the time of my life

Marriage Equality Proponents Continue To Push Dallas Mayor To Sign Freedom To Marry Pledge, California Secretary Of State Clears Anti-Gay Group’s Proposal To Repeal Senate Bill 48, Second Most Powerful Senior Cleric In Church Of England Suggests Prime Minister Cameron Would Be “Dictator” If Legalized Same Sex Marriage

2012-01-27T22:19:00.000-08:00

Supporters of marriage equality took over the grounds outside Dallas City Hall Friday tonight, urging Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings to get onboard with a national pledge, reports KDAF-TV. “We really feel that the mayor needs to speak out on this issue, needs to take a stand. We need his private beliefs to match his public policy,” said Get Equal Texas North Texas Coordinator Daniel Cates. They want Rawlings to join other mayors across the country in signing the Freedom to Marry pledge. They say so far 100 other mayors have. “I have a lot of friends that are in the LGBT community, and I have seen atrocities that happen to them over and over in this city, and in this state,” said protester Noam Zerzan. There were some heated exchanges tonight as others came to protest the protesters."As a concerned citizen just supporting the biblical definition of marriage and just kind of stand for our Mayor,” said opponent Will Stanford. Rawlings is scheduled to meet with the group Saturday morning. Last week, on his Facebook page he addressed the issue saying, "I decided not to sign onto that letter because that is inconsistent with my view of the duties of the office of the mayor.” But the protesters think the mayor is out of touch. "I think that some of his comments have actually been destructive, they've bordered on homophobia where he said these are issues that are no relevant to the lion's share of the community that he serves. I think that's an unfortunate statement,” said Cates. To them, same sex marriage is an issue that starts local. "He has the power to unite with us and when you unite with us and stand for equality for all human beings you send a message to your constituents, the state of Texas and to the rest of America,” said protester Shannon Kern. "While the mayor may not have the power to directly influence the law, he does have the power to pressure law makers who do have that ability,” said Cates.

In California Thursday, the secretary of state’s office today cleared a proposal to repeal Senate Bill 48 for circulation. Senate Bill 48, also known as the Fair, Accurate, Inclusive, and Respectful Education Act, requires that LGBTs’ historical contributions be taught to California’s school students. According to The Bay Area Reporter, the proposal, submitted by Lou Sheldon of the anti-gay Traditional Values Coalition, repeals SB 48′s requirement that instructional materials recognize those contributions. Sheldon also wants to undo the law’s provision that prohibits instructional materials that reflect adversely on people based on their sexual orientation and other characteristics. Backers of Sheldon’s initiative have until June 25 to collect the 504,760 valid signatures needed to get the proposal on the state ballot. Sheldon could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday. Karen England, executive director of the Capitol Resource Institute and its affiliated Capitol Resource Family Impact, is backing another SB 48 repeal initiative, which is expected to be cleared for circulation by mid-February. Richard Rios, another anti-gay activist, had also proposed undoing SB 48, but he said this week he’s dropping his efforts.

Ministers should not overrule the Bible by allowing same sex marriage and David Cameron would be like a "dictator" if he lets homosexual couples get married, the Archbishop of York has said. The UKPA reports that Dr. John Sentamu, the second most senior cleric in the Church of England, said marriage must remain a union between a man and a woman. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, the archbishop said marriage is set in history and the state cannot change it overnight. He said: "I don't think it is the role of the state to define what marriage is. It is set in tradition and history and you can't just (change it) overnight, no matter how powerful you are. We've seen dictators do it in different contexts and I don't want to redefine very clear social structures that have been in existence for a long time and then overnight the state believes it could go in a particular way. It's almost like somebody telling you overnight that the Church, whose job is to worship God (that it will be) an arm of the Armed Forces. They must take arms and fight. You're completely changing tradition." The Government will open a consultation on the issue in March. Dr. Sentamu said the bishops in the House of Lords did not try to stop Labour introducing civil partnerships in 2004, giving same-sex couples improved legal rights. He added the Church was also content with last year's move to allow civil partnership ceremonies in places of worship, as long as it is voluntary and agreed by the governing body of any particular denomination. Meanwhile, Dr. Sentamu said the Church must do more to avoid its leadership being solely white and middle class. The archbishop said white working class parishioners and black church-goers are poorly represented in the Anglican church. He said, "I used to chair the committee for minority ethnic Anglican concerns, and we seemed to be making some progress but that now seems to be going backwards. Where we have lost out is black people who had been realised Anglicans, who are now joining Pentecostal churches. That's a huge drain."

Federal Appeals Court Rules Expelled Eastern Michigan University Counselling Student Who Refused To Council Gays And Lesbians Can Argue Discrimination Suit Before Jury; Court Says Julea Ward’s Free Speech Violation Claim Deserves To Be Heard

2012-01-27T20:48:00.000-08:00

An Eastern Michigan University student who was expelled from a counselling program because she refused to counsel gays and lesbians about their lifestyles won a critical victory today in the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. According to The Detroit Free Press, a three-member panel of the court said Julea Ward can argue her religious discrimination suit against the university before a federal court jury in Detroit. “Ward’s free speech claim deserves to go to a jury,” Judge Jeffrey Sutton said in an opinion joined by Julia Gibbons and John Adams. Adams is a federal district judge from northern Ohio who was sitting by designation on the appeals court. “Although the university submits it dismissed Ward from the program because her request for a referral violated the ACA (American Counselling Association) code of ethics, a reasonable jury could find otherwise — that the code of ethics contains no such bar and that the university deployed it as a pretext for punishing Ward’s religious views and speech.” Ward’s lawyers at the Alliance Defense Fund, a faith-based legal group, hailed the decision. “Public universities shouldn’t force students to violate their religious beliefs to get a degree,” said the Alliance’s Jeremy Tedesco, the lawyer who argued the case. “The court rightly understood this and ruled appropriately. Rather than allow Julea to refer a potential client to another qualified counsellor — a common, professional practice to best serve clients — EMU attacked and questioned Julea’s religious beliefs and ultimately expelled her from the program because of them.” Eastern Michigan University cautioned in a statement this morning that the 6th Circuit made no legal findings against the school, did not rule that the university engaged in discrimination and did not rule in Ward’s favour in the suit. “Rather, the Sixth Circuit Court ruled that there needs to be additional legal proceedings before a decision can be reached,” EMU Vice President for Communications Walter Kraft said. “The Court also found that the Regents and the President of Eastern Michigan University were properly dismissed from the lawsuit and refused to reinstate them despite Ward's request.” Kraft added: “This case has never been about religion or religious discrimination. It is not about homosexuality or sexual orientation. This case is about what is in the best interest of a person who is in need of counselling, and following the curricular requirements of our highly respected and nationally accredited counselling program, which adheres to the Code of Ethics of the American Counselling Association and the Ethical Standards of the American School Counsellor Association. Those Ethical Standards require that counsellors are not to allow their personal values to intrude into their professional work.” The ACLU of Michigan, which filed a court brief supporting the university, said: “While no public university can discipline any student because of her beliefs, universities have a right to insist that their graduate students adhere to accepted standards of professionalism and place the needs of their clients first.” The case now goes back to U.S. District Judge George Steeh in Detroit, who ruled in favour of the university in 2010. The case was closely watched by Christian-rights, gay and lesbian and academic-rights groups. Several Michigan universities filed briefs in support of EMU, saying schools should have the right to set their curriculum and students should be required to follow them. Although Ward refused to counsel gays and lesbians about their sexual orientation, she said she was willing to counsel them on other issues

Parents In Manitoba Demand Two Grade Five Teachers Remove Gay Ally Cards From Their Classrooms, Elk Grove California Victim Of Anti-Gay Hate Crime Sues Bowling Alley Where He Was Attacked, Governor Perdue’s Decision Not To Seek Re-Election Dramatically Changes Landscape Of North Carolina Same Sex Marriage Constitutional Amendment Vote, New Jersey Gay Advocates Warn Of The Economic Cost Of Same Sex Marriage Ban

2012-01-27T15:47:00.000-08:00

In Manitoba, Canada, a group of parents are demanding two Grade 5 teachers remove cards displayed in their classrooms pledging support for gay and lesbian youth. “We have to sign hundreds of petitions to allow religious exercises in school,” parent Kim Peters Sawatzky said. “We should treat this situation in the same way, as it seems to be just as controversial.” QMI reports that the cards declare that Stephanie Fortier and Peter Wohlgemut, teachers at West Park School in Altona, about 120 km south of Winnipeg, have completed training sessions through the Rainbow Resource Centre in Winnipeg. Last October, the two voluntarily participated in a session, along with 25 other educators from the region, as part of the provincial professional development day. Participants were given the option to display the card, which includes the word “Ally” on a rainbow, along with the words, “As an Ally, I support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, Two-Spirit, intersex, queer, and questioning individuals, families and communities. As an Ally, I will work towards a more aware, affirming, safe, and open work environment in both policy and practice.” Since the cards were posted, the school has had a steady stream of parents asking they be removed. Many only heard about the card this week. “I would like to have the choice of how I choose to teach my children about these words and what they mean,” Peters Sawatzky said. Rachael Friesen, whose son is in Wohlgemut’s class, said she has no issue with the card. “The kids are hearing some pretty crazy stuff on the playground and we have no control over that. All we can do is damage control, so I’m not understanding why a teacher can’t answer a question without everyone freaking out,” she said. Ultimately, the school decided to post only the top piece of the training card, the rainbow piece that only contains the word “Ally.” Still, a group of parents is insisting the cards be removed entirely. Border Land School Division superintendent Krista Curry said discussions about the card will continue. “Inclusive education is a divisional priority regardless of gender, race or ethnicity,” she said. “We want everyone to feel accepted, safe and supported in our schools.”

The victim of an Elk Grove anti-gay hate crime is suing the bowling alley where he was beaten. The Sacramento Bee reports that Seth Parker, 26, of Sacramento, sued the owners of Strikes Family Entertainment Center over the beating he suffered in the alley's parking lot last June. The lawsuit, filed in Sacramento County Superior Court, blames the alley for tolerating a violent atmosphere on its premises. The suit also targets Parker's assailant, Joel Baltazar Olivarez. Olivarez pleaded guilty to felony battery charges. His sentencing was postponed today to February 17. Elk Grove police labelled the case a hate crime because Olivarez hurled an anti-gay slur at Parker during the incident. Parker had gone bowling with some female co-workers. The owners weren't immediately available for comment.

According to The Associated Press, something unexpected happened on the way to North Carolina's vote on a same sex marriage ban this May: Democratic Governor Beverly Perdue decided not to run for re-election, meaning more voters who oppose the ban could turn out at the polls. Before Thursday's development, mostly Republican voters were expected to show up to pick their nominees for governor and president, and likely make North Carolina the last state in the Southeast to block same-sex marriage. Now gay rights supporters hope they have a better chance of shooting down the constitutional amendment with more Democrats showing up May 8 to pick a candidate for governor at the same time. Gay marriage opponents believe they have the votes sewn up anyway and it won't make much of a difference. "I'm sure that supporters of the amendment thought that, strategically, putting the question on the May ballot was their best chance," said Michael Bitzer, a professor of politics and history at Catawba College. "That strategy just got blown out of the water." People on both sides of the question see the referendum here as having significant national implications: Gay marriage will either be banned in a clean sweep of the South, or there will be a stunning Dixie rejection. "Given the fact that this amendment won't be decided by such a narrow slice of voters as it would have been previously, it increases the optimism from our side," said Michael Cole-Schwartz, spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign, a national gay rights group. "It's something we have to consider carefully in light of all the other issues in other states around the country this year." If Perdue's departure hurts the ban's chances, it would be ironic, given that her objections to its appearance on the November ballot helped convince lawmakers to move it back to spring. Perdue opposes the amendment and said she didn't want to see it on any ballot, but she worried that Republicans wanted it in November to help their chances in the general election. Turnout for primary elections is historically lower than in November, and without a contested Democratic primary in either the gubernatorial or presidential races, there was little reason for Democratic voters to turn out in large numbers this spring. "Democrats didn't want it on the November ballot because they feared it would be bad for them in the presidential and gubernatorial races," said John Dinan, a professor at Wake Forest University. "Nobody could have predicted at that point that the May primaries would be much more contested. Nobody planned it this way." A Democratic primary could bring out voters more likely to oppose bans on gay marriage, said Richard Matland, a professor at Loyola University Chicago who co-authored a paper last year that analyzed every single state referendum on gay marriage. All 34 of those votes were in favour of banning gay marriage, except for a 2006 referendum in Arizona where the measure was narrowly defeated, although Arizona would ban same-sex marriage in a subsequent vote. Although the results are essentially uniform, Matland said there are important distinctions, especially regarding turnout. In general, higher turnout means closer elections featuring more "episodic" voters like young people, who tend to be more supportive of same sex marriage. "Turnout really does drive the process," he said. "If there does turn out to be a big campaign with a lot of candidates able to get up and running, it might make the North Carolina referendum a lot more interesting." Supporters of same-sex marriage hope that's the case. "Having a Democratic governor's race definitely helps our chances," said Jeremy Kennedy, campaign manager for the Coalition to Protect North Carolina Families, the group leading the opposition to the ballot measure. Gay marriage opponents, though, say the issue cuts across party lines, and has significant support among Democrats and unaffiliated voters as well as Republicans. "I don't think it'll have any effect," said the Rev. Ron Baity, president of Return America, one of the groups working to secure passage of the measure. "I'm sure the amendment is going to pass." Tami Fitzgerald, co-chairwoman of the Vote FOR Marriage NC coalition, which supports the amendment, said she welcomes the prospect of a contested Democratic primary. "The more folks that turn out on May 8, the better," she said. Certainly, there are complexities among Democratic voters that may work in favour of amendment supporters like Fitzgerald. The emergence of a black candidate such as Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx, who is considering a bid, could attract a disproportionate number of black voters, according to David McLennan, a political science professor at William Peace University, who tend to be more conservative on gay marriage. The primary "creates some confusion to what's going to happen," he said. "It could go any number of ways."

Gay rights advocates in New Jersey have been pushing for a decade to get state courts or lawmakers to recognize same-sex marriage. But this week, they demurred when Governor Chris Christie called for a public vote to settle the topic. The main reason they've given is based on principle: It's not fair, they say, to let voters decide a civil rights issue. But there's more to their position. It would be a costly and divisive fight, and they know the odds are against them, even though several recent polls have shown the majority of New Jersey voters support allowing gay marriage. Steven Goldstein, chairman of the gay rights group Garden State Equality, said a public vote on the issue would not really reflect the will of the people. "A referendum reflects which side can corrupt the political system with more money," he said. Brian Brown, the president of the National Organization for Marriage, said his organization and others would put millions of dollars into a campaign against allowing gay marriage. "The other side has put forward a number of lies," he said. "Our job is to expose them." So far, reports The Star-Ledger, Brown's side has been winning. Thirty-one times states have had votes on constitutional amendments to define marriage as being only between a man and a woman. The referendums have been approved 30 times. And in the one exception, in Arizona, voters two years later passed a similar amendment. This year, marriage amendments could be on the ballots of about a half-dozen states. Only two are being pushed by groups that want gay couples to be allowed to marry. Those are Maine and California, where there are efforts to overturn constitutional bans. In New Jersey, opponents of same sex marriage have been calling for years for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. But to get that or any question on the ballot, they would need the Legislature to approve it. In a state controlled by Democrats, that is an idea that has never gotten much traction. But it got a boost this week from the governor. Gay marriage advocates are already battling for recognition of same-sex marriages. But this month, State Sen. President Stephen Sweeney, a Democrat, said passing a law to allow it was a top priority. And on Tuesday, a measure was approved by the state Senate Judiciary Committee. The same day, Christie, a Republican, vowed to veto any such bill and instead called for a public vote, saying such an important societal change should be made by the people, not lawmakers. Michael Drewniak, a spokesman for the governor, would not say this week if the governor wants a referendum on whether to allow gay marriage or to ban it. Democratic officials quickly spoke up against Christie's idea, making it clear that the referendum wouldn't be put on the ballot anytime soon. Many of those speaking for the Democrats were African-American leaders who related the battle for gay marriage to the fight for civil rights for blacks. "No minority should have their rights subject to the passions and the sentiments of the majority," said Newark Mayor Cory Booker. The reasoning for gay rights groups goes beyond theory — and straight to the 30 state constitutional amendments already adopted in the U.S. Marc Solomon, national campaign director for the New York pro-gay marriage group Freedom to Marry, said a referendum campaign in New Jersey might look a lot like the one in 2008 in California, where he worked as a volunteer during the last weeks of the campaign and after as director of Equality California. In California, voters put in place an amendment to bar same sex matrimony months after a state court allowed it. Advocates there spent a combined $83 million in their campaigns — a large sum, but less than the state's two most recent gubernatorial elections. Television commercials and online videos were ubiquitous. Groups backing gay marriage, the side that narrowly won the spending battle, had an online fundraising video in which all sorts of gay marriage proponents, including children, used profanity and described opponents as hateful. Another ad, criticizing the role of Mormons in campaigning for the amendment, showed two Mormons knocking on the door of a lesbian couple's home. One of them said: "We're here to take away your rights." Social conservatives asserted that allowing gay marriage would have widespread negative consequences. A frequently cited one: Schools would teach about homosexuality even if parents objected. In one spot, a girl tells her mother: "Mom, guess what I learned in school today? I learned how a prince married a prince and I can marry a princess." Another thread is that religious groups would be punished for having anti-gay or anti-gay marriage beliefs. Solomon called those ads "pure hate-mongering." And he said that the campaign caused harm. Young gays and children of gays were more likely to be bullied during the campaign, he said, and gay-led families suffered the psychological damage of having their very existence debated. The National Organization for Marriage, which was founded in Princeton in 2007 but has since moved its headquarters to Washington, has emerged as one of the largest fundraising groups opposed to same sex marriage. Brian Brown, the group's director, said it would invest heavily in New Jersey if there were a vote here. "The content of our ads would be similar to what you've seen throughout the country, which is telling the truth about the consequences of same sex marriage," he said. Garden State Equality's Goldstein says opponents' ads prey on people's fears — but often sway voters. "If there were a law banning both sides from spending a penny, we'd win," he said. Jim White, a former state deputy of the Knights of Columbus, a Roman Catholic-affiliated group that says it would campaign against same sex marriage, doesn't have much patients for statements like those. "They keep bragging about the polls," he said. "But they refuse to put it to a vote."

Minnesota Legislators Introduce Anaemic Anti-Bullying Bill That Avoids “Focusing Too Much On Group (Being Bullied) Or Another”

2012-01-27T14:16:00.000-08:00

State lawmakers are working on a bipartisan effort to supposedly expand and strengthen Minnesota’s anti-bullying laws, but it is an effort that has been criticized because of its ambiguity. HF 1953 would require schools to promptly report and discipline incidents of bullying. The Star Tribune reports that the idea for the legislation was first proposed by DFL state Attorney General Lori Swanson, but the legislation is being spearheaded in the House by Representative Jim Abeler (R-Anoka), whose district was shaken by an outbreak of student suicides in recent years – including some youngsters who had been tormented by bullies before their deaths. “We’re trying to keep this from becoming as polarizing as it has been in the past,” said Abeler, a father of six, who teamed with Rep. Debra Hilstrom (DFL-Brooklyn Center), to introduce the bill. “I’d like to create a good dialog. I think the error we made in the past was in focusing too much on one group (being bullied) or another." The legislation, first proposed last year by Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson, would require educators to report a bullying incident within 24 hours of learning about it, and to develop procedures to document, investigate and discipline the students involved. It would replace the state’s current anti-bullying statute, which at 37 words is one of the briefest in the nation. The bill was introduced Thursday and referred to the Committee on Education Reform. Its supporters are working to line up Senate sponsors now. Hilstrom said the bill is modeled after anti-bullying statutes in conservative states. “North Dakota, Wyoming, they have a better bullying statue than Minnesota,” she said. If the bill passes, she said, Minnesota “would be setting a tone, that bullying is not going to be tolerated.” It remains to be seen how schools will react to the idea of new state-dictated bullying policies. When Swanson first proposed the legislation last November, Anoka-Hennepin schools Superintendent Dennis Carlson said his district already has adopted many of the measures the new law would require. The district, the state's largest, has been under scrutiny in the aftermath of the suicides -- including a federal civil rights investigation and a lawsuit, both focusing on how it handled allegations of bullying. "Bullying is an issue for the community and the state," Carlson said at the time. "Everyone is going to need to be involved if we're going to eliminate bullying. ... Some of the things we're doing right now are going to get us closer than any generation before us to eliminating bullying."

Maryland First Lady Katie O’Malley Apologizes For Characterizing Opponents Of Same Sex Marriage Measure As “Cowards”

2012-01-27T10:21:00.000-08:00

An update on a previous post, Catherine “Katie” Curran O’Malley said Friday that she regrets characterizing opponents of the Maryland same sex marriage bill that failed last year as “cowards.” In welcoming remarks Thursday night at a national conference of gay-rights advocates in Baltimore, the wife of Governor Martin O’Malley (D) blamed the bill’s demise in the General Assembly on “some cowards that prevented it from passing.” In a statement Friday, reports The Washington Post, O’Malley, a district court judge in Baltimore, said that she “let my feelings get the better of me,” adding, “I deeply respect that there are strongly held and differing views on marriage equality in Maryland but hope that our state’s elected officials will come together to fairly address this important issue for our families and children.” Martin O’Malley is seeking to build support to pass a reworked same sex marriage bill that he unveiled this week. By most accounts, bill supporters began the 90-day legislative session several votes short in the House of Delegates. Last year’s legislation, which the governor supported but did not sponsor, narrowly passed the Senate before unexpectedly falling short in the House, traditionally the more liberal chamber on social issues. A few delegates who had initially supported the bill later changed their minds, citing community opposition. The legislation proved a hard sell among delegates from Prince George’s County, some of whom cited resistance from black churches, and among more conservative Democrats from Southern Maryland and the Baltimore suburbs. O’Malley is scheduled to speak Sunday at the 24th National Conference on LGBT Equality, the gathering that his wife addressed Thursday. Katie O’Malley’s remarks were first reported by the Associated Press. As a sitting judge, she is prohibited by a judicial code of conduct from engaging in partisan political activity. As a result, she has been less visible in some respects than other Maryland governors’ spouses. She has used her position to champion several less controversial causes, including anti-bullying measures. Aides say Katie O’Malley feels very passionate about legalizing same sex marriage. Last year, she met privately with several wavering lawmakers, urging them to support the bill. She said at the time that her advocacy as on the issue was “just as a citizen.”

New Jersey Black Leaders Condemn Governor Christie’s Remarks Linking Civil Rights Movement To Same Sex Marriage Voter Referendum, Maryland First Lady Blames Failure Of 2011 Same Sex Marriage Measure On “Cowards,” Conor Oberst Among Nebraska Musicians Calling For Legislators To Drop Bill That Would Prohibit Cities From Passing Ordinances Banning Discrimination Against Gay And Transgender Persons, Atlanta Gay Bookstore Outwrite Closes Door

2012-01-26T22:16:00.000-08:00

Influential black leaders in New Jersey said Wednesday they were stunned by comments made by Governor Chris Christie that civil rights pioneers of the 1950s and '60s would have gladly put the rights they were fighting for to a vote, and suggested he needed a history lesson. On Tuesday, Christie proposed putting the question of same-sex marriage on the November ballot rather than seeking its legalization through legislation. "The fact of the matter is," he said, "I think people would have been happy to have a referendum on civil rights rather than fighting and dying in the streets in the South." But, reports The Star-Ledger, sponsors of the bill, including Senate President Sweeney (D-Gloucester), noted that civil rights have historically been gained through legislation. Today, Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-Essex) had sharp words for the governor and said he needed a "history lesson," adding, "Governor — people were fighting and dying in the streets of the South for a reason," she said. "They were fighting and dying in the streets of the South because the majority refused to grant minorities equal rights by any method. It took legislative action to bring justice to all Americans, just as legislative action is the right way to bring marriage equality to all New Jerseyans." Newark Mayor Cory Booker had much the same criticism, saying, "I shudder to think what would have happened if the civil rights gains, heroically established by courageous lawmakers in the 1960s, were instead conveniently left up to popular votes in our 50 states.” One of the leading injustices civil rights activists protested against a half-century ago was discrimination at the polls, which after years of bloodshed resulted in passage of the Civil Rights Acts and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Jerome Harris, chairman of the New Jersey Black Issues Convention, said, "The 1965 Voting Rights act was enacted to overcome the systemic, intentional racial suppression of the black vote. It’s certainly a lack of historical understanding about how the expanding definition of who ‘We the People’ are has happened. Sometimes it takes bold acts of defiance by the minority." At a news conference today, Christie defended his statement, insisting that civil rights activists would have been able to pursue justice through the courts if a referendum had failed. "My point is, they’re trying to say the only way to deal with a civil rights issue is through legislation, and my point is that in a state like this, the fact of the matter is their own polling belies that position." A recent Quinnipiac University poll found that 52 percent of registered voters in New Jersey supported same-sex marriage. Oliver was not the only lawmaker to take umbrage at Christie’s remark. Assemblyman John Wisniewksi (D-Middlesex), chairman of the state Democratic Party, said, "Rosa Parks didn’t get to the front of the bus through a ballot question and Jim Crow laws weren’t repealed by public referendum." As Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Mercer), put it, "It’s difficult to understand what the governor was thinking."

Maryland First Lady Katie O’Malley is not mincing any words when it comes to describing why she thinks gay marriage legislation failed last year. According to The Associated Press, the first lady, speaking Thursday at the 24th annual Conference on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equality on Thursday, said “there were some cowards that prevented it from passing.” A bill to allow same sex marriage passed the Senate, but stalled in the House of Delegates. O’Malley, who is a Baltimore judge, says she’s hopeful things will be different this year. Her husband, Gov. Martin O’Malley, is making same-sex marriage legislation a priority of the legislative session. The first lady says religion should not play a role in determining the laws of the state of Maryland. She says same-sex marriage is a civil rights issue, not a religious one.

"A group of Omaha musicians, including Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, is calling on state lawmakers to drop a proposal that would ban Omaha and other communities from passing anti-discrimination ordinances. The World Herald reports that in a letter Tuesday, Oberst and 16 other musicians called it “deplorable and unacceptable” to attempt to block Omaha City Councilman Ben Gray from winning passage of an ordinance to ban discrimination against homosexual and transgender people. Gray has said he would propose such an ordinance this month or next. State Senator Beau McCoy of Omaha has introduced a proposal (Legislative Bill 912) that would bar cities from passing such ordinances. He said creating a new, protected class of citizens should be done on a state-wide basis, not city by city. “It simply says there needs to be consistency,” McCoy said Tuesday, referring to his bill. “I don't understand how discrimination could stop or start at a city border.” The senator argued it would be improper to allow a “patchwork quilt” of anti-discrimination ordinances to emerge. His measure would not prevent legislation from being introduced to provide state-wide anti-discrimination protections. Musician Laura Burhenn, who rallied the letter's 17 signers, said she's convinced the bill is really intended to stop a movement in Omaha. “Don't keep selling Omaha as another fly-over Midwestern city,” said the singer-songwriter who fronts the Mynabirds. “We have a lot of progressive people here who are welcoming.” Burhenn, who formerly lived in Washington, D.C., said she moved to Omaha three years ago because she loved the people she met through working with Saddle Creek Records. She has since made many more friends, including some who feel afraid to be open about who they are in their workplaces. The letter was sent to senators on the Legislature's Judiciary Committee. Others signers include members of The Faint, Big Harp, So So Sailors and Honeybee & Hers. The musicians fear if lawmakers pass the bill, it will deter creative people from exploring opportunities in Omaha and could persuade some gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people to leave the community. “Progressive cities attract eager newcomers, both young professionals and artists, which in turn creates growth and economic prosperity,” the letter stated. “LB 912 will send the message to the world that Nebraska is not forward thinking or welcoming.” A public hearing on LB 912 before the Judiciary Committee at the State Capitol has not yet been scheduled.

It wasn't just its location, at 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue, that placed Outwrite Bookstore and Coffeehouse in the heart of Atlanta's LGBT community. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that last May, when store owner Philip Rafshoon informed customers of Outwrite's precarious financial situation, sales increased and attendance at book signings and special events spiked. Not enough, it turns out. The bookstore closed for good Wednesday, victim of a stagnant economy that's been particularly challenging to those who trade in the printed page. Outwrite had little choice but to shutter, store owner Philip Rafshoon has said. The store's lease expires at the end of the month. In a December interview, Rafshoon told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Our landlord didn't really raise our rent that much, but we need to find a heck of a lot cheaper space or a heck of a lot more customers."
It's a fate that's befallen booksellers large -- such as Borders, the national chain forced to liquidate last summer -- and independent. Last year also saw the closing of another iconic gay bookstore, A Different Light, in San Francisco after 32 years. In the note to customers posted on Outwrite's website, Rafshoon took pride in the store's success. "As an independent bookstore and coffeehouse focused on the LGBT community, Outwrite has served as a symbol of strength and diversity in this city; and we have helped create a vibrant, pedestrian environment in Midtown," he wrote. "While it is a challenging economy and the bookselling industry is rapidly evolving, there is still a need for neighbourhoods with a strong LGBT presence and independent bookstores serving communities throughout the world." When Outwrite opened a little more than 18 years ago in the Midtown Promenade shopping center, Rafshoon said he hoped the city's first gay and lesbian bookstore would develop into "a community center and an alternative to the bars." The store has been in its present location since 1996. When Outwrite announced its intent to relocate last November, Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality, told the AJC, "It is a very visible intersection and it has become a natural gathering place for folks in the LGBT community, specifically when we have had times to really celebrate as a community." But, as Rafshoon alluded in his note to customers, the funding just wasn't there. “Unfortunately, we have run out of time and money to make that transformation,” he wrote.

Ontario Catholic School Trustees Suggest Gay-Straight Alliances Become "Respecting Differences" Clubs

2012-01-26T17:47:00.000-08:00

For eight months, a small Catholic think tank tackled one of the most delicate balancing acts in Ontario education: What to call the anti-homophobia clubs that Ontario schools must now allow — without calling them Gay-Straight Alliances and offending the Vatican? While common in public high schools, “gay-straight alliances” were seen as too politicized for a system whose faith disapproves of the homosexual act. So what do you call clubs that support gay students but not gay activism? It was controversial issue on which a province-wide committee of Catholic trustees, students, parents and clergy could not agree. The September deadline came and went. First term came and went. Now, reports The Toronto Star, at last, progress, of sorts. In a report sent Thursday to schools, the committee suggests anti-bullying groups be called “Respecting Differences clubs.” They must have a staff advisor committed to the Catholic faith, they are not to provide personal counselling in a group setting, and are not to be a forum for “activism, protest or advocacy of anything that is not in accord with the Catholic faith foundation of the school,” says the 15-page blueprint sent out this week to all Catholic school boards. “This is about helping kids feel safe against bullying, not as advocacy for a lifestyle,” said Nancy Kirby, president of the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association. “We have nothing against homosexuals, but it’s the (homosexual) act that is in contradiction of the teachings of the church.” Kirby said “Gay-Straight Alliance” is an American-made term for groups that lobby for adult issues that go beyond the mandate of a school club. The Respecting Differences clubs can be broad-based equity groups or focus specifically on anti-homophobia, she said. However, Mississauga student Leanne Iskander does not like the new term at all. “It highlights the difference, rather than the similarities, and it should be about more than just respect — it should be about accepting people as they are,” said the Grade 12 student at St. Joseph’s Catholic Secondary School, who pushed unsuccessfully for a gay-straight alliance at her school. Instead, the school has allowed an anti-homophobia club called Open Arms, which Iskander said is planning some awareness events this spring. The provincial government now requires all school boards to have “equity and inclusive education” policies and to fight bullying, including homophobia. Kirby has said Catholic schools are committed to supporting students bullied because of their sexual orientation, noting their suicide rates are higher than among their heterosexual peers. The report also stresses that issues of sexuality be presented against the backdrop of Catholic sexual morality, which encourages chastity for all students of any orientation until marriage. That’s not a message typically associated with gay-straight alliances, noted Sharon McMillan, media coordinator for the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association — “but it’s the same hope shared by many Ontario parents.”

Same Sex Marriage Bill Voted Out Of Washington State Senate Committee, Australia Announces Changes To Aid Gay Couple Who Wish To Marry Legally Out-Of-Country, Barney Frank To Marry Jim Ready, Johnny Weir And Victor Voronov, Orlando Bloom’s Purple Sweatpants

2012-01-26T15:24:00.000-08:00

In Washington State, legislation legalizing same sex marriage appears headed for a floor vote in the state Senate after clearing a key committee on Thursday. The Senate Government Operations, Tribal Relations and Elections Committee approved the measure after Democrats beat back several attempts to amend the bill. The Seattle Times reports that it is not clear when the full Senate will vote on the measure. Senator Don Benton (R-Vancouver), attempted to add a provision that would send the gay marriage law to voters, arguing "a change this significant in long standing state law ... requires more than a simple majority vote of the Legislature." The amendment was rejected on a party-line vote along with four other amendments proposed by Senator Dan Swecker (R-Rochester), an opponent of the same sex marriage legislation. Swecker's amendments dealt with various protections for religious groups under the proposed law. Senator Craig Pridemore (D-Vancouver), said the existing bill already provides adequate protection for churches, and makes it clear they would not be required under state law to marry same sex couples. Pridemore said there are discussions underway to make sure the provision could not be vetoed, in order to address concerns raised by opponents, although the governor has said she wants the bill to include protections for religious organizations. Same sex marriage supporters earlier this week clinched the votes needed to pass a bill through the Legislature, when Senator Mary Margaret Haugen (D-Camano Island), announced her support for the legislation. Haugen's decision apparently provides backers the 25 votes needed to secure passage in the Senate, while the state House already has enough lawmakers signed on to approve it. Governor Chris Gregoire backs the bill as well. Opponents of the measure have promised to mount a referendum challenge if the Legislature approves the law. A referendum cannot be filed until the governor signs the legislation. Under state law, opponents have 90 days from the end of the session to collect 120,577 signatures to put a referendum on the ballot. The regular session ends March 8. If opponents turn in enough signatures, the law would be put on hold until the election. If upheld by voters, the law then would go into effect December 6. Same- sex marriage is legal in New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia.

Prime Minister Gillard’s government will help Australian same sex couples marry in other countries where gay marriage is legal by issuing them with documents that are currently only available to heterosexual couples. In several nations that allow gay marriage, including Portugal, Spain, Norway and South Africa, a person must produce a so-called Certificate of No Impediment, which proves that they are at least 18 years old, not already married and that there is no other barrier to the marriage. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Attorney-General Nicola Roxon will announce Friday that from February 1, same sex couples will be able to apply for the certificates. ''This important change will allow same-sex couples to take part in overseas marriage ceremonies, and be considered married according to the laws of that country,'' Ms Roxon said. The announcement follows a change of Labor Party policy on the issue at its national conference in December. Same sex marriages conducted overseas are not recognized as marriages in Australia, but may be evidence of a de facto relationship for the purposes of federal and state laws. Australian Marriage Equality convener Alex Greenwich welcomed the news. ''The removal of this mean-spirited policy is an important victory for same-sex couples and supporters of marriage equality,'' he said.

The Washington Post reports that Barney Frank, 71, and longtime partner Jim Ready, 42, are engaged, the congressman’s office offering confirmation Thursday, following a report by New England Cable News. The wedding is to be held in Massachusetts, where same sex marriage was made legal in 2004. No date has been given. Frank is set to leave Congress next winter after 32 years, and he’s said the rigors of the job and the desire to devote more time to his relationship were factors. “I have a partner now,” Frank told Charlie Rose in an interview a couple weeks ago. “I’m in love for the first time in my life.” The couple met at a political fundraiser in Ready’s home state of Maine. The Advocate described him in 2009 as a Todd Palin lookalike and surfing enthusiast. Their mostly low-profile relationship has made the news a handful of times, when Ready exchanged words with his beau’s opponents at public forums, and when he was charged with having marijuana plants at his home in 2007. Ready lives in Ogunquit, Maine, where he has a business doing carpentry, custom awnings, painting, welding, and other handyman work. They’ve been involved since the spring of 2007.

Johnny Weir and his super sexy husband Victor Voronov spotted skating in New York at A Midwinter’s Night Skate Party Wednesday evening.

Orlando Bloom dons a pair of purple sweatpants while on a West Hollywood shopping excursion Thursday.

Family Joins Activists In Marking One-Year Anniversary Of Murdered Ugandan Gay Rights Hero David Kato

2012-01-26T11:07:00.000-08:00

Ugandan gay rights activists braved hostility and stigma Thursday as they gathered to commemorate the first anniversary of the murder of their fellow campaigner David Kato."We are here to celebrate and thank God for our beloved friend and human rights activist David Kato," former Anglican bishop and gay rights campaigner Christopher Senyonjo told a crowd of around 100 activists and family members, according to the AFP. Kato, former advocacy officer for Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), was found bludgeoned to death at his home outside Kampala on January 26, 2011. In November, a Ugandan court sentenced Enoch Nsubuga, 22, to 30 years in jail after he admitted beating Kato to death with a hammer. Nsubuga had claimed he was reacting to unwanted sexual advances. Gay rights activists speaking at the event called Kato, 46 at the time of his death, "the godfather" of the Ugandan gay movement and said that his passing had left a large void in the life of the country's gay community. "He always looked out for all of us even at times when we thought it was too difficult," Frank Mugisha, director of SMUG, said at the function in the garden of a hotel in central Kampala. Kato's killing drew worldwide condemnation, coming after a newspaper in Kampala had published a picture of him in the same issue as a headline demanding that homosexuals be hanged. Kato's family members at the event spoke of the support that they had received from campaigners both in Uganda and the international community following his death "It is not easy when a loved one dies but thanks to all the friends inside and outside Uganda who worked with David ... when I get down they lift me up and help me," said Nalongo Kisule, Kato's mother. Homophobia is widespread in Uganda and gay men and women in the country face frequent harassment and threats of violence. Homosexuality is punishable by up to life in prison. The Anti-Homosexual Bill of 2009, a controversial bill that calls for the death penalty for certain homosexual acts, was recently re-introduced in the Ugandan parliament after lawmakers failed to debate it during the last session of the legislative body. It brings in the death penalty for anyone caught engaging in homosexual acts for the second time as well as for gay sex where one partner is a minor or has HIV. It also proposes to criminalize public discussion of homosexuality and would penalise an individual who knowingly rents property to a homosexual. Talking at the memorial event, international gay rights supporters pledged to help defeat the proposed legislation. "We will not be crushed by the (anti-gay) bill, we will not be crushed by other people's fears," John Talton, a pastor from the Fellowship of Affirming Ministries in the US, said. Homosexuality is outlawed in many African countries and discrimination against gays and lesbians is rife on the continent, with South Africa being the only country that recognizes gay rights and same sex marriage.

Maine Marriage Equality Advocates Announce Same Sex Marriage Measure Will Appear On November Ballot; If Successful State Will Be First To Pass Same Sex Marriage Legislation By Popular Vote

2012-01-26T10:30:00.000-08:00

An update on a previous post, gay rights activists in Maine, the only New England state that doesn't allow gay marriage or civil unions, said Thursday that they are forging ahead with plans to put the marriage question up to a second state-wide vote. EqualityMaine, the Maine Civil Liberties Union and the Maine Women's Lobby have collected more than 100,000 signatures — far more than needed to seek the referendum — and made their announcement Thursday at the State House. The Legislature previously approved same sex marriage, but it was rejected by a 2009 state-wide vote, 53-percent to 47-percent. If Mainers approve same sex marriage, the state would be the first to do so by a popular vote. According to The Associated Press, Betsy Smith, executive director of EqualityMaine, said polling by gay marriage supporters indicates 54-percent of state residents now support same sex marriage. "The number of signatures we gathered and the thoughtful conversations we've been having with voters tell us that Mainers are eager to speak on this question again," she said. The new petition drive kicked off in August, and by November gay marriage supporters had collected more than 100,000 signatures, but supporters wanted to wait to make sure the timing was right before deciding whether to deliver those petitions to the secretary of state. To get gay marriage on the 2012 ballot, organizers needed to collect at least 57,277 signatures by January 30. If the signatures are certified, the proposal first goes to the Republican-controlled Legislature for an up-or-down vote. If the Legislature approves the proposal and the governor signs it, then gay marriage will be legalized. If the Legislature doesn't approve it or the governor doesn't sign a bill, as expected, the question goes to voters. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, which opposes gay marriage, expressed disappointment that same sex marriage supporters chose to seek another vote so soon after the 2009 referendum. "After the bitterly divisive campaign of 2009, in which Maine people clearly and decisively voted against changing the meaning of marriage, we're dismayed that they would bring this issue back for yet another vote," Brian Souchet, a spokesman for the diocese, said in a statement. In New England, same sex marriage is allowed in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Vermont, and civil unions for same sex couples are allowed in Rhode Island. Other states that allow gay marriage are New York and Iowa, along with Washington, D.C. In the six states where gay-marriage is allowed, the laws all came through either court orders or legislative votes, not through a state-wide popular vote. Elsewhere, bills to legalize same-sex marriage have good chances of passage this year in legislatures in Maryland, New Jersey and Washington. Proposed amendments for constitutional bans on gay marriage will be on the ballots in North Carolina on May 8 and in Minnesota on November 6.

Four Of Six Anoka-Hennepin School Board Members Support District’s Alternative To Its Sexual Orientation Curriculum Policy, Rick Santorum Says Homosexuality Unhealthy For Society, Maine Marriage Equality Advocates Expected To Announce Another Ballot Measure, Calvin Klein Double Negative Love For Nick Gruber, Tom Daley Wipes Out, Ricky Martin And Sons Step Out

2012-01-25T22:08:00.000-08:00

In Minnesota, four of the six Anoka-Hennepin school board members said Tuesday they're inclined to support the district's latest alternative to its Sexual Orientation Curriculum Policy. The four -- Scott Wenzel, John Hoffman, Marci Anderson and Mike Sullivan -- also said, however, that they want more public feedback to the proposed Respectful Learning Environment Curriculum Policy. The policy was introduced Monday and is expected to come up for a vote February 13. The Star Tribune reports that a fifth board member, Chairman Tom Heidemann, said he believes the new draft achieves the board's objectives and also addresses a broad scope of community concerns. Still, he said, he wants to respect the process, which includes taking in another round of public comment at the February 13 meeting, before deciding. "I don't want people to think our minds are made up," he said. "Look what community input did to the last policy. I think the process works." The sixth board member, Kathy Tingelstad, could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Last month, the district announced plans to scrap the Sexual Orientation Curriculum Policy, which requires staffers to remain neutral on issues involving sexual orientation. Detractors have said the policy contributed to a hostile atmosphere for gay and lesbian students and it is the target of a lawsuit, but the district said the planned change was a result of staff confusion on the policy. The board's initial proposal was to replace the "neutrality policy" with a broader one on controversial topics, which would have barred teachers from voicing personal opinions on contentious issues. That proposal was roundly criticized on several grounds by both supporters and opponents of the current policy. At Monday night's board meeting, members and the public got their first look at the new proposal. A positive perspective is what makes the difference for this draft, Wenzel said on Tuesday. "It uses positive statements instead of negative words, like 'controversy' and what not to do," he said. "It puts it into affirming words, of this is what we want people to do. It's done in a positive sense, as in this is what we believe we are going to be doing and this is what we want to do in the future. It really states what we have been doing and what our expectations are in a very positive, encompassing way." While the new proposal also says teachers "shall not attempt ... to persuade students to adopt or reject any particular viewpoint," it also lays out the importance of age-appropriate material, a balanced scope of information, respectful discourse and affirmation of all students. Community members who advocate for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students generally were supportive of the new language on Monday. "It's come a long way," said Robin Mavis, founder of the district's Gay Equity Team, after the meeting. "It's not in conflict with anything teachers have been entrusted with and instructed by their own union how to professionally go about their daily teaching." She also said she was "extremely happy" that the new policy doesn't single out any one population, as the neutrality policy did. Those who seek to keep the current policy generally continued to argue that conversations about sexuality, and homosexuality in particular, should be left in the home and church. Barb Anderson, a member of the Parents Action League, expressed misgivings in an e-mail Tuesday that the proposed policy is vague. "Our primary concern is keeping the teaching and celebration of homosexuality and other unhealthy behaviours out of the K-12 curriculum so the schools can focus on core academics," she said. "We want this new policy to have the same effect as the existing policy. This new one, however, is vague and the language does not directly address that concern." Marci Anderson said she and other board members have struggled to find their own paths on the matter. "You just have to really listen for whatever opinions people bring forth and carefully consider what they're telling you," she said, "and remember that I represent my whole community and not just one side or the other." The academic purpose for the policy is to allow for respectful discussion and disagreement. Heidemann said he hopes the process will move along in a similar spirit. The district really did try to incorporate as many perspectives as possible into the new policy language, he said, adding, "If you're looking for your point of view only, I think both sides are going to be disappointed."

Despite low poll numbers, Rick Santorum is not changing his focus, continuing to campaign as the hero of the far right. The Palm Beach Post reports that at a campaign stop at Community Christian Academy in Stuart, Florida on Tuesday, a woman asked Santorum why her gay son does not have the same rights as a heterosexual. “Everybody in America should have the same rights, and I would agree with that,” Santorum said. “Everyone in America should have rights that are endowed to them by the Creator, those are unalienable rights. And your son, just like everyone else here, has those unalienable rights.” But, Santorum said, “There are certain things that government does that gives people privileges in order to promote activity that are healthy for society and are best for society. And those things we promote would give people advantages or benefits, government benefits because we think that is healthy activity. Mothers and fathers coming together: forming healthy marriages; having children, and raising those children. Every American child has the right, and the government should support the right to have and know their mother and father and be raised by their mother and father.”

Same sex marriage advocates will announce Thursday whether they will pursue a campaign to put the issue back before voters in November. The groups, according to The Morning Sentinel, including EqualityMaine, Maine Civil Liberties Union and the Maine Women's Lobby, have said they have enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. They will be at the State House Welcome Center at noon Thursday to announce whether they plan to turn in the signatures to get a question on the November ballot. Maine voters rejected same sex marriage in 2009 by a vote of 53-47-percent. The Christian Civic League of Maine today released a statement on its support for "natural marriage," adding, "Unnatural marriage, as seen in cases across the country, will curtail religious freedom. If unnatural marriage is put on the referendum, then all Mainers who trust that their government will uphold religious freedom will, once again, come to the voting booth to keep our current marriage laws."

The New York Post reports that Calvin Klein and his 21-year-old boy toy Nick Gruber are still together, despite reports that the two are “on a break.” The fashion designer, 67, was in good spirits at the Ziegfeld on Tuesday night for the premiere of Madonna’s film W.E. without his beau, but with Drena De Niro. Klein explained that Gruber was out West skiing, adding, “We still have a wonderful relationship and I love him.” He stressed: “We’re not not together . . . he’s a very special person in my life.”

British diving star Tom Daley tweets a picture of himself (and crack) after suffering a “wipeout” during practice.

Ricky Martin spotted alongside his two oh-so-cute, and oh-so-stylish twins – Matteo and Valentino.

Southern Poverty Law Center Accuses Alabama School Of Censoring Student’s Speech Supportive Of Gay Rights; Student Says She Was Forced To Remove Sweatshirt And Request To Bring Same Sex Partner To Prom Denied; School Superintendent Says No Record Exists Of Incident

2012-01-25T18:23:00.000-08:00

In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Brookwood High School sophomore Elizabeth Garrett is taking a public stand for gay rights in Tuscaloosa County Schools after she says she was forced to remove a sweatshirt because its message supported gay rights. Garrett is openly gay and says she was also told by an administrator she could not go to her school's prom with a member of her own sex. Elizabeth reported her problems to the Alabama Safe Schools Coalition (ASSC) and the Southern Poverty Law Center intervened, threatening suit by letter if the teen's rights were abridged. However, on Wednesday, Tuscaloosa County Schools superintendent Frank Costanzo said there is no record of any incident regarding Garrett being forced to remove a sweatshirt because its message supporting gay rights was potentially disruptive. He also questioned other allegations of mistreatment of Garrett. Costanzo also said no disciplinary action has been taken against Elizabeth Garrett, who alleged a BHS administrator forced her to remove the sweatshirt. He said that BHS and the county board of education also does not have a written policy preventing same sex students from attending the school prom or any other function together. "The Tuscaloosa County Board of Education recognizes the importance of personal rights of students in the school system, and we do not take that lightly," said Costanzo, who confirmed he had spoken to the board's attorney as well as Garrett's. Garrett says the incident with the shirt "really upset me," and she felt singled out among students because of her sexual orientation. "In my opinion, wearing the hoodie that had the slogan on it is no different than somebody wearing something talking about who they are or wearing a sports shirt," Garrett said. "Being gay is a part of who I am." Garrett said it's equally upsetting to face not attending prom. "Prom for high schoolers is a really big deal," she said. "I want to be able to go as myself with my own date." The SPLC sent a letter to BHS, the county school system superintendent and the county’s school board demanding they respect students' constitutional rights or face a federal lawsuit. In the letter, the SPLC gives the school district until Feb. 1 to stop its censorship of speech supportive of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and its prohibition against same-sex couples at the prom. If the school district does not comply with those demands, the SPLC will file a federal lawsuit seeking an injunction, damages and attorneys’ fees. Sam Wolfe, Garrett's attorney with SPLC, reiterated that they are not alleging she was disciplined by the school. He has since reviewed the policy and confirmed the school and county school system does not have a written policy prohibiting students from wearing shirts with pro-gay rights slogans or attending school functions with members of the same sex. But he says the fact that someone ordered her to remove the sweatshirt is a violation of her First Amendment rights. "I am seeking for gay kids to be treated the same as the rest of the student body," Garrett said. "With them not allowing gay slogans on the shirt, it's singling us out from everybody else. It's just not fair. "I want to stand up for everybody who is being mistreated. I want everyone to have a fair opportunity to be who they are." In a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Costanzo emphasized that the school administration and faculty go to great lengths to inform all students of procedures and requirements related to school functions. He said the schools address those that pertain to the school prom, for example, the security and safety, appropriate dress and who is and is not allowed to attend the function. According to the policy, adults may not attend unless they are students, and students who have dropped out of school cannot attend. The dress code at the Tuscaloosa County Board of Education prohibits students from wearing clothing that is either a known or imminent threat that would result in a disruption, Costanzo said. "There has to be a threat or actual disruption to be a violation of that policy," he said. "As with any complaint, we will revisit the board's dress code policy. However, the board has not adopted a policy restricting students from wearing clothing that expresses acceptance of LGBT individuals." The superintendent said he and the board's attorney have had a telephone conversation with the student's attorney this afternoon, and he is sure they will have continued discussions. Costanzo also said Wednesday was the first time he received any information regarding the student's allegations.

Crown Appeals Stay For Trespassing Charge Against Man Who Distributed Anti-Gay Pamphlets At University Of Calgary, El Paso Victim Of Anti-Gay Hate Crime Speaks Out, Harrisville Utah Becomes 14th City Or County In State To Pass Ordinance Banning Discrimination Against Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity, Proposed Bill Would Allow Same Sex Couples To Adopt In Utah, Nick Jonas Succeeds In Business Without Really Trying, Andrew Hayden-Smith Nude, Armie Hammer Arrested In November For Marijuana Possession, Miley Cyrus Gives Liam Hemsworth A Big Penis Cake

2012-01-25T15:54:00.000-08:00

A Crown appeal of a judicial stay for a trespassing charge against an Edmonton man for distributing anti-gay pamphlets at the University of Calgary nearly four years ago is set to be heard March 30 in Court of Queen's Bench. The appeal, filed by prosecutor Eli-ana Close, followed the controversial November 15 ruling by provincial court Judge John Bascom that found William Whatcott's charter right to freedom of expression was infringed. Close cited in her primary ground for appeal that the trial judge "erred in law in ruling that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms applies in the circumstances of this case." Alternatively, she said, the judge either erred in law in finding that the University of Calgary infringed Whatcott's charter rights or that the trial judge erred in his application of Section 1 of the charter. The Crown is seeking either a conviction on the charge, stemming from the alleged trespassing violation against Whatcott on July 25, 2008, or a new trial. Whatcott had been given an indefinite ban from setting foot on the campus, stemming from a similar incident on January 16, 2005, when Whatcott was cited for handing out anti-abortion flyers. That ban had also been lifted when the judge issued the stay of proceedings. Bascom had concluded in his ruling that "preventing the peaceful distribution of leaflets that an individual attendee finds offensive does not relate to an objective that is pressing and substantial," adding, "It is therefore not of sufficient importance to override a constitution-ally protected right. Having found the university actions in banning Mr. Whatcott is not a significant objective, it is unnecessary to move to the second part of the test, that is, the means chosen are reasonable and demonstrably justified. . . . I find that banning Mr. Whatcott is arbitrary and unfair. The means used by campus security halted Mr. Whatcott's distribution of these flyers and violated his right of free expression. In addition, the indefinite ban for Mr. Whatcott's actions of January 16, 2005, are out of proportion." Dale Fedorchuk, Whatcott's lawyer, said outside court following the judge's decision that "the judge applied the charter to the University of Calgary, notwithstanding the Crown's (Kristyn Stevens) argument that the university is private property to which the charter does not apply." Whatcott, at that time, called it "an important victory for social conservatives and Christians who want to express themselves." The case will be heard as a summary conviction appeal.

In El Paso, KFOX-14 reports that with the exception of a few stitches in his mouth, Emilio Moreno, 23, is physically almost recovered from a brutal beating that happened just over two weeks ago. "I'm doing a lot better, especially knowing they're caught and they're in jail and not going to hurt anybody else," said Moreno. He says the mental scars, though, will be harder to get over,” adding, “I don't take life for granted because they could have taken my life. I was down, but in the end I am still alive. They didn't take that away from me.” Moreno said he was hoping to have a quiet night that Sunday night two weeks ago when he went to Rumor's Sports Bar around the corner from his house. "I just remember being by myself and saying, I'm just going to have one beer not stay out late, and then I woke up in the hospital," he said. Since then, he does remember more about what happened in the alley behind the bar when he tried to walk home. "I just remember getting hit with something very hard that wasn't a fist in the back of my head, and they threw me to the ground, and I looked up and saw another guy that began holding me while the other one was kicking and kicking me," said Moreno. El Paso police have since arrested Arturo Contreras and Fernando Martinez in connection with the attack. Moreno said the two shouted anti-gay slurs at him as they beat him. He spent a couple of days at UMC recovering, but now he's slowly getting back to normal. "Yeah, they beat me that night, but it didn't change who I am," said Moreno. "There are gay people out there and people need to respect us. I believe we were born this way, it’s not something I can change," he said. Moreno says the FBI is now also investigating.

As two lawmakers ready to push a state-wide law that would ban discrimination against gay and transgender Utahns, one more local government has passed such protections. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that on Tuesday, the Harrisville City Council unanimously passed anti-discrimination ordinances, making it the 14th Utah city or county to do so. More than a quarter of Utahns now live in places where it is illegal to discriminate in housing and employment based on a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Harrisville, north of Ogden, has a population of 5,567. "A vast majority of Utahns support these protections that demonstrate our common values," said Brandie Balken, executive director of Equality Utah. "There is broad support — not just in larger cities or counties, not just in Salt Lake County — but across the state in smaller communities that may be perceived as more conservative." Nearly three-fourths of Utahns favour a state-wide law to protect gay and transgender residents from discrimination, according to a Dan Jones & Associates poll in October that was commissioned by Equality Utah. Representative Derek Brown (R-Cottonwood Heights), and Senator Ben McAdams (D-Salt Lake City), have announced plans to run a bill that would expand those protections state-wide, amending existing state laws that forbid housing and employment discrimination based on characteristics such as race, religion and sex. Similar bills have fizzled in the Utah Legislature the previous four sessions. But Brown and McAdams hope their colleagues like a new protection in their bill for political activity and speech. That would mean Utahns could not be discriminated against for things like giving money to California’s Proposition 8, the controversial 2008 ballot measure that overturned gay marriage in the Golden State.

Also in Utah, if passed, Senator Ross Romero's Adoption by a Co-parent Bill would allow gay couples, or any unmarried couple living together, to adopt. "Some people may not want to marry or some people may not be able to marry, so this could apply with equal force if they were sisters," says Romero, giving a hypothetical example. "One sister moved in with another sister and one of the sisters from a previous marriage had a child. They could not legally marry." According to KUTV, the two could legally be parents to the same child if the bill passes. However, it may be a tough sell to the Utah Legislature given that the bill failed last session. "I think it would be impossible of me to assume the intentions of the legislators who determine the fate of a bill like this one," says Executive Director of Equality Utah Brandie Balken. Balkan says the bill would have substantial impact on the state's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual community by allowing them to adopt. But Romero says the bill is more than just about LGBT rights, but about parental rights, gay or straight. "What this bill says is 'I know what is best for my child and it will be judged on what's in the best interest of the child,'" Romero explains. Romero says the parent could be able to designate a co-parent to raise the child, whether that person is a sister, brother, or significant other. Although Romero is not convinced it will pass this year, he says it is important to keep the dialog going and believes one day it will pass.

Nick Jonas – joined by cast member Michael Urie – takes a curtain call following his debut in the Broadway revival of How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

The very cute British actor Andrew Hayden-Smith is photographed nude for Gay Times.

Authorities say Hollywood actor Armie Hammer was arrested at a border patrol checkpoint in West Texas after a drug sniffing dog discovered marijuana in his car. The 25-year-old, who starred with Leonardo DiCaprio in J. Edgar, spent about a day in jail before paying a $1,000 bond. According to The AP, arrest records show he had 0.02 ounces of marijuana, three medicinal marijuana cookies and one brownie when arrested November 30 in Sierra Blanca, a few miles from the Mexican border. El Paso's district attorney declined to prosecute because a felony requires more than 4 ounces of actual marijuana. The county attorney could pursue lesser charges since the case is going back to the local sheriff, but Hammer's lawyer Kent Schaffer says no charges have been presented.

Does anyone know why Miley Cyrus would give her boyfriend Liam Hemsworth a birthday cake decorated with an enormous penis? Or why she goes down on said cake as it was wheeled into the room?

Matthew Shepard’s Father Says Tennessee And Several Other States Have “Become A Bully Pulpit In More Ways Than One;” Also Condemns Representative Floyd’s Comments That He Would “Stomp” Transgender Persons

2012-01-25T14:20:00.000-08:00

In Nashville, the father of a young gay college student, whose 1998 murder in Wyoming spurred national discussion about hate crimes, said Wednesday that Tennessee and several other states have “become a bully pulpit in more ways than one.” Dennis Shepard, whose son Matthew was killed in Wyoming due to, according to court testimony, his sexual orientation, said two pending bills dealing with gay issues “disturb me” and he urged state lawmakers to work instead “toward an all-inclusive law toward hate crimes.” Shepard’s comments came at a news conference at Legislative Plaza where he spoke out specifically against a bill that seeks to create a religious exemption in the state’s anti-school bullying law and another measure known as the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill. The amended bill says teachers can only discuss “natural reproduction” with students in grades K-8. On another front, Shepard was critical of recent remarks made by Representative Richard Floyd (R-Chattanooga), who has introduced legislation barring transgender persons from using public restrooms and store dressing rooms if they do not fit the gender listed on their original birth certificate. Floyd created a stir when he told The Chattanooga Times Free Press earlier this month that “I believe if I was standing at a dressing room and my wife or one of my daughters was in the dressing room and a man tried to go in there — I don’t care if he thinks he’s a woman and tries on clothes with them in there — I’d just try to stomp a mudhole in him and then stomp him dry.” Shepard said the various bills and talk “about stomping transgender and other gays. That does encourage it [harassment]. What it does is say nobody’s going to do anything. And as I mentioned ... it creates a policy of it is open season. I can do whatever. And that’s what happened to Matt.” Earlier, Floyd said he’s received any number of threatening e-mails and phone calls — as well as expressions of support — in the wake of his comments. “They get upset about somebody else, but the emails and phone calls I’ve got with the verbiage and the violent threats and even worse, if anybody threatened them with that kind of violence, you want to talk about violence, evidently they support violence.” He said “the word ‘stomp’ is very mild compared to what I heard. I guess it’s the pot calling the kettle black.” Floyd said “this is America. They have every right in the world to do whatever they want to do as long as they don’t threaten anyone else ... That’s their perfect right.” Senator Bo Watson (R-Hixson) originally sponsored the Senate version of the bill at Floyd’s request. After Floyd’s remarks, Watson yanked the bill. Floyd said he has been unable to find another Senate sponsor.

Federal Judge Rules Discrimination Lawsuit Filed Against St. Cloud Minnesota By Gay Police Officer Will Stand; Sets March 19 Trial Date

2012-01-25T10:19:00.000-08:00

Attorneys for St. Cloud, Minnesota and for a former police officer who said he suffered discrimination because of his sexual orientation will meet for a settlement conference next month. A March 19 trial date has been set, in the event a settlement cannot be reached. On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Donald Frank denied three of the five requests by the city for summary judgments in a lawsuit filed by Sean Lathrop. The St. Cloud Times reports Lathrop filed the suit against the city of St. Cloud and several of the police department’s members. Judge Frank would not issue judgments on Lathrop’s claims of discrimination and retaliation by the department and that he was denied equal protection when he worked for St. Cloud Police Department from September 2006 through April 2010. Frank did grant the city’s request for summary judgments on Lathrop’s claims of conspiracy and that his First Amendment rights had been violated. A summary judgment on all claims would have ended the case in the city’s favour without a trial or settlement. Lathrop’s attorney Ashwin Madia said it was a “well-reasoned decision.” He said the equal protection claims are the most important claims and deserve to go to trial. “This decision was a good decision not just for Officer Lathrop, but for all members of the LGBT community in Minnesota,” Madia said, adding, he will enter the settlement discussions with the city in “good faith.” Attorney Patricia Y. Beety is representing the city and the police department members. She said the city is pleased that the judge granted summary judgment for two of the claims, and added, she is confident that if the case went to trial, the facts would support the city. “We’re very confident that we’ll be able to show that there wasn’t any discrimination,” Beety said. Lathrop’s attorneys have argued that the department learned of Lathrop’s sexual orientation in May 2009 because of a letter to Police Chief Dennis Ballantine from a deputy police chief in the Minneapolis Police Department. The letter asked that Lathrop be allowed to work at a community outreach booth at a Twin Cities gay pride event. The city has denied that Lathrop was discriminated against and that any action taken against him related to his misconduct and performance issues.

Federal Court Weighs Case Of Georgia Man Rejected By Atlanta Police Force Because He Is HIV-Positive

2012-01-25T10:11:00.000-08:00

A panel of federal judges appeared sceptical Wednesday of the Atlanta police department’s decision to reject a job application from an HIV-infected man. According to The Associated Press, the 40-year-old man sued the city in 2010, claiming he was denied a police officer job solely because he has the virus. Atlanta attorneys argued there are other officers on the force with HIV, and said the police department does not have a blanket policy disqualifying candidates with the virus. Gay rights groups and police agencies are closely following the case. One of the three judges signalled the lawsuit would likely be sent back to a lower judge to reconsider. “I don’t see how we can avoid a remand in this case,” Circuit Judge R. Lanier Anderson said. The judges will issue a ruling later. The man sued under the pseudonym Richard Roe and has requested anonymity because he believes his medical condition could prevent him from other job opportunities. He said in an interview he was a former criminal investigator with the city of Los Angeles who discovered he had HIV in 1997, but that it didn’t hinder his ability to perform his duties. Roe moved to Atlanta to find a better job and joined the city’s taxicab enforcement unit. In January 2006, he decided he wanted to join the police force. He passed a series of tests, but hit a snag when a blood test revealed he had the virus that causes AIDS. The doctor didn’t do any more tests, according to records, and recommended to the city that he have “no physical contact or involvement with individuals.” Atlanta attorneys said the city follows the recommendation of the physicians who examine candidates, and in this case, the doctor advised the department to limit Roe’s interaction with the public. “We’re told that he can’t do the job,” said Robert Godfrey, a city attorney. “We have to assume when a doctor tells us this, he can’t perform the essential duties.” Roe’s attorney, Scott Schoettes of gay rights group Lambda Legal, said there was no evidence that Roe posed a threat to the health and safety of others. The city violated the federal Americans with Disabilities Act by not fully vetting his client, Schoettes said. Roe’s advocates said the city’s position perpetuates myths about HIV that have persisted for three decades. Modern medical advances have made the disease a manageable condition that in many cases won’t affect job performance even in the most demanding fields, they said. “I really see an opportunity for the city of Atlanta to make some drastic changes and move forward,” Roe said. “I think that’s what this whole case is about.”

Maryland Governor O’Malley Seeks Support Of Religious Leaders In Effort To Pass Same Sex Marriage Legislation, Starbucks Announces It Supports Washington State Same Sex Marriage Measure

2012-01-25T09:49:00.000-08:00

It is highly unlikely that there will be a same sex wedding at Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Prince George's County, Maryland which defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman. But its pastor, the Rev. Delman Coates, went to Annapolis on Tuesday to support Governor Martin O'Malley's same sex marriage bill. Coates said he feels comfortable that the legislation would not force his church to do something against its beliefs, and he thinks that gay marriages can co-exist with traditional ones. "I think everyone is protected here," he said. "You don't have to agree with same-sex marriage as a matter of personal religious choice." According to The Baltimore Sun, the minister's reaction is exactly what O'Malley and advocates for legalizing same sex marriage are looking for as they begin their push in the Maryland General Assembly. The governor's top aides re-wrote a bill that failed last year so it would have a greater focus on religious protections. They are hoping the new language will blunt opposition to the bill from some religious groups and bring wavering delegates to their side. But many critics — including representatives of the Roman Catholic Church — said they remain staunchly opposed. Mary Ellen Russell, executive director of the Maryland Catholic Conference, said she cannot support the measure because of "the impact such a drastic change would have on all society," adding, “No changes to the bill can change that fundamental fact." Another opponent, Republican Delegate Don Dwyer of Anne Arundel County, said he's going to work "every hour of every day" to defeat the same sex marriage bill. "It is my only legislative agenda. Period," he said. It was too early to know Tuesday whether any lawmakers were persuaded by O'Malley's changes; several who are on the fence said they needed more time to study the legislation. Last year a same-sex marriage bill passed in the state Senate but was pulled from the House of Delegates when leaders realized they did not have the 71 votes needed for passage. O'Malley invited faith leaders, gay couples and union supporters to a breakfast Tuesday at Government House, the governor's residence. Afterward about 40 supporters stood with him on the front steps of the mansion to show their support for the legislation. "Other states have found a way to do this," O'Malley said at the event. "We can find a way to do this, too." O'Malley's legislation was introduced Monday night in the state Senate with 20 co-sponsors, including Howard County's Sen. Allan Kittleman, the only GOP legislator to support the bill. A House version has not been introduced, though advocates were passing it around and gathering co-sponsors Tuesday. O'Malley's proposal borrows language and ideas from similar laws in New Hampshire, New York and Washington, D.C., to attempt to make clear that religious institutions would have some protections without rolling back the state's anti-discrimination laws. In New York, where a same sex marriage bill passed last year, amending the legislation to add religious protections was paramount for some lawmakers who were hesitant about supporting the bill. Six states and the District of Columbia allow same sex marriage. In Washington state this week advocates announced they have the votes to pass gay marriage there as well. Maryland's new bill — called the Civil Marriage Protection Act — includes four changes from last year: It is now stated that religious leaders, as well as their institutions, are protected from lawsuits; that the state can't withhold funds to penalize a religious institution that does not recognize same-sex marriages; and that the state can't dictate religious doctrine. There also is an attempt to clarify that some programs run by religious institutions can exclude same sex couples. "The exemptions are more explicit this year," O'Malley said. "They may be more explicit in this bill than they have been in any other bill around the country." Supporters offered this example of how the legislation would apply: If a church ran a homeless shelter that also offered marriage counselling, the shelter could not refuse to house a gay couple — but it could refuse to provide the counselling. Delegate John A. Olszewski, Jr., a Baltimore County Democrat, said he wanted more time to discuss the measure with staff from the Maryland attorney general's office before declaring his position. "I'm looking at it," Olszewski said. He thought last year's bill did not have strong enough religious protections. "I think this bill goes a long way in addressing those concerns," he said. But some religious leaders said they remained worried that legalizing same sex marriage could force them to recognize the unions in more subtle ways. For example, would the bill require a faith-based school to provide benefits to the same sex spouse of a teacher? Would state-licensed marriage counsellors working for religious institutions be required to meet with same-sex couples? Bryce, said that in both cases the new bill would favour the religious institutions. A gay teacher could be fired. A counsellor would not face state retribution if working for a church. If the legislation does pass in the General Assembly, most believe that it will be petitioned to referendum and Maryland voters will have the last word. A recent poll shows the state is split evenly on the topic. That means House passage — far from a sure bet — would set up a state-wide battle on the issue, a point O'Malley made Tuesday. "This issue will go to the people in referendum," he said. "And, in fact, there are some issues that can only be resolved when people come together and give it some thought."

Starbucks today joined a growing list of corporations, including Microsoft, that have endorsed same sex marriage legislation in the Washington state House and Senate. The Seattle Times reports that same sex marriage supporters have apparently secured the votes needed to pass a measure through both houses, and Governor Chris Gregoire has said she'll sign it into law. Starbuck’s statement in part reads, “Starbucks is proud to join other leading Northwest employers in support of Washington State legislation recognizing marriage equality for same-sex couples. Starbucks strives to create a company culture that puts our partners first, and our company has a lengthy history of leading and supporting policies that promote equality and inclusion. This important legislation is aligned with Starbucks business practices and upholds our belief in the equal treatment of partners. It is core to who we are and what we value as a company. We are proud of our Pride Alliance Partner Network group, which is one of the largest Employer Resource Groups for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender employees in the U.S., helping to raise awareness about issues in the communities where we live and work. For the last 20 years, our benefits program has offered domestic partner benefits in the U.S. These benefits include medical, dental, vision, prescription drugs and alternative health care coverage. All partners (part-time and full-time) in all work locations, whether in a store, a roasting plant or a corporate office, adhere to the same eligibility requirements for health coverage and have access to the same comprehensive health plans. We are deeply dedicated to embracing diversity and treating one another with respect and dignity, and remain committed to providing an inclusive, supportive and safe work environment for all of our partners. We look forward to seeing this legislation enacted into law.”

Margaret Court Takes Seat At Australian Open The Day Her Opinions Piece Is Published Arguing “A Person’s Sexuality Is A Choice. It Is Not Something You Are Born With”

2012-01-24T23:44:00.000-08:00

Tennis legend Margaret Court reignited controversy over her views on homosexuality Wednesday as she defied gay protest threats by visiting the Australian Open. Activists have launched a Facebook campaign against the Australian, whose 24 major singles titles are a world record, and said they would rally at Melbourne Park against the former player, now a church pastor. But Court took her seat as a spectator at the event on Wednesday, the same day that she repeated her views in an uncompromising opinion piece published in Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper. "Let me be clear. I believe that a person's sexuality is a choice. In the Bible it said that homosexuality is among sins that are works of the flesh," she wrote. "It is not something you are born with. My concern is that we are advocating to young people that it is OK to have these feelings." The article said Australian morals were in "steep decline" and Court also recounted how being caned by a nun had taught her a valuable lesson. "A nun at my primary school once gave me the cane and it was one of the best lessons of my life. She could see the potential in me long before I did." Fellow great Martina Navratilova earlier this week slammed Court's "outdated" views, adding her voice to a chorus of criticism in Australia. Gay activists are planning a protest wearing rainbow colours and waving flags on Friday, according to press reports. Activists have launched an online petition calling for the renaming of Margaret Court Arena. But protests have been low-key so far. Britain's Laura Robson wore a rainbow hair-band supporting equal rights, and Navratilova wore rainbow colours on her sleeves during a legends doubles match on Margaret Court Arena. Court said she would not be budged from her views. "To target me and the tennis is a political stunt," she was quoted as saying by the Herald Sun. "I love (gays), I even work with them... but what concerns me so much is the amount of hatred that has been directed at me."

New Hampshire House Judiciary Committee Holds Hearing On Bill That Would Allow Services To Discriminate Based On Conscience Or Faith

2012-01-24T16:12:00.000-08:00

In New Hampshire, florists, caterers and other wedding-related businesses could turn away engaged gay couples under legislation before the House that opponents likened to segregation and Nazi Germany's race laws. The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing Tuesday on the bill, which would allow providers of wedding-related goods or services to withhold those services if they believe doing business with gay couples would violate their conscience or religious faith. The bill also would bar lawsuits against business owners in such situations, according to The Associated Press. Bill sponsor Representative Jerry Bergevin (R-Manchester), called it a "business protection bill" and said a person's personal religious beliefs should receive protection in his or her capacity as a service provider. Noting that New Hampshire protects against discrimination based on both religion and sexual orientation, Bergevin asked, "How do you strike a balance between them?" State Representative Cynthia Chase, D-Keene, called the bill "codified discrimination" and the beginning of a "slippery slope,” adding, "When you begin to codify things for one group, pretty soon it's OK for that group, and then that group." Although the bill was presented in reference to same sex marriage, opponents said allowing a "person's conscience or religious faith," as the bill reads, to determine whom they serve would open the door to discrimination against inter-faith and inter-racial couples, too. "There are some religions that still believe that African-Americans and Caucasians shouldn't be able to marry. They would be allowed to discriminate against them under this bill," said New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Claire Ebel. New Hampshire's gay marriage law already exempts churches and religious groups from being forced to officiate same sex marriages or provide services, facilities and goods of any kind to participants. The bill would provide the same protections to individuals, which gay marriage opponents sought in 2009. At the time, then-state Senate Democratic Leader Maggie Hassan of Exeter said she had heard of no legal challenges filed by gays over businesses refusing to provide services for their civil unions in the 17 months civil unions had been legal in New Hampshire. No cases were mentioned in Tuesday's hearing either. The committee has not issued a recommendation on the bill. Once they make a recommendation, the bill will move to the full House for a vote. Another bill facing a vote in the coming weeks would repeal same sex marriage and replace it with civil unions of any two adults, including relatives. It would also allow individuals to refuse their services for a civil union's' ceremony and to refuse to treat the civil union as valid if it conflicted with their religious or moral beliefs.

Newark New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker Condemns Governor Christie’s Proposed Same Sex Marriage Referendum

2012-01-24T15:38:00.000-08:00

In an unprecedented public divergence with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Newark Mayor Cory Booker said today he is firmly against leaving the question of same sex marriage up to a referendum. "I shudder to think what would have happened if the civil rights gains, heroically established by courageous lawmakers in the 1960s, were instead conveniently left up to popular votes in our 50 states," Booker said in a statement, reports The Star-Ledger. With the gay marriage debate advancing in Trenton today, Governor Christie said, who has long said he would veto a gay marriage bill, said "I need to be governed by the will of the people." But Booker countered that leaders are elected to make difficult decisions, not submit to a public referendum. "Equal protection under the law – for race, religion, gender or sexual orientation – should not be subject to the most popular sentiments of the day," Booker said. "Marriage equality is not a choice. It is a legal right. I hope our leaders in Trenton will affirm and defend it." Booker has been a strong advocate of marriage equality for years. Since being elected mayor, he has refused to perform marriages at City Hall in protest of what he cites as inequalities in the state's marriage laws. In October 2009, he formed the City of Newark Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Concerns Advisory Commission which examines issues of inequality and harassment, based on sexual identity in the city.

Newfoundland And Labrador Announce $90,000 Funding For Gay-Straight Alliances, Queensland Government Announces Criminal Code Will Be Amended To Remove “Gay Panic” Defence, Arkansas Newspaper Refuses To Print Same Sex Engagement Announcement, Academy Award Nominations, Henry Cavill Candid

2012-01-24T15:29:00.000-08:00

Tens of thousands of dollars will be spent to make schools across Newfoundland and Labrador more welcoming to gay students, according to the province's education minister. “We know that many young people struggle with issues around sexual orientation – often with hurtful, or even tragic, consequences,” said Minister Clyde Jackman in a news release, reports CBC. “This cannot continue within a school system, and a society, which claims to celebrate diversity and to respect the value of every individual. This resource will help us take an important step forward in recognizing that we all have a responsibility for ensuring that all of our students are accepted, and respected, for who they are.” The province says $90,000 will be provided as support for administrators, teachers, and students who wish to establish gay-straight alliances in their schools. “The resource, entitled My GSA (or My Gay-Straight Alliance), will be provided this spring to all Newfoundland and Labrador schools offering Grades 7-12,” said the news release. The My GSA resource is funded through the provincial government's Violence Prevention Initiative ($50,000) and the Department of Education ($40,000), and developed in partnership with the Women's Policy Office and Egale Canada — the country's lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-human rights organization. Newfoundland and Labrador’s version of My GSA is modelled after a similar resource currently available in some Ontario schools, according to the government’s news release.

In Australia, the Queensland Government has announced plans to change the state’s Criminal Code to remove doubts about how and when a partial defence involving a sexual advance can be used, essentially ending the so-called “gay panic” defence. There has been continued pressure on the Bligh Government to change the legal loophole after a substantial campaign by Catholic priest Father Paul Kelly, whose change.org petition had reached over 20,000 signatories in support of the defence’s elimination. Attorney-General Paul Lucas said the Government had last week received a recommendation from a special committee established in November last year to consider the matter. He said the Criminal Code currently contained a partial defence of provocation which could be used to reduce a conviction from murder to manslaughter where a defendant claimed they were provoked into committing the act. He also acknowledged that members of the community had recently raised concerns that this could be used to establish a gay-panic defence, where a defendant could claim the victim made a homosexual advance towards them and provoked them into committing a criminal act. “We made it crystal clear from day one that the Queensland Government does not believe that anyone should be able to use a claim of non-violent homosexual advance to reduce a conviction from murder to manslaughter,” Lucas said. “That’s why we listened to the expert advice of the Queensland Law Reform Commission in 2008 and ensured strengthened legislation was passed so words alone could not amount to a partial defence. “However, I received a number of representations from the gay community last year and consequently set up an expert committee comprised of key stakeholders to examine the laws. Lucas said the committee had completed its review and based on the recommendations of legal expert and retired Court of Appeal Judge John Jerrard, they will be amending the law to ensure the intent of the partial defence provisions are clear. “While the committee was not unanimous in its decision, the ultimate recommendation endorsed by the chair, recommended a change,” he said. The provisions contained in section 304 are to be amended to ensure that an unwanted sexual advance would not be enough to establish provocation unless there were exceptional circumstances. “It is not possible to remove sexual advances completely without affecting situations such as that of a battered woman who knows that her refusal of a sexual advance from her partner is a precursor to assault and she takes immediate action to stop this from happening,” he said. “There is no place for these kinds of acts in a civilised society. “These amendments make it crystal clear that someone making a pass at someone is not grounds for a partial defence and by no means an excuse for horribly violent acts.” Lucas said the Bligh Government would introduce a bill to Parliament this year and called on Opposition Leader Campbell Newman to provide bi-partisan support. “We know Campbell Newman was forced into a weak promise on the Civil Partnerships Act but the Shadow Attorney General, Jarrod Bleijie, made it clear last week that the LNP still wants to overturn the laws,” he said.

When a northwest Arkansas newspaper declined to run a same sex engagement announcement last week it set into motion a groundswell of support that has garnered the attention of local media and activists. According to Yahoo! News, Cody Renegar, 35, of Elkins, Arkansas asked the Arkansas Democrat Gazette to publish an engagement announcement for his June wedding commitment ceremony, something Renegar said happens for other couples who would like to announce their impending nuptials. "I called the newspaper and asked how I can submit our announcement for publication," Renegar said. "I was told that they won't publish them until it's legal." Renegar said the newspaper declined to run the announcement because of long-standing policy. According to newspaper representatives, the Arkansas Democrat Gazette charges a minimal fee and has content length requirements, but does run announcements on a regular basis for heterosexual couples, including mixed race couples. They do not run same sex announcements because the state of Arkansas does not legally recognize those unions. Gazette publisher Rusty Turner said Monday that he was not familiar with Renegar's request, but said it would not be published because of long-standing editorial policies. "We run announcements for marriages that are legally recognized in Arkansas," Turner said."It is a long-established policy of the newspaper." Turner said he was personally unaware of any similar requests from same sex couples. Renegar and his fiance, 28-year old Thomas Staed, plan to conduct a public commitment ceremony at their northwest Arkansas home this summer. Same sex marriage is not currently recognized under Arkansas state law, although other states and the District of Columbia do recognize same-sex marriage or civil unions. "We don't need a license to prove our love," Renegar said. "We'll get married in front of our family and friends...we know we're in love." On Saturday, the couple’s story was published and immediately drew the attention of friends and family on social media sites such as Facebook, as well as KNWA, a local television news outlet. "My friends are just amazing," Renegar said. "They started calling and texting me and asking when it would be in the newspaper." Local activist Jay Phillips was one of the people to join Renegar's cause. Through his contacts at GetEqual.com and Change.org, Phillips initiated an online petition drive to apply pressure on the newspaper to change its policies. "I contacted (publisher Rusty Turner) to give him an advanced notice of our intent to build public awareness of their discriminatory policy," Phillips said. "It's my opinion that he's willing to progress on the issue, but he is reasonably worried about blow-back from his conservative readers." Turner said there were no plans currently under way to examine the policy or grant an exception for Renegar. Phillips said some apprehension on the newspaper's part was understandable. "This is a very progressive area in a red state," Phillips said. "Mr. Turner is very justified to be cautious, but it is wrong." Renegar said he thought the newspaper's policy was outdated and simply needed to be changed to keep up with the times. "Maybe they just need to take another look at their policies and change them," he said. "It is the right of any couple to be able to share their love and happiness...it's validating."

Tuesday morning, nominations for the 84th Academy Awards were announced, The Artist and Hugo gathering the most nods. Among the surprises, Leonardo DiCaprio not nominated for Best Actor, Gary Oldman earning his first (!) nomination for his Lead Actor in Tinker Tailor Solider Spy, Albert Brooks not receiving a Supporting Actor nomination, Nick Nolte and Max von Sydow receiving Supporting Actor nominations. As well, there were only two Best Song nominees. Thankfully, the Academy recognized the terrific work of Christopher Plummer, nominated for Supporting Actor in Beginners, as well as Terrence Malick and his film The Tree of Life, receiving Best Director and Best Film nominations respectively.

The super sexy Henry Cavill poses with a lucky little fan on the set of Superman: Man of Steel.

New Jersey Senate Committee Advances Same Sex Marriage Bill Along Party Lines As Governor Christie Calls For Referendum

2012-01-24T13:04:00.000-08:00

After three hours of impassioned arguments on both sides, a Senate committee today advanced a bill allowing same sex marriage in New Jersey. The Star-Ledger reports that the 8-4 vote along party lines is the first significant development in gay rights since December 2006, when the state enacted civil unions that gay rights activists have said fail to give same sex couples the same rights as married heterosexual couples. Arguments in favour of gay marriage ranged from personal stories of discrimination to legal accounts of how the civil union law is flawed. Opponents' arguments included claims a change would diminish the meaning of marriage and quotes from the Bible condemning homosexuality and its supporters. Republican Sens. Christopher Bateman, Michael Doherty, Gerald Cardinale and Joseph Kyrillos who opposed the measure, said they like Governor Chris Christie's suggestion to put the issue to referendum. "There's nothing wrong with letting the voters weigh in on the issue," Bateman said.

Governor Christie made that suggestion earlier Tuesday at a town hall meeting in Bridgewater, calling for the Legislature to put on the fall ballot a voter referendum on whether to legalize same sex marriage. If successful, the referendum would amend the state Constitution and trump the current civil unions law. He urged all Republicans in the Legislature to put the matter to voters, but promised to veto the measure if it came to him in the form of a bill."I think this is not an issue that should rest solely in my hands, or the hands of the Senate President or the Speaker or the other 118 members of the Legislature," he said. "Let's let the people of New Jersey decide what is right for the state.""Let's make sure that political manoeuvring is not what judges this and let's make sure this is not someone just trying to have fun and create a campaign issue," he said, adding that, "The institution of marriage if too serious to be treated like a political football." In reaction to Christie's statement, State Senator Raymond Lesniak (D-Union), a sponsor of the bill, said same sex marriage is "a right that's guaranteed by the Constitution. It's up to us to implement it as legislators." Earlier this month, Democrats introduced the bill, S1, first in the new session to symbolize its importance. "I would hope the Legislature would be willing to trust the people the way I'm willing to trust the people," Christie said, reiterating his personal opposition to gay marriage. "I think it's the institution of marriage and it's bigger than just a word, it's hundreds of years of tradition both legally and societally and religiously and that's what I stand up in protecting." Still, Christie said he would be willing to consider strengthening the legal protections under the state's civil unions law, and when he heard hospitals were denying visitation to same sex partners, he called on Health Commissioner Mary O'Dowd to look into the matter.

Pepperdine University Continues To Deny Student’s Request To Recognize Proposed Gay And Lesbian Support Group On Campus

2012-01-24T08:09:00.000-08:00

Students at Pepperdine University in California have amassed nearly 4,000 signatures in an online petition protesting the administration's decision not to grant recognition of a proposed gay and lesbian support group on the Malibu campus. The Associated Press reports that students submitted an application for club recognition of their group, Reach OUT, on November 9. They were notified of the denial about a month later. Dean of Students Mark Davis, a spokesman for the university, says the group's mission is not aligned with the conservative religious university's beliefs on sexual morality. Students say the university's policy creates an atmosphere of silence and anxiety that alienates the LGBT — lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender — student population and those concerned for their well-being. The latest denial marks the fourth attempt to start a LGBT support group at Pepperdine

Maine Human Rights Commission Rules 3-1 That Real Estate Management Company Failed Take Corrective Action Knowing Gay Couple Was Being Harassed

2012-01-24T08:07:00.000-08:00

The Rockport, Maine-based real estate management company that owns the apartment complex knew that a gay couple living there was being harassed and should have done more to take corrective action, according to a 3-1 vote Monday by members of the Maine Human Rights Commission. The Bangor Daily News reports that Joseph Bonnadio II and William Paquet allege that within two months of moving into the Sproul Block Apartments in January 2009 other tenants were calling them names and telling them “their kind did not belong,” according to their complaint filed with the commission. Bonnadio and Paquet complained about the hostile housing environment at various times over several months, but the landlord, Realty Resources Management, responded only with a short note, according to the Maine Human Rights Commission’s investigator. “The name calling that’s going on is very unfortunate. Disputes between neighbours happen from time to time and is not usually a violation of the lease. Therefore, the resolution needs to be achieved by those parties,” Realty Resources Management wrote. The commission investigator reported that such a response was not enough to comply with state law. “It is clear that [Realty Resources Management] knew or should have known about the sexual orientation harassment and failed to take any corrective action … as they are required to,” the investigator wrote. The commissioners voted 3-1 to find reasonable grounds that unlawful discrimination occurred. In such cases, both parties are encouraged to reconcile and reach a settlement. If conciliation fails, the complainant may file a civil lawsuit in Maine Superior Court, where a binding settlement can include monetary damages.

Canada Accuses Commonwealth Countries Of Criminalizing Homosexuality And Ignoring Human Rights, Maryland Governor O’Malley Plan To Push Same Sex Marriage Measure, Cynthia Nixon Creates Uproar Contending Homosexuality A “Choice,” Michigan Lesbian Couple Sues State Over Law Prohibiting Any Unmarried Couple From Jointly Adopting Children, Starbucks To Add Beer And Wine To Some Southern California Locations

2012-01-23T20:37:00.000-08:00

Canada will not stand by while its "Commonwealth cousins" criminalize homosexuality and ignore other fundamental freedoms, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said Monday in a sweeping speech about human rights. Speaking to an audience in London, England, Baird said Canada and the U.K. share values and will not compromise on basic rights, reports the CBC. "Dozens of Commonwealth countries currently have regressive and punitive laws on the books that criminalize homosexuality," Baird said in his prepared text. Homosexuality is illegal in 41 of 54 Commonwealth member states. "We will continue to press countries in the Commonwealth to live up to their international obligations, and uphold the basic contract any government should have with its people. To inform, to educate, to be tolerant and accepting." Baird said Canada will speak out on issues that matter to Canadians, including on how women are treated around the world, the persecution of gays, lesbians, bisexual or transgender people, and targeted attacks on those practicing their faith. "We will not sit in our far-off homes and plead ignorance to crimes against those who seek the same freedoms we enjoy," he said. Baird's speech mentions China, which Prime Minister Stephen Harper will visit next month, citing raids against Roman Catholics and other Christians and harassment of "Falun Gong practitioners," Tibetan Buddhists and Uyghur Muslims. Baird also singles out Egypt, where Coptic Christians have been attacked, and Iran. "Nowhere is religious intolerance more present than in Iran. Baha'i's and Christians are consistently threatened with death and torture for simply believing," Baird's speech reads. Last November, Baird took on Nigeria when the country considered toughening anti-gay laws and punishing same sex marriages with 14-year jail terms. A month before that, Canada was one of the countries pushing at a meeting of Commonwealth heads of government for member states to decriminalize homosexuality. Baird says he's found as foreign minister that there are times diplomacy must be balanced with tough talk in the course of frank discussions. "For we cannot be selective in which basic human rights we defend," he said in the text. "Nor can we be arbitrary in whose rights we protect." Baird also echoed some of the darker themes Prime Minister Stephen Harper has referred to in the past, where Harper talks about new forces rising in the world that Canada must resist. "Darkness still lives," Baird said. "And so the fight for what is right and just persists."

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley on Tuesday plans his most public display of support for a same sex marriage bill since his announcement in July that he would sponsor the legislation this session. According to The Washington Post, O’Malley (D) is scheduled to host a breakfast gathering of same sex couples at Government House and then tout his legislation at a news conference afterward. Aides say O’Malley will be joined outside his residence by supportive legislators, clergy and labour leaders. Word of his plans spread as O’Malley prepared the formal release Monday night of his legislative agenda for the 90-day session that began this month. A same sex marriage bill cleared the Senate last year but fell short in the House of Delegates. In a bid to attract more support, O’Malley’s bill will include more explicit protections for religious organizations opposed to gay nuptials, aides indicated.

Cynthia Nixon is currently starring in a revival of Margaret Edson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Wit, on Broadway, directed by Lynne Meadow, set to open January 26. The play, which had its first New York staging Off Broadway in 1998, is an actor’s tour de force about an exacting poetry professor who undergoes a brutal — and by now outdated — experimental treatment for Stage 4 ovarian cancer, a woman who excelled all her life by analytical brainpower suddenly forced to grapple with extreme, unwelcome emotions. Nixon herself discovered she had breast cancer during a routine mammogram in 2006 (it was caught at an early stage and required a lumpectomy and radiation but no chemotherapy; she still takes Tamoxifen). Profiled in The New York Times, Nixon says she has little tolerance for the scepticism she says her same sex relationship has sparked among some gay activists who find her midlife switch in sexual orientation disingenuous. “I totally reject that,” she said heatedly. “I gave a speech recently, an empowerment speech to a gay audience, and it included the line ‘I’ve been straight and I’ve been gay, and gay is better.’ And they tried to get me to change it, because they said it implies that homosexuality can be a choice. And for me, it is a choice. I understand that for many people it’s not, but for me it’s a choice, and you don’t get to define my gayness for me. A certain section of our community is very concerned that it not be seen as a choice, because if it’s a choice, then we could opt out. I say it doesn’t matter if we flew here or we swam here, it matters that we are here and we are one group and let us stop trying to make a litmus test for who is considered gay and who is not.” Her face was red and her arms were waving. “As you can tell,” she said, “I am very annoyed about this issue. Why can’t it be a choice? Why is that any less legitimate? It seems we’re just ceding this point to bigots who are demanding it, and I don’t think that they should define the terms of the debate. I also feel like people think I was walking around in a cloud and didn’t realize I was gay, which I find really offensive. I find it offensive to me, but I also find it offensive to all the men I’ve been out with.”

A lesbian couple from Oakland County, Michigan filed a federal lawsuit today to overturn a state law that prevents unmarried couples in gay, lesbian and heterosexual relationships from jointly adopting children. According to The Detroit Free Press, April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse, state-certified foster parents who are trying to jointly adopt three abandoned or surrendered newborns that they took into their household during the past two years, filed the suit in U.S. District Court in Detroit. “The State of Michigan found these women good enough to put their blood, sweat and tears into raising these children,” their lawyers, Dana Nessel of Detroit and Carole Stanyar of Plymouth, said in a prepared statement announcing the suit. “To now deny them the opportunity to both become legal parents to the children they love, and who are the only parents they have ever known, is totally irrational and serves no legitimate purpose.” There was no immediate comment from Governor Rick Snyder or Attorney General Bill Schuette, who were sued in their official capacities. The lawsuit seeks to enjoin Snyder, Schuette and judges from blocking second parent adoptions in Michigan. DeBoer, a neo-natal intensive care nurse, and Rowse, an emergency room nurse, have been in a committed relationship for 10 years, the suit said. During the past two years, they took in two boys and a girl shortly after they were born. DeBoer adopted a 23-month-old girl who was surrendered by her 19-year-old mother. Rowse adopted the 2-year-old boys. One was born to a homeless woman and the other to a drug-addicted prostitute. All three children have experienced health problems. Rowse wants to adopt the girl and DeBoer wants to adopt the boys, but they cannot under Michigan law. The state Constitution prohibits same sex couples from marrying. Although married couples and single people can adopt a child in Michigan, an unmarried couple cannot. Only one of the parents may adopt. The lawsuit seeks to strike down the prohibition on the grounds that the law violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. It says children of unmarried second parents seeking to adopt in Michigan are denied legal, emotional, financial, social, medical and other benefits. The suit says sociological and psychological evidence shows that unmarried straight, gay or lesbian couples are just as loving, carrying and effective parents as married couples. The suit said there are major benefits for children to have two legal parents rather than one, including the right to have a parent if the first parent dies, the right to dependency benefits such as social security, workers compensation, pensions, insurance, and the right to have at least one parent available to make decisions if the other parent is unavailable or incapacitated. “Jayne and I love our children as deeply as any other parent loves their kids,” DeBoer said in the statement announcing the suit. “We just want our children to have the same protections all other children have so that our kids know they can never be taken from either of us.”

Starbucks is aiming to become the catch-all beverage stop in Southern California, saying Monday that it plans to add wine and beer to the coffee and juice it serves in stores. The Seattle-based company will bring booze to four to six new or re-modeled stores in the region by the end of this year, and will do the same to a select group of locations in Atlanta and Chicago. Since first offering alcohol at its Olive Way outpost in Seattle in 2010, the chain has expanded its beer and wine menu to four other Seattle locations and one in Portland, Oregon. There, beers are $5 each while wines range from $7 to $9. In addition to getting tipsy, customers will also have access to “premium food” such as savoury snacks, small plates, and hot flatbreads. The alcohol available will be hand-selected and then modified over time to reflect local preferences. The cafes will be arranged so that the seating set-up will attract individuals, small groups and even larger parties such as book clubs. “As our customers transition from work to home, many are looking for a warm and inviting place to unwind and connect with the people they care about,” said Clarice Turner, senior vice president of U.S. Operations. Starbucks is also revamping other parts of its business strategy. In the fall, the chain added its lightest blend ever with a Blonde roast. It also laid claim to the health food industry by buying San Bernardino juice company Evolution Fresh Inc. for $30 million and promising to launch a series of “wholesome” juice shops. The company is also experimenting with new drive-through models, recycling industrial shipping containers and incorporating them into new cafes.

Washington State Senator Mary Margaret Haugen Announces Support For Same Sex Marriage Measure Thereby Ensuring Enough Votes Available For SB6239 And HB2516 Will Pass

2012-01-23T17:29:00.000-08:00

As lawmakers held their first public hearing on legalizing same sex marriage, a previously undecided Democratic senator on Monday announced her support for the measure, all but ensuring that Washington will become the seventh state to allow gay and lesbian couples to get married. According to The Associated Press, the announcement by Senator Mary Margaret Haugen (D-Camano Island), that she would cast the 25th and deciding vote in favour of the issue came as hundreds of people filled the Capitol to advocate for and against gay marriage. In a written statement issued at the end of a Senate committee hearing on the bill, Haugen said she took her time making up her mind to “to reconcile my religious beliefs with my beliefs as an American, as a legislator, and as a wife and mother who cannot deny to others the joys and benefits I enjoy,” adding, “This is the right vote and it is the vote I will cast when this measure comes to the floor.” The state House is widely expected to have enough support to pass same sex marriage, and Gov. Chris Gregoire publicly endorsed the proposal earlier this month. If a marriage bill is passed during this legislative session, gay and lesbian couples will be able to get married starting in June unless opponents file a referendum to challenge it. Opponents have already said they will. A referendum cannot be filed until after the bill is passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gregoire. Opponents then must turn in 120,577 signatures by July 6. Opponents and proponents packed a Senate committee hearing for the first public hearing of the most high-profile issue before the Legislature this session. The Senate set up three overflow areas for the public, including the public gallery on the Senate floor. Gay marriage foes wore buttons that said “Marriage. One Man. One Woman.” Others wore stickers that read “Washington United for Marriage,” a group that announced in November that it was forming a coalition to support same-sex marriage legislation. Democratic Sen. Ed Murray, a gay lawmaker from Seattle who has led the push for gay civil rights and domestic partnerships, testified before the Government Operations, Tribal Relations & Elections Committee with his longtime partner, Michael Shiosaki. “I realize the issue of marriage for our families is emotional and divisive,” said Murray, who is sponsoring the Senate bill. “It touches what each of us holds most dear, our families.” Others argued that the measure goes against traditional marriage and the Bible. “You are saying as a committee and a Legislature that you know better than God,” said Ken Hutcherson, pastor of Antioch Bible Church. Committee chairman Craig Pridemore said that no action on the bill would be taken Monday, but that a committee vote would be taken Thursday morning. The bill is expected to easily pass out of committee, since the four Democratic members, including Pridemore, have all said they would vote yes on the measure. The three Republicans on the committee have all said they will vote against gay marriage. The House Judiciary Committee held a companion hearing in the afternoon. Washington would join New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia in legalizing gay marriage. The state has had a domestic partnership law since 2007, and an “everything but marriage” law since 2009. Murray said that upon learning the decisive vote had been secured, he felt “humbled,” adding, “It’s an emotional moment. I want to smile and cry at the same time.” The National Organization for Marriage, noting its involvement in ballot measures that overturned same-sex marriage in California and Maine, issued a statement Monday morning pledging a referendum campaign to fight any gay marriage law in Washington state. Last week, the group announced that it would spend $250,000 to help fund primary challenges to any Washington Republican who crosses party lines to vote for same-sex marriage. So far, two Republicans in the Senate and two in the House have said they would vote in support of gay marriage. “I want to re-emphasize that we fully expect that this issue is going to end up on the ballot,” said Rep. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle and sponsor of the House bill, said at a news conference following Haugen’s announcement. “People should not be complacent.” Gay marriage has won the backing of several prominent Pacific Northwest businesses, including Microsoft Corp. and NIKE, Inc., and last week a conservative Democrat who once opposed same-sex marriage said he will now vote for it. Jane Abbot Lighty, 75, and her partner of 35 years, 84-year-old Pete-e Petersen, celebrated the vote-count announcement after the hearing. “We could have gone out of state and gotten married,” said Lighty, of Seattle. “We want to be married in our home state.” In October, a University of Washington poll found that an increasing number of people in the state support same sex marriage. About 43-percent of respondents said they support gay marriage, up from 30-percent in the same poll five years earlier. Another 22-percent said they support giving identical rights to gay couples but just not calling it marriage. When asked how they would vote if a referendum challenging a gay marriage law was on the ballot, 55-percent said they would vote yes to uphold the law, with 47-percent of them characterized as “strongly” yes, and 38-percent responded “no,” that they would vote to reject a gay marriage law. Zach Silk, campaign manager for Washington United for Marriage said they were prepared for a tough campaign. “This is just the first scrimmage into the long battle into November,” he said. The same sex marriage bills are Senate Bill 6239 and House Bill 2516.

Minnesota Appeals Court Overturns Dismissal Of Lawsuit Challenging Legal Barriers To Same Sex Marriage In State; Rules Case Must Return To District Court

2012-01-23T10:59:00.000-08:00

In a win for gay rights advocates, a state appeals court on Monday overturned the dismissal of a lawsuit that sought to remove legal barriers to same sex marriage in Minnesota. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of three same-sex couples, will now return to Hennepin County District Court, where it will likely proceed to trial as debate heats up over a state-wide vote next fall to ban gay marriage in Minnesota. The Star Tribune reports that in its order, the appeals court ruled that a district judge threw out the lawsuit before properly analyzing the couples' equal-protection, due-process and freedom-of-association claims. The couples, on behalf of Marry Me Minnesota, sued Hennepin County Registrar Jill Alverson and the State of Minnesota in 2010 after Alverson's office denied them applications for marriage licenses, citing the Minnesota Defense of Marriage Act. The couples argued that DOMA was unconstitutional. The following March, District Judge Mary Dufresne dismissed the lawsuit, rejecting the couples' claims on the basis of Baker vs. Nelson, a 1971 Minnesota Supreme Court decision that said limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples does not violate the U.S. Constitution. In the 15-page unpublished ruling, the Appeals Court ruled that Dufresne was right when she threw out the suit because the state was not an eligible defendant and because it did not violate the couples' religious freedom, but that she improperly relied on the Baker case. The couples should be granted an opportunity in district court to prove their rights were violated, Judge Renee L. Worke wrote. "...Even if the right to marry is not considered a fundamental right, appellants should have been granted an opportunity to show that MN DOMA is not a reasonable means to its stated objective -- to promote opposite-sex marriages to encourage procreation," Worke wrote. The couples' attorney, Peter Nickitas called the order "a win for marriage equality." He said the case will now return to trial, and, if halted by another dismissal, will be appealed again. "We told the court of appeals what we wanted and they listened," he said. The plaintiffs include Doug Benson, executive director of Marry Me Minnesota, and his partner, Duane Gajewski of Robbinsdale; Tom Trisko and his partner, John Rittman of Minneapolis; and Jessica Dykhuis and her partner, Lindzi Campbell of Duluth, plus their son, Sean Campbell.

South Africa Human Rights Commission Investigates Following Reports King Told Audience Same Sex Relationship “Wrong” And “Rotten”

2012-01-23T10:53:00.000-08:00

The South Africa Human Rights Commission said on Monday that it would be writing to King Goodwill Zwelithini following reports that he made homophobic comments at a function attended by President Jacob Zuma. “The Commission will be writing to the king to ascertain whether he did in fact make such statements and if he did, to immediately retract them,” spokesperson Vincent Moaga said in a statement. The Zulu Royal Household has criticized what it called a “reckless translation” of Zwelithini’s speech. “At no stage did His Majesty condemn gay relations or same sex relations,” Prince Mbonisi Zulu said. “The main focus of his speech was on the creation of a compassionate society with men protecting the vulnerable members of society, especially the elderly, women, and children.” Zwelithini reportedly told guests at the 133rd commemoration of the January 22, 1879 Battle of Isandlwana at Nquthu, in northern KwaZulu-Natal, on Sunday that “traditionally, there were no people who engaged in same sex-relationships,” and that, “There was nothing like that and if you do it, you must know that you are rotten. I don't care how you feel about it. If you do it, you must know that it is wrong and you are rotten. Same sex is not acceptable.” Zulu said the king had said that in the past men would go for months in battles to fight the enemy without their wives, and that they did not harass each other sexually. “He said nowadays you even have men who rape other men. The king said this was a clear sign of moral decay and he said he condemned those involved, no matter who they were.” Moaga said that in the context of growing levels of hate crimes against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people, the Commission found the utterances attributed to Zwelithini to be “inflammatory,” adding, “If it is indeed accurate that His Majesty, the Zulu King, made the utterances as reported, they constitute hate speech, are dehumanising and are a violation of the constitutional right of LGBTI people to equality and freedom.” Moaga said section nine of the Constitution provided that “everyone is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection and benefit of the law.” It further provided that equality included the full and equal enjoyment of all rights and freedoms, including sexual orientation. “The king should use his powerful position not to dehumanise and discriminate (against) certain people on the basis of their sexual orientation but to uphold the Constitution and promote tolerance and diversity,” said Moaga. “The Commission is also concerned that the king made his utterances in the presence of President Jacob Zuma,” Moaga said. “The president is entrusted with the defence of SA's constitution and cannot remain silent in the face of such attacks. The Commission will also be raising this matter with the president.” The Commission planned to obtain transcripts of Zwelithini's recorded speech to begin its work, he said. Zuma was himself criticized in 2006 for homophobic statements he made at a Heritage Day celebration.

Governor Christie Appoints Openly Gay African American Republican Man To New Jersey Supreme Court

2012-01-23T10:37:00.000-08:00

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie today nominated an openly gay African-American Republican mayor and an assistant state attorney general to the state’s highest court. Christie nominated Phil Kwon, who worked under Christie when he was U.S. attorney, and Bruce Harris, who was elected mayor of Chatham Borough in November. Kwon, of Bergen County, would be the first Asian-American to sit on the state Supreme Court. "I am honoured to nominate these two gentlemen," Christie said at a Statehouse news conference. "I trust the Senate will take into account their extraordinary backgrounds and experience and will give them swift hearings.” According to The Star-Ledger, the two nominees would replace former Justice John Wallace Jr., whom Christie declined to reappoint in 2010, and Justice Virginia Long, who faces mandatory retirement in March. Christie has emphasized that he wants to remake the Supreme Court, which he blames for tying his hands on such issues as financing poor school districts and affordable housing. Last May the state Supreme Court voted 3-2 to force the state to pay $500 million more than Christie had budgeted for New Jersey's poorest school districts. In 2010, Christie touched off a firestorm when he declined to re-nominate Wallace. Senate Democrats, infuriated by the unprecedented move, refused to consider his replacement for the seat, Anne Patterson, for a year. Eventually, Patterson was sworn in to replace Justice Roberto Rivera-Soto, who declined to seek re-nomination, and Wallace’s seat has remained vacant. After refusing in 2010 to reappointment Wallace — who had two years to go before reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70 — and Rivera-Soto retired, the criticism of Christie grew louder because he left the court with no minority members. The court is currently comprised of five women and two men, all of whom are white. Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) has said he would keep Wallace’s seat open until the former justice turned 70 His birthday is March 13. Before joining the state attorney general's office, Kwon was an Assistant U.S. Attorney for New Jersey for more than 10 years. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1989 from Georgetown University, and graduated from Rutgers-Newark Law School in 1994. From 1994 to 1997, Kwon was an associate at LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae in Newark, and from 1997 to 1999 he was a law clerk to the Federal District Court Judge Harold A. Ackerman. Harris graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College, and with honours from Boston University Graduate School of Management. He earned a law degree from Yale. In addition to serving as mayor of Chatham, he most recently worked at the law firm of Greenberg Traurig and previously at Riker, Danzi, Scherer, Hyland and Perretti. Steve Goldstein, the chief executive of Garden State Equality, a gay rights organization, said he was stunned when Christie called to tell him about the imminent nomination of Harris, 60, a graduate of Yale Law School. "As I told the governor right then and there, you could have picked me up off the floor," Goldstein said. He said that when he met with Christie in 2010 at the governor's request, he told him that while they disagreed on the issue of same sex marriage, "he wanted his administration to have a good working relationship with Garden State Equality.” Goldstein said, "That has been the case every step of the way. Since Governor Christie took office, his administration has treated us with warmth and responsiveness. Yes is yes, no is no, and we’ll get back to you means they get back to you faster than you thought, usually with invaluable help. "

Non-Government Organizations Call For Concept Of Gay Hate Crimes To Be Included In Malta Law After 16-Year-Old Lesbian And Her Partner Savagely Beaten By Two Teen Brothers Who Have Yet To Be Charged, Former Uganda President Mbeki Condemns Proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill, Martina Navratilova Concedes She Will Never Convince Margaret Court Gay Rights Are Human Rights, Olivia Newton-John Joins Australian Same Sex Marriage Campaign, New Jersey Marriage Equality Proponents Plan Rally Tuesday

2012-01-23T06:44:00.000-08:00

In Malta, an attack on a 16-year-old lesbian Sunday, January 15, provoked calls for the concept of gay hate crime to be included in that nation’s laws. Malta has yet to extend hate crime to include the grounds of homophobia “In many countries, such an assault would be investigated as a hate crime but Malta has yet to extend hate crime legislation to include the grounds of homophobia and transphobia,” the Malta Gay Rights Movement and the human rights lobby Aditus said in a joint statement. Their reaction, accompanied by that of hundreds of people on the internet, came after The Sunday Times reported on the attack in which the girl, pseudonymously named Amy, and her girlfriend were beaten in Ħamrun specifically because of their sexual orientation. The petite teenager ended up at a health centre with a fractured nose, a grazed face and bruises on her breasts. Her girlfriend got away with a bruise to the head and scratches on her wrists which she sustained when pushed to the ground. “Violence on lesbian, gay and transsexual people is not an uncommon occurrence although most incidents do not get reported to the police or featured in newspapers. Trust in the police force is an essential factor in encouraging and enabling LGBT victims to come forward and report such crimes. For this reason, how the police react to this assault also has an effect on the reporting of other similar incidents,” they said. In fact, Amy’s mother told The Sunday Times that, although the police had spoken to the perpetrators, brothers aged about 17 and 19, they had not been arrested. Questions sent to the police on Thursday, asking whether they would be charged, remained unanswered despite various reminders. The incident provoked an immediate response online with a group set up on Facebook – The Amy Initiative – garnering more than 300 endorsements in less than six hours. “Amy is a pseudonym used in the article but Amy could be anyone: your sister, cousin, brother, uncle. Homophobia is real in Malta. There is no excuse for it, don’t let it go ignored,” the group states under its information section. The initiative is also calling for Maltese laws to include hate crime on the basis of sexual orientation. The NGOs also expressed concern over allegations of harassment experienced by the victim at school when her sexual orientation became known. They urged the Education Department of Educational Services to investigate the claims. The Drachma Parents’ Group – a support group for relatives of LGBT people – called on the Maltese and the Christian community to take stronger action against homophobic remarks and stand up in defence of victims harassed because of their sexual orientation and gender identity. The support group urged the authorities and the police to stop this violence by ensuring justice and compensation, and the Curia to issue a strong statement “in the face of such un-Christian and aggressive behaviour and show that it is on the side of homosexuals, ‘who must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity’ (Catechism of the Catholic Church No. 2358)”. Alternattiva Demokratika, We Are, a university LGBT organisation, and the Nationalist Party’s youth group – MŻPN – also urged action.

Former president Thabo Mbeki has criticised Uganda's anti-gay bill, saying it does not make sense and what two consenting adults do in private "is really not the matter of law.” Uganda's Daily Monitor reports that Mbeki made the comments during a question and answer session at the Makerere Institute of Social Research in Kampala last week. He was asked a question about the plight of a lesbian woman and Ugandan MP David Bahati's anti-gay bill, which seeks the death penalty for aggravated homosexuality, including the spread of HIV/Aids. It has been reintroduced in the Ugandan parliament after lawmakers failed to debate it during the previous session. "I would say to the MP; sexual preferences are a private matter. I don’t think it is a matter of the state to intervene," Mbeki responded. He added that he was certain Bahati would disagree with his stand and argue that African culture does not permit same sex relations, which he said was at the heart of the continent’s widespread antipathy towards homosexuals. Mbeki added that apartheid South Africa prohibited sexual relations across the colour line, and the Immorality Act gave police legal ground to raid "people's bedrooms,” adding, "I mean what would you want? It doesn’t make sense at all. That is what I would say to the MP. What two consenting adults do is really not the matter of law." When asked for comment by the Daily Monitor, Bahati said the bill was brought to curb several issues including inducement, recruitment and funding homosexuality. "His Excellency [Mbeki] needs to read the bill and understand the spirit in which it was brought and the context in which we are talking about." The Daily Monitor said Mbeki's comments came as a boost to crusaders of gay rights in Uganda. South African gay rights organisation SA GLAAD said on Monday it is highly appreciative of the firm commitment to human rights and the South African Constitution as displayed by Mbeki. "We wish President Zuma would do the right thing and denounce the virulent homophobia on the African continent and specifically address the Bahati-Bill in Uganda via diplomatic means," it said.

Martina Navratilova says attitudes towards homosexuality and same sex marriage are a question of human rights, not religious rights, but concedes she will never convince Margaret Court. The Australian reports that Navratilova said Monday she was honoured to play her Australian Open legends doubles match in the Margaret Court Arena, which some gay activists want renamed. Navratilova, one of the most celebrated women in tennis, said she had spoken to Court several times about her views on homosexuality. "It is not about any one person," she said. "It's about human rights. It is a secular view, not a religious view. I have spoken to her years ago but she was all about Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. She repeated that four or five times so I just felt I couldn't get through to her." Court, the winner of 24 grand slam singles titles, is expected to attend the Australian Open this week after provoking fierce debate with her religious-based opposition to homosexuality and same sex marriage. Court, a pastor at the evangelical Victory Life Centre in Perth, has said she believes gay people can be helped to become straight. Navratilova, a lesbian, said, "Do you turn straight? No, you don't. You either are or not." Navratilova and Billie Jean King, Court's great on-court rival, have taken public issue with her comments but rejected calls from gay activists - most notably former Australian Medical Association national president Kerryn Phelps - for Court's name to be stripped from the Melbourne Park Arena.

Olivia Newton John has pledged her support for same sex marriage, saying "Love is love.” According to 9News, Newton-John on Monday joined other celebrities, including Hugh Jackman, film critics David Stratton and Margaret Pomeranz, and costume designer Lizzy Gardiner in backing Australian Marriage Equality's campaign for reform. "With respect to marriage equality, I believe that no-one has the right to judge and deny couples who love each other the ability to make a marriage commitment," Newton-John said in a statement. The statement comes ahead of a marriage equality fundraising dinner this week, when Australian screenwriter and director Stephan Elliott will announce the support of more high profile Australians. Australian Marriage Equality National Convener Alex Greenwich welcomed the growing support for reform. "Australians admire celebrities like Olivia Newton-John and Hugh Jackman because they reflect our values of tolerance and a fair go for all, values which they are reminding us apply just as much to same sex couples as to other Australians,” Greenwich said.

New Jersey's Statehouse will likely be crowded Tuesday when activists show up to make their case for and against a bill that would allow same sex marriage, reports The Star-Ledger. Democratic lawmakers have said allowing gay couples to marry is one of their top priorities. A similar bill died two years ago. But Senate President Stephen Sweeney, who abstained then, now supports allowing same sex unions. Two gay rights groups also have filed a lawsuit to try to force the state to recognize gay marriage. New Jersey now offers civil unions, which offer the legal protections of marriage. But gay rights groups say civil unions are confusing and create a separate and inherently unequal status for gay couples. Some social conservatives say allowing gay marriage would weaken the institution for heterosexual couples.

Proponents And Opponents Expected Monday In Olympia Washington For Hearings On Two Same Sex Marriage Measures, Rick Santorum Gets Glitter Bombed, Captain Steven Hill Joins Fight Seeking Equal Rights For Current And Former Gay Service Members, Anonymous Hacks CBS And Universal Music, Justin Bieber Hides, Zac Efron

2012-01-22T19:55:00.000-08:00

Large crowds are expected for hearings on Monday in Olympia, Washington on two same sex marriage bills. Stand for Marriage Washington — a loosely organized coalition of conservative lawmakers, well-known evangelical pastors, the Tri-City Tea Party and the Constitution Party of Washington — predicts as many as 10,000 people will flood the Capitol for a noontime rally in opposition to gay marriage. "We have to create among these legislators a belief that they will lose their jobs if they vote to redefine this law," said Joseph Backholm, of Washington Family Policy Institute, a member of the coalition. "We have to convince them to be more afraid of us than of the other side." Six other states and the District of Columbia have legalized same sex marriage. But unlike the battles in those places, the debate in Washington is not over providing gays and lesbians benefits such as hospital visitation rights and estate planning. The Seattle Times reports that over several years, gay-rights groups and state lawmakers have built upon a domestic-partnership law that now grants same-sex couples the same rights and benefits as married people. In 2009 they successfully fought off Referendum 71, which sought to repeal the final instalment of that law. Now the only thing left to fight over is the right of gay and lesbian couples to be able to call their relationships marriage under state law. That's a challenge for the opposition, said Matt Baretto, an associate professor of political science at the University of Washington who conducts the Washington Poll. Supporters of the same sex marriage bill will argue that Washington has a system of "separate but equal" when it comes to marriage, he said, adding, We've tried separate but equal; it doesn't work. It will be difficult for the other side to overcome that." But the Rev. Joe Fuiten, pastor of the Cedar Park Church in Bothell, calls gay marriage "one of those lines-in-the-sand issues, and for Christians a clear line has been crossed here." Fuiten was not part of the Ref. 71 campaign to repeal the latest state domestic-partnership law, but he has joined this fight. "They are changing the definition of the relationship that I have, not just granting an opportunity for homosexuals," he said. "It's not like anybody will be better off after this than before, though they will try to confuse it. All they can do is make the equality argument, but it really doesn't stand up to intellectual scrutiny." Senator Craig Pridemore (D-Vancouver), chairman of the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Tribal Relations and Elections, which will hold the Senate hearing, said he's ready for a crowd. In addition to the main hearing room, there will be two overflow rooms and the Senate galleries where people can watch the proceedings on television. Once the hearings are over, the bills could move out of committee by Thursday in the Senate and by January 30 in the House. The chairmen of both committees said they have the votes they need. The House bill is also expected to go through the House Ways and Means Committee. It's not clear if the Senate's measure will go through Senate Ways and Means. Gay-marriage advocates say the earliest the bills could get floor votes would be the first part of February. Representative Jamie Pedersen (D-Seattle), prime sponsor of the bill in the House, worries about what could happen before a vote is taken. For example, "We have a series of controversial issues that are going to be before the Legislature (including budget and tax votes), and legislators have a limited tolerance for taking controversial votes. So one thing that I worry about is what else is going on that interacts with the bill," he said. Still, Pedersen said, "I feel pretty good about where we are in the House." Meanwhile, the bill's sponsor in the Senate, Ed Murray (D-Seattle), remains unsure he'll get the one additional vote needed to pass the measure in that chamber. In fact, Murray said there's a good chance he'll try to bring the bill up for a floor vote without knowing if he has the necessary 25 votes for passage. And there's no guarantee the bill will even make it to the floor for a vote. For controversial bills, each procedural step toward a vote presents an opportunity for opponents to derail or at least stall the legislation, Murray said. Also, some lawmakers are expected to try to amend the bill to include a referendum clause requiring voters to decide whether the measure becomes law. That could be a close vote, but Murray said he has enough support to keep such a clause from being approved. In the end, though, voters may well determine whether Washington becomes the seventh state to legalize same sex marriage. Some of the same groups opposed to gay marriage are those that unsuccessfully tried to overturn the state's domestic-partnership law with Ref. 71. Gary Randall, president of the conservative Faith and Freedom Network, said there will be a challenge at the ballot if the Legislature legalizes same sex marriage. "It will be a different story than Referendum 71," he said.

Saturday night, at The Citadel military college, about 20 demonstrators crashed the Rick Santorum results party in Charleston, South Carolina. According to The Summerville Patch, as Santorum closed his speech focusing on building strong family values, a gay rights activist said, "Except when you're gay" and threw a handful of glitter in the air. Members of the Occupy Charleston group joined in with chants of "Rick, Rick, Rick, bigot, bigot, bigot" and singing "Santorum, Santorum, you're a bigot." As police escorted the group out, they shouted about Jesus preaching love. The police escorted many members of the movement off-campus and would not allow them to retrieve their vehicles parked there. But there were no arrests or incidents. Speaking to Patch, Occupier Adrianna Varedi of Charleston said the party crash was "the people of South Carolina taking a stand against" bigoted behaviour against gays and blacks. Santorum, who finished third in the South Carolina primary, is an adamant opponent of gay rights, opposing same sex marriage and likening gay sex to bestiality with previous remarks.

Captain Stephen Hill says he's been living a lie for 20 years. "I would hide pictures in my house of vacations and stuff when people would come over because I could've gotten kicked out," said Hill, who recently married his partner Joshua Snyder. "So I think it's always been an issue with me and I always felt that it's a hard thing to deal with, fighting for everybody's rights except for my own." In October, Captain Hill, who is from Columbus, Ohio, got an opportunity to fight for his rights. He asked a question during a presidential debate, asking the candidates about their position on the Don't Ask Don't Tell repeal. "When the boos happened, I just thought 'did I do something wrong?'" Hill said. "I really thought this was a legitimate question and I thought it respectfully deserved to be answered. We're going to be soldiers first just like we've always done. The only thing that we want is equal treatment and not to be kicked out." Now, reports 9NEWS, Hill is a part of a federal lawsuit, filed in October of 2001 by Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. The suit is against the U.S Attorney general Eric Holder, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki. SLDN wants current and former service members who are gay to have the same rights as the straight members of the military. According to the SLDN website, "the case challenges the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, as well as the provisions in Title 10, Title 32, and Title 38 of the U.S Code, which preclude the military from providing same-sex married couples with the same benefits and family support as their straight, married peers." Hill said, "There is a lot of monetary benefit, things that you can name off - the separation, military separation, family separation and stuff like that we aren't entitled to. We're legally married, we're husband and husband. Why aren't we able to get the same things as other married couples?" Hill asked. "When I get deployed, Josh has to do the same thing that other deployed spouse has to do, he has to take care of my house, he has to take care of the dogs. He has to take care of your family. He has to do all this stuff while you're gone, so someone has to have common sense and say it's the same, no different. Whether you're male or female, it's the same kind of stress, anxiety that you have."

PC Magazine reports that the “hacktivist” group Anonymous has attacked again. Sunday, in an act of retaliation over the federal government’s shutting down of the file-sharing site Megaupload.com, Anonymous took down all of CBS.com, as well as the primary site for Universal Music.

Justin Bieber – wearing a ridiculous outfit – is apparently determined never to show his face again.

Zac Efron is a handy man, stocking a shopping cart full Saturday at a Los Angeles-area Home Depot.

Update: Friends Of 14-Year-Old Phillip Parker Say Bullying Of Openly Gay “Obvious” And That It Was Reported To Faculty To No Avail

2012-01-22T18:02:00.000-08:00

An update on a previous post, the family of an openly gay Carthage, Tennessee teen who committed suicide Friday said it was a direct result of bullying at school, and now, reports NewsChannel5, the parents of Phillip Parker have questions for leaders at Gordonsville High School. "A sweet kind person like Phillip took it out on himself, he killed himself to get out of the pain," said his grandfather, Paul Harris. At just 14, just a child, 8th grader Phillip Parker felt like life just was not worth living. "Because he was gay, he got mistreated physically, mentally by several people out there at the school, and I am very resentful as a result of it," said Harris. Parents and grandparents found Phillip's body Friday afternoon, minutes later they found a handwritten note in his trash can that read “Please help me mom.” His mother, Gena Parker, said "I should have knew something was wrong, but he seemed happy," his grandfather Harris adding, "After he did what he did, we found out a lot that we didn't know and there is a lot of bullying that goes on at the school." While these parents and grandparents had no idea, the students at Gordonsville High school bombarded them both with information after Phillip's death. More than hundred teens told them the bullying was obvious, and some said they went to teachers about it. Now the Parkers want to know why no one from Gordonsville alerted them to the apparent bullying happening in the hallways. "Whether it's verbal or physical a counsellor at the school should be on top of it and notify the parents. We weren't notified, and Phillip didn't tell us about it," said Harris. Family and friends gathered for Phillip's viewing Sunday night in Carthage and a memorial Facebook page also helped his memory live on. The page was created by a good friend who wanted it to serve as a reminder that hurtful words can cause permanent damage. "Verbal abuse is just as bad as physical abuse," said Harris. These grieving parents want to know what was said to their son and more importantly, who said it. "We are going to find out who done it, we are going to get justice for Phillip and you will pay for what you did to my son," said Parker. The Parkers plan to go to Gordonsville High Monday morning and meet with school leaders. NewChannel5's calls to the principal for comment were not returned Sunday. The Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network also met with school leaders and teachers Sunday afternoon to prepare them to help grieving students on Monday. There is a two-hour mandatory suicide prevention training every year for teachers in Tennessee.

Family And Friends Mourn Death Of 14-Year-Old Phillip Parker Who Committed Suicide After Suffering Anti-Gay Bullying

2012-01-22T07:52:00.000-08:00

In Tennessee, a Gordonsville boy's parents say bullying caused their son to take his own life. Phillip Parker, 14, died this week. His parents said he was constantly bullied for being gay. More than 100 people gathered in Gordonsville on Saturday night, grieving the loss of Phillip. "He was fun, he was energetic, he was happy," said Gena Parker, Phillip's mother. To his many friends, Phillip was known as the boy who told everyone they're beautiful. "He kept telling me he had a rock on his chest," said Ruby Harris, Phillip's grandmother. "He just wanted to take the rock off where he could breathe." According to WSMV, Phillip's family said they reported their concerns over their son's bullying to Gordonsville High School on multiple occasions, but the bullying by a group of students just got worse. "I believe my whole family up in heaven's taking good care of him," said friend Megan Redinger. "I want to say I love him dearly," added friend Heather Hunt. "He'll never be forgotten. He's always in my heart." "That's my son," said Phillip Parker, Phillip's father. "I love him. I miss him. He shouldn't have had to kill himself to be brought to life." An official with Smith County Schools told Channel 4 they are now planning how to handle a crisis situation with students Monday. Friends added they are planning to set up a memorial fund in Phillip's name but haven't made the arrangements just yet.

Conservative Synagogue In Winnipeg Performs Same Sex Marriage Ceremony, First Openly Gay Australian Member Of Parliament To Marry, Cuyahoga Falls Ohio City-Owned Recreation Center Denies Married Gay Couple Family Membership, ACLU Calls On City To Change Policies, Joe McElderry, Lloyd Daniels

2012-01-21T20:49:00.000-08:00

A gay couple in Winnipeg ties the knot in what is believed to be a first in Canada: a same sex marriage performed at a conservative synagogue. The Shaarey Zedek synagogue is one of the oldest in Western Canada and is known for its strong ties to tradition. Arthur Blankstein told CBC News Friday, on the eve of his ceremony, that while the event will be historic it will also be like any other wedding ceremony. "There's nothing like being in a room full of family and friends and declaring to everybody that you love another person and that's the person you want to live with," Blankstein said. The couple were married in a civil ceremony eight years ago and are looking forward to a religious ceremony. "I'm pleased that we are making history. Because somebody has to do it," Blankstein added. "I'm going to have the same apprehension I had eight years ago as to whether I'm doing the right thing. But I'm also going to have the same joy." Orthodox synagogues do not acknowledge same sex marriage. Reform synagogues endorse it and conservative synagogues like Shaarey Zedek fall in the middle. Executive director Ian Staniloff said attitudes are changing, especially towards the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. "We wanted to display to our GLBT members, and we would be naive to think we wouldn't have any, that this is a warm welcoming affirming community," Staniloff said.

In Australia, the first openly gay state MP, Ian Hunter, will marry his long-term partner, Leith Semmens, in Spain at the end of the year. According to The Adelaide Advertiser, it is believed Hunter will be the first sitting gay politician of any Australian parliament to be married, although the ACT's Andrew Barr has entered a civil union with his partner. Hunter and Semmens, who have been together for more than 20 years, had planned to marry in New York last year but were held up because the Federal Government refused to grant the necessary paperwork that would have allowed the ceremony to be conducted in the United States. "We have had a long-term plan to go to Spain ... so we decided to get married there," Mr Hunter said, adding it would be a "very traditional" ceremony. Hunter was elected to Parliament in 2006 and promoted to Cabinet last October by Premier Jay Weatherill. His portfolios include social inclusion, disabilities, social housing and communities. Spain changed its legislation to allow same sex marriage in 2005 and more than 20,000 ceremonies have been held since then. However, the marriage will not be recognised under Australian law. But the national convenor of lobby group Australian Marriage Equality, Alex Greenwich, said the marriage of Mr Hunter and Mr Semmens would send a positive message that the law should be changed. "Things like that have a huge impact," he said Friday. "This is a marriage that will be recognised in something like 20 countries but not in Australia where he is a ... respected politician." A bill to recognize same sex marriages is likely to be introduced in Parliament this year. In December, the Australian Labor Party altered its platform to support same sex marriage but agreed to allow MPs a conscience vote instead of being bound by the policy to appease Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who opposes reform.

The Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio Natatorium boasts 10,000 members. The recreational center offers more than 100 memberships, but one married couple is made to feel out of place. Shane and Coty May have been members of the natatorium for two years. Coty, an Army veteran, uses the pool as part of his rehabilitation from a severe injury he sustained in a helicopter crash, during the Iraq war. "It does wonders for me," he said. "It relaxes my muscles; Helps a lot with the pain." Shane and Coty married in Washington D.C., this past fall. The Mays decided to combine their individual natatorium memberships into a spousal family plan, to save money. But, on Thursday WKYC-3 reported that they were shocked when an employee denied their request. "She proceeded to look me in the face and tell me my marriage wasn't real," Shane said. The natatorium's spousal policy adheres to Ohio state law, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman. "We felt like we were being treated like second class citizens," said Shane. "This didn't seem right; Not only for gay couples, but domestic partners as well as everybody else." Group memberships for domestic partners and same sex couples are offered at many recreational centers today. The Twinsburg Fitness Center recognizes same sex married couples for family membership, as does the Medina Community Recreation Center and the Akron area YMCA. Cuyahoga Falls Mayor Don Robart says he thinks the natatorium has a fair policy. He says until the Ohio state law changes the definition of marriage, the natatorium will not either. "It's a gym," Shane says. "We're not trying to say that Cuyahoga Falls needs to legalize gay marriage or anything. All we're saying is update your policy." The Mays have started a petition at www.change.org, hoping to spark just such a change. "The law does not prohibit you from changing a policy," Shane says. "That's all it is; Updating a policy to allow families to be families."

On Friday, the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio sent a letter urging officials in Cuyahoga Falls to expand the types of families who may receive discounted passes at the city-owned natatorium. The facility's policy made news recently when two Akron men, one an injured Iraq war veteran, asked to convert their individual memberships to a family membership after they were legally married in Washington, D.C. Natatorium employees denied their request; claiming only married couples recognized by the state of Ohio qualify for the plan. "Cuyahoga Falls should be a welcoming place for all Ohio residents," said ACLU of Ohio Executive Director Christine Link. "However, the city natatorium is behind the times compared to many other facilities that do not allow this type of discrimination," adding, "Communities around the state have recognized that in order to attract skilled people, they must be inclusive of a wide variety of people. City pools should be a place where families can congregate and forge bonds with their neighbours, yet Cuyahoga Falls' policy sends the message that some members of the community are simply unwelcome. This is unfair and harms the children in these families who are stigmatized by the policy." After receiving a number of e-mails, Cuyahoga Falls city leaders are now considering whether to broaden the rules to allow same sex couples, and other non-traditional families access to the discounted natatorium plan. Discrimination based on marital status is illegal in Ohio in the context of employment and housing. Additionally, some cities like Cincinnati have added marital status to anti-discrimination laws governing access to public accommodations. In its letter, the ACLU pointed out that the natatorium's policy could affect a whole spectrum of families including households where a parent passes away, grandparents or siblings who are raising a family member's children, foster parents, and same sex couples. "In today's world, communities need to welcome families of all shapes and sizes," said Link. "We hope Cuyahoga Falls will listen to the feedback they have received and create a fair, inclusive policy that is welcoming of all residents."

Joe McElderry and three male friends “snow-dip” in their underwear while on vacation in Switzerland.

Lloyd Daniels tweets a picture of himself in a pair of white Calvin Klein briefs before heading to the bath.

Alliance Defense Fund Argues Anchorage Alaska Anti-Discrimination Initiative Protecting Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity Violates Religious Freedom

2012-01-21T13:51:00.000-08:00

Earlier, I posted about a controversy in Albany, New York regarding the nomination of a candidate for county attorney with ties to the Alliance Defense Fund, and now The Anchorage Daily News reports that the same national conservative Christian legal group says the gay rights initiative on Anchorage's April 3 city election ballot, coupled with existing Anchorage discrimination law, undercuts religious liberty. But a well-known Anchorage employment lawyer, Thomas Daniel, says he doesn't think the initiative impinges on freedom for religious groups at all. The initiative up for public vote would extend legal protections against discrimination to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in Anchorage. Current law already prohibits discrimination in employment, loans, rentals, real estate deals and other activities on the basis of race, color, marital status, sex, religion, disabilities and the like. The initiative would add sexual orientation and transgender identity to the list. The initiative made it to the ballot through petitions signed by thousands of voters. As the campaigns develop for and against this controversial issue, religion and legal views are shaping arguments on both sides. A story relaying concerns the Alliance Defense Fund of Scottsdale, Arizona, has with the initiative appeared in early January in The Catholic Anchor, a publication of the Archdiocese of Anchorage. The main problem as the Alliance Defense Fund sees it is that private business owners could be forced to hire or do business with people whose sexual orientation doesn't match their religious beliefs, said Holly Carmichael, a lawyer for the fund. "The ultimate concern with enacting something like that is that it infringes on religious freedoms," Carmichael said. "There's a huge constitutional concern here." Both Carmichael and Daniel, the Anchorage attorney, agree that religious organizations are protected by an exemption already in city law that says religious institutions and groups can give preferential treatment to people of the same religion if they are, for example, hiring someone who will promote religious principles. Carmichael says the exemption is too narrow in that it doesn't protect other business owners or employees in the same way as it does religious groups. Daniel says the Anchorage exemption was bolstered by a U.S. Supreme Court decision last week in favour of a church-related employer. A religion teacher at a church school who said she was fired for a disability-related claim brought the case. The court said discrimination law doesn't apply due to a religious exemption, and ruled in favour of the employer. The government shouldn't interfere in religious groups' hiring and firing decisions about people such as ministers and religion teachers, the court said. Daniel is an expert in this field of law, but he said he is not associated with either side in the Anchorage initiative battle. The Defense Fund analyzed the Anchorage initiative several weeks ago at the request of the Alaska Family Council, a conservative Christian organization that opposes the initiative. "We just want to be really clear about the consequences of enacting it," said Jim Minnery, Alaska Family Council president. Although the Family Council gave a copy of the Defense Fund analysis to the Catholic Anchor, the council declined to give the document to the Daily News. Minnery said the council shared it with a reporter for the Catholic publication because the reporter is aligned with the thinking of his group. Minnery said he is counting on churches to come out against the initiative and that the Family Council has not yet started raising money to wage a campaign or filed as a ballot group with the state. Supporters of the initiative also include religious people, with 40 ordained pastors plus others in two pro-initiative groups, Christians for Equality and Faith Leaders for Equality, said the Rev. Michael Burke of St. Mary's Episcopal Church. Burke said sponsors of the initiative consciously decided not to change the existing Anchorage law regarding religious exemptions to discrimination law. In cases where religious principles are not involved, religious groups do have to follow discrimination law with regard to race, color, sex, religion, etc. But the initiative sponsors did not add sexual orientation or transgender identity to the list. "The head of a church can decide not to hire someone who is gay or lesbian and that's acceptable," Burke said. In 2009, the Anchorage Assembly passed a gay rights law similar to the initiative, but Mayor Dan Sullivan vetoed it. Burke said he supported the 2009 proposal but worried it didn't do enough to protect religious freedoms. This initiative does a better job of it, he said.

Kansas Governor Brownback Suggests 51 Antiquated Laws For Repeal But Not Unconstitutional Sodomy Statue

2012-01-21T09:13:00.000-08:00

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback created the Office of the Repealer to recommend the elimination of out-of-date, unreasonable and burdensome state laws that build up in any bureaucracy over time. For gays and lesbians, there seemed one particularly obvious candidate: Kansas Statute 21-3505. That would be the “criminal sodomy” statute, which prohibits same sex couples from engaging in oral or anal sex. The law was rendered unenforceable nearly a decade ago by a United States Supreme Court ruling, but it remains enshrined in the state’s legal code. But on Friday, reports The New York Times, when Mr. Brownback, a conservative Republican, released a list of 51 laws to recommend to the Legislature for repeal, the sodomy statute was not among them. The decision, despite public and private lobbying, has angered gay leaders here. “We were pretty much the first in line with our request to have this unconstitutional ban on gay and lesbian relations repealed,” said Thomas Witt, chairman of the Kansas Equality Coalition. “This isn’t just some archaic law that’s sitting on the books and isn’t bothering anyone,” Mr. Witt continued. “It’s used as justification to harass and discriminate against people, and it needs to go.” Brownback, who is a vocal opponent of same sex marriage on religious grounds, declined to comment, and his spokesperson would not say whether he would support repealing the law against same-sex sodomy, a misdemeanour that officially carries a prison sentence of up to six months. Dennis Taylor, the secretary of the State Department of Administration, which assembled the list, declined to discuss why the law was not included. “What we’ve proposed is what we proposed,” Taylor said. Though declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in the 2003 case of Lawrence v. Texas, which struck down an anti-sodomy law in Texas as an invasion of privacy in a ruling viewed as a crucial victory by gay rights organizations, these types of laws still exist throughout the United States. Susan Sommer, director of constitutional litigation for Lambda Legal, a national gay rights advocacy group, said that more than a dozen states had anti-sodomy laws at the time of the ruling, but she did not know how many were subsequently repealed. Those that remain, said Ms. Sommer, have a stigmatizing effect on same-sex relationships and can sometimes be wrongly cited by law enforcement officers unaware that they are no longer enforceable. “Keeping these laws on the books can still do a lot of mischief and cause a lot of harm,” she said. Brownback has moved aggressively to push this Republican-dominated state further to the right since he was elected after serving in the Senate. He has made the Office of the Repealer a popular part of his small-government pitch. “Nothing is ever subtracted from the system,” he said after he proposed the office. The first list of recommendations, culled from more than 500 suggestions after a listening tour was conducted around the state, represented the most obvious candidates for repeal, Mr. Taylor said. Many include eliminating regulations the administration has deemed unnecessary, such as a requirement for physical copies of county assessor rolls that are now often stored electronically. In the anachronism category: rules for reinstating a sheriff removed from office because a prisoner in his custody was lynched. A second list of recommendations for repeal, to be introduced as soon as this year, Mr. Taylor said, “will be more interesting and probably a little controversial.” The anti-sodomy law, he added, remained under review with many others. Paul Davis, a Democrat and the house minority leader in the State Legislature, said he supported repealing the law but thought it was unlikely that Mr. Brownback would make such a recommendation. “He’s trying not to run afoul of a very socially conservative constituency,” he said.

Opposition Intensifies To Selection Of Albany County Attorney With Affiliation To Anti-Gay Alliance Defense Fund

2012-01-21T08:55:00.000-08:00

In New York, Albany County Executive Dan McCoy strongly defended his pick of a former Republican lawyer for county attorney Friday as a prominent gay rights activist launched a campaign to block the man's confirmation because of his ties to conservative organization that opposes same-sex marriage and abortion rights. McCoy's nomination this month of Thomas Marcelle to the top legal post in a staunchly Democratic county was unlikely to pass without controversy. But opposition to the pick that had been percolating behind the scenes for two weeks went public Friday when political consultant and LGBT activist Libby Post put up a website, www.stoptommarcelle.org, urging McCoy to withdraw Marcelle's name from consideration or, failing that, for the Democrat-led County Legislature to refuse to confirm him. According to The Albany Times Union, Post zeroed in on Marcelle's affiliation with the Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative national organization that describes itself as providing "resources that will keep the door open for the spread of the Gospel through the legal defense of religious freedom, the sanctity of life, marriage and the family." Post, who is also active in the county’s progressive community, says, "Whether it's an elected official or someone who works for government in a position like that. my perspective is: if someone is anti-gay rights or anti-choice, they're not going to get my support." Marcelle, who is listed as senior counsel to the group on its website, could not be reached for comment Friday. But McCoy — a Democrat who said he is both pro-choice and in favour same-sex marriage — dismissed Post's criticism, saying she was suggesting he should impose political and social litmus tests on people he hires for government jobs. "I should have put on the application to check off whether you're Conservative, Dem., Republican or whatever your affiliation is?" McCoy said. "I didn't hire the guy for his religious beliefs. I hired him because he's a hell of an attorney and he's well overqualified." McCoy noted that it was Marcelle whom the Democrat-run county turned to last year to defend its redistricting plan against a lawsuit. Among Marcelle's legal accomplishments is winning a 2001 U.S. Supreme Court case defending the rights of an Otsego County religious group to meet in a public school building after hours. But Marcelle's switch last year from the GOP to the Conservative Party, which backed McCoy in his uncontested election for county executive, fuelled speculation that Marcelle's appointment was about political alliances as much as it was Marcelle's lengthy list of legal bonafides. Legislator Noelle Kinsch, an Albany Democrat, said she was aware of "mounting concerns" about the nomination and looked forward to hearing Marcelle explain his ties to the group at a Personnel Committee meeting scheduled for Wednesday. "These new facts about Mr. Marcelle are very troubling," Kinsch said, noting she views the county attorney's post as a policy making position. Legislature Chairman Shawn Morse, however, suggested Post's position on the issue amounts to hypocrisy from a woman whose devotion he otherwise admires. "Her commitment to the gay community is second to none. What's disturbing to me, however, then is that she would like to discriminate against Tom Marcelle for his religious beliefs," the Cohoes Democrat said. "It kind of seems to go against her whole life's work to fight for what she believes are people's God-given rights." Post countered that her objection is about what she said has been the Alliance Defense Fund pushing religion into civic life. "The issue here is not having anybody's religious beliefs run public policy," Post said. "That's the issue."

18-Year-Old Noah Davis-Power Says Newfoundland And Labrador Should Mandate Formations Of Gay-Straight Alliances, Alabama High School Refuses To Allow Gay-Straight Alliances, Dallas Gay Community Calls On Mayor Mike Rawlings To Re-Think His Refusal To Join National Coalition Supporting Same Sex Marriage, Julia Roberts And Jim Parsons Sign To Star In Film Adaption Of The Normal Heart

2012-01-20T22:19:00.000-08:00

A man who ran for the New Democratic Party in last fall's provincial election says a plan to make schools in Newfoundland and Labrador more welcoming for gay students doesn't go far enough. Thursday the provincial education department confirmed that this spring it will encourage schools from grade 7 to 12 to set up Gay-Straight Alliances. CBC reports that Friday Noah Davis-Power, a gay 18-year-old, said the province should go further. “I think it needs to be mandated, needs to be there. The resources are there now but if you're too scared to use those resources, it doesn't matter,” he said. Davis-Power was afraid to reveal he is gay when he was in high school. Someone 'outed' him, but he said that what he feared would happen didn’t. “No one cared, they saw me as Noah. People still don't believe I'm gay,” he said. But he did have to deal with some abuse. “I'd hear ‘faggot’ as I walked down the corridor, not to my face, never to my face, just behind my back," said Davis-Power. He survived it but he’s concerned that some people do not. “We've seen in the past year, the past few weeks, even more suicides that are directly linked to homophobic bullying,” said Davis-Power. After he was outed, Noah started a Gay-Straight Alliance group at his school. An idea that was not embraced at first. “Mostly they didn't want parental publicity; we didn't want to look like we were training gays." He said the group was tolerated, but not really accepted. “We need to go from saying 'It's all right to be gay, but you're still over there.' That's what tolerance is, it's the worst word ever. 'You have a problem but you can stay.' You have to work from that to acceptance,” he said.

Jennifer Benitez is the vice president of Siloam Springs, Arkansas Gay-Straight Alliance. Benitez says the group provides a safe place for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students to socialize and volunteer and adds the club creates a platform to stop harassment and bullying. "I'd like to see more unity and acceptance within the Northwest Arkansas area, and not just this area, the entire country as a whole," said Benitez. Jennifer believes Siloam Springs GSA should really be the Siloam Springs High School GSA, but school district administration says that is not allowed. "I would because it would make things easier. We could meet during school hours. We could have our name in the yearbook. We could announce it during school and give our fliers and stuff. That way maybe more people would come," said Benitez. According to 4029 TV, the Siloam Springs School District allows two types of clubs: clubs they consider curriculum-related and those they consider non-curriculum-related. "There's a multitude of non-curricular groups wanting to meet and use up the school day for meeting, and therefore it takes up time from academics," said Assistant Superintendent Kent Raymick. "So we've separated that out and operating under this limited open forum, it does allow these groups to be formed, but there is a limit to when and where and how they operate." Benitez said, "Students, teachers, faculty members, alike, I would like for them to come and sit in on the meetings, just to know what we do and what is that we're aiming to do." The GSA is not alone. The Siloam School District considers other student groups non-curriculum-related, including the Chess Club, Key Club, Young Republicans Club and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. “We have checked with other school districts, and some school districts do operate differently. Some districts may take groups that we have here and non-curricular and somehow make them somehow in, we feel what we're doing is good for us and it's just a matter of following our guidelines and procedures and rules and make sure everybody is complying with that," said Raymick. But some of the GSA members feel their non-curriculum status has less to with the curriculum and more to do with the town. “Here it's taboo. If you are, you're discriminated against, and they don't want you in this town. It's definitely hard, and that's the purpose: we're trying to be accepted through this club, to show them that we don't fit the stereotype that goes along with LGBT community," said GSA member Joey Baker. Raymick agrees the town is conservative. "I think overall it's a conservative community and of course here in the school district we're supported by their taxpayer dollars and we try to reflect that as well," said Raymick. The Siloam Springs school district does allow all non-curriculum clubs, including the GSA, to meet at the high school, after school hours.

The gay and lesbian community is calling for Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings to reconsider and sign a pledge in support of same-sex marriage. In Washington, D.C. Friday, more than 80 other mayors in 25 states had signed the pledge sponsored by the group 'Freedom to Marry,' including the mayors of Houston and Austin. Most of the supportive mayors are Democrats, as is Rawlings, but some are Republicans. WFAA-TV reports that among the mayors backing the pledge to fight for gay marriage was Houston's Annise Parker. She's a lesbian who has raised three children with her partner, and spoke of the difficulties without legal marriage in Texas. "We have had to navigate insurance challenges, custody challenges and the school districts," Parker said. But not among the group was Rawlings, who said he didn't feel he should get involved in such social issues as mayor. "I was asked to pledge my support to 'Mayors for the Freedom to Marry' in an effort to pressure state and federal entities to legalize marriage for same-sex couples," said Rawlings in a statement. "I decided not to sign onto that letter because that is inconsistent with my view of the duties of the office of the mayor." But that's angered Dallas gay and lesbian groups. "These are issues that affect gay and lesbian people here, and as our mayor, he should be willing to put his money where his mouth is and sign the pledge," said spokesman Rafael McDonnell of Resource Center Dallas. Rawlings said he personally supports same sex marriage, but feels putting the weight of his office behind it is inappropriate, especially when he wants to focus on larger issues facing the city. That's not easing the anger. "I think it's causing some people to go, 'That's not what we expected,'" McDonnell said.

Julia Roberts and Alec Baldwin, plus White Collar star Matt Bomer and Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons, are joining Mark Ruffalo in the autobiographical drama, The Normal Heart, written by Larry Kramer that details the rise of HIV/AIDS in New York’s gay community in the 1980s. Ryan Murphy, who hit mainstream success with Glee, is directing from a script by Kramer. The play won the Tony for best revival last year, as well as best supporting actor and best supporting actress (for John Benjamin Hickey and Ellen Barkin, respectively). It also garnered nominations for best actor and best directing. It was originally staged Off-Broadway in 1985 and has seen several revivals in London and Los Angeles. Murphy optioned the rights to the play last August and had Ruffalo attached as Ned Weeks, who is one of the first to raise an alarm when what was then known as “gay cancer" surfaces in New York. Roberts will play Emma Brookner, a wheel-chair bound doctor who is one of the only doctors in New York talking the new disease seriously. That role is the one that won Barkin her Tony. Baldwin is playing Weeks’ brother, a lawyer having a hard time dealing with his sibling's sexuality. Bomer’s character is that of Felix Turner, a gay fashion journalist who becomes Week’s boyfriend and tragically contracts the disease. Bomer will be stepping into the shoes that won Hickey his Tony. Parsons, who acted in the Broadway version, will reprise his role, that of a Southererner who is a gay activist and part of a gay men’s health crisis group. Murphy's last film was Eat, Pray, Love, which starred Roberts. With Glee and his FX series American Horror Story, he is one of the few writer/directors who regularly tackle gay themes to both critical and popular success.

Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa Co-Chairs Mayors For The Freedom To Marry Coalition, Washington State Republican Attorney-General Candidate Reagan Dunn Punished By Party For Supporting Same Sex Marriage, Wanted In Post BSC Sexual Assault On Male LSU Fan Alabama Supporter Brian Downing Arrested In New Orleans, Soccer Star Joey Barton Says “Archaic” Managers Preventing Any Footballers From Coming Out, Michael Phelps’ Porn Moustache Comes Out Again, Henry Cavill Assets

2012-01-20T15:45:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was among a group of 80 mayors in Washington on Friday who pledged their support for same sex marriage and announced an initiative aimed at expanding marriage rights for same sex couples. According to The Los Angeles Times, the initiative, called Mayors for the Freedom to Marry, was announced during a press conference held at the U.S. Conference of Mayors' winter meeting. Villaraigosa will co-chair the group. The mayors have pledged to push their cities to pass laws allowing same-sex marriage and urge Congress to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. Critics say it unfairly denies federal benefits to same sex married couples and allows states to refuse to recognize same sex marriages granted in other states. “If we truly believe in family values, we should value all families,” Villaraigosa said. “Denying gay and lesbian couples the freedom to marry weakens society by hurting our communities, neighbours and families.” The group, among others, includes Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York, Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago and Mayor Annise Parker of Houston, who is openly gay. The group is an offshoot of Freedom to Marry, a national organization that pushes for same-sex marriage rights. Also among the mayors in the group is Republican Mayor Jerry Sanders of San Diego, who in 2007 relented on his previous opposition to same sex marriage, saying that he could not accept that his daughter was less worthy of marriage because she is a lesbian. “Allowing loving and committed couples to join in marriage has benefits not just for couples and their families — but also for society,” Sanders said. Villaraigosa has long been a supporter of same sex marriage rights and stringent opponent of Proposition 8, the 2008 California measure that banned gay marriage. In 2008, he presided over the marriage of a same-sex couple, uniting a Hollywood producer and his five-year companion in a short ceremony at City Hall.

In Washington State, Republican attorney-general candidate Reagan Dunn is facing a backlash from some GOP leaders and activists over his decision to come out in support of gay marriage. The Seattle Times reports that in the last week, Dunn has been disinvited to big Republican dinners in Whatcom and Franklin counties, and faces a new conservative rival in the attorney-general's race. "That's the name of the game. There has been some blow back," said Dunn, a Metropolitan King County Council member. Dunn roiled GOP circles last week when he voted for a county measure supportive of the same sex marriage legalization efforts now before the Legislature — a position at odds with the official GOP platform. The Whatcom and Franklin County GOP organizations responded by rescinding Dunn's invitation to speak at their Lincoln Day fundraising dinners next month. "We just thought it probably would be best if he did not come," said Luanne Van Werven, chairwoman of the Whatcom County Republican Party. She said the dinner was meant to emphasize party unity and that Dunn would be a distraction. Curtis Mohr, chairman of the Franklin County Republicans, said the GOP platform is clear in defining marriage as between a man and a woman. "We wish to send a strong message to those that oppose our political philosophy," he said. Dunn isn't entirely alone. Four Republican state legislators have endorsed legislation that would make Washington the seventh state to legalize same sex marriage. But most Republicans remain steadfastly opposed and Dunn's position could dampen enthusiasm for his presumed November matchup with Democratic King County Councilmember Bob Ferguson. Last week, conservative Everett attorney Stephen Pidgeon announced he'll join the race for attorney general. In an interview Thursday, Pidgeon called Dunn's gay marriage stance "the straw that broke the camel's back" in terms of his decision to run. Pidgeon has previously worked with groups that unsuccessfully tried to overturn the state's domestic-partnership law. On Monday, he filed a proposed ballot initiative that would define marriage as between one man and one woman. While emphasizing he'll be campaigning on more than just same sex marriage, Pidgeon said the issue "is a litmus test for many conservatives." It's not clear how much support Pidgeon can muster. He contends President Obama is a Muslim who is determined to destroy the United States as we know it. In an interview with a conservative radio show last year, Pidgeon claimed that Obama, if re-elected, will lock down the U.S. border. "You will not be able to escape this country," he said. "You will be locked into this country, and you will be under the tyranny of the iron fist of an Islamic caliphate." Washington State Republican Party Chairman Kirby Wilbur said Dunn's stance has sparked an emotional reaction from many. But he said Dunn has 10 months to convince Republicans he's on their side on most other issues. "Reagan is an experienced politician. Can he handle it? We'll see. I think he can," Wilbur said. Dunn said his position on same-sex marriage is consistent with the Republican philosophy of less government interference with personal freedoms. "Allowing same sex couples to live how they want to live is a legitimate viewpoint that exists — or should be allowed to exist — in the Republican Party," he said. But, Van Werven said, "it's definitely going to hurt him in the general election," as some conservatives may simply refuse to back Dunn. She said that won't stop her and other GOP leaders from trying to rally support in November if Dunn is on the ballot against the Democrat Ferguson. Mohr agreed, noting that Ferguson has supported gay marriage for years. "We would prefer a Republican with the same faults as opposed to a Democrat," he said.

Brian Downing, identified as the Alabama football fan who pressed his testicles on the neck of an unconscious LSU fan in a Bourbon Street burger joint after the BCS Championship Game, was arrested by New Orleans police Thursday night after driving to meet police. Downing, of Smiths Station, Alabama, was taken into custody by New Orleans police about 10:00 p.m. The Times-Picayune reports that Detectives met Downing, 32, at his attorney's office in Mid-City and then took him to Central Lock-Up, where he was booked with one count of sexual battery and one count of obscenity. Earlier in the day, Russell County Sheriff Heath Taylor, who said he is a second cousin to Downing, said he personally spoke with the NOPD sex crimes detective handling the case about whether to arrest the man or send him to New Orleans for questioning. Although he'd heard about the video -- which has created a firestorm on the Internet -- for a couple days, Taylor said he watched it Thursday morning at the prompting of other people who suggested the University of Alabama fan was his relative. The man in the video indeed appeared to be Downing, he said. "So then I went out there and looked at it and was, like, you have to be kidding me," Taylor said. At that point, he called Downing's father and told him to bring his son to the sheriff's office. Downing and a lawyer came in, but left after the NOPD detective instructed Taylor that his cousin should come to New Orleans. Taylor said he did not question Downing, nor did any of his deputies."It is a shock that it happened as an Alabama fan. It is a shocker that it is my family. It is out of character for Brian," Taylor said. "I would never in a million years have dreamed he would have done that, period. I assume, like everybody else does, it is not a Photo-shopped picture of him." Downing was initially identified by two sports websites, Deadspin and Out Kick The Coverage. Deadspin at first identified the man only by first name, while also posting photographs found on the Internet. The Columbus, Ga., newspaper subsequently posted an online story quoting Taylor, who identified Downing as the Alabama fan. The video of the incident has sparked a media firestorm across the Gulf Coast. The recording, taken shortly before midnight on Jan. 9, shows a man clad in Alabama crimson, thrusting his testicles onto the neck of an unconscious LSU fan at the Krystal Burger on Bourbon Street. The LSU fan sits in a chair, with his head down on the counter. Nobody makes any effort to stop the assault. Before the man in the video exposed himself, other Alabama fans crowded around the unconscious man in LSU purple and gold, putting fast-food cartons on his head and back, jeering and posing for pictures. The man who eventually exposes himself initially puts his fingers in the LSU fan's nose and ear. Earlier this week, police said the NOPD's Sex Crimes Unit had reviewed the video, but said a thorough investigation would hinge on the victim's cooperation. On Wednesday, however, police issued a news release asking for help identifying the perpetrator. Police did not say whether the victim had come forward. In the NOPD release, police categorized the assault as sexual battery, which under state law includes "the touching of the ... genitals of the offender by the victim" without the victim's consent. A victim who is incapacitated or unconscious is generally viewed as not having given consent. Both Deadspin and Out Kick The Coverage reported that Downing worked at a Hibbett sporting goods store in Columbus, which is on the Alabama border. A vice president with Hibbett Sports would not confirm that Downing worked for the company, but he said the company learned Wednesday that the person in the video was a company employee. By 5:00 pm, Hibbett had made the decision to fire the man, said Scott Myers, vice president of loss prevention and human resources. "We felt comfortable to terminate employment of the person in the video," Myers said. "We don't support or condone these activities and it is certainly nothing we are about."

Soccer star Joey Barton has blamed football bosses for preventing any professional players coming out as gay. The outspoken QPR midfielder told a TV documentary: "Certain managers will discriminate. These archaic figures think if they had a gay footballer there would be all kinds of shenanigans in the dressing room." And publicist Max Clifford said he has known half a dozen players too scared to come out, adding, "When they have come to me to protect their identity, they have made it very clear that their career would be finished if they were known to be gay." Not one pro footballer out of 5,000 in Britain is openly homosexual. The BBC3 film about sexuality in sport - to be shown on January 30 - is presented by the niece of gay striker Justin Fashanu, who hanged himself in 1998.

Michael Phelps’ porn moustache gets another outing in the sun.

Henry Cavill and his incredible, edible ass returns to Los Angeles.

Virginia Senator Ebbin Introduces Legislation Barring State From Contracting Or Funding Agencies That Discriminate Against Children Or Prospective Foster Or Adoptive Parents Based On Sexual Orientation Or Gender Identity Setting Stage For Battle

2012-01-20T11:58:00.000-08:00

In Virginia, a battle over whether child-placement agencies should be allowed to discriminate against prospective parents and children based on their sexual orientation has moved to the General Assembly. According to The Associated Press, Senator Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) has introduced legislation that would bar Virginia from contracting with or funding agencies that discriminate against children or otherwise eligible prospective foster or adoptive parents solely on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, family status, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. “One major issue is whether charities that receive tax dollars should be able to discriminate,” Ebbin said Friday. “Adoption is a public act that goes through state courts, and no government agent should engage in discrimination.” The Virginia Board of Social Services last month finalized regulations that strip out protections against discrimination based on personal factors, including gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and family status. They are to take effect May 1. Equality Virginia, the Virginia ACLU and other groups had opposed the change, saying that Virginia should keep the protections in place because state-licensed child-placement groups serve a governmental function — and thus cannot discriminate against prospective parents or children. Catholic groups and other organizations backed the removal, framing it as an issue of religious freedom. Senator Jeffrey McWaters and Delegate Todd Gilbert have introduced so-called “conscience clause” bills that would reinforce the Department of Social Services regulations and protect private, faith-based child-placement agencies. The measures would allow private organizations to deny placement if doing so would go against their religious beliefs — including opposition to homosexuality. The measures also would bar the Department of Social Services from denying or revoking a placement agency’s license solely on the grounds that it has refused to allow adoptions or foster placement based on sexual orientation, and would protect agencies from legal action stemming from such decisions. “We just want to ensure that people can continue to abide by their religious beliefs and continue to provide services consistent with those beliefs,” said Gilbert (R-Woodstock), who said he introduced the legislation on behalf of the Virginia Family Foundation, a conservative Christian group, to protect faith-based agencies. Ebbin said he knows gay and lesbian parents with children “and they are among the best parents I know.” He also cited the experience of one couple who have moved out of the state to be able to jointly adopt children. Gilbert said his bill “doesn’t do anything but protect those with religious concerns” and that prospective parents in Virginia have “ample opportunities to work with other organizations that have different religious concerns.” Equality Virginia and other advocates also have expressed concern that a large number of young people in the foster care system are gay or lesbian, and unless the state adopts a law that bars discrimination they could be denied services based on their sexual orientation, compounding the difficulties they already face in finding permanent homes. “Every child deserves a loving home, and children who have been denied a loving home based on who they are deserve a chance to grow up as much as any other child,” Ebbin said. More than 1,500 children state-wide are awaiting adoption as of this week, Department of Social Services spokeswoman Eileen Guertler said Friday. In 2011, 5,085 youths were in foster care, with 2,442 of them entering the system in 2011. Virginia has 120 local departments of social services, which administer adoption and foster care services, Guertler said. There are 77 state-licensed private child placement agencies that local departments can contract with to provide those services. Adoption is a very detailed process, she said, and local social services employees along with private adoption groups make certain “discriminating judgments” in the best interest of each child, including considerations of factors such as age, race and religion. “Adopting a child is a privilege, not a right,” Guertler said. “And we do have individuals who are gay that have adopted children and are foster care parents.” Ebbin acknowledges the tough road ahead for his legislation, but he says it’s essential to work for “an enlightened policy” that provides for the placement of children in permanent homes, based on what’s best for the child. “I don’t understand people who would believe it is better for a child to cry him or herself to sleep in an orphanage rather than having a loving home, whatever the orientation of the parents,” he said.

Murder Trial Of 16-Year-Old Jack Frew Hears Accused 19-Year-Old Craig Roy Was Being Blackmailed After The Two Had Sex

2012-01-20T11:35:00.000-08:00

In Scotland Thursday, the BBC reports that the Jack Frew murder trial heard claims that the schoolboy had sex with the accused and was blackmailing him. Craig Roy's sister, Robyn, 17, told the High Court in Glasgow that her brother admitted to her that he killed Jack. She told police her brother said he slept with the schoolboy once and was being blackmailed by him. Roy said in court the sex claim was untrue. Mr Roy, 19, admits stabbing 16-year-old Jack Frew in East Kilbride in May 2010, but denies murdering him. David Burns QC, defending, has said there was no dispute that his client, originally from East Kilbride, struck the teenager repeatedly with a knife. Jennifer Bain, prosecuting, read from the statement which Robyn Roy gave police on May 6, 2010 after the alleged incident, describing a phone call with her brother. In it, Ms Roy said her brother told her: "I've slit Jack's throat." The statement went on: "I asked him why he done it and he said 'he's being blackmailing me. It was only meant to be a threat.' He said Jack had been pestering and annoying him for over a year.” Robyn Roy said her brother Craig claimed Jack Frew was blackmailing him "He said he had slept with Jack once and that Jack kept asking for sex ever since and was blackmailing him." Ms Roy was asked if the statement was true and said: "Yes, but not where he said he slept with Jack." Ms Roy said that when she spoke to her brother later he told her the part about sleeping with Jack Frew was not true. Ms Bain asked: "Does your statement say: 'I asked him if he really intended to hurt Jack and he said 'No' and she replied: "Yes." The jury was told that Ms Roy was a pupil at Duncanrigg Secondary School in East Kilbride and knew Jack Frew, who was a year above her in school, to see but had never spoken to him. She was asked if he was popular and if he took part in school plays and replied: "Yes." Ms Roy was then asked if Jack had been accepted at school as being homosexual and she replied: "Yes." Under cross-examination by defence QC David Burns, Ms Roy agreed she told police that her brother "didn't know what he was saying and was pretty hysterical" on the phone. Jack's school friend Calum Chisholm told the court how he was texted by Jack just hours before his death. The text said he was going to meet Mr Roy. Mr Chisholm, 19, who was a fellow pupil at Duncanrigg School, told the jurors he received a number of texts from Jack. One of the texts said: "Ha, ha! Well Craig Roy wants to meet me later. Threesome?" Mr Chisholm, who said he had had a relationship with Jack for about a year, said he texted back saying he was studying and got a message back accusing him of being boring. He said the final message he received from Jack said: "Meeting behind the church the now if you want to join." PC Neil Clark told the court how he was sent to Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride with a colleague to relieve officers who had taken Mr Roy there to have a cut to his hand treated. PC Clark said they arrived at the hospital at 11:00 and Mr Roy spoke to him unprompted, saying: "He was bribing me for sexual pleasures, but I know that's no excuse for what I've done." Mr Roy's mother Fern Roy, 46, earlier told the court that she ate with her son at about 17:00 on the day Jack Frew was killed and they discussed the elections which were being held that day and talked about who would win. Mrs Roy said he seemed as normal and went out to see a friend around 6:00. Later that night she received a phone call from her son's lover, Christopher Hannah, 20, who told her that he had hurt someone. She went out with her daughter looking for her son and found police at the scene. Mrs Roy said she was asked by police if there was a knife missing from the family home. She said: "I said no. I checked and there were none missing." Ms Bain asked: "Were further inquiries made?" and Mrs Roy replied: "It was when a set of knives was mentioned. There was a set of knives we didn't use." She said that, accompanied by a policewoman, she looked in a cupboard in the kitchen and found the set at the back with one knife missing. Mrs Roy said she noticed nothing unusual in her son's behaviour in the months leading up to this incident and added that he had never been treated for behavioural problems. The court was told that she first realised her son was gay when he was 14. Mrs Roy said: "He just came out and said he was gay. I was a bit surprised because he liked girls, but it didn't bother me." She described her family as "close." However, she said she had concerns about her son's relationship with Mr Hannah because he was older and "in your face and very bolshie". She was asked if she had tried to stop her son seeing Mr Hannah and replied: "Teenagers are going to do what they are going to do." The court was told that Mr Roy was bright and hoped to go on to university. Paramedic Robert McEwan later told the jury that he was called to the death scene after a report at 7:02 a male had his throat cut. Mr McEwan was met by Mr Roy's lover Christopher Hannah, who directed him to the body. Ms Bain asked: "What did you come across?" The witness replied: "Craig Roy was sitting to my right crying and there was Jack Frew's body on the left.”He was 10 feet away from Jack Frew's body sitting crying with a knife near to him on the ground. It had some blood on it." He was asked how Mr Hannah was and replied: "He was on his phone texting and was very calm." The 41-year-old medic told the court he could see Jack had suffered a "nasty neck injury.” Mr McEwan went on: "There was not blood coming out...it was quite obvious it had happened a wee bit before we arrived, but it was clear to me that Jack was dead by that point. The wound was close to the carotid artery and other major areas of the neck." Earlier, a juror at the trial was discharged after it emerged that he knew one of the witnesses. The trial, before Lord Doherty at the High Court in Glasgow, will go on with 14 jurors - nine women and five men.

Coalition Of Organizations Including Amnesty International Calls On Edinburgh To Use “Twinning” Influence To Halt St. Petersburg Proposed Anti-Gay “Propoganda” Law

2012-01-20T10:29:00.000-08:00

A coalition of groups including Amnesty International Scotland, Equality Network, Scottish Youth Parliament and NUS Scotland LGBT have all called on Edinburgh's Lord Provost to use the city's 'twinning arrangement' with St Petersburg in order to urge authorities in Russia's second largest city not to enact a bill which would threaten freedom of expression and fuel discrimination against the city's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community. If enacted, the law would allow the authorities to impose fines of up to the equivalent of £1,000 for “public actions aimed at propaganda of sodomy, lesbianism, bisexuality, and transgenderism among minors.” Under the measure, freedom of assembly and expression for LGBTI groups would be prohibited anywhere children might be present. This would rule out nearly all public events carried out by or on behalf of LGBTI people and organisations. The publication of anything relating to LGBTI rights or providing assistance or advice - including informative leaflets as well as publications in the media and on the internet - would also be severely curtailed. Local LGBTI rights activists have condemned the law, saying it will provide legal cover for banning any of their actions, including the distribution of information leaflets or even actions against homophobia. Amnesty International's Programme Director in Scotland, Shabnum Mustapha, said, "Throughout Russia, we have witnessed a clampdown on freedom of expression of LGBTI individuals, NGOs and activists. There has been harassment, intimidation and interference with gay prides and other public events; as well physical violence and the detention of peaceful demonstrators by the police. To seek to 'legitimise' this discrimination and oppression of the LGBTI community through legislation is appalling." Nathan Sparkling, NUS Scotland's LGBT Officer, said, “Legislation such as this will only further marginalise LGBTI people and must be stopped - in St Petersburg and throughout Russia. The notion that Russia's youth are somehow being converted through 'propaganda' would be laughable if the repercussions weren't so dangerous." Tom French, Policy Coordinator for the Equality Network, said, "The twinning of St Petersburg and Edinburgh provides the Lord Provost with a legitimate platform from which to raise grave concerns about the treatment of the LGBTI community and to call on the Governor of St Petersburg to oppose the legislation. Failure to do so would be tantamount to condoning this draconian and extremely harmful legislation." And Grant Costello, Chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament, said, "The Scottish Youth Parliament hope that Edinburgh City Council encourages all of the city's international partners and friends from around the world to acknowledge the importance of fairness and equality in civic society.” Edinburgh has been 'twinned' with St Petersburg since 1995.

Three Of Five Muslim Men Charged With Anti-Gay Hate Crime In England Found Guilty; Distributed Leaflets Calling For Homosexuals To Be Executed

2012-01-20T09:46:00.000-08:00

Three men have been found guilty of an anti-gay hate crime after handing out leaflets calling for homosexuals to be given the death sentence. The BBC reports that Ihjaz Ali, 42, Kabir Ahmed, 28 and Razwan Javed, 27, were found guilty of stirring up hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation. They distributed a leaflet titled Death Penalty? at a mosque and through letterboxes, Derby Crown Court heard. It is the first prosecution of its kind since new laws came into force in 2010. Sentencing was adjourned until February 10. Two other men were cleared of the same charge. The court heard how the leaflets showed an image of a wooden mannequin hanging from a noose and quoted Islamic texts. The leaflets said capital punishment was the only way to rid society of homosexuality. They were handed out near the Jaima Mosque on Rosehill Street, Derby, and put through the mailboxes of people's homes in surrounding streets. The court heard it was made and used as part of a campaign to publicise a protest in response to the Gay Pride festival held on July 10, 2010 in Derby. The men admitted distributing the leaflet but said they were simply following and quoting what their religion taught them about homosexuality and did not intend to threaten anyone. Taxi driver Ali, of Fairfax Road, who the prosecution said was believed to be the main organiser and supplier of the leaflets, was found guilty of four counts of distribution on July 2 and July 4, 2010. Ahmed, of Madeley Street, and Javed, of Wilfred Street, were convicted of distribution in the area of the mosque on July 2. Taxi driver Mehboob Hussain, of Rosehill Street, and Razwan's brother Umar Javed, of Whittaker Street, were both cleared of distribution relating to posting the leaflets through the mailboxes of homes on July 4. The court heard that two other leaflets were also distributed and were relevant in the case to show intent even though charges had not been brought in relation to them. The leaflets were called Gay - an acronym for God Abhors You - and Turn Or Burn. One gay man, who gave evidence but cannot be identified for legal reasons, said he received the Turn Or Burn and Death Penalty? leaflets through the door of his home on two occasions. He said the first leaflet, Turn Or Burn, made him feel "quite horrified" and it was after he received Death Penalty? that he called the police. "They made me feel terrorized in my own home," he said. "Sometimes I wondered whether I would be getting a burning rag through the letterbox or if I would be attacked in the street." Ben Summerskill, chief executive of campaign group Stonewall, said, "We're satisfied to see these extremists convicted for distributing offensive and inflammatory leaflets that suggested gay people should be burnt or stoned to death. Witnesses told the court they felt threatened and deeply fearful in their own homes. People from all communities will feel safer knowing that the law now makes it harder to stir up hatred and violence against gay people."

New Jersey Democrats Believe They Are Within Securing Veto-Proof Support For Same Sex Marriage Measure, Microsoft Comes Out In Support Of Washington State Same Sex Marriage Legislation, 30 Rocks Mocks Tracy Morgan Anti-Gay Moment, Thousands Of Australian Grindr Users Hacked, Michael Fassbender For W Magazine, Shirtless Chris Hemsworth And Matt Damon Shenanigans, Michael Phelps Porn Moustache Returns

2012-01-19T21:51:00.000-08:00

New Jersey Democrats believe they are able to secure enough support to override a veto of same sex marriage legislation if Governor Chris Christie chooses not support it. According to The Wall Street Journal, State Senator Raymond Lesniak, one of the bill’s sponsors, estimated the chamber had between 24 and 27 supporters for legislation to allow for same sex marriage in New Jersey. It takes 27 votes in the 40-member state senate to override a governor’s veto. “I’m wishing and hoping,” said Lesniak, who also acknowledged that some potential supporters still needed “shoring up.” Lesniak, a Democrat representing Union County, counted up to 23 Democrats and four Republicans as supporting a gay marriage, but wouldn’t disclose specific names of those he believes would vote to override a veto. Assembly Speaker Shelia Oliver, a Democrat, has said that she has majority support for same sex marriage legislation, and that she would work to garner the 54 votes necessary for a veto override in the 80-member Assembly. Still, Christie noted in an interview with WNYC on Wednesday that the Legislature hasn’t been succeeded so far in passing a same sex marriage bill, and emphasized that his opposition has been “very well publicized,” adding, “I think this type of societal change is something we need to do very deliberately and have as much public input as we possibly can.” A new Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday found 52-percent of New Jersey voters favour gay marriage, the first time approval has topped 50-percent. Support varies by party affiliation: majorities of Democratic (62-percent) and independent voters (54-percent) are in favour, while only 35-percent of Republicans approve, according to the poll. Last week, Senate and Assembly Democrats announced that they were introducing the Marriage Equality and Religious Exemption Act in their chambers as the first bills of the new legislative session. The Senate Judiciary Committee will take up the legislation on Tuesday. The Assembly is yet to schedule a committee hearing on the bill. Senate President Stephen Sweeney, a Democrat, said he wanted a floor vote on the legislation before the budget break, which comes in March. Sweeney previously abstained on the bill when it first came up for a vote in 2010, but he has said he now sees it as a civil rights issue. In 2003, New Jersey became one of the first states to authorize civil unions for same-sex couples. The bill now under consideration would allow couples with a civil union to “immediately” get a marriage license if they seek one.

Microsoft has made public its support of legislation in the state House and Senate that would allow same sex marriage in Washington state, signing on to a letter to legislative leaders with other prominent Northwest companies – Vulcan, Nike, RealNetworks, Group Health Cooperative, and Concur - and posting an entry about the company's position on its official blog. Written by its General Counsel Brad Smith, it raised economic and business-competitiveness reasons for the company's stance, saying: “As other states recognize marriage equality, Washington's employers are at a disadvantage if we cannot offer a similar, inclusive environment to our talented employees, our top recruits and their families. Employers in the technology sector face an unprecedented national and global competition for top talent. Despite progress made in recent years with domestic partnership rights, same-sex couples in Washington still hold a different status from their neighbours. Marriage equality in Washington would put employers here on an equal footing with employers in the six other states that already recognize the committed relationships of same-sex couples - Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont. This in turn will help us continue to compete for talent.” Microsoft made a similar argument when it joined some 70 corporations in supporting a challenge to the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between one man and one woman. Microsoft has been involved in other gay rights issues before, as in 2005, when a bill banning discrimination against gays and lesbians failed by a single vote in the state Senate and Microsoft's lack of support for the bill was criticized, and last year when it and other tech companies were put in the middle of an e-commerce culture war.

NBC comedy 30 Rock often finds laughs in real-life events in the show business world it inhabits, but Thursday's edition targeted one of its own cast members, Tracy Morgan, who found himself in real-life hot water last June after making anti-gay remarks during a stand-up appearance in Nashville, Tennessee. On the 30 Rock episode, Tracy Jordan, the character Morgan plays, sparked a protest after making a couple of ridiculous gay-oriented jokes at a club date. A contrite Jordan mistakenly apologizes to the makers of Glad bags, rather than to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, known as GLAAD. Jordan's boss, played by series star Tina Fey, is forced to apologize for him. "He's not capable of hate," she assures the media. "He's just an idiot who doesn't know what he's saying." In real life, Tracy Morgan publicly apologized to his fans and the gay and lesbian community for what he called "my choice of words." He denied being a hateful person and acknowledged that "even in a comedy club" what he said went too far "and was not funny in any context." During his rant, Morgan had said in part that if his son were gay, he would "pull out a knife and stab" him. Fey, who is also the creator and an executive producer of "30 Rock," issued a statement at the time declaring "I hope for his sake that Tracy's apology will be accepted as sincere by his gay and lesbian co-workers at 30 Rock." Mirroring that real-life statement on Thursday's episode, Fey's character, Liz Lemon, chides Jordan by saying, "Do you know how many of your hardworking and dedicated co-workers are gay?"

A popular smartphone app that spawned a sexual revolution in the gay community has been compromised by a Sydney, Australia hacker, potentially exposing intimate personal chats, explicit photos and private information of users. The location-aware Grindr app enables gay men to meet other gay men who may be just metres away, making use of their smartphone's Global Positioning System (GPS). It had about 100,000 Australian users as of August last year and more than one million users worldwide. Now, reports The Sydney Morning Herald, a hacker has pushed the app developer into a security crisis that has left its users seriously vulnerable considering the vast amounts of private information traded through the app - in many cases naked photos. The hacker discovered a way to log in as another user, impersonate that user, chat and send photos on their behalf. The vulnerabilities are also present in Blendr, the straight version of the app, according to a security expert who said both apps had "no real security" and were "poorly designed". Fairfax Media is not aware that Blendr has been hacked but the potential was there, according to the security expert. The founder of the apps, Joel Simkhai, conceded both were vulnerable and he was rushing to release a patch to address the issues. He said he had originally been waiting until new architecture was built "within weeks" but was now releasing an update to both apps "over the next few days". In a telephone interview about the vulnerabilities last Friday he said it was news to him about the potential for text chats to be monitored and claimed the company had never experienced a "major breach" in which a large portion of users were affected. "We [do] get people trying to hack into our servers," he said. "That's something that I am aware of and we certainly have a team in place that are working to prevent that." But by Tuesday Mr Simkhai admitted that he was "aware of some vulnerabilities" but he would not talk about them in detail to avoid a hacker exploiting them. "We are certainly aware of a lot of these vulnerabilities and ... they will be fixed as fast as humanly possible," he said. He could not say how many people had attempted to take advantage of the vulnerabilities but said a website created by the hacker had exploited some of the flaws in Grindr. That website was shut down after Friday's interview with Fairfax Media after he sought legal action. The website, registered on July 14, 2011, allowed the hacker to search for any Grindr user regardless of their location, and capitalised on the vulnerabilities to offer other services not designed by the apps. Material seen by this website suggests that a number of Australian users had their Twitter profiles linked to Grindr profiles on the web page, making it easier to find users. At one point, according to sources who saw the website before it was taken down, it listed users' Grindr pseudonyms, passwords, their personal favourites (bookmarked friends) and allowed them to be impersonated, and thus have messages sent and received without their knowledge. At one point, the website also allowed users' profile pictures to be replaced. It is understood the hacker changed the profile picture of numerous Sydney Grindr users to explicit images. One user who was targeted confirmed they had been banned due to a perceived terms of service violation. It is understood the hacker took advantage of the fact the apps used a personalised string of numbers known as a hash, instead of a user name and password, to log in. The hash is exchanged between users' smartphones so they can communicate with each other but the hacker discovered it could be replaced with another users' hash to enable the hacker to: log in as any user; see the user's favourites; change their profile information and profile picture; talk to others as the user; access pictures sent to the user; and impersonate a user's "favourite" and talk to them as a friend. A security expert - who did not wish to be named because he didn't have Simkhai's permission to analyse his systems - said that the Grindr and Blendr apps "had no real security.” They are "very poorly designed ... [with] poor session security and authentication", the expert said. "It wouldn't be too hard to secure this." The security expert demonstrated with permission of a user how he could log in as them and take over the app. In a statement Simkhai said keeping his platform secure from hackers was a "number one priority,” and adding that using technological means and legal actions his company had "blocked the offending website and hacker. We are diligently monitoring for hacking and we've added dedicated IT security specialists to our team. In the coming weeks, we'll be rolling out a major security upgrade to our platform." He maintained conversations on the app could not be monitored. "Not only can chat not be monitored, but since we don't store chat history on our servers there is no way anyone can access all past chat history." If users are concerned about their security they can permanently delete their Grindr profile following a number of steps on the company’s website, which involves Grindr manually deleting it through a support request.

Michael Fassbender – the object of desire – strips down for W magazine.

A shirtless Chris Hemsworth and Matt Damon spotted sliding on a waterslide in St. Barts.

Michael Phelps (and a kind of cute shirtless male friend) stroll along on a beach, Phelps sporting a porn moustache.

Coalition Of American Mayors To Announce Support Same Sex Marriage, Omaha City Councilman To Introduce Measure To Ban Discrimination Against Homosexual And Transgender Individuals While State Senator Wants To Prohibit Local Anti-Discrimination Ordinances, Holland Michigan City Council Honours Gay Rights Group While Attempts To Add Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity To City’s Fair Housing and Equal Employment Policies Fail, Special Gender Identity Committee To Determine Where To House Illinois Transgender Inmate

2012-01-19T17:30:00.000-08:00

A group of mayors is set to announce on Friday a largely symbolic push to legalize same sex marriage in states across the country, echoing what they say is growing popular support for marriage equality. While marriage laws are dictated by states and the federal government, rather than cities, the advocacy group Freedom to Marry, which is coordinating the effort, is hoping the mayors can help sway political opinions. Reuters reports that more than 75 mayors are involved in the campaign, it said. "Mayors are the elected officials closest to the people, and they know what's going on in their communities and they see that marriage strengthens communities," said Marc Solomon, the National Campaign Director of Freedom to Marry. Some 30 states explicitly ban same sex marriage -- and it is strongly opposed by social conservative groups -- but the number of states that allow it is growing. Last year, New York became the most populous state to legalize same sex marriage. Five other states allow it: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Iowa. Gay marriage is also legal in the District of Columbia. New Jersey and Washington state are now considering legislation to legalize gay marriage, and gay rights activists in Maine say they plan to bring the issue to voters in a referendum. The National Organization for Marriage, which advocates that marriage be defined as being between a man and a woman, has said it will spend $250,000 to help fund primary challenges of Republican lawmakers in Washington who vote in favour of gay marriage, and another $500,000 in New Jersey to support lawmakers who oppose gay marriage. A representative for the National Organization of Marriage was not immediately available to comment on the campaign. The issue promises to feature prominently in the 2012 elections. President Barack Obama has supported rights for same sex couples, but has stopped short of endorsing marriage, while most of the Republicans seeking to challenge him in November have come out against it. Still, most polls now show a majority of Americans support gay marriage, with the strongest support coming from young people. Last May, Gallup found for the first time that a majority of Americans believe "same-sex marriage should be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages." The mayors' announcement will be made at the Conference of Mayors meeting in Washington. While composed mostly of Democrats, the group also includes Jerry Sanders, the Republican mayor of San Diego, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is an independent. In addition to Bloomberg and Sanders, Democrats Rahm Emanuel of Chicago, Thomas Menino of Boston and Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles will serve as the group's co-chairs.

A new debate is brewing at Omaha City Hall and in the State Capitol over who can qualify as a "protected class" under discrimination laws. According to The Omaha World-Herald, City Councilman Ben Gray says he plans to place a measure to ban discrimination against homosexual and transgender people on the council's agenda — as early as the end of the month or by late February. But an Omaha state senator wants to bar cities and local governments from unilaterally creating such protected classes. Instead, the bill would grant such authority solely to the state. The conflicting proposals are likely to reignite debate about more than a municipality's rights. The conversation will center on sexual orientation, the rights of private enterprise, religion and civil rights. Local business groups and religious-based organizations were pitted against a cadre of supporters of the anti-discrimination ordinance during Gray's first attempt to place a similar measure on city books in 2010. State and federal governments and the court system continue to wrangle with such issues. The U.S. Supreme Court last week upheld a "ministerial exception" to employment discrimination laws, a move that would often clear religious institutions to dismiss their leaders with legal impunity. In the Legislature, State Sen. Beau McCoy's Legislative Bill 912 would amend state law to prohibit local governments from creating new classes of residents protected from discrimination. Such changes could only come from the Legislature, the proposed law says. "It just merely says that if we're going to change the protected classes ... we need to come to the Capitol to do it so that it's consistent across the state," McCoy said. "If it's the right thing to do, it ought to be the right thing to do border-to-border, not just in one city or municipality." In Omaha, Gray said he knows of gay or transgender people who have left the city "because they saw it as an unfriendly place towards them," Gray adding, "I've seen enough smoke that I think there's a fire. If we have a segment of our community that is not enjoying those freedoms, or are in fear of not enjoying those freedoms, government has an obligation to act." Meanwhile, data from a federal auditor's review of discrimination cases filed in 2007 and 2008 suggest that only a fraction of complaints are based on sexual orientation. During that period, roughly 3-percent of complaints that were filed cited sexual orientation as part of the basis for the complaint. The review included 22 states, including Iowa, all of which had laws to prohibit discrimination against gays. Nebraska was not included because its discrimination laws — and federal regulations — do not cover homosexual and transgender residents. Barbara Albers, executive director of the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission, said the agency does not track employment complaints based on sexual orientation. "Most people know that it's not a covered basis," Albers said. But, she said, a lack of complaints shouldn't be interpreted to mean that the state hadn't had problems with gay discrimination. Michael Gordon, executive director of the local gay rights group Citizens for Equal Protection, said gay residents, and particularly transgender ones, are often fired from their jobs or have trouble being hired because of their orientation. "If people say there's not a problem, they don't know what they're talking about," he said. McCoy —whose legislative district covers part of Omaha, Valley and a part of north-western Douglas County — declined to say whether he'd support a state-wide proposal to include the gay and transgender population as a protected class, because a specific proposal isn't on the table. But McCoy said allowing municipalities to create their own policies and supersede the state's lawmaking authority could create a "patchwork quilt" of uneven regulations. "Nebraskans want uniformity," he said. "If it's discrimination in Omaha, why wouldn't it be the same in Scottsbluff, Gering, Kearney, Grand Island, you name it?" Gray said Omaha needed to act on its own to pass expanded anti-discrimination regulations. "When you look at various communities, they're made up differently," Gray said. Gray has been working to revive an anti-discrimination proposal for several months. Last August, results of a poll commissioned by the nation's largest gay rights group indicated that a majority of Omahans favoured passing an ordinance that would prohibit firing people because of their sexual orientation. Language for his latest proposal is still being drafted, but Gray said the ordinance will cover the same core issues as his original proposal. As originally written, the ordinance would have applied to all Omaha employers, employment agencies, labour groups and government contracts. Employers could be sued if they used sexual orientation or gender identity to reach decisions on hiring, firing or pay — but they would not be required to provide benefits to same-sex partners. The first proposal also barred denying the use of a public facility or service based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce's executive committee, some churches, Christian-oriented policy groups and others resisted the ordinance and urged council members to vote against it. Pressure from the Archdiocese of Omaha prompted Gray to exclude religious groups from his proposal; his new ordinance will also exempt churches. Chamber officials say the ordinance would impose ambiguous and unclear regulations and would be difficult for businesses to implement. Businesses, they said, opposed discrimination but also opposed additional city regulations for businesses that were best approved at the state or federal level. The chamber would not elaborate on those arguments this week, citing the lack of final language for the latest proposal. The 2010 effort eventually failed on a 3-3 council vote. Council member Franklin Thompson abstained from voting after calling for a public referendum on the issue. This time, Thompson said he plans to vote on the matter, though he declined to say whether he would support the proposal.

A lengthy letter from the group Until Love is Equal has not convinced Holland Michigan City Councilman Brian Burch to change his mind and his vote. According to the letter on the group’s website, Burch was targeted because of his positive comments on June 15 — the night a recommendation from the city’s Human Relations Commission to include the terms sexual orientation and gender identity to the city’s fair housing and human relations ordinances and equal employment policy failed. The Holland Sentinel reports that the open letter comes the same week another gay rights group, Holland is Ready, is being honoured by the city of Holland’s Human Relations Commission for its work. Holland is Ready is an organization devoted to the safety, rights and inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people on the lakeshore. It lobbied city officials for the ordinance and policy changes. The Human Resources Commission chooses honourees annually to receive the Social Justice Award. Those awards were presented Wednesday at the Holland City Council meeting. “I will take a minute to point out the irony, because I’m sure the irony is not lost on anyone,” said the Rev. Jen Adams, Holland is Ready organizer and pastor of the Grace Episcopal Church. Holland is Ready might be the only group that, in less than a year, has had its request to the city denied and then been celebrated for asking, Adams said. Burch was one of five no votes that defeated the changes, despite speaking favourably for equal rights. “I oppose the process that was put on us,” Burch said in Wednesday phone interview. “I strongly disagree with the government deciding moral codes. I fundamentally disagree with that. I think a community should decide that.” Until Love is Equal formed on Facebook on June 16, the day after the vote, originally under the name “I’m Boycotting Holland Until Love is Equal.” The group suffered backlash from its original name. The 2,106 word letter was never sent directly to him, Burch said. He found it Monday afternoon through a Twitter alert with a link to group’s website. “No one e-mailed me, no one sent the letter to me,” he said. It took quite a while, Burch said, but he did read it in its entirety. And he will not change his vote. “I believe strongly in equal rights,” Burch said. “If people are stepping on others’ rights, then we can look into that.”

"A gender identity committee will decide where a transgender woman with an extensive criminal record will be housed after she was sentenced this week to four years in prison on felony retail theft, battery and violation of probation charges, authorities said. The Chicago Tribune reports that Maribel Torres, identified in court records as Jose Torres, was sentenced Tuesday at the Skokie courthouse to four years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to incidents in the women's departments of stores in Skokie and Deerfield. "She seems like she's headed in the right direction to me," said Cook County Assistant Public Defender Lisa Ottenfeld, who represented Torres during the hearing before Cook County Circuit Judge Timothy Chambers. "She's come to terms with a lot of her issues." Torres, 41, of Chicago, who has shoulder-length brown hair, was born a male. But for more than 10 years Torres has identified as a woman, undergoing hormone treatments to enhance her female appearance, authorities said. Transgender prisoners have long presented challenges for the Cook County Sheriff's Department and the Illinois Department of Corrections, according to a sheriff's department spokesman. Last March the state Department of Corrections modified its policy on transgender prisoners. The policy notes that the department's goal is to provide a safe and secure environment for all inmates who identify themselves as transgender, or who are identified by Cermak Health Services of Cook County as having gender identity disorder. Cermak is the health care provider for county's Department of Corrections. Transgender prisoners can ask to be placed in the male or female section of a prison, according to the policy, but the final decision is made by a gender identity committee of medical staff and representatives from the Sheriff's Department and Department of Corrections. Torres was housed in the male section of the Cook County Jail after her arrest last year, but was moved to a special unit in the jail where she received drug and counselling services, Ottenfeld said. Torres has 10 previous felony convictions. On Tuesday she pleaded guilty to stealing a $2,000 Burberry handbag from a Skokie Nordstrom store in 2008, and knocking down a store security worker who tried to stop her, Ottenfeld said. Torres also pleaded guilty to stealing more than $1,000 worth of cosmetics from a Deerfield store in 2009. She was sentenced to three years in prison on each of the theft charges and three years in prison on an aggravated battery charge, with the sentences to run concurrently. She was also sentenced to an additional year in prison for violating her parole on a previous conviction.

Washington State Senate Now One Vote Short Of Passing Same Sex Marriage Legislation

2012-01-19T14:13:00.000-08:00

The Washington Legislature edged closer to having enough support to legalize same sex marriage Thursday as major businesses declared their approval and a conservative Democrat who once opposed same sex marriage now says he will vote for it. According to The Associated Press, the state Senate is now just one vote shy of having enough backing to approve the bill, with a half-dozen lawmakers remaining uncommitted. Microsoft Corp. is among several prominent businesses that are publicly supporting the measure, with general counsel Brad Smith saying in a blog posting that the bill would "be good for our business and good for the state's economy," Smith adding, "As other states recognize marriage equality, Washington's employers are at a disadvantage if we cannot offer a similar, inclusive environment to our talented employees, our top recruits and their families." Six other states allow gay marriage. Senator Jim Kastama of Puyallup announced his decision to support gay marriage in a press conference Thursday, becoming the 24th senator to commit a vote to the measure. The state House is widely expected to have enough support to pass gay marriage, and Governor Chris Gregoire publicly endorsed the proposal earlier this month. Kastama voted in 1998 for a law defining marriage as between one man and one woman. In 2009, he supported an expansion of the state's domestic partnership laws. Kastama said some will likely never forgive him for his support gay marriage. But he said society has changed and that it is necessary for marriage to evolve to strengthen marriage as a valued institution. "I think that is a progression that I think many people have gone through in our society," Kastama said. "I think we have all evolved, and I think this is a culmination of that."

LDS Church Joins Coalition Of Religious Leaders Warning Of Dire Consequences Of Same Sex Marriage

2012-01-19T08:08:00.000-08:00

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has again joined with dozens of other faiths in its defense of marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman, arguing that the move to legalize same sex marriage may infringe on religious rights. There are “grave consequences of altering this definition,” a group of 39 religious leaders, including LDS Presiding Bishop H. David Burton, wrote last week in “an open letter ... to all Americans.” The Salt Lake Tribune reports that other signers included Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals; Cardinal-designate Timothy M. Dolan, Catholic archbishop of New York; and Nathan J. Diament, executive director for public policy for the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America. These leaders worry about "broad range" of church-state legal conflicts that would arise by altering the civil definition of marriage. Every law “where rights depend on marital status — such as employment discrimination, employment benefits, adoption, education, health care, elder care, housing, property, and taxation — ” the letter said, “will change so that same-sex sexual relationships must be treated as if they were marriage.” Any refusal by religious organizations “to treat a same-sex sexual relationship as if it were a marriage,” the leaders warned, would mark them and their members “as bigots, subjecting them to the full arsenal of government punishments and pressures reserved for racists.” They urged Americans to “work together to strengthen and preserve the unique meaning of marriage and the precious gift of religious freedom.” The full letter was posted on the LDS Church's website. It was the second article this month about the Utah-based church's concerns about contemporary threats to religious freedom. The first was an introduction, offering an overview of the topic and said it was the first in a series.

State-Funded Jewish Faith School Taught Students That Homosexuality Can Be Cured

2012-01-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

A Jewish Faith School in London has provoked anger from parents and pupils by teaching sixth formers that homosexuality can be "cured.” According to a article in The Jewish Chronicle, as part of the school's Jewish studies curriculum, pupils are shown a website from the American group JONAH - Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality. It promotes the idea that homosexuality can be "mitigated and potentially eliminated" and sends participants on retreats such as "Journey into Manhood.” The JONAH website is introduced at the end of the textual study part of a lower sixth lesson on homosexuality and the Orthodox viewpoint. Pupils have complained that, coming at the end of the lesson, there is no opportunity for debate and that the JONAH website was effectively presented as the authoritative statement of the Orthodox view. One of the students at a recent lesson said, "We discussed whether someone chooses to be gay or not. Then there was the concluding voice of "the Jewish view", where we looked at Orthodox Judaism, which condemns homosexuality. At the end, we were asked what we thought about religious Jews who might hate themselves because their religion condemns being gay. The last slide on the PowerPoint was a picture and a link to the JONAH website, after we were discussing what gay Orthodox Jews can do, if they hate themselves." The student said there was no condemnation or discussion of the controversy around gay "conversion", and no alternative group was mentioned. "I was appalled; it felt like it was saying, 'If you are having doubts, check this out'." Another pupil who was in the lesson said, "If I were gay or worrying about my sexuality, sitting through that lesson, I would have been so upset. They could have advertised other organizations, which are not there to convert but to support whatever decision people want to make. I know most people were offended by it." JONAH has run sessions in the UK. Rabbi David Mitchell of West London Synagogue said he was aware of people who had been involved in the organisation's "therapy.” He said, "I find it deeply distressing that this group was referred to as part of a Jewish studies lesson, and have concerns about whether those preparing have students' best interests at heart, without referring to the damage JONAH has done." Keshet UK, the lesbian, gay and transgender forum, whose co-chair Dave Shaw is an ex-JFS pupil, said it was "appalled" at the claims. JFS head teacher Jonathan Miller said the JONAH website was intended to illustrate the different Jewish perspectives on the issue. Mr Miller said, "It is absolutely not the case that we promote JONAH. The teaching materials explicitly state that Judaism would utterly condemn homophobia and discrimination. The website is referred to at the end of the lesson, as another opinion, 'some Jews think this', to leave students with food for thought.” He said the school, which is funded by the state, although parents pay separately for student’s religious education, was looking into the issue of when it should be viewed during the lesson. "We are always reviewing what we teach after something like this comes up. There have already been discussions about it at the school. Absolutely, we will address it."