PHILADELPHIA -- The U.S. State Department has lifted its travel ban on Mariela Castro and authorized her to visit Philadelphia to participate in Equality Forum 2013, a national and international LGBT civil rights summit with Cuba as the featured nation.

Mariela Castro, daughter of Cuban President Raul Castro, accepted being a panelist on the Cuba: Featured Nation Panel and being the recipient of the International Ally for LGBT Equality Award at the International Equality Dinner at Equality Forum 2013.

BELFAST — A bid to legalize same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland was defeated in the Assembly on Monday by a vote of 53 to 42.

A motion by the Sinn Fein party called for marriage equality “for everyone regardless of their sexual orientation,” and would have provided religious exemptions allowing the freedom of churches to practice and define marriage as they choose.

PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Lambda Legal today issued a legal analysis documenting the ability of Bisbee and other Arizona municipalities to enact ordinances recognizing and protecting the committed family relationships of adult couples regardless of marital status, gender or sexual orientation.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Election Commission said Thursday that married, same-sex couples cannot pool their money to donate to political campaigns as married, opposite-sex couples are able to do.

Citing the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) as a reason in its advisory opinion, the FEC said commissioners were prevented from treating donations from same-sex couples the same way those from straight ones are treated, because DOMA doesn’t recognize them as spouses.