New Hollywood Chick-fil-A protested over anti-gay policies

New Hollywood Chick-fil-A protested over anti-gay policies
by GoPride.com News Staff

Hollywood, CA — About 30 people gathered Saturday afternoon to protest
the opening of the new Chick-fil-A Hollywood location citing what they
call the restaurant chain's support of anti-gay policies.

The protestors say the Georgia-based fast food chain donates money to
Focus on the Family and other Christian groups that vehemently oppose
LGBT rights, including marriage equality.

"It's about civil rights," Ken Howard, one of the organizers of
Saturday's protest, told WestHollywoodPatch.com. "It's not
anti-Christian. It's pro-civil rights and against hate groups."

The group protesting the new location at Sunset Boulevard and Highland
Avenue held up picket signs and distributed fliers that read, "say no
to homophobia."

The company's corporate mission is explicitly Christian. It includes a
charge "to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is
entrusted to us."

Chick-fil-A's mix of Christian culture has attracted controversy
before. In 2002 a lawsuit was filed by a Muslim restaurant owner in
Houston who said he was fired because he did not pray to Jesus with
other employees at a training session.

Company spokeswoman Kim Hardcastle told Patch the chain does not
discriminate against anyone.

The chain, which has found success in rural areas, has recently been
entering larger metropolitan cities including Los Angeles and Chicago.

More:
http://chicago.gopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/22425076/new-hollywood-chickfila-protested-over-antigay-policies


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A List of Creepy Things Facebook Will Remember Forever

A List of Creepy Things Facebook Will Remember Forever

A List of Creepy Things Facebook Will Remember ForeverDelete all you want, but Facebook never forgets. At least when it comes to your defriendings, pokes, and RSVPS, it doesn't. And it also has a keen memory for what computers you've used, and who you were sharing those computers with. Your Facebook dossier can easily run to hundreds of pages, as some European citizens have learned.

Across the pond, where regulators have teeth and where corporations don't get to rewrite the legal definition of "privacy," citizens can force Facebook to send them a dossier of everything it knows about them. Two anonymous Europeans have shared their database dumps publicly, Forbes reports. One of them ran to 880 pages.

For a user who joined the site in 2007, dubbed "LB" by Forbes, Facebook's data included the following:

Records of all friend requests LB rejected.
Records of the 12+ friends LB has unfriended over the years.
A list of devices from which LB logged in to Facebook, plus a list of other users on those machines. Meaning Facebook knows who spent the night at your place last night.
Records of more than 50 incoming "pokes" since 2008, including most often by a friend named "T.V."
Some 75 event invites, along with 38 RSVPs.
A history of messages and chats.

Facebook really does have us all by the nuts. Which is why it's comforting that the company routinely acts in the best interest of its users and their privacy, even when it means sacrificing revenue. Yay Facebook!

[Photo via Getty Images]

In First-Ever Count, Census Bureau Reports 131,729 Same-Sex Married Couples in the U.S.

In First-Ever Count, Census Bureau Reports 131,729 Same-Sex Married Couples in the U.S.

The U.S. Census Bureau has released its first-ever estimated count of same-sex couples in the U.S.:

House The U.S. Census Bureau released today new statistics on same-sex married couple and unmarried partner households. According to revised estimates from the 2010 Census, there were 131,729 same-sex married couple households and 514,735 same-sex unmarried partner households in the United States.

The results of the 2010 Census revised estimates are closer to the results of the 2010 American Community Survey (ACS) for same-sex married and unmarried partners. The 2010 ACS estimated same-sex married couples at 152,335 and same-sex unmarried partners at 440,989.

The new, preferred figures revise earlier estimates of same-sex unmarried partners released this summer from the 2010 Census Summary File 1 because Census Bureau staff discovered an inconsistency in the responses in the 2010 Census summary file statistics that artificially inflated the number of same-sex couples. In addition, a breakdown of couples who reported as same-sex spouses is now available. The summary file counts originally showed that there were 349,377 married couple households and 552,620 same-sex unmarried partner households.

Statistics on same-sex couple households are derived from two questions on the census and ACS questionnaire: relationship to householder and the sex of each person. When data were captured for these two questions on the 2010 Census door-to-door form, the wrong box may have been checked for the sex of a small percentage of opposite-sex spouses and unmarried partners. Because the population of opposite-sex married couples is large and the population of same-sex married couples in particular is small, an error of this type artificially inflates the number of same-sex married partners.

After discovering the inconsistency, Census Bureau staff developed another set of estimates to provide a more accurate way to measure same-sex couple households. The revised figures were developed by using an index of names to re-estimate the number of same-sex married and unmarried partners by the sex commonly associated with the person's first name.

Census The Bureau adds: "The 2010 Census preferred estimates have been peer-reviewed by Gary Gates, a demographer with the UCLA School of Law's Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy, by Philip Cohen, a professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and by Megan Sweeney, professor of sociology at UCLA. These experts concluded the methodology behind these revised estimates was sound."

According to a separate release from the Williams Institute:

The Williams Institute conducted a survey of same-sex couples immediately after Census 2010 showing that most same-sex couples who described themselves as spouses are in legally recognized relationships, but not all are actually married. The analyses suggest that approximately 70% reported that they were legally married, and another 15% said that they were in civil unions or registered domestic partnerships. The remaining 15% indicated that while they were not actually in a legally recognized relationship, they considered themselves to be spouses.

Same-sex couples can marry in six states and the District of Columbia. Thirteen states offer non-marital forms of relationship recognition like civil unions or registered domestic partnership.

The Williams Institute estimates that about 50,000 same-sex couples have married in the following states, and in the following numbers: Massachusetts (2004-2009) 16,129; California (2008) 18,000; Connecticut (2008-2010) 6,752; Iowa (2009-2010) 2,099; Vermont (2009-2010) 1,425; New Hampshire (2010) 1,805; District of Columbia (2010) 3,500. Data on marriages in New York are not yet available. In addition, as many as 30,000 same-sex couples may have been married outside of the US. The Williams Institute also estimates that approximately 100,000 same-sex couples are in non-marital forms of relationship recognition like civil unions and registered domestic partnerships.

Posted 2:56 PM EST by Andy Towle in Census

Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/2011/09/in-first-ever-count-census-bureau-reports-131729-same-sex-married-couples-in-the-us.html#ixzz1ZHlS4rhG

Jamey Rodemeyer's Mom Says Her Son's Bullies Chanted 'We're Glad You're Dead' at Homecoming Dance

Jamey Rodemeyer's Mom Says Her Son's Bullies Chanted 'We're Glad You're Dead' at Homecoming Dance: VIDEO

Rodemeyermom

The mother of gay teen Jamey Rodemeyer, who committed suicide recently after years of bullying, says that the jeering from some of his anti-gay schoolmates has continued after his death:

At a homecoming dance she attended shortly after her brother’s death, a potentially poignant moment turned ugly after a song by Lady Gaga, Jamey’s favorite artist, who recently dedicated a song at a concert in his memory.

“She was having a great time, and all of a sudden a Lady Gaga song came on, and they all started chanting for Jamey, all of his friends,’’ Jamey’s mother, Tracy, told Curry. “Then the bullies that put him into this situation started chanting, ‘You’re better off dead!’ and ‘We’re glad you’re dead!’ and things like that.

“My daughter came home all upset. It was supposed to be a time for her to grieve and have fun with her friends, and it turned into bullying even after he’s gone.’’

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy



Posted 1:16 PM EST by Andy Towle in Bullying

Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/2011/09/jrm.html#ixzz1ZHkzVLiE

Anti-Gay Activists Using Child Molestation to Fool People Into Signing Petition Against California LGBT History Bill

Anti-Gay Activists Using Child Molestation to Fool People Into Signing Petition Against California LGBT History Bill: VIDEO

Sb48

Here's some video shot in Oceanside, California by a gay man who was visiting the beach with his husband. He just happened to be walking by and saw an activist gathering signatures for the ballot measure to repeal SB48, California's recently passed LGBT History law (the FAIR Education Act), which requires school curriculum to include teaching about gay people and LGBT history.

The way this activist was getting people to sign the petition was by telling them they were signing something that would protect children from child molesters.

Watch and be disgusted, AFTER THE JUMP...

Meanwhile, the 'Stop SB48' campaign told its supporters in an email yesterday that its petition drive will be successful. And in related news, no press turned up to cover Rev. Lou Sheldon's press conference yesterday opposing SB48.

Posted 11:57 AM EST by

Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/2011/09/sb48-1.html#ixzz1ZHkUxqm9

Top Catholic bishop warns Obama about marriage stance

Top Catholic bishop warns Obama about marriage stance
Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York has sent a letter to President Barack Obama warning of "a national conflict between church and state of enormous proportions," if Obama does not retreat from his opposition to the Defense of Marriage Act. Dolan said he believes sanctioning marriage equality for same-sex couples will lead to discrimination against those who oppose it on religious grounds. USA TODAY/Religion News Service

Cyber bullies bill introduced in New York

Cyber bullies bill introduced in New York

Legislator says outdated harassment laws fail to punish digital tormentors

Reuters

NEW YORK — New York State Senator Jeffrey Klein introduced a new "cyber bullying" bill on Monday, saying outdated pre-digital harassment laws fail to punish bullies who use the Internet and smartphones to torment others.

The New York bill is a response to several highly publicized cases of teen suicides in the aftermath of some form of online bullying. Klein, a Democrat from the Bronx and Westchester, argued that current state law had not been keeping pace with technology as life increasingly moved online.

"If people know there is a tough law on the books and they're going to be punished, they are going to act accordingly," Klein told a news conference outside the Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, where he was joined by members of two anti-bullying organizations.

At least 30 states already have laws dealing with online harassment. At least five have laws dealing explicitly with cyber bullying, which a study found last year may be even harder on the victims than physical beatings or name-calling.

Under Klein's bill, the crime of stalking in the third degree would be updated to explicitly include harassing a child using electronic communication.

To better reflect the nature of online interactions, the bill removes requirements that the offender initiate the contact and that the victim be a direct recipient of the communication.

Although it is already a crime to "intentionally cause or aid" another person's suicide, the bill would update the state's second-degree manslaughter statute to explicitly include cyber bullying as a possible cause of such a suicide.

Senator Diane Savino, a Democrat from Staten Island and Brooklyn and a co-sponsor of the bill, said that although bullying has existed "since Cain and Abel," it has been transformed by the Internet and smartphone technology.

A taunting remark in a school playground might be heard by a few and eventually forgotten, she said. But the same remark posted online can potentially be seen by anyone and linger indefinitely.

Anne Isaacs, whose daughter Jamie, now 15, had to switch schools because of bullies, said online bullying was also much harder to escape than other forms.

"When Jamie would go online to do her homework she would go online and be screaming because messages would come up," said Isaacs, who joined Klein at the press conference.

An attempt to legislate against cyber bullying at the federal level foundered in 2008, and it has been left to the states to decide how to deal with the problem.

Mary Sue Backus, a law professor at the University of Oklahoma who has studied cyber-bullying, was cited several times in Klein's supporting arguments for his bill. She said in an interview she generally opposed the kind of legislation he was pushing for, which could fail to act as a deterrent and instead have the effect of criminalizing adolescent behavior.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44678607/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/t/cyber-bullies-bill-introduced-new-york/

Death and Taxes: The Real Cost of the Death Penalty

Death and Taxes: The Real Cost of the Death Penalty

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2011/09/22/death-and-taxes-the-real-cost-of-the-death-penalty/



On September 21, 2011, at exactly 11:08 p.m. EST, Troy Davis was put to death by the state of Georgia after the U.S. Supreme Court failed to grant him a stay. His execution by legal injection became the 1,268th recorded execution in the United States since 1976. Later that same day, Lawrence Brewer of Texas would become 1,269.

Davis’ death has become a polarizing story in the death penalty debate in the U.S. Capital punishment is allowed in most states since it was reinstated by the Supreme Court in 1976; it was suspended from 1972 to 1976 following the Supreme Court’s decision in Furman v. Georgia, 408 U.S. 238 (1972). As of 2011, only fifteen states have abolished the death penalty. They are Alaska, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin. But there’s a chance that those numbers might increase. And maybe not for the reasons that you might think.

Opponents of the death penalty have cited a number of factors that argue in favor of abolishing the death penalty. It is, they say, not an effective deterrent against crime. Statistics appear to back this up: states which impose the death penalty continue to report the highest murder rates in the country with only three states without the death penalty ranked in the top twenty five (Michigan, New York and Alaska).

Other arguments include evidence that the death penalty may be racially biased and that it disproportionately punishes the poor. And of course, there is the fundamental assertion that the death penalty is cruel and inhumane.

For years, these reasonings have failed to sway a majority of Americans. But now, something else may be turning the tide of public opinion – and it has little to do with ethical, moral or legal arguments. It’s all about cold, hard cash.

As states face increased pressure to cut costs in their budgets, every line item is getting a second look. One startling finding? Death penalty cases are, from start to finish, more expensive than other criminal cases including those that result in life without parole.

How expensive is the death penalty? Just over a year ago, Fox News issued this alarming statement:

Every time a killer is sentenced to die, a school closes.

Dramatic, sure. But some claim that the data backs up these assertions.

While the actual execution costs taxpayers fairly little (the drugs used in Texas run a mere $83), the costs associated with death penalty trials and the resulting incarceration are disproportionately higher.

Citing Richard C. Dieter of the Death Penalty Information Center, Fox reported that studies have “uniformly and conservatively shown that a death-penalty trial costs $1 million more than one in which prosecutors seek life without parole.”

A Urban Institute study (downloads as a pdf) found that “[i]n Maryland death penalty cases cost 3 times more than non-death penalty cases, or $3 million for a single case” while a 2004 Report from Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury Office of Research that claimed “[i]n Tennessee, death penalty trials cost an average of 48% more than the average cost of trials in which prosecutors seek life imprisonment.”



And in cash strapped California, the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice issued a report (downloads as a pdf) that concluded, among other things, that “[i]t can certainly be said that death penalty trials take longer and cost considerably more than non-death murder trials.”

I assumed that this was because of all of the post-trial finagling that goes on. I was wrong. After reviewing data from state reports, Amnesty International concluded that “the greatest costs associated with the death penalty occur prior to and during trial, not in post-conviction proceedings. Even if all post-conviction proceedings (appeals) were abolished, the death penalty would still be more expensive than alternative sentences.”

The numbers associated with jail time are just as large. In terms of dollars spent behind bars, the California Commission found that “the additional cost of confining an inmate to death row, as compared to the maximum security prisons where those sentenced to life without possibility of parole ordinarily serve their sentences, is $90,000 per year per inmate. With California’s current death row population of 670, that accounts for $63.3 million annually.” Since that statement, California’s death row has grown to 721, the largest in the country.

The story is the same in North Carolina. A 2010 Duke University study found that taxpayers in the Tarheel State could save $11 million a year by substituting life in prison for the death penalty.

The numbers are even more dramatic in Garden State. Prior to the abolishing the death penalty in the state, a report by New Jersey Policy Perspectives found that “New Jersey taxpayers over the last 23 years have paid more than a quarter billion dollars on a capital punishment system that has executed no one.”

But the end result is worth it, right?

Maybe not. At least ten states, including Florida, Texas and California, have been forced to release prisoners early because of overcrowding – all of those states have expensive death penalty programs. Budgetary restraints have resulted in shortened sentences (some as low as 20%) and lay-offs of corrections officers inside prisons, as well as reduced numbers of police officers on the streets. More telling, in one Washington county, Prosecutor Dan Satterberg was forced to eliminate the jobs of 36 prosecutors since 2008 – all while the cost of defending two active capital cases escalated.

Who pays those costs? You and I. State and local governments typically bear the burden of paying to pursue death penalty cases – and that means tax dollars. Even prosecutors agree that those costs aren’t always worth it.

Raising taxes to pay for death penalty prosecutions isn’t going to win over many taxpayers even though such increases have happened in some counties (as it did notoriously in Lincoln County, Georgia). However, the alternatives – cutting police or releasing prisoners early – are hardly appealing.

So in a depressed economy, do you cut your losses? Is now the time to say goodbye to the death penalty? Some states, like Kansas, have been making some noise about it. Will others follow suit? I don’t know.

I do know that it feels weird to be talking about a person’s life in terms of dollars and taxes. But then, to pretend that it isn’t a real consideration would clearly be disingenuous.

__._,_.___

What's the worst sort of sex you ever had?

Forced

Ask me anything

Majority of Britons oppose gay marriage

Majority of Britons oppose gay marriage

A government report has revealed that more than half of Britons are against gay marriage, and two thirds are against gay couples adopting children.
A government report has revealed that more than half of Britons are against gay marriage, and two thirds are against gay couples adopting children.

The research by the Office for National Statistics was based on sources including the annual British Social Attitudes survey and research by the EU’s Eurobarometer research arm, reports The Daily Mail.

Findings by ONS show that only 45 per cent of British people believe that gay marriages should be legal throughout Europe.

The opposition towards gay couples adopting children is even higher, with only 33 per cent in support.

The ONS report said: “While the majority of British people now accept the concept of same-sex couples as being rarely wrong, or not wrong at all, fewer people approve of same-sex couples adopting children.

“On average females have more liberal attitudes to same-sex partnerships than males.”

The government announced on September 17 that they would be launching a public consultation in March, to legalise gay marriage before the next election in 2015.

Jamey Rodemeyer bullies may face hate crime charges

Jamey Rodemeyer bullies may face hate crime charges

Bullies who subjected tragic teen Jamey Rodemeyer to homophobic taunts, may be charged with hate crimes, harassment or cyber-harassment according to local police.
Bullies who subjected tragic teen Jamey Rodemeyer to homophobic taunts, may be charged with hate crimes, harassment or cyber-harassment according to local police.

At least three teens are said to be of interest to police for the bullying of 14-year-old Jamey that ultimately lead to his suicide.

Jamey Rodemeyer, from Buffalo, New York, was found dead outside his home in an apparent suicide last Sunday.

Rodemeyer blogged about being suicidal on his Tumblr account and family and friends say suicide was a popular topic with him. He regularly posted about being bullied at school and being subjected to gay insults.

But students found out about the blogs and began a torrent of abuse on his Formspring account, where people can post anonymously.

On September 9, Jamey wrote on his Tumblr site: “I always say how bullied I am, but no one listens. What do I have to do so people will listen to me?”

At 1.30am on Sunday, Jamey left his final two messages, one that said he was looking forward to seeing his great grandmother who had died recently and another thanking Lady Gaga.

Police said on Thursday that crimes may have been committed against Jamey while he was a student at Williamsville North High School.

ABC News reports that The Amherst Police Department's Special Victims Unit said it will determine whether to charge some students with harassment, cyber-harassment or hate crimes.

Lady Gaga said on Wednesday she would be meeting with President Obama following the death of Jamey to make bullying illegal, launching the Twitter trend #MakeALawForJamey.

Northern Ireland Minister under fire over gay blood ban

Northern Ireland Minister under fire over gay blood ban

The health minister for Northern Ireland has caused outrage by refusing to lift the lifetime ban on gay men giving blood, despite the ban being relaxed in the rest of the UK.
The health minister for Northern Ireland has caused outrage by refusing to lift the lifetime ban on gay men giving blood, despite the ban being relaxed in the rest of the UK.

Democratic Union minister Edwin Poots told the Stormont assembly on Wednesday that the current position in Northern Ireland "should not be altered".
The decision was confirmed in a letter to the UUP MLA where Poots said: "The Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) has confirmed that the risk of HIV infection would, although by a small margin, increase as a result of a relaxation in the present lifetime deferral.

"Safety must be my primary concern and I want to ensure public confidence in our blood supply."

Northern Ireland gay rights campaigner PA Mag Lochlainn told The Guardian: "I am very surprised that a minister who is a member of a unionist party should consider what is good enough for British people in the rest of the UK is not good enough for British people in Northern Ireland."

Following advice from a Government Advisory Committee, the lifetime ban on blood donation by gay and bisexual men will be eased in England, Scotland and Wales from November, so that men who have not had sex with another man in the last year are allowed to donate blood.

Peter Tatchell says gay marriage consultation delay is unjustified

Peter Tatchell says gay marriage consultation delay is unjustified

Peter Tatchell, coordinator of the Equal Love campaign, has said that there is no excuse for the delay in the consultation on gay marriage.
Peter Tatchell, coordinator of the Equal Love campaign, has said that there is no excuse for the delay in the consultation on gay marriage.

Equality Minister Lynne Featherstone announced on Saturday that the government would be holding a public consultation on legalising gay marriage from March next year .

However, Tatchell says this delay is unjustified: “This consultation was supposed to begin in June this year. There is no excuse for postponing it until March next year. Why can’t the consultation start now?

“I am not convinced that there needs to be any consultation at all. The ban on same-sex marriage is homophobic discrimination and should therefore be repealed immediately.

“No other government legislation is being subjected to such prolonged consultation and postponements.

“The Scottish government’s consultation on marriage equality began earlier this month. Why is the UK government dragging its feet and delaying the consultation until next spring? It doesn’t make sense.

“If black or Jewish people had been banned from marriage, the government would act swiftly to ensure marriage equality. There would be no long drawn out consultation period. Why the double standards?

“Despite the government’s assurances, there is a very serious danger that this delay will prevent marriage equality being passed before the next election. Because the consultation will not begin until March 2012, it is unlikely that legislation will be presented to parliament before mid-2013. Allowing for obstruction by the House of Lords, it is doubtful that it would be passed before late 2014, which is perilously close to the deadline for the next election. If the Prime Minister called an early election, the legislation would fall.

“Ending sexual orientation discrimination in marriage law is the right thing to do and it has majority public support. There is no reason for the government to delay in bringing forward legislation to end this legal iniquity.”

Tatchell also said that it was outrageous that Featherstone would be not be repealing the ban on gay religious marriages and straight civil partnerships as part of the consultation.

“It is outrageous that the Equality Minister wants to maintain the unequal, discriminatory laws that bar gay religious marriages and opposite-sex civil partnerships. She should be renamed the Minister for Inequality.”

Equal Love is campaigning to repeal the twin bans on gay civil marriages and heterosexual civil partnerships. It currently has an appeal against these bans before the European Court of Human Rights.

Gay marriage vote passed in Tasmania

Gay marriage vote passed in Tasmania

The Tasmania House Assembly has passed a motion backing same sex marriage, marking the first time an Australian parliament has voted for marriage equality for gays and lesbians.
The Tasmania House Assembly has passed a motion backing same sex marriage, marking the first time an Australian parliament has voted for marriage equality for gays and lesbians.

The motion was greeted with applause by members from the Labour and Green parties, and with a standing ovation by gay marriage activists in the public gallery, reports The Tasmanian Mercury.

Premier Lara Giddings told the Mercury: "Tasmania has come a long way since 1997 when we rectified the terrible situation of having homosexual relationships considered illegal in this state.

"We've come a long way to show we are in fact a tolerant and compassionate community."

Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesman, Rodney Croome, said: “If every state and territory parliament were to do what we have seen in Tasmania today it would be impossible for the federal parliament to continue to resist change,

“Some people think it’s remarkable that the last state to decriminalise homosexuality is now the state leading on full equality for same-sex couples but it makes perfect sense to me because Tasmanians remember the damage done by discrimination and prejudice and want to see everyone treated equally.”

Federal Labour will debate the issue of gay marriage at its December conference. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard is against gay marriage.

Ahmadinejad Calls Homosexuality an 'Ugly Deed' to the 'Detriment of Humanity', Says No Known Gays in Iran

Ahmadinejad Calls Homosexuality an 'Ugly Deed' to the 'Detriment of Humanity', Says No Known Gays in Iran: VIDEO

Ahmadinejad

Yesterday, at a meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is in New York for the UN General Assembly, CNN's Wolf Blitzer asked Ahmadinejad about his past remarks that there are no homosexuals in Iran.

Said Ahmadinejad:

"My position hasn't changed. In Iran, homosexuality is looked down upon as an ugly deed. Perhaps there are those who engage in such activities and you may be in contact with them and more aware of them. But in Iranian society such activities, thoughts, and behaviors are shameful. Therefore, these are not known elements within Iranian society. Rest assured, this is one of the ugliest behaviors in our society. It is against divine will, divine teachings of any and every faith, and it is certainly at the detriment of humans and humanity. But as the government, I cannot go in the street and stop my population and ask them about specific orientation, so my position is clear about that."

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/2011/09/ahmadinejad.html#ixzz1YotjZ1G9

Serbian Interior Minister Wants to Call Off Gay Pride Parade So the Police Will Be Safe

Serbian Interior Minister Wants to Call Off Gay Pride Parade So the Police Will Be Safe

Belgrade

You may recall that last year Belgrade was host to Serbia's first Gay Pride parade since 2001. It was a nightmare. Hundreds of nationalist and religious right-wing protesters attacked and injured more than 100 people, including many of the 5,000 police officers who were present to protect it.

Dacic Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dačić said this week that this year's parade should be called off in order to protect the police force:

“Police always pays the highest price, not only financially but also when it comes to injuries. Many police officers were injured last year,” he pointed out.

The minister stated that if police operated in accordance with the security assessments, the Pride Parade would be declared a high risk event and they would think about calling it off.

“It is not up to police to make such decisions whether some gathering should be held or not,” Dačić stressed and called on state organs and society to voice their opinion about the parade.

The European Commission and the European Parliament are closely monitoring activities in Serbia related to the Pride event, the minister noted.

Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/2011/09/serbian-interior-minister-wants-to-call-off-gay-pride-parade-so-the-police-will-be-safe.html#ixzz1Yorox9Ex

The Battle Over Don't Ask Don't Tell Was Won, But Are LGBT Activists in Danger of Losing the War?

The Battle Over Don't Ask Don't Tell Was Won, But Are LGBT Activists in Danger of Losing the War?
By Jason Farago, Comment Is Free
Posted on September 22, 2011, Printed on September 23, 2011
http://www.alternet.org/story/152494/the_battle_over_don%27t_ask_don%27t_tell_was_won%2C_but_are_lgbt_activists_in_danger_of_losing_the_war

Ask and tell all you want – the grubby compromise of nearly two decades is finally over. As of midnight on Monday, the United States military now finally permits gay service members to serve openly after nearly two decades of second-class status.

Goodness knows it took long enough: years of debate, enervating delays by the new administration, and the final review period before Don't Ask, Don't Tell was finally abolished. Many soldiers and sailors dismissed under the policy have said they plan to re-enlist. The next Fleet Week will be something to look forward to.

It's an important, historic achievement, of course. But the repeal comes at a peculiar juncture, and not only for those gay people who, like me, have been rather less than elated with a military that wages unilateral preemptive war in Iraq and still operates an extralegal prison camp at Guantánamo Bay nearly three years after Barack Obama's election.

The fight for open military service and its fellow traditionalist cause, freedom to marry, have transformed gay politics, and they've transformed gay Americans as well. They've changed our ambitions, and perhaps not for the best.

The Aids epidemic, which has not gone away and is in fact getting worse in big cities like New York, has fallen into obscurity. So have struggles to reform employment laws to protect gays from discrimination. And most glaringly of all, the freedom that the Stonewall generation fought for, freedom of sexual desire, no longer has many defenders.

As the flamingly heterosexual narrator of Philip Roth's The Dying Animalobserves, "I expected more from those guys.... They want marriage and they want openly to join the army and be accepted. The two institutions I loathed."

It's largely forgotten now, but when Bill Clinton introduced his fudge of Don't Ask, Don't Tell in 1993, he actually included a third don't: Don't Pursue. That don't may have carried a regrettable quiver of predation. But the phrase Don't Pursue at least acknowledged that gay people have sexual longings, and that desire can be difficult to control.

And we should always recall that, for all the stereotypes of sweat-soaked Navy Seals checking each other out in the barracks, it was lesbians and not gay men who suffered most under Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Only 15 percent of service members are women, yet by 2007 women accounted for nearly half of all dismissals.

Advocates for repeal consistently trumpeted the "professionalism" of gay service members, insisting on their responsibility and decorum rather than their right to love who they love. Strategically, this made sense: the military is an employer, and the messiness of desire is inimical to the regimentation of the armed forces.

But by stripping same-sex desire out of gay identity, the professionalism argument may have had a more deleterious consequence. It erased the characteristic that makes gay people gay, and thereby may have diminished the standing of gay people ourselves.

This isn't just a theoretical worry. Consider a poll conducted around the time of Don't Ask, Don't Tell's repeal, which found that 58% of Americans thought "gay men and lesbians" should be allowed to serve openly. When the pollster asked whether "homosexuals" should have the same rights, that figure dropped sharply, to 44 percent.

Allow for confusion or ignorance among some of the respondents, and the sheer size of the drop still implies something disturbing: gays only find acceptance when they sound like an undifferentiated group. When reminded of the sex at the core of homosexuality, Americans seize up. Is it any coincidence that the largest gay advocacy organization in America, in a slippery and ultimately homophobic elision, calls itself the Human Rights Campaign, and that its more or less cute clipboard-toting volunteers on Ninth Avenue sport nothing more provocative than an equals-sign logo?

Marriage, you might think, offers a better chance to put love and sex at center stage. Yet the strategy for winning the right to marry has been depressingly similar to that deployed to win the Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal: gradualism, assimilation, and a suppression of desire. "Families, I hate you!" the gay hero André Gide famously wrote – yet "families" has been the key word for gay marriage advocates, who insist up and down that "our" families are just like "yours."

That gay and straight couples might love differently, and that such a difference might still be worthy of legal protection, goes unspoken. And even more distressingly, unconsidered.

I have no intention of finding any value in a stupid, unproductive, homophobic law that I'm happy to see annulled today. But by taking the gayness out of gayness, by making gay rights solely about participation in pre-existing and not very liberating institutions, we may ultimately lose more than we gain. With Don't Ask, Don't Tell off the books, and with same-sex marriage legalized here in New York and on its way to the Supreme Court under the wing of George W Bush's solicitor general, it's hard not to conclude that we are facing a moment like that of the women's movement in the late 1970s, from which it has not recovered.

Having set out to defeat sexism in society, feminism took a turn and began to say that individual choices, rather than society-wide change, were what really mattered. We know the result: women still face violence, pay inequity, gross media distortions, and all sorts of other disadvantages, while the whole language of societal change has been lost.

Something similar is afoot with us. With Don't Ask, Don't Tell gone, marriage is the only battle remaining before the gay rights movement as currently constructed exhausts itself. An America in which gays can choose to serve in the armed forces and choose to marry their partners will be a better country, but only to a degree. Aids will not be eradicated, religious intolerance will not recede, adolescents will still commit suicide at shockingly high rates. And the unity forged in opposition will be long gone.

Not exactly what the boys at Stonewall were fighting for. The freedom to serve and to marry are worth the struggle, surely. But winning the freedom to love, to desire, and to be ourselves is a much trickier business.



Jason Farago is a New York-based writer and critic who contributes to the London Review of Books, Monocle, n+1, and other magazines. He is also editor of The Bugle, an American publication on culture and ecology.
© 2011 Comment Is Free All rights reserved.
View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/152494/

London Police Release Surveillance Video of Anti-Gay Attack

London Police Release Surveillance Video of Anti-Gay Attack: VIDEO

Gaybashing

London police have released surveillance video of a gay bashing caught on CCTV in hopes the public can provide them with information they can use to arrest the attackers, the Evening Standard reports:

In the video a group of four men are seen following, then assaulting, two gay men on their way home after a night out in Charing Cross Road, leaving one unconscious in the street.

The couple, aged 25 and 22, were heading towards Tottenham Court Road at 1.30am on August 9. As they passed a kebab shop opposite Superdrug, four men attacked the 22-year-old from behind, hitting him over the head. His partner tried to defend him but was punched in the face by one yob, who shouted homophobic abuse.

The thugs ran off, leaving the 22-year-old lying in the road. The couple were treated in hospital.

Detective Constable Camilla Phillips, of Westminster police, said: "This was a particularly nasty attack, completely unprovoked." Anyone with information should contact police on 020 7321 9388 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111

Watch the video, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/2011/09/charing.html#ixzz1YjhKDbEP

TIME Magazine's 'Officer X' Come Out of the Closet

TIME Magazine's 'Officer X' Come Out of the Closet

For the past few months a service member has been blogging at TIME about the repeal of 'DADT' and today he came out of the closet as 1st Lt. Karl Johnson:

Johnson A 25 year old -- who flies U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo jets and has a degree in mechanical engineering from Syracuse University -- may seem like an unlikely candidate to blog for TIME, or wear the hat of an activist. At first the idea of writing for Battleland was nothing short of intimidating, but the decision of whether or not to accept was easy: the opportunity to give a voice to those of us who have been voiceless for years, as a matter of federal law, was too good to pass up.

Being the mind behind the OX silhouette has been an eye-opening experience. I've thoroughly enjoyed reading every comment, every email, every tweet, and trying my best to keep up with the responses. My only regret in this whole process is that I didn't start sooner.

At the moment this blog goes live I will be walking out my front door to start my first day at the squadron out of the closet.

Previously...
Officer X: Gay U.S. Military Pilot Writes Blog for TIME Magazine [tr]

Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/2011/09/time-magazines-officer-x-come-out-of-the-closet.html#ixzz1Yjgk8vR6

Police Open Criminal Investigation in Bullying Suicide of Gay Teen

Police Open Criminal Investigation in Bullying Suicide of Gay Teen Jamey Rodemeyer

A criminal investigation is being launched over the suicide of gay teen Jamey Rodemeyer, who took his own life over the weekend after what his parents said was years of bullying.

Rodemeyer ABC News reports:

The Amherst Police Department's Special Victims Unit has said it will determine whether to charge some students with harassment, cyber-harassment or hate crimes. Police said three students in particular might have been involved. Jamey was a student at Heim Middle School.

Jamey had just started his freshman year at Williamsville North High School. (Both Amherst and Williamsville are just outside Buffalo.) But the bullying had begun during middle school, according to his parents. He had told family and friends that he had endured hateful comments in school and online, mostly related to his sexual orientation.

Jamey was found dead outside his home Sunday morning, but Amherst police would not release any details on how he killed himself.

The Buffalo News adds:

"We're going to look into whether he was the victim of any crimes leading up to his suicide," Police Chief John C. Askey said.

"We're not indicating, not speculating at this point, that that is the cause of his death, ... but independently, there may have been crimes that have been committed against him."

Askey said he spoke Wednesday with Williamsville School Superintendent Scott G. Martzloff, who has pledged the district's cooperation.

Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/2011/09/police-open-criminal-investigation-in-bullying-suicide-of-gay-teen-jamey-rodemeyer.html#ixzz1YjfQfDWG

High School Water Polo Coach Says He Was Fired for Being Gay

High School Water Polo Coach Says He Was Fired for Being Gay Over Anonymous Complaint About Facebook Photos

Mitch Stein, the former summer water polo coach at Charter Oak High School in Covina, California, has filed a complaint against the school district following his firing in response to photos that were taken from his Facebook and MySpace pages and mailed to the principal anonymously, the Whittier Daily News reports:

Stein Stein said the letter included two photos, one of him posing with two drag queens and the other of him about to eat a corn dog. According to the complaint, the letter's author called Stein "unfit to coach" and threatened to go to the school board if he was not fired immediately.

Stein said he promised to have the pictures taken down, but he said Wiard was adamant that he be fired. Wiard did not return calls requesting comment.

"The reaction to that letter, in my opinion, was homophobic," Stein said.

According to Stein's attorney, the principal told Stein, "Oh, by the way, we're not doing it because you're gay," which immediately made him realize the opposite.

Superintendent Mike Hendricks denies the charges: "We do not discriminate against anyone."

Students are reportedly rallying around Stein, whose team was undefeated.

Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/2011/09/high-school-water-polo-coach-says-he-was-fired-for-being-gay-over-anonymous-complaint-about-facebook.html#ixzz1Yjef2sKk

Gay porn star Ryan Idol convicted of attempted murder

Gay porn star Ryan Idol convicted of attempted murder

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Gay porn star Ryan Idol, aka Marc Anthony Donais, was convicted of attempted murder on Tuesday by a Sacramento Superior Court jury.

Donais, 45, was accused of using a toilet tank lid to batter his ex-girlfriend in the head in an attack at the woman's home on Sept. 5, 2009. The adult film star, who identifies as bisexual although he performed in gay porn, and the woman had broken up before the incident.

During the trial, Donais testified that he thought his ex-girlfriend had a knife when they were in the bathroom, where she was taking a bath. He said he hit the woman in self-defense. Jurors, however, didn't buy his argument.

Donais got his first big break when he appeared as the "Man of the Month" centerfold in the Playgirl issues of February 1989. He was considered a major gay porn star from 1990 to 1996, when he retired. His X-rated film titles include "Idol Eyes," "Idol Worship," "Idle Thoughts," "Idol Country" and "Idol In The Sky."

THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY SEPTEMBER 21

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THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

SEPTEMBER 21

1898 – PAVEL TCHELITCHEW, Russian surrealist painter, born (d: 1957) His father, a follower of Tolstoyian principles, supported his desire to become a painter. In spite of his father's liberal views, however, the family was expelled from its property in 1918 following the revolution of 1917. Tchelitchew joined the White army, and the family fled to Kiev, which was not yet under Communist control. While in Kiev he studied with Alexandra Exter and produced his first theater designs.



By 1920 he was in Odessa, escaping the advancing Red armies. He went on to Berlin via Istanbul. There he met Allen Tanner, an American pianist, and became his lover. In 1923 they moved to Paris and Tchelitchew began painting portraits of the avant-garde and homosexual elite.



Tchelitchew developed a predilection for outrageous blues and pinks, calling himself the "Prince of Bad Taste." Gertrude Stein noticed his entry in the 1925 Salon D'Automne, Basket of Strawberries (1925), and bought the entire contents of his studio. In addition to becoming an accomplished painter, he also became one of the most innovative stage designers of the period and designed ballets for Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes in Paris. Tchelitchew's American debut was in a group show of drawings at New York's Museum of Modern Art in 1930.



In 1934 he moved to New York with his new lover, writer and critic Charles Henri Ford, and exhibited in the Julien Levy Gallery. He and Ford were at the center of a social world of wealthy Gay men, such as Lincoln Kirstein, for whom he also designed ballets. He continued his work in design for Balanchine's fledgling American Ballet and for A. Everett "Chick" Austin, a friend and director of the pioneering Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, Connecticut.



In 1952 Tchelitchew became a U.S. citizen, but shortly afterwards moved to Frascati, Italy. He suffered a heart attack in 1956 and died on July 31, 1957 in Rome, with Ford by his bedside.



While Tchelitchew was trained in traditional classical drawing, his earliest influences were cubism and constructivism. He soon reacted against their emphasis on the geometric shapes of cones and cubes and began working in curves, a decision that led to his representational style, which used every traditional device of anatomy and perspective.



In 1926 he was included by the Galerie Druet, Paris, in a group show the title of which gave rise to the appellation "Neo-Romantic," a designation applied to an amorphous combination of figurative painters of various temperaments and attitudes. The artist always disapproved of the term; and in spite of similarities of his work with such artists as Salvador Dalí, he also always denied any association with Surrealism.



Phenomena (1936-1938), the first painting of a projected series of three major works, aroused violent reactions because of its lurid color and characterization of persons then still alive (including a self-portrait and images of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas). The most prominent of the nude male figures in this painting is Nicholas Magallanes, a favorite model, who later became a famous dancer.



The second work, Hide and Seek (1940-1942), a strikingly red painting of an enormous tree composed of human body parts, remains one of the most popular paintings in the Museum of Modern Art. The final work in the series was never finished. Tchelitchew's later style developed as a result of his search for "interior landscapes" inspired by metamorphoses of the human body.



His works include, in addition to well-known nudes such as Tattooed Man (1934), a number of pen-and-ink sketches that illustrate homoerotic desire, some of which are housed in the Kinsey Collection of erotic art. The artist also executed watercolor illustrations of the Gay novel by Ford and Parker Tyler, The Young and Evil (1933). These illustrations were not published with the text until 1988.



Tchelitchew's critical reputation declined in the 1950s and 1960s along with the decline of interest in figurative art. The retrospective that was the opening exhibition of Huntington Hartford's conservative Gallery of Modern Art in New York in 1964 was the last museum survey of his career until the 1998 exhibition at the Katonah Museum of Art in Katonah, New York.



For more, and images: http://kinseyinstitute.org/services/gallery/russia/tchelitchew.php



1902 - LUIS CERNUDA (born Luis Cernuda Bidón September 21, 1902, Seville – November 1963, Mexico City), was a Spanish poet and literary critic. The central concerns of this poet are evident in the title of his life's major opus: La realidad y el deseo ("Reality and Desire"). He published his first collection of verse, Perfil del aire ("Air's profile"), in 1927. Several books followed, and he collected new and already published poetry under this title in 1936. Subsequent editions would include new poetry as new books inside La realidad y el deseo. Expanded on almost until his death in 1963, in this work the poet explores desire, love, subject, object, history and sexuality in poems which draw influences from romanticism, classicism, and the surrealist avant-garde. Besides verse, he also published a collection of reminiscent prose poems, 'Ocnos', about his childhood in Seville.



Cernuda is known as a member of the Generation of '27, a group of Spanish poets and artists including Federico García Lorca. He broke new ground with Los Placeres Prohibidos ("Forbidden Pleasures"), an avant-garde work in which the poet used surrealism to explore his sexuality.



Deeply influenced by André Gide, Cernuda embraced his homosexuality at an early age and made homosexual desire and love the core of his poetry. Or, at least, unlike other Gay poets at the time, in his poetry he was never ambiguous about the fact that the objects of his desire and love were men. One of the most influential poets in contemporary Spanish poetry, he is definitely a crucial ground-breaking figure for homosexual writing in Spanish.



During the Spanish Civil War, deeply moved by the assassination of Federico Garcia Lorca, Cernuda fled to England, where he began an exile that later took him to France, Scotland, Massachusetts (Mount Holyoke College), California and finally settling in Mexico; he never returned to Spain.



1955 - DAUGHTERS OF BILITIS, the first Lesbian organization, is formed by four Lesbian couples, including Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin. As the DOB gained members, their focus shifted to providing support to women who were afraid to come out, by educating them about their rights and gay history. Historian Lillian Faderman declared, "Its very establishment in the midst of witch hunts and police harassment was an act of courage, since members always had to fear that they were under attack, not because of what they did, but merely because of who they were."



In 1955, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon had been together as lovers for three years when they complained to a gay male couple that they did not know any other lesbians. The gay couple introduced Martin and Lyon to another lesbian couple, one of whom suggested they create a social club. In October 1955, eight women — four couples — met to provide each other with a social outlet. One of their priorities was to have a place to dance, as dancing with the same sex in a public place was illegal. Martin and Lyon recalled later, "Women needed privacy...not only from the watchful eye of the police, but from gaping tourists in the bars and from inquisitive parents and families." Although unsure of how exactly to proceed with the group, they began to meet regularly, realized they should be organized, and quickly elected Martin as president. From the start they had a clear focus to educate other women about lesbians, and reduce their self-loathing brought on by the socially repressive times.



Within a year of its creation, most of the original eight participants were no longer part of the group, but their numbers had grown to 16, and they decided they wanted to be more than only a social alternative to bars. Historian Marcia Gallo writes "They recognized that many women felt shame about their sexual desires and were afraid to admit them. They knew that...without support to develop the self-confidence necessary to advocate for one's rights, no social change would be possible for lesbians."

By 1959 there were chapters of the DOB in New York City (see yesterday's Daily GayWisdom), Los Angeles, Chicago and Rhode Island along with the original chapter in San Francisco. Upon arrival at a meeting, attendees would be greeted at the door. In a show of good faith, the greeter would say, "I'm ---. Who are you? You don't have to give me your real name, not even your real first name."

Soon after forming, the DOB wrote a mission statement that addressed the most significant problem Martin and Lyon had faced as a couple: the complete lack of information about female homosexuality in what historian Martin Meeker termed, "the most fundamental journey a lesbian has to make." When the club realized they were not allowed to advertise their meetings in the local newspaper, Lyon and Martin, who both had backgrounds in journalism, began to print a newsletter to distribute to as many women as the group knew. In October 1956 it became The Ladder, the first nationally distributed lesbian publication in the U.S. and one of the first to publish statistics on lesbians, when they mailed surveys to their readers in 1958 and 1964. Martin was the first president and Lyon became the editor of The Ladder.

The DOB advertised itself as "A Woman's Organization for the purpose of Promoting the Integration of the Homosexual into Society." The statement was composed of four parts that prioritized the purpose of the organization, and it was printed on the inside of the cover of every issue of The Ladder until 1970:

1. Education of the variant...to enable her to understand herself and make her adjustment to society...this to be accomplished by establishing...a library...on the sex deviant theme; by sponsoring public discussions...to be conducted by leading members of the legal psychiatric, religious and other professions; by advocating a mode of behavior and dress acceptable to society.

2. Education of the public...leading to an eventual breakdown of erroneous taboos and prejudices...

3. Participation in research projects by duly authorized and responsible psychologists, sociologists, and other such experts directed towards further knowledge of the homosexual.

4. Investigation of the penal code as it pertain to the homosexual, proposal of changes,...and promotion of these changes through the due process of law in the state legislatures."

New York chapter president Barbara Gittings noted that the word "variant" was used instead of "Lesbian" in the mission statement, because "Lesbian" was a word that had a very negative meaning in 1956.



As a national organization, the Daughters of Bilitis folded in 1970, although some local chapters still continue. Grier also effectively ended The Ladder, despite her plans for the magazine to run on advertising (something The Ladder had not previously had) and subscriptions, when the $3,000 checks from "Pennsylvania", written to the DOB, stopped coming. By 1972, The Ladder had run out of funds and it folded.



Dozens of other lesbian and feminist organizations were created in the wake of the Daughters of Bilitis. However, the impact of the fourteen-year run of the DOB on the lives of women was described by historian Martin Meeker: "The DOB succeeded in linking hundreds of lesbians across the country with one another and gathering them into a distinctly modern communication network that was mediated through print and, consequently, imagination, rather than sight, sound, smell, and touch.



[{(o)}]|[{(o)}]|[{(o)}]|[{(o)}]|[{(o)}]|[{(o)}]

AIDS-Denying Foo Fighters Counter-Protest Westboro Baptists

AIDS-Denying Foo Fighters Counter-Protest Westboro Baptists: VIDEO

Picture 2
When the Westboro clan showed up to picket a Foo Fighters concert in Kansas City, lo, the Foo Fighters themselves pulled up in the back of a truck and gave them a performance of "Keep It Clean," which includes the lyric:

I've got a hankering for something, think I'm in the mood for some hot man-muffins.

Nice gesture, yes. But let's not forget that the Foo Fighters have vigorously promoted AIDS denialism. Mother Jones reported in 2000:

The multimillion-album-selling alternative rock outfit has thrown its weight behind Alive and Well, an "alternative AIDS information group" that denies any link between HIV and AIDS. In January, Foo Fighters bassist Nate Mendel helped organize a sold-out concert in Hollywood to benefit the group.

How many infected people at that Hollywood concert forwent meds? How many ended up dead? It throws the counter-protest into a new relief, doesn't it? On the one side, the church that insists almost everyone on Earth will burn in hell because of the gays. On the other, an alt-rock band that propagandizes for a lethal superstition - that AIDS is akin to the common cold. Clowns to the left, jokers to the right.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/2011/09/aids-denying-foo-fighters-counter-protest-westboro-baptists.html#ixzz1YatI2ghM

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Gay soldier comes out to father live on YouTube

Stacey Cosens

A gay soldier filmed himself coming out to his father, and uploaded it to YouTube as the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell finally became official on Tuesday.

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Buffalo teen kills himself after homophobic taunts

Stacey Cosens

A 14-year-old boy from Buffalo has committed suicide following relentless bullying from his school peers, despite public calls for help.
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Lesbian couple suffer honeymoon from hell in Dominican

Stacey Cosens

A lesbian couple have told of their honeymoon hell during a Thomson holiday, claiming the company failed to treat them the same as their fellow honeymooners.
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Former Mr Gay UK speaks out on sexual assault charges

Stacey Cosens

A former winner of Mr Gay UK has spoken out after being cleared of several charges against him during two years he described as “a living nightmare”.
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Entourage star says Jane Lynch lesbian joke is not fair

Stacey Cosens

One of the stars of Entourage has described a joke by Jane Lynch, during the Primetime Emmy awards as “not fair”.
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Foo Fighters taunt anti-gay group

Stacey Cosens

Members of the Westboro Baptist church were taunted by rock band Foo Fighters, when the extremist Christian group picketed the band’s show in Kansas City, Missouri on Friday.
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Jane Lynch hosts 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards

Stacey Cosens

Jane Lynch hosted America’s Primetime Emmy Awards last night, opening the show with a skit that saw her flirting with a Mad Men cast member.
jonnyindia

Gay party guests fined by Mumbai police

Jonny Payne

More than 130 guests at a gay party in Mumbai, including a leading Bollywood actor, have been fined by local police.
janelynch glee photo

Glee star Jane Lynch tells gay bullying victims to “hang in there”

Jonny Payne

Glee star Jane Lynch has told victims of gay bullying to “hang in there” as the situation can get better, pointing to when the kids found glee club as an inspiration.
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Lib Dems say gay blood ban change is not enough

Stacey Cosens

Liberal Democrats have called for the government to go further in their repeal of the lifetime ban on gay men giving blood.

British passports to become gender free

Stacey Cosens

British passports could soon no longer declare a person’s sex, under moves from Lib Dems to become “fierce champions of equality”.

Americans split on gay marriage

Stacey Cosens

A recent poll has revealed that Americans are split about gay marriage, with a slim majority in favour of legalising same sex marriage.

Teenage lesbian couple arrested after burgling 29 homes

Stacey Cosens

A lesbian couple, dubbed Thelma and Louise by police, have been arrested after burgling 29 homes in Pennsylvania.

Navy changes gay sailor’s discharge after 70 years

Stacey Cosens

An 89-year-old former corpsman has had his discharge papers changed from “undesirable” to “honourable”, seventy years after he was expelled from the navy for being gay.

Lib Dem Party President hits back over gay rumours

Jonny Payne

The Liberal Democrat Party President, who has faced rumours over his sexuality after being linked to a blackmail case in his constituency, has hit back at the “wicked, poisonous and horrible” suggestions that he is gay.

David Norris re-enters Irish presidential race

Jonny Payne

Openly gay senator David Norris has re-entered the race to become the next Irish President, after a scandal involving his former partner had previously threatened to derail his campaign.

Bachmann defends ‘pray the gay away’ clinics

Jonny Payne

Michele Bachmann, the Republican presidential candidate hopeful, has defended the gay ‘conversion’ clinics she co-owns with her husband.

Government to consider options for gay civil marriage

Stacey Cosens

The government has announced that it plans to hold a public consultation to consider how to make civil marriage available to gay and lesbian couples.

New York clerk could face law suit over marriage licence refusal

Stacey Cosens

A town clerk in New York could face legal action for refusing to issue a marriage licence to a lesbian couple and failing to comply with the state’s new marriage equality law.

Former Mr Gay UK speaks out on sexual assault charges

Former Mr Gay UK speaks out on sexual assault charges

A former winner of Mr Gay UK has spoken out after being cleared of several charges against him during two years he described as “a living nightmare”.
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markcarter400 A former winner of Mr Gay UK has spoken out after being cleared of several charges against him during two years he described as “a living nightmare”.

PC Mark Carter was accused of raping a man and sexually assaulting two others while on a drunken night out with colleagues.

Speaking to ITV Calendar News, Carter said: "After nearly two years of wait, I have now been found not guilty of all charges held against me.

"I would like to thank all those who have stood by me: my legal team, West Yorkshire Police Federation, my family and friends and my work colleagues. These people have supported me in what can only be described as a living nightmare."

Carter was due to face trial later this year on separate charges for possessing the anabolic steroid stanozolol, but the case was discontinued within the terms of the Medicines Act 1968.

A West Yorkshire police spokesman said: "PC Mark Carter remains suspended at this time. A decision regarding disciplinary action remains under consideration."

Carter was crowned Mr Gay UK in 2006 at the Flamingo Club in Blackpool.

Lib Dems say gay blood ban change is not enough

Lib Dems say gay blood ban change is not enough

Liberal Democrats have called for the government to go further in their repeal of the lifetime ban on gay men giving blood.
21 September 2011
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Bloodbags Liberal Democrats have called for the government to go further in their repeal of the lifetime ban on gay men giving blood.

Under proposed new plans, only men who have had anal or oral sex with another man in the past 12 months (with or without a condom) will be asked not to donate blood. Men whose last relevant sexual contact with another man was more than 12 months ago will be able to donate (subject to meeting the other donor selection criteria).

But at the Liberal Democrat party conference in Birmingham this week, a member of the party said that replacing the lifetime ban with 12 month deferral period is a “ban by any other name”.

Dij Davies told the conference there was no reason why men who practised safe sex, should be prevented from giving blood.

He said: “It stigmatises male same sex contact by perpetuating the myth they can't be trusted in matters of sexual health.”

Davies was prevented from donating blood to his mother when she needed a transfusion, because he was gay.

Ross Pepper, another party member, said the new rules were an example of "institutionalised homophobia", pointing out that thousands of people had contracted HIV through heterosexual sex.

Pepper said: "It's not just a gay disease,"

HIV can be detected four weeks after infection but hepatitis B takes significantly longer, and then has a second window period in the later stages of infection (up to 12 months) which is why there must be a deferral period of one year for those most at risk of transmitting the viruses.

Gay soldier comes out to father live on YouTube

Gay soldier comes out to father live on YouTube

A gay soldier filmed himself coming out to his father, and uploaded it to YouTube as the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell finally became official on Tuesday.
21 September 2011
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soldieryoutubestacey A gay soldier filmed himself coming out to his father, and uploaded it to YouTube as the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell finally became official on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old active duty military officer stationed in Germany, phoned his father in Alabama to tell him the news, following weeks of uploading to Twitter and YouTube under the pseudonym, AreYouSurpised.

The video displays the soldiers face for the first time, but his name is not yet known.

The soldier had announced to his fellow servicemen that he was gay, and as he waits for the phone to connect to his father, he is visibly nervous and says: “My God, my heart is beating like crazy.”

After some catching up, the soldier asks his father if he can tell him something and if he will love him no matter what before announcing: “Dad, I’m gay. I always have been, I’ve known since forever.

"I don’t know when’s the next time I would be able to see you. I didn’t want to do it over the phone. I wanted to tell you in person, but uh … I didn't want you to find out in any other way,"

His father replies with: "It doesn't change our relationship, I will always be proud of you

"I will always love you."
AreYouSurprised has attracted more than 98,000 subscribers on YouTube channel, and more than 2 million video views.

‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ repealed: reactions

‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ repealed: reactions
By Ed O'Keefe

The miltiary ends its ban on gays in the military today, almost 18 years after it began.

As we report in Tuesday’s Post, the Pentagon will now permit troops for the first time to publicly reveal that they’re gay without fear of official retribution. Enlistees who tell military recruiters, or troops discharged under the ban who are eager to reenlist, will be eligible to join up if they are qualified. And the Defense Department says it will have zero tolerance for anti-gay behavior, as it does for religious, racial and gender discrimination.

We’ll be tracking reaction to the repeal throughout the day — from rank and file troops, their commanders, top Pentagon brass, Capitol Hill and the White House. But we want you to participate as well: Share your thoughts on Twitter by using #DADT, or in the comments section below.

The following are statements from lawmakers and community groups in response to the end of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.):

“Thousands of qualified men and women who want to serve our country will now be able to do so without fearing their careers could end due to their sexual orientation. Our Armed Forces will be stronger because now our military commanders and our nation can be sure we will have the best and brightest service members on the job, regardless of ethnicity, creed, or sexual orientation.”

Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.):

“The repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is a victory for the cause of equality and our national defense. For too long, this wrongheaded policy prevented brave Americans from serving in our military and defending our country just because of who they love. It undermined our national security by forcing gays and lesbians out of military service at a time when America needs the most talented and the bravest protecting us, regardless of their sexual orientation. It’s about time.”

Center for Military Readiness:

“This is not a legitimate victory for anyone; it is being imposed on the armed forces to deliver on President Barack Obama’s political promises to LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) activist groups. The high-powered campaign for gays in the military was fueled by sophistry, administration-coordinated deception, faux “research” from LGBT activists, and misuse of the military’s own culture of obedience.”

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) Executive Director and army veteran Aubrey Sarvis:

“Today marks the official end of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and is an historic milestone along the journey to achieving LGBT equality in America’s military. Thanks to veterans, active duty, leaders, allies and supporters everywhere, this is a monumental day for our service members and our nation. Indeed, we have taken a tremendous leap forward for LGBT equality in the military.”

Rea Carey, Executive Director National Gay and Lesbian Task Force:

“After nearly two decades, lesbian, gay and bisexual service members will finally be able to serve their country openly and honestly. Those who fight for freedom will now themselves be able to live more freely. We celebrate this historic moment, which could not come fast enough. Thousands of exemplary and courageous service members have lost their careers and livelihoods to this unjust policy, once again proving there are very personal and costly consequences of discrimination.”

Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.):

“For the thousands of service men and women discharged under ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and the countless others who have sacrificed their integrity all these long years, today is a day long awaited. The ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy was a rebuke not only to those gay and lesbian Americans who wished to serve under our flag and risk their lives for it but also to the principles of inclusion and equality that we as a nation hold dear. I was proud to help lead the effort last year to repeal this discriminatory policy once and for all. With this step, our military is surely strengthened at a time when we face great threats to our security and continued demands on our troops. Every American has a share in marking this civil rights milestone, because we all benefit from a strong and capable military that reflects our values.”

NY teen commits suicide after anti-gay bullying

NY teen commits suicide after anti-gay bullying

Jennifer Vanasco
By Jennifer Vanasco, editor in chief, 365gay.com
09.20.2011 3:57pm UTC

A 14-year-old who had been bullied for years committed suicide outside his home, near Buffalo, NY.

Though Jamey Rodemeyer recorded an It Gets Better video and his parents say they worked with his school to stop the bullying, he was still being harassed regularly. His parents say that he was questioning his sexuality.
“I always say how bullied I am, but no one listens,” he wrote Sept. 9, according to Buffalo News. “What do I have to do so people will listen to me?”

Buffalo News said that comments on a social media account for Rodemeyer included one that said, “I wouldn’t care if you died. No one would. So just do it It would make everyone WAY more happier!” and another that said “JAMIE IS STUPID, GAY, FAT AND UGLY. HE MUST DIE!”

The New Civil Rights Movement has Rodemeyer’s It Gets Better video.

Business as Usual in Military as Gay Ban Ends

Business as Usual in Military as Gay Ban Ends

WASHINGTON — After years of debate and months of final preparations, the military can no longer prevent gays from serving openly in its ranks.

Repeal of a 1993 law that allowed gays to serve only so long as they kept their sexual orientation private took effect Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. EDT.

Some in Congress still oppose the change, but top Pentagon leaders have certified that it will not undermine the military's ability to recruit or to fight wars.

The Army was distributing a business-as-usual statement Tuesday saying simply, "The law is repealed," and reminding soldiers to treat each other fairly.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, scheduled a Pentagon news conference to field questions about the repeal. And a bipartisan group of congressional supporters of allowing openly gay service planned a news conference on Capitol Hill.

Gay advocacy groups planned a series of celebrations across the country.

Pentagon press secretary George Little said Monday that the military is adequately prepared for the end of the current policy, commonly known as "don't ask, don't tell," under which gays can serve as long as they don't openly acknowledge their sexual orientation and commanders are not allowed to ask.

"No one should be left with the impression that we are unprepared. We are prepared for repeal," Little said.

Last week, the Pentagon said 97 percent of the military has undergone training in the new law.

For weeks the military services have accepted applications from openly gay recruits, while waiting for repeal to take effect before processing the applications.

With the lifting of the ban, the Defense Department will publish revised regulations to reflect the new law allowing gays to serve openly. The revisions, such as eliminating references to banned homosexual service, are in line with policy guidance that was issued by top Pentagon officials in January, after Obama signed the legislation that did away with the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

The lifting of the 18-year-old ban also brings a halt to all pending investigations, discharges and other administrative proceedings that were begun under the Clinton-era law.

Existing standards of personal conduct, such as those pertaining to public displays of affection, will continue regardless of sexual orientation.

There also will be no immediate changes to eligibility standards for military benefits. All service members already are entitled to certain benefits and entitlements, such as designating a partner as one's life insurance beneficiary or as designated caregiver in the Wounded Warrior program.

Gay marriage is one of the thornier issues. An initial move by the Navy earlier this year to train chaplains about same-sex civil unions in states where they are legal was halted after more than five dozen lawmakers objected. The Pentagon is reviewing the issue.

Service members who were discharged under the "don't ask, don't tell" law will be allowed to re-enlist, but their applications will not be given priority over those of any others with prior military experience who are seeking to re-enlist.

Some in Congress remain opposed to repeal, arguing that it may undermine order and discipline.

A leading advocate, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, said Monday the repeal is overdue.

"Our nation will finally close the door on a fundamental unfairness for gays and lesbians, and indeed affirm equality for all Americans," the California Democrat said.

Barack Obama Says DADT's End Is Proud Moment

Barack Obama Says DADT's End Is Proud Moment
By On Top Magazine Staff
Published: September 20, 2011

President Barack Obama has said every American can be proud of the end of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell.”

On Tuesday, the nearly 18-year-old policy which banned gay and bisexual troops from serving openly met its demise.

In December, Obama signed legislation that began the process of repealing the ban.

“Today, the discriminatory law known as 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell' is finally and formally repealed,” Obama said in a statement. “As of today, patriotic Americans in uniform will no longer have to lie about who they are in order to serve the country they love. As of today, our armed forces will no longer lose the extraordinary skills and combat experience of so many gay and lesbian service members. And today, as Commander in Chief, I want those who were discharged under this law to know that your country deeply values your service.”

“I was proud to sign the Repeal Act into law last December because I knew that it would enhance our national security, increase our military readiness, and bring us closer to the principles of equality and fairness that define us as Americans. Today’s achievement is a tribute to all the patriots who fought and marched for change; to Members of Congress, from both parties, who voted for repeal; to our civilian and military leaders who ensured a smooth transition; and to the professionalism of our men and women in uniform who showed that they were ready to move forward together, as one team, to meet the missions we ask of them.”

“For more than two centuries, we have worked to extend America's promise to all our citizens. Our armed forces have been both a mirror and a catalyst of that progress, and our troops, including gays and lesbians, have given their lives to defend the freedoms and liberties that we cherish as Americans. Today, every American can be proud that we have taken another great step toward keeping our military the finest in the world and toward fulfilling our nation’s founding ideals.”

When Monogamy Is a Cop-Out: Why Follow Society's Rules About Sex?

When Monogamy Is a Cop-Out: Why Follow Society's Rules About Sex?
By Robert Levithan, The Good Men Project
Posted on September 18, 2011, Printed on September 19, 2011
http://www.alternet.org/story/152455/when_monogamy_is_a_cop-out%3A_why_follow_society%27s_rules_about_sex

Monogamy remains the societal ideal for relationships. Those who choose other forms are pathologized as immature, irresponsible—even defective.

When my relationship with my Brazilian boyfriend was floundering, I stopped and asked myself an important question, “What is the best relationship I can have with this man?” What if I throw out the frame for an “ideal” relationship and strive for one that reflects our actual selves and needs. We were not meant to be monogamous; we weren’t meant to live together. We were meant to be friends for life—friends with benefits in that case. I applied this formula to my more recent five-year relationship. We were truly committed lovers. We never pretended exclusivity; we always told the truth and acted with respect.

A recent piece on Dan Savage in The New York Times Magazine, where he questioned monogamy as the only viable model, was a big deal. It crossed over into the “straight” world with an issue, which is always up for discussion amongst gay men. Suddenly my (happily) long-married female friends were talking about the importance of commitment and continuity as primary values, monogamy as secondary—both for couples but also for the family unit.

I know men, straight and gay, who are monogamous by nature. I believe they are the minority. It is a cliché, but males are programmed to spread their seed. It’s natural to want to get it around. The chemicals released during sex make the male want to linger with the female last for an hour or two. The same chemicals released in females last for days, often bringing on the urge to make a nest for the child that might have just been conceived. Our free will, and variances in personality, psyche, chemistry, and environment, creates a spectrum of possibilities for the modern man and woman, but nature significantly influences most of us.

Monogamy as deprivation rarely works: “I will give up what I want in order to have you (and society’s blessing).” Monogamy is valuable as a choice: Opt to be with only one partner in order to explore the depths of that relationship. Every relationship form has its inherent challenges and concomitant rewards. Each of us needs to look at what we are up to and ready for. What matters is commitment—to self, partner, the relationship, the lessons.

A healthy relationship has three members: Two I’s and a We. They all need attention and nurturance. For some, monogamy may be necessary to nurture a fragile We. For others, it might starve one or more of the I’s.

Ultimately, what matters for a couple (and for the family unit, if they have children) is trust, continuity and integrity. The first definition of integrity in the dictionary is wholeness. What makes us whole? What makes our marriage whole? What makes our family whole? These are questions for which there are so many answers.

Each of us is responsible for identifying our deal breakers. Monogamy can be one, which is fine, as long as it isn’t a cop out—an unwillingness to look at what we need, value, and truly hold dear. My honest open relationships have resulted in ongoing intimate friendships with my lovers. Success was in not playing by someone else’s rules.





© 2011 The Good Men Project All rights reserved.
View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/152455/

Gays take fight against DOMA to Connecticut

Gays take fight against DOMA to Connecticut
Federal judge urged to strike down Defense of Marriage Act

The House of Representatives has failed to defend its federal marriage law, and it should be thrown out, attorneys for six gay couples and a gay widower said in recent court papers.

Because of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the gay plaintiffs have all been mistreated and denied federal benefits given to other married couples, said Mary L. Bonauto and her colleagues at the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) in briefs filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut.

The DOMA defense lawyers are missing the point when they continue to talk about whether same-sex marriage is allowable or a good or bad idea, Ms. Bonauto and her colleagues said. That “is not the issue,” they said.

Congress “does not get to make” a decision on who is married and what marriage means, and in any case, “the plaintiffs are already married,” they said. “This case should not be a difficult one,” they added: DOMA should be “struck down.”

The GLAD court papers, filed Sept. 14, are in response to briefs from Bancroft PLLC lawyer Paul D. Clement and his colleagues, who are representing the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group of the House of Representatives.

The House argues that DOMA is constitutional and rational, and is asking U.S. District Court Judge Vanessa L. Bryant, a 2007 appointee of President Bush, to dismiss the lawsuit against it. Final responses are due Oct. 5.

Pedersen v. Office of Personnel Management is filed by Joanne Pedersen and Ann Meitzen of Connecticut, and a gay widower and other gay married couples from other New England states. All say DOMA blocked them from federal benefits, such as health insurance, Social Security death benefits and “married-couple” tax-filing status.

DOMA was enacted in 1996 in reaction to a Hawaii court ruling in favor of gay marriage. The law clarifies that, for purposes of federal law, marriage is only the union of one man and one woman. It also advises states that they do not have to recognize out-of-state gay unions.

GLAD lawyers and the House lawyers are facing off in another DOMA case, Gill v. Office of Personnel Management. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph L. Tauro, a 1972 appointee of President Nixon, ruled in 2010 that DOMA was unconstitutional, and the case was appealed to U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit. The government’s response in Gill is due Thursday.

Among the issues raised in these cases are whether gays and lesbians are a class of people deserving “heightened scrutiny” because of their sexual orientation, history of discrimination and “political powerlessness.”

Gay parenting is also a contested matter: Lawyers defending DOMA say evidence on gay parenting has been overstated and misstated, while gay plaintiffs assert that studies overwhelmingly find that children raised by gays do as well as, or even better than, children raised by a mother and a father.

Pope accused of crimes against humanity by victims of sex abuse | World news | guardian.co.uk

Pope accused of crimes against humanity by victims of sex abuse | World news | guardian.co.uk

International Gay and Lesbian Association finally wins UN accreditation - PinkNews.co.uk

International Gay and Lesbian Association finally wins UN accreditation - PinkNews.co.uk

Another MP withdraws from religious rights motion - PinkNews.co.uk

Another MP withdraws from religious rights motion - PinkNews.co.uk

Military Gay Couples Won't Enjoy Benefits - FoxNews.com

Military Gay Couples Won't Enjoy Benefits - FoxNews.com

Priest Sex-Abuse Case in Archdiocese of Benedict's Adviser - TIME

Priest Sex-Abuse Case in Archdiocese of Benedict's Adviser - TIME

Gay protestor hits Gingrich with glitter at Minneapolis event

Gay protestor hits Gingrich with glitter at Minneapolis event

Study: Homosexuality, celibacy didn’t cause Catholic Church abuse

Study: Homosexuality, celibacy didn’t cause Catholic Church abuse

Gay RI House speaker takes heat for marriage vote

Gay RI House speaker takes heat for marriage vote

Joe. My. God.: WISCONSIN: Gov. Scott Walker Wants To End Hospital Rights For Gay Couples

Joe. My. God.: WISCONSIN: Gov. Scott Walker Wants To End Hospital Rights For Gay Couples

MT judge rules against gay couples seeking rights - Yahoo! News

MT judge rules against gay couples seeking rights - Yahoo! News

Michele Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty Stumped On Likening Being Gay To Secondhand Smoke | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

Michele Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty Stumped On Likening Being Gay To Secondhand Smoke | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

Gay Group Log Cabin Republicans Joins New York Gay Marriage Push | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

Gay Group Log Cabin Republicans Joins New York Gay Marriage Push | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

Ruben Diaz Calls For Anti-Gay Marriage Rally | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

Ruben Diaz Calls For Anti-Gay Marriage Rally | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

Gay Marriage Opponents Carl Kruger, Shirley Huntley Under Investigation | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

Gay Marriage Opponents Carl Kruger, Shirley Huntley Under Investigation | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

Anton Hysén Becomes Sweden's First Out Professional Soccer Player / Queerty

Anton Hysén Becomes Sweden's First Out Professional Soccer Player / Queerty

The Names of the Innocent who are Killed

The Names of the Innocent who are Killed

IAEA reaffirms peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program

IAEA reaffirms peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program

Omar Barghouti kept from entering the U.S. for BDS speaking tour

Omar Barghouti kept from entering the U.S. for BDS speaking tour

Ted Haggard Favors Gay Marriage | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

Ted Haggard Favors Gay Marriage | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

Home Office says gay sex convictions will be deleted - Pink News

Home Office says gay sex convictions will be deleted - Pink News

British government reportedly set to introduce full gay marriage equality - Pink News

British government reportedly set to introduce full gay marriage equality - Pink News

German footballer Manuel Neuer encourages gay players to be open - Pink News

German footballer Manuel Neuer encourages gay players to be open - Pink News

Christian GP sacked from drugs panel over views on homosexuality - Pink News

Christian GP sacked from drugs panel over views on homosexuality - Pink News

Cyclist Graeme Obree Comes Out Gay | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

Cyclist Graeme Obree Comes Out Gay | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

'NCIS' Star Pauley Perrette Models NOH8 Dress In Campaign Photo | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

'NCIS' Star Pauley Perrette Models NOH8 Dress In Campaign Photo | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

Obama Wants This Homosexual To Be America's First Out Federal Judge / Queerty

Obama Wants This Homosexual To Be America's First Out Federal Judge / Queerty

Another gay couple sue B&B which turned them away - Pink News

Another gay couple sue B&B which turned them away - Pink News

Ugandan gay rights activist beaten to death - Pink News

Ugandan gay rights activist beaten to death - Pink News

Christian hotel owners to appeal ruling - Pink News

Christian hotel owners to appeal ruling - Pink News

Tiffany accidentally revealed NKOTB singer Jonathan Knight is gay | AHN

Tiffany accidentally revealed NKOTB singer Jonathan Knight is gay | AHN

Windy City Times - Gay Indian prince talks family, love - 142

Windy City Times - Gay Indian prince talks family, love - 142

Wyoming House Passes Anti-Gay Marriage Bill

Wyoming House Passes Anti-Gay Marriage Bill

Bullied gay teen in Minnesota commits suicide

Bullied gay teen in Minnesota commits suicide

Jewish rabbi calls for extermination of all Palestinian males - International Middle East Media Center

Jewish rabbi calls for extermination of all Palestinian males - International Middle East Media Center

West Virginia Senators David Nohe, Donna Boley Back Gay Marriage Ban | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

West Virginia Senators David Nohe, Donna Boley Back Gay Marriage Ban | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

Reince Priebus, New RNC Chair, Opposed To Gay Marriage | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

Reince Priebus, New RNC Chair, Opposed To Gay Marriage | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

Rep. Duncan Hunter's Bill Would Block DADT Repeal | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

Rep. Duncan Hunter's Bill Would Block DADT Repeal | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

Gay Billboards Create A Stir In Schenectady | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

Gay Billboards Create A Stir In Schenectady | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

It’s time end prejudice against gays - Editorial Columns | Centre Daily Times - State College, PA | Penn State, Nittany Lions, weather, news, jobs, homes, apartments, real estate

It’s time end prejudice against gays - Editorial Columns | Centre Daily Times - State College, PA | Penn State, Nittany Lions, weather, news, jobs, homes, apartments, real estate

Obama calls gay Giffords intern a ‘hero’ - Pink News

Obama calls gay Giffords intern a ‘hero’ - Pink News

Texas AG Can't Appeal Gay Divorce | News | The Advocate

Texas AG Can't Appeal Gay Divorce | News | The Advocate

2010 Post-Election State Government Control

2010 Post-Election State Government Control

Researchers confirm Googler's Internet Explorer bug - Computerworld

Researchers confirm Googler's Internet Explorer bug - Computerworld

DADT Backer John McCain Agrees, Owen Honors Had To Go | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

DADT Backer John McCain Agrees, Owen Honors Had To Go | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

New Mexico AG Gary King Concludes Gay Marriages Likely Valid | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

New Mexico AG Gary King Concludes Gay Marriages Likely Valid | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

URGENT ACTION! Hossein Khezri Transferred to Undisclosed Location | Persian2English

URGENT ACTION! Hossein Khezri Transferred to Undisclosed Location | Persian2English

Hopes for gay-rights gains shift to courts - The Boston Globe

Hopes for gay-rights gains shift to courts - The Boston Globe

DADT Repeal Allows 'Recruits To Be Preyed On By Homosexuals,' Bill James Says | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

DADT Repeal Allows 'Recruits To Be Preyed On By Homosexuals,' Bill James Says | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

Conservatives Ditch CPAC Because Of Gay Republicans | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

Conservatives Ditch CPAC Because Of Gay Republicans | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

Joe Biden, Obama Disagree On Gay Marriage | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

Joe Biden, Obama Disagree On Gay Marriage | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

School outed teen to parents, said it was ‘legally obligated’: lawsuit | Raw Story

School outed teen to parents, said it was ‘legally obligated’: lawsuit | Raw Story

10 Anti-Gay Myths Debunked | Southern Poverty Law Center

10 Anti-Gay Myths Debunked | Southern Poverty Law Center

Gays Remain Minority Most Targeted by Hate Crimes | Southern Poverty Law Center

Gays Remain Minority Most Targeted by Hate Crimes | Southern Poverty Law Center

Skype slowly restores service to users - Computerworld

Skype slowly restores service to users - Computerworld

Obama signs DADT repeal before big, emotional crowd

Obama signs DADT repeal before big, emotional crowd

MasterCard Takes Stand Against Pirates - XBIZ.com

MasterCard Takes Stand Against Pirates - XBIZ.com

U.K. Government Wants to Block Internet Porn - XBIZ.com

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

AEBN Acquires Falcon Studios, Forms New Gay Division - XBIZ.com

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

‘Pedophile’s Guide’ Author Arrested on Obscenity Charges - XBIZ.com

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Pentagon Health Plan Won't Cover Brain-Damage Therapy for Troops

Pentagon Health Plan Won't Cover Brain-Damage Therapy for Troops

Ex-Guantanamo Official Was Told Not to Discuss Policy Surrounding Antimalarial Drug Used on Detainees

Ex-Guantanamo Official Was Told Not to Discuss Policy Surrounding Antimalarial Drug Used on Detainees