NewsWrap for the week ending January 10, 2015

SUMMARY

Kicked in the Apathy - At least four patrons are injured as several thugs invade a popular Russian gay nightclub, sending at least one club-goer to the hospital with critical injuries, as a Human Rights Watch report details the dramatic increase in homophobic violence since the 2013 passage of the country’s “no promo homo” law (with comments by HRW’s Russian researcher Tanya Cooper) …

No U Turn - a new Russian law bans transgender individuals from getting driver’s licenses because “mentally ill” people are more likely to be involved in serious auto accidents …

Welcoming Gesture - Vietnam repeals a ban on same-gender wedding ceremonies, although they still won’t be legally recognized, as Asia’s first out U.S. Ambassador Ted Osius takes his new post in Hanoi …

Marriage Stateside - the first conference of the U.S. Supreme Court in 2015 ends on January 9th with no marriage equality cases announced; the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals hears Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas marriage cases, and SCOTUS decline's Louisiana District's appeal; lesbian and gay couples begin tying the knot in Florida …

Mammas Mia! - an Italian court makes history by legally recognizing a child born to a bi-national lesbian couple …

Backdown on Crackdown? - 26 men arrested during the police raid of a Cairo bathhouse go on trial -- then unexpectedly acquited (with comments by veteran global rights activist Scott Long about escalating anti-gay repression in Egypt) …

Queering the Kirk - the Church of Scotland edges closer to approving the ordination of openly gay ministers …

Going My Way - parishioners give Dublin Roman Catholic priest Martin Dolan a standing ovation for coming out ….

Read the complete NewsWrap text … download the podcast … or listen on Stitcher!