Teh Gay Teens

Kids can catch teh gay?

Same-sex relationships increase self-esteem, decrease homophobia in teens - PhysOrg.com

Same-sex relationships increase self-esteem, decrease homophobia in teens
PhysOrg.com
Involvement in a same-sex relationship boosted self-esteem in teen males and lowered internalized homophobia in teen females who identified as gay, ...

Read more [Gay Teens]

Withers: Will the Senate vote on DADT in September?

[1] Senate majority leader Harry Reid [2]is getting some heat to schedule a firm date for a Don't Ask, Don't Tell vote. “We are asking of the majority leader the same thing that we believe Senator [Carl] Levin is asking, and that is to schedule the defense authorization bill shortly after the August recess,” said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. “We would like him to make that announcement before the Senate leaves town at the end of next week.” A Reid spokesperson says there will be a vote in September, but refused to give any certain dates. Repeal is attached to the defense authorization. In late May the House of Representatives [3] voted on the bill and it passed 234 to 194. Ahh, but don't get too excited if the Senate does get to this come September. If passed, the bill will go to conference to tweak any differences between the chambers. Then the Senate and House will vote again on what was hammered out in conference. Finally it lands on the president's desk for his signature. You old heads know all of this because of School House Rock [4]. One big stumbling block, not related to repeal, is a new engine for the F-35 Joint Striker Fighter. The White House has warned any bill with funds for that will be vetoed. The House version funded the engine. You need to keep annoying your elected reps until this thing is done. [1] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/flag-2-top.jpg [2] http://advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/07/29/Advocates_Push_Reid_On_DADT_Vote/ [3] http://www.365gay.com/blog/052810-the-first-nail-in-dadts-demise/ [4] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEJL2Uuv-oQ
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Be yourself and have some fun - Coast Reporter

Be yourself and have some fun
Coast Reporter
... support with counselling, phone life lines, a youth drop-in and support of the newly established GSAs, [Gay Straight Alliance] in the secondary schools. ...

Read more [GSA News]

Judge rules against anti-gay Michigan counseling student

In a second case about an anti-gay counseling student, there comes some good news. A federal judge ruled in favor of Eastern Michigan University, which kicked Julea Ward out of its masters program in counseling because she refused to counsel gay clients. She attributed her anti-gay beliefs to her Christianity and accused the school of religious bias when it demanded that she leave the program. [1] Ward’s attorney David French said, "Christian students shouldn’t be penalized for holding to their beliefs. When a public university has a prerequisite of affirming homosexual behavior as morally good in order to obtain a degree, the school is stepping over the legal line.” But U.S. District Judge George Caram Steeh wrote in the decision [2], "Plaintiff was not required to change her views or religious beliefs; she was required to set them aside in the counselor-client relationship - a neutral, generally applicable expectation of all counselors-to-be under the ACA (American Counseling Association) standard." French said he plans on appealing the court’s decision. The decision comes just days after a student in a counseling program in Georgia sued Augusta State University. Jennifer Keeton [3] said that as a Christian, she believed homosexuality to be immoral. She accused ASU of violating her first amendment rights when the school mandated that she undergo sensitivity training or that she leave the program. [1] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-eastern-michigan-university-julea-ward-top.jpg [2] http://voices.washingtonpost.com/college-inc/EMU%5B1%5D.pdf [3] http://www.365gay.com/news/counseling-student-accuses-school-of-forcing-acceptance-of-homosexuality/
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First Liverpool Pride to remember murdered gay teen Michael Causer

Liverpool's first Pride celebration is to hold a vigil next week to remember Michael Causer, the gay teenager who was murdered in the city two years ago. Michael, an 18-year-old hairdresser, died in hospital in August 2008 after being punched and kicked.

First Liverpool Pride to remember murdered gay teen Michael Causer

Lawyer who raped teen jailed after judge finds aggravating factors - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Lawyer who raped teen jailed after judge finds aggravating factors
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Assistant County Attorney Judy Johnston said in her closing argument that gay men don't choose children as partners. Zimmerman said of the defense argument, ...

and more »
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Thurs. Watercooler: New York fights back

Keeping track of gay marriage legislation is a complicated endeavor. While Wikipedia [1] and Freedom to Marry [2] have great maps, a new site just launched that keeps track not only of the current legislation, but also the views of the state's lawmakers. Statesthatallowgaymarriage.com [3] launched recently and has information on all 50 governors, 100 United States senators, and 435 United States representatives and their positions on gay marriage. [4] The site's founder Michael Zuyus said, “We want to make it easy for people to get the information they need in order to support candidates who will vote for marriage rights in their state.” New York state senator and Pentecostal minister Ruben Díaz [5] is running for reelection, but Fight Back NY [6] is trying its hardest to ensure that Diaz does not succeed. Fight Back called Díaz “New York's most notoriously anti-gay state senator.” [7] To campaign against Díaz, Fight Back is looking to hire political researchers to search through Ruben’s “murky past,” in an effort discover information about the senator that would discourage voters from selecting his name on the ballot. Two of Díaz’s brothers are gay, as is his granddaughter. Díaz was one of the 38 senators who voted against same-sex marriage [8] in NY, and is adamantly opposed to homosexuality, but he says he still loves his gay family members. Díaz was forced to resign from the Civilian Complaint Review Board when he suggested that the Gay Games would spread HIV; in 2003 he tried to shut down Harvey Milk High School, a NY public school safe haven for LGBT students. CBS, embarrassed by its low score on the GLAAD ratings [9], is adding more gay characters to its shows. “We’re not happy with ourselves,” said CBS president Nina Tassler. “We're adding a few characters this season because we're very disappointed in our track record so far.” [10] GLAAD gave CBS a failing grade [11] for two consequtive, with 7 percent LGBT-inclusive hours of primetime programming. Tassler announced gay characters will be added to The Good Wife, S*** My Dad Says and Rules of Engagement. CBS is also starting a new talk show hosted by celebrity moms, including lesbian Sara Gilbert [12]. A thousand people in Enid, Okla. celebrated Pride earlier this month. Enid Pride [13] started in 2009 with a turnout of 300 people, the largest first-time turnout for a Pride in Oklahoma. Approximately 48,000 people reside in Enid, but the Pride events were targeted to all of northeast Oklahoma. [caption id="attachment_15840" align="aligncenter" width="325" caption="Photo credit: Michelle Posey"] [14][/caption] The second Enid event had over three times the number of festival-goers as it did last year. The week of celebrating included a vigil, forums and discussions, film screenings, an interfaith service, and of course, the festival. While the gay community in Enid used to rely on small-town gay bars, the community now flocks to its new community center. Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays hosted the event. Oklahoma has a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, but Tulsa [15] recently adopted an anti-discrimination policy for city employees, and a transgender [16] woman is running for a state senate seat. Only 10% of the 400,000 surveys [17] distributed by the Defense Department were returned. The surveys ask servicemembers their opinions on permitting gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military, in an effort to explore troops' views on repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell. The deadline for the return of the surveys is August 15. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Samesex_marriage_in_USA.svg [2] http://www.freedomtomarry.org/states/ [3] http://www.statesthatallowgaymarriage.com/ [4] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-states-that-allow-gay-marriage-site-top.jpg [5] http://www.365gay.com/news/bronx-democrat-sets-sights-on-ruben-diazs-seat/ [6] http://fightbackpac.com/closet/ [7] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-ruben-diaz-headshot-top.jpg [8] http://www.365gay.com/blog/withers-looming-marriage-battle-in-new-york/ [9] http://www.glaad.org/nri2010 [10] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-cbs-logo-3-top.jpg [11] http://www.glaad.org/page.aspx?pid=1563 [12] http://www.365gay.com/news/thurs-watercooler-beck-is-relying-on-miracles/ [13] http://www.enidglbt.org/index.html [14] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-enid-pride-pavillion-oklahoma-top.jpg [15] http://www.365gay.com/news/tulsa-now-protects-gay-employees/ [16] http://www.365gay.com/news/transgender-candidate-in-oklahoma-faces-socially-conservative-opponent/ [17] http://www.365gay.com/blog/072210-blogger-takes-dadt-survey/
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The ‘ban gay adoption’ movement: sacrificing children

When child protective services took two young children from their home and brought them to Frank Martin Gill and his partner in December 2004, protective services told the men - experienced foster parents - that the boys deserved a good holiday. The men were planning to move soon but agreed to take them temporarily. [1] It was clear the boys, ages four years and four months, needed care. The elder boy was wearing a dirty, adult-sized t-shirt and sneakers that were four sizes too small. He did not speak, and his only concern was caring for his infant brother. Both boys had scalp ringworm and the younger had an ear infection, but the medicines brought from their home had been unused. When the older boy began to speak after about a month, the men learned he had never seen a book, could not count, and did not even know letters from numbers. The brothers stayed and the men did not move. The boys developed friendships at school and in the neighborhood. They bonded with the biological son of Gill’s partner and with the couple’s parents and siblings. They began referring to Gill and his partner (who is not identified in court documents) as “Papi” and “Daddy.” In 2007, after the rights of the biological parents were terminated, Gill petitioned to adopt. The men, however, live in the state of Florida - the one state that bans any gay men or lesbians from adopting. And that has created a dilemma for the courts: either they honor the law or honor their duty to rule in the best interests of the children. Despite a positive home study, the Florida Department of Children and Families denied Gill’s adoption application. With the help of the ACLU of Florida, Gill sued the state. (The men felt they would stand no chance if they sued for a joint adoption.) During the trial, the court heard expert testimony from a psychologist who had assessed the boys and determined they would be “emotionally devastated” if taken from their current home. In November 2008, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman ruled that the adoption ban violated Gill and the children’s right to equal protection under the state Constitution. The government, she said, failed to demonstrate a rational reason for imposing the ban, and the law obstructed the right of children to a permanent, stable home as provided by federal and state law. The state Department of Children and Families (DCF) appealed the ruling to the state’s Third District Court of Appeals, which heard arguments in August 2009. The decision has now been pending for a year. A few other states have some restrictions on gay people adopting children, but Florida is the only state whose law specifically bans adoptions by all gay men or lesbians. Mississippi bans same-sex couples from doing so, and Arkansas, Michigan, and Utah ban unmarried couples (by definition, all same-sex couples in the state). So far, despite the ban, Florida courts have ruled three times to allow an adoption by a gay or lesbian parent. The first was in August 2008, when a Monroe Circuit judge allowed Wayne LaRue Smith to adopt the boy he and his partner had been fostering since 2001. Because Smith had already been named the boy’s legal guardian, neither DCF nor the attorney general appealed. The second adoption was granted to Gill through Lederman’s ruling in November 2008. The third was in January 2010, when a Miami-Dade circuit judge allowed Vanessa Alenier to adopt the one-year-old she and her partner have been fostering. The judge said the adoption ban was “unconstitutional on its face.” The state has appealed that decision, too. Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida, an LGBT advocacy group, observed in an interview, “Judges are beginning to push back and say ‘There’s a contradiction in this law that does not allow us to carry out our prime mission, and that is that the children have to come first. What their needs are has to be the primary guidance in what we do.’” Florida legislators have also recently attempted to overturn the ban in the legislature. Three bills were introduced in March, but two were withdrawn before a vote and one died in committee. And Governor Charlie Crist, who now running for U.S. Senate, told TIME magazine in June he believes in “a live and let live attitude as it regards adoption [by gay men and lesbians].” He said “the best decision maker would be a judge,” but that the current law must change first. “I’m sure that a future legislature and maybe the next governor might addressthat issue,” he added. Beyond Florida, some LGBT experts and advocates think that adoption could be the next major target --after marriage equality-- for opponents of LGBT civil rights. In the federal trial this year challenging the constitutionality of Proposition 8, California’s ban on same-sex marriage, a witness for the plaintiffs, Dr. Gary Segura predicted that, as fewer states are able to use the initiative process to contest same-sex marriage, “the new front line would be gay and lesbian adoption.” “I would not be surprised to see anti-adoption initiatives appearing in the near future,” said Segura, professor of political science at Stanford University. Equality Florida’s Smith agreed, saying, “The entire country has a stake in ending [the Florida] adoption ban so that the far-right doesn’t begin trying to export it and expand it elsewhere through the same mechanisms that they pushed the marriage ban. . . . The far-right nationally is geared up to defend and expand this ban and we’ve got to be geared up nationally to defeat it.” There are signs of this already. The Arizona House approved a bill at the end of February that would give preference to married couples when placing children with adoptive parents. It is now in the State Senate. And voters in Arkansas approved that state’s ban on allowing adoptions by unmarried couples in November 2008. In April, a state circuit judge struck down the ban for that circuit, but the state is expected to appeal. Anti-LGBT groups have long tried to tie the right to parent with the right to marry. In the Proposition 8 case, for example, attorneys defending the marriage ban tried to persuade the court that an opposite-sex couple provides the best family structure for raising children, and that marriage should therefore be limited to opposite-sex couples. The defense’s star witness, David Blankenhorn, president of the Institute for American Values, however, testified, “I believe that adopting same-sex marriage would be likely to improve the well-being of gay and lesbian households and their children.” Attorneys on the plaintiffs’ side brought in two experts who had also testified in the Florida Gill case. One was Dr. Michael Lamb, professor of developmental psychology at Cambridge University, who spoke in both cases about the extensive research showing that children do as well with gay or lesbian parents as with straight ones. The other was Dr. Letitia Peplau, professor of psychology and sociology at UCLA, who testified to the stability of same-sex relationships. Anti-LGBT groups may have better luck at the ballot box than in the court room, as the field of experts to testify on their behalf about same-sex couples and children seems to be shrinking. In the Gill case, the DCF brought in two experts for the trial court hearing who argued that gay men and lesbians were not suitable to become parents. Judge Lederman said of one, clinical psychologist Dr. George Rekers, “the court can not consider his testimony to be credible nor worthy of forming the basis of public policy.” (Rekers was later reported to be traveling with a gay male escort who claimed Rekers himself was gay. Rekers responded that he spends time with sinners in order to help them.) The other DCF expert, Dr. Walter Schumm, associate professor of family studies at Kansas State University, seemed to argue for Gill when he said, during the Florida trial, that “gay parents can be good foster parents,” and “the decision to permit homosexuals to adopt is best made by the judiciary on a case by case basis.” Only one federal bill seeks to address the issue. The Every Child Deserves a Family Act, introduced by Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) in March, would prohibit federal funds to states that discriminate in adoption based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Gill himself testified at a U.S. House panel discussion when the bill was introduced. The bill is now in the House Ways and Means Committee and has 29 co-sponsors, but there are no scheduled hearings and no Senate counterpart, making it unlikely it will pass this session. [1] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-brief-lesbian-parents-top.jpg
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Culhane: Religion, equality and gay marriage – redux

Last week’s column [1] generated an unprecedented deluge of comments – thoughtful, angry, supportive, analytical – but that’s not completely surprising. As I learned when I broached this topic last year [2], any talk about the friction between religion and LGBT equality (and especially marriage equality) brings down the house. Today’s entry will probably destroy the foundation. Recall that the last column ended by asking how to get out of the mess of accommodating religion and an anti-discrimination imperative. Let’s look at a few ideas here. [3] The first is the libertarian position that’s gotten Rand Paul in so much trouble, and that crops up every time anti-discrimination laws are discussed: When it comes to private actors, there should be no such laws. A business owner’s associational freedom trumps the customer’s right to be served. Usually that’s followed by the hope that most business owners aren’t economically dumb enough to act on their prejudices. I used to have more respect for this position than I do today. The experience of social and political history makes it clear that people can and do discriminate all the time, and that we’ve made a collective judgment that we’re not going to tolerate it. Politically – and for me, morally – that ship has long sailed. A few other creative ideas are out there. One especially clever commenter last week suggested that we allow an accommodation for those who would have to be “bodily” involved in the wedding – so photographers wouldn’t be forced to shoot a same-sex wedding party; florists wouldn’t have to be scurrying around at the reception, but would have to sell flowers from their store, and so on. I don’t like this for the same reason I don’t like the so-called “hardship exception” for couples who don’t have choices (there’s only one wedding photographer in town, for example). Both seem like recipes for endless litigation: “We had a hardship.” “No, you didn’t.” Stop it, please. Moreover, no one’s been able to explain why any of these suggested accommodations, once allowed, should be limited to events or businesses somehow “associated” with the wedding. If we’re going to allow religious exemptions based on the immorality of same-sex unions, it’s hard to see any principled reason for rejecting these same reasons in other contexts: Why should I have to rent a home to a lesbian couple, provide health benefits to a gay man’s spouse, or, for that matter, hire a gay man in the first place? Robin Fretwell Wilson’s answer – that these actions (but somehow, not the ones tied to marriage) are simply bigotry – resolves the issue by fiat. In general, I don’t support these accommodation laws. They’re basically a political compromise to get a few more votes, but I think they introduce a dangerous idea that we’ve not allowed with other protected groups: You can discriminate if your religion tells you it’s OK to do so. And I’m not placated by assurances that it’s limited to the marriage context. But think about the problem from another perspective: Do you really want someone who strongly disapproves of your marriage to be the one catering it? Probably not. So can nothing be done? Here’s what I propose: Why not simply remind the religious objectors – I’d support a law spelling this out – that they have a right to clearly state that they oppose same-sex unions and would “prefer to step aside” (borrowing and repurposing language from Professor Wilson here) for religious reasons. There might even be standard, respectful language suggested (not mandated, but perhaps bulletproof against litigation), making clear that the proprietor’s objection is based on religion, not animosity. Not “we don’t like the gays,” but “this establishment is owned and operated by the Smith Family, who hold strong religious beliefs that marriage is the union of a man and a woman.” What same-sex couple wouldn’t respect that, and go somewhere else – if they could? Note that this isn’t the same as allowing the Smiths to refuse service. It puts the same-sex couple on notice, though, that this establishment might not be their best choice. And, in a progressive area, such a statement would undoubtedly cost the Smiths some business from opposite-sex couples, too. I first made this proposal last year, and it generated a lot of heat – much of it quite negative. But I think the only real alternative is no accommodation at all. That’s hardly an unreasonable position, even for religious organizations when they leave their core mission and participate in secular activities (such as renting out a pavilion for marriages, but then refusing to do so for same-sex couples). So “no accommodation at all” is my close second choice. Even my weak proposal for using the right to speak as a way of avoiding conflict will doubtless infuriate those who think this whole issue is ridiculous, but ask yourself: How would I want to be treated if I were a religious person? (I’m not, in case it matters.) Let the deluge begin. John Culhane is Professor of Law and Director of the Health Law Institute at Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, Del. He blogs about the role of law in everyday life, and about a bunch of other things at: http://wordinedgewise.org [4]. He can be reached via email at: johnculhane@comcast.net. [1] http://www.365gay.com/opinion/culhane-religion-equality-and-gay-marriage/ [2] http://volokh.com/2009/08/05/no-gay-couples-allowed/ [3] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-episcopal-church-top.jpg [4] http://www.365gay.com http://wordinedgewise.org
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School board supports Pride events - Vancouver Courier

School board supports Pride events
Vancouver Courier
This year, the VSB hosted a Dare to Stand Out conference in March, and secondary schools have Gay-Straight Alliance clubs. Students and staff were also ...

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Student: university wants to change her "biblical views" on gays - CNN

SodaHead News
Student: university wants to change her "biblical views" on gays
CNN
Jennifer Keeton filed a civil rights action in US District Court on July 21 saying Augusta State University violated her "constitutional rights of speech, ...
Judge Rules That Christianity Is Indeed No Longer Allowed At Public UniversitiesHot Air (blog)
Christian Student Sues to Stay in Counseling ProgramAOL News
School Lawsuit Claims Religious DiscriminationGPB
Right Pundits -Sirius XM OutQ News (blog)
all 96 news articles »
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Same-sex relationships 'help self-esteem' in gay and lesbian teenagers

Same-sex relationships give gay male teenagers better self-esteem and lower internalised homophobia in teenage lesbians, a study suggests. The study, carried out by the University of Michigan, did not find similar effects in heterosexual teenagers' relationships.

Same-sex relationships 'help self-esteem' in gay and lesbian teenagers

Ask the Expert: Two bachelorettes, one party?

Stumped on when to send out your STDs (save-the-date announcements)? Don't know who should be invited to your rehearsal dinner? Get the answers to all your etiquette questions for your gay wedding by submitting your dilemma to etiquette@equallywed.com. Q My two best friends are engaged to each other, and I am part of the wedding party. I want to plan a bachelorette party for my friends, but I'm a little unsure of how to proceed. The traditional bachelorette party is usually a night out without your fiancée, a time to celebrate your last few days of singlehood. While I think each girl deserves her own special night, they share the same group of friends, so the guest list would essentially be the same for both parties. Some guests will be travelling from out of town, and I want to be conscious of their budgets for travel and accommodations. Additionally, I'm not sure if I have the resources to throw two awesome parties back-to-back (I just finished grad school). Is there a way to tastefully plan a single party, or should I go for separate celebrations? I really want to do something special for my friends before their big day! [1] A Have you asked them what they want? They may want to have it together, too. I know you’re probably wanting it to all be big surprise, but a short conversation inquiring if they have envisioned their bachelorette party together or not—or would be open to it—will give you the best motivation. There are absolutely plenty of ways to celebrate them with a single party, while at the same time giving them each the attention that’s so important at one of these shindigs: Enlist another good friend from your group to be in charge of one of the women’s fun all night, and you take the other. Make a list of all the things that make each woman special, and brainstorm on ways to honor her that night. One fun way to bring all these personality traits together is with a scavenger hunt—one for each woman. Perhaps one loves to salsa dance, so one of her challenges would be to find a stranger to salsa with her for one minute at a Latin dance club. And maybe the other one gets a lot of admiration for her rack … so give her the task of getting a woman to give up her bra for a photo. Perhaps one woman loves karaoke, so have the other one sing the karaoke lover’s favorite song. The list goes on with fun excursions: Have both women find other women in a club with the same color eyes as a mate (must take a photo) or the same name. Pick up another woman with the same line that worked for you and your fiancée. Of course, this is all in good fun, so obviously no one’s trying to really pick anyone up. The spirit of the bachelorette party is celebrating your single days before you’re sworn to one person for the rest of your life. But more than that, especially for a couple’s bachelorette party, is having fun with friends and letting loose. How loose you want to go is up to you! However you plan the night—whether it’s in one place or several—keeping a friend assigned to each woman will ensure that they feel particularly special on this night. Try to separate the group a couple of times during the night with each woman going with a different bunch. And during those times, make an extra special effort to make it like a single night out. Maybe at that time you could give her trashy lingerie or boxers with dirty words on them. It all depends on your personalities. Just have fun! Kirsten Palladino is the editor in chief of Equally Wed, the nation’s premier same-sex wedding magazine, online at http://www.equallywed.com [2]. Equally Wed offers gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer couples a guide to their weddings, a social community and a marketplace of vetted LGBT-friendly wedding vendors. Follow Equally Wed on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/equallywed [3]. [1] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-lesbian-couple-marriage-beach-top.jpg [2] http://www.equallywed.com/ [3] http://www.twitter.com/equallywed
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Same-Sex Relationships Increase Self-Esteem, Decrease Homophobia in Teens

Involvement in a same-sex relationship boosted self-esteem in teen males and lowered internalized homophobia in teen females who identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual, a new University of Michigan...
Read more [Big Gay News]

Study: Same-sex Dating Positive for Gay Teens

A new study conducted by University of Michigan’s School of Public Health shows that same-sex relationships while a teenager leads to higher self-esteem in boys and a reduced incidence of internalized homophobia for girls.
Read more [The Advocate]

Counseling student accuses school of forcing acceptance of homosexuality

Jennifer Keeton, a 24-year-old graduate student at Augusta State University, is suing [1] the school on first amendment grounds saying that ASU is forcing her to change her Christian beliefs that homosexuality is immoral and wrong. While the school has not yet been served the papers, Keeton will be represented by the socially conservative Alliance Defense Fund [2]. [caption id="attachment_15785" align="aligncenter" width="240" caption="Credit: ADF"] [3][/caption] Keeton is a student at the counseling program that is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs. The program follows American School Counselor Association's ethical guidelines [4]that specify that a counselor “Respects the student’s values and beliefs and does not impose the counselor’s personal values.” The guidelines also requires that a counselor “Expands and develops awareness of his/her own attitudes and beliefs affecting cultural values and biases and strives to attain cultural competence,” and “Acquires educational, consultation and training experiences to improve awareness, knowledge, skills and effectiveness in working with diverse populations: ethnic/racial status, age, economic status, special needs, ESL or ELL, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression, family type, religious/spiritual identity and appearance.” When Keeton talked in and outside of the classroom of her opposition to homosexuality, she said the school forced her to change her beliefs. She said she was made to attend diversity and sensitivity trainings, attend a Pride parade and submit monthly papers to her supervisors to track how her beliefs have changed. Keeton said that her views on homosexuality would not affect her ability to counsel gay or lesbian clients. She also denied allegations that she advocated for “conversion therapy” to change clients’ sexual orientation, which she calls a “lifestyle choice.” Because her views on homosexuality are linked to her Christianity, Keeton has said she is facing religious discrimination. As the school has not been served the legal papers, ASU officials have not yet commented on the suit. [1] http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/07/26/anti-gay-us-student-sues-college-for-trying-to-make-her-attend-diversity-classes/ [2] http://www.adfmedia.org/News/PRDetail/4140 [3] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-jennifer-keeton-top.jpg [4] http://www.365gay.comCeleste Lavin show details 6:13 PM (22 hours ago) http://www.schoolcounselor.org/content.asp?contentid=173
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Living Room Benefit Thursday - Just Out (blog)

Living Room Benefit Thursday
Just Out (blog)
The group held its first Clackamas County Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) Summit in January, which included representation from seven county high schools. ...

Read more [GSA News]

Target CEO defends Minn. donations

(St. Paul, Minn.) Target Corp.'s CEO on Tuesday defended the discount retailer's political donations to a Minnesota group helping the state's Republican candidate for governor, telling employees at its Minneapolis headquarters that the company's support of the gay community is "unwavering." [1] Chief Executive Gregg Steinhafel said gay employees have been raising concerns about the money helping state Rep. Tom Emmer, who opposes gay marriage. Target gave $150,000 [2] to MN Forward, a group staffed by former insiders from outgoing Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty's administration. MN Forward is running TV ads supporting Emmer. "We rarely endorse all advocated positions of the organizations or candidates we support, and we do not have a political or social agenda," Steinhafel said in an e-mail. He added: "Let me be very clear, Target's support of the GLBT community is unwavering, and inclusiveness remains a core value of our company." Emmer is a fiery conservative who lauds Arizona's strict approach to illegal immigration, once advocated chemical castration for sex offenders and wants to lower taxes. His profile contrasts with Target's moderate image in Minnesota, where the company is known for donating to public school programs, food pantries and the annual Twin Cities Gay Pride Festival. Target donated to MN Forward under new laws allowing corporations to spend company money on election campaigns. Corporate donations have been flowing since the U.S. Supreme Court threw out parts of a 63-year-old law that prohibited companies and unions from donating to campaigns for or against candidates. The decision, which came earlier this year, changed rules in about half the states. But the change is so new that experts don't have a good handle on the likely impact nationally. "This is the leading edge," said Ed Bender, who heads the National Institute on Money in State Politics in Montana. In Minnesota, where Target has its headquarters and opened its first store 48 years ago, Democrats are grumbling about the large donation, and some are talking about striking back at the popular brand. A few voices have even called for a boycott in the state, one of Target's top three for sales. One Democratic-backed group is reaching out to Target employees through Facebook ads urging them to sign a petition opposing the donations. "I think Target is making a huge mistake," said Laura Hedlund, a former Democratic campaign worker who picketed outside a suburban Minneapolis Target store on Saturday, urging shoppers to spend their money elsewhere. A Target spokeswoman said the company supports causes and candidates "based strictly on issues that affect our retail and business objectives." Spokeswoman Lena Michaud said Target has a history of giving in state and local races where allowed, but wouldn't provide detail on those donations. She added that TargetCitizens, the company's federal political action committee, has spread donations evenly between Democrats and Republicans so far this year. Political action committees contribute money collected from employees and shareholders, not from corporate funds. Target's donations to MN Forward - $100,000 in cash and $50,000 in brand consulting - slightly exceeds the total amount the company has given this year to all campaigns and causes at the federal level. By contrast, individuals can give a maximum of only $2,000 to candidates under Minnesota law. Three Democrats, House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton and former state Rep. Matt Entenza, are running in the Aug. 10 primary. Pawlenty chose not to seek a third term and is instead exploring a 2012 presidential bid. Although corporate donations are now legal, they could be sensitive for companies that serve customers of different political orientation. "You're never going to please everyone," said Elliot Schreiber, a professor at Drexel University in Philadelphia and consultant on corporate image management. "Taking sides is only going to exacerbate the situation." MN Forward is technically nonpartisan, but executive director Brian McClung, Pawlenty's former spokesman, said Emmer is the only gubernatorial candidate the group supports. "We believe that everybody has the right to express their opinions and we're going to run a fair and factual campaign," McClung said. "Our first ad is a positive ad talking about a candidate's vision for creating jobs." As of Tuesday, Target was the largest single donor to the group, which had raised more than $1 million from industry trade groups and companies, including Pentair Inc., Hubbard Broadcasting Inc., Davisco Foods International Inc. and Polaris Industries Inc. Electronic retailer Best Buy Co. gave $100,000 to the group according to an MN Forward report made public Tuesday. The Supreme Court ruling left in place state prohibitions against companies giving directly to the candidates. The money can go to independent groups supporting the candidates. But individuals can donate directly to the candidates' campaigns. Money from Target's top executives has gone mainly to Republicans. Former Chief Executive Officer Robert Ulrich, who retired last year, gave $617,000 during his time as Target's leader, most of it to the state GOP. Current Chief Executive Gregg Steinhafel has donated about $25,000, almost exclusively to Republican candidates and causes. [1] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-target_logo-top.jpg [2] http://www.365gay.com/news/target-financed-anti-gay-candidate/
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Founder of Harvey Milk High School Dies

The founder of Harvey Milk High School, who had a large role in New York school reforms, died on Sunday.
Read more [The Advocate]

Same-sex relationships increase self-esteem, decrease homophobia in teens - Health News - HealthCanal.com

Same-sex relationships increase self-esteem, decrease homophobia in teens
Health News - HealthCanal.com
Involvement in a same-sex relationship boosted self-esteem in teen males and lowered internalized homophobia in teen females who identified as gay, ...

and more »
Read more [Gay Teens]

Max Vs. 'Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World' - Reel Loop (satire) (blog)

Reel Loop (satire) (blog)
Max Vs. 'Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World'
Reel Loop (satire) (blog)
He is dating a 17 year old High School-er named Knives Chau, lives with his gay best friend Wallace, and has a band called Sex Bob-Omb. However, ...

and more »
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Stage Raw: Bedroom Farce - LA Weekly (blog)

LA Weekly (blog)
Stage Raw: Bedroom Farce
LA Weekly (blog)
In this case, three outcasts are also determined to triple their misfit status via drama, the school newspaper and a "gay-straight-alliance. ...

Read more [GSA News]

Target financed anti-gay candidate

Minnesota-based retail chain Target gave $150,000 to support [1] the political action committee of the state's ultra-conservative gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer. Target has a history of conservative donations, but Emmer has supported a Christian rock band that has applauded calls for the execution of gay people. Emmer is the only Minnesota candidate for governor who is against gay marriage; in 2007 he wrote a constitutional amendment barring both gay marriage and civil unions, but the bill did not pass. Emmer also regularly tries to narrow LGBT rights by, for example, trying to replace the word "parents" with the words "mother and father" in a surrogacy bill. [2] But recently Emmer has become more controversial, when the Minnesota Independent discovered his connection to the non-profit ministry/hard rock Christian band You Can Run But You Cannot Hide, which brings Bible messages to public schools. Bradlee Dean, the band’s frontman and minister, said on his radio show, “Muslims are calling for the executions of homosexuals in America. Just shows you they themselves are upholding the laws that are even in the Bible of the Judeo-Christian God, but they seem to be more moral than even the American Christians do, because these people are livid about enforcing their laws. They know homosexuality is an abomination.” Dean also provided some dubious statistics about the gay population: “They molest 117 people before they’re found out.” Since the Minnesota Independent reprinted his words, Dean posted a denial [3]: “We have specifically rejected, as all Christians do, the Islamic doctrine, and actual practice, of executing homosexuals. But some have claimed, in effect, that by merely mentioning the execution of homosexuals (as a criminal practice of Islam), on our radio broadcast, we have suggested it for consideration.” He continued: “This may not have been as clear as we would have otherwise planned it to be. Live radio is not scripted. But everyone who knows us knows that this is our position because we have stated it consistently for years – long before we ever discussed the topic on the radio” The Minnesota Independent reported that Emmer's campaign gave the band $250 [4] in 2008. Emmer has also shown public support for the band - he was a guest on its radio show, posed for pictures with band members and attended the band’s meet-and-greet fundraiser in 2009. Emmer’s campaign released a statement distancing itself from Dean’s violent rhetoric: “Tom’s position on social issues has been very clear and consistent. He is a supporter of traditional marriage, and he strongly opposes any kind of violence or unfair discrimination against any group.” According to Target’s corporate giving website [5], “Target contributes to political candidates, caucuses and causes in a non-partisan manner based strictly on issues that directly affect our retail and business interests.” The site includes a party-based breakdown of Target’s corporate donations, showing that 22 percent of the company’s donations go to Republican organizations, and 28 percent goes to Democratic ones. The largest donation to a company identified as Democratic, however, was to the Democratic Leadership Council [6], an organization that is pushing to movie the Democratic Party more rightward. To send Target a message, see Change.org [7]. [1] http://sfist.com/2010/07/23/targets_anti-gay_support.php [2] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-tom-Emmer-minnesota-top.jpg [3] http://youcanruninternational.com/news/affirming-our-stance-on-homosexuality.html [4] http://minnesotaindependent.com/59337/emmer-campaign-donated-to-you-can-run [5] http://sites.target.com/site/en/company/page.jsp?contentId=WCMP04-034171 [6] http://www.dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=86&subid=194&contentid=3775 [7] http://www.change.org/petitions/view/demand_target_stop_donating_to_anti-gay_politicians
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Greater Boston PFLAG's Elsie Frank Scholarship recipients are winners and go ... - Bay Windows

Greater Boston PFLAG's Elsie Frank Scholarship recipients are winners and go ...
Bay Windows
He was senior class president, president of the student government, and president of his school's Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA). As a transgender student (F ...

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Monday Watercooler: Choi and Sherrod ask us to be better than we are

Dan Choi at Netroots. The quibbles with Lt. Dan Choi are minor at best. Don't protest in uniform [1]. Trying to subpoena the President Obama [2]is a tactic best left to birthers or Rod Blagojevich, people whose connection with the real based world isn't very tight. Despite these bumps, there is no better individual articulating why "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" needed to end yesterday. Choi was at last week's Netroots Nation [3] conference, and gave Senate majority leader Harry Reid his West Point ring and discharge papers. As you know Choi [4], was officially booted from the military last week. Both agreed the senator would return the ring when the law was repealed. [5] No need to participate in our own oppression. Ages ago, some guy didn't like something I wrote. Nothing earth shattering there. However, he decided to insult me by saying I was a bottom. Strange he went there, buy gay life is filled with contradictions. Demanding our rights, yet using terms "fem" or "bottom" as epithets of disdain. Look at this essay by Mike Alvear [6]. He dives in the thorny issue of femmy men and how they can be big old sissy-phobes. Unfortunately this is part of the minority experience. Gulping the rhetoric used against us, while spewing it back on our own. [7] Italian magazine catches priests doing the nasty. I feel for the public relations people at the Vatican. From the priests/children scandal, to the Connecticut holy man [8]who spent parish money on rent boys because he "deserved" to. Now three priests, two Italian and one French (those freaky Frenchmen), are caught by Panorama [9] doing their priestly duties in the day and hitting the sheets with gay guys at night. [10] Some monetary justice for man kept from dying partner. [11]Clay Greene [12] settled his suit against Sonoma County, California for $600,000. County officials disregarded all of the legal paperwork the 78 year-old and his late partner signed, denied Greene visitation rights, and sold all of their property after the partner's death. The county's lawyer denied any discrimination, but acknowledged it might have been a problem to sell the pair's stuff. You think? [13] Gillibrand [14]doing the work. Remember a few months back when we were doing stories about people taking on New York's junior senator Kirsten Gillibrand [15]? Harold Ford, Rudy Giuliani, and George Pataki all decided to leave her be. She's still unknown in the state, but is following that age old maxim about politics being local. She's going to be a Democratic star. Mark my words. By the way: Rep Charles Rangel [16]? She will cut you off real soon. [17] Shirley Sherrod [18] saga. Good golly, Miss Molly! The racial accusations were flying last week. Here are my three favorite moments: Bill O'Reilly' [19]s weak apology. Ann Coulter [20] thinking Andrew Breitbart was set up. Glenn Beck [21](!) coming to Sherrod's defense. Would be nice if we didn't go nuts whenever the talk is racial. Like Shelby Steele [22] said ages ago, we all have too much invested in our narratives of innocence---shams really-- when the topic is on the table. Hopefully Sherrod will tell her former bosses where they can take their job offer. [23] Man killed by police in cruising area. The tragic death of DeFarra Gaymon [24] brings race and the closet into full view. The married CEO was in New Jersey for his 30th high-school reunion. He was killed by an undercover police officer patrolling a known cruising area. The officer claims Gaymon propositioned him and resisted arrest. Writer Rob Smith [25] puts this death at the feet of black homophobia. Smith over reaches a bit, but at some point black folk must give up our "don't ask, don't tell" ideology (translation: cultural conservatism) when it comes to sexuality. It is literally killing us. [26] Would Monday be complete without gratuitous skin? No. [27] [1] http://www.365gay.com/blog/032210-monday-watercooler/ [2] http://www.365gay.com/blog/070110-gay-soldiers-plan-to-subpoena-obama/ [3] http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/07/discharged-dan-choi-to-harry-reid-its-not-about-me-anymore-video.php?ref=fpb [4] http://www.365gay.com/news/lieutenant-dan-choi-officially-discharged-from-the-military/ [5] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/blog-dan-choi-top.jpg [6] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-alvear/is-effeminacy-in-gay-men_b_654188.html [7] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/Sissyboy-ad-top.jpg [8] http://www.365gay.com/blog/070710-priest-spends-1-6-million-on-escorts-and-the-high-life/ [9] http://www.365gay.com/news/gay-priest-sex-scandal-caught-on-tape/ [10] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-catholic-priest-top.jpg [11] http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_15587750?nclick_check=1 [12] http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_15587750?nclick_check=1 [13] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/Elderly-couple-top.jpg [14] http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/buffalo/article80781.ece [15] http://www.365gay.com/blog/030210-harold-ford-decides-not-to-run/ [16] http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/25/nyregion/25about.html [17] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-kristen-gillibrand-top.jpg [18] http://online.wsj.com/article/NA_WSJ_PUB:declarations.html [19] http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2010/07/bill-oreilly-apologizes-to-shirley-sherrod-for-not-doing-my-homework.html [20] http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,597409,00.html [21] http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/22/opinion/22thu4.html?_r=2 [22] http://harpers.org/archive/1988/06/0023431 [23] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/Sherrod-top.jpg [24] http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/21/nyregion/21newark.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion [25] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-smith/defarra-gaymon-and-why-bl_b_655796.html [26] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/Gaymon-top.jpg [27] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/Gogo-boy-top.jpg
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Sex, death and government oppression: how Channel 4 is re-inventing the ... - The Guardian (blog)

Sex, death and government oppression: how Channel 4 is re-inventing the ...
The Guardian (blog)
Challenging and confrontational programmes like Crip on a Trip and Gay to Z were being aimed straight at teenagers – but the teenagers were at school ...

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Group to provide support for lesbian, gay high school students - Huntington Herald Dispatch

Group to provide support for lesbian, gay high school students
Huntington Herald Dispatch
The Gay Straight Alliance Network, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps young activists to establish such alliances.

Read more [GSA News]

School Lawsuit Claims Religious Discrimination - GPB

The Christian Institute
School Lawsuit Claims Religious Discrimination
GPB
Jeff Graham of the gay rights group Georgia Equality says Keeton should look for a different line of work. "She can still get a degree in counseling but it ...
Antigay GA counseling student sues universitySirius XM OutQ News (blog)

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Read more [Google News: Gay Civil Rights]

Study: MTV leads in showing gay characters on TV

(New York) MTV held a solid lead among 15 networks for its representation of gay characters last season, according to a report released Friday. In its fourth annual Network Responsibility Index, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation found that of MTV's 207.5 hours of original prime-time programming, 42 percent included content reflecting the lives of gay, bisexual and transgender people. This earned MTV the first-ever "Excellent" rating from GLAAD. "MTV programs like 'The Real World' and 'America's Best Dance Crew' have offered richly diverse portrayals of gay and transgender people that help Americans better understand and accept our community," said GLAAD president Jarrett Barrios. [1] Among broadcast networks, the CW was on top with 35 percent, while Fox ranked a close second with 30 percent. ABC, with 26 percent, got a "Good" rating, while NBC was "Adequate" with 13 percent. CBS' 7 percent earned that network a "Failing" grade from the report. Scoring high on cable along with MTV were ABC Family (37 percent), TNT (34 percent), Showtime (32 percent), Lifetime (31 percent) and HBO (26 percent), which all received a "Good" rating. The report assigned a "Failing" grade to USA (4 percent), A&E (3 percent) and TBS (2 percent). GLAAD reviewed all prime-time programming - totaling 4,787.5 hours - on the major broadcast networks between June 1, 2009 and May 31, 2010. The study also examined all original prime-time programming - 1,227.75 hours - on 10 prominent cable networks. This included dramas, comedies, unscripted fare and newsmagazines. GLAAD noted, with approval, the parenting role played by gay couple Mitchell and Cameron on ABC's "Modern Family," and the story line on Fox's "Glee" where high school student Kurt comes out as gay to his father. "When television networks share real stories of our community, audiences begin to see the common ground that we all share," Barrios said. In September, GLAAD will release its annual report evaluating gay, bisexual and transgender inclusion, and other diversity, among scripted characters scheduled to appear during the 2010-11 season. [1] http://www.365gay.com../wp-content/uploads/MTV-logo-top.jpg
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Community supports student leader Cameron Holt - Paso Robles Press

Community supports student leader Cameron Holt
Paso Robles Press
In addition to serving on the Paso Robles Youth Commission, Holt is also currently the President of the Paso Robles High School Gay/Straight Alliance as ...

Read more [GSA News]

So THIS is Why I'm Not Supposed to be Reading Teen Vogue - QS (blog)

So THIS is Why I'm Not Supposed to be Reading Teen Vogue
QS (blog)
According to Teen Vogue, the hottest accessory right now for teen girls isn't a super cute chunky bracelet, or a duper-cray-cray HPV Vaccine, it's A GAY ...

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NZ school sanctioned for firing gay sports coach

(Wellington, New Zealand) A New Zealand Christian school has been ordered to pay undisclosed compensation and apologize to a sports coach it fired because he was gay. Board members of Middleton Grange School in Christchurch - on New Zealand's South Island - will also attend courses on human rights awareness, school principal Richard Vanderpyl said Thursday. "We're thinking of the impact on him," Vanderpyl said. "We care for him and respect him." He said he offered to rehire the 28-year-old coach, but the man had already found a new job at another Christchurch school. The coach, whose identity has been withheld, was employed in February to coach the girls' netball team but was dismissed when the school board discovered he was gay. "At first I was shocked. I've never felt so small in my life," the man told New Zealand media Thursday. "It's hard enough to go through finding yourself and accepting yourself and being 'out' in the first place. Having to go through discrimination doesn't help." The school board refused to comment, citing a confidentiality agreement.
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Art from the Heart - pride source.com

Art from the Heart
pride source.com
Among its recent advocacy activities, JGN assisted two student allies in starting a Gay Straight Alliance at a community high school. ...

and more »
Read more [GSA News]

Meet the Candidates - pride source.com

pride source.com
Meet the Candidates
pride source.com
Several important LGBT-related bills have languished in the Michigan legislature for years - Matt's Safe Schools, the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act ...

and more »
Read more [Google News: Gay Civil Rights]

Study: Gays misrepresented in British media

LGBT non-profit group Stonewall [1] issued a report Thursday, revealing that gay and lesbian characters are misrepresented on British television [2]. In a study entitled “Unseen on Screen,” researchers screened the 20 most popular television shows among British Youth. They found that in 126 hours of programming, 46 minutes “positively and realistically” portrayed gay and lesbian characters – just 0.6 percent. “TV gives the wrong view of gay people because every storyline is about them being beaten up and discriminated against,” said a teen interviewed by researchers. “They are never accepted by their family. In real life they just want to fit in.” [3] The new report also revealed that one half of all LGBT characters were stereotyped as “figures of fun, predatory, or promiscuous” and in programs depicting homophobia, three-fifths went unchallenged. “It’s hardly surprising that there’s still almost endemic homophobic bullying in Britain’s secondary schools when, even if gay people do appear on TV shows watched by young people, they’re depicted in a derogatory or demeaning way,” said Ben Summerskill, Stonewall chief executive. “It’s tragic that in 2010 broadcasters are still underserving young people in this way.” The report suggests that guidelines be set to ensure gay and lesbian characters are depicted in a more positive light. Researchers recommend that broadcasters develop strategies to create realistic LBGT characters and further monitor the representation of these roles. BBC [4]has announced plans to conduct its own study of gay and lesbian portrayals on British television. [1] http://www.stonewall.org.uk/ [2] http://www.stonewall.org.uk/media/current_releases/4510.asp [3] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/gay-couple-remote-control-top.jpg [4] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-10720924
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So What Ne-Yo Is Bone'n Teen Whores, 'Least He's Not Gay - IHadHeard.com (satire) (blog)

IHadHeard.com (satire) (blog)
So What Ne-Yo Is Bone'n Teen Whores, 'Least He's Not Gay
IHadHeard.com (satire) (blog)
They also say that her “sponsors” would fly her out to Duabi and put her up in 5 star hotels. Yikes! Clearly her neck game is out of this world. ...

Read more [Gay Teens]

NZ School Sanctioned for Firing Gay Sports Coach

A New Zealand Christian school has been ordered to pay undisclosed compensation and apologize to a sports coach it fired because he was gay. Board members of Middleton Grange School in Christchurch...
Read more [Big Gay News]

Atlanta CEO Fatally Shot in NJ Park by Undercover Detective

DeFarra Gaymon spent a year planning his Montclair High School 30th reunion, making sure to block out the date well in advance of his busy schedule as president and CEO of a credit union in Atlanta. ...
Read more [Big Gay News]

Safety in Numbers: Gay/Straight Alliances growing in Florida - Watermark

Safety in Numbers: Gay/Straight Alliances growing in Florida
Watermark
Just a decade ago, Gay Straight Alliances were almost unheard of. High schools didn't seem equipped to handle LGBT students and the idea of a group actually ...

Read more [GSA News]

Culhane: Religion, equality and gay marriage

In one of the first columns [1]I wrote for this site, I swam into treacherous current by beginning to explore the accommodation between religion and equality, especially in the context of same-sex marriages. The subject has interested me for some time; last year I did a guest-blogging, four-part post [2]on these accommodation issues. The comically awful NOM “Summer for Marriage” tour has started me thinking again about this important question, to which I’ll devote this column, and next week’s. On this “tour,” accommodation seems way off the table. Both the protesters (mostly motivated by religion) and the counter-protesters refer to each other as bigots. (As an aside, it’s clever of the anti-equality forces to try turning the facts of the world upside-down by casting themselves as victims.) Nonetheless, others have tried to find some kind of middle ground. In an op-ed piece [3]co-written by Jonathan Rauch (a gay conservative) and David Blankenhorn (who failed epically as a witness for the Prop 8 proponents in the recent trial), the authors proposed a federal civil union, to be available to those legally married in their home states – as long as those states had “strong religious protections” built into their laws. Similarly, a group of law professors has tried to take some of the heat out of the debate by supporting marriage equality as long as religious accommodation is part of the deal. But efforts to find an accommodation quickly turn out to be much tougher than people anticipated. Consider part of an e-mail exchange I had with Robin Fretwell Wilson, a law professor at Washington and Lee who’s among the group supporting strong exemptions for those whose religious beliefs make it challenging to comply. I started with a hypothetical case (the beginning of which only sounds like a joke): A man walks into a florist's shop to buy some flowers for a wedding. The owner who's working there shows him some appropriate flowers and wraps them up. The man then says: "Write on the card: 'To the Gayest Couple I Know: Ted and Fred." May the owner then refuse the sale on (let's assume bona fide) religious grounds? Prof. Wilson: "I would say if the flowers are for Ted and Fred’s wedding, then yes, the florist could refuse if state law allowed him or her to, as I have argued it should….If the flowers are not for Ted and Fred’s wedding, then no, the florist would not be permitted to refuse to sell them. Here it would have significance to me that the flowers are not to be carried by a wedding party member or used in the wedding or reception, neither were they requested by or on behalf of the couple for the wedding." OK, but why does the wedding have such significance? How is this different from a refusal to sell the flowers just because the owner doesn’t like the gays? Prof. Wilson: "For many folks, marriage is a religious institution (and was long before it was a civil one) and they have religious views about this. Some believe that facilitating the solemnization of the relationship facilitates something they consider to be immoral—an act that itself has religious significance for them. An exemption that is not tied tightly to the ceremony and the relationship’s solemnization goes beyond facilitation of the relationship. A very broad exemption may encroach on a gay couple’s right to receive services in society like anyone else—to hail taxis and order burgers and rent apartments—all commercial services that do not have the religious significance of a wedding ceremony, the denial of which is difficult to explain as anything other than bigotry." This sounds reasonable, but it’s not. Refusing to rent an apartment to a gay or lesbian (or unmarried, straight) couple, for example, could easily be characterized as not wanting to participate in the recognition of a same-sex union – whether, by the way, the same-sex couple were legally married, or not. Why is that refusal bigotry, when the refusal to sell flowers – flowers, of all things! – is supposedly defensible as expressing moral disapproval of a wedding? I have some thoughts and a proposed way out of this mess, and the much more serious issues that arise. But these will have to wait until the second installment of this piece, next week. I’ll be especially interested in your comments this time, as my views on these thorny questions are still evolving. John Culhane is Professor of Law and Director of the Health Law Institute at Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, Del. He blogs about the role of law in everyday life, and about a bunch of other things at: http://wordinedgewise.org [4]. He can be reached via email at: johnculhane@comcast.net [5]. [1] http://www.365gay.com/opinion/culhane-where-gay-rights-and-religion-intersect/ [2] http://prop8legalcommentary.blogspot.com/2009/08/part-iv-in-professor-john-culhanes.html [3] http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/22/opinion/22rauch.html?_r=2 [4] http://wordinedgewise.org/ [5] http://www.365gay.commailto:johnculhane@comcast.net
Read more [365 Gay]

Ohio State U. Librarian: Christian Beliefs Got Me Ousted!

A man who left his job as a librarian with Ohio State University lost his case in a federal suit alleging that the school was "hostile" to Christians because of its promotion of what the suit called "the homosexual lifestyle."
Read more [Boston Edge]

911 call played in teen love triangle case - 10 Connects

CNN International
911 call played in teen love triangle case
10 Connects
Meanwhile, Sarah's mother and father, Charlie and Gay Ludemann, sat listening intently. At one point Charlie, a local cab driver, lowered his head to choke ...
Rachel Wade found guilty of second-degree murder in love triangle caseABC Action News
Trial begins for Pinellas Park woman accused of killing the 'other woman' in ...ABC Action News
Closing arguments in love triangle murder trial: A question of self-defenseTampabay.com

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Are some schools homophobic? - Stuff.co.nz (blog)

Birmingham Star
Are some schools homophobic?
Stuff.co.nz (blog)
Luckily for this teen, The Ellen DeGeneres Show found out about it and the school eventually had to back down again. In a separate incident, ...
Christian School Settles After Firing Gay CoachEDGE Boston

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Wed. Watercooler: God hates nerds; ‘Degrassi’ loves outcasts

Canadian trans teen on TV. Canadian teen drama/guilty pleasure “Degrassi [1]” will take on a whole new level of adolescent identity searching with this season’s newest character Adam—a transitioning FTM student. The newest Degrassi Community School student will be played by actress Jordan Todosey. To fit the role, Todosey chopped off her long blond locks and darkened her hair. To complete the look, she adopted a more boyish swagger. The Adam episodes are scheduled to air in Canada and America, with the help of advocacy groups to ensure accurate representation. Check out the trailer for this season! Snaps to Canadian television for broadening America’s definition of teenagers. God hates comic book nerds. Tomorrow, San Diego Comic-Con International [2]kicks off with four days of comic book craziness. Lovers of comics from Wonder Woman to Anime will gather together and celebrate the history and diversity of these graphic stories. This year’s convention is going to be full of Batman look-alikes, sure—but also Westboro Baptist Church members? The infamous Wesboro Baptist Church—the same group that protested Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball tour—has a vendetta against comic book lovers. Members of the church will protest Comic-Con on the grounds of obsessive worshiping of false idols. One member stated to gixmodo.com [3], “If these people would spend even some of the energy that they spend on these comic books, reading the Bible, well no high hopes here. They have turned comic book characters into idols, and worship them they do!” [4] Here are 10 comic book Gods that ranker.com [5] thinks deserve to be worshiped. More gay marriage in South America. Following in the footsteps of Argentina where a gay marriage bill passed in the country’s Senate last week, Paraguay and Uruguay are considering legalizing gay marriage as well. Uruguay seems the most likely to succeed—the country already has several laws in place that give gay couples rights to adoption and civil unions. Paraguay proves to be a more difficult endeavor, as anti-gay movements are already mobilizing, according to On Top magazine [6]. [7] Uruguay's President Jose Mujica The domino effect seems to be gaining speed south of the border; maybe they’ll send some momentum our way. Aussies against gay zombies. Eccentric art film/pornographer Bruce LaBruce [8] is touring the festival circuit with his newest film “L.A. Zombie [9],” which stars French porn star Francois Saget as an alien zombie who can bring the dead back to life through sexual intercourse. The film was set to play at the Melborn International Film festival in August until the Australian Film Classification Board refused to classify film. [10] Gay zombie in L.A. Zombie In response, LaBruce said, “Although apparently the Australian Classification Board has no problem passing all manner of mainstream torture porn movies which feature, amongst other things, the rape and dismemberment of women, it's interesting that they have no stomach for a movie that reaffirms life." Apparently gay necrophilic zombie love is too much for some people. [1] http://www.thespec.com/Entertainment/article/810618 [2] http://www.comic-con.org/cci/index.php [3] http://gizmodo.com/5588219/god-hates-nerds [4] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-nerds-westboro-protest-top.jpg [5] http://www.ranker.com/list/top-10-comic-book-gods-worth-worshipping/eric-diaz?page=1&format=blogstyle_view [6] http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=6072&MediaType=1&Category=24 [7] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-uruguay-.jpg [8] http://brucelabruce.com/movies.html [9] http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/38345016/ns/today-entertainment/ [10] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-gay-zombie.jpg
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Withers: Former football player says the NFL not ready for out athletes

[1] If I ran the National Football League I would give Marcellus Wile [2]y a gig in player development. The defensive end played the professional pig skin for ten years, making the Pro-Bowl in 2001. The Columbia University grad currently talks football for ESPN. In his Huffington Post interview he covers everything from why he picked an Ivy League school to play collegiate football, to the ever increasing awareness of head injuries. He cops to a dark , nerd-licious, secret. In 1988, he was crowned the national typewriting champion (82 words per minute!). Wiley and Esera Tuaolo [3], a defensive lineman who came out after his retirement, were once teammates. The analyst talks about his former colleague--the locker room gossips suspected Tuaolo played for Dorothy-- adding he does not believe the culture of the NFL is ready for an out player. "It would really be tough for a gay guy in the NFL, for the locker room to understand him as a homosexual -- I'm not saying it's impossible to pull off, but I'm saying right now the fear of coming out of the closet and more so coming out in the locker room would really be too tremendous to overcome." He's right. Football is not ready. Never will be. Institutions rarely change because it's the right thing to do. They only "bend toward justice" when a few brave souls make noise. Baseball was not prepared for Jackie Robinson [4], but he dragged the sport, kicking and screaming, into the the 20th century. Football, basketball, and baseball will have their gay Robinson moments. When? Foolish to even speculate, but the sports will be better off when gay athletes aren't required to hide from teammates, fans, or themselves. [1] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/Wiley-top.jpg [2] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-hollander/espns-marcellus-wiley-see_b_645859.html [3] http://www.365gay.com/video/gay-history-month-esera-tuaolo/ [4] http://www.jackierobinson.com/
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Lawyers claim judge is biased in anti-gay murder trial

The lawyers representing a teenage boy on trial for the murder of his gay classmate [1] want the trial judge to step down from the proceedings. According to Ventura Country Star [2], the attorneys for Brandon McInerney claim that Ventura Superior Court Judge Charles Campbell can not be impartial in the case. The claim comes shortly after Judge Campbell declined McInerney’s lawyers request for more time to further prepare for trial. McInerney is accused of fatally shooting classmate Lawrence King in February 2008. McInerney allegedly targeted King because of sexual orientation. He will be tried as an adult with charges of first degree murder and a hate crime. [caption id="attachment_15488" align="aligncenter" width="250" caption="Photo of slain teenager Lawrence King in 2008"] [3][/caption] The attorney’s request to remove Judge Campbell has stopped the case from moving to trial. Prosecutor Mauve Fox expressed concern that the defense’s motion was a legal “plot” to counter the judge’s refusal to delay the trail. “It’s really a travesty upon the court system and the rule of law,” she told the judge. “This is ridiculous and disgraceful.” However, the defense claims that the motion to get rid of Campbell comes with legitimate concern that the judge will not be able to fairly preside over the case. “It is clear in our mind that Brandon will not be able to get a fair trail in this courtroom,” said defense lawyer Scot Wippert. “It is perfectly within our legal obligation, and ethical obligation to do so on Brandon’s behalf.” Campbell will have five days to reply to the defense’s concerns. Another judge will be appointed to oversee the hearings. [1] http://www.365gay.com/news/middle-school-anti-gay-murder-trial-began-wednesday/ [2] http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/jul/19/mcinerney-lawyers-want-judge-removed-from-case/ [3] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/lawrence-king-top.jpg
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Christian School Settles After Firing Gay Coach - EDGE Boston

Christian School Settles After Firing Gay Coach
EDGE Boston
Fantasies about female instructors are part and parcel of the cultural landscape, from teen sex comedies such as Porky's to erotic literature (one novel ...

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Big Gay News for Wednesday, Jul 21 2010

Today’s Top Headlines Mississippi School Agrees to $35K in Damages for Constance McMillen Gay Mormons Condemn Church’s Role in Argentina Marriage Vote UN Says Anti-Gay Laws Spreading HIV...
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