The High Court of Barbados has decriminalized gay sex. Two anti-LGBT laws in the Caribbean Island nation have been repealed. Although these laws were almost never put into practice, they were seen as a symbol of inequality for the queer community.
Private liberal arts college Hamline University reportedly refused to renew the contract of an art history professor for showing images of medieval and Renaissance Islamic art depicting the Prophet Muhammad.
Federal investigators revealed an Arizona man arrested by local authorities in August to be a polygamous cult leader with at least 20 wives, many of whom were minors.
According to details released by the FBI, the agency accused 46-year-old Samuel Rappylee Bateman of sexually abusing underage girls in an affidavit filed in federal court. Authorities have also charged three women, Naomi Bistline, Donnae Barlow, and Moretta Rose Johnson, for kidnapping eight underage girls.
A local restaurant in Virginia canceled a private event of a Christian group that holds anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-abortion views for the safety of its staff.
In an Instagram post on December 1, the Metzger Bar and Butchery in Richmond, Virginia, announced that it had canceled a private event.
On December 12, the FBI published its report on hate crimes for 2021, which showed a significant increase of anti-Sikh hate crimes from the previous year. The report listed 214 incidents compared to 89 in 2020, a 140% increase.
An Ohio-bound Southwest Airlines plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Arkansas after an unruly passenger tried to open the door mid-flight.
"Jesus told me to open the door": A Southwest Airlines passenger was arrested after trying to open the plane's door mid-flight. https://t.co/cm6vJsh249
An after-school program in California elementary school sparks controversy.
According to local reports, an after-school program scheduled for early December at a California elementary school received severe criticism. The "After School Satan Club" project aims to teach students about inquiry and rationalism. Some guardians and parents claimed that this shouldn't be allowed.
A new report by the Pew Research Center reveals that religious Americans are less likely to be worried about climate change than other American adults.
A pastor from South Dakota was chastised by a congregation member for dressing “too sexy on purpose” after wearing skinny jeans while preaching.
40-year-old Reverend Adam Weber received a letter in red ink from an anonymous churchgoer of his multi-campus congregation Embrace Church, criticizing his fashion style for being “completely offensive” and “morally wrong.”
On April 11, four Sikhs sued the US Marine Corps for refusing to allow their religious articles of faith. As the latest court date approaches, veterans and Muslim and Jewish groups have signed on to support them.
Four Sikh marines are suing the U.S. Dept. of Defense and the Marine Corps over restrictions that would keep them from donning religious articles during deployments abroad and at boot camp. https://t.co/MTDFmif3FG
