University Of Michigan Student Assembly President Chris Armstrong Breaks Silence On Attacks From Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell, New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg To Propose Bill Requiring Colleges Adopt A Code Of Conduct Barring Bullying, Supreme Court Hears Arguments In Westboro Baptist Church Free Speech Case, North Carolina Representative Larry Brown About To Receive A Lot Of Froot Loops

Ann Arbor.com on University of Michigan Student Assembly President Chris Armstrong and his appearance on CNN Wednesday night, the openly gay senior the subject of virulent anti-gay attack by the now suspended assistant attorney general Andrew Shirvell, telling Anderson Cooper in his first national interview that “Given what’s happened in the past week, and given the suicides that have happened in the past few weeks, it’s been, it’s been – it’s hard not to say something,” adding “I felt like it was important for me to speak out as well just because I think that it’s important for them to understand that things can get better. And it’s important to know you can reach out in your community, you can reach to friends and they can support you.” Armstrong said that the comments made by Shirvell accusing him of advancing a “radical homosexual agenda” have been “hurtful.”

Late Wednesday, United States Senator Frank Lautenberg, speaking at a town meeting on the Rutgers University campus in memory of Tyler Clementi, announced intentions to introduce legislation requiring colleges to adopt a code of conduct that bans bullying and harassment, according to the Associated Press. The Rutgers memorial, organized by the gay rights group Garden State Equality, was attended by an estimated 300 students, faculty, and others, including Lautenberg, Senator Robert Menendez, and Judy Gold, a Rutgers alum. Lautenberg said his bill would mandate college and universities that receive federal student aid to create policies prohibiting harassment of any student, and would provide funding for schools to create programs to deter harassment of students. The 18 year old Clementi took his own life September 22nd, leaping from the George Washington Bridge, after learning that his 18 year old dorm roommate Dharun Ravi, aided by another Rutgers freshman, 18 year old Molly Wei, had live streamed online a sexual encounter between Clementi and a man three days earlier. Ravi and Wei have each been charged with an invasion of privacy, and the attorney general is determining whether to add a hate crime stipulation. Earlier Wednesday Ravi’s lawyer, Steven D. Altman, released a statement that said “I am confident that nothing will be learned to justify, warrant or support the filing of any bias criminal complaint.”

The United States Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday considering the case of the Westboro Baptist Church who argue that the First Amendment guarantee to free speech protects their actions protesting the funerals of American armed service members, and as the Washington Post reports most First Amendment legal experts expect the court to render the obvious, though odious ruling that even the hateful, repugnant public speech as practiced by the Fred Phelps' led WBC is protected.

An update on a previous post, Equality North Carolina is organizing an original protest against State Representative Larry Brown, who referred to gays as “fruitloops” in an e-mail. According to the Winston-Salem Journal the gay rights group is requesting a donation of $5.00 with which it plans to purchase one box of Froot Loops and deliver the boxes to Brown’s legislative office with a message. Eventually, Equality North Carolina says the cereal will be donating to area food banks.