Ruling In British Case Of Gay Couple And Christian Owners Of Bed And Breakfast Who Refused Them Room Deferred Till January, Australian Man Convicted Of Deliberately Infecting Two Men With HIV, Gay Business School Student Group Forms At Utah University, New York Times Tracks Companies Who Cover Domestic Partnership Benefit Taxes, Dave France And Chris Colfer Are A Part Of New Regime

The judgement in a case between the rights of gay couple from Bristol, England, and a Christian couple, owners of a Cornish bed and breakfast, who refused the same sex partners a room, has been deferred, the BBC reporting that “Martyn Hall and civil partner Steven Preddy told the Bristol County Court that what happened in 2008 was an act of direct discrimination against them. Peter and Hazelmary Bull from the Chymorvah Hotel in Marazion said it was their strong Christian belief not to let unmarried couples share a room. Judgement is expected after Christmas.”

From Australia, a report from the Sydney Morning Herald on Stuart McDonald, the 43 year old on trial for deliberating infecting eight men with the HIV virus in 2005, a violation of South Australia’s Public Health Act. McDonald was convicted Monday by a jury after four hours of deliberation of two of the counts, but acquitted him of the other six. McDonald will be remanded in custody ahead of sentencing in 2011. All eight men tested HIV-positive after having receptive anal sex with McDonald. At trial, testimony was given that some of the men believed McDonald was using a condom, only to realise later that he had not or had removed the prophylactic during sex.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports on the formation of the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Student and Allies in Business, or GLBT Alliance at the University of Utah, the first of its kind of specifically for business students. Formed by Marc Stillman and J.J. Oliver, the club, according to Oliver, hopes to “be a catalyst to help businesses in the state to create vibrant work environments that will be magnets for diversity.” Scott Schaefer, the associate dean of the David Eccles business school, which supports the organisation, suggests that the club articulates how diverse the university actually is, saying “We want to be known as a place that can be an excellent educational home for people from all backgrounds,” adding that “We want people to know that if you’re GLBT, we’d love to have you at our school. If you’re LDS, we’d love to have you at our school.”

With more and more businesses covering the additional costs that same sex couples pay for domestic partnership benefits, the New York Times has begun to track which companies in America (where, owing to the Defense of Marriage Act, same sex unions are not recognised federally) have a policy in place that offers an equalisation plan where, essentially, they reimburse gay employees for the extra taxes that are likely incurred as a result of domestic partnership coverage.

BlackBook magazine introduces the 2011 New Regime, including Dave Franco, the new Franco, natch, and Chris Colfer, the new overachiever.