Washington

See the latest video from Seattle rapper Macklemore, which makes a powerful statement in support of marriage equality.

In Maine, Minnesota and Washington, recent television ads have prominently featured people of faith.

Roman Catholic leaders throughout the United States continue to demonstrate that they will not support equality for LGBT people, despite widespread support among American Catholics. The next leader of the Catholic Church in San Francisco was recently announced as Salvatore Cordileone, one of the architects of Proposition 8. Meanwhile, Cardinal Francis George of Chicago and Archbishop J. Peter Sartain of Seattle both reiterated their opposition to marriage equality in public statements.

Bishop Melvin Talbert stood in front of a crowd of about 200 supporters of full inclusion on May 4 and called for United Methodists to join him in performing pastoral duties to gay and lesbian people, including enacting marriages. Bishop Talbert’s call for what he called “An Act of Biblical Obedience” has now resulted in letters from opponents of LGBT equality asking the United Methodist Church to censure Bishop Talbert. A handful of other bishops who stood with Bishop Talbert have also been targeted by the anti-LGBT group.

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon.com, has pledged $2.5 million to help pass Referendum 74, which would affirm the marriage equality law passed by elected officials in Washington State earlier this year.

The International AIDS Conference kicked-off over the weekend. More than 30,000 people are expected to gather in our nation's capital.

As state legislatures in New Jersey, Maryland, and Washington are moving closer to approving marriage equality legislation, religious voices are speaking out in support of equality.