Right-Wing Italian Condemned Regarding Inane Anti-Gay Comments, Australian Foster Care Charity Aggressively Recruits Gay Couples, PFLAG Oshkosh Plans To Take Steps To Insure Wisconsin City Safe Following Christmas Day Attack On Gay Man, Connecticut Catholic Church Group Aiming To Assist Gays Remain Celibate Criticized, Chicago-Area Gay Rights Activists Cancel Cardinal George Protest, Ashley Fink Joins NOH8, Alan Cumming Marries Longtime Boyfriend, Zachary Furnish-John One Happy Baby Boy, Rafael Nadal Shirtless

A right-wing Italian deputy mayor has found himself at the centre of a political storm after his anti-gay slurs against a left-wing governor provoked widespread outrage - and a rebuke from his own party. And according to the AFP, much of the drama has been played out on the Facebook pages of the politicians involved. Giuseppe Ripa, deputy mayor of the southern town of Lecce, launched his attack on Nichi Vendola, the governor of Apulia, in a posting on Facebook. "In nature, there exist only two types human beings: the man and the woman," he wrote. The rest were psychiatric cases apt for psychoanalytic treatment, said Ripa, a member of Silvio Berlsuconi's People of Freedom party. Lecce's mayor, Paolo Perrone, was quick to distance himself from the remarks. "I like to practise politics by debating with my adversaries on the issues, not on the sexual preferences of this or that person, which are a matter of one's private life," he wrote in his own Facebook posting. But Ripa continued his attacks, describing Vendola as "abnormal.” Vendola, a member of the left-wing Democratic Party and in the past a gay rights activist, has refused to respond to the attacks. But deputy governor Loredana Capone sprang to his defence in postings on her Facebook page, denouncing the "homophobic junta" running Lecce. The head of Italy's gay rights group Arcigay - of which Vendola has been an active member - also denounced Ripa's remarks. "Nobody in public office can use it as a platform for promoting hate and discrimination," said Paolo Patane. Democratic Party deputy Paola Concia also denounced the attacks, which she described as "vulgar and offensive.” Ripa's People of Freedom party also condemned his comments "without reserve.” Raffaele Lauro, a senator with the party, added, "It is urgent to put in place a law that punishes such behaviour." Italy does not recognise homosexual partners and there is no law against homophobia.

Like many couples, Brett Albury and Brett McKinnon reached the stage in their relationship where they wanted children. "We have nieces and godchildren, we really love children," said Mr McKinnon, "but obviously we weren't in a position to have children of our own." They had been together seven years, and shared a mortgage and a business, when they saw a recruitment advertisement for foster carers. It declared that carers could be "single or in a relationship; gay or straight,” reports The Sydney Morning Herald. "We went straight away to the information evening," said Mr McKinnon, 46. The Benevolent Society, which had placed the advertisement, has recruited foster carers from the gay community for three years. It will ratchet up its efforts during the Mardi Gras festival that begins next month. There will be advertisements in the Sydney Star Observer, the newspaper for the gay community, and an information stall at the Mardi Gras Fair Day presided over by gay and lesbian foster carers. As well, a grant from the Aurora Group, a gay charity, will enable the society to hold extra recruitment evenings. Although the society is a relative newcomer in foster care, almost 25-percent of its 112 foster carers identify as being gay. The chief executive officer, Anne Hollonds, said the organization did not have a religious affiliation that might be a barrier to such recruitment. "This is about kids," she said. "We're there for the kids. It's not that easy to find foster carers, and we're an organisation that searches for the best carers." NSW has suffered a chronic shortage of foster carers. An 87-percent surge in the number of children in care between 2002 and 2010 - from 9273 to 17,400 - has put huge pressure on the system. Older carers are retiring, and working women and their partners have proved less willing to take over the role. But it is not out of desperation that agencies have suddenly turned to the gay community. Barnardos, one of the biggest agencies, has had an open-door policy to gay carers for more than 25 years. Recently it facilitated adoptions by two gay foster-care couples after the state legalized same sex adoptions in September 2010. "The research shows children are very successfully parented by parents of the same sex," said the principal adoptions officer at Barnardos, Lynne Moggach. The government agency, Community Services, with 75-percent of the state's carers, also has an open-door policy and has advertised in the gay press. When seven-year-old Mickey (not his real name) came into their lives five months ago, Mr McKinnon and Mr Albury, 35, faced a big readjustment. The Benevolent Society had carefully screened and assessed the couple, and educated them in the care of children who have suffered trauma. But reality was a shock. "I have new respect for parents," said Mr Albury. ''I didn't realise how hard it would be, but he's such a great kid, and we're fully committed.'' Because Mickey is in court-ordered care until the age of 18, Mr McKinnon said, "We talk about things in the future to reassure him. We help him feel that this is 'us'." As for those who think gay foster parents may influence a boy's sexual orientation, Mr McKinnon said, ‘You’re born gay, or not. He's such a boy, it's not funny."

An Oshkosh, Wisconsin advocacy group will meet this week to discuss steps to make the city safer for gays and lesbians in the wake of a brutal beating of a gay man outside an Oshkosh tavern. “This particular incident is one our worst 
nightmares,” said Joe Wiedenmeier, president of the Oshkosh chapter of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. According to The Northwestern, after learning two men were charged with beating a man outside a south side tavern partly because of his sexuality, the organizers of the Oshkosh chapter knew they could not stay silent. PFLAG, which is made up mostly of parents of gay high school students, aims to provide support for gay and lesbian children and to protect them from the threat of such attacks. During its monthly meeting Tuesday, the group will discuss what they can do to help prevent assaults or discrimination against people because of their sexual orientation. The group knows educating the public will be a major component in helping to make Oshkosh safer for members of the gay community. “It’s a response I don’t think we can be quiet about,” Wiedenmeier said. “We must educate and bring an understanding that it’s not OK to pick on a group of people because of who they are or what they are. Just because they’re different is no reason to say it’s OK to beat someone up or discriminate.” Lyall B. Ziebell, 20, and Jake R. Immel-Rhode, 20, were charged in Winnebago County Circuit Court last month with battery causing bodily harm after a Christmas Day beating of a gay man outside a south-side bar. Prosecutors included the hate crime enhancer on the charge, which increases the penalties. According to the criminal complaint, Ziebell and Immel-Rhode were walking past PJ’s Bar at 2:15 am on December 25, when a man asked them for a cigarette in exchange for buying them a shot of liquor. The men went into the tavern, drank a shot and then went back outside to smoke a cigarette. Ziebell told police he punched the man in the face after the man started “hitting on me,” causing the victim to fall down onto a car. Immel-Rhode then began to kick the man’s head, while shouting slurs about the man’s sexuality. The man had a broken jaw and a brain injury that required emergency surgery. He told police he was attacked, “because I’m gay,” the complaint states. Bar patrons who contacted The Northwestern but declined to be identified said they are targets of intimidation and harassment outside the bar. However, this is the first instance in which anyone reported an altercation to police. Oshkosh Police Chief Scott Greuel said the department was not aware of issues of harassment or discrimination in Oshkosh against the gay community, but he said the fact the Christmas Day incident took place was troubling. “Anytime it does happen is concerning,” Greuel said. “If it’s more prevalent than we’re aware of, we hope people report it. It’s not our belief that it’s involved in a high percentage of person on person crimes (in Oshkosh), but of course we need to be understanding of diversity in our community.”

A new program by the Archdiocese of Hartford to provide a spiritual support system to assist men and women with same-sex attractions to live chaste lives has drawn criticism from the gay community who say it can do more harm than good. The Stamford Advocate reports that the new program called Courage, which has chapters around the world, does not condone physical sex between same sex partners. But it creates a "spiritual support system which would assist men and women with same sex attractions in living chaste lives in fellowship, truth and love," according to the Courage website. "We really needed to do something because a lot of people are hurting, because families are torn apart by this, and we really need to be responsive," said Deacon Robert Pallotti, who operates the Courage program in Connecticut. "We do have a pastoral responsibility to do all we can to make people feel welcome in the church." Catholic pro-gay groups generally had a negative reaction to Courage. "Courage does not want to convert you to become heterosexual, so in some ways, it's a little more enlightened that the other programs that the Catholic Church has had for gays," said Phil Attey, executive director of the national group, Catholics for Equality. "But at its core it's still rooted in dangerous, harmful and barbaric thinking. The idea that you can suppress someone's sexuality and still have that person develop into a happy, well-adjusted person, well, there's very little evidence that that's possible." Attey, however, said the church's stance on gays isn't pushing him out of his faith. "Most non-Catholics don't understand the Catholic experience, which is very much rooted in family and community," Attey said. "It's not unlike someone who is a Jew. He might not attend his synagogue, but that doesn't make him any less Jewish. We will always be Catholic, regardless of what comes out of our hierarchy." Attey said that most rank-and-file Catholics, in fact, support the gay community, and because of this, gays feel comfortable in the church. "American Catholics are the most supportive faith group in the country on LGBT issues. That may come as some as a surprise to a lot of people, given the harsh statements from the hierarchy, but if you look at the people and the `body church,' it's the most pro-gay church in the country."

The head of the Rainbow Sash Movement Sunday called on gay rights activists to cancel a planned protest outside Holy Name Cathedral. The Gay Liberation network had said previously it would not cancel its protest even though Francis Cardinal George apologized for linking Chicago's gay pride parade to the Ku Klux Klan. The cardinal made the comment while referring to the Pride Parade possibly blocking access to a church Mass. On Thursday, he apologized while calling his words inflammatory and untrue. Rainbow Sash Movement Executive Director Joe Murray released a statement requesting that Sunday's demonstrations be cancelled. "I read the Cardinal's Apology on the Chicago Archdiocesan web site. The Cardinal spoke directly to us in sincere language. Our Board of the Directors has instructed me to immediately call for a cancellation of planned demonstration outside of the Cathedral on Sunday," the statement read in part. "We got what we ask for and that was an apology. I will be in communication with the Gay Liberation Network requesting that they also honour our call to cancel demonstration." Murray also thanked the cardinal for his "sincere words" and asked the Chicago gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community to accept the cardinal's apology.

The great Ashley Fink, Glee co-star, joins the NOH8 campaign

Alan Cumming married Grant Schaffer Saturday evening in New York City, Cumming tweeting news about the nuptials, along with a photograph of the happy event. Cumming and Grant entered into a civil union partnership in London, in 2007.

The oh-so-adorable Zachary Furnish-John spotted in Hawaii high atop father David’s shoulders, while father Elton looks on.

A pale, shaved, Rafael Nadal changes his shirt during a semi-final match against Gael Monfis that Nadal ultimately lost.