Tim Tebow Could Well Be The Worst Underwear Model Ever

Amateur circumciser, Denver Broncos’ quarterback, and Focus on the Family spokesperson Tim Tebow was announced as the new Jockey International model last year, but to date the campaign has been more of a dud than anything, a new commercial for the Stay Cool line revealing nary a glimpse of Tebow’s package.

Colorado House Republican-Controlled Panel Kills Proposed Civil Unions Bill, Three-Judge Panel Votes Unanimously To Let Openly Gay Derek Morado Remain In Navy, Andy Warhol Statue Unveiled

A Colorado House committee Thursday night killed a civil unions bill that would have given gay couples many of the rights and responsibilities of marriage, reports The Denver Post. Senate Bill 172 failed, as expected, on a party-line vote, with six Republicans voting against sending the measure to another committee and five Democrats voting in favour. Several Coloradans filled the old Supreme Court chambers for the hearing on SB 172, which began shortly before 2:00 pm, while others listened in other rooms set up for the overflow. The testimony, reportedly at times, part gay group therapy, part Bible study, continued until 8:30 pm., when the committee began debating the merits of the bill. Parents, partners and pastors testified in favour of the bill, which was sponsored by two Denver Democrats who are gay, Representative Mark Ferrandino and Senator Pat Steadman. "This is not a radical concept," Ferrandino said. "It's a mainstream concept. ... This does not end marriage." He added that although it was difficult to hear testimony against the bill from people who think "my life is wrong" those opponents had a right to their say. Bill proponents had worried about the House Judiciary Committee since three of the six Republicans are from El Paso County and were on record as opposing civil unions. It was not the committee Ferrandino would have chosen to hear the bill, he admitted last week when the proposal was assigned to Judiciary. The motion Thursday was to send the bill to Appropriations, a standard motion for a number of hearings. Ferrandino and other bill supporters maintained if they could have gotten the bill to the House floor they had the votes to get it passed, where Republicans have only a 33-32 advantage.

An update on a previous post, The Fresno Bee reports that an openly gay sailor at Lemoore Naval Air Station said Thursday that a three-man panel voted to let him stay in the Navy instead of being recommended for discharge under the military's policy prohibiting gay service members. 26 year old Derek Morado, who is originally from Sacramento, said the hearing lasted several hours, and of the recommendation, said "I'm ecstatic." Morado said that his attorney told the panel that the upcoming repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell as mandated by law made it unnecessary for him to be ordered to leave the Navy. The panel of two officers and one senior petty officer voted unanimously in his favour after meeting behind closed doors for 25 minutes. He said the decision will be reviewed by the Navy Personnel Command to make sure the paperwork was done correctly, and that he expects no problems will be discovered.

The New York Times reports on the unveiling Wednesday of “The Andy Monument,” a glistening semi-accurate sculpture of the Pop artist Andy Warhol, on the northwest corner of Union Square, amid a small crowd that included two surviving Warhol superstars (Taylor Meade and Ultra Violet), friends and colleagues of the artist, art world press and the curious. The slightly larger than life-size chrome-plated sculpture by the artist and Warhol aficionado Rob Pruitt stands on a cast concrete pedestal on Broadway, in a pedestrian area where vehicular traffic once turned left onto 17th Street. Sponsored by the Public Art Fund and on display through Oct. 2, it is located within sight of two of the buildings that formerly housed Warhol’s famous Factory, 33 Union Square West and 860 Broadway. The statues’ quicksilver surface, far more mercurial than its unflappable subject ever was, catches the light, even at night. It is, implicitly, a superstar metal. According to the Times, “Mr. Pruitt has tweaked, revived and redirected received ideas, joining Jeff Koons’ stainless steel casts of existing objects and sculptures (including a bust of Louis XIV) with the tired tradition of the public-hero monument. Warhol, the statue, joins an impressive roster of drabber bronze or stone denizens of Union Square — Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Mahatma Gandhi and the Virgin Mary — and portrait-wise is probably about as idealized.”

Rhode Island Representative Gordon Defends His Suggestion That Gay-Straight Alliances Are “Sexual Meet-Up Groups” Where Students “Get Sexed Up”

The Portsmouth Patch reports that Rhode Island State Representative Dan Gordon (Republican-Tiverton, Portsmouth) spent almost two hours in studio at AM radio station 630 WPRO Thursday morning to try explain and defend comments he posted three days ago on Tiverton-Little Compton Patch, the original post objecting to the formation of a Gay-Straight Alliance for Tiverton High School students. Gordon says he objects to what he says are "sexual meet-up groups" where students get "sexed-up." Talking to host John DePetro and to a string of callers, Gordon elaborated on the online posts. “Anything of a sexual nature should not be taking place at a taxpayer-funded facility. The purpose of a school is to get an education," Gordon said. He repeatedly said he supports the rights of those students to form their group, but he believes it should be outside the public school system. He suggested it would be better placed in a private residence, with parents who could supervise, because of the sexual tendencies of high school students. When I was in school, if there was a group for heterosexual students that was going to be meeting after school, I would all day be thinking about who are all the new faces that would be there tonight. That’s just human nature," he said. Gordon also reiterated that this is not an anti-gay stance, stating "I'm not anti-gay. I have a gay cousin who I enjoy spending time with," later adding "I have gay friends. I have gay family. I’m a United States Marines service veteran …. There were gay individuals that we served with." Gordon also said he would welcome to opportunity to learn more about Tiverton High School's Gay-Straight Alliance, saying "I have reached out to the group in Tiverton and asked to attend one of their meetings. I would be happy to attend if invited ... Maybe I can sit in and learn a little more about the group." Gordon's comments have been attacked by Rhode Island Democratic Party Chairman Ed Pacheco, who called the show for a lengthy debate with Gordon. Pacheco said, "Dan, you’ve been dodging questions since you got in the studio. What type of organization is this at Tiverton High School? Your comment is that this is a sexual meet-up group getting sexed-up." Gordon responded, "Yes, the words 'gay' and 'straight' indicate some sort of sexual preference. It has something to do with sexuality." Pacheco responded, "The purpose of this group is the promotion of diversity, tolerance and education." He called Gordon's comments "appalling" and later said, "This is about diversity and tolerance in our community," not a partisan issue. Numerous callers objected to Gordon's stance, and several said a group like this gives students a safe haven from bullying, but Gordon suggested that flaunting sexuality accomplishes the exact opposite. "Perhaps if they weren’t flaunting their sexuality or advertising it, there might be less of that bullying," Gordon said. A female caller asked Gordon if he ever had sex in high school. "I did not," he said. She was surprised, saying that when she was in high school in the early 1980s, "Everyone had sex in high school." She argued that all teenagers have sex, so it's up to parents to teach them safe practices and treat them like adults."I grew up in a strict household … and I did not have sex in high school," Gordon said. DePetro gave Gordon the last word in the debate, and he concluded with these comments: "I just want to clear up some of the hyperbole that's being thrown about by the liberal agenda. Their comments border on lunacy, or they have a reading comprehension problem … I am not anti-gay … I think most taxpayers would agree, especially in my region, that they wouldn’t want their tax dollars used to support a group that is sexually centered."

Australian Catholic School Cancels A Miracle Christian Center “Curing Homosexuality Seminar;” Miracle Christian Center Counters They Have Been Discriminated Against And Seek Legal Counsel; MCC President Says “We Are Not Afraid Of Homosexuals”

An Australian Catholic school has cancelled a curing homosexuality seminar that was to be held at their Caboolture college, reports The Courier Mail. The meeting sparked outrage on Facebook, with a protest page set up against it. However, the group organizing the meeting has in turn accused Catholic Education of discrimination over the decision. A statement released by Brisbane Catholic Education says St Columban's College at Caboolture "immediately" withdrew permission for its hall to be used as a venue by the Miracle Christian Center when they realised what the meeting was regarding, the statement in part reading "Permission was given by the school, on the basis that the nature of the meeting would need to be in line with the college's Catholic Christian values." Principal Ann Rebgetz said the group had deliberately withheld from the school the exact nature of the event. But Miracle Christian Center president Dorian Ballard denied the accusation, saying when they hired halls they did not advise what they would be preaching about. Ballard also denied the group was homophobic, and added that the Miracle Christian Center had been discriminated against and the case was now with their attorneys. "We are not homophobic, many of us have come out of the homosexual lifestyle," said Ballard. "We are not afraid of homosexuals; we love them, we've ministered to them for years."This topic is always up for debate. It's great to hear a lot of different views in the broad spectrum and we have been silenced, we have been discriminated against." Former student and Facebook "Protest against the curing homosexuality seminar" page organiser Lexi Ryan said the school had done the right thing and she in turn had cancelled a promised protest, which had over 300 people who had replied they would be participating.

Terminated Centers For Disease Control And Prevention Counsellor Asks Federal Appeals Court To Allow Lawsuit Alleging Religious Discrimination To Proceed

A woman who worked as a counsellor for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention contends she was wrongly fired because of religious discrimination for refusing to advise a woman in a same sex relationship, and she asked a federal appeals court Thursday to allow her bring a lawsuit against the Atlanta-based agency, reports The Associated Press. There is no dispute that a woman came to Marcia Walden in 2007 for advice involving a same sex relationship, and that Walden was let go after she told the woman she could not help because her “personal values” as a devout Christian prevented her from offering any assistance. The woman, who was not named in legal filings, complained to administrators that she felt “judged and condemned” by Walden after the encounter. The company that the CDC had hired to provide counselling services, Computer Sciences Corporation, terminated Walden at the CDC’s request. The CDC and the company told the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals that Walden could have simply referred the employee to another counsellor without explanation. They argued that Walden’s religious beliefs didn’t require her to tell the client about her moral objections to engaging in same sex relationship counselling. “The CDC intervened and said we can’t have a counsellor who wants to exclude an entire segment of the population,” said Jeffrey Schwartz, an attorney for the contractor. “It would destroy the integrity of the program. People don’t want to come in and see a counsellor if they are going to be kicked in the knees.” CDC attorney Matthew Collette added that the firm’s contract allows a counsellor with a religious conflict to refer a case to another staffer, but bars the counsellor from broadcasting feelings that “would cause potentially serious damage” to the program. Walden’s attorneys countered that she was left little other option by the CDC and the contractor but to object on religious grounds, attorney Jim Campbell said his client was instructed to tell the women she did not have the experience to handle the case, even though she had extensive background in helping clients with relationship issues. Campbell, an attorney for the anti-gay, conservative religious rights organization Alliance Defense Fund, says “She was targeted for mistreatment based on her religious beliefs. It’s not her burden to come up with an excuse. She was offered one dishonest option — to say she didn’t have the expertise to handle the case — and she refused it.” The three-judge panel did not immediately rule, but two of the judges expressed doubt about Walden’s case, United States Circuit Judge Charles R. Wilson questioning whether Walden even had grounds to bring the lawsuit. Campbell, though, said the panel needed to step in to decide whether the CDC infringed on her “sincerely held religious beliefs.” “Counsellors have an ethical obligation to refer — and that’s in the highest interest of the client so they can get the best advice,” said Campbell. “And that’s what happened in this case.”

Study Concludes That More Education Required To Treat Gay And Transgender Health Needs

Scientists only recently learned how certain diseases affect women differently than men, and blacks differently than whites, now, reports The Associated Press a major new report says it is time to study the unique health needs of gay and transgender people as well. Stigma often keeps lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people from seeking health care, and when they do, there exists little research to guide doctors in their treatment, the Institute of Medicine reported Thursday. Changing that starts with a seemingly simple step - researchers should start asking people about their sexual orientation and gender identity, just as they routinely ask about race and ethnicity, in all government-funded health studies, the panel concluded. The report is intended as technical advice to the National Institutes of Health. But to gay rights advocates, the recommendations from such a prestigious scientific group promise to legitimize a quest for greater health equality. "This community is just ignored," said Brian Moulton of the Human Rights Campaign, which has long pushed for the government to collect the kind of health data the new report calls for. "This is really going to spark a long-term commitment to dealing with these issues." While the report says it also is an opportunity to educate the general public about health barriers for the self-named LGBT community, its chairman anticipates some political criticism. "This is a scientific report, not an advocacy report," said Dr. Robert Graham, professor of family medicine at the University of Cincinnati. "Whatever your politics, as long as you accept the premise that every American ought to have the opportunity for the same health status and the same degree of health, then you really have to understand what the different influences are that may keep certain populations away from having that opportunity." The IOM panel could not even find a good estimate of how many people identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, and stressed that these are separate populations that require separate assessments of their health needs at different ages. Numerous surveys, done by phone or sometimes in person, track Americans' health patterns by a variety of demographics, and the report recommends adding questions about sexual orientation and gender identity to those surveys as a necessary starting point. It also urged particular attention to the impact of stress on LGBT people who may also be part of a racial or ethnic minority group. California is one of the few states where researchers collect data on LGBT health issues. This week, as previously posted, the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research reported that older gay, lesbian and bisexual Californians are more prone to some problems of aging (including high blood pressure and psychological distress) than their heterosexual counterparts, and perhaps most troubling, they are more likely to live alone in their senior years, without children or partners to provide care and support. The IOM panel identified a number of broader issues, including increased risks of depression, suicide attempts, homelessness and being victims of violence The panel emphasized that laws barring same sex marriage often limit access to health insurance, and there are few health providers trained to treat transgender patients in particular in a culturally competent manner.

Inquest Hears That Days After Being Teased He Was Gay By Classmates, 15 Year Old Dominic Crouch Committed Suicide

The father of a 15 year old boy, who committed suicide tormented by fellow students that he was gay, said he hope that lessons will be learned from the tragedy, This Is Gloucestershire reports. Dominic Crouch killed himself days after returning from a field trip with St Edward's School an inquest in Cheltenham heard Tuesday. He fell from a six storey building in the town on May 18th shortly after returning from the art GCSE trip to the Forest of Dean. The "tenacious" schoolboy had appeared happy when he returned; however the inquest heard he later wrote three suicide notes - two to his family and one to his schoolmates. Dominic sneaked out of the school at lunchtime and into a nearby locked block of flats, Withyholt Court, before gaining access to the roof and throwing himself off. He had sent a text to 999 saying that he was going to commit suicide, but the inquest heard the text service was only designed for deaf people who had registered to the service; consequently his message did not go through to an operator. The school’s current headmaster, Paul Harvey, told the inquest that a helper on the art trip, Lucy Evans, had reported after Dominic’s death that the Year 10 children had been playing “spin the bottle” on the trip and that it was said Dominic had kissed a boy, leading to rumours at the school that he might be gay. Numerous teachers gave evidence that Dominic had been happy on the trip, but one, the Reverend Basil Postlethwaite, the school’s chaplain and RE teacher, told the inquest Dominic appeared “distant” during his Tuesday morning RE lesson, something he ascribed to tiredness from the weekend. His parents were alerted to the fall at 3:00 pm. Dominic died with them at his hospital bedside at 8:00pm. Speaking after the inquest, Roger Crouch, Dominic’s father, said that “Dominic was clearly upset about rumours that he believed were being spread about him. We need to realise that what may be a laugh to some young people are deeply upsetting to another. On the evening of Monday May 17 Dominic was laughing and joking as we watched his favourite television programme. By the evening of May 18 he was dead from horrific injuries.” Tom Osbourn, assistant deputy coroner for Gloucestershire, recording a verdict of suicide, said that “I do not think that I can recall a more tragic case than this. I am used to dealing with young men who commit suicide, but they are usually young men who commit suicide in desperate circumstances. One gets the feeling sometimes that they do not fully appreciate that once you are dead, you are dead forever. There is no evidence that Dominic was a desperate young man.” Osbourn added that “There is a suggestion that a game of spin-the-bottle was played. It is a game played by numerous young people across the country, especially when they go away on trips like these. It may have concluded in Dominic kissing a boy. But there wasn’t any evidence that it affected Dominic to the extent that he took his own life.” After the inquest, Mr Crouch said there were “lessons to be learned” from the tragedy, for the school, the local council children’s services, and also those responsible for building safety, adding that his family would now focus on trying to “rebuild our lives”.

Delaware Senate Committee Approves Bill Affording Same Sex Civil Unions; Sends Senate Bill 30 To The Full Floor For Debate

A Senate civil unions bill that would recognize "solemnized" same sex relationships with the same legal protections and requirements as marriage, was voted out of the Delaware Senate Administrative Services Committee after a two-hour hearing Wednesday, reports The News Journal. Senate Bill 30, sponsored by Senator David Sokola, (Democrat-Newark North) with more than two dozen co-sponsors, now goes to the Senate floor for debate. Committee members heard impassioned testimony from opponents and supporters of the bill, one reading from the Bible, another reading a letter from his son, all saying the state would be significantly changed either for the better or the worse. Many speakers offered personal, poignant stories. The Reverend Rick Hensley, pastor of Grace and Truth Community Church in Felton said he was raised by a single mother who lived a "homosexual lifestyle." But she left that lifestyle, he said, and so did her partner, proving, he suggested, such orientations are a choice, not innate. "They are wonderful people, and I don't have anything bad to say about them," Hensley said. "I love them. But the lie we are talking about is that this is something innate, unchangeable. ... Freedom to pursue sexual orientation does not necessitate fundamentally redefining marriage in our society. If you do that, you run a perilous path. And this is a step toward same sex marriage. We all in this room know that." Mike Bouchard, a New Castle County policeman who is active in his church, told the panel he says goodbye to his partner each morning and lays his life on the line each day for the community. He's honoured to do it, he said. "I hold the highest regard for my position in law enforcement," Bouchard said, but asked the panel why, if he is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for his community, is he not given the same rights as those whose partner is of the opposite sex? Priests and pastors spoke for and against the bill, illustrating the significant divide that exists on the issue in churches and communities. The Reverend Doug Gerdts, pastor of First & Central Presbyterian Church, said nothing changed about his love for his daughter when she told him she was gay."But I found myself sad and angry," he said. "Angry at a yet-to-be identified person or persons who might attempt to make her life painful, simply because of the way God created her. Sad that her life would have challenges and struggles that mine doesn't." Former state Senator Lee Littleton of Sussex County said he loved every soul in the chamber and was sent to speak by Jesus Christ and that "I'm here because I believe what God's word says. Man with man and woman with woman is an abomination. I don't want people going to hell because of their sins." The Reverend Jeffrey Ross, rector of St. Peter's Episcopal Church, urged lawmakers to pass the bill and let Delaware stand for justice. He said he has "looked into the souls of gay and lesbian people," has seen relationships that have lasted longer than his lifetime and seen their children."I have seen the love of God blossom in their lives," he said. In all, more than 50 people signed up to speak to the committee, but the committee chairman, Senator Michael Katz (Democrat-Centreville) was forced to cut off testimony after two hours because the Senate was returning to session. SB 30 was released from committee with three votes in favour (including Katz, Sokola, and Senator Patricia Blevins, Democrat-Elsmere) and one (Senator Robert Marshall, Democrat-Wilmington) on its merits. Nicole Theis, executive director of the Delaware Family Policy Council, sees the bill as a precursor to same sex marriage, and said she would continue to monitor the bill and educate lawmakers on the true intent and likely consequences it would have for the state. "I expected it," she said. "We'll follow it, alert our people and continue informing people about what it really means."

Despite Supposed Repeal Of Military Policy Prohibiting Openly Gay Service Personal Petty Officer 2nd Class Derek Morado Faces Hearing Thursday To Determine If He Should Be Dishonourably Discharged For Being Gay

The Fresno Bee reports on 26 year old Petty Officer 2nd Class Derek Morado, hopeful that when President Obama signed a law repealing the military policy prohibiting openly gay service members on December 22rd, his superiors at Lemoore Naval Air Station would stay his pending discharge from the Navy for violation of the policy. However, Morado, outed by a fellow sailor in 2009, still faces honourable discharge from the Navy, and is scheduled to appear at a hearing on the base Thursday before a three-member panel that will recommend whether he should be discharged for homosexual conduct. The hearing is not open to the public. Although the law repealing the longtime policy was signed by Obama three months ago, it will not go into effect until 60 days after the President, defense secretary and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff certify that lifting the ban will not interfere with the military's ability to fight. Under "don't ask, don't tell," the military could not discriminate against homosexuals and lesbians who remained in the closet, but could discharge anyone who is openly gay. Morado said he has heard that no one has been discharged from the military for being gay since October, and hopes not to be the first since then, because he wants to make the Navy his career. "It's all I really know," he said. "I've done it since high school. I just want to keep doing it."GetEQUAL, a national gay rights advocacy group has publicized Morado's case, calling for signatures from supporters that he can take to Thursday’s hearing. "At least they'll know people are watching and he has supporters in the community who won't let it just happen," said Robin McGehee of Fresno, a director of GetEQUAL. "The fact that the Navy is trying to slide one more discharge in under the wire is disgusting, and must be called out for what it is -- blatant discrimination and bullying." Wednesday, Morado said he knew he had to hide his homosexuality when he enlisted in 2003 after graduating from a Sacramento high school, but his sexual orientation became public after he posted a photo of himself on his MySpace page kissing another man. "He was just a friend, not a romantic interest," Morado said. A senior enlisted man in his ordnance and weapons unit turned him in, he said, and an admiral signed off on discharge proceedings. Once that happens, Morado said, "They have to go through with it."However, no members of the Navy will be discharged under "don't ask, don't tell" without approval of the secretary of the Navy, Lt. Myers Vasquez, a Navy spokesman at the Pentagon, said Wednesday. Morado said that after he was outed, his job duties changed from making bombs to managing barracks. Other sailors have told him they are on his side, he said, adding "All I've gotten is support and shock that this is happening -- nothing negative.” Morado, who is being represented by a Navy attorney, said the hearing will be overseen by an administrative board of two officers and a senior petty officer.

Same Sex Domestic Partnership Bill Passes Washington State Senate

The Seattle Times reports that same sex couples who are married elsewhere will be afforded the same legal rights and protections in Washington state as domestic partners under a bill headed to the governor's desk after clearing its last legislative obstacle late Wednesday, the measure passing the Senate on a 28-19 vote. Same sex marriage remains illegal in Washington State, but under the bill, same sex marriages and domestic partnerships performed and recognized elsewhere would be eligible for the rights granted to domestic partnerships in Washington. In the past half-decade, lawmakers here have approved hundreds of rights and responsibilities for domestic partnerships, coming close to creating a type of equality save for marriage itself. Currently, five states, the District of Columbia and Canada allow same sex marriages. Washington becomes the fourth state to approve this type of bill, following Rhode Island, New York and Maryland. "I'm ecstatic," said Rep. Laurie Jinkins (Democrat-Tacoma) the bill's prime sponsor. "It extends what the voters of this state have already said they want to do for people." The measure enjoyed wide support among Democrats. It cleared the House on a 58-39 vote, with most members voting along party lines, and in the Senate, four Republicans voted for the measure. Senator Don Benton (Republican-Vancouver) was the sole senator to speak on the floor against the bill, arguing there was no need for it because same sex couples already qualify for domestic partnerships. However Senator Craig Pridemore (Democrat-Vancouver) said that since the federal government does not recognize same sex marriages, states are required step in and clarify their laws. Supporters say the bill approved Wednesday is another victory for Washington's domestic partnership law, created in 2007 after years of lobbying by gay activists. "What we have witnessed is progress," said Josh Friedes, advocacy director for Equal Rights Washington, who added that because the federal government still refuses to recognize same sex couples, the public "should not think that gay and lesbian families are adequately protected in Washington,” and that "They remain very vulnerable. Most states don't provide reciprocity. When Washington couples travel outside, they remain especially vulnerable."

NYC Gay Bashing Victim Damian Furtch Says Attack On Him Part Of Larger Problem Of Violence Committed Against LBGT Community

26 year old Damian Furtch, the victim of a gay-bias attack in the West Village spoke Wednesday about growing violence against members of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, reports The New York Daily News. Furtch was assaulted early Sunday by two suspects shouting anti-gay epithets, police say, the brutal beating the third bias attack in the neighbourhood since October, 2010 "The attack against me is part of the larger issue of violence against gay and transgender people in New York City," Furtch said in a statement. "This has to stop. Under no circumstance should a person be attacked for their sexual orientation." City leaders were also outraged over the hate crime, including openly gay Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who, handing out flyers in the West Village about the attack, said that "We are sickened by this hateful attack on our streets and will not stand for it." Furtch said a group of men first harassed him and a friend about their bright-coloured clothing while they ordered food at the McDonald's on West Third Street and Sixth Ave."I stepped outside ... in an effort to avoid the tension in the restaurant and remove myself from the situation," Furtch said. But two of the men, believed to be Hispanic between 18 and 20 years old, one with a tattoo under his left eye, followed Furtch to the sidewalk and set upon him, according to police. The beaten and bloodied Furtch, who is an aspiring actor and model, and who recently moved to the city from California, said he stumbled back into the MacDonald’s to get his friend and went to St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center. The crime arrives just months after two similar reported attacks. In October, Frederick Giunta was arrested for beating a 26 year old bartender inside Julius Bar on West 10th Street. The 45 year old Giunta was sentenced early this month to 3 1/2 years in prison for punching the man as he yelled derogatory comments. Days earlier 21 year old Matthew Francis allegedly shouted homophobic slurs and assaulted a man in the Stonewall Inn, a neighbourhood bar considered the home of the gay-rights movement. He is still awaiting prosecution. NYC Police ask anyone with information on the most recent attack to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at (800) 577-TIPS.

In The Tradition Of Superbad Lionsgate Announces Production On Gay Dude Which Hopefully Will Not Be As Bad As The Title Suggests, Michael Urie Hosts Live Out Loud Benefit, Smoking Sexy Male Models Backstage At Jeffrey Cares Fashion Soiree Which Raised Over $4 Million, Prince Harry Warms Up Below Zero Waters

Lionsgate Films has announced its initial slate of mircrobudget films, movies to be made for under $2 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Among the first three to be produced is Gay Dude, “a coming of age comedy in the vein of Superbad,” telling the tale of best friends Matty and Michael, who decide to lose their virginity before graduating from high school, but their quest takes an unexpected turn when Matty tells Michael he’s gay. What follows, according to Lionsgate, is a funny, heartfelt story about friendship, prejudice, love, and the trials and triumphs of growing up. The studio Lionsgate picked the script, written by Alan Yang, who writes for NBC's Parks and Recreation, from the Black List, an annual compilation of Hollywood’s hottest unproduced screenplays.

Adorable Michael Urie, best known for his role on Ugly Betty and current star of the Off Broadway revival of Angels in America, and for his refusal to come out one way or the other, will host Live Out Loud's Tenth Annual Young Trailblazers Benefit Gala on Monday, April 25th, organizers announced today, according to a report by Broadway World. Celebrating ten years of supporting and inspiring lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth, Live Out Loud announced today that its Tenth Annual Young Trailblazers Benefit Gala will take place on Monday, April 25th at The TimesCenter in New York City. Live Out Loud is a non-profit dedicated to connecting LGBT youth with role models and leaders in the LGBT community. In addition to presenting programs, workshops, and panels at metropolitan area high schools and colleges, Live Out Loud also operates The Homecoming Project, a grassroots initiative that brings successful gay adults back to their high schools to share their stories with students. The focal point of this year's gala will be the awarding of $2,500 scholarships to four NY Tri-state area high school seniors who have demonstrated outstanding leadership skills. Live Out Loud will also honour leaders who have supported the organization over the past decade and served as role models for LGBT youth. Honourees include: Hal Rubenstein, fashion director of InStyle; theatre producer Daryl Roth of Daryl Roth Productions; Stuart Elliott, advertising columnist at The New York Times; and fashion designer Ralph Rucci of Chado Ralph Rucci.

Smoking sexy male models abound backstage at the 8th annual Jeffrey Fashion Cares Event. Fashion pioneer and successful retailer Jeffery Kalinsky founded the organization 18 years ago in Atlanta, meant to raise awareness and funds for those living with HIV/AIDS. Balenciaga, Gucci, and Lanvin were among the designers who donated to the event. Guests bid generously in live and silent auctions, and raised over $4 million in support of Lambda Legal, The Hetrick Martin Institute, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, and The Point Foundation. Nate Berkus was one of three honorary co-chairs of the event and co-host of the live auction led by Tash Perrin of Christie's.

Prince Harry, in training for an unaided trek to the North Pole to raise awareness and funds for the charity Walking Wounded, which rehabilitates and retrains British service personal, practices diving into the below zero waters, and being that this is Prince Harry, it is actually more interesting that it would appear.

New Report From UCLA Center For Health Policy Research Finds Alarming Disparities For Aging Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Population

California Watch reports that according to a new report released Tuesday by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, aging lesbian, gay and bisexual adults in California have higher rates of chronic disease, mental distress and isolation than their heterosexual counterparts. An estimated 170,000 adults ages 50 to 70 in California identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual in 2007, and researchers estimate that the national population of lesbian, gay and bisexual adults age 65 and older will double to 3 million by 2030. Based on data collected in 2003, 2005, and 2007 California Health Interview Survey, the surveys include more than 1,000 lesbian, gay and bisexual adults ages 50 to 70 in every county in the state, and found that these aging lesbian, gay and bisexual adults were more educated and were less racially diverse than heterosexual adults of the same age. 16.6-percent of heterosexual adults had advanced degrees, but the study revealed that 35-percent of lesbian, gay and bisexual adults did. Nearly 41-percent of heterosexual adults were people of color – African American, American Indian, Asian American, Latino, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, other or mixed race – compared to 22.5-percent of lesbian, gay and bisexual adults. "By a lot of markers, this should be a fairly privileged population, but it actually wasn't," said Steven Wallace, lead researcher of the report and associate director of the center, adding that "In spite of high education, there were still high levels of chronic illness, and a sort of average level of health insurance." Aging gay and bisexual men were 1.5 times more likely to rate their own health as fair or poor than were heterosexual men with similar demographics, and they also had significantly higher rates of hypertension, diabetes, psychological distress and physical disability. 50.5-percent of gay and bisexual men lived alone, compared to just 13.4-percent of their heterosexual counterparts. The same held true for women, the study finding that one in four lesbian and bisexual women lived alone, compared to one in five heterosexual women. The report found significantly higher rates of psychological distress, physical disability and self-reported health as fair or poor among lesbian and bisexual women. There were few differences between heterosexual, and lesbian, gay and bisexual adults in their access to and use of health care services. Gay and bisexual men delayed care or prescriptions and visited the emergency room at about the same rate as heterosexual men. However, they were 1.19 times more likely to have visited the doctor more than three times in the past year. But among lesbian and bisexual women, more than one in four reported delaying care – a rate 1.28 times greater than that of heterosexual women. They were also 1.09 times more likely to have had three or more doctor visits in the past year. Perhaps most troubling, the study suggests that since fewer lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults have children, they therefore have less generational support than do heterosexual adults as they age. Seth Kilbourn, the executive director of Openhouse, a LGBT community services and housing organization in San Francisco, said "Most LGBT elder adults don't have the informal family networks that many seniors have, whether that's a son or a daughter, or even a spouse or a partner." San Francisco will be home to an estimated 25,000 gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender adults over age 60 within the next five years, and Kilbourn says that given the city's expensive housing market, many struggle to find affordable housing. Openhouse is in the process of building 109 units of low-income, subsidized housing for LGBT seniors, located in the city's Duboce Triangle neighbourhood. The $50 million project has partnered with a developer and is starting to apply for local, state and federal funding to build it. Similar housing exists in Los Angeles. Triangle Square in Hollywood, a project of Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing, was the nation's first affordable housing development for LGBT seniors. More than 800 people applied for a spot in its 104 units in 2006. Neither project meets the demand of their communities, and San Francisco would need thousands more units of affordable housing. The report recommends increasing cultural competency and sensitivity among health care providers as a first step toward improving access to and quality of care for aging lesbian, gay and bisexual adults, and calls for policies that extend full Medicaid and Social Security spousal benefits to same sex partners to reduce financial obstacles to health care that some older lesbian, gay and bisexual adults encounter. It concludes that all major data systems in California, including census surveys, should include lesbian, gay and bisexual identity as a standard demographic question.

Representative Frank Reintroduces Employment Non-Discrimination Act Acknowledging Chance Of Successful Passage Slim

The Boston Globe reports that United States Representative Barney Frank revived a signature piece of legislation today that bars workplace discrimination against gays, lesbians and transgender people, but acknowledged that the bill has little chance of passing this session. The Newton, Massachusetts Democrat has introduced the Employment Non-Discrimination Act every session for decades, and Wednesday’s announcement was subdued, given the near certainty the bill will again fail. “I will acknowledge at the outset that the likelihood of the Republican Congress adopting it in the House is small, but it is still very important to have it introduced,” Frank said. The bill seemed to see its best chance for passage last session when Democrats controlled both chambers, but Democratic leaders made repeal of the military’s policy prohibiting openly gay service members a priority, along with a hate crimes bill that included penalties for violence against people who identify with the opposite sex, and last November’s election doomed the workplace bill to at least two more years of limbo. In recent years, Frank has insisted that the workplace bill retain language protecting transgender workers along with gay and lesbian workers, a provision that caused some more conservative lawmakers to drop their support. "We have reduced the resistance on the transgender issue, but that's still in play," he said.

India State Bans Biography Suggesting Ghandi’s Great Love Was Male German Bodybuilder; Politicians From Other States Call For Book To Be Banned

The Associated Press reports that Wednesday, a state in western India announced it has banned Pulitzer-Prize winner Joseph Lelyveld's new book about Mahatma Gandhi after reviews saying it hints that the father of India's independence had a homosexual relationship. The author says his work is being misinterpreted. More bans have been proposed in India, where homosexuality was illegal until 2009 and still carries social stigma. Gujarat's state assembly voted unanimously Wednesday to immediately ban Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle With India. The outrage was fuelled by local media reports, based on early reviews out of the United States and United Kingdom, some of which emphasized passages in the book suggesting Gandhi had an intimate relationship with a German man named Hermann Kallenbach."Great Soul" has not yet been released in India, so few here have actually read Lelyveld's writings. "The book does not say that Gandhi was bisexual or homosexual," Lelyveld wrote in an email. "It says that he was celibate and deeply attached to Kallenbach. This is not news." He noted that his book — which is said is about Gandhi's struggle for social justice and the evolution of his social values — is available both in the U.S. and as an e-book download, and added "It should not be hard for anyone to determine what it actually says. It's a pious hope, but I'd say someone might take the trouble to look at it before it's banned." Several reviews of "Great Soul" detailed its sections on Gandhi's relationship with Kallenbach, including the Wall Street Journal, noting that the only portrait on the mantelpiece opposite Gandhi's bed was of Kallenbach. "How completely you have taken possession of my body," reads one widely quoted letter from Gandhi to Kallenbach. "This is slavery with a vengeance." Sudhir Kakar, a psychoanalyst who has written about Gandhi's sexuality and reviewed some of his correspondence with Kallenbach, said he does not believe the two men were lovers. "It is quite a wrong interpretation," he said. "The Hindu idea is that sexuality has this elemental energy which gets dissipated; If it can be sublimated and contained, it can give you spiritual power. Gandhi felt his political power really came from his celibacy, from his spiritual power." He added Gandhi often filled his letters, including those to female associates, with strong love language, but that did not lead to physical intimacy. "Nothing happened," he said. "He is telling his feelings, but they are platonic. They are not put into action. That would have been terrible for him." Politicians in the state of Maharashtra, home to India's financial capital Mumbai, have also called for a ban on the book and, along with Gujarat's chief minister Narendra Modi, have asked the central government to bar publication nationwide. Modi also said Lelyveld should apologize publicly for "hurting the sentiments of millions of people." Ranjit Hoskote, a writer and general secretary of PEN India, which fights for free expression, condemned the ban and said local media had misconstrued both Lelyveld's intentions and the nature of Gandhi's relationship with Kallenbach. "You can't cite a worse example of third hand reportage and comment," he said. "How can you ban a book you haven't read?" He noted that Gandhi's correspondence with Kallenbach has been available in library archives for decades. "There's no secret. There is no scandal," he said.

Jackson City And County Officials Hire Crystal Dixon As Human Resource Head Despite Dixon Being Fired From University Of Toledo For Publically Contending Homosexuality A Choice

The Jackson Citizen Patriot reports that Jackson County and city officials, moving ahead with the merger of their human resources departments, have selected a new head for the department for the second time this year, and the candidate is Crystal Dixon, of Maumee, Ohio, expected to start work April 24th as director of a joint human resources department. Dixon will be considered a county employee but will work for both governments. Pamela Lavers, who was selected for the job in January, withdrew from the position because of a family emergency. Interim county Administrator Adam Brown said Dixon’s level of experience and professionalism put her “head and shoulders” above other candidates. Dixon has spent the last three years working as a human resources and business consultant. She previously worked as associate vice president for human resources at the University of Toledo and human resources director for the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities in Toledo. She was fired from her job at the University of Toledo in 2008 after authoring a letter about her position on gay rights to the Toledo Free Press, in which she argued that gay and lesbian individuals are not civil rights victims because they have the ability to choose a homosexual lifestyle. “I cannot wake up tomorrow and not be a Black woman,” she wrote. “I am genetically and biologically a Black woman and very pleased to be so as my Creator intended.” University administrators said her views contradicted the institution’s values, according to the Toledo Free Press. Dixon said she had a right to express her views and sued the university, although the outcome of that action remains unclear. City and County officials said Dixon was forthcoming about her termination from the university, and that her level of professional experience was more important than her political views. “She is a very well-qualified individual,” said City Manager Warren Renando. “We still think she is the right person. She explained her situation and was open about it.”Renando said she was the unanimous choice of a hiring committee made up of both city and county staff. Dixon will make $87,030 annually, about $7,000 more than Lavers was offered. Officials said salary was set based on professional experience. When reached by phone, Dixon referred questions to Brown and did not comment on her lawsuit against the university. Dixon is expected to become the lead negotiator for contract agreements with the city and county’s 13 employee unions, and will assist in the search for department heads. Brown said city and county leaders were looking for someone who could adapt to the different cultures of the two governments. “She appears to be one who can wear many hats and switch her leadership style based on where she is,” Brown said, apparently eager to ignore her odious views on homosexuality.

Farley Granger, Ontario Police Charge 20 Year Old Man Who Targeted 17 Year Old Male With Homophobic Comments And Threats, Faced With Likely Lawsuit Louisiana High School Quickly Reverses Decision And Permits Openly Gay Monique Verdin To Wear Traditional Tuxedo To Prom

The Los Angeles Times on the life and death of Farley Granger, the actor, who died Sunday at the age of 85 at his New York City home. Best known for his work in two Alfred Hitchcock films – 1948’s Rope and 1951’s Strangers on a Train – he gave an underrated performance in Nicholas Ray’s excellent 1949 noir film They Live By Night. Granger came out via a 2007 memoir titled Include Me Out: My Life From Goldwyn to Broadway, Granger revealing he was bisexual, and had affairs with Ava Gardner and Leonard Bernstein, although, by his own admission, he had been out his entire career. He wrote that book with his longtime partner Robert Calhoun, who died in 2008.

The Peterborough Examiner reports that a 20 year old man has been charged after a 17 year old boy was targeted with homophobic comments and threats, according to city police. Daniel Cook began making homophobic comments, police said, and wrote several inappropriate comments inside the boy's hat with a marker, and on March 16th Cook sent the boy a threatening message on his Facebook account. Cook is charged with uttering threats and mischief, and will appear in court April 7th.

From Louisiana, The Daily Comet reports that Terrebonne Parish school officials said Monday they are backing off enforcement of a school-based rule (also contained in policies at the district’s other three high school) mandating that tuxedos be worn by boys and gowns worn by girls, and that Monique Verdin will be permitted to attend prom wearing a tuxedo. The 19 year old Verdin, 19, and her father, Jody Bergeron, were told Friday by the school’s principal, Cory Butler, and high-schools supervisor Tony Authement that the teen would be allowed to buy a ticket to the prom but barred from entering if she donned a tuxedo. Friday, Authement confirmed that the district planned to enforce the rule, but on Monday he said attorneys advised him the stance would be difficult to defend in court. “We are going to allow her,” Authement said. “It was an easy call,” said attorney Berwick Duval, who represents the School Board. “It’s a First Amendment issue.” Verdin said “It’s a good thing,” adding that “They shouldn’t have put me through so much trouble like that.” American Civil Liberties Union Louisiana Executive Director Marjorie Esman sent a letter to school officials throughout Louisiana on Friday explaining the organization’s stance on gender-specific clothing requirements and bans on same sex couples purchasing tickets for proms, and emphasized that case-law supports gender-neutral rules and tolerance for diversity.“I figured they might change their minds because of the letter they got from the ACLU,” Verdin said. Esman said the ACLU had been considering its legal options when they heard that school officials’ had reversed their earlier decision. Verdin said she wants to wear a tuxedo not to make a statement about sexual orientation but because she does not like wearing dresses. There were no plans for her 32 year old girlfriend to accompany her to the prom, she said, because of a policy that bans attendees older than 21.

Cleveland Councilman Cimperman Introduces Ordinance To Afford Health Care Benefits To Domestic Partners Of City Employees; Says “Passing This Is The Right Thing To Do”

The Plains Dealer reports that Cleveland Councilman Joe Cimperman says he has enough support for an ordinance introduced Monday night that will give health care benefits to domestic partners of city employees, but he said he is aware it will be difficult to convince those councillors who oppose the plan. An estimated 120 unmarried couples are on the city's domestic partner registry, first made available in May 2009. Those registering were required to demonstrate they were sharing expenses on a long-term basis, such as a mortgage or utility bills, to ensure their authenticity. The registry, which passed in late 2008 as a means of getting insurance, also created controversy. Soon after council adopted it 13-7, several local pastors, led by the Reverend C.J. Matthews of Mount Sinai Baptist Church, joined together to repeal it, circulating petitions needed to collect about 11,000 signatures to put the issue to a citywide vote. But the effort fell far short of the goal. Cimperman said 10 council members are co-sponsoring the ordinance, and that three others will vote for it, "so we have more than enough support to get this passed." He said Council President Martin J. Sweeney has agreed to the debate, adding "But I always anticipate a hard sell. You take nothing for granted in the legislative process." Council members were expected to assign the ordinance to at least one city committee, and Cimperman said as many as three -- the finance, health and employment, and legislative committees -- could consider its merits. Cimperman said major companies like the Cleveland Clinic and Medical Mutual currently offer health care to their domestic partner employees, and said the city should follow suit. He also said 21 states, 404 Fortune 1000 companies and around 4,000 other private firms, nonprofits and unions provide the same benefits. "There's no reason this ordinance shouldn't pass," he said. "Cleveland has the four best health systems in the country in the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, MetroHealth and St. Vincent, plus we have the Gay Games coming here in 2014 with over 50,000 visitors coming to our city." Cimperman also said health care for domestic partners will not cost taxpayers because it cuts down on uninsured care, and also helps the city in its efforts to recruit employees. "Plus, if health care is a human right, passing this is the right thing to do," Cimperman said.

Montana House Refuses To Lift Bill Repealing State Law Banning Gay Sex From Committee; State Supreme Court Ruled The Law Unconstitutional In 1997

The Billings Gazette reports that the Montana House blocked an attempt Tuesday to lift a stalled bill out of committee so representatives could debate whether to repeal the state law declaring gay sex to be illegal. The leading backer of the bill said the Montana Supreme Court, in a unanimous 1997 decision, struck down the law banning gay sex as unconstitutional, yet it remains on the state law books. A leading opponent argued that the court did not strike down the law as unconstitutional. The motion by Representative Diane Sands (Democrat-Missoula) to lift Senate Bill 276 out of the House Judiciary Committee, received 51 votes in the 100-member House but failed to secure the 60 votes needed, the final tally 51-47. The Senate passed SB276, sponsored by Senator Tom Facey (Democrat-Missoula), 35-14, but the House Judiciary Committee tabled the bill. Prior to the court ruling in 1997, gays and lesbians in Montana risked being charged with felonies and if convicted, they could have faced a maximum penalty of a 10-year prison sentence and a $50,000 fine, said Sands, who is openly gay, and who added "It's been almost 15 years since the Supreme Court ruling. It's about time we removed that language from the books. Let's bring it to the floor and debate it and take action on it." Sands said the bill is more than just repealing an antiquated law, and that "It's about the value we all place on the constitutional right to privacy and the right of members of the gay and lesbian community of Montana to not be criminals under the law." Judiciary Chairman Representative Ken Peterson (Republican-Billings),an attorney, said the Supreme Court didn't find the law unconstitutional, arguing that the ruling held that same-sex adults, in private, not-for-commercial purposes, are protected by the right to privacy. "It should not be repealed because of situations it might apply in," he said. Sands has the support of Representative Steve Gibson (Republican-East Helena) who said the issue is not about gay marriage or religion, but said that “This is about freedom, privacy, respect, personal responsibility," adding "Do you want the government in your bedroom? I don't. I'm sure everybody in the House knows someone in their family, a friend or a person that is homosexual. Do you love them? Do you respect them? I do." However, Representative Michael More (Republican-Gallatin Gateway) argued against Sands' motion, citing Scripture, natural law and "eternal law." "I would say that the protections provided in the privacy clause of the Montana Constitution, which are extensive and which we've been over numerous times in the House Judiciary Committee, the protections are sufficient," he said. In her closing statement, Sands said she knows that many representatives consider homosexuality to be a sin, which is their right, but said the court has ruled the law unconstitutional and so the language should be removed from Montana law. Sands concluded saying "You know, we are members of your family and your community," Sands said. "We sit next to you in your pew at church and in some cases we're your pastor, whether you know it or not. We care for your parents in nursing homes. We're your nieces and nephews. We fill the potholes on your streets, and we even serve beside you as members of the House and the Senate. These days we serve beside you in the House and the Senate as out members of the lesbian and gay community, partly because we were not under the threat of this law."

Ontario Catholic High School Principal Hijacks Initial Gay-Straight Alliance; Unwritten Ban On GSA’s Likely To Lead To Legal Action Against Catholic School Board

A Mississauga high school principal has angered students after she drew an umbrella on a blackboard at the launch of their first Gay-Straight Alliance group meeting, reports the Globe and Mail. Leanne Iskander, one of the founders of the St. Joseph’s Secondary School group, said she was shocked the principal drew an umbrella to symbolize their GSA would have to be a part of an all-encompassing equity group. “I know so many of the students were mad, but they didn’t say anything because it was intimidating have the principal there,” Iskander said Tuesday. “I think the meeting would have gone better if she hadn’t been there.” When the 16 year old Iskander first approached principal Frances Jacques to start a GSA, her request was quickly turned down and referred to other equity options with a Catholic flavour. Bruce Campbell, spokesman for Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, said that the response by the St. Joseph’s principal was one “the board wholeheartedly supports.” On Monday, the board’s education director John Kostoff wrote in an e-mail that “It is our practice (...) to frame discussions (...) under the umbrella of a broader community focus on equity and diversity, and through a Catholic lens.” That effectively means there is an unwritten (and unspoken) ban on Gay-Straight Alliances at the Catholic school board, argued Noa Mendelsohn Aviv, a spokesperson for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, who said that “It’s unconstitutional to deny these students the right to express themselves. It goes against their Charter Rights. At the end of day, yes, it is a Catholic school, but it is also a publicly funded Catholic school that is required to respect these students’ rights.” Aviv attempted to join the GSA launch meeting on Friday, but was denied permission to enter school property. In spite of the hostility the students face, more than a hundred came to the group’s meeting, Iskander said, adding several students were left without seats, the overflow occupying the hallway. “We’ve definitely got the support of so many students,” she said. “In fact, students from another [Mississauga] Catholic school also came to support us and they want to start their own GSA. Believe me, this isn’t going away.”

Indiana Senate Approves Amendment To State Constitution Banning Both Same Sex Marriage And Civil Unions; Sponsor Dennis Kruse Says Measure Provides Maximum Protection For Traditional Family Unit; Amendment Needs To Be Approved Again By Different Legislature And Voters

The Indiana Senate has approved a proposed amendment banning same sex marriage and civil unions Tuesday afternoon by a vote of 40-10, according to a report by The Indianapolis Star. Should the General Assembly passes the measure again in either 2013 or 2014, it would go to the voters in 2014, before the state constitution can be amended. The Indiana House already approved the measure. Democratic Senator Tim Lanane of Anderson argued that attitudes toward same sex marriages are rapidly evolving and that the amendment, therefore, would make it arduous for future changes in state law. Current state law prohibits same sex marriages. Amendment sponsor Senator Dennis Kruse of Auburn says the measure would provide maximum protection for the basic family unit of society, a defence he argued, of the traditional. Some major Indiana corporations, including Eli Lilly and Co. and Cummins, oppose the amendment saying it will make it harder to attract top talent to the state. Thirty states have constitutional bans on marriage. Twenty also ban civil unions in their constitutions. Republicans have majorities in both chambers of the Indiana legislature.

Illinois-Based Civil Rights Agenda Calls For Resignation Of Sheriff Scheiferdecker; Made Anti-Gay, Anti-Semantic Comments On Facebook Post

The Journal Courier reports that condemnation continues to grow over a Facebook comment by a west-central Illinois sheriff, drawing fire Saturday from a state-wide gay and lesbian group. Schuyler County Sheriff Don Scheiferdecker commented on the picture of a co-worker, jokingly calling him a “little fag Jew boy.” He insists that the comment was meant to be private and he did not realize his account was public and available for anyone to see since he is relatively new to Facebook. By late Saturday, he had deleted his Facebook account. The Civil Rights Agenda, an Illinois lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy group, issued a call for his resignation Saturday. The organization was founded about a year ago to do educational and political outreach in Illinois and was instrumental in passing a civil union bill signed by Governor Pat Quinn in January, Executive Director Anthony Martinez said. This is the first time it has called for someone’s resignation. Martinez said that “When a comment is made in jest to a friend, that’s one thing when you’re a citizen, but when you’re an elected official who is looked to protect the citizens of Illinois, that position comes with a fair amount of responsibility. For us, looking at that comment, there’s really no way, being in that position, to publicly state something overtly like that and not have it be over the line.” In the past year, the Civil Rights Agenda has pushed for a heightened awareness of bullying toward the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people of Illinois, including rural places where such advocacy was previously not as available, Martinez said. He added that as executive director, he attempts to separate his emotional capacity and personal feelings from such comments and tries to approach it thinking of people in the community who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender and might have to interact with the sheriff. “For me, it’s more about wanting to give a voice to them and help put this out in front as something that is not justifiable in any way,” Martinez said. “We have to show that these comments cannot be made in this way on this medium.” Scott Thompson, mayor of Rushville in Schuyler County, criticized the sheriff’s remark, noting on the city’s Facebook page that “Don is my friend but I will not speak to his heart or thoughts. I do however want to speak to my responsibility as mayor. I do not condone language which conveys discrimination or prejudice due to race, gender, sexual orientation, religion or national origin. Such language would reflect poorly upon the individual and the community.” Scheiferdecker has been the sheriff of Schuyler County for more than 30 years. The Schuyler County Board has not made any decision about the post, board member Max McClelland saying that “We don’t have all the details right now, so we can’t comment until we see all the details.”

Openly Gay Jail Guard Awarded $244,242 In Damages After Enduring Years Of Anti-Gay Harassment Working At Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre; Province Found To Have Failed To Investigate Or Intercede

The Ottawa Citizen reports that an openly gay jail guard has been awarded $244,242 after enduring years of abuse that created a "poisonous" working atmosphere at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre. The award to Robert Ranger was handed down almost a year after Ontario's Grievance Settlement Board upheld a complaint filed against the corrections ministry claimed it allowed the harassment to continue unchecked for four years, leaving Ranger suicidal and diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Ranger's union and the government's legal team have been meeting since the January, 2010 decision to negotiate the wages he lost between 2002 and 2010. The parties agreed on the amount for lost wages, including shift premium and overtime, but differed on whether simple or compound interest should be applied. Deborah Leighton, the grievance board's vice-chairwoman, ruled in the government's favour and said simple interest should be applied to the $244,242 in lost wages. A decision on damages is forthcoming. Don Eady, an attorney for Ranger, said "We're seeking substantial damages because, as the original decision indicates, Mr. Ranger was not provided with a harassment and discrimination-free workplace by the employer." He would not put a dollar figure on "substantial," but said it would be made clear at hearings set for June and July. Ranger worked at the Ottawa jail from November 16th, 1998, to February 11th, 2002. In her January 2010 decision, Leighton ruled Ranger had been harassed because he was gay, that the ministry "fail(ed) to promptly investigate" his complaints, and that the ministry took too long to offer Ranger alternative and equivalent employment." Eady noted it took 18 months for prison officials to begin investigating Ranger's complaints, while Leighton said a temporary position finally offered Ranger in January, 2005 violated the collective agreement and the Ontario Human Rights Code. Mark Grady, then president of the correctional services Ontario Public Service Employees Union Local 411, was identified as Ranger's principal tormentor. According to the decision, Grady repeatedly and loudly used profanities, made vulgar gestures and, during a training session on February 11th, 2002, repeatedly mocked Ranger in front of colleagues, the report said. Ranger was also deluged with "graphically offensive" and "taunting" e-mails. His doctor testified Ranger became suicidal in 2002 and referred him to a psychiatrist, who provided expert testimony at the hearing that Ranger suffered from major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder as a direct result of workplace harassment."He is still suffering some of the affects of what happened to him over the years and the union hopes that he's going to get better," Eady said. He added Ranger remained an employee of the Ontario government and had been back at work for a number of months, but would not say where. Grady served as head of the union local from May 2000 until June 2002, and then served as vice-president from 2004 to 2006 before he was promoted to management. He left his job at the jail last July. The government refused to comment on the award Monday.

Screenwriter Suggests Dustin Lance Black Screenplay Fabricates J. Edgar Hoover’s Sexual Orientation; Larry Cohen Says That If Anything Hoover Was “Asexual”

Larry Cohen, a writer and director whose sister, the publicist Ronni Chasen, was murdered last year, and whose film The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover was released in 1977 with Broderick Crawford in the lead, has now compiled a lengthy critique of the new Hoover film titled J. Eager, currently being filmed in Los Angeles by Clint Eastwood, with Leonardo DiCaprio as Hoover, and Armie Hammer as Clyde Tolson, based on his reading of a screenplay by Dustin Lance Black, who won an Oscar for Milk, The New York Times reports. At issue is what Cohen describes as the film’s portrayal of Hoover, the longtime director of the FBI, “as a closeted gay man.” In his critique, which Cohen said he planned to post online if he could find a proper forum, he acknowledges that Hoover had long been the subject of reports and rumours of cross-dressing and of a hidden sexual relationship with his aide Tolson (who died in 1975, three years after Hoover), but Cohen insists that the stories, which made a splash in Anthony Summers’s 1993 biography Official and Confidential: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover, are not supported by credible evidence that Hoover was “anything but asexual.” Based on its script, Mr. Eastwood’s movie will dwell heavily on the Lindbergh kidnapping case, in which, by Mr. Cohen’s assessment, Hoover “had only the most peripheral involvement.” And he contends the film makes much of Hoover’s reluctance to pursue the Mafia, but underestimates the positive effect of what he calls a “gentleman’s agreement,” under which Hoover supposedly let crime bosses operate prostitution and gambling rings, as long as they helped to block the narcotics trade. “Hoover did a lot of bad things to a lot of people, I just don’t think he deserves to have this perpetuated,” said Mr. Cohen, who was briefly invited to do some work on the film that never materialized. Warner Brothers, the studio producing the film, released a statement reading in part “Mr. Cohen read an early draft of the script that had yet to be properly vetted. His critique, however well researched, is not based on the actual shooting script.”

Same Sex Marriage Advocates Disrupt Indiana Senate

The Indianapolis Star reports that the Indiana Senate president closed the Senate gallery Monday afternoon after the audience interrupted debate on a constitutional same sex marriage ban by yelling, “stop hating, stop dividing, stop pandering.” Senators were attempting to discuss amendments to a resolution that would add a ban on same sex marriage to the state’s constitution when one man in the balcony began shouting and others joined him. Senate President Pro Tem David Long then ordered the balcony seating closed. As they filed out, the estimated forty audience members yelled “jobs not hate” — a statement on what they think the Senate’s priorities should be. The same sex marriage ban, which also prohibits civil unions, passed the House overwhelmingly, with support from all but one Republican (Representative Ed Clere) and support from some Democrats. The Senate likely will vote on it later this week, and the measure must be approved by a second, separately elected legislature and a popular referendum, likely to be held in 2014, before it can be added to the constitution.

Rhode Island Attorney General Files Human Rights Complaint Alleging Homophobic, Racist Abuse By Johnston Man, ACLU Begins Campaign Demanding Schools Stop Filtering LGBT Content To Students, Attorneys For Log Cabin Republicans File Brief Calling For Immediate Repeal Of Gay Military Ban, Mississippi County Sheriff’s Office Reinstates Openly Gay Deputy Corrections Officers Per ACLU Agreement, Barney Frank Says He Will Introduce Employment Non-Discrimination Act Wednesday Despite Almost Certainty It Will Be Killed

The Boston Globe reports that Rhode Island's attorney general has filed a civil rights complaint against a Johnston man who he says repeatedly hurled homophobic and racist epithets at a gay neighbour and at a neighbour with a bi-racial child. The complaint, filed Monday, alleges that Vincent Smith's behaviour drove Jennifer Piscione, a single mother, to move out of her condo in January, 2010. The complaint also says that Smith made homophobic remarks to Roger DiTusa, a gay neighbour, on about two dozen occasions over the course of two years. It says Smith was arrested in March for smashing the sliding glass door in DiTusa's condominium. If a judge rules that he violated Piscione and DiTusa's civil rights, Smith faces a $5,000 fine. The attorney general's office is also seeking a restraining order.

The American Civil Liberties Union has sent letters to schools in Missouri and Michigan telling them to stop blocking students' access to educational websites about gay, lesbian and transgender issues, reports that Associated Press, the ACLU adding that the letters are the beginning of a national campaign. Besides the letters sent Monday to the North Kansas City School District and Rochester Community Schools, the ACLU is planning to send several dozen records requests in the next few months. The ACLU first addressed the issue in 2009 when it filed a lawsuit over access to LGBT websites in the Knoxville and Nashville school districts in Tennessee. The districts ultimately agreed to stop using filtering software to block those sites. Since then, ACLU staff attorney Joshua Block says the organization has received complaints, prompting the national campaign.

The Associated Press reports that gay rights advocates are challenging a request by the Obama administration to keep the military's repealed policy prohibiting openly gay service members in place while the Pentagon prepares for an end to the practice. In a brief filed Monday in the Ninth United States Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, lawyers for gay political group Log Cabin Republicans argued that keeping the old policy in place would be "absurd." At issue is the constitutionality of Congress allowing the policy to stay in effect to give the Pentagon time to train troops and take other steps outlined in December, 2010 when lawmakers repealed the 1993 law that banned gays from serving openly in the military. Under the new policy, the restrictions remain until the Pentagon certifies that the change won't damage combat readiness.

The Hattiesburg American reports that the Forrest County Sheriff’s Department will reinstate Andre Cooley as a deputy corrections officer as part of the settlement of a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Mississippi, in which Cooley alleged that he was fired because he is gay. As part of the settlement agreement reached Monday, the sheriff’s department will also update its written non-discrimination policy to make explicit that the sheriff’s department does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. “I am looking forward to returning to a job that I loved in the sheriff’s department,” Cooley said. “I’m very happy that the sheriff’s department has clarified in writing that they do not discriminate based on sexual orientation. Everyone should be judged by their ability to do the job, not by their sexual orientation.” Sheriff Billy McGee said “We are happy to have Mr. Cooley return to work in the department. His sexual orientation has no bearing on his ability to perform the duties of a corrections officer. The Forrest County Sheriff’s Department is an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate based on sexual orientation. Our new written policy will make this position clear to every employee in our department.” Andre Cooley is a fine officer who never should have endured this experience. The sheriff’s department has done the right thing by making it clear that the department will not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation,” Bear Atwood, the Legal Director at the ACLU of Mississippi, said that “All employers in Mississippi should follow the Forrest County Sheriff’s Department’s lead and include sexual orientation in their anti-discrimination policies. Discrimination is degrading and dehumanizing, creates a negative and unproductive work environment and robs employers and society of highly qualified employees.” The settlement agreement, which also includes a monetary amount, does not constitute an admission of liability by the sheriff’s department or its employees. Joshua Block, a staff attorney for the ACLU Lesbian Gay Bisexual & Transgender Project, said that “This is a great outcome for Andre, and for the residents of Mississippi,” but added that “Unfortunately, Mississippi residents who work for private employers do not have protections from sexual orientation discrimination. Andre’s case highlights the need for state and federal legislation, like the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, to ensure that all Mississippi residents have the same anti-discrimination protections as employees of the Forrest County Sheriff’s Department.”

In an interview with Metro Weekly, Representative Barney Frank (Democrat-Massachusetts) says he intends to introduce the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in the House on Wednesday, according to two LGBT equality advocates with direct knowledge of the congressman's plans. Frank's communications director, Harry Gural, confirmed that the plans are "to formally announce ENDA this week," although he added over the weekend that specifics are not yet nailed down and were expected to be so by this afternoon. The bill, which Gural says will be the same exact bill as that introduced in the 111th Congress, would prohibit most employers from discriminating in hiring and promotions on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Although the bill is not expected to move forward in the House under the leadership of Speaker John Boehner (Republican-Ohio), Frank says, "It's an organizing tool. Obviously, with the Republicans in power, you're not going to get the bill even considered." But, Frank, who is the longest-serving out member of Congress, says, "I'm going to be urging people to spend their time talking to those who have voted in the past for ENDA and are supportive of ENDA but where we're not certain they're still with us on the transgender issue." Frank says, "[W]e have work still to do and we have overwhelming -- over 90 percent -- support on the Democratic side for ENDA based on sexual orientation and we had, in the last Congress, about 30 Republicans that way. Unfortunately, there's a drop-off from that number to transgender, and this is a chance to work hard to sway those who are committed to ENDA to support the full transgender inclusion as well," and adds that "We got hate crimes done, and we got 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' repealed, and you can't do everything at once. And that, in fact, the problem was ... there was a fall-off – a significant one on the Republican side and some on the Democratic side – because the votes may not be there for an inclusive ENDA." Following up on the introduction earlier this month of the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, Frank says bluntly, "ENDA will pass before DOMA will be repealed congressionally." Frank says that concerns the DOMA repeal will take priority over the passage of ENDA are “inaccurate,” adding that "I believe that, with regard to DOMA, the goal is to win it in court. I do not think there is a good likelihood of getting DOMA repealed through the Congress. I think there is a good likelihood, in a Democratic Congress, of getting an inclusive ENDA. And that's the lobbying job for the whole community. Transgender people, lesbian and gay and bisexual people, our straight friends – the focal point should be to make sure that everyone who's supportive of ENDA supports the transgender inclusion."

OutServe Announces Print Edition Of Magazine For Active-Duty Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Service Members, Film Version Of Facing East Announced, Matt Damon Says When Kissing Michael Douglas He Is Kissing Catherine Zeta-Jones, Psychoanalyzing Pedro Almodovar, Prince Harry For British GQ, Opening Night Daniel Radcliffe

CNN reports that a magazine designed for and by gay military members may soon be displayed at military installations worldwide, an advocacy group announced Monday. "Our first objective with the magazine is to let all the gay, lesbian, bi, and trans members currently serving know that they are not alone," an active-duty officer who goes by the pseudonym JD Smith said in a statement. Smith, who along with co-director Ty Walrod lead the organization known as OutServe, describe themselves as an underground network of actively serving military members of the United States Armed Services who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. "Visibility is key," Smith said, adding that OutServe, currently available as a download via the internet, hopes to have its next version available in print at "some larger military bases." Smith says the goal of the publication is “not about highlighting our differences,” but to underline "how LGBT troops are proud soldiers, sailors, airmen, Coasties, and Marines just like everyone else." The magazine will contain features about "Don't Ask Don't Tell" repeal implementation and OutServe chapters, as well as other information of interest to currently-serving LGBT military members, the statement said. "We also want to communicate to all troops that there are capable gay military members serving honourably, and that accepting that and moving on will make our military stronger," said Smith. On December 22nd, President Barack Obama signed a bill repealing the 17 year old law that prohibits openly gay service personal from serving, saying at the time that the repeal "will strengthen our national security and uphold (America's) ideals. No longer will tens of thousands of Americans in uniform be asked to live a lie."

Playbill reports that Tony Award nominee and Priscilla Queen of the Desert star Will Swenson will direct the upcoming film adaptation of the Carol Lynn Pearson play Facing East, which focuses on a young Mormon man who commits suicide after struggling with his homosexuality. Emily Pearson and Duane Andersen are producing the independent film based on the play that premiered in Salt Lake City in 2006 and transferred Off-Broadway with its original cast intact in 2007 prior to a San Francisco run. Production is expected to begin this fall. Pearson, who is adapting her play, is also the author of Goodbye, I Love You, her personal account of her life with her gay husband and his ultimate death from AIDS; and No More Goodbyes: Circling the Wagons Around Our Gay Loved Ones, a collection of true stories about homosexuality and religion. Facing East centers on an upstanding Mormon couple coping with the death of their son after attempts to "heal" him from homosexuality has failed. On the day of his funeral, they meet his lover, who shows them a side of their son they never knew, and begin to fully understand their own role in the loss of their child. A percentage of the film's profits will be donated to the Trevor Project, which serves as suicide-prevention resource for LGBT youth. Swenson, raised Mormon, says Facing East is “certainly not an attack on the Mormon church. It's just, Let’s get this right, folks."

Matt Damon sees hidden benefits to kissing Michael Douglas in their upcoming biopic about the late pianist Liberace, telling People magazine last Tuesday “I never thought I would get to kiss Michael Douglas. I kind of think of it in algebra terms, back to my high-school days. It's like the transitive property – by kissing Michael Douglas, I am making out with Catherine. I was actually kind of upset that I never got to kiss Catherine, but now I get to kiss Michael. I thought it would have been better if I could have at least kissed them both." The just turned 40 year old Damon will portray Scott Thorsen, the assistant and boyfriend of Liberace whose 1982 palimony suit inadvertently outed the performer, who died of an AIDS-related illness in 1987. The film will be directed by Steven Soderbegh and written by the openly gay Richard Lagravense.

The Hollywood Reporter writes that inspired by the success of last year's conference on the films of Charlie Kaufman, the UCLA New Center for Psychoanalysis is hosting Mirrors of the Heart: The Films of Pedro Almodovar, a symposium on farce, human relatedness and psychoanalysis. The all-day event, scheduled for April 16th, is open to the public, and there is also a Friday night Almodovar film series followed by briefer psychoanalyst talks this week and April 8th. "These films are like dreams," said NCP's Dr. Thomas Brod, coordinator of the program. "There's anxiety in small measures, and you're always in identification with the characters, no matter what they're doing. It's open to all sorts of possibilities. The visual qualities are so exciting, and there's plenty to chew on psychoanalytically. So we like to have psychoanalysts from many different kinds of theoretical perspectives discussing it." Brod adds that "Charlie Kaufman's films are so fantastical that there is an emotional distance. With Almodovar, you're emotionally gripped. He has psychological credibility, because he's not trying to therapize these situations, he's just taking us into them. It's not like The Sopranos, with a therapist trying to analyze a psychopath and you're wondering how real and effective that is. If you go through the entire canon of Almodovar, you'll see all the perversions known to us."

Prince Harry photographed by the legendary David Bailey graces the cover of the May issue of British GQ, inside Harry and his Walking Wounded team talk ahead of their unaided trek to the North Pole to raise awareness and money for the charity which retrains and rehabilitates injured British soldiers.

Daniel Radcliffe spotted Sunday post-opening night of the Broadway revival of How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying.

Vermont Governor To Speak With Rhode Islanders About Legalizing Same Sex Marriage; Governor Shumlin Says Marriage Equality Was The Right Thing And “The Sky Never Fell”

The Associated Press is reporting that Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin will travel to Rhode Island this week at the invitation of same sex marriage supporters to talk about Vermont's experience as the first state to offer civil unions and its later transition to allowing marriage for same sex couples. Vermont was the first state to offer legal recognition to same sex couples when it passed its civil union law in 2000, and in 2009, became the first state in the country to offer those couples full marriage solely on a legislative action, absent the involvement of a court. Shumlin was president pro tem of the Senate on both occasions. "We have a wonderful story to tell," Shumlin told The Associated Press in an interview Monday. "We were the first state in the country to do the right thing, just because it was the right thing to do. ... There were those who thought the sky would fall in, but we did the right thing and the sky never fell." The governor's trip, planned for Thursday, arrives after an invitation from the pro-same sex marriage group Marriage Equality Rhode Island. Shumlin will meet with Governor Lincoln Chafee and with legislative leaders in Providence. Rhode Island lawmakers have debated gay marriage for years, but chances for the bill to pass this year appear the best they have ever been. Chafee has been a longtime supporter of same sex marriage and House Speaker Gordon Fox is gay and a co-sponsor of the bill. Greg Pare, a spokesman for Rhode Island Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed, a same sex marriage opponent seen as an obstacle to passing a bill, said he did not know whether she would meet with Shumlin. Same sex marriage supporters in both Vermont and Rhode Island praised Shumlin’s decision to make the trip. "We are extremely pleased that Governor Shumlin is taking time out of his busy schedule to visit Rhode Island, and that he has accepted our invitation to visit Rhode Island to advocate for passage of marriage equality legislation," said Bill Fischer, a spokesman for Marriage Equality Rhode Island. Sheryl Rapee-Adams, a board member with Vermont Freedom to Marry, noted Shumlin had written to New Jersey lawmakers in 2009, urging them to follow Vermont's lead. That state has civil unions, but not marriage equality for same sex couples. "This is not a new thing for (Shumlin) to assist other states that are transitioning to marriage equality," Rapee-Adams said. "I see it as a service to other legislators who are committed to equality for all the citizens of their states."

New York City Police Search For Two Suspects In Latest Anti-Gay Attack On 26 Year Old Damian Furtch

From Waats Up With This ???, a report on 26 year old Damian Furtch, who, on his way home from work at a restaurant in the early hours of Sunday, March 27th, stopped at a McDonalds in New York City’s West Village, a predominately gay area of the city. While inside the restaurant, Damian noticed that two men were staring at him – giving him “looks.” It was late, Damian was tired, and felt uncomfortable and he didn’t want any trouble so he left. He was across the street, walking away while on the phone to a friend when the two men from McDonalds approached him and asked him “if he had a problem.” He was then attacked; punched in the face by one man, then pummelled by the second man, while the assailant yelled “You Fucking Faggot.” Damian managed to get escape, but not before suffering a severe beating. He went to the nearest hospital where the police were called. He filed a police report and was asked if the attackers used any anti-gay slurs. Damian said yes, “they called me a faggot.” The two men are wanted in connection to a hate crime. Damian was treated and released from the hospital, receiving four stitches. He has to return for surgery to break and re-set his nose. One of the suspects has a large tattoo of a gothic cross under his left eye, approximately two inches in length. Police have subpoenaed the video surveillance tape from McDonalds.

How Conservative Anti-Same Sex Marriage Alberta Premier Klein Inadvertently Became A Pioneer In Same Sex Adoption Rights, Anti-Almost Everything Wisconsin Governor Walker Fires Attorney Handling State Challenge To Domestic Partner Registry, German Male Bodybuilder Allegedly Love Of Mohandas Gandhi’s Life, Armie Hammer Plays A Prince, Ryan Phillippe, Josh Henderson

The Calgary Herald reports that inadvertently, while pushing back against the legalization of same sex marriage in Canada, Alberta Premiers Don Getty and Ralph Klein – Conservatives each - pioneered same sex adoption in the country, privatizing adoption in 1989 and creating regulations that require all private agencies to be licensed and all staff members to hold a university degree in social work, in effect creating a remarkably progressive industry that favours a policy of open adoptions.

The Associated Press reports that Republican Governor Scott Walker has fired the attorney who was representing the state in a lawsuit challenging Wisconsin's domestic partner registry. The conservative group Wisconsin Family Action alleges the registry violates the state's ban on same sex marriage because it grants same-sex couples a number of legal rights. Former Governor Jim Doyle, a Democrat, had appointed attorney Lester Pines to defend the registry. Pines sent a letter to Dane County Circuit Judge Daniel Moeser on Tuesday saying Walker had terminated him. Pines declined to comment on why, saying those discussions took place while the state was still his client, but did say that "Gov. Walker is ideologically opposed to equal rights for gay and lesbian and transgendered people as is everyone in his administration as far as I can tell and they will be probably want to take steps to ensure that gay and lesbian and transgendered people do not have equal rights. Everything that Governor Walker is doing is ideological," adding "I don't see that his administration has any particular respect for the law per se." Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie declined to comment on why Pines was released, and added that the governor's office is working to appoint a new attorney.

The Wall Street Journal skims a biography of Mohandas Gandhi authored by Joseph Lelyveld and highlights a believable, but nonetheless bizarre assertion that the love of Gandhi’s life “was a German-Jewish architect and bodybuilder, Hermann Kallenbach, for whom Gandhi left his wife in 1908. ‘Your portrait (the only one) stands on my mantelpiece in my bedroom,’ he wrote to Kallenbach. ‘The mantelpiece is opposite to the bed.’ For some reason, cotton wool and Vaseline were ‘a constant reminder’ of Kallenbach, which Mr. Lelyveld believes might relate to the enemas Gandhi gave himself, although there could be other, less generous, explanations. Gandhi wrote to Kallenbach about ‘how completely you have taken possession of my body. This is slavery with a vengeance.’ Gandhi nicknamed himself ‘Upper House’ and Kallenbach ‘Lower House,’ and he made Lower House promise not to ‘look lustfully upon any woman.’ The two then pledged ‘more love, and yet more love . . . such love as they hope the world has not yet seen.’”

Deadline.com reported – and Relative Media soon thereafter confirmed – that the oh-so-hot Armie Hammer is set to don tights and star in The Brothers Grimm: Snow White, a revisionist adult retelling of the fairy tale from director Tarsem Singh. Julia Roberts has already been cast in the role of the Queen.

Seen Thursday braving the spring rains Ryan Phillippe, smiling, still ridiculously sexy.

Spotted Saturday in Los Angeles, a smoking sexy Josh Henderson, accompanied by an unidentified male companion.

Legislation To Remove Language From Texas Law That Makes “Homosexual Conduct” A Crime Impeded By Republican Majority Including Wayne Christian Who Says Law Likely “Better Reflects The View Of A Lot Of Citizens”

The Austin American-Statesmen reports that “homosexual conduct" is still a crime in Texas eight years after the United States Supreme Court ruled the law unconstitutional. Although the state's so-called sodomy law cannot be legally enforced, civil rights advocates say it should be removed because it creates a climate that cultivates bullying and other hate crimes. But legislation that would repeal the state law, and bring Texas in line with the U.S. Constitution faces an uncertain future in the Legislature, which has been reluctant to provide legal protections to citizens based on sexual orientation. In 2003, the nation's highest court ruled that Texas could not stop people of the same sex from engaging in sexual activity. In 2011, the Texas Penal Code still states that it is a Class C misdemeanour to engage in "deviate sexual intercourse with another individual of the same sex" — just following a line that explains that the law is unconstitutional. Jim Harrington, director of the Texas Civil Rights Project, says leaving the law on the books creates the potential for abuse. Harrington represents two gay men who were kicked out of an El Paso restaurant in 2009 for kissing in public. The men refused to leave and called the police, believing the restaurant, Chico's Tacos, was out of line with a city law banning discrimination based on sexual orientation. Instead, an officer told the men it was illegal for the two to kiss in public and that they could be cited for "homosexual conduct." A department spokesman described the officers involved as relatively inexperienced, and the men were not cited. However, Harrington said the incident is about harassment. State Representative Jessica Farrar (Democrat-Houston) is sponsoring legislation to remove the language from the law statutes in Texas. "There is archaic language in our code that is used against our citizens today," said Farrar, whose colleague Representative Garnet Coleman, also a Houston Democrat, has filed an identical bill. Gay rights legislation has often faced political hurdles in Texas. The James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which expanded and strengthened penalties for crimes against people based on race, religion and sexual orientation endured a nearly 10-year fight before becoming law in 2001. Republicans hold 101 of the 150 seats in the Texas House, a supermajority that allows them to easily control legislation. Chuck Smith, deputy executive director of Equality Texas, said the state's biggest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender lobbying group is not pushing too hard for rewording the penal code, because the makeup of the Criminal Jurisprudence committee makes its passage unlikely. A Democrat chairs the committee, but Republicans including Wayne Christian, the most recent president of the Texas Conservative Coalition, outnumber Democrats 2-to-1. "In this particular session, I'd be hesitant to do any changing," said Christian (Republican-Center), who added that the law probably "better reflects the views of a lot of citizens" as it is. Farrar said she knows her bill is unlikely to pass, but that she filed it to at least start the conversation.

Bullied, 19 Year Old Man Returns To High School, Steals Underwear, Masturbates Onto Them

NBC Action News reports on an odd story, 19 year old John P. Gallagher, of Smithville, a former Platte County High School student is under arrest after authorities say he broke into the high school and masturbated on underwear taken from the boy's locker room. Gallagher faces second-degree burglary charges in the incident. According to Platte City Police, high school employees reported that students had seen a suspicious person at the school prior to school hours on Wednesday. Two students reported chasing a person wearing FedEx clothing out of the boy's locker room around 6:30 a.m. One of the students reported that he had found a used condom tied to his athletic shoe in his gym locker two days earlier, but assumed that a friend was playing a prank and did not report it at the time. According to prosecutors, the school's security system showed a person entered the school in the early morning hours on eleven different occasions between January 27th and March 23rd. After contacting FedEx, investigators determined Gallagher was the individual on video. Prosecutors allege that Gallagher entered the school through an unlocked window and went in both the boys' and girls' locker rooms. Gallagher allegedly removed underwear from lockers in the boys' locker room, placed them on the floor, and masturbated on them, and then allegedly put the underwear in an unused locker. Gallagher is being held in the Platte County Jail in lieu of $5,000 bond. If convicted, he faces up to seven years in prison. He told authorities that he committed the act because during the year and half he was a student at the school, he was routinely bullied, and harassed because of his sexual orientation.