Gay Dallas Pages

Dot Gay May be on the Horizon

2011-02-08T11:06:00.000-08:00

Move over .com and make way for .gay!

...or .love, .eco, .car, .health, .radio, .ski, etc. In fact, there's a large list of all the possibilities various groups already want to see when the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) completes its tasks to implement the new Top level Domains over on the .NXT Conference site. The custom domain will also mean cities and states can have their own top level domain like .nyc or .florida. We may also see brand ones like .coke (.canon and .unicef are already listed).

What's the catch, you may ask? Having your own top level domain like this will be coming with a hefty price tag. $185,000 plus a $25,000 annual fee according to the Washington Post. Pretty big catch! Luckily, the dotGAYalliance and dotGAY will be pushing to have the .gay extension included so we may see eventually sites like hotel.gay, sports.gay, or health.gay popping up.

Unfortunately, as has happened in the past with the Bush Administration stopping the .xxx extension, the Obama administration is quietly pushing to allow countries, including the US, to veto top level domains. That then leads to the trouble that having a central domain such as .gay (or any number of potentially controversial extensions like .abortion, .aids, etc) would allow countries who aren't friendly towards a particular subject to block any domain with that extension if it was approved by the ICANN.

Texan Activists set to Take Action on Tuesday at Noon

2010-12-20T12:54:00.000-08:00

If you were living under a rock this weekend (as I was, also known as getting ready for the holidays), you may not have heard the news. Saturday brought with it the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell following the Senate vote to the relief of many. That is great news, especially the men and women serving in our armed forces who have had to hide who they are every day in order to serve their country.

Prior to that news this weekend, several activists in Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston were planning a rally outside Sentator Kay Bailey Hutchison's offices to let their voices be heard. After speaking with Michael Diviesti (@atxthumper) representing GetEqual (@getEQUAL) in Texas, the rally will be going ahead. "We will no longer sit by and allow votes like that of Sen. Hutchison on the repeal measure to go unnoticed. Although the repeal measure passed the Senate with a filibuster proof majority, Senator Hutchison attempted to silence those willing to defend the rights and freedoms of the United States with their lives by voting against the repeal. We will not be silenced. The freedom of speech is guaranteed to all Americans, not just those who the Senator prefers." Diviesti stated regarding the effort to let the Senator know that "Enough is Enough".

For more information about the rally, check out the original release on GetEqual's site.

Confused About "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"? You're Not Alone...

2010-11-17T15:29:00.000-08:00

As one of my followers on Twitter mentioned recently, the news about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" has been less than clear. He is, of course, absolutely right as it seems things are constantly going back and forth about whether it will be repealed or not (and even if it will be included in the Defense Authorization Act this year). I've been reading the stories as they appear on various news sites and have seen everything from the White House not approving any defense bill without the repeal of DADT to the lame duck congress won't be able to pass the defense bill with or without it due to the small time span.

While I won't be able to make anything clearer about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" myself as I'm not a member of congress, at least I can do some of the legwork by giving you a list of the most informative articles I've read lately to do with DADT.

While Wikipedia has its flaws in the communal editing and potential of false information being edited in by those who aren't up on their facts or are trolling, generally, it is always a good place to look for quickly updated information and source linkes. Don't Ask, Don't Tell article on Wikipedia

Advocate.com is also another source and is where most of the articles I've been reading has stemmed from. The latest one posted as of November 16, 2010 is A Midwestern DADT Repeal Effort.

Others Articles Posted Recently

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/11/yes_dadt_repeal_could_still_pa.html

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/11/mccain_is_still_on_the_wrong_s.html

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/11/the_morning_plum_131.html

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/11/on_dadt_its_imperial_presidenc.html

http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2010/11/gates-launches-investigation-of-dont-ask-dont-tell-review-leak.html

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=131223266

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sc-dc-1114-court-gays-military-20101112,0,6155475.story

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/cindy-mccain-opposes-john-mccain-dont/story?id=12131423

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20022790-503544.html

http://www.washingtonblade.com/2010/11/17/obama-restates-commitment-on-keeping-dont-ask-in-defense-bill/

Overall, we're going to have to wait and see what comes out of the lame-duck congressional session. Taking a look through some of those links will help to piece together a semblance of where things are currently standing. If it's anything like a couple recent days though, tomorrow it may very well be a different story.

ESPN's 'Egg The Transvestites' Tees

2010-09-20T20:03:00.001-07:00

Zellers, a Canadian retail giant with nearly 300 stores spread throughout Canada has been selling a T-shirt that includes the message, "Yo, let's get 'em. Let's drive-by egg these transvestites." They were available in children's sizes, because the shirts were for children.

The shirts were manufactured by X Games Clothing, a subsidiary of ESPN Consumer Products, which is owned by the Walt Disney Co., harbingers of the ABC television network.

The shirts were pulled from the racks amidst a nationwide recall after shopper found the tee she purchased for her four-year-old son contained some horrible dialogue between two friends that also included this phrase: "What the fuck?" The mini-conversation, about listening to rap music and bashing cross-dressers, went like this:

Oh man, I don't know. They got their equal parts of being ridiculous. Terry is pretty high jinks. I'd say Terry is pretty up there… remember one time when he and I were like fifteen or sixteen, we were driving around…. getting hyped, listening to Mafia; just youngsters having some fun. Me and Terry would see the transvestites on Santa Monica and this one time… [we were] like 'Yo, let's get 'em. Let's drive-by egg these transvestites.'

These shirts isn't that they call for violence against transvestites. The writers of the tee's copy came from Engrish.com.

Miley Cyrus to Kiss a Girl on Screen

2010-08-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

Miley Cyrus will kiss a girl in an upcoming moving "LOL".

Miley will play "Lola" a “teenage Aphrodite, minus the confidence” – the 17-year-old actress loses her virginity, talks about sex incessantly, smokes marijuana, kisses one of her two best female friends on the lips, gets wasted and accidentally shows her mom, Ann, (Demi Moore) her Brazilian wax.

While Miley’s turn as a soul-searching teen who wants to try everything both good and bad in life. Twilight star, Ashley Greene, plays completely against type as Lola’s arch-nemesis, the slutty Ashley – who’s nicknamed “The Post It” because “she sticks to every guy.”

Defarra Gaymon a Man With a Big Heart, Killed While Cruising

2010-08-23T21:00:00.000-07:00

Defarra Gaymon was killed by the New Jersey police while he was cruising for sex in a park, worked hard to help others.The cop who shot Gaymon, Edward Esposito, has returned to work and wants us (or rather, investigators) to believe Gaymon threatened his life. We may never know what truly happened last month, while Gaymon was in Jersey for his high school's 30th high school reunion high school reunion.

“In the early ’90s, banks suffered from a recession, similar to today’s situation, which afforded me a new opportunity,” he later wrote in promotional material for the Credit Union Executives Society. “I came across what was called a credit union — not knowing exactly what a credit union was.”
He prided himself on being something of a miracle worker for people who could not get loans elsewhere. Many such clients showed up for his wake. He helped Irish Brown, now 50, get a car loan when nobody else would. He helped Constance Hawthorne, 62, pay off debts and secure a loan for a $300,000 home. “He taught me about managing money,” she said at his wake. “If it wasn’t for Dean, I wouldn’t have any.”

Two hours before he died, "Gaymon sent a text message to Cheryl Wilcox, 57, who was seeking a loan for a new BMW, and then called the office at 4 p.m. to confirm that the loan had gone through."

Says Defarra's father George about his always impeccably dressed son: “I raised that young man. I know it’s not true [that he was gay]." But: “Even if that was the case, is that a reason to shoot to kill?”

Jarod McIntosh is Being Discharged from the Navy for Pictures on His Cellphone

2010-08-16T18:50:00.000-07:00

Jarod McIntosh is being discharged from the Navy because he accidentally brought his camera-equipped cell phone into a submarine, which is a restricted area.

His superiors confiscated his phone to ensure it didn't contain any classified material. It didn't. But there were what sounds like intimate photos of Jared and his boyfriend Doug. Jared is being discharged not for breaking the rules about bringing audio-video equipment into a restricted area, but for being gay. He's appealing the decsion.

Gay Man Recounts Hate Crime

2010-07-19T18:01:00.000-07:00

A gay man said he was knocked to the ground and beaten b.y two male attackers who called him anti-gay names while punching and kicking him as he was walking home this month from a bus stop in Washington D.C.

Francisco Martin said one of the two attackers struck him in the face and head July 6 with a nine-inch wide sheet of plywood while the other knocked him to the ground and kicked him.

Washington D.C. police have listed the incident as a bias-related crime and are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying suspects. The department’s Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit is assisting in the investigation.

“I just tried to cover my face; I just started yelling, ‘stop, stop,’ and they just wouldn’t stop,” Martin told the Blade in a phone interview. “They just [kept] beating me until they ripped my shirt off. I was on the ground bleeding.”

Martin said he managed to walk about three blocks to his home after the attackers stopped beating him.

“They were saying like ‘faggot’ or all these derogatory things,” said Martin, who is Latino.

Martin said he is cooperating with police and is hopeful that the investigation will result in the arrest of the two men who attacked him.

Kagan's newspaper photo puts softball in middle of a supremely strange game

2010-05-17T16:21:00.001-07:00

Softball, that friendly, fun game many Americans grow up playing, suddenly finds itself entangled in a hardball debate about sexual orientation, editorial judgment and the future of the Supreme Court.

It all stems from speculation in the media that Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan is a lesbian.

Sparking the interest was a nearly two-decades-old picture of Kagan playing softball on the front page of Tuesday's Wall Street Journal. That quickly morphed into an online debate about whether the paper used the photo to make a point — essentially, that if she plays softball, she must be gay.

The newspaper denies the photo was used for any such purpose.

Nevertheless, the president of the International Softball Federation, Don Porter, felt the need to weigh in.

Porter insists softball is for everyone, regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation.

"The media has chosen to try to put a label on athletes who play this sport," he said. "I've heard more about softball that way in one week than I did about our sport, period, in one year during" the campaign to get softball back in the Olympics.

"While it's good to hear our sport mentioned in the major media during the past few days, it has been more in a negative sense than positive. ..." he said.

Those who play and coach the game were equally dismayed.

"We've come so far," said Jessica Mendoza, a two-time Olympian and president of the Women's Sports Foundation, "and to have even one person think that showing a photo would correlate with someone's orientation, I want to yell out and say, 'Where have you been? Look around.'"

But stereotypes run deep. Those about female athletes go back at least to the days when a girl with some athletic promise immediately got the label "tomboy," because, for instance, she could throw a baseball far. Or, in other words, because she didn't "throw like a girl."

The landmark Title IX legislation, passed in 1972, brought about more opportunities and gradually, girls and women playing sports in college, high schools and recreational leagues became more accepted.

"It is shocking, that here we are in the 21st century and something like this is being brought up," two-time Olympian Jennie Finch said.

Her former teammate, Stacey Nuveman, agrees.

"In the sporting community, having gay and lesbian players on teams is more accepted and a known entity than it once was," she said. "But it's still something that, in the general landscape of things, we have a long way to go."

Gays in the ministry: Lutherans lead debate

2010-05-03T17:13:00.001-07:00

For Abiding Savior Lutheran Church, it was a bureaucratic blip: the lifting of a censure against the congregation. For the national denomination, though, it signaled growing acceptance of gay ministers like Bill Knott.

"I'm delighted, of course," the Fort Lauderdale pastor says. "But it won't change the ministry life of the congregation."

But much has changed in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, with 4.7 million members nationwide. And other mainstream denominations are watching this version of the conflict between liberals and conservatives.

Last summer, delegates to the denomination's biennial assembly voted by a slim margin to allow churches to hire noncelibate gay ministers. That enabled Florida's bishop, Edward R. Benoway, to lift the sanction he had imposed in 2002 when Abiding Savior hired Knott as pastor despite denomination rules.

Most congregations are deeply divided over gay-related issues, Benoway says from Tampa, where he shepherds about 75,000 people in 204 congregations. "But most feel we can do what the Lord calls us to do, and not let this issue dominate."

Perhaps. But in the wake of the national vote, about 200 of the 10,000-plus congregations are considering leaving the denomination.

Advent Lutheran Church in Boca Raton is still analyzing 300 survey responses on whether to stay or leave ELCA. The congregation will likely vote on its future in September, said the Rev. Richard Barbour.

"About 18 longtime members have already left," said Barbour. "Some have said they don't want their offering to go to their synod or the national church. And some have said that in spite of the ELCA's decision, Advent is their home."

The issues echo far beyond Lutheran circles. Because of its moderate image and Midwestern home turf, many see ELCA as a bellwether of American Protestantism.

"It's a mainstream, middle-America denomination, and it has strong ecumenical ties to other denominations," says the Rev. Rebecca Voelkel, faith work director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "So it's being watched closely by other groups."

Abiding Savior is among more than 6,000 "gay-friendly" religious groups nationwide, including 181 in Florida, according to the gaychurch.org website. Besides Lutheran, they include Methodist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Congregational, Quaker, even Catholic parishes.

Pastor Knott's partner of 14 years, Ted Carter, is a part of the life of the 47-member church. Carter holds a monthly contemporary-style service, and coordinates other church functions, like Christmas in July. He even had church members dress as pirates one Sunday.

Although the two say the church has welcomed them with "open arms," they agree there were some obstacles.

"I'm not the normal pastor's wife," Carter says. "Some of the women had to get used to that."

Knott joined Abiding Savior first as its organist in 2001. Ordained in 1979, he led a congregation in West Virginia until he came out in 1994. He divorced his wife — by mutual agreement, he said — and worked at a management firm in South Florida, before the Fort Lauderdale church asked him in 2000 to be its music minister.

"It was a natural transition, and it didn't bother us that the man was gay," says Mike Scott, congregational president at Abiding Savior. "We thought he did a good job as an organist, and we figured he'd do well as a pastor.

"It's always been very low-key with him here," Scott says.

Part of it was Knott's approach. "We told them we weren't going to turn this into a gay church, just a church," Knott says. "We always say, ‘God made you, and you're welcome.' And we don't add small print that says: ‘especially if you're gay.' "

Because of the sharp disagreement, the ELCA has moved slowly and cautiously. For one, the national vote last year didn't require all congregations to accept gay leaders. The delegates also resolved to respect one another's consciences. And the votes followed acceptance of a study on sexuality begun by a denominational task force in 2002.

"Some say we over-study, but we want to have a careful conversation," Benoway says. "When a decision is made, we've involved as many people as possible."

Still, it sometimes comes down to force. In February, the synod refused to release St. Peter Lutheran Church in Fort Pierce from the denomination. Benoway said in a statement that St. Peter was too important as an ELCA presence on the Space Coast.

Nor are matters settled among Hispanic Lutherans. Eleven pastors, nine from South Florida, wrote a protest letter after the August vote. And at least one — Iglesia Luterana San Pedro in Miami — has already indicated plans to pull out of the denomination.

"How can the ELCA be so arrogant?" says Pastor Eddy Perez of San Pedro. "Throughout history, the church as a whole has understood that homosexual behavior doesn't please God."

One of the issues is, well, agreeing on the issue. For conservatives, it's the status of the Bible, which they say flatly forbids homosexual acts. For liberals, it's social justice and human rights.

"Homosexuality is the lightning-rod issue, but the basic issue is the authority of the Word of God," says the Rev. Rebecca Heber, a national steering committee member for Lutheran CORE, who spoke at a Hispanic Lutheran meeting last month in Miami. "Lutherans interpret scripture by scripture, not by the current cultural milieu."

Across the aisle is Ross Murray, interim executive director of Lutherans Concerned/North America, which has lobbied for gay rights since 1974.

"The LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender] community has been beaten up by churches for quite a while," Murray says. "Now, a lot of people are deciding if church is a safe place for them to go. . . . The national policy changes were good."

Knott and other liberal pastors also note most Christians today don't follow other biblical bans, such as eating shellfish. "Some things were reflections of their time and place, and not God's Word for all time. Yes, homosexuality was a sin in that day and age. But it wasn't the same as a loving, caring relationship."

Where might dissidents go? One place is Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ, an association with 400 member churches, including two in South Florida. The nine-year-old group has added more than 174 churches just since the ELCA vote last August, according to chairman Larry Lindstrom.

Another possible landing place: a new Lutheran denomination that conservatives plan to launch in August in Columbus, Ohio. Some observers believe that's when many congregations will make their final decision to stay or leave ELCA.

Some leaders say the divisions over homosexuality will still prove weaker than the ties that bind. Things are comparatively calm among the 15 ELCA churches in Broward, according to the Rev. Keith Spencer, acting dean of the Broward-Bahamas Conference.

"We have folks across the spectrum, but they're willing to tolerate diversity of opinion," says Spencer, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Pembroke Pines. "They focus on what binds them together in mission, rather than what divides them."

For many Lutherans, gospel and ministry do seem more important than gay ordination.

"We want to welcome all people," says Barbour, of Advent church in Boca Raton. "This is an issue over which faithful Christians disagree."

Orlando Sentinel

Texas court hears state's appeal in gay divorce

2010-04-26T15:32:00.000-07:00

DALLAS —
A lawyer for a Dallas man trying to divorce the man he married in Massachusetts told a Texas appeals court Wednesday that his client is entitled to a divorce because he had a valid marriage.
But the Texas Attorney General's Office argued before the three-judge 5th Texas Court of Appeals panel that the marriage isn't recognized by Texas, so they cannot get a divorce. Jimmy Blacklock, an assistant Texas solicitor general, said the men's union can only be voided.
"The parties lack standing to file a divorce case because they're not married," he said.
The Dallas men wed in 2006 in Massachusetts, where gay marriage is legal, and separated two years later.
Attorney General Greg Abbott appealed a Dallas state district judge's ruling in October that granted a divorce to the men and said the state's same-sex marriage ban violates equal rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
Abbott is also appealing an Austin judge's ruling this spring that granted a divorce to two women married in Massachusetts.
Jody Scheske, who represents the Dallas man listed in court records only as J.B., said his client doesn't want to overturn the state's marriage ban, but only wants to end his own marriage.
"He is not seeking to enter into a same-sex marriage; he's seeking to end a marriage that was valid," Scheske said.
"The trial courts have the right to hear divorce cases from people who have valid marriages," he said.
Blacklock told the judges that the state's ban on gay marriage doesn't violate the Constitution and asked them to confirm that voidance is the correct way to dissolve a same-sex union.
"Voidance is the remedy Texas has long provided to dissolve a void marriage," he said.
Scheske said voidance isn't applicable to his client because he has a valid marriage. And, he said, the constitutional issues only arose in the case after Abbott tried to intervene. The judge did not allow the intervention, so Abbott appealed.
"My client's very private matter has become a public spectacle," Scheske said.
The court did not give a time frame for a ruling in the case.
In 2004, Massachusetts became the first state to let same-sex couples get married. Now Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia also allow them.
Gay and lesbian couples who turn to the courts when they break up are getting mixed results across the nation. A Pennsylvania judge last month refused to divorce two women who married in Massachusetts, while New York grants such divorces even though the state doesn't allow same-sex marriage.
Hiram Sasser, an attorney for the conservative Liberty Institute in Plano, told the court that the issue of same-sex marriage should be determined by the people. And he said Texans have already spoken on the issue.
In 2005, Texas voters passed a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage by a 3-to-1 margin even though state law already prohibited it.
Liberty Institute had filed a friend-of-the-court brief to the appeals court on behalf of the two Republican state lawmakers who co-sponsored the amendment banning gay marriage: state Rep. Warren Chisum and former state Sen. Todd Staples.
Attorney Peter Schulte, who also represents J.B., said J.B. and his partner, known in court filings as H.B., had an amicable separation, with no disputes on separation of property and no children involved. He said the couple simply wants an official divorce.
"But for the actions of the attorney general," Scheske told the court, "my client would already be divorced and there would be one less same-sex marriage in Texas."

Seattle Times

Lesbian student in Miss. who sued over ban on same-sex prom dates seeks damages in new lawsuit

2010-04-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

ABERDEEN, Miss. (AP) — The lesbian teenager from Mississippi who challenged her school district's ban on same-sex prom dates is seeking unspecified monetary damages, claiming she was publicly humiliated.A lawsuit was filed Wednesday by the American Civil Liberties Union in U.S. District Court in Aberdeen.Constance McMillen, 18, is a senior at Itawamba Agricultural High School in Fulton. The lawsuit names the Itawamba County school district and school officials as defendants.McMillen and the ACLU challenged her school district's rule banning same-sex prom dates and a stipulation that only male students be allowed to wear tuxedos to the event.In response, the school district canceled its April 2 prom and later announced parents would sponsor another dance in its place.

Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

School Amends Policy to Let Gay Couple Attend Prom

2010-04-19T15:42:00.001-07:00

BOONVILLE, N.C. (WGHP)

A Triad high school is allowing a gay couple to attend senior prom after amending a policy so that any student can bring a guest, rather than a date, to prom.

With matching rings, Chase Wall, a student at Starmount High School in Yadkin County, and his boyfriend, Jordan Beam, say their relationship is pretty serious. Like many teenagers, they say they had been looking forward to prom all year, but Wall said the principal recently called him to the office and told him he couldn't bring Beam as his date.

"It really disappointed me that I wasn't going to be able to go with him just because we're the same sex." Wall said.

"I'm not going to lie, I really went off whenever I found out about it." said Beam, who goes to another school.

Beam's mother, Lisa Nixon, didn't want her son or Wall to miss their prom. She brought her displeasure to Starmount High School principal Danyelle Parker.

"I told her when I spoke with her that if they did not allow him to bring a same-sex prom date that I would call the ACLU and I would contact the media, because this was wrong." Nixon said.

Parker left this message on Nixon's home answering machine:

"We are going to allow Chase to bring, I guess it's your son, as his outside date and what we are probably going to have to change about our policy is just to allow any student to bring a guest and not necessarily call it a date." Parker said.

School administrators didn't want to talk to FOX8 on camera, but they said they have a no-discrimination policy.

Some people in the small town of Boonville, where Starmount High School is located, didn't agree with administrators' decision.

"If they want to go to it, that's the school's business. I'm born and raised in the south, in the Bible Belt. It's not the Christian thing to be doing." said Mark Parker.

Wall and Beam know not everyone approves of their relationship, but they say they couldn't be happier together. The school's decision, they say, is a small, but meaningful victory.

"Even if this small thing got another person next year to be able to go, then that's a good thing for me. That makes me happy so I'm glad I get to say I started it." Wall said.

Nixon says she credits school administrators for their handling of the issue. In the meantime, Wall and Beam say they are looking forward to attending their senior prom on May 1.

Nursing ad campaigns take on the male stereotype

2010-04-12T13:09:00.000-07:00

When young boys are asked what they want to be when they grow up, they're supposed to answer "doctor," not "nurse," becausenursing is for women--at least that's how the stereotype goes.

But national ad campaigns are trying to eliminate that stereotype by asking men "Are You Man Enough to Be a Nurse?" The ads depict a variety of men some in nurse scrubs, some in sports uniforms or business suits--and provide a brief description of a hobby each man enjoys.

"I love [these ads]," said Christopher Blackwell, an assistant professor for UCF's College of Nursing. "When we get positive ads and positive characters on shows like 'Nurse Jackie' and 'House,' they break some of the stereotypes down," said Blackwell.

A study conducted by the Bernard Hodes Group in 2004 found the most common misperceptions about male nurses are that they are homosexual, that nursing is viewed as a more feminine profession, and that men aren't seen as caring enough to be nurses.

"When you look at stereotypes, you have two different kinds: public and professional," Blackwell said. "Because nurses work together, they know the gay stereotype isn't true."

However, Blackwell said that some female nurses may feel that men should be better at the technical side of nursing and that men can be seen as "muscle" for the female nurses who can't lift patients.

According to the Hodes study, 50 percent of the male nurses polled said they have encountered these kinds of stereotypes in the workplace, and 56 percent of the men polled said they encountered stereotypes in school.

Are the men in UCF's nursing school facing these stereotypes?

"I don't really know how much of a presence stereotypes have concerning male nurses anymore," said Joe Eichorn, a nursing major in the accelerated nursing program. "We have fun in class joking with each other about them. Other than that, it has never really come up."

Dominic Pham, who is also in the accelerated nursing program, says that the stereotyping he has faced has mostly concerned his Asian descent. "I've never really minded the stereotyping I've faced since none were ever truly malicious in my eyes," said Pham.

Stacey Grant, a first-year nursing student, says she used to believe some of the stereotypes herself. "I must admit, when I first entered the program, I did have a few stereotypes about male nurses stuck in my head. Some people may still think that 'murses' [male nurses] must be feminine or pre-med drop outs," Grant said.

"However, all of the guys I know in the nursing program are the 'typical' college student just trying to get an education," Grant said. "If anything, they get more attention than all of the girls."

Although there are many males who have not encountered stereotyping, the Hodes study cites stereotypes as a factor in the low number of males who have entered the nursing profession.

Of the 2 million registered nurses in the U.S., only about 5 percent of them are male. At UCF, about 2,250 students are nursing majors, but only 246 of them are male.

According to Blackwell, this is why using ads to recruit men into the profession is crucial.

"I think it's important [to advertise to men]. Having a strong male presence [in health care] is important," Blackwell said.

Pham also thinks this type of advertising is a positive step.

"I think there are very few situations where publicity is bad," Pham said. "Like other advertisements, even if it is annoying or controversial, attention is brought to it, which may trigger inspiration in those that have never considered [male nursing]."

However, many of the men polled in the Hodes study did not view the ads as positive.

"Many commented that in pushing the macho image, the ads were underscoring the stereotype that men in nursing are overwhelmingly gay or that nursing is not a masculine career choice," the study reports.

Masculine career choice or not, Blackwell said that if you work in a good team environment, the stereotypes won't matter.

"We did not care if you were male, female, white, black or Puerto Rican," Blackwell said. "What we cared about was that you were a good, productive member of the team."

Marisa Ramiccio is a UCF journalism student.

Orlando Sentinel

Army: Gays still can be dismissed if they speak up

2010-04-05T18:11:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON -- Reversing course, Army Secretary John McHugh warned soldiers Thursday that they still can be discharged for acknowledging they are gay, saying he misspoke earlier this week when he suggested the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy had been temporarily suspended.

The public stumble by a senior service official is an indication of the issue's legal complexity. The Pentagon has said it wants to hear from gay troops as it conducts a broad study on how it could lift the ban, as President Barack Obama wants.

But to do that, gay service members would have to break the law, which prohibits them from discussing their sexual orientation.

Defense Department officials say they plan to hire an outside contractor to survey the troops, and that gay troops won't be punished for sharing their views with that third party.
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"Until Congress repeals 'don't ask, don't tell,' it remains the law of the land and the Department of the Army and I will fulfill our obligation to uphold it," McHugh said in a statement Thursday.

Earlier in the week, when pressed by reporters, McHugh said he wouldn't try to discharge service members who in private conversations with him acknowledged being gay. He also said he believed that Defense Secretary Robert Gates had placed a moratorium on dismissals while the Pentagon surveyed troops on their opinions.

On Thursday, McHugh said he misspoke.

"There is no moratorium of the law and neither (Gates) nor I would support one," McHugh said.

With regard to three soldiers who told McHugh they were gay, McHugh said he probably should have told them that they were violating the law and their conversation couldn't necessarily be kept confidential.

But he said he won't pursue administrative action against those individuals.

"Because of the informal and random manner in which these engagements occurred, I am unable to identify these soldiers and I am not in a position to formally pursue the matter," he added.

While the ban remains intact, the Pentagon has made it tougher to get discharged under the law. Earlier this month, Gates announced new guidelines that tighten the rules for evidence when someone reports that a soldier is gay and puts higher-ranking officers in charge of dismissal proceedings.

An estimated 13,000 people have been discharged under the law. Although most of the dismissals have been the result of gay service members outing themselves, advocates for repeal of the law say it has been used to drum out capable soldiers who never made their sexuality an issue.
Washington Post

Florida film bill's anti-gay bias is a big-screen blunder

2010-03-15T18:12:00.000-07:00

Tallahassee lawmakers seem obsessed with homosexuality.

The latest example? Three little words tucked into a bill that's supposed to be about job creation.

The legislation would offer millions of dollars in tax breaks to filmmakers who roll cameras in the Sunshine State. The hitch is that some of that money would be available only to movies that avoid featuring "nontraditional family values."

In other words: Lassie and Timmy could get extra tax dollars … unless Timmy has two mommies. Then he could kiss that 5 percent bonus goodbye.

This is how your lawmakers spend their time.

They see gay boogeymen around every corner and are determined to insert their discriminatory paranoia into any bill they can. Even if it has nothing to do with the issue at hand.

This time, however, it may not work.

Facing mounting criticism and nationwide scrutiny, the bill's sponsor, Orlando Republican Steve Precourt, is now backtracking. He realizes that these few, incendiary words managed to turn into a lightning rod a bill that otherwise would have enjoyed wide support.

But it says a lot about this state that it even got this far.

The Palm Beach Post was the first to catch this strange addition into an otherwise routine bill. Asked about giving tax credits to movies that feature gay characters, Precourt responded: "That would not be the kind of thing I'd say that we want to invest public dollars in."

The national media pounced. From Fox News to The New York Times, everyone was fascinated with the politician who had found a new and exciting way to discriminate: via tax incentives for movies.

So Precourt began backpedaling.

He issued a statement that said he was simply trying to extend a current law that offered extra tax money to family-friendly films.

Well, that sounded harmless enough. Perhaps, I thought to myself, the mainstream media had pounced too soon — especially if Precourt was merely extending an existing law.

Except that wasn't the case.

I pulled up the existing statute and compared it to Precourt's bill. Only Precourt's included the reference to "nontraditional family values."

Then Precourt said he was simply trying to define what a G-rated film was.

Except the Motion Picture Association of America already does that. To earn a G, films must avoid things such as nudity, violence, profanity and drug use. "Nontraditional family values" isn't one of the cardinal sins.

So then Precourt sent me a note suggesting that this was much ado about nothing — that everyone from the major film unions to "all the major attractions" had endorsed it.

But I had trouble buying that, too. He was asking me to believe that companies such as Disney and SeaWorld — which welcome Gay Days and employ many gay and lesbian workers — would support legislation that goes out of its way to take a swipe at homosexuality.

So I called all of our "major attractions" to ask why they had supported this language.

It turns out they didn't.

Said a spokesman from SeaWorld: "We respect Representative Precourt, but we're not involved with this."

Disney said it supported increased film incentives — but wasn't ready to defend the clause about "nontraditional family values." Instead, the company said it hopes to fine-tune the bill's language.

Universal offered similar thoughts, also touting the need for film incentives — while stressing the company's "long track record of supporting and embracing diversity."

By late Wednesday, Precourt was reversing course. He said he would work to "craft language that replaces the problematic language."

He said they would work to better duplicate the MPAA's definition of "G" — which is what they should've done in the first place.

This never needed to be a controversy. In fact, the "nontraditional family values" clause probably would have had little, if any, effect …unless you think directors were planning to flood Florida with G-rated scripts that were chock-full of gay characters.

This was simply a way to wedge divisive language into a bill, possibly setting a precedent to insert it into bills down the road where it could have had more effect.

This was supposed to be a jobs bill. Instead, it started turning into a morality lecture, from scandal-ridden Tallahassee, of all places.

Precourt still maintains that none of this has anything to do with discrimination. He said he just wants more shows like the ones he watched growing up — like The Andy Griffith Show.

But as a native North Carolinian, I'm not so sure Sheriff Andy would be pleased to hear his name invoked as an excuse to discriminate.

Mayberry, after all, was all about treating people with respect.

As Andy once told Opie: "I think if I treat folks right, they'll remember me … that's what they call a legacy."
Orlando Sentinel

NCAA yanks Focus on the Family ad amid concerns about group's stance on gay relationships

2010-03-01T17:59:00.001-08:00

DENVER (AP) — Weeks after scoring a publicity coup with a 30-second Super Bowl ad featuring Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, conservative Christian group Focus on the Family is at the center of another marketing tug-of-war — this time involving the major governing body of college sports.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association removed a Focus on the Family banner ad from one of its Web sites this week, NCAA spokesman Bob Williams said Wednesday.

The NCAA made the decision after some of its members — including faculty and athletic directors — expressed concern that the evangelical group's stance against gay and lesbian relationships conflicted with the NCAA's policy of inclusion regardless of sexual orientation, Williams said.

The ad in question was not about sexuality. It featured a father holding his son and the words, "All I want for my son is for him to grow up knowing how to do the right thing." Like the Tebow ad, it included the address of Focus on the Family's Web site and the slogan, "Celebrate Family. Celebrate Life."

Focus on the Family spokesman Gary Schneeberger said that if such material were "all of a sudden labeled hate speech, we have deeper problems in our country than we even know."

Williams said the decision to pull the ad was based not on the message but on the messenger.

Advertisers "should be generally supportive of NCAA values and attributes and/or not be in conflict with the NCAA's mission and fundamental principles," according to NCAA standards. The NCAA may exclude ads or advertisers "that do not appear to be in the best interests of higher education and student athletes."

The NCAA Web site is maintained by CBS Sports, and the ad was part of Focus on the Family's Super Bowl contract with CBS, Schneeberger said. CBS sells ads to support the NCAA.com site — which features information about NCAA championships — and the NCAA reviews the ads, Williams said.

He said the ad was reviewed and the content did not raise any red flags. Williams said he was sure there was some discussion of Focus on the Family, as well, but he did not know the details.

Schneeberger said there is nothing political, controversial or hateful about the ad, saying it's meant to urge people enduring life challenges to check out Focus on the Family as a resource.

But Pat Griffin, a retired University of Massachusetts Amherst professor who is a consultant to the NCAA on gay and lesbian issues, said it's not a generic feel-good message.

She said the slogan's "life" reference is anti-abortion, and celebrating families does not extend to all families but "a very specific kind of family — heterosexual married families. A large part of their energy goes to preventing other kinds of families of having recognition."

Griffin said it's one thing for CBS to accept such an ad, but it's different for the NCAA.

"It's not the right image or role for the NCAA to be endorsing an organization that has such an extreme right-wing Christian political mission," said Griffin, who used her blog to protest the ad.

Schneeberger said Focus on the Family spends 90 percent of its budget on providing parenting and marriage resources and 10 percent on advocacy on issues such as abortion and gay marriage.

The Tebow Super Bowl ad — featuring the football player and his mother — attracted protests even before it aired from women's groups that suspected it would feature an explicit anti-abortion message.

The ad featured Tebow's mother talking about how she nearly lost her son during pregnancy and ended with Tebow tackling his mother and the pair joking they have to be "tough" to endure their trials.
Orlando Sentinel

Ted Haggard on Oprah

2010-02-01T05:14:00.001-08:00

NYC Man Stabbed to Death At Home. Police Searching For Destitute Live-In Partner

2010-01-24T18:21:00.000-08:00

A New York City man, 41-year-old John Lea, was found stabbed to death in his apartment after friends had the police break in when he failed to show up for a scheduled event. And now police want to find Justin Waller, Lea's "down on his luck" live-in partner. News: "Lea, wearing only boxers, was found lying beside his bed, his throat slashed and a massive gash on his head, police sources said. His body had numerous other stab wounds that indicated he had fought for his life, the sources said. 'The bloody knife was right next to him,' one source said. The killer covered Lea's body with clothes and bedding, and locked the door on the way out – leaving Lea's cat, Oreo, roaming around inside, the sources said. 'We're, of course, devastated,' Lea's father, John Lea, said from his Florida home Thursday night. Friends and co-workers said the event planner with the boyish smile was gregarious, outgoing and always went out of his way to help people."

Queerty

Evangelical Gym Tells Members: Drinking Soy Will Turn Your Boy Gay!

2010-01-24T17:45:00.000-08:00

We now know, thanks to scientific evidence, that many things can make a person gay: Playing with Barbies at a young age; reading superhero comic books; watching Fox News. But little did we know that soy milk — the sweet little lactose-free wonder made from soybeans — will also turn you into a homosexual. Or that is the latest theory flying around the gym Club Physical, which happens to be owned by the conservative evangelical Life Church.

The fitness center in Auckland, New Zealand, has been telling members "soy makes boys gay," or at least pointing them to an "interesting link" to an article claiming letting young boys drink soy milk will turn 'em homo. And, of course, "homosexuality is always deviant." That'snot sitting well with deviant homosexual members of the gym!

Auckland gym member John Kingi, who is gay, says he was "shocked and horrified" to see gym's promotion of the discredited information. He is cancelling his membership and is urging his friends to do the same. He says the original writer is a dubious American homophobic and right-wing Christian who has set up numerous sites with an anti-gay bias.
Although most of the Club Physical gyms, including the one Kingi uses, are individually owned and operated franchises, Kingi says he is not comfortable with any of his money ending up in the pockets of people who "endorse" this damaging claim. "Although they claim the gyms are 'A place where you belong' this clearly doesn't apply to glbt people," he says.
In his formal complaint to Club Physical owners and newsletter writers Paul and Tina Richards, Kingi, who is treasurer of the Rainbow Youth glbt peer support organisation says "there is simply no justification in my mind which can be made that absolves [Club Physical's owners] of the bad decision made in publishing the article."

It should be noted that this photo, of two obviously heterosexual men engaged in a very straight example of male bonding, was taken at Club Physical location.

Queerty

They Kept the Gay Romance Alive in the New Phillip Morris Trailer

2010-01-18T20:06:00.001-08:00

With gay marriage coming to DC, man who fought for it 2 decades ago wants first spot in line

2010-01-04T18:30:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON (AP) — Craig Dean's first wedding was attended by thousands, and as he recited his vows, gay couples behind him on Constitution Avenue echoed their own.

It was 1993, and Dean and boyfriend Patrick Gill headlined what was billed as the largest gay marriage ceremony at the time. Dean, 29, and Gill, 26, were celebrities after suing the city of Washington for denying them a marriage license. They'd been on CNN, were profiled in The Washington Post and sat on Oprah's couch.

And though they lost their landmark case, the city last month finally did what it had refused to do back then: Legalize gay marriage.

Dean, who now lives in South Carolina and runs a talent agency for gay and lesbian speakers, said he cried when he read the news.

"They owe me a marriage license," he said.

The law still has to survive a review by Congress, which has final say over the district's laws. Lawmakers appear unlikely to intervene though, so gay couples could be marrying in Washington — legally this time — by March. It would be the sixth place in the country where gay marriages are allowed. And Dean, who carries bittersweet memories of his and Gill's pioneering effort, wants the first spot in line.

Dean and Gill were not practiced advocates when they applied for a marriage license in November 1990. Dean had just graduated from Georgetown University's law school. Gill worked in the men's accessories department of Macy's, selling pens and umbrellas.

But Dean was "young and brash and ambitious and forthright," said their lawyer, William Eskridge Jr., and Gill, though less publicly confident, was "charming" and a "babe." They made for a model case, Eskridge said.

"It was really the first lawsuit of this new era," said Eskridge, a Georgetown law professor at the time who now teaches at Yale University.

Just filing for the marriage license made many established gay groups angry. Some thought the pair was asking for too much and feared a backlash. Lambda Legal Defense Fund executive director Tom Stoddard called their challenge "shortsighted." Washington was "probably the worst jurisdiction in the country" to try to legalize same-sex marriage, said Stoddard, an influential advocate who died of AIDS in 1997. Let other places do it first, he urged, then come back to the city.

Dean didn't back down, drawing motivation from the time Gill was rushed to the hospital and Dean hurried to the emergency room, only to be told he couldn't see his partner. If they were married, things would be different, Dean thought. So he researched the city's laws and was convinced nothing in the code prevented them from getting married.

The lawsuit went on five years. Ultimately, a three-judge panel of the D.C. Court of Appeals ruled against the pair. District laws were never intended to let gay couples marry, wrote Judge John Ferren, who still sits on the court.

His colleague, John Terry, also a sitting justice, was more blunt: "They are, of course, free to refer to their relationship by whatever name they wish. But it is not a marriage, and calling it a marriage will not make it one."

For Dean, the defeat was personal. Dean said he believes the pressure of the case also affected the health of his boyfriend, who had AIDS.

"He was really holding on in the hopes that we would win," Dean said.

Gill died in June 1997, just over two years after the decision.

"Whether it became legal or not, he was my husband," Dean said. "If anything it was a marriage in the way we lived our lives."

In Dean's garage sit five boxes with typed briefs, notes and letters from the case. A marriage rights banner he helped carry in marches in San Francisco and Washington is in his attic.

His current partner, photographer John Blevins, told him not to cry when the district passed its law last month; he should be proud. Blevins and Dean met several months ago on a blind date, but their romance has moved fast. On Christmas, Blevins put a ring in Dean's stocking and asked, "Would you do the honor of marrying me?"

"Yes," Dean said, as long as he gets a real Washington wedding.

And he has a message for the marriage bureau: "The first name on the list should be the one who is waiting 20 years."
Orlando Sentinel

Now Both Rosie O'Donnell + Kelli Carpenter Have New Girlfriends!

2010-01-03T17:17:00.001-08:00

This week we spotted Kelli Carpenter on what appeared to be a date with Sweet travel company owner Shannon Wentworth. And now the paps have snapped Rosie O'Donnell holding hands fingers in Miami with Tracy Kachtick-Anders, founder of the foster child group Open Arms Campaign, according to a RadarOnline post. Looks like all parties are moving on — and, if we might say, scored some hot new army candy. But it might also be time for Tracy to update her Examiner.com columnist profile, which still says she's a "single lesbian mother of six children."
Queerty

First Lesbian U.S. Marshal Confirmed

2009-12-28T20:02:00.000-08:00

Health care reform wasn’t the only thing going on in the U.S. Senate last week. The body also confirmed Minneapolis assistant police chief Sharon Lubinski as the country’s first openly gay U.S. marshal. Lubinski, who will be marshal for the Minnesota district, is also the first female marshal in the state. Lubinski was confirmed on Thursday and learned of the news later that day. The confirmation was made public Monday. "It was a nice Christmas present," Lubinski told the Associated Press. "It's very exciting. I think it's an exciting time to be serving in the federal system."

Lubinski, who was recommend to the president by Minnesota’s Senator Amy Klobuchar, was nominated to the post in October. A native of Green Bay, Wis., who has been in law enforcement for 31 years, made headlines when she announced in a 1993 interview that she was a lesbian.

On Monday, the Associated Press reported that she said, "Being gay is part of who I am, but I think the even bigger piece here is that it's essential that law enforcement agencies reflect the communities that they serve, whether it's the state, local, or federal level."
Advocate

Mexico City Says YES to Marriage

2009-12-27T20:49:00.000-08:00

Updating the 2006 law that legalized civil unions under Mayor Alejandro Encinas Rodríguez, Mexico City's legislators voted 39-20 to legalize same-sex marriage in the nation's capital, with Mayor Marcelo Ebrard expected to sign it into law — mirroring closely Washington D.C.'s own move this month. Mexico City becomes Latin America's first jurisdiction to grant the full M-word to gays and lesbians.
Queerty

What? A Hospital Is Actually Changing Its Policies to Let Gays Visit Their Sick Partners?

2009-12-21T05:35:00.000-08:00

Maybe if a certain Florida hospital had done the same thing, Janice Langbehn would not have been denied access to her dying partner Lisa Pond. But baby steps are still steps, so let's all raise a glass to Fresno, Calif.'s Community Regional Medical Center, which is changing its policies after Teresa Rowe was refused visitation of her Kristin Orbin, who was admitted to the ER after suffering a epileptic seizure.

"She and her partner of four years, Teresa Rowe, had traveled from the Bay Area to Fresno to attend a rally in support of marriage for same-sex couples," reports the ACLU, which along with ~~NGLTF~~ the National Center for Lesbian Rights, made demands in a public letter that the hospital change its policies. "Although Rowe, who grew up in nearby Clovis, California, was well aware of Orbin’s medical history and how she responded to various medications, hospital staff refused to allow her to speak with the doctors treating Orbin or to visit with her. As a result, Orbin was given the drug Ativan that she didn’t need and which caused her unnecessary pain. After the couple had been separated for several hours, Orbin finally saw her doctor. She complained to him, and Rowe was eventually allowed to be with her."

Queerty

Curlers hope condom sales get attention

2009-12-14T05:54:00.000-08:00

USA Curling is hoping increased interest in Olympic sports before the Vancouver Games can help raise awareness about HIV and AIDS.

USA Curling and longtime sponsor Kodiak Technology Group are teaming up to sell Hurry Hard condoms. “Hurry hard” is a curling term, and the logo features a cartoon of a smiling curling stone on a house.

The program is a fundraiser, with the proceeds split between the federation and Central Coast HIV/AIDS Services. But USA Curling chief operating officer Rick Patzke says its main purpose is to promote education and awareness.

According to UNAIDS, 2.1 million of the 33.4 million people living with HIV are children under 15. Young people account for about 40 percent of all new adult infections.

365 Gay

Annise Parker Becomes Houston's First Big Gay to Take the Mayor's Seat

2009-12-13T14:22:00.000-08:00

So that was sort of fun. After all the anti-gay mailer campaigns tied to opponent Gene Locke and the typical faith-based fearmongering, Annise Parker still triumphed (with 53.6 percent of the vote, compared to Locke's 46.4) to become Houston's first openly gay mayor, becoming the leader of America's fourth-largest city. She takes office in January. And last night, with wife Kathy Hubbard by her side, she told supporters: "I know what this means to many of us who thought we couldn't achieve higher office. But let us at this moment join as one community. We are united in making Houston the city it should be, could be, can be and will be."
Queerty

Alabama pastor of 'Bruno' movie fame seeks to become Birmingham mayor

2009-12-07T06:15:00.001-08:00

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Moviegoers know Jody Trautwein as the smiling Alabama pastor who tries to talk Sacha Baron Cohen's character out of being gay in the hit movie "Bruno." Trautwein is now auditioning for another role: Mayor of Birmingham.

Trautwein is among 14 candidates in next week's election to replace Larry Langford, who was booted from office in October after being convicted on 60 felony counts in a bribery scheme.

While the minister's scene drew laughter in theaters, he's running a serious campaign. He has a Web site, fliers, volunteers and a platform that includes fighting crime, improving city schools, economic expansion and restoring integrity to City Hall.

But political discussions inevitably begin with Trautwein's part in "Bruno," a spoof released this summer in which Cohen portrayed a gay Austrian fashion journalist traveling the United States.

"I haven't seen the movie," Trautwein, 39, said in an interview. "From what I understand it's about an hour and a half of darkness and perversion with about three minutes of light."

Trautwein said he was duped into appearing in the movie through phone calls from a producer and fake Internet sites set up by Cohen's cohorts. Trautwein believed he was helping a German TV crew telling the story of a man who wanted to give up homosexuality.

In the movie, Trautwein counsels "Bruno" to convert to heterosexuality by believing in Jesus.

"He wants to come into your heart right now," Trautwein says earnestly.

"Are you hitting on me?" Cohen deadpans.

No, Trautwein wasn't. But the segment helped the administrator and youth pastor at Point of Grace Church build a campaign profile.

Trautwein caught the attention of movie producers because of his former position as director of the Alabama Coalition Against Same-Sex Marriage. He's a conservative who describes himself as neither a Republican nor a Democrat.

Trautwein may be a longshot, but he said he's in the mayoral race to win even though he lacks the name recognition of candidates like Carole Smitherman, who served as interim mayor after Langford's ouster; William Bell, a member of the Jefferson County Commission; or Patrick Cooper, a lawyer who finished a distant second to Langford in 2007.

"We're going to run strong," said Trautwein, a Birmingham native who has worked in ministry for 14 years. "I believe we are going to surprise a lot of people."

The nonpartisan election is Tuesday, and a runoff will be held Jan. 19 if no candidate wins a majority of votes in the city, with an estimated population of about 210,000.

Langford is awaiting sentencing for taking some $236,000 in bribes in his former role as commission president in Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous region.

Evidence showed Langford — himself a professing Christian who leads a weekly Bible study — took checks and expensive gifts from an investment banker who received lucrative bond business from the county, which is now trying to avoid filing the largest municipal bankruptcy ever.

Portia de Rossi Effortlessly Reminds America Elisabeth Hasselbeck Should Not Discuss Gays

2009-12-07T05:52:00.000-08:00

A Sad Ending to Mike Penner's Struggle With Becoming Christine Daniels

2009-11-30T05:44:00.000-08:00

We may never know if Los Angeles Times sportswriter Mike Penner, who went by Christine Daniels after coming out as transgender, took his own life because of an identity struggle, or something else. But one thing is certain: The sports community will miss a respected colleague. Oh, and the LGBT community will mourn a loved one.

Glowing accounts of Penner are popping up all over the web. Less so is a frank discussion about whether Penner — declared dead on Friday from an apparent suicide — left this world identifying fully as man or a woman; and, thus, a precarious position to be writing about someone with the proper pronouns.

Back in 2007, we learned about Penner's transition to Daniels, which she called "a day I dreamt about for years." He would start living life as a woman, he told colleagues and readers. Support for his transitions was, by all accounts, immense.

But by October 2008, the 24-year veteran of the LAT appeared to be "withdrawing" from her transgender identity. The bylines under Christine Daniels disappeared; Penner's name returned. And Daniels, after taking a leave from the paper to undergo sexual reassignment surgery, returned without having anything done. Thereafter, Daniels stayed mum on the decision not to go post-op. It appeared, then, that Daniels was no more, and Penner the man had returned — in byline form, and every other as well.

What becomes a matter of semantics when writing about Penner is likely more deeply routed in his struggle with a transgender identity. The Times, which arguably knows Penner's wishes the best (Penner's brother and ex-wife work at the newspaper), addresses him as a man. But we'll address Penner the only way we know how: As a human being who never felt quite comfortable in his own skin. You'll be missed, friend.

Queerty

Adam Lambert on the Early Show

2009-11-26T06:18:00.000-08:00

Transgender Day of Remembrance: Honoring Those Lost to Terror

2009-11-21T20:03:00.000-08:00

Wanda Sykes New Show

2009-11-11T18:45:00.000-08:00

Rue McClanahan Will Miss Her Own Look-Alike Contest

2009-11-08T21:27:00.000-08:00

The bad news: Rue McClanahan has been hospitalized with a cardiac illness. The worse news: She's had to cancel her Nov. 14 tribute show at San Francisco's Castro Theater. Sorry, no "Thank You For Being a Friend" sing-a-long this time around. She says in a statement: "My darlings, I'm just devastated that I am going to have to miss my own tribute at the Castro Theatre. Unfortunately, my doctor has laid down the law, and I'm currently having some maintenance on the old ticker. Trust me, I'd much rather be in San Francisco having fun and being adored by all of you."
Queerty

NYC Cops Keep Arresting Gay Men For Cruising. But Cruising Isn't Illegal!

2009-10-25T15:06:00.000-07:00

The rationale the NYPD has been using to arrest gay men cruising in adult book shops? It's unconstitutional. So how come the police continue to intimidate these men, and courts continue to hear cases and issue punishments for a crime that is, in fact, not a crime at all?

It's a great question, and Slate's Daniel Redman tries answering it. "In 1983," he reminds us, "New York's high court struck down as unconstitutional a 1960s-era provision that made it illegal to cruise—that is, to hit on someone in a public place. And yet in the 26 years since, on thousands of occasions, the New York Police Department has continued to enforce the defunct law, historically used to target gay people."

Like here. And here. (And, unrelated by completely prescient, is this example of the police choosing not to involve itself with the gays when it means helping them.

The NYPD's luck may have finally run out: One man arrested on prostitution charges isn't letting the cops railroad him. He's filed a civil liberties lawsuit. (Yes, there's a difference between cruising and prostitution, but in this example, both are trumped up charges.)

But still, that doesn't answer the question about how the NYPD continues going after gay men for something that isn't illegal. "How did this miscarriage of justice, involving thousands, evade notice all this time?," asks Redman. "One possible answer lies in the combination of intimidation and minimum deprivation of rights, at least in the short-run, which enforcement has entailed. People who were issued citations may have feared being exposed as gay or as out of line with the norms of sexual propriety. Many of these people paid the ticket, pled guilty by doing so, and—without a judge or defense lawyer to raise a question—tried to leave the whole thing behind them. Also, as the judge in the class action acknowledged, many of them probably pled guilty or accepted plea bargains without even knowing that the anti-cruising statute had been ruled unconstitutional."

But here's a very real reason why these prosecutions move forward: New York City wants them to. By issuing citations and arresting men in the city's "seedy" shops, officials can build a case to revoke their business permits and, effectively, shut them down for being nuisances to the community.

It just happens to be unconstitutional.

Queerty

How Come You Can't Find Any Ex-Gay Books In Your Local Library?

2009-10-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

Normally we hear about gay haters trying to yank books like And Tango Makes Three out of public libraries. But now Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX) is trying to insert a whole new class of books onto shelves: their own.

Still high off their new legal recognition, PFOX is calling on libraries to include works like You Don't Have to Be Gay and A Parent's Guide to Preventing Homosexuality — which the group says aren't being stocked because ex-gays are being discriminated against! (A Parent's Guide is currently No. 37 in Amazon's "Parenting & Families – Parenting – Teenagers" category.)

While public and school libraries may carry books with a, ahem, positive slant on homosexuality, there isn't much of a "Hey, you can ditch the gay lifestyle" selection. Then again, leading medical groups and the American Psychological Association are in agreement: Changing your sexuality is impossible, and the only possible reason to counsel anyone to give up their same-sex feelings is so they can be in line with their religious beliefs.

So why stock books that are based in disinformation and heretical declarations? The best argument we could come up with: Because the Self-Help section is basically that already.

But hey, if ex-gays get their books stocked, make sure they're positioned next to Creationism theory and, well, Sarah Palin's new one.
Queerty

Amateur soccer club Creteil banned from league for refusing to play against gay team

2009-10-14T11:30:00.000-07:00

PARIS (AP) — A soccer club was permanently banned from the French amateur league on Wednesday after refusing to play a match against a gay team.

Last week, Paris Foot Gay said its members were victims of homophobia when Creteil Bebel, a team of Muslim players, refused to play them this month.

The French amateur league said it excluded Creteil for "refusing the match on discriminatory grounds."

"It's a permanent exclusion, they will never be reinstated," league president Jacques Stouvenel said.
Orlando Sentinel

57 Percent of America OKs Civil Unions. And Marriage?

2009-10-11T22:29:00.000-07:00

Support for civil unions for gays is up to 57 percent of Americans, says new poll data released by the Pew Research Center conducted in August with more than 4,000 people. That's a increase from last year's 54 percent and 2003's 45 percent. But what about full marriage rights?

Sorry, the outlook isn't so rosy. Just 39 percent support legalizing same-sex marriage, while a full 53 percent remain opposed. "There was more support for same-sex marriage among women, adults under 30 and college-educated people than there was among men, older adults and those who did not attend college. Asked about homosexual behavior, 49 percent said it is morally wrong, 9 percent said it is morally acceptable and 35 percent said it is not a moral issue."

And so begins the latest round of spin from everyone from HRC to the American Family Assocation, delivering data morsels crafted to reflect their agendas. You know how this song and dance goes.
Queerty

How Levi Johnston Makes Money Without Getting Naked

2009-10-06T10:51:00.000-07:00

Of Course Obama's 2012 Opponent Tim Pawlenty Hates the Gays!

2009-10-01T14:34:00.000-07:00

It's only a matter of time before 2012 rears its head and 1) features a possible Prop 8 repeal showdown; and 2) plays host to Barack Obama's re-election campaign. Hoping to give the president a run for the White House is Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who today announced his presidential PAC, Freedom First. Guided by some of George W. Bush's key GOP campaign operatives, Pawlenty's candidacy is — no shock here — going to be bad for the gays.

Once upon a time (1993, to be exact), Pawlenty almost became a gay ally. He was among "11 House Republicans to vote for the Human Rights Amendment that outlawed discrimination in housing and employment based on sexual orientation. It was the first legislation in the nation to offer protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people." But nine short years later, while running for governor in 2002, he backtracked under political pressure, calling that vote one of his greatest regrets. After securing the governor's mansion, Pawlenty continued down the anti-gay path: In 2004, he voiced supported for Bush's constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, and in 2006 he lent his face to the GOP's anti-gay marriage effort. Most recently, Pawlenty lobbied against Minnesota's Safe Schools for All Act, an anti-bullying measure that would have forced schools to add sexual orientation and gender identity to written harassment guidelines.

And now, he's "quietly" putting together a solid Republican team of advisers and supporters in an ambitious attempt to reclaim 1600 Pennsylvania.

Pawlenty, under the radar of D.C.’s political community, has locked up some of the key operatives who engineered then-President George W. Bush’s reelection campaign — a significant feat for a little-known Midwestern politician.

The moves underscore, and will lend credence to, the emerging belief among many establishment Republicans that Pawlenty is becoming the sole viable alternative to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a potential Republican primary rival. The Minnesota governor has even gone so far as to contact some of Romney’s former supporters.

Pawlenty, who previously has had little political infrastructure, is now being advised by a trio of GOP consultants with presidential experience: Terry Nelson, Sara Taylor and Phil Musser.

And in formally opening his political action committee, Freedom First, Thursday, Pawlenty will also announce two co-chairmen, William Strong, a Morgan Stanley vice chairman, and former Rep. Vin Weber (R-Minn.), both of whom are heavyweight GOP figures, along with a list of prominent Minnesota donors.

But hey, maybe Pawlenty has more in common with us than we thought. Namely, in the bedroom, which he does not use to have sex with his wife.

Last year, he told a radio show that his wife refused to copulate: "I have a wife who genuinely loves to fish. I mean, she will take the lead and ask me to go out fishing, and joyfully comes here. She loves football, she’ll go to hockey games, and I jokingly say, ‘Now, if I could only get her to have sex with me I’d really have it made.'"

That was a joke, we hear. Not that it makes Pawlenty a gay. He just sleeps with a jock.

Queerty

Is It Possible This Ad Will Make Republicans Love Gays?

2009-09-24T12:24:00.000-07:00

Robert Lee Hannah Beat a Gay Man To Death. Max Punishment? 6 Months in Jail

2009-09-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a plea deal with the U.S. Attorney's Office, Robert Lee Hannah (pictured) is getting off with one count of simple assault, a misdemeanor, after beating gay Maryland resident Tony Randolph Hunter so badly, he died from his injuries last September. Hannah, originally arrested on a voluntary manslaughter charge, faces a maximum of 180 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine. Looks like the "gay panic" defense worked: Hannah was so put off by the way Hunter allegedly "touched" him, he savagely bludgeoned him. Meanwhile, Hannah is a free man on bond while he awaits sentencing. A judge accepted his plea one year to the day that Hunter died in the hospital.
Queerty

ACLU asks judge to release 'Survivor' winner from jail, says Hatch punished for chiding gov't

2009-09-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

BOSTON (AP) — Richard Hatch may have won "Survivor," but he's now dealing with his own painful reality — being held in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day, the American Civil Liberties Union said Monday.

The ACLU demanded Hatch's release from Barnstable County jail on Cape Cod. He was serving the rest of his sentence for failing to pay taxes on his $1 million prize for winning "Survivor" when he gave media interviews accusing a prosecutor of misconduct and said the judge in the case discriminated against him because he is gay.

Officials from the Federal Bureau of Prisons said two of the interviews were not authorized and sent him back to jail.

On Monday, the ACLU told U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton that Hatch has been held under "harsh" conditions for the last 28 days, allowed outside his cell only one hour a day to exercise or shower.

Attorney Michael Schneider said the decision to put Hatch in jail is a "clear-cut violation of his First Amendment rights." The move seemed aimed at getting back at Hatch for criticizing the government in the interviews, he said.

But Assistant U.S. Attorney Eve Piemonte-Stacey said Hatch was sent back to jail because he gave three media interviews when authorized to give only one.

"Prisons have rules, whether you are inside or outside or in a halfway house. When a person violates those rules, there are ramifications," she said. "He's not in federal custody for something that he said or something that he is."

Piemonte-Stacey disputed the characterization of the conditions in the jail as "harsh." Hatch was placed in the segregation unit as any other inmate would be after arriving at the jail, she said. He will be taken out of segregation soon, she said.

Hatch's lawyers asked the judge to release Hatch outright or let him finish his period of home confinement, scheduled to end Oct. 7.

Schneider said the Bureau of Prisons has indicated that it may withhold 10 days of good time from Hatch, meaning he would not be released until Oct. 17.

Traci Billingsley, a spokeswoman for the Bureau of Prisons, said Hatch's release date is still listed as Oct. 7 in the bureau's computers. She declined to comment further.

The judge did not immediately rule on the request to release Hatch. He gave attorneys on both sides until Wednesday to submit additional legal briefs and said he would move "promptly" to issue a ruling.

Hatch granted three television interviews last month at his sister's house in Newport, R.I. — to NBC's "Today" show, NBC affiliate WJAR-TV in Cranston, R.I., and the NBC-owned "Access Hollywood."

Prison officials said they gave Hatch permission for the "Today" interview only. Hatch's lawyer said he believed the permission extended to all three NBC properties.
Orlando Sentinel

Beyonce Wins Video of the Year and Gives the Spotlight to Taylor Swift

2009-09-14T14:44:00.000-07:00

MTV Shows

Massachusetts Enjoying Decreasing Divorce Rate Because of Gay Marriage?

2009-09-09T11:33:00.000-07:00

When Vermont Gets Gay Marriage Tomorrow, It'll Arrive With … A Whimper?

2009-08-31T17:41:00.000-07:00

Beginning tomorrow, Vermont will be known for more than its maple syrup, as gay marriage becomes legal and pushes out that staid civil union thing. Except while other states are clamoring for same-sex marriage rights, Vermont is posed to welcome the new rights with a yawn

But don't expect the hullabaloo that came with 2000's civil marriages: "The Associated Press surveyed several town clerks and found only a handful of licenses have been issued for gay marriages in the month of September, nothing like the rush seen around civil unions in 2000. But gay marriage advocates say there's an easy explanation for that."

ZOMG! Do Vermont gays, despite having their own gay ice cream, not want to get gay married?!

Actually, they do. They just don't want to muck up their anniversaries. "Greg Trulson, a Duxbury Justice of the Peace who says he has several gay marriages lined up, said, 'What I have found, that a lot of the gay marriages that I'm officiating now starting after September first are other civil unions that I have officiated in the past. And they're coming back to get married — and what we're finding is they're coming back on the day of their civil union, to keep the same day for their marriage.'"

But what about the weddings and receptions? Will Vermont's law taking effect tomorrow bring big money to the wedding biz this year? Sorry, no; Vermont's gays already had their big parties, and budgets are thin, y'all.

Queerty

Meet Sally Kern's Opposition: A Transgender Oklahoma City Attorney

2009-08-26T11:34:00.000-07:00

When we demanded back in June for elected bigot Sally Kern to get the hell out of office, little did we know that a transgender attorney might be the one to help the cause.

Kern, the Republican Oklahoma House member, wasn't Queerty's No. 2 Homophobe of the Year by chance. She's cultivated a niche of hating on gay Americans, with brash public statements and alignments with groups like Americans For Truth About Homosexuality. But now, a challenger to her House seat.

She's Brittany Novotny, an attorney from Kern's Oklahoma City, and she's considering a campaign against Kern for the House District 84 seat. Novotny is in the beginning stages of her campaign, but she is moving forward; she's filed the necessary paperwork to begin collecting funds, reports Gossip-Boy.

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"I'm exploring a run for House District 84 because we need a representative who values all families in the district, who is dedicated to bringing good jobs to Oklahoma, and who will work tirelessly to make sure our children are getting the best education in our public schools," said Novotny (pictured on right, with megaphone) in an earlier statement. "I believe I have the experience, drive, and determination to do that."

According to Novotny in a communication received this evening, an official announcement about the race is expected in October. That will be preceded in September by two fundraising events, which are in the planning stage. A website will be launched next week and will allow supporters to begin contributing to Novotny’s campaign.

Novotny operates a private law practice specializing in employment and civil rights law in downtown OKC. She represents the Young Democrats of Oklahoma and is a National Committewoman for the Young Dems – who do acknowledge her gender as being female. After receiving a sociology degree at the University of Science & Arts in Chickasha, OK, she obtained her law degree from the University of California – Hastings College of Law in 2005. Since returning to Oklahoma, she has been active with the Democratic Party and participated in highly visible roles during civil actions for LGBT rights.

In June, she successfully argued on behalf of plaintiff Keith Kimmel in the “I’m Gay” license plate issue, which saw the Oklahoma Tax Commission refusing to issue a car tag with those words. Administrative Judge Jay Harrington found for the plaintiff and made a number of recommendations to the OTC, which have now gone to the state agency’s commissioners for review.

It's unclear what type of political support Novotny already has, and can build up over the next 12 months. But at the very least, we imagine the state press will back any alternative to Kern; they already hate her.
Queerty

Is It Time To Add New Jersey to the M-Word List? Yup

2009-08-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

When a door closes, a window opens. Or that's the hope when it comes to same-sex marriage. Despite a judge throwing out the federal DOMA challenge Smelt v. United States, there is some good news on the marriage front. And it comes from, of all places, New Jersey.

It's there that a lame duck legislative session beginning Nov. 3 will be used to debate a long overdue marriage equality bill. Back in 2006, you'll recall, legislators passed civil unions after the State Supreme Court declared gay couples deserve the same rights. But there was no M-word.

Equality advocates like Garden State Equality are hoping to change that. And it looks like public support is on their side; nearly half of Jersey residents think gays should be able to get married.

Moreover, it's fantastic to hear a whole new breed of activists are joining the cause. Folks like Louise Walpin and Marsha Shapiro "who … never thought of themselves as activists … have been talking with legislators about why they believe the state should recognize them as a married couple."

Walpin and Shapiro have been a couple for 20 years and were married by a rabbi 17 years ago. Walpin said she believed that when they joined in a legally recognized civil union in 2007, they would get the same legal benefit as married couples.

The key issue for them was health insurance. Two of the couple's four children — a son who died at 20 last year — had serious and costly disabilities.

Walpin, a nurse, said that when she was looking for a job, she found that some employers, apparently flouting the law, would not offer insurance to employees' partners.

"If I were to take a position without health benefits, essentially, I'm being paid less than my heterosexually married colleague," she said.

She said she believes companies would respect their relationship if it were called marriage.

Well no crap — even New Jersey's own Civil Union Review Commission found civil unions weren't good enough.

But while Walpin and Shapiro look to their own kin as a reason why marriage equality needs to come to the Garden State (home to fantastic sports), there are others using the same reasoning to argue against it.

The Marriage Minutement, a group organized by the New Jersey Family Policy Council, is holding meetings in conservative churches, mostly in legislative districts where lawmakers are believed to be on the fence on the issue, to tell volunteers how they can help.

Last week, Pat Mannion and about 140 others came to Vineland's cavernous modern Chestnut Assembly of God for one of the meetings.

Mannion, a widow, said she would regret it if she didn't try to stop gay marriage from being allowed in her state. "This is what I want to leave my grandchildren," she said. "Not only is money an inheritance, lifestyle is an inheritance."

Like others, she fears that allowing gay marriage would validate homosexuality in law and culture and undermine her values.

NJ Governor Primary

But maybe there's less to be worried about, because Jersey is a state of flip-floppers. Three years ago, Gov. Jon Corzine was backing opposite marriage only, damning gays to second-class status. Now he says he'll sign a gay marriage law if one hits his desk.

Giddy up.
Queerty

Parents Television Council Horrified Mad Men Would Show 2 Dudes Getting It On

2009-08-20T13:52:00.000-07:00

OBVIOUSLY … Depictions of gay sex on television freak out the Parents Television Council! The reactionary organization, which spent much of 2008 furious with Gossip Girl's marketing campaign, has lobbed a complaint over AMC's Mad Men's season three premiere. The episode, which was rated TV-14, deserved a more explicit rating, says PTC, which was founded more than 50 years ago by L. Brent Bozell III to annoy the Federal Trade Commission.

Why the crackdown on Mad Men? Maybe because there was a scene featuring overtures involving persons of a certain sexuality.
Queerty

George Michael: I Was So Not High Off My Mind In That Car Crash

2009-08-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

Arrested Friday night after crashing into a commercial truck in London, singer George Michael is telling everyone who will listen (investigators, the entertainment press) that he was not drunk or high or possessed by demons when his Land Rover bit it. That would be good, since Michael just got his driving privileges back after a two-year ban when he was arrested in 2007 for, uh, driving while in a blazed state of glory. (And there have been drug-related incidents since.) It sounds like his version of events might even be true: Investigators questioned him for a few hours before letting him go, and haven't charged him. Now let the insurance companies battle it out.
Queerty

Bloggers call for nationwide kissing demonstration

2009-08-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

The Great Nationwide Kiss-In scheduled for Aug. 15.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Gay rights activists are organizing a nationwide string of kissing demonstrations in response to the treatment of gay couples in Utah and Texas who tangled with security guards or police after kissing in public.

The Great Nationwide Kiss-In is scheduled for Aug. 15. Events are planned for at least seven cities, including Boston, New York, Houston, Portland, Ore., and three California cities: Irvine, San Diego and San Francisco.

Web sites promoting the demonstrations — including one at greatnationwidekissin.com — say more events are in the works.

Bloggers David Badash of New York and David Mailloux of Boston are behind the plans, along with the organization Join the Impact.

They say the events are not a protest against those who oppose gay rights. But they say people should be allowed to freely express their affection.
Washington Blade

How Will Ft. Worth Solve Its 'We Beat the Crap Out of Gays' PR Problem?

2009-08-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to June's Stonewall-style raid on the Rainbow Lounge in Ft. Worth, Americans all over the country can finally find the city on a map. That's good news for fifth grade geography classes, but bad news for businesses there dependent on visitors, because Ft. Worth now has a serious PR problem.

Time will heal all wounds, sure, but in the foreseeable future, LGBTs will be associating Ft. Worth with intolerance and police-sponsored violence. This is, we hear, not a good public image to maintain. Especially given preliminary findings of the raid: "The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission allows that its agents committed more than a half-dozen potentially fireable offenses during the June raid on a Cowtown gay bar – and the agency hasn't even addressed the part about how one patron got his noggin busted."

So what to do when an entire city earns a bad rap thanks to a half dozen over eager (and, uh, BIGOTED) Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission agents and FWPD officers who sent one gay fella to the hospital with a bleeding brain and terrorized countless others?

Well, you can hope:

City Council member Kathleen Hicks, whose District 8 includes the Rainbow Lounge, said she hopes the incident doesn’t change Fort Worth’s reputation for the worse, but added only time will tell.

“I think obviously anyway you look at it, it was an unfortunate event but the fact that we’re all trying to work in concert to learn from it and make something positive from it shows [the city’s commitment],” she said. “We’re not rushing to judgment and that can only be seen as a positive.

“My hope is that people will feel even more comfortable knowing that Fort Worth is moving forward in an inclusive manner,” she added. “We want each of our 720,000 residents to feel comfortable and visitors to feel comfortable as well.”

You can wait:

From a public relations standpoint, one local executive said it’s best for city officials to let the investigations wrap up, and then address the situation.

“At this stage, shut up,” said Allen Wallach, CEO of Concussion High Impact Communications. “Don’t add fuel to the fire with town hall meetings, a ‘beer summit’ or other grandstanding tactics that can only exacerbate the situation. Pandering will only do harm at this point. Time will allow emotions to cool so that productive, logical steps can continue.”

Though he recommends the silent treatment for the moment, it’s important the city follows through with the investigations and keeps interested parties knowledgeable of what’s going on. In any public relations nightmare, remember to educate, he said.

Or you can do nothing:

Former journalist and frequent candidate for public office Tracey Smith doesn’t think the incident has changed how Tarrant County residents view their community, likely because the TABC officers’ actions are seen as a one-time or rare occurrence.

“I don’t think it’s going to hurt us any as far as business reputation, as a place to do business,” Smith said. “There are always people who mistreat other people and I don’t think what happened is a reflection of the Fort Worth Police Department, maybe the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission because they have some other instances where they went in places and things got out of hand.”

Us? We're of the mindset that "the best time to fly is right after an aviation disaster." That is: The best time to be gay and hit the town is right after an anti-gay assault from officials. The cops and TABC agents are going to be treading very lightly for the next weeks and months, so if you're the type who likes to get absolutely shitfaced in drag, stumble home wearing a rainbow flag as a shawl, or engage in any type of behavior that's a result of "overserving" (the original rationale for the raid), now is the time!

Sailor who killed self in brig was being watched

2009-08-05T23:04:00.001-07:00

Jonathan Campos was on suicide watch when he apparently stuffed toilet paper in his mouth and suffocated Friday.

Pendleton spokeswoman Maj. Kristen Lasica-Khaner said Monday that a guard visually checked Campos every five minutes as Navy regulations require. However, there may have been a 36-minute gap between physical inspections.

The base is investigating.

Campos was charged with shooting Seaman August Provost on June 30. Family members questioned whether Provost was targeted because he was gay, but the Navy says it has found no evidence of a hate crime.
365Gay

Annie Leibovitz's Creditors Want Their $24 Million Back

2009-08-03T06:48:00.000-07:00

It must be awesome to be the world's most-famous lesbian photographer, right? Not if you are Annie Leibovitz, who's about to see her entire fortune ransacked by her creditors.

To help pay the mortgages on her New York City townhouse and upstate New York home, plus the estate taxes when purportedly inheriting the assets from late partner Susan Sontag, Leibs was up to her eyeballs in unpaid debts (to photo freelancers) and taxes (liens galore). Then along came Art Capital Group, which lent her $24 million over the years to pay her bills. As collateral, the photog — responsible for that terrible Gisele cover and that Disney campaign — offered up her homes and every photo she has ever taken.

With the latest one-year loan maturing, and the debt still unpaid, Art Capital Group wants to know WTF is up with Leibovitz. Her creditor says she's been involved in "boldly deceptive conduct" to keep Art Capital at bay, so now it's suing her to gain entrance to her home to create a giant list of everything she owns — so they can begin selling it off.

And ya know who's to blame for all of this? Well, maybe Leibovitz, who obviously took on a debt agreement that she could never afford to pay back on time. But also: the government! As we've noted before, if estate inheritance laws were equal for gays, Leibovitz wouldn't be subject to something like 50 percent of the value of Sontag's estate. If the pair had been able to legally marry in New York? Liebowitz would've had to pay $0 to get Sontag's stuff.

Queerty

Olympic Medalist Boxer Marc Leduc Dies at 42

2009-07-29T12:24:00.000-07:00

Mark Leduc, the Canadian boxer who won a silver medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, died of heat stroke Wednesday after being found unconscious on Sunday at a Toronto hotel sauna. He was 42. The year after the Olympics, Leduc retired from boxing — and came out. Remembers his friend Edward Zawadzki:

I clearly remember that late night phone call I received from him just prior to his public announcement of his homosexuality. He had a nice eastside Toronto gym on the go with a youth boxing program that he was so proud of, a boxing career that he wanted to continue for a little while still and a solid personal life that brought him the happiness that he longed for. He asked me what I thought about his upcoming press conference and my take on his situation. I remember telling him that he certainly didn't need my advice for he already knew what he had to do for himself. I also remember telling him that he was the one who had to look into the mirror at himself, but if it helped that he was loved and respected by all his friends and colleagues and we would support him in any decision. I can't remember when I was more proud of any one of my friends when Mark opened that part of his life to everyone with such grace and dignity.

It is now the day after receiving the shocking news of this young man's death. I read an article from a national Toronto-based newspaper, in which the reporter made a statement about Mark coming from the homophobic world of boxing and I have a need to clarify something with her about that statement. There was nobody on the Canadian boxing team who was better liked and respected than Mark Leduc. His teammates supported him always without failure as he did them time and time again. There was not a more loyal friend to his friends! Was Mark Leduc a gay athlete? Absolutely. As important as that was to so many people, I will always remember Mark as one of the most special humans beings that I ever had the privilege of knowing.

The Gays Were Kicked Out of Chico's Tacos For Acting Like 'Ballerinas'

2009-07-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

It's not that Chico's Tacos in El Paso is homophobic. It's just that they don't tolerate "misbehaving" customers of any sexuality.

After kicking out (and calling police on) two men who smooched after ordering food, Chico's now says staff asked them to leave because they were rowdy. Restaurant owner Bernie Mora: "Basically, they were just misbehaving. … This is just a whole lot to do with this one guy blowing it all out."

Carlos Diaz de Leon was among the five gay men involved, and claims security called them "jotos" (that would be Spanish slang for "faggot") before kicking them out. The security firm, All American International Security, insists the men caused a disturbance; one of the men was "dancing around in the aisle like a ballerina."

And then there's still the matter of the police backing up the restaurant, claiming two men kissing in public is, uh, illegal.
Queerty

Lawrence King's Killer's Arsenal Impressed All the Boys in the Yard

2009-07-23T10:19:00.000-07:00

As a court decides whether Brandon McInerney's murder case should go to trial, we learn this disturbing fact about the killer of eighth grader Lawrence King: He boasted proudly of having guns at his house, just in case, on the off chance he wanted to kill someone, he could.

The district attorney is trying to have McInerney tried as an adult. King's family, meanwhile, continues trying to sue everyone for letting their kid act so gay in school.

This whole thing is a nightmare.
Queerty

Fred Phelps' Favorite 'Shoot the Fag' Game Gets Yanked From Web

2009-07-22T21:57:00.000-07:00

Homophobia in video gaming is such a growing concern, GLAAD put on its frowny face and launched an effort to combat it! They're even getting gaming blogs of the non-gay-specific variety to talk about their cause. So GLAAD must be thrilled to learn an online game that has players shooting homos (before the homos rape the player) has been yanked offline. Without GLAAD even noticing!

Watch out behind you, hunter!, hosted on the entertainment site Uzinagaz (based in Georgia, the country), has been entertaining players since 2002, arming them with virtual guns to hunt down the fags running nude through the forest and blow bullets through their heads. If players don't murder the homos quick enough, the naked gays "tag" the players, raping them. And it's shown on screen!

What's not to love?

But caving to pressure from a gay advocacy group, Uzinagaz has removed the game from its site, but not before the owners acknowledged: "Our games are not politically correct. They're aimed at teenagers (12-18) and it's true that they're of a juvenile humour. I realise now that this one in particularly could be found shocking, but I believe that you should be able to make this kind of joke in the name of freedom of speech. Incidentally, not everyone in the gay community was supportive of banning the game."

And here's the rub: It wasn't GLAAD that pressured the site into pulling the game, but the group Gay Armenia. GLAAD's blog has yet to mention what's arguably the first major milestone in fighting homophobia online since it took up the cause … that it had no part in.
Queerty

Ryan Seacrest closes deal worth $45 mil

2009-07-17T09:10:00.000-07:00

hr/photos/stylus/36573-seacrest_ryan_341x182.jpg

Ryan Seacrest (Getty)
Ryan Seacrest is Fox's 45 Million-Dollar Man.

The "American Idol" host has closed a new three-year deal with "Idol" producer 19 Entertainment, said to be worth $15 million a year.

Under the pact, which is believed to be the richest ever for a reality host, Seacrest is locked in as host of "Idol" through 2012.

Additionally, Seacrest will work with "Idol" creator and 19 principal Simon Fuller on developing new projects.

"Ryan is an essential ingredient to 'American Idol's' success, and I am so happy that we will continue our relationship beyond 'Idol' into the future," Fuller said. "Ryan is without a doubt one of American television's most talented stars."

Under the agreement, Seacrest will be exclusive to 19 and parent company CKX in broadcast TV primetime for his hosting services.

Seacrest has a separate cable deal with Comcast and is E! Entertainment's lead anchor. He also produces such shows as E!'s "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" and ABC's upcoming Jamie Oliver reality series.

The pact, which had been in the works for the past several weeks, gives Seacrest a gigantic pay raise, more than tripling his previous salary of slightly less than $5 million a season.

With Seacrest's renegotiation out of the way, the "Idol" producers will focus on securing the show's judges for the near future.

Uber-judge Simon Cowell has made statements that he might leave the singing competition when his contract is up at the end of next season. The British media has pegged his salary demands for staying on the show at more than $100 million a year.

Paula Abdul and Kara DioGuardi, whose contracts are up, have said they hope to close deals to return next season.

Randy Jackson has one more season under his current deal.

Although the ratings for the reality juggernaut have slipped in the past couple of years, "Idol" remains the highest-rated series on television by a mile and is a windfall for its producers.
THR

Remembering August Provost

2009-07-16T09:03:00.000-07:00

3708704783_cda38644021

THE SHOT — A candlelight vigil held this weekend for August Provost, the slain Navy sailor killed on base in what many suspect to be a hate crime.

ALSO: U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee joins other politicos in calling for a full investigation.

Federal prosecutors agree to review Texas gay bar raid

2009-07-10T12:12:00.000-07:00

Injured man denies he groped police officer

A federal prosecutor in Texas has agreed to review the results of an ongoing internal investigation by the Fort Worth Police Department into allegations that officers used excessive force during a June 28 police raid on a gay bar.

Seven men were arrested on public intoxication charges and at least two were seriously injured in an action that police initially called a routine alcoholic beverage inspection at the Rainbow Lounge, a Fort Worth gay club.

The action by police and agents with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission triggered an uproar among gays in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with many noting that the raid took place on the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York City, a development credited with starting the modern LGBT rights movement.

One of the men arrested during the Rainbow Lounge raid was released this week from a hospital after suffering a head injury that led to a blood clot in his brain, according to witnesses and members of the man’s family.

Witnesses said 26-year-old Chad Gibson, a computer technician from the nearby town of Euless, was thrown head-first into a wall and knocked to the floor by officers and TABC agents, who later accused him of grabbing the groin of one of the agents.

Upon his release from the hospital this week, Gibson told television news stations he neither groped nor provoked any of the officers or agents.

“I was at the bar buying drinks for my friends,” he told KTVT-TV. “The next thing I remember is waking up in the ICU,” he said, referring to his stay at the intensive care unit at a Forth Worth hospital.

Rainbow Lounge manager Randy Norman, who spoke with the Blade, and other witnesses who gave statements to the local gay newspaper Dallas Voice, backed up Gibson’s statement, saying police threw him into a wall and knocked him to the floor for no apparent reason.

Gay activist and former journalist Todd Camp, who witnessed the raid, said another patron at the bar suffered broken ribs and a third received a broken thumb at the hands of officers who arrested them, the New York Times reported.

In statements issued last week, police and TABC officials said they made arrests on public intoxication charges at two straight bars on the same night that they arrested patrons of the Rainbow Lounge.

At the request of Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief, the head of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas has agreed to review the findings of an internal investigation into the incident by both Forth Worth police and the TABC, an independent state agency that monitors establishments that serve alcoholic beverages.

Cathy Colvin, a spokesperson for Acting U.S. Attorney James Jacks, told the Blade Jacks would begin his review upon the completion of the police and TABC investigations of the incident. She said FBI agents stationed in the Dallas-Fort Worth area would likely assist Jacks in his review of the incident.

“We’re continuing to monitor the case,” she said. “As a matter of protocol, we would send the case to the Department of Justice for a civil rights review.”

Fort Worth Police Chief Jeffrey Halstead issued a statement last week saying the fact that the raid took place on the 40th anniversary of Stonewall was a coincidence.

Halstead initially told the media that at least two Rainbow Lounge patrons were charged with public intoxication after they made “sexually explicit movements” toward police officers. In his statement, he said a third patron, who was later identified as Gibson, “assaulted the TABC agent by grabbing the TABC agent’s groin.”

Rainbow Lounge manager Norman called Halstead’s assertion about sexually explicit movements and Gibson’s alleged groping of the agent “a lie and a slur” against the gay community.

As reports from witnesses contradicting the initial police statement surfaced over the next several days, Halstead announced he had ordered an investigation into the actions of his officers by the department’s internal affairs division. He also announced he had suspended joint police operations with agents of TABC.

TABC Administrator Alan Steen announced that he had placed two of his agents involved in the raid on “desk duty” while the TABC conducted its own internal investigation into the incident.
Washington Blade

2 Guys Kiss in Texas Restaurant, Get Kicked Out, Threatened By Cops

2009-07-10T11:38:00.000-07:00

We've never eaten at a Chico's Taco restaurant, but now we know that should we find ourselves at one, we've got bigger things to concern ourselves with than what type of meat they're using between the tortillas. Namely, getting kicked out for a little PDA. And don't think the Texas police are going to have your back.

Here's what happened: Two guys kissed while ordered food at Chico's in the El Paso area. They were among a group of five gay men, who then sat down after ordering. The restaurant's security staff asked them to leave, and guards forced them out the door. It's now 12:30am in the early morning of June 29, and the group calls the police, thinking they'll be backed up for Chico's discrimination. No dice: A police officer, arriving an hour later, told the group that it was illegal for two men to kiss in public.

Not only is that wholly untrue, but the one law on the books closest to the cop's reasoning was struck down in a little U.S. Supreme Court case called Lawrence v. Texas. And also? "That same year, the El Paso City Council approved an ordinance banning discrimination based on sexual orientation by businesses open to the public," reports the El Paso Times.

An assistant manager at Chico's Tacos declined to comment Wednesday, except to say the owners of the restaurant were out of town and could not be reached. An official with All American International Security, the firm contracted by Chico's Tacos to supply guards, said one member of the security crew was contacting a lawyer. He would say no more.

El Paso police Detective Carlos Carrillo said a more appropriate charge for what happened at Chico's Tacos would probably be criminal trespass.

"The security guard received a complaint from some of the customers there," Carrillo said. "Every business has the right to refuse service. They have the right to refuse service to whoever they don't want there. That's their prerogative."

Briana Stone, a lawyer with the Paso del Norte Civil Rights Project, disagreed.

She said the city anti-discrimination ordinance protects people on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation in public places. Perhaps more troubling, she said, was that the police officer chose not to enforce that ordinance and might have contributed to discrimination.

"This is such a blatant refusal to uphold the law on account of discrimination," she said. "The result is devastating. The Police Department is allowing that and even participating in it by refusing to enforce an anti-discrimination ordinance, which is what their job is."

ALSO: "De Leon said he and his friends left the restaurant after an officer threatened to issue a citation for 'homosexual conduct.'"

Amusingly, Chico's Wikipedia page has already been updated. Here's the second sentence: "Recently made famous for forcefully ejecting five gay men because of 'that faggot stuff', after two of the men kissed."

Boy accused of killing gay peer offered plea deal

2009-07-09T13:46:00.000-07:00

Prosecutors say they have offered a plea deal to a 15-year-old boy charged with fatally shooting a gay student in an Oxnard classroom.

The Ventura County district attorney's office says Brandon McInerney can plead guilty to first-degree murder and receive a lighter sentence.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Maeve Fox says the boy, who is being tried as an adult, would receive a maximum of 25 years to life in prison instead of 53 years to life. Fox says the deal was offered because of McInerney's young age.

Prosecutors made their offer public after a court hearing Wednesday when defense attorney Robyn Bramson accused them of being vindictive.

The judge reset the preliminary hearing to July 20 when Bramson said she needed more time to prepare.
Washington Blade

Lesbian/gay church condemns Fort Worth Police raid on newly opened Rainbow Lounge early Monday

2009-07-01T09:24:00.000-07:00

FORT WORTH — The Dallas-based Cathedral of Hope, known as the world's largest lesbian and gay church, has issued the following statement regarding the raid on the newly opened gay and lesbian bar Rainbow Lounge early this morning by the Fort Worth Police Department:

June 28 is celebrated throughout the United States and elsewhere as the beginning of the lesbian and gay civil rights movement in this country. Surely this did not escape the knowledge of the Fort Worth Police Department as they raided the Rainbow Lounge early this morning. In a scene eerily reminiscent of the raid on the Stonewall Inn in New York City's Greenwich Village 40 years ago, the police reportedly entered the bar unprovoked, harassing, and arresting patrons without reason. The Cathedral of Hope and Hope for Peace & Justice call on Chief of Police Jeffrey Halstead to issue a full report and apology immediately. This kind of targeted humiliation and harassment was unacceptable 40 years ago, and it is unacceptable today. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, and their friends, families and allies have had enough.

Reverend Michael Piazza, dean of the cathedral, in condemning the raid, said, "After more than a generation of progress, this action shows that there is still much work to be done to ensure that all Americans enjoy 'equal protection under the law.' It is tragic that lesbian and gay taxpayers are still abused by the very people who are paid by our taxes."

The Cathedral of Hope, a congregation of the United Church of Christ, is based in Dallas and is the world's largest liberal Christian church with a primary outreach to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Local and national church ministries, outreach programs, pastoral counseling, television media, and the Internet (www.cathedralofhope.com) touch thousands of lives each day.

Pegasus News

Fort Worth Police Chief Wants You Homosexuals to 'Take a Deep Breath'

2009-06-30T08:11:00.000-07:00

The Fort Worth Police and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission did not target the Rainbow Lounge Sunday morning because it was a gay bar, insists Chief Jeff Halstead. Sound familiar? It should, because that's just what the NYPD brass said at the time — and continues to.

Seymour Pine, then the NYPD's deputy inspector who led the Stonewall raid, just got done telling an interviewer, "I don’t think not liking gay people had anything to do with it."

Now Halstead wants us to believe the same. And that the Rainbow Lounge raid — which was the third in a string of bar raids that night — went down on the 40th anniversary of Stonewall? Totally unrelated! Just "take a deep breath," he's telling critics.

Perhaps he should whisper that into the ear of 26-year-old Chad Gibson, who remains hospitalized with a brain injury after being knocked unconscious during the raid. His sister Kathy says Chad "remembers going to the bar. He remembers having a drink. He doesn’t remember anything else."

(Photo: Star-Telegram)

Queerty

Utah gays honor Republican governor

2009-06-18T08:54:00.000-07:00

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The state’s gay community is honoring Gov. Jon Huntsman with the Utah Pride Center’s 2009 Pete Suazo Political Action Award.

Huntsman this year said he supports civil unions and came out in favor of a package of legislation called the Common Ground Initiative that would have extended some benefits to same-sex and other couples.

“Over the years, he’s been very fair-minded with regard to [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] issues,” said Valerie Larabee, executive director of the center. “And I think he did take a leadership position on Common Ground, and certainly took a very visible role with his feelings about civil unions.”

Huntsman was recently nominated to be the U.S. ambassador to China. Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert, who has said he does not support civil unions, will take over as governor if Huntsman is confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

“It tells us that we have our work cut out for us to educate the lieutenant governor,” Larabee said. “I think that’s pretty clear.”

The award was established in 2002 and honors late state Sen. Pete Suazo for his work on hate crimes legislation. Past winners include former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson and state Attorney General Mark Shurtleff.
Washington Blade

3 Million Celebrated São Paulo Pride. 21 Of Them Injured From Explosive

2009-06-16T16:03:00.000-07:00

While an estimated three million people were enjoying the world's largest gay pride celebration in São Paulo on Sunday, at least 21 revelers had little to cheer about after being seriously injured by an explosive thrown at a gathering after the parade. Not to mention a couple beatdowns. Latin American Herald Tribune: "The bomb explosion scattered shrapnel, injuring many of those at the scene where 21 people had to be treated by a team of doctors and paramedics that had been mobilized for the parade. Most of the injuries were not serious and only five people had to be taken to hospital, doctors said. Some witnesses said that the bomb was thrown from a building on the square. The bombing was not the only show of homophobia during the gay pride parade.
Police said there had been reports of other attacks on people who took part in the parade, as well as several cases of robbery and assault. A 17-year-old boy who took part in the parade remains in a coma at a Sao Paulo hospital after being attacked by a group of unknown persons who found him alone on an empty street after the nearly eight-hour parade. Another youth was attacked in Roosevelt Plaza where the march ended, and a third was stabbed in Largo do Arouche Plaza."
Queerty

Adam Lambert at Guys and Dolls with his Boyfriend

2009-06-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

Clay Aiken Sorry He Insulted Fellow Idol Gay Adam Lambert

2009-05-26T11:58:00.001-07:00

After slamming Idol runner-up Adam Lambert on his personal fan site, Clay Aiken is making amends! It's a little bit apology, a little bit self-realization ("God knows, I am SURE there are PLENTY of people who can't stand to hear me sing either"), and at least one reference to penis. Way to recognize an opportunity to keep yourself in the public eye, Clay!

From one homo to another:

I'll be the first to admit that my opinion is just that, only my opinion, but for as much as some of the bloggers seem to dislike me and care so little about my thoughts, they sure can waste a lot of their space on what I say! If only many of them took the time to pay attention to important things like the US economy and the welfare of the world's children. But… nah… I could blog about that type of stuff anytime and most wouldn't think twice, but let me say something that they can pick and choose quotes and misinterpret me… and it's showtime! I never assumed my opinion mattered so much! I guess I may have been wrong.

That said, since my previous blog got dissected like a biology lab frog, i suppose I should clarify and even retract some of what I wrote. I am sure that some were upset by my choice of words describing my opinion of a performance I heard from Adam Lambert. I hope no one actually believed that blood truly poured forth from my ears when I heard him. I obviously meant it as a colorful statement to imply that I did not enjoy what I heard. Any performer hopes that their music will appeal to all people, but no singer realistically expects it to. God knows, I am SURE there are PLENTY of people who can't stand to hear me sing either. I wouldn't dream of assuming that, and I am sure that far worse things have been said about my performances than I would even venture to type here. To me, that's fine. I don't expect unanimous, nor even majority support for my music. But, my guess is Adam doesn't either. I would not venture to make judgements [sic] on the personality or demeanor of anyone I don't know, so none of what I said in my previous blog was directed as a 'slam' on Adam as a person. At the same time, I wouldn't dream of slamming him as an entertainer. He does what he does, because he enjoys it, and he obviously has many fans who enjoy it as well. If what I said in my previous blog regarding my impression of a single performance from Adam upset or offended any of his fans, I expect that the mature ones will realize that it was simply a poorly worded metaphor describing my personal tastes. The only person I would really dream of apologizing to is Adam. And the irony is, if he's smart he couldn't give a crap what I think of his 'Ring of Fire' performance. As an entertainer, Adam knows that one person's opinion of one performance really matters a little less than zero, in the grand scheme of things. He could not have gotten on Idol (nor made it as far as he did) without an immense amount of talent. He surely doesn't need my approval to know he has a gift. At the same time, he realizes that amazing talent doesn't always equal universal appeal. (I could NEVER have the amount of skill and talent that ballet dancers have! that's talent! But, I don't particularly enjoy it!) I am sure that I will have plenty of opportunities in the coming years to hear Adam sing. I imagine he'll be around for years to come. But in the meantime, I definitely don't want to stoop to the level of so many negative freaks on the internet… so, I do apologize to Adam for my colorful (and negative) choice of words. I hope he can forgive me. I imagine he doesn't give a d—! God knows he shouldn't."
Queerty

Hillary Clinton Is Giving Gay Diplomats Their Rights. Why Now?

2009-05-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

In what can only be described as a stunning development inside an administration that's shown almost no concern for the well-being of gay Americans, the State Department will begin offering gay diplomats the same benefits as their straight counterparts. This is important not just because it's a step toward equality, but because it contradicts the very rationale that President Obama has been using to perpetuate discrimination.

An announcement is expected from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who will say discriminating against same-sex loving officials is "unfair and must end," not just because it's morally wrong, but that "providing training, medical care and other benefits to domestic partners promote the cohesiveness, safety and effectiveness of our posts abroad."

YOU READ THAT RIGHT: Offering equality to American officials actually makes the whole department stronger, more effective, and safer! Also, GET THIS: It will help recruit talent!

Included in Clinton's expected remarks in a memo sent to the organization Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies: "It will also help the department attract and retain personnel in a competitive environment where domestic partner benefits and allowances are increasingly the norm for world-class employers. At bottom, the department will provide these benefits for both opposite-sex and same-sex domestic partners because it is the right thing to do."

Why such a big deal?

Because Clinton's remarks will be an official Obama administration statement on why it's important to treat gays equality. You remember equality, don't you? It's that thing gays in the military aren't being given, because military officials keep insisting granting gay servicemen the right to serve openly would make the armed forces less safe, less effective, and would hurt retention and recruitment. Certainly, the military and diplomatic outposts abroad are not apples to apples, and neither should all their policies; but Clinton's remarks are the most striking and definitive so far that ending discrimination is, very simply, the right thing to do both ethically and logistically.

So what will our diplomats be receiving? They will be able to have "diplomatic passports, government-paid travel for their partners and families to and from foreign posts, and the use of U.S. medical facilities abroad. In addition, gay diplomats' families will now be eligible for U.S. government emergency evacuations and training courses at the Foreign Service Institute." (That gay partners have so far not been eligible for emergency evacuations — say, in the case of an attack on an embassy — is stunning.)

It's unclear why Clinton is making this call now rather than, say, in tandem with other government offices. But her openness toward the State Department's gays is well-publicized; they even drafted up a definitive list of what their new boss could do for them. (From the looks of things, Clinton agreed to the major pillars. Previously, she said: "And even though, as you pointed out, all of our personnel share the same service requirements, the partners in same-sex relationships are not offered the same training, the same benefits, and the same protections that other family members receive when you serve abroad. So I view this as an issue of workplace fairness, employee retention, and the safety and effectiveness of our embassy communities worldwide. So I have asked for a staff review of current policies, especially those that are set forth in State Department regulations, and recommendations and a strategy for making effective changes.")

The new policy almost certainly went through President Obama, who likely gave a tacit approval, if only because of the changes' sensitive political nature. But the policy will bring gay American diplomats up to speed with their foreign counterparts, many of whom already receive these benefits from their nations. And that's pretty remarkable, especially given the inherent admission: The United States has been doing something wrong to gay people.

And also: The entire thing violates a smug little policy known as the Defense of Marriage Act. Funny how top officials don't need an act of Congress to end discrimination.

Queerty

Clay Aiken Doesn't Think Adam Lambert Can Sing

2009-05-22T07:46:00.001-07:00

On Clay's paid membership site ($30.00 a year) he wrote about his thoughts about Adam Lambert. He is clearly less than a fan of our Adam!

Now that it's all over, and for the record…. I couldn't be happier about the way AI ended this year. I only turn the show on once a season, and only to see what the set looks like each year. This year, I happened to turn it during the minute that Adam Lambert was singing "Ring of Fire" and, at that moment, thought my ears would bleed. Contrived, awful, and slightly frightening! I wasn't really a fan and found myself surprised whenever folks told me that they liked him. Granted, I never saw another performance (and many folks who I trust said that he was great) but I can't imagine I would have enjoyed it. Just not my cup of tea at all. To each his own. I never saw Kris sing on the show, but whether he was good or not is really relative. It's usually a matter of taste, right? But Idol is not always a matter of musical taste only. It's about the person you like. From what little I saw, Kris seemed likable. (That's not to say that Adam isn't just as likable as anyone.. maybe more so… I don't know) When Ruben and I were standing next to each other every night (many years ago) you had two equally talented, equally unlikely, equally unpolished contestants…. so it really was a matter of taste as to who was voted for. While some may argue that one of us was hyped more than the other, I don't feel that was the case. However, this year, there was an obvious bias. Not even having watched the show, I can tell you that I was WELL aware of the bias from the judges as to who should win. In my opinion, that is awfully unattractive. I don't think I am alone

In my opinion, it all often comes down to that last night of voting. Until the finale, folks are voting for the contestant that they want to see continue. But, I believe that on that last night, the dynamic changes. No longer forced to choose one person that they want to see win, the audience can effectively vote AGAINST the person that they don't want to see win. In the case of season two this might have happened. There may have been some folks who voted for myself or Ruben because they didn't like the other of us. I was the nerdy little girly boy who some didn't want to see win, so they may have voted for Ruben. I don't know. .. But again, I feel that Ruben and I were fairly matched. We both had our detractors and negatives, but I feel we were both very worthy of being on that stage in that moment, and either of us would have been worthy of winning. The show was different then, and folks made it in seasons 1-3 because they were "real" people who happened to sing/entertain well. But, somewhere along the way, AI stopped being about real people.

In a battle between David and Goliath, my money is on David!

I think many voters got sick of being "told who to vote for". And, at the same time, I think they voted AGAINST an American Idol that has, for four years now, been more about the slick productions and polished contestants than it has been about finding the raw talent that it did in its first three seasons.

Those votes for Kris were also votes to return the show to its roots of finding "real" contestants with undiscovered talent and giving them the chance to grow and shine. They were votes that said "we're tired of seeing contestants who already seem to know it all".

Will American Idol choose to listen to the resounding and clarion call that those voters gave them?…. "Enough with the pretention. More Rubens, more Clays, more Fantasias and Tamyras and Kellys please." My faith has always been in the voters. I think they have gotten it right every year (mine included). It's now up to American Idol to decide if it will finally REALLY listen to the folks that keep it on the air.

Ellen Give Graduation Speech 'When You're Older, Most of You Will Be Gay'

2009-05-19T20:36:00.000-07:00

Tenn. invalidates marriage of transgender woman, man; state considers both men

2009-05-13T17:56:00.000-07:00

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee authorities have invalidated the 18-month marriage of a transgender woman and a man, saying the state considers them both men.

Jo T. Rittenberry, 46, was born a man and claims to have had sex reassignment surgery in Canada. The Clarksville Leaf Chronicle reported that she had officials legally change the gender on her Kentucky birth certificate and Tennessee driver's license.

Rittenberry married Jeffery Scott Phillips, 36, in November 2007.

Kelly Farmer, director of communications at the Davidson County Clerk's Office, said Tennessee authorities will not honor the marriage because Rittenberry was not born a woman.

Tennessee does not permit same-sex marriage and does not recognize gender change even after sex reassignment surgery.

"The marriage is real to me," said Rittenberry, also known as Terri Jo Colby. "It wasn't anything planned to be deceptive. I'm not gay, and Jeff ain't either."

The Canadian clinic where Rittenberry claims to have had gender reassignment surgery says she was a patient there but no operation was performed. Rittenberry disputes that.

Authorities began raising questions of gender after Rittenberry was booked into jail in March, charged with domestic assault against a relative and criminal impersonation stemming from allegations of credit card fraud.

Montgomery Sheriff's Department spokesman Ted Denny told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Rittenberry is being housed with men and was patted down by both male and female officers because Rittenberry has breasts and male genitalia.
Orlando Sentinel

Same-sex couples tie the knot in Iowa

2009-05-05T08:33:00.000-07:00

The first same-sex couples tied the knot in Iowa on April 27 as the controversial issue of gay marriage moved to the nation's heartland. Melisa Keeton and Shelley Wolfe were declared "legally married" by pastor Peg Esperanaza during a ceremony in front of the Polk County administrative offices in Des Moines. It didn't take long before they were referring to one another as "wife."

"It's not very romantic is it?" Melisa Keeton joked, referring to the location of the ceremony and the media attention. The couple was allowed to wed after getting a judge to waive the state's three-day waiting period before marriages are deemed valid.

The couple, who will share the last name Keeton, believed they were the first same-sex couple married in Polk County, and possibly the state, since the April 3 Iowa Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage. The ruling made Iowa the third state to allow same-sex marriage, joining Massachusetts and Connecticut.

"I didn't think it would be us," said Shelley Keeton, whose twin brother served as one of the couple's witnesses.

First in line at the Polk County office were Grant Lan, 35, and Andrew Mahoney-Lan, 32. The Windsor Heights couple also planned to seek a waiver that would let them marry Monday.

"It's huge to be here first," Mahoney-Lan said.

Officials said the Polk County recorder's office had received 57 marriage applications from same-sex couples by 11:30 a.m.

Esperanaza, of the Church of the Holy Spirit in Des Moines, also married at least two other couples, all at no charge.

She expressed surprise there weren't more clerical "collars here from accepting churches."

"God sent me here today, and I've said OK," she said.

Esperanaza, 62, plans to marry her partner of nine years, Vicky Esperanaza, 54, in October.

Alicia Zacher, 24, and Jessica Roach, 22, both of Des Moines, said they had a 4 p.m. appointment to get married if they could get a waiver. They said they wanted to get married as soon as possible after seeing how California voters reinstated a ban on same-sex marriage.

"You just never know when they'll try to take it away," Roach said.

A handful of Iowa's largest counties saw an initial rush, but foot traffic from same-sex couples began to slow toward midmorning.

At the Pottawattamie County recorder's office in western Iowa, Marilyn Hebing said about 10 couples filed their applications after the office opened, and more were slowly trickling in.

"It was pretty exciting, they were cheering out there," she said of the early morning crowd.

In eastern Iowa, Johnson County Recorder Kim Painter, Iowa's only openly gay recorder, said that within the first half hour her office had accepted about a half dozen applications and had about 10 more couples waiting to file. Some waited outside under a tent and sipped coffee in what Painter called a "festive atmosphere."

Painter said she and her partner plan to apply to be married this week.

Some judges refused to issue waivers to same-sex couples.

In Cerro Gordo County, District Court Judge Colleen Weiland said she was presented with two applications from same-sex couples and denied them both.

"Some judges, frankly, interpret it a lot more leniently than I do," she said of the law on waivers. "The ones that were presented this morning I didn't believe to be an emergency or extraordinary circumstance."

Scott County Recorder Rita Vargas said three same-sex couples applied for a marriage license by midday on Monday. One couple asked for a waiver, but a judge denied the request.

The couple, 22-year-old Tearese Bomar, and 27-year-old Shamera Page, both of Davenport, said on the waiver form that they had waited a long time to have their union recognized and didn't want to wait any longer, Vargas said.

"The judge just determined they didn't have enough extraordinary circumstances to grant that waiver," she said.

Some conservative groups and lawmakers were accused of trying to recruit recorders to refuse the licenses.

State agencies sent out information to recorders statewide last week saying they could be removed from their positions if they didn't follow the law and issue the licenses.

"I am quite optimistic that all 99 recorders will follow the rule of law and issue licenses," said Painter.

The state Supreme Court's unanimous and emphatic decision earlier this month made Iowa the third state, and first in the nation's heartland, to allow same-sex marriage. Massachusetts and Connecticut allow gay couples to marry, and a Vermont law allowing gay marriage will take effect in September.

The Iowa high court upheld an August 2007 decision by a Polk County District Court judge who found that a state law limiting marriage to a man and a woman violates the constitutional right of equal protection. One couple was married in 2007 before the Polk County judge ordered a stay on his decision.

Gay marriage opponents have no other legal options to appeal the case to the state or federal level because they were not parties to the lawsuit, and no federal issue was raised in the case.

Their only recourse appears to be a constitutional amendment, which couldn't get on the ballot until 2012 at the earliest. A constitutional convention could be called earlier, but is unlikely.
Gay.com

Waltham native, former priest, to marry his life partner of 50 years

2009-04-30T05:51:00.000-07:00

When Richard Nolan and Robert Pingpank attend their 50th college reunion they will do so as a married couple.

"Bob and I have said we've been on the cutting edge for all these years and we'd like to stop that," said Nolan, a retired Episcopal priest and Waltham native. "We've had to invent our life together from the start and it would have been easier if we had some agencies or people to learn from."

On June 4, Nolan and his longtime partner Pingpank of Waterbury, Conn., both 72, will tie the knot at the Trinity College chapel in Hartford, Conn., where they first met in the 1950s.

It's the first legal same-sex wedding ceremony at the chapel since Connecticut lawmakers legalized same-sex marriage on April 23.

"It is exciting and also gratifying to go this route, from the closet to being legally married on the campus where we first met," Nolan said. "It's a real sentimental journey."

But for a couple that's been together for over 50 years, the marriage is also a bit of a formality.

"For me the significance of it is the legal part, but I do believe marriage should be a civil issue and religion should be left out of it," Pingpank, a former math teacher, said. "For me it's something we should formalize because we can."

Nolan grew up in Waltham. He was confirmed at Christ Episcopal Church on Main Street. In his teenage years, Nolan helped out at Gene's Restaurant, his father's Moody Street business.

At 18, after graduating from Boston Latin School, Nolan went to Trinity College where he met Pingpank during his freshman year in 1955.

"It was confusing. We didn't even have the vocabulary. I don't think I even knew the word homosexual," Nolan said. "The 1950s, in a way, was a very innocent time and a very closeted time. It was don't ask, don't tell."

Nolan said keeping quiet about his homosexuality was an unspoken rule in the Episcopalian Church. In 1958 while still a college student, Nolan said he was examined by a church psychologist in Boston.

"He said to me, 'You know there are traces of homosexuality, but we don't tell the bishops about that,"' he said. "'They tend to get upset."'

In 1963 Nolan became a deacon at Christ Episcopal Church and in 1965 he was ordained as a priest at St. John's Episcopal Church in Arlington.

After years of service in churches mostly in Connecticut and New York, Nolan retired in 1992 and two years later, he and Pingpank moved to West Palm Beach, Fla.

Nolan spends his spare time editing his two Web sites, philosophy-religion.org and nolan-pingpank.com. He also serves as the retired priest in residence at St. Andrew's Church in Lake Worth, Fla.

When the couple were making plans to attend their upcoming 50th college reunion, their lawyer Mark Grieco suggested they get married.

His reasoning was to help ensure the two men are able to be with each other in case of a medical emergency.

"The big thing for us would be hospital access. The worst thing that could happen to us is to be kept apart in a medical crisis when it is family only who can be there," he said. "I had a heart attack (in 2002) and major surgery. There were periods of time when there are family-only visitors and Bob is it when it comes to family."

Nolan said the upcoming ceremony will be a no-frills "guy thing" with no gifts, cake, rice or rehearsal. The Rev. David T. Taylor, minister from the United Church of Christ and fellow alum, will perform the ceremony.

"It was a men's college in those days and people will be there for the three-day reunion. Nobody has to bother with gifts," Nolan said. "We really want this as simple and dignified as possible but without the crud that puts people on edge, runs into a lot of money and obligates people to buy presents."

Despite the wedding, the couple says the country has a long way to go before homosexuality is accepted, noting their marriage certificate will not be recognized in the state where they live.

"I didn't think this would happen in my lifetime and it's still very limited. Our marriage will only be legal in Iowa, Vermont, Connecticut and Massachusetts and maybe New York," Pingpank said. "I hope to live long enough to see it recognized by the Federal Governement.

Daily News Tribune

Miss California on the Today Show

2009-04-21T15:25:00.000-07:00

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A Not-So-Novel Approach to Fight Bullying in West Virginia

2009-04-20T06:42:00.000-07:00

West Virginia high school senior Clayton Stover won't stand for students throwing around the word "faggot" and "dyke." Because words like those don't just hurt, they KILL. We talk endlessly about schools not doing enough to keep gay or gay-branded students from being harassed. Now here's a 12th grader — whose own schooling will come to an end in just weeks — leading the charge, evidence in hand, of what will happen if his own St. Albans High School doesn't do enough to stop bullying in the hallways and classrooms. So he's pushing an effort to amend the school's diversity policy to include sexual orientation. THIS IS GOOD NEWS. But writing something down on paper is a short cry from training teachers and administrators how to fight intolerance, limit harassment, and begin an open-door policy for GLBT students. That comes next. But Stover putting a face on how damaging this harassment is to queer kids is a brave first step.

Elsewhere, Momlogic.com lists some sensible tips on where to start the anti-bullying crusade. Basic stuff, though yet to be implemented on a broad scale.

Queerty

Be in a Showtime Series

2009-04-15T18:30:00.000-07:00

About "Way Out"...

Showtime is developing a new television documentary series about gays and lesbians coming out to important people in their lives.

Our aim is to create a show that not only helps the people we profile and the LGBTQ community in general, but also uses television’s vast reach and power to enlighten and increase understanding of what it’s like to feel compelled to hide an essential part of oneself.

A recent San Francisco State University research study about family response to a teen’s coming out concluded that “teens who experienced negative feedback were more than eight times as likely to have attempted suicide, nearly six times as vulnerable to severe depression and more than three times at risk of drug use.” The glimmer of hope the study offered however was that “parents who take even baby steps to respond with equanimity instead of rejection can dramatically improve a gay youth's mental health outlook.” By increasing visibility and awareness, we hope to help people take those “baby steps” or better.

Our production team will treat the people we profile and their loved ones with the utmost care, dignity and respect, and we will provide a support system of counselors and therapists throughout the process. (Our counselors vary in age, gender and therapeutic approach -- so that each of our documentary participants can choose the person with whom they feel most comfortable.)

Casting Information...

Showtime Networks, Casting Producer Adam Drucker of A&E’s “Intervention” and Bryn Freedman, the Executive Producer of A&E’s “Intervention," are looking for gays and lesbians who have already made the decision to come out to important people in their lives and are willing to share that journey with us.

We want to offer our subjects a forum in which to show what life in the closet is like, to explain why they’ve chosen to come out now and to accompany them during this transformational event.

If you're interested in learning more, please email casting@wayoutdocumentary.com with any questions or concerns you have.

To Apply...

If you’d like to be on the show, please read the information below and then click the link below to fill out a brief form.

Feel free to only fill out what you feel comfortable sharing initially. And please know that we will keep all inquiries and information confidential. If you do choose to send your phone number, please include any additional instructions (for example: best times to call, if we can refer to the project in your voice mail, how you'd like us to identify ourselves if someone else answers, etc.).

The form asks some basic questions and for “a brief description” — here you can write a bit about your life, who you’re coming out to and why you've chosen to tell them now.

In the “links" field please list any websites or blogs that will tell us more about you. (For example, if you have a myspace or facebook page; a youtube, picasa or flickr account; sites with your resume or bio; articles where you're mentioned, etc.)

To apply CLICK HERE.

Thank You...

After you’ve completed the form please email a jpeg of yourself to casting@wayoutdocumentary.com with your name in the subject line of the email.

Thank you so much for taking the time to apply! Please understand that due to time constraints we might not be able to respond to all inquiries and we apologize in advance if we are unable to reply to yours.

Homos (and Heteros) Invade the White House!

2009-04-14T17:48:00.001-07:00

Some 100 tickets were given to gay and lesbian families for today's White House Easter Egg Roll, an annual tradition that Barack Obama is the first to explicitly open to our kind. So what'd you miss if you weren't there? The president reading to the kids, the Easter Bunny making introductions, and Joe and Jill Biden finally given a moment in the spotlight.

Queerty

State of Marriage Equality, USA

2009-04-07T09:22:00.001-07:00

Third Calif. teacher charged with student romances Third Calif. teacher charged with student romances

2009-04-01T09:10:00.000-07:00

Another South Bay physical education teacher was arrested on suspicion of having an inappropriate relationship with a student — the third in two weeks.

Megan Sainsbury, 31, a teacher and former coach at Prospect High School in Saratoga, was arrested Wednesday on three misdemeanor counts of "annoying or molesting" a 17-year-old student, according to court documents.

The misconduct alleged in the documents occurred from October 2007 to January 2009. According to court records, Sainsbury and the student kissed and touched, but there is no evidence they had sex. They allegedly exchanged text messages of a romantic nature. Sainsbury bought the teen gifts, including a cell phone, to entice the girl to continue their relationship, a Santa Clara County sheriff's report contended.

Sainsbury is out on bail and scheduled to appear in court April 27 to be formally arraigned.

Sainsbury did not return a phone call from the Mercury News.

She is the third female physical education teacher arrested in the past two weeks on suspicion of having an inappropriate relationship with female students. The other two teachers were arrested on felony charges because they are accused of having had sexual relationships with their female students.

"You probably noticed that several teachers have been arrested on these types of charges lately,'' said Santa Clara County Supervising Deputy District Attorney Mike Fletcher, head of the sexual assault team. "But teachers are no more likely than doctors, lawyers or newspaper reporters to commit these crimes. Sex crimes affect a wide cross-section of demographics. I think it's just a fluke.''

That said, Fletcher added that he believes the use of technology, such as texting in particular, can intensify a relationship between a coach and student.

Prospect High School principal Diane Burbank said Sainsbury was placed "on leave" and referred all other questions to Campbell Union High School District Assistant Superintendent Ray Cutten, who was not immediately available for comment.

According to a sheriff's report, Sainsbury stepped down as coach of the girls basketball team in October in order to pursue her studies and get a teaching credential.

Sainsbury is a Prospect alumna. She was a star basketball player at the school and went on to play field hockey at University of California-Berkeley.

While Sainsbury's case is a misdemeanor, the two other South Bay teachers charged recently face felony counts. Felonies are typically based on whether the victims are younger than 14, whether the suspect is 10 years older than the victim and the physical nature of the crime.

Rita Brum, 24, a first-year teacher at Mount Pleasant High School in East San Jose, was arrested Feb. 26 on suspicion of having sexual relations with a 17-year-old student. The student's mother found a love letter detailing some of the relationship. She was released on $15,000 bail. This week, she was fired by the East Side Union High School District.

Her attorney, Edward N. Ajlouny, previously told the Mercury News that his client plans to take "full responsibility" and hopes for the "best plea deal possible."

And March 5, Abigail Holloway, 33, was arrested in Colorado in connection with crimes that purportedly occurred when she was a teacher at Sunnyvale's Christian prep school, Kings Academy, beginning in 2001. Holloway is fighting being extradited to Santa Clara County, where prosecutors want to charge her with 15 counts of lewd acts on a child. That case began to surface in October, when the former student, now a college student, went to her counselor to discuss her confusion and trust issues stemming from the suspected three-year sexual relationship with Holloway that authorities say started when she was 13.

Mercury News

Gay men concern over HIV figures

2009-03-31T08:18:00.000-07:00

Gay men are being warned about their HIV risk after latest figures show high rates of new diagnoses.

The Health Protection Agency estimates revealed nearly four in 10 of the 7,370 cases last year were in gay men - twice the number of a decade ago.

Recent studies have suggested high numbers of gay men are engaging in unsafe sex.

However, the number of new diagnoses overall and within the gay community has fallen slightly year-on-year.

Dr Barry Evans, an HIV expert at the HPA, said: "Gay men continue to be the group in the UK most at risk of acquiring HIV.

But most importantly, we must remember that gay and bisexual men are still the people most affected by HIV here in the UK

Deborah Jack, of the National Aids Trust

"Safe sex is the best way to protect against HIV infection."

The figures, which are estimated because the agency has not got all the data from clinics, showed overall new diagnoses had fallen from 7,660 in 2007.

Among gay men there was a slightly larger fall proportionally from 3,050 to 2,830, but it was still the second largest number since recording began in the 1990s.

The HPA also expressed concern about the high number of late diagnoses.

A fifth of cases among gay men were beyond the point at which treatment should have begun, raising the risk of death within the first year.

Proportion

Deborah Jack, chief executive of the National Aids Trust said: 'We welcome the fall in the number of new diagnoses of HIV - but we need to wait to see whether the trend is really downwards or still plateauing.

"But most importantly, we must remember that gay and bisexual men are still the people most affected by HIV here in the UK - with one 1 in 20 gay and bisexual men infected with HIV.

"If that proportion of the general UK population had HIV it would be headline news."

She also said it was worrying that the number of heterosexual cases from sex in the UK - most of the heterosexual diagnoses are from sex abroad, mostly within African communities - showed signs of rising.

In 2008 there were just over 1,000 new cases - up by 110 from 2007.

However, the charity said it was still a tiny proportion of the people engaging in heterosexual sex.

Lisa Power, of the HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "Numbers of people diagnosed with HIV are rising for many reasons.

"More people are getting tested, which is good. But some people don't realize they could be at risk, and others take risks despite knowing them. HIV is not a risk worth taking."

BBC

Garland man gets 30 years for Oak Lawn anti-gay attack

2009-03-05T10:14:00.000-08:00

A Garland man was sentenced to 30 years in prison today for his role in what prosecutors called an anti-gay attack last year in Oak Lawn.

Jonathan Gunter had faced up to life in prison after being convicted of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon.

On Tuesday, the victim, Jimmy Lee Dean, 43, testified that he was knocked unconscious during the attack in July 2008 and remembers little of what happened. Gunter, 32, and another man, Bobby Singleton, were both accused in the attack. Singleton is awaiting trial.

Today, Dean said that the jury’s verdict “works out OK.”

He also said that when Singleton goes to trial, his sentence should be longer.

“It’s is true that he did more of the damage,” Dean said. “I would be happy if Singleton got the 99 [years]. But I’d be OK if he got double [Gunter’s sentence].

Dean is still in pain from the attack and has lost his sense of smell. His facial deformities from the beating will likely never be fixed through surgery.

Dean told jurors on Tuesday that Gunter punched him in the nose and that the next thing he remembered was seeing two men beat him. Gunter kicked him in the back and Singleton kicked him in the face before he lost consciousness again, he said.

A witness testified hearing Gunter and Singleton make anti-gay remarks during the attack.

Defense attorneys had argued that Singleton – not Gunter – was to blame for Dean's injuries. But prosecutors said Gunter's role means he is guilty of aggravated robbery.

Authorities found Dean's lighter and a leather case on Gunter when he was arrested.

Dallas News

White House announces OPM nomination

2009-03-04T05:30:00.000-08:00

The White House on Tuesday officially announced that it has chosen a gay man to lead the Office of Personnel Management.

John Berry, whose appointment is subject to U.S. Senate confirmation, is slated to take on the highest position in the executive branch of the U.S. government ever held by an openly gay person.

OPM oversees the civilian federal workforce, which is about 2 million members strong, and helps enforce policies put in place under the Clinton administration that bar job discrimination against federal workers based on sexual orientation.

In a statement Tuesday, President Obama said Berry “has a tremendous record of effective management in key public service roles.”

“I’m confident that he will provide that same leadership at OPM to help ensure that government works for the American people the way it should,” Obama said.

Berry served as assistant secretary for policy, management and budget at the Department of Interior for President Clinton. He later served as executive director of the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation before becoming head of the National Zoo.

Berry was said to be in contention to become Obama’s interior secretary before he was named to the OPM post.

Washington Blade

Sorry, Microsoft's Xbox Has a 'No Lesbians Allowed' Policy

2009-02-26T07:05:00.000-08:00

You know what Microsoft's Xbox Live does not consider offensive enough to ban? Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned, where players steal, harass other characters, beat on prostitutes, and shoot to kill. And Resident Evil 4, where players encounter a dead female corpose pinned against the wall with a pitchfork through her face in the first few minutes of game play. And NARC, where players smoke pot, roll on ectasty, and get high on LSD to make their characters stronger. And 50 Cent: Bulletproof, where players take part in drive-bys and gang warfare to buy new music videos. But you know what Xbox Live does deem too offensive? Identifying yourself as a lesbian in your player profile.

In 2007 we told you about a player who got virtually gay bashed (video) playing Xbox's Halo 3 for having the screenname "xxxGayBoyxxx." Another Xbox player reported being forced to change his account name from something other than "thegayergamer," since, according to a supervisor the player spoke to, the Xbox "community" thought the moniker was too offensive. Even a guy named "Richard Gaywood" had to change his screenname.

And now another player says she was banned from Xbox for acknowledging she was a lesbian — after users complained. She writes Consumerist:

I just recently saw a thing on your site about someones gamer tag being banned because it had the word gay in the tag.

I had a similar incident, only my account was suspended because I had said in my profile that I was a lesbian. I was harassed by several players, 'chased' to different maps/games to get away from their harassment. They followed me into the games and told all the other players to turn me in because they didn't want to see that crap or their kids to see that crap.

As if xbox live is really appropriate for kids anyways! My account was suspended and xbox live did nothing to solve this, but instead said others found it offensive.

Today I received a message from another gamer calling me a fag. I am a lesbian, so they aren't too smart if they cant get their anti-gay slurs right.

Microsoft does nothing to stop this or prevent it, but instead sides with the homophobes. No one will help me get the word out about Microsoft's anti-gay policy. Not even the HRC who says Microsoft has a positive image with them. Not to me it doesn't!

It's worth noting that Microsoft doesn't ban the words "gay" or "lesbian" as a matter of policy; that is, you can type those strings of characters in Xbox games without immediately being banned or censored. Doing so is, I think, a good thing — though a video game community of homophobes probably means the words "gay" and "fag" are used more often as slurs than anything else. And when someone flags a user for being too "gay," Microsoft's wrath follows.

But Microsoft's position to cave to the Xbox "community," rather than defend its paying customers from harassment, is hateful. While it's unrealistic to think all gamers can be protected from being taunted while playing, the company should have some method of protecting those who alert it to harassment. Instead, they blame the victims, and ban them. Despicable.

[Video game descriptions via Gamespot]

Queerty

George Mason University Elects Drag Queen "Ms. Mason"

2009-02-23T07:58:00.000-08:00

Sean Penn Wins an Oscar for Milk

2009-02-23T07:32:00.000-08:00

Ron Gonzalez, Gay Health Activist, Dies in Continental Crash

2009-02-19T12:40:00.000-08:00

Ron Gonzalez, director of New Brunswick Tomorrow, a youth services program in New Brunswick, N.J., was flying into Buffalo to visit relatives on Continental flight 3407 that crashed in Clarence Center, New York last week. As a Buffalo resident, he had worked for AIDS Community Services as executive director of Alianza Latina and had also served as a community educator. All 50 passengers on the plane died and investigators are trying to determine what caused the crash.

Outcome Buffalo writes:

"Gonzalez, an openly gay man, worked to educate gay youth and young adults about health and safe-sex both through his work at Aids Community services and in collaborative programs at Gay and Lesbian Youth Services of Western New York.

Gonzalez was a National Urban Fellow at The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in Princeton prior to his move to New Brunswick.

The Star-Ledger of New Jersey has reports that "Gonzalez was on his way to visit family in Buffalo", according to Jeffrey Vega, president of New Brunswick Tomorrow.

Gonzalez was born and raised in New York City

The youth services program, which provides services to city schools, such as mental health counseling for students and their families, case management, youth employment, tutoring, and New Brunswick High School's Parent Infant Care Center, is part of New Brunswick Tomorrow, a private, non-profit organization.

"He wasn't somebody who had an ego. It wasn't about him, It was all about the children," said Vega. "He was dedicated to helping kids and families that were disadvantaged."

Vega said Gonzalez worked long hours, and moved three blocks from New Brunswick High School, where his office was, just to be closer. "
Queerty

Heart-breaking ER case cuts to core of marriage debate

2009-02-17T07:53:00.000-08:00

Your wife is dying.

One moment everything was fine. You were in your stateroom on the cruise ship -- it was to be an anniversary cruise -- unpacking your things. The kids were in the adjoining stateroom playing with your wife. Suddenly, they banged on the door crying that mom was hurt.

So now you're in the hospital -- Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami -- waiting for word, and it's not coming. They tell you, Joe (we'll call you Joe) you can't be with her. You plead with them, to no avail. No, Joe, sorry, Joe, we can't tell you anything.

One hour turns to two, two to four, four to six. Your wife is dying and no one she loves is there.

Finally, in the eighth hour, you reach her bedside. You are just in time to stand beside the priest as he administers last rites.

Your wife is dead. Her name was Lisa Marie Pond. She was 39.

It happened, Feb. 18-19, 2007, except that Pond's spouse was not a man named Joe, but a woman named Janice. And there's one other detail. Janice Langbehn who, as it happens, is an emergency-room social worker from Lacey, Wash., says the first hospital employee she spoke with was an emergency-room social worker. She thought, given their professional connection, they might speak a common language.

Instead, she says, he told her, "I need you to know you are in an anti-gay city and state and you won't get to know about Lisa's condition or see her" -- then turned and walked away.

For the record, this is an increasingly anti-gay "nation," to judge from all the mean-spirited amendments and legislation that have made scapegoats and boogiemen of them in recent years, including Florida's Marriage Protection Amendment, which passed last November.

Langbehn is suing the hospital for negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. In a hearing last week, Jackson Hospital asked a judge to dismiss the suit. A ruling is pending.

Attorney Andrew Boese, who represents Jackson, says the hospital "absolutely" disputes Langbehn's characterization of her encounter with the social worker. And as for visiting Pond's bedside: "Our first duty should be to patients, particularly in an emergency room. The decision to allow someone into a trauma bay should be a medical decision. It shouldn't be a question for a jury."

All that notwithstanding, it strains credulity to believe Joe would have spent eight hours barred from his wife's bedside as Janice was from hers.

Politicians and alleged religious leaders have routinely invited us to hate gay people and call it morality. They have taught us to frame gay lives in cloudy abstracts of tradition and values. But this isn't abstract, is it?

No, it is Janice and Lisa, meeting in college and falling in love, 20 years ago. It is a "holy union" service in a local church, friends serving as maid of honor and "best man." "We were dirt poor," says Langbehn, "but we pulled it off."

It is taking in foster kids no one else wants, drug babies, HIV babies, babies with fetal alcohol syndrome. It is adopting four of them and Lisa deciding she wants to be a stay-at-home mom and Janice saying OK, and wondering how the six of them will manage on a social worker's salary.

It is Janice, diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and Lisa, bashful Lisa, becoming the family extrovert, cheering the kids at "toddler tumbling time" shepherding them to swimming lessons and story time at the library.

It is Lisa, who loved pecan sandies, the movie Beaches, and Mitch Albom's book Tuesdays With Morrie, stricken by an aneurysm. It is Lisa, for eight hours, dying alone.

It would be good if someone remembered her next time we are invited to hate an abstract. And remember Janice, who could not ache more deeply even if her name was Joe.

Source: Orlando Sentinel

Son of Dallas Homophobic Chuch Pastor Arrested in Police Sex Sting

2009-02-16T08:11:00.000-08:00

Talk about timely. We asked you this morning if gay sex stings are inherently homophobic and now, news is coming out of Dallas that Jermaine Donnell Jakes, the 29 year old son of T.D. Jakes of Potter's House, a homophobic megachurch pastor who has declared homosexuality “brokenness” and declared that he would never hire a sexually active gay person" was arrested for publicly exposing himself to police officers in a a gay sex sting in Dallas' Kiest Park.

The Dallas Voice writes about the January 3rd arrest:

According to an arrest affidavit, the detectives were conducting an investigation into citizen complaints of sexual activity when they observed Jakes and several other unknown males park their vehicles in the lot east of the park at 2106 W. Kiest Blvd.

The detectives followed Jakes into a wooded area, where he approached them with his penis exposed through his unzipped pants, the affidavit states. Jakes masturbated for several seconds while making eye contact with one of the detectives.

Jakes made no attempt to conceal his penis despite people walking and jogging on a trail nearby, the affidavit states. According to court records, Jermaine Jakes listed his place of employment as T.D. Jakes Ministries. Jakes was released at the scene after being detained.

T.D. Jakes is the founder of the Potters House, a 30,000-member church in South Dallas. A vocal opponent of same-sex marriage, he’s been criticized by HIV/AIDS activists for undermining prevention of the disease by stigmatizing homosexuality and drug use.

On same-sex marriage, Jakes once told USA Today: “To date, I have not seen scriptural authority that allows me to stand on behalf of God and say I now pronounce you husband and husband, and wife and wife. This is an issue the government is undecided about. The Bible is not.”

Jermaine Jakes’ attorney, Faith Johnson, issued a written statement this week.
“We are aware of potential allegations involving Jermaine Jakes and are undertaking our own investigation of these allegations at this time,” the statement said. “Given an apparent government investigation, we have no further comment at this time.”

Source: Queerty

Gay activists display causes, affection outside DMA

2009-02-13T03:17:00.000-08:00

Gay activists display causes, affection outside DMA

12:24 PM CST on Sunday, February 8, 2009
By JOANNA CATTANACH / The Dallas Morning News jcattanach@dallasnews.com

It was quite a display – just not one officials with the Dallas Museum of Art planned for.
Wayne Smith (left front) and Ben Wilson hugged while Elizabeth Pax of Dallas, a graduate student at the University of North Texas, called to passers-by at the Kiss-in on Saturday. " onclick="return clickedImage(this);" height=134 alt="JENN ACKERMAN/Special Contributor" src="http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/img/v3/02-08-2009.nmc_08KissIn_Product.GU12IK1BU.1.jpg" width=175>
JENN ACKERMAN/Special Contributor Wayne Smith (left front) and Ben Wilson hugged while Elizabeth Pax of Dallas, a graduate student at the University of North Texas, called to passers-by at the Kiss-in on Saturday.

At a little after noon Saturday, 30 or so gay and lesbian activists started making out near an entrance of the museum downtown. They played kissing games with candy, blew bubbles and offered passers-by free queer hugs and chocolates.

"We have a right to express love just as much as everybody else," said Blake Wilkinson, founder of Queer LiberAction, whose group organized Saturday's "Queer Kiss-in."

"Heterosexuals don't have to think about holding their partner's hand in public," or kissing, Wilkinson said before museum security shepherded members of the group to the sidewalk.

The kiss-in is part of a larger effort by activist groups to raise awareness of gay-rights issues. Queer LiberAction and another group, Join the Impact Dallas, plan to hold mini-wedding ceremonies outside the Records Building downtown on Thursday. Participants plan to request marriage licenses as part of National Freedom to Marry Day.

One mother instructed her child to avert his eyes from the kiss-in participants. "Don't look at them," she said, grabbing and turning her son's head away. Others simply walked by, avoiding eye contact. One woman murmured, "It's twisted, very twisted." But another cited biblical principles, then exchanged hugs with a transgender activist, saying, "Hate the sin, not the sinner."

Vicki Benton, a retired grandmother enjoying the balmy day with her two grandchildren, said she didn't mind the displays of affection or the protesters.

"I don't think it should bother anyone. They're just using words," Benton said. "They're not hurting anyone."

Her daughter, Erin Smith, said she thought the public display was cute, noting: "They gave my son candy."

"It brings attention to their cause," said George Herrera, who was out enjoying the day with friends. But he added: "It may not be the right attention."

Elizabeth Pax, a graduate student who held a bullhorn through much of the event, said the kiss-in was meant to raise awareness about gay-rights issues after California voters' narrow approval of Proposition 8 in November. The measure amended the state constitution to define marriage between a man and a woman, effectively banning same-sex marriage.

The vote overrode a California Supreme Court ruling last May that briefly gave same-sex couples the right to marry, jeopardizing as many as 18,000 same-sex marriages that took place last year in California.

Since Proposition 8's approval, opponents of the measure have staged street demonstrations, including one outside Dallas City Hall in November.

Laura McFerrin, who owns a video production company, was at Saturday's event. She participated in a protest outside First Baptist Church of Dallas, where Dr. Robert Jeffress gave a sermon titled, "Why Gay is Not O.K."

McFerrin said she and her partner, Deanna McFerrin, whom she married in Canada, deserve the same rights and equality as any other married couple. But she added: "As long as we have laws that discriminate against people, everyday people think it's OK to discriminate against us."