California Department Of Motor Vehicle Employee Who Harassed Transgender Amber Yust Resigns, Some San Franciscans Want Castro Rainbow Flags Removed, Australian Catholic Church Calls On Parishioners To Lobby Politicians To Vote Against Gay Marriage, Media Matters To Launch “Communications War Room” For Marriage Equality, Prince Harry Tours Berlin, Joe Manganiello Sideline Smoulder, Riley Cooper

CNN is reporting that the California Department of Motor Vehicle clerk currently under investigation for allegedly sending a letter to a transgender customer condemning her gender reassignment, has resigned, DVM spokesperson Mike Marando says that Thomas Demartini submitted his resignation letter Wednesday, but that the letter did not address the incident. Demartini has been on paid leave since late October at which time the DMV substantiated Amber Yust’s claim that the clerk who processed an update to her driver’s license application sent her a letter at home calling her transition “a very evil decision,” and that "I have learned that the reason for the vast majority of gender change operations is the client's homosexual orientation. The homosexual act is an abomination that leads to hell." The 23 year old Yust has since filed a claim against the state seeking damages. Mr. Marando says that Demartini, an employee of the state for two years, was disciplined and received sensitivity training in 2009 after he refused to assist another transgender customer. He added that Demartini’s resignation “in no way diminishes the severity of the situation.”

The Mission Delores Neighbourhood Association near San Francisco’s gay and lesbian district, say that rainbow flags hung from early 20th century lampposts are in violation of a city ordinance that allows only temporary banners on the posts, which were designated historic landmarks in 1991, and according to a report from the Associated Press, the organisation wants the flags removed, releasing a statement Friday that in part read “We completely support the diversity in the area. This is about preserving a city landmark from permanent signage.” Others argue that the banner mark the Castro, acting to define the area, and that they are being lost as they age, tattering, unable to be replaced, with only an estimated quarter of the original forty or so flags along Market Street remaining. Supporters of the banner want the law revised so that new flags can go up. City Supervisor Bevan Duffy is calling for a compromise, proposed legislation designed to save the banners while protecting the lampposts, Duffy saying “This is where the rainbow flag started. This is a neighbourhood that should be identified as one of the strongest and most vibrant gay and lesbian neighbourhoods in the world,” adding “I feel there is a balance between historic preservation and the historical context of the neighbourhood.” The Board of Supervisors is expected to approve the amended legislation in January.

Catholics in Australia are being instructed by the Church to lobby federal Members of Parliament to vote against gay marriage, suggesting that parishioners based their arguments on the natural order and the purported importance of a biological relationship with children instead of arguing that marriage must be protected since it is a religious institution, reports the Australian. The Greens presented a motion urging all politicians to canvass their electorate on changing the Marriage Amendment Act which passed in November. The Catholic Church sent an open letter, authored by the Sydney Archdiocese, the Catholic Women’s League, and the Knights of the Southern Cross, reads in part “Marriage between a man and a woman is not a religious construct but a natural institution found across all cultures and religions. Marriage is a unique kind of sexually complementary union with a natural orientation to life,” adding that “Allowing two men or two women to marry would involve a fundamental change in our understanding of marriage, from a life-giving and sexually complementary union to a personal, romantic relationship with no true communion or connection to procreation.” Australian Marriage Equality spokesperson Rodney Croome said that the gay marriage movement respects the right of the church not to marry same sex could and that it in turn “should respect our right to marry under civil law – this kind of mutual tolerance is the hallmark of a modern, civilised democracy.”

Media Matters, the American liberal watchdog, plans to announce Monday the implementation of a “communications war room for gay equality” in an attempt to win the right to same sex marriage, the New York Times reporting that the new group, Equality Matters, will be headed by Richard Socarides, a former domestic advisor to President Clinton, and that Kerry Eleveld, the Washington correspondent for the Advocate, will leave that publication in January to edit the organisations Web site, equalitymatters.org, which goes online Monday. Socarides said that the successful passage of act to repeal the military policy prohibiting openly gay service personal Saturday “was a very important breakthrough” and President Obama’s comments following the vote, were very significant, where he for the first time connected race and gender to sexual orientation, adding that “we will celebrate this important victory for five minutes, and then we have to move on, because we are the last group of Americans who are discriminated against in federal law and there is a lot of work to do.”

Prince Harry – looking more and more like his father – in Berlin, where he toured the Brandenburg Gate on the second of a two day visit.



Pittsburgh native Joe Manganiello, of True Blood, the smouldering sexy one spotted on the sidelines at the Steelers game Sunday, the visiting New York Jets earning a must win game 22-17.



Riley Cooper successfully recovering an onside kick Sunday after the Philadelphia Eagles scored a 65-yard touchdown pass by Michael Vick to tight end Brent Celek, the beginning of a simply stunning comeback that saw the Eagles score four touchdowns in under eight minutes to defeat the New York Giants 38-31.