THE U.S. COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS “APPLAUDS THE PASSAGE OF THE EQUALITY ACT BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES”: The bill, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in various contexts, is unlikely to pass the Senate. Among other things, it seeks to force bakers with religious objections to gay marriage to bake wedding cakes for a gay couple. That seems needlessly extreme.

An earlier bill (called the Employment Non-Discrimination Act or “ENDA”) was aimed only at employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. I had problems with that one too, but at least its authors seemed to want secure its passage by attracting some Republican votes.