365 Gay

(San Francisco) Gay couples who had been gearing up to get married in California this week had to put their wedding plans on hold once again after a federal appeals court said it first wanted to consider the constitutionality of the state's same-sex marriage ban. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals imposed an emergency stay Monday on a trial court judge's ruling overturning the ban, known as Proposition 8. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker had ordered state officials to stop enforcing the measure starting Wednesday, clearing the way for county clerks to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. "It's saddening just to know that we still have to keep waiting for this basic human right," Marcia Davalos, of Los Angeles, a health care advocate who had planned to marry her partner, Laurette Healey, said when the stay was issued Monday. "We were getting excited and then all of a sudden it's like, 'Ugh.' It's a roller-coaster." Lawyers for the two gay couples who challenged the ban said Monday they would not appeal the panel's decision on the stay to the U.S. Supreme Court. They said they were satisfied the appeals court had agreed to fast-track its consideration of the Proposition 8 case by scheduling oral arguments for the week of Dec. 6. "Today's order from the 9th Circuit for an expedited hearing schedule ensures that we will triumph over Prop. 8 as quickly as possible," said Chad Griffin, president of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, a group funding the effort to get the voter-approved gay marriage ban permanently overturned. "Our attorneys are ready to take this case all the way through the appeals court and to the United States Supreme Court." Attorneys for backers of the voter-approved measure applauded the decision. In seeking the emergency stay, they had argued that sanctioning same-sex unions while the case was on appeal would create legal chaos if the ban is eventually upheld. "Invalidating the people's vote based on just one judge's opinion would not have been appropriate, and would have shaken the people's confidence in our elections and the right to vote itself," said Andy Pugno, general counsel for the coalition of religious and conservative groups that sponsored Proposition 8. Under the timetable laid out Monday, it was doubtful a decision would come down from the 9th Circuit before next year. A different three-judge panel than the one that issued Monday's decision will be assigned to decide the constitutional question that many believe will eventually end up before the Supreme Court. County clerks throughout the state had been preparing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples for the first time since Proposition 8 passed in November 2008. The measure amended the California Constitution to overrule a state Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex unions earlier that year. "I'm sad, but I'm also glad that I didn't pay the $100 to reserve an appointment at the clerk's office," said Thea Lavin, 31, of San Francisco, who had planned to wed her partner, Jess Gabbert, 30, if the stay were denied. "This has happened so many times before where we take two steps forward, one step back." Walker ruled on Aug. 4 that Proposition 8 violated the equal protection and due process rights of gays and lesbians guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution. The ban's sponsors appealed that ruling and also asked the 9th Circuit to block same-sex weddings in the meantime. They claimed in papers filed with the 9th Circuit that gay marriages would harm the state's interest in promoting responsible procreation through heterosexual marriage. California Attorney General Jerry Brown had joined lawyers for the plaintiffs in urging the appeals court to allow the weddings this week, arguing that keeping the ban in place any longer would harm the civil rights of gays and lesbians. In a two-page order granting the stay, the appeals court panel did not indicate why it was keeping Proposition 8 in effect until it could consider the appeal of Walker's verdict. But it ordered Proposition 8 sponsors to address in their opening brief due Sept. 17 whether they even have the legal right to try to have the trial judge's ruling overturned. Both Brown and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the original defendants in the case, have said they support same-sex marriage and refused to defend Proposition 8 in court. "The delay is excruciating and heartbreaking I know for the couples, but the ruling did include a significant victory by expediting the case and by highlighting that the proponents have a heavy lift to show they even have the right to bring an appeal," said Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. "So those aspects of today's ruling do go some way legally to counterbalance the disappointment." Currently, same-sex couples can legally wed only in Massachusetts, Iowa, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Washington, D.C.

Lt. Col. Fehrenbach [1]’s legal representation and the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho, U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Air Force reached an agreement on Monday in regards to Fehrenbach’s discharge from the Air Force under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell [2]. [3] “The agreement prevents the Air Force from discharging Lt. Col. Fehrenbach under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the discriminatory law barring gay and lesbian service members from serving openly and honestly, until the Court can schedule a hearing on the motion for a preliminary injunction,” the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network wrote in a press statement. SLDN and Morrison & Foerster LLP are representing Fehrebbach who has served in the military for 19 years. Fehrenbach said he had hope that Obama would repeal the law that keeps gay and lesbian soldiers from living openly. “I have been waiting more than two years for the Air Force to do the right thing by letting me continue to proudly serve my country,” Fehrenbach said in a statement. “To say that I’m disappointed with where things stand would be a monumental understatement. I’m ready, willing, and able to deploy tomorrow, but I’m barred from deployment, because of this unjust, discriminatory law.” Though the Obama administration has vowed to end Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the change is not happening fast enough for gay rights advocates. It is estimated that 200 servicemembers have been discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell since Obama took office. Fehrenbach and his legal representation filed an injunction in a federal court in Idaho to block the discharge. They were successful in at least postponing his separation from the military, as the agreement prevents the Air Force from discharging him until a hearing is scheduled. [1] http://www.365gay.com/news/aviator-hopes-gay-ban-will-end-in-time-for-him/comment-page-2/ [2] http://www.365gay.com/news/idaho-aviator-sues-to-block-dont-ask-dont-tell/ [3] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/fehrenbach-top.jpg

Only 26 percent of teenage boys who engaged in high-risk sexual activities received information about HIV and other STDs from their doctor in the year prior to engaging in that behavior, found a new study. [1] HIV Plus [2] reported on a new study exploring the kind of information doctors provide teenage boys about STDs. Overall, only 21 percent of sexually active teen boys said they discussed STDs with their doctors. The study found no improvement in the screening of teenage boys between 1995 and 2002, even though in the early 1990s the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics issued guidelines urging doctors to make sexual-health counseling and STD testing a regular part an adolescent’s doctor visit. In 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [3] recommended that all patients ages 13 and 64 be tested for STDs annually by their doctor. “If guidelines alone can’t change what is being done at the doctor’s office, then the million-dollar question becomes how to get doctors and nurses to talk with their patients about sexual health,” said lead investigator Arik Marcell from Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. [1] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/blog-doctors-hospital-hallway-top.jpg [2] http://www.hivplusmag.com/Story.asp?id=2106&categoryid=10&issue_emi=current&jt=0 [3] http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/testing/resources/qa/qa_general-public.htm

Gay couples in California will be able to marry on Aug. 18, unless the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals issues an emergency stay. Same-sex couples in California are already planning. In San Diego County [1], the Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk (ARCC) has begun taking appointments for issuing marriage licenses and performing weddings. Judge Vaughn Walker who determined Proposition 8 [2] is unconstitutional stayed his decision until the 18th at 5:00. Many county clerks’ offices usually close at 5 pm, but a few are extending hours in honor of the renewed rights of gay couples, including Los Angeles and Santa Clara [3] counties, and San Francisco City Hall. [4] San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom [5] said, “The San Francisco County clerk is already prepared to grant marriage licenses as soon as permitted after Aug. 18 at 5 p.m., or whenever it is legally allowed." San Mateo county is relying on six extra volunteers in addition to their usual two staff-members to handle the surge in marriages. The LGBT community center in Los Angeles, The Village [6], is providing free weddings for same-sex couples getting married on the 19th. The center will provide a certified officiant, witnesses, flowers, champagne, wedding cake, and digital photos, all for free. The Village is marrying three couples every half-hour, based on a prescheduled sign-up. [1] http://sdgln.com/news/2010/08/13/san-diego-county-taking-appointments-gay-weddings [2] http://www.365gay.com/news/prop-8-unconstitutional-ballot-measure-overturned/ [3] http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/state&id=7608408 [4] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-gay-wedding-top.jpg [5] http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/12/MNC01ET9PP.DTL#ixzz0wnoGiE4P [6] http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/08/15/LA_Center_Offers_Free_Wedding_Ceremonies/

“We don’t know how to go about treating someone with your condition.” Those are the words Erin Vaught says she heard from a nurse at Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, Ind., when she sought treatment for what she suspected was a lung infection. The nurse was not referring to the symptoms — Vaught had been coughing up blood — that brought the patient to the hospital ER. The nurse was referring to the patient being a transgender woman. Vaught’s report of the events of that July 18 led to denunciations from numerous LGBT groups and demands that the hospital adopt a fully inclusive anti-discrimination policy and revise its training program. Muncie is in east central Indiana. It isn’t San Francisco or NYC, but it does have a greater metro population of more than 100,000 and Ball State University. And Ball Memorial Hospital, founded in 1929, has nearly 400 physicians and more than 45 medical specialties including a cancer center, cardiology program, total joint and spine center and specialized services for women and children. Vaught thought that when she decided to seek help in Muncie at Ball Memorial Hospital she might avoid the looks, the comments, the prejudice she’s experienced in smaller, more rural settings. But she didn’t escape such treatment. Instead of the kind of care you hope to get from people with R.N. or M.D. attached to their names she got the kind of care you’d expect from people associated with CCW, AFA or FRC. Vaught says she suffered a number of insults while she waited at the ER, the first came at the registration desk when her paperwork was marked with an “M” for “male” despite “female” on her ID. Vaught described snickers and stares and questions such as “How long have you been a transvestite?” and “So is it a he or a she? Or a he-she?” After more than two hours without receiving treatment, Vaught said she and her family left. She told the press she rushed out, so the hospital staff wouldn’t see her cry. Organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign at the national level and Indiana Equality at the state level took up Vaught’s cause. There were actions involving groups such as Code Pink and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, with events taking place in the Midwest, but also on the West coast. “Vague policy statements are not addressing the problem,” said Joe Solmonese of the Human Rights Campaign. “It is time for every hospital to adopt LGBT-inclusive patient non-discrimination policies and train every hospital employee on compliance. Simply saying ‘we treat everyone the same’ is not working.” Ball Memorial Hospital took the severe diagnosis and designed a treatment. A statement from hospital CEO Mike Haley pledged, “Ball Memorial Hospital is engaging with Indiana Equality and Indiana Transgender Rights Advocacy Alliance to assist with review of BMH care policies, employee benefits and diversity training. “BMH is collaborating with both groups to develop a curriculum for employee LGBT awareness training to improve sexual orientation and gender identity awareness in BMH anti-discrimination training. This will include sensitivity to the sometimes special health care needs of people who are transgender.” The hospital also will create a council to develop an inclusive diversity initiative that results in ensuring a culture of respect, trust and engagement. “Ball Memorial Hospital is committed to providing preeminent health care services for all our patients, and to continue its tradition of treating all patients and families with dignity and respect,” Haley said. So, here’s hoping that no nurse at Ball Memorial Hospital will ever again say, “We don’t know how to go about treating someone with your condition.” Because of course any nurse at any hospital should know that the proper way to treat a patient is with compassion.

A three panel judge extended the stay on same sex marriages [1] in California. Last week Judge Vaughn Walker ruled gay couples could begin getting married on August 18th. He allotted six days for the Ninth Circuit to review his ruling. The ban will remain as the case works its way through the courts.  Freedom to Mary issued a release, expressing disappointment but looking forward to the upcoming legal battles. "But there are many twists in the road to justice, and we are encouraged by the court's setting a fast pace for the appeal, revealing that the judges understand how important a quick end to the exclusion from marriage is to gay couples, their loved ones, and all Americans who believe in equality under the law," said Evan Wolfson, the organization's executive director. We'll write more about this tomorrow. UPDATE: Jerry Brown [2], the state's attorney general,  announced he would not appeal the stay. Oral arguments will be heard by the court in the first week of December. [1] http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/17/us/17prop.html?_r=1&hp [2] http://www.metroweekly.com/poliglot/2010/08/ninth-circuit-halts-california.html

In a preliminary vote, the Mexican Supreme Court ruled in favor of gay adoption. The matter was up for discussion after the Supreme Court earlier this summer decided Mexico City did not violate the constitution when it legalized gay marriage [1]. [2] Last week, the Supreme Court determined that all 31 states in Mexico have to recognize the same-sex marriages that are conducted in Mexico City. The last legally-challenged element of Mexico City’s gay marriage ordinance was the issue of gay adoption. Nine of 11 justices voted that same-sex married couples have the right to adopt, according to CNN Mexico [3]. Only eight votes were needed. [1] http://www.365gay.com/news/mexican-supreme-court-upholds-gay-marriage-in-mexico-city/ [2] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-gay-parent-families-child-top.jpg [3] http://mexico.cnn.com/nacional/2010/08/16/nueve-ministros-a-favor-de-la-adopcion-de-matrimonios-gay

(San Francisco) California voters had sound reasons and were not motivated by anti-gay bias when they outlawed same-sex unions in 2008, sponsors of the ban said Monday while urging a federal appeals court to stop gay weddings from resuming. In addition, the state's interest in promoting responsible procreation through heterosexual marriages would be harmed if gay marriages were permitted while the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reviews a previous ruling that overturned Proposition 8, lawyers contended in legal filings. "The record leaves no doubt, none at all, that California, 44 other states, and the vast majority of countries throughout the world continue to draw the line at marriage because it continues to serve a vital societal interest that is equally ubiquitous - to channel potentially procreative sexual relationships into enduring, stable unions for the sake of responsibly producing and raising the next generation," the lawyers wrote. The arguments represented a final attempt by gay marriage opponents to persuade the 9th Circuit to step in and prevent the Aug. 4 ruling by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker from taking effect at 5 p.m. Wednesday. Walker has said county clerks must stop enforcing the ban at that time, a move that would clear the way for gay couples to obtain marriage licenses unless the appeals court decides otherwise. Attorneys for the two same-sex couples who successfully sued to strike down Proposition 8 have been joined by state Attorney General Jerry Brown in urging the 9th Circuit to allow gay marriages to resume without delay. They argued that same-sex couples should not be denied their constitutional rights while the appeal is pursued, and that government agencies would suffer no harm by being required to sanction same-sex marriages. The Proposition 8 legal team said Walker had erred in concluding there was no evidence that allowing same-sex unions would undermine heterosexual marriages by causing more children to be born into households not headed by a married mother and father. "Reluctance to fundamentally redefine marriage stems not from blind allegiance to tradition but rather from an eminently reasonable concern that decisively severing marriage from its procreative purposes would harm the institution's ability to serve these still important societal interests," they wrote. They also disputed the notion that Proposition 8 was based on religiously rooted moral disapproval of gay Californians. If that were true, laws against prostitution, assisted suicide and other prohibitions founded on strong moral components would also be invalid, they said. They also questioned whether the two couples who filed the lawsuit can claim that having to wait for the appeal to be considered would hurt them when neither has concrete plans to get married this week. The two couples have both said they want to be able to schedule their weddings so their families and friends can join them.

The Chicago Tribune [1] published an article on the paper’s recent study of Chicago public opinion regarding gay marriage. Time Out Chicago says the article (but not the poll) is biased against gay rights. Time Out points out that the article quoted just three people, all of whom opposed gay marriage. It lists a number of statistics that were gathered from the study, but only halfway through the article does it present this encouraging number: “The overall opinion on legalizing same-sex marriage, when city respondents are factored in, is split: 42 percent oppose it, 42 percent support it and 15 percent have no opinion.” [2] Until this statistic, the Tribune article presents the information as if it demonstrated Chicago’s opposition to same-sex marriage. Rather than presenting the information in the greater context of the increasing favorability of gay marriage in the U.S., the Tribune piece contextualized the information with Chicagoan’s feelings about gay characters on television. Time Out Chicago [3] called out the Tribune’s interpretation of data as bias. “The Trib article ends with the same emphasis with which it begins: ‘there remains a substantial portion of the population that considers same-sex relationships to be morally wrong.’ That ‘substantial portion,’ according to the Trib, is 37 percent. Oh, by the way: The percentage who don’t hold that view is 50 percent—um, an even more ‘substantial portion,’ if my first-grade math is correct,” wrote Novid Prossi. He concluded, “It’s not just what a study shows that matters. It’s how the journalists reporting on a study show what it shows.” [1] http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-poll-same-sex-marriage-20100816,0,5794835.story [2] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/Chicago-skyline-top.jpg [3] http://www3.timeoutny.com/chicago/blog/out-and-about/2010/08/the-chicago-tribune-on-gay-marriage/

Over 100,000 people celebrated in Montreal’s Gay Pride parade on Sunday. The parade attracted people of all ages and orientations. The theme of the parade was "Our Superheroes"-  Wonder Women drag outfits ensued. [caption id="attachment_16321" align="aligncenter" width="233" caption="A drag queen at Montreal Pride in 2008. Photo by André Bilodeau."] [1][/caption] Montreal Mayor Gérald Tremblay [2] said he was proud to participate in the parade: "It's important to show that Montreal can accept people that have differences.” The Quebec Immigration Minister Kathleen Weil was just appointed last week. This was her first Pride as Immigration Minister. "It's wonderful to be able to just reach out, shake hands and look into people's eyes and see how happy they are to see you as a representative of the government," said Weil. "To feel that they've got our support and that we're there for them, it's a very emotional contact and it's wonderful." Canada is one of the world's most progressive countries when it comes to gay rights. Marriage equality was fully realized in Canada in 2005, though most provinces had already legalized gay marriage by 2003. The parade marshals were two human rights activists from Latvia, Kaspars Zalitis and Kristine Garina. Garina [3] said, “Yours is a privilege many nations do not have. Guard it carefully. It’s very hard to win and so easy to lose.” [1] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-montreal-pride-2008-drag-top.jpg [2] http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/08/16/montreal-gay-pride-2010.html [3] http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/pride+parade+casts+rainbow+over+Montreal/3401717/story.html

(San Francisco) The lawyers defending California's gay marriage ban are making one last argument on why an appeals court should block same-sex weddings while it decides the case. Sponsors of Proposition 8 are appealing a federal judge's Aug. 4 decision that found the ban unconstitutional. In documents filed Monday morning, ban backers argued that gay marriages would harm the state's interest in promoting responsible procreation through heterosexual marriage. The judge ruled that county clerks may begin issuing marriage licenses to gay couples on Wednesday unless the 9th Circuit appeals court decides otherwise. The Proposition 8 legal team asked the court last week to stop the weddings. Plaintiffs lawyers and state Attorney General Jerry Brown urged the court to allow them.

The New Jersey Supreme Court may have avoided confronting gay marriage out of fear of Governor Chris Christie. The Republican governor of New Jersey opposes same-sex marriage and some NJ legislators speculate that members of the Supreme Court are not pushing for marriage equality because they fear not being reappointed by Christie. [1] The NJ Supreme Court does not give interviews according to The Star Ledger, but Winnie Comfort, a court spokesperson said, "There won't be any comment. Of course, people are free to speculate. There is nothing we can do about that." Christie ousted Justice John Wallace [2], the court’s only African-American judge, which sparked the speculation. State Sen. Raymond Lesniak and Assemblyman John D. McKeon told The Star-Ledger [3] that Wallace’s replacement led three non-permanent court members to avoid the gay marriage issue. Chief Justice Stuart Rabner and Justices Roberto Rivera-Soto and Helen Hoens voted against a motion to have the court immediately revisit its earlier decision that ruled in 2006 that the legislature must provide equal rights to same-sex couples. The legislature decided to create civil unions rather than gay marriage. "I think the three justices who voted against the motion [to revisit its decision] looked over their shoulders and saw Chris Christie," says Frank Askin, a Rutgers Law School professor. "There is no question in my mind that fear of what the Governor would do played a part in that decision." The three judges who are not up for reappointment, Justices Virginia Long, Jaynee LaVecchia, and Barry Albin dissented from the order, arguing that the motion to go forward. As the Star Ledger wrote, “Coincidence?” [1] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/new-Chris-Christie-top.jpg [2] http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/nyregion/04christie.html?_r=1 [3] http://blog.nj.com/njv_bob_braun/2010/08/nj_supreme_court_justices_who.html

The openly gay actor Neil Patrick Harris, currently starring in 'How I Met Your Mother,' is expecting twins. He and his partner David Burtka are reportedly [1] having twins via a surrogate mother, due to be born in October. [2] Harris confirmed the rumors [3] on Saturday when he tweeted, “So, get this: David and I are expecting twins this fall. We're super excited/nervous/thrilled. Hoping the press can respect our privacy...” Access Hollywood [4] reported that Burtka, also an actor, helped his previous boyfriend raise twins, though he was not himself one of their primary parents. Harris is nominated for three Emmy awards this month, and he just wrapped up his first steps into directing with a Hollywood Bowl performance of Rent [5]. Burtka and Harris have been together since 2004. [1] http://ca.eonline.com/uberblog/b195371_exclusive_twins_on_way_neil_patrick.html [2] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news.neil-patrick-harris-david-burtka-top.jpg [3] http://twitter.com/actuallynph [4] http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/38713824/ns/today-entertainment/ [5] http://www.365gay.com/news/wed-watercooler-anti-straight-discrimination-case/

Michael Lucas is predictable. Another anti-Muslim screed from the Advocate's resident partisan  Michael Lucas [1]. He joins a rather vocal group of people, including Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich, who do not want a Muslim community center [2]built within blocks of Ground Zero.  In the Lucas mind, if the people behind the project were decent human beings, they would build it somewhere else because so many are against it. Lucas  sounds like the "liberal" ministers who told Martin Luther King, Jr. he was the cause of all the unrest in the South. Maybe the proud bigot should read Letter from a Birmingham Jail   [3]before he writes again. [4] Dr. Laura loves to say nigger. For some reason this Dr. Laura [5] story strikes me as hilarious. A black woman, involved in an inter-racial relationship,  calls her radio show looking for advice. The good doctor and the caller get into a tiff about the "n word."  After telling the caller she had "a chip on her shoulder," Laura expressed befuddlement that some black people use the word, while those minus much melanin can't (at least publicly). She then decided to say nigger 11 times. She offered an apology the next day for her "philosophical point." [6] Double makes four. Neil Patrick Harris [7] and his man, David Burtka, recently announced that come October they will be parents of bouncing twins. A  moment of cattiness. He made the announcement on his Twitter feed and then requested privacy from the press. If you  want anonymity, maybe Twitter missives should be avoided. Anyway, congrats to both!   [8] RIP Abbey Lincoln [9]. [10] Legal jockeying in Prop 8. Let's see if I have the time line right.  On August 4, Judge Vaughn Walker overturned California's gay marriage ban. Last Wednesday, he said counties could start marrying same sex couples on August 18. Anti-gay marriage foes appealed to the Ninth Circuit [11], requesting for the ban to stay in place. Some legal experts doubt the Ninth [12]will get involved, and there is even a question if the litigants have any legal standing. Check out Frank Rich's New York Times [13] column form yesterday. He makes the case all of this is just another chapter in the country's path to freedom. [14] Lettman takes the game to the bigots. Occasionally you'll hear anti-gay marriage advocates make nonsense claims how marriage equality is  destructive to black family life. Here is Sharon Lettman [15], executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, making mincemeat of that foolishness. "For too long, we have been in denial about our brothers and sisters, that we have gays and lesbians in the African American community," she said on the Tom Joyner Radio Show.  "We don't want to put our dignity on a ballot. It is about your dignity, it is about your respect." [16] NOM tour hits DC. The National Organization for Marriage's [17] summer tour ended in Washington, DC yesterday. There were calls, specifically from Bishop Harry Jackson, to let DC voters have a say on the gay marriage law---passed by the City Council and signed by  Mayor Adrian Fenty this past December. The city's Board of Elections & Ethics and two courts  found a vote violates  the city's Human Rights Act. Jackson promised to take his case to the Supreme Court. About a mile away, Big Commit [18] organized gay marriage supporters for a counter rally. Guess who was there giving a speech? Will Phillips [19], that great kid from Arkansas. [20] 37 months for selling fake condoms. Jian “Jimmy” Wang [21] got well deserved jail time for trafficking in more than a million counterfeit Trojan condoms. There's been no recent report of consumer complaints and the assumption is the sham rubbers are no longer on the market. [22] The Indian Day parade [23] opens up. For the first time in 10 years, the South Asian Lesbian and Gay Association participated in the the Indian Day parade. "We're very happy to be combating homophobia, to be showing the community that we do exist and that we're good people, and we feel really good to be part of this and to be celebrating India's Independence Day," said SALGA member Shawn Jain. "You shouldn't have to fight this hard for queer people to be in a parade." Wonder if the organizers of the St. Patrick's Day jaunt are paying attention? 365Gay Book club reminder. Don't forget our book club is starting with  Secret Historian [24].  Here are the dates for the chapters. September 8: chapters 1,2 and 3; September 15: chapters 4, 5 and 6;  September 22: chapters 7, 8 and 9;  September 29: chapters 10, 11 and 12; October 6: chapters 13, 14 and 15; October 13: chapters, 15, 17 and 18; October 20: chapter 19 to the end (including the afterword). While we are on the topic, what do you all think about our second book being The Cross of Redemption [25]? Let me know, and feel free to throw out suggestions. [26] Starting the week right. Who is this cutie? Why won't he call? [27] [1] http://www.advocate.com/printArticle.aspx?id=134079 [2] http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2010/08/16/100816taco_talk_hertzberg [3] http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html [4] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/Michael-Lucas-top.jpg [5] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/Abbey-Lincoln-top.jpg [6] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/Dr.-Laura-top.jpg [7] http://www.afterelton.com/people/2010/08/neil-patrick-harris-david-burtka-become-dads [8] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/Harris-and-Burtka-top.jpg [9] http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129203432 [10] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/Abbey-Lincoln-top.jpg [11] http://www.365gay.com/news/gay-marriage-foes-file-prop-8-appeal/ [12] http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/16/us/politics/16prop.html?_r=2&scp=2&sq=jesse%20mckinley&st=cse [13] http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/15/opinion/15rich.html?hp [14] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-justice-courts-law-scale-top.jpg [15] http://www.nbjc.org/news/nbjc-talks-prop-8-on-tom.html [16] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-brief-sharon-lettman-top.jpg [17] http://www.washingtonblade.com/2010/08/15/rally-pushes-d-c-ballot-measure-on-marriage/ [18] http://www.metroweekly.com/poliglot/2010/08/a-mile-away-a-world-apart.html [19] http://www.365gay.com/blog/111309-arkanas-lad-makes-a-stand-for-gay-rights/ [20] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/rings-top.jpg [21] http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-11/counterfeit-condom-trafficker-jian-wang-gets-37-month-prison-sentence.html [22] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/Condoms-top.jpg [23] http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/123799/annual-india-day-parade-includes-gay-activists [24] http://www.365gay.com../blog/072710-the-biography-of-a-sexual-outlaw-and-historian/ [25] http://www.amazon.com/Cross-Redemption-Uncollected-Writings/dp/0307378829 [26] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/Steward-top.jpg [27] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/Monday-beefcake-top.jpg

Actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson is fighting for marriage equality in New York. Ferguson is one of the few openly gay actors who plays gay on television, too. He plays Mitchell Pritchet, half of the featured gay couple on Modern Family. Ferguson teamed up with Fight Back NY [1] to make a short video calling for the removal of anti-gay marriage state senators. Ferguson and Fight Back NY are asking for donations to help them oust anti-gay New York politicians [2]. “A bunch of stupid senators last year voted against my rights,” said Ferguson. Watch Ferguson’s call to action, and watch as he reveals his crush: the man he wants to marry but can’t. [1] http://fightbackpac.com/en/home [2] http://www.365gay.com/news/thurs-watercooler-new-york-fights-back/

Eagles lineman Todd Herremans [1] tweeted, "So.. caught up on Trueblood last nite.. Not a fan of how they get u hooked with the 1st 2 seasons then bring on a barrage of homosexuality.." [caption id="attachment_16279" align="aligncenter" width="325" caption="True Blood's Lafayette played by Nelson Ellis"] [2][/caption] Later he tweeted an apology: “After speaking with Eagles management, I realize that my tweet earlier was insensitive and tasteless, and for this, I deeply apologize. In a third tweet he wrote, “It was not my intention to offend or hurt anyone.” In a perhaps less calculated response not crafted for Twitter, the NFL star [3]said to reporters, “I have no issues with homosexuality, to each his/her own. . . Its just not for me.” [1] https://twitter.com/toddherremans [2] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-true-blood-lafayette-top.jpg [3] http://www.tvovermind.com/cable/hbo/true-blood/nfl-player-tells-true-blood-to-stay-in-the-closet/28155

Gay marriage opponents have long used parents' fear of having gay children, but now it seems a martial arts academy is capitalizing on this fear, too. The Academy of Martial Arts RDCA ran two ads showing a little boy participating in generally feminine practices: applying lipstick and wearing high heels. The ads have just two words other than the group’s logo: “Karate lessons.” [1] The Facebook [2] page of RDCA describes the academy as “Your Ultimate Empowerment Group.” It continues, “If you are serious about your self improvement and empowerment you have reached the right group.” But the advertisements seem to imply that the martial arts academy is not looking to empower students who have alternative gender expressions. [3] Towelroad [4] accused the Fla. academy of targeting  “parents wanting to ‘man up’ kids who express an interest in their mother's clothes.” Florida is known for its anti-gay politics. Gay adoption is still illegal there, and now a gubernatorial candidate has suggested going further to ban gay foster parenting [5] too. [1] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-man-up-karate-ad-1-top.jpg [2] http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=15690347369#!/group.php?gid=15690347369&v=info [3] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-man-up-karate-ad-2-top.jpg [4] http://www.towleroad.com/2010/08/man-up-that-sissy-kid-of-yours-send-him-to-karate-class.html [5] http://www.365gay.com/news/fla-ag-wants-to-ban-gay-foster-parenting/

Mike Verdugo can keep his police certification after he was fired for not disclosing his previous job in gay porn. The Fla. Cop was fired when a 1996 video appeared online showing a 15 minute clip of Verdugo in a bondage scene. It was part of a gay porn film called “Rope Rituals.” [1] Verdugo, now 36, said he made the film for $700 when he was 22 as a way of exploring his sexuality. He said that while he did perform nude in a bondage scene, he did not engage in “hard-core” sex, reported the Miami Herald [2]. A 19-member state panel heard his case and ruled that he can keep his certification. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement placed him on one-year probation and required that Verdugo take a state-approved ethics-training course. "We won,'' said Verdugo.  "They voted unanimously. We're done. My certification stands. I'm happy. Shocked -- in a good way.'' Verdugo is now suing to get his job back. His attorney George Castrataro said he thinks the case’s arbitrator “didn't have a strong comfort level at all with LGBT issues.'' Verdugo also was a contestant on HGTV’s “Design Star” reality show. HGTV dropped him after his involvement in pornography was discovered. [1] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-mike-verdugo-porn-cop-top.jpg [2] http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/12/1773050/ex-hollywood-cop-in-gay-porn-film.html

(Washington) The Defense Department says that only about a quarter of the troops sent a survey on gays in the military have responded. Pentagon spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said Thursday that close to 103,000 service members have completed the survey, which asks questions like how they would react if assigned to a room with a gay person. The Defense Department had delivered 400,000 surveys to troops as part of its study on how it could lift the ban without hurting morale. The deadline to respond is Sunday. Smith said 150,000 surveys will be sent to troops' family members later this month.

Cadet Katherine Miller [1] was ranked ninth in her class at West Point, but she is resigning because she says she can no longer deny her identity as a lesbian. In her resignation letter to West Point Miller wrote, “I intend for my resignation to offer a concrete example of the consequences of a failed law and social policy." West Point cadets can resign at any point during their first two years, but at the beginning of their third year, they must sign a document committing themselves to 10 years of military service. “I can‘t bring myself to sign on the dotted line, to commit myself to the military for 10 years while the policy remains in place,” she told Rachel Maddow [2] on Wednesday. “Being re-closeted has been a much bigger challenge than I ever anticipated.  It‘s taken a much bigger toll socially, mentally, emotionally than I could have imagined.  And I completely underestimated this when I decided to enter into the military.” Watch the New York Civil Liberties Union’s video where Miller explains her decision. “Social policies absolutely matter,” she said. “The military is seen as this sort of backward organization that still has this draconian law.” [1] http://www.365gay.com/news/west-point-cadet-resigns-because-of-dadt/ [2] http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38677076/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show/