Transgender students in California are one step closer to playing on their school's one-sex sports team of choice or have access to a bathroom based on their chosen gender identity, not their physical sex at birth. The state Assembly passed a bill Thursday that would mandate school districts allow transgender students their choice.

Sponsored by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) Assembly Bill 1266 is aimed at prohibiting "discrimination against transgender students" in the state's school districts, Ammiano said.

Several school districts, including in Los Angeles and San Francisco, already have policies that allow students to participate in activities and use facilities for the gender they identify with, according to local news reports. Should the bill also pass in the state's Senate and signed by the governor, it would ensure that all students have equal access, according to Ammiano. more >>

A panel of experts with conservative values is set to discuss their views of the risks involved with a proposed change in the Boy Scouts of America that would allow gay youths to join local troops while continuing to exclude gay leaders. The discussion will be hosted by the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., and is scheduled for this coming Tuesday.

John Stemberger, Eagle Scout and Founder of OnMyHonor.Net, a coalition of concerned BSA parents, Scoutmasters, Eagle Scouts and other Scouting leaders, says the Christian-based organization will not only lose a large number of members and financial sponsorships, but will run the risk of creating an environment where boys will be susceptible to homosexual encounters.

"The most important point is, and the BSA knows this, but they are not talking about it or entered it into their analysis, is that this move will absolutely dramatically increase boy-on-boy sexual contact," Stemberger told The Christian Post on Thursday. more >>

Left-leaning evangelical leader and same-sex marriage supporter Jim Wallace warned on Wednesday that tangling gay rights with immigration reform legislation currently being debated in the Senate would be the wrong thing to do at this time, and gay rights advocates are not happy with his comments.

"I support equal protection under the law but I think this is the wrong place in the wrong time to try and resolve this contentious issue. This must be a bipartisan bill. Our focus must be on the 11 million undocumented and vulnerable people who this is their time, their chance, this is their moment," said Wallis, who is also president and CEO of Sojourners.

His statement came during a half hour press call with leaders of the Evangelical Immigration Table (EIT), which launched their "Pray for Reform" campaign on Wednesday that calls for the passage of new immigration reform legislation in 92 days. more >>

Note: Jason Collins recently became the first major sport professional athlete to publically proclaim he is a homosexual. Chris Broussard is an ESPN analyst who called homosexuality a sin and was later criticized by some colleagues and faith leaders for his remarks. Read the initial story here. This is a response to Dave Thompson's column.

Dear Mr. Thompson:

I am responding to your recent op-ed, "Why I Believe Pastors Should Support Jason Collins," that was published in The Christian Post on May 4. more >>

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified…"(John 4:39).

Can a city or community be impacted for Christ? Can it be transformed? The answer to that lies with the level of maturity of Christians in a community which is measured in love, unity and prayer.

Jesus spent three years with his disciples, and yet after three years they thought the way to deal with people different from themselves or were adversarial was to call down fire from heaven. more >>

Well, it's happened again. Another prominent person in ministry has apparently fallen away from the faith, and he renounces what he once was a part of.

This isn't a story like the supposed apostasy of Joel Osteen. That was a false story foisted on the world through computer hacking. What a strange time we live in, where such hackers could invade the Associated Press' website and plant a false story about the president getting injured---causing the stock market to temporarily drop, until the truth came out.

The moral of the story is: Don't believe everything you read or hear in the news, until firmly established by two or three witnesses, to use the biblical standard. more >>