Burnaby British Columbia Voters Loudly Reject Anti-Gay Parents’ Voice School Board Candidates, GOP Candidates Save Romney And Huntsman Court Anti-Gay Conservative Voters In Iowa At Family Leader-Sponsored Debate, Texas Republican Board Of Education Member Clayton Comes Out Amid Pressure, Transgender Student In Colorado Transfers School Over Discriminatory Bathroom Policy, Colton Haynes And Possible Boyfriend, Adam Lambert High Hair

Thankfully, voters in Burnaby, British Columbia rejected the anti-gay Parents’ Voice slate of candidates for school board November 19, and chose to elect all seven candidates from the Burnaby Citizens Association. Burnaby Now reports that Mayor Derek Corrigan was re-elected to his fourth term. On council, all eight incumbents reclaimed their seats: Pietro Calendino, Dan Johnston, Anne Kang, Colleen Jordan, Richard Chang, Sav Dhaliwal, Paul McDonell and Nick Volkow. Corrigan won with about three-quarters of the votes. On school board, all five incumbents won their seats back, along with two BCA newcomer trustees: Meiling Chia and Harman Pandher. Corrigan noted that the school trustee candidates had a tough time this election, referring to the opposition from Burnaby Parents' Voice, a group that formed in opposition to the school board's anti-homophobia policy. (They ran five trustee candidates and garnered 12-percent of the vote. TEAM Burnaby trustee hopefuls secured 19-percent.) "The voters have made it perfectly clear that they won't entertain the type of politics Parents' Voice was attempting to initiate," he said. " I think the voters have had their say on the issue. I don't think there's any place in this community for intolerance."

Looking to court Iowa’s critical voting bloc of evangelical Christians, Republican presidential candidates sharply attacked secularism and the Supreme Court while calling for greater restrictions on abortion and gay rights at an event here on Saturday. The Washington Post reports that at a forum on moral values, which was held at First Federated, an evangelical church in Des Moines, the six candidates in attendance largely stuck to Republican orthodoxy and avoided criticizing one another. Instead, they called for dramatic changes in current law to achieve conservative aims. To limit abortion, former House speaker Newt Gingrich, one of the leading candidates in polls here, proposed a federal law defining “personhood” as starting at conception, similar to a provision backed by abortion opponents that was rejected earlier this month by voters in Mississippi. Texas Gov. Rick Perry said he supported provisions that would limit the ability of gay couples to adopt children, while businessman Herman Cain called for changing provisions in the tax code that restrict churches’ involvement in politics if they want to keep their tax-exempt status. Several committed to supporting state same sex marriage bans and eventually a constitutional amendment to prohibit it, although libertarian candidate Rep. Ron Paul (Texas) said the issue should be dealt with by churches and families instead of the government. “As long as abortion is legal in this country . . . we will never have rest because that law does not comport with God’s law,” said former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum. Gingrich decried a shift toward secularism in America that he called a “disaster,“ adding that, “The degree to which the left is prepared to impose intolerance and to drive out of existence traditional religion is a mortal threat to our civilization and deserves to be taken head-on and described as what it is, which is abuse of government to oppress the American people against their own values.” The forum, organized by a social conservative group here called The Family Leader, came as polls show a very tight race in Iowa, with four candidates near the top. Gingrich is surging, Paul has shown new signs of strength and Cain and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney also remain competitive. Romney opted against attending the forum, instead campaigning in New Hampshire. Organizers bristled at Romney’s absence, and Bob Vander Platts, head of the Family Leader, predicted before the forum “the next president of the United States will be presenting to you tonight.” Romney’s no-show was not surprising. He has largely avoided trying to convert conservative, religious voters here who did not back him in 2008 and remain unenthusiastic about him because of his previous support of abortion rights and concerns about his Mormonism. The event served as a critical test for candidates trying to woo not only the more than 2,000 people who attended in person, but voters who identified themselves as born-again in the 2008 GOP caucuses — more than half the participants. Moderated by longtime political strategist Frank Luntz, it was one of the first events during this primary race to focus on cultural issues instead of economic ones. Luntz tried to press the candidates on more personal issues, asking them to talk about personal failings or struggles. Gingrich did not directly address his two divorces, but referred to a time in the 1990s when he consulted two Alcoholics Anonymous books, not because he was an alcoholic but because he was “hollow” and “empty,” adding, “That was really the beginning of turning my life around.” The candidates attacked liberals and President Obama repeatedly. Gingrich said his message to the Occupy Wall Street protest movement is: “Go get a job right after you take a bath.”

In an attempt to defuse a whisper campaign about his sexual preferences, Texas State Board of Education member George Clayton recently sent out an e-mail to news groups and others acknowledging that he is in fact gay. The Dallas Morning News reports that Clayton (R-Richardson) is an academic coordinator at North Dallas High School who upset a long-time incumbent in the GOP primary last year to capture the District 12 seat on the state board. Although Clayton just took office in January, he must stand for re-election next year because of the recent redrawing of boundaries for the board's 15 positions. "It has come to my attention that one of my opponents in my bid for re-election to the State Board of Education and certain members of the Golden Corridor Republican Women's Club are questioning my sexual orientation," Clayton wrote in his e-mail. "So as to avoid the tyranny of misinformation and innuendo in this political race, I wish to say that I, in fact, do have a male partner who lives with me in my home in Richardson, Texas. I hope this frank announcement satisfies Tincy Miller and the ladies associated with the Golden Corridor organization. All of us can now move on with discussions concerning education instead of being overly preoccupied with my personal life." Geraldine "Tincy" Miller, who is expected to oppose Clayton in the GOP primary next March, has denied she played any role in the whisper campaign against Clayton. In one of the biggest surprises of last year's Republican primary, Clayton easily captured his party's nomination and unseated Miller, who had served on the board since 1984. Clayton, the first state board member in recent history to acknowledge that he's gay, may find his re-election effort hampered by the disclosure, prompted by an e-mail to members earlier this month from the president of the Golden Corridor Club, who asked for an investigation of Clayton's sexual preferences. "What are his living arrangements in Richardson? With whom does he live? It's not appropriate to comment further - but this needs to be investigated."

A transgender student at Fort Collins High School is transferring to another school after administrators raised questions over her use of a restroom. Dionne Malikowski said she should have the same rights as any student to use the bathroom of her choice. Dionne was born male and now identifies as a female "You don't have to have certain parts to be the sex that you feel like," Dionne said. The 16-year-old high school junior told 7NEWS she was suspended about a month ago for violating the school policy by using a girls' restroom instead of a staff restroom. "The day that I used the girls' bathroom, I was in a hurry because I really had to go," Dionne explained. "All the students at Fort Collins High School have access to restrooms," said Danielle Clark, spokeswoman for the Poudre School District. But there are rules about which restrooms Dionne can use -- and she can only use the staff restrooms. "When those disruptions happen, it can cause safety issues to come into play," Clark said. "I don't think I'm going to get harassed in the female bathroom. I think it would be more of a safety issue if I was using the male's bathroom," Dionne argued. Dionne previously received warnings for a similar violation but she believes that the rule was unfair and discriminating. "I want to be able to use the girls' bathroom without being harassed for it or suspended or having charges pressed against me," Dionne said. Her dilemma caused outrage in the community. One gay organization called it a step backward and discrimination. Her friends agree. "I think she should be able to use whatever restroom she feels she belongs in," said Dionne friend Jessie Budjako. "I just want people to understand that there are so many kinds of people out there, and people who are a little different shouldn't have to be treated differently or looked down on," Dionne said.

Colton Haynes (and very cute unidentified male companion who could possibly be his boyfriend) spotted attending the 8th Annual CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Awards.

Adam Lambert (and high hair) accompanied by his boyfriend Saul Koskinen attend Sunday’s American Music Awards, where only a year ago Lambert’s on-stage male-on-male kiss caused controversy.