Tammy Aaberg And Senator Al Franken Joined By Clay Aiken As Push To Pass Student Non-Discrimination Act Continues, Called “Faggot” Tre Does Not Accept Palin Sister Apology, City Of Philadelphia And Boy Scouts Have Not Reached Settlement, Transgender Day Of Remembrance, Zac Posen Wins Martha Stewart Internship, Nate Berkus And Date Come Out And Hold Hands

Tammy Aaberg spoke alongside Minnesota Senator Al Franken Thursday at the United States Capital advocating for two anti-bullying bills in Congress, including Franken’s Student Non-Discrimination Act, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Aaberg’s openly gay 15 year old son, Justin, an Anoka High School student, committed suicide in July. Aaberg and Franken were accompanied yesterday by Clay Aiken and Louis Van Amstel. Since Justin’s death, Tammy has been an unstoppable anti-bullying activist, telling her story of a son, relentlessly bullied at school for being gay, and her attempts to change the school (and school’s district’s) approach to bullying, helping to amend the Anoka-Hennepin School Districts’ anti-bullying policies to include sexual orientation and gender identity, Aaberg saying “I will keep speaking out wherever anyone will let me.” Franken said of Aaberg “I think she’s very courageous and I find what she’s doing very moving. It’s got to be hard to take an unspeakable tragedy like that and try to turn it into something. To try to achieve something positive is a real testament to her and her son and her family.”

Tre, the teen who was the subject of Willow Palin’s anti-gay social media attack Sunday, tells TMZ.com that he does not accept the awkward apology offered by her older sister Bristol, Willow calling him a “faggot” after he criticised her mother Sarah’s TLC reality show, Sarah Palin’s Alaska. Tre, who says he is not gay, claims he was offended by the comments and felt bullied by both Willow and Bristol. When asked if he considered Willow a homophobe, he answered “I think she might be ... She says ‘queer’ and ‘gay’ so much ... so probably ... maybe.” He added “People are saying these are baby grizzlies defending Mama Bear ... but how is she defending her family by calling us queers and low-lifes and faggots?”

Tomorrow, Saturday, November 20th, is the 12th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day set aside to remember those who lost their lives to anti-transgender violence over the past year, reports the Miami Herald. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is about to release a report documenting “just how pervasive discrimination and bias continue to be for transgender and gender non-conforming people.”

Previously I posted that the city of Philadelphia and a local Boy Scouts of America troop had settled a suit that hinged on the Scouts’ anti-gay discriminatory policy, and now the Inquirer reports that the agreement has deteriorated and been rendered void.

Zac Posen has won an internship with Martha Stewart; the New York Post reporting that last night at a charity event for the Center for Living at Mount Sinai Hospital, Posen bid $3,500 for a six-week stint with Stewart. The center was created by Martha in honour of her late, much-loved mother. Posen tweeted “I’m so happy that I won a 6 week internship with @marthastewart. Whatever will I learn?”

Also last night, also in Manhattan, OUT magazine celebrated its 16th annual Power 100, and among the attendees were Nate Berkus and an adorable date.