sexual orientation

Demonstrators gather on the steps of the Florida Historic Capitol Museum in front of the Florida State Capitol in March in Tallahassee, Fla, protesting what opponents call the "Don't Say Gay" bill.

What's in the so-called Don't Say Gay bill that could impact the whole country

10:41am October 21, 2022

by Laurel Wamsley

If the bill were to become law, it could affect not only schools but also programs, events and literature at any federally-funded institution. But its prospects are dim for now.

Researchers looked for genetic variants linked to sexual behavior in new genetic research that analyzed DNA from donated blood samples from nearly half a million middle-aged people from Britain who participated in a project called UK Biobank.

Health & Safety

Search For 'Gay Genes' Comes Up Short In Large New Study

6:51pm August 29, 2019

by Richard Harris

Researchers have long hoped to find out if genes contribute to sexual orientation. A new study of genetic data from thousands of people hints there may be some link, but it's still far from clear.

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Greg McDonald Jr. (left) sits with his fiancé Jon Jost. McDonald's parents considered sending him to counseling when they were concerned he was gay. Now they support a ban on conversion therapy.

National

Activists And Suicide Prevention Groups Seek Bans On Conversion Therapy For Minors

1:35pm April 26, 2019

by Leila Fadel

Conversion therapy aims to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. The practice is discredited by mental health professionals and is linked to higher rates of suicide.

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Then-candidate Donald Trump holds an LGBT rainbow flag during an October 2016 presidential campaign rally at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colo.

Trump Officials 'Did Not Want' Census Survey To Ask About Sexual Orientation

12:00pm September 20, 2018

by Hansi Lo Wang

Four federal agencies under President Obama requested new sexual orientation and gender identity questions for the American Community Survey. Under President Trump, the proposal stalled.

Marchers carry an LGBTQ pride flag during the Utah Pride Parade in Salt Lake City in June. The Senate bill would require the Census Bureau to protect all sexual orientation and gender identity information it collects.

Senate Bill To Require Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity Data By 2030 Census

5:36pm July 31, 2018

by Hansi Lo Wang

A group of Democrats says the data could help more LGBTQ people get access to social services and strengthen civil rights protections. Some privacy experts worry the data could be used against people.

Members of the Maryland House of Delegates convene at the state house in Annapolis, Md., on the first day of the state's 2018 legislative session.

Maryland Delegate Says Her Dad, A State Senator, Suggested Conversion Therapy To Her

8:25pm April 05, 2018

by Adrienne St. Clair

Maryland Senator Bryan Simonaire voted against a state ban on conversion therapy. Later, his daughter, Meagan, a state delegate, voted for the ban, saying her parents urged her to do it as a teenager.

Wendy Becker (left) and Mary Norton of Providence, R.I., raise their hands after the 2006 Massachusetts court ruling that allowed same-sex couples from Rhode Island to marry in Massachusetts. For the 2020 census, the couple can choose the new response cat

National

2020 Census Will Ask About Same-Sex Relationships

10:26am March 31, 2018

by Hansi Lo Wang

Unlike past census forms, the questionnaire for 2020 will include response categories for the relationship question that make a distinction between same-sex and different-sex couples.

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Calvin College in Michigan is affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church, which holds that "homosexual practice ... is incompatible with obedience to the will of God as revealed in Scripture."

Christian Colleges Are Tangled In Their Own LGBT Policies

1:16pm March 27, 2018

by Tom Gjelten

Conservative Christian colleges worry their official positions on LGBT issues could run afoul of sex discrimination law and harm relations with their own students.

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Copies of the 2010 Census forms are on display in Phoenix. The U.S. Census Bureau is no longer considering removing a question on sexual orientation from a marketing survey for the 2020 Census.

National

After Scuffle, Census To Add Sexual Orientation Question To Marketing Survey

5:33pm September 28, 2017

by Hansi Lo Wang

The U.S. Census Bureau's advisory committee members raised concerns over a proposal to remove the question from a marketing survey for the 2020 Census.

Marchers unfurl a rainbow flag at the Equality March for Unity and Pride in Washington, D.C., in June.

National

Census Bureau Found No Need For LGBT Data Despite 4 Agencies Requesting It

2:34pm July 18, 2017

by Hansi Lo Wang

At least four federal agencies asked the Census Bureau to add questions about sexual orientation and gender identity to the American Community Survey, NPR has learned.