Senator McCain Will Not Believe Any Study That Suggests Repealing American Ban On Openly Gay Service Members, Barclays Bank Covers Domestic Partner Health Benefit Tax, Mormon Church Updates Instruction Book Almost As Though It Is Mid-20th Century, Chris Colfer On Kurt Hummel, Chord Overstreet, Darren Criss Rocks Out In LA

Senator John McCain, Republican, Arizona, reiterated his opposition to an immediate repeal of the American military policy prohibiting openly gay service members, McCain asked Sunday on NBC’s Meet The Press whether he would filibuster a lame duck Congress on lifting the ban, answering “I will stand that I want a thorough and complete study of the effect on morale and battle effectiveness of the United States military.” Of that Pentagon study, due December 1st on the desk of President Obama, he said “this study was directed at how to implement the repeal, not whether the repeal should take place or not. But, very importantly, we have people like the commandant of the Marine Corps, the three other – all four service chiefs are saying we need a thorough and complete study of the effects – not how to implement a repeal, but the effect on morale and battle effectiveness. That’s what I want. And once we get this study, we need to have hearings, and we need to examine it, and we need to look at whether it’s the kind of study that we wanted. It isn’t, in my view, because I wanted a study to determine the effects of the repeal on battle effectiveness and morale. What this study is, is designed to do is, is to find out how the repeal could be implemented. Those are two very different aspects of this issue.”

Barclays bank, according to the New York Times, announced Friday that effective January 1st, 2011, all United States-based employees who chose to cover their same sex domestic partners under the company’s health care plans will be eligible to receive a reimbursement to offset the additional federal tax paid by the employee for same sex domestic partner benefits.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, reports the Salt Lake City Tribune, has revised its compendium of instruction, used by all leaders worldwide in dealing with members, has softened the language about gay Mormons. The Church Handbook of Instruction, presented to LDS leaders Saturday, explicitly distinguishes between same sex orientation and behaviour, eliminating entirely the suggestion that same sex relationships “distort loving relationships,” and that gays should repent of their “homosexual thoughts or feelings.” It adds that celibate gay Mormons who are “worthy and qualified in every other way” be allowed to have “callings” and are able to participate fully in temple rituals. Mitch Mayne, and openly gay Mormon, says that the revisions are “baby steps in the right direction,” but adds that nothing will really change unless the church ceases equating homosexuality with the act of sex, saying “Homosexuality is no more about sex with the same gender than heterosexuality is about sex with the opposite gender. It’s really about who we are drawn to emotionally and physically and who we want to spend the rest of our lives with.”

Chris Colfer’s character of Kurt Hummel on Glee has according to Entertainment Weekly via GregInHollywood.com become unequivocally the heart of the series, Colfer saying that “With all due respect to my classmates, they don’t get letter like I get – the letters that not only say ‘I’m your biggest fan,’ but also ‘Kurt saved my life,’ and ‘Kurt doesn’t make me feel alone’ from 7 year olds in Nebraska. When I was growing up, there wasn’t a character like this. I think what makes Kurt so special is he’s finding himself in front of our eyes.”

Chris’ co-stars, meanwhile, spotted out and about, Chord Overstreet seen Friday attending the launch for New Lotus Carst.



And Saturday, the seriously cute Darren Criss was seen at Mint, where he performed.