2004. "Most Americans still oppose gay marriage, but the levels of opposition are down and the number of strong opponents are down," said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center. "This...

NEW YORK (AP) - A children's music video that conservatives charge is part of an effort to encourage acceptance of homosexuality is being distributed to more than 60,000 schools nationwide, producers said Thursday. The video features about 100 children's TV characters including SpongeBob SquarePants, Miss Piggy and Oscar the Grouch singing the 1979 disco hit "We Are Family." It will be accompanied by a teaching guide that promotes tolerance of diversity. "The opportunity to bring that message to children around the entire country is truly exciting," said Caryl Stern, senior associate national director of the Anti-Defamation League. "We know at...

Risky sexual behavior among Americans is putting the public’s health at risk, according to a new CDC study. Researchers found that the rates of early death and disability attributed to sexual behavior in the U.S. are triple those of any other industrialized country, and women bear the brunt of this public health burden.