Hate Crimes Legislation Heads to President Obama
October 22, 2009 by Ted Rybka, GLAAD's Director of Sports Media
With a 68-29 vote, the Senate today passed legislation that would make it a federal crime to assault an individual based on gender identity or sexual orientation. The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act was attached to a $680 billion defense authorization bill. President Obama has pledged to sign it.
The hate crimes provision was attached to the defense authorization bill in July and passed the House in early October by a vote of 281 – 46.
According to the Associated Press, the act is one of the most significant expansions of the law since it was enacted after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act is named after two men who died in violent hate crimes in 2008. Shepard was tied up, beaten and left for dead in Laramie, Wyo. Byrd, Jr. was an African-American man who was tied to a pickup truck and dragged to death in Jasper, Texas.
GLAAD will continue to follow this story through its expected passage. Please continue to check our website and glaadBLOG for updated information.
Related Posts:Top Stories Today – 12.17.2008
December 17, 2008 by Justin Cole, GLAAD's Director of Digital Media
National News:
The New York Times: EDITORIAL: A Lynching in Brooklyn
The New York Times editorial board writes that the anti-gay, anti-Hispanic murder of Ecuadorian immigrant José Sucuzhañay is a “savage, hate-inspired crime that should sicken us all,” and serves as “a reminder that bigotry can be deadly [...] to anyone unfortunate enough to cross its path.”
Los Angeles Times: COLUMN: Readers Have Choice Words (Pro and Con) on Prop. 8
Steve Lopez shares readers’ passionate responses – the majority of which were unsupportive – to his recent column sympathizing with El Coyote restaurant manager Margie Christofferson, who took a leave of absence from her position because of backlash over her donation to the Prop. 8 campaign.
Los Angeles Times: A Gay Muslim, Tested by Faith and Family
A profile of Aliyah Bacchus, a 22-year-old Muslim lesbian facing the challenges of reconciling her sexual orientation with her faith after her family rejected her when she told them she was gay.
Time Magazine: Why the Ivy League is Rethinking ROTC
Students and officials at a number of Ivy League universities are debating whether their campuses’ bans on ROTC – which are often largely rooted in the military’s DADT policy – should remain intact. Some say allowing ROTC to return “would encourage debate over [DADT], rather than indicate an endorsement of it.”
Associated Press: Berlin Memorial to Gay Victims of Nazis Vandalized
The memorial to gay victims of the Nazis in Berlin’s Tiergarten park has been vandalized for the second time since its dedication in May.
Newsweek.com: The Good Book and Gay Marriage
As a follow-up to its cover story on the biblical case for marriage equality, Newsweek interviews United Methodist pastor Bill Wylie-Kellerman and Dr. Barrett Duke of a group called the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission on their opposing viewpoints on the subject.
Regional News:
Associated Press (CA): Calif. Gay Marriage Ban Won by Nearly 600K Votes
Final election results certified Saturday by Secretary of State Debra Bowen show that Prop. 8 passed by 599,602 votes, or 52.3 percent. Support for the amendment was strongest in Kern and Tulare counties, while opposition was most pronounced in Marin and San Francisco.
Associated Press (CT): Poll: Connecticut Voters Back Gay Marriage
A Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday found that 52 percent of Conn. voters support the state’s ruling in favor of marriage equality, while 39 percent oppose it and 9 percent are undecided.
Daily News (NY): Tears, Resolve at Wake for Victim of Hate Crime
About 100 people gathered in Queens, N.Y., Tuesday night to mourn the loss of Ecuadorian immigrant Jose Sucuzhañay, who was fatally beaten last week in an anti-gay, anti-Hispanic Brooklyn attack.
Contra Costa Times (CA): EDITORIAL: Supervisors Wrong on Secret Session
The Contra Costa Times writes that Contra Costa County, Calif., supervisors “erred” by making the decision not to join a lawsuit challenging Prop. 8 behind closed doors: “In the future, supervisors and county counsel should be more discerning about the use of secret discussions of public issues.”
Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader (PA): Inmate with HIV Gets Up to 8 Years for spitting
A transgender former inmate with HIV was sentenced Tuesday to up to eight years in state prison after being found guilty of assault, aggravated harassment and reckless endangerment for allegedly spitting on a corrections officer in Dallas.
Duluth News-Tribune (MN): Duluth Couple Joins Fight for Same-Sex Marriage
A Deluth lesbian couple is joining nine other Minnesota couples in a lawsuit that will challenge the state’s so-called Defense of Marriage Act, which bans marriage equality.
The Desert Sun (CA): Gay Retirement Village Project Stalls
Plans have been stalled for RainbowVision, a proposed retirement community for gay and lesbian seniors in Palm Springs, Calif. RainbowVision president Joy Silver: “We plan to move forward as soon as the economy allows.”
New Haven Register (CT): Gay Episcopal Clergy Struggle with Own Church’s Stance on Marriage
Gay Episcopal priests planning to marry in Conn. cannot have their weddings blessed by clergy from their own church. The Episcopal Church permits the ordination of gay clergy, but does not allow priests to bless the weddings of gay couples.
From the Blogs:
- The Huffington Post: Prop 8, a Campaign Based on Fears and Lies
- The Bilerico Project: Light Up the Night for Equality
- Daily Kos: Wait…Whaaaat?: My Alternative Family.
- Gawker: In James Frey’s Next Book, Jesus Loves Abortion and Gay Marriage
Top Stories Today – 12.16.2008
December 16, 2008 by Justin Cole, GLAAD's Director of Digital Media
National News:
Associated Press: Hungarian Court Annuls Domestic Partnerships Law
Hungary’s Constitutional Court has annulled a law allowing unmarried gay or straight couples to register their domestic partnerships, claiming the legislation is unconstitutional because it allegedly “downgrades” the institution of marriage.
Los Angeles Times: Obama to Pick Arne Duncan as Education Secretary
Chicago Public Schools Chief Arne Duncan is poised to join President-elect Obama’s Cabinet as secretary of Education. Duncan “has gained a reputation as a reformer” and supported the yet-unrealized plan for a Chicago high school geared towards LGBT students.
The New York Times: Challenges and Perhaps More Influence for Chairman of Joint Chiefs
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will need to transition from one commander in chief to another after President-elect Obama is inaugurated. Mullen says Obama “has been pretty clear that he wants to address” the issue of DADT.
Los Angeles Times: Putting the Episcopal Rift in a Historical Context
The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church in the U.S. says the current rift over the ordination of gay clergy mirrors past conflicts that the global church has managed to overcome: “The place of gay and lesbian people in the church is the latest expression of the ancient human struggle over who is ‘the other.’”
Associated Press: Family of Fatally Beaten NY Immigrant Urges Action
A $27,000 reward is being offered for information on the murder of Jose Sucuzhanay, the Ecuadorian immigrant beaten to death in Brooklyn by assailants who shouted anti-gay and anti-Hispanic slurs.
Time Magazine: A Gay-Pride Revolution in Hong Kong
Time reports on Hong Kong’s first official gay pride parade, which took place on Saturday and may become an annual event. The parade “emphasized celebrating diversity and equality, but also aired grievances with the Chinese government.”
Regional News:
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin (NY): Council Passes Rights Law
The city council of Binghamton, N.Y., voted Monday to pass the Binghamton Human Rights Law, which will ban discrimination against transgender individuals: “It’s simply the right thing to do. It’s the human thing to do.”
Des Moines Register (IA): Gay-Marriage Resolution in Sioux City Is on Hold
Members of the city council of Sioux City, Iowa, voted Monday to delay action on a proposal that would publicly oppose marriage equality, citing the need for advice from the state attorney general’s office on “whether [they] have the jurisdiction and authority” to pass such a measure.
Newsday (NY): Leaders Call for Passage of Federal Hate Crime Law
In the wake of two immigrant murders in six weeks, N.Y. Hispanic leaders called yesterday for the passage of a federal hate crime law that would would allow the U.S. Justice Department to probe any violent crime linked to race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or gender.
Des Moines Register (IA): Ankeny Board Says No Limits on ‘Tango’
The Ankeny, Iowa, school board on Monday denied a request by parents who said a children’s books about two male penguins raising a chick together should be placed in a restricted area of the elementary school library’s shelves.
Orlando Sentinel (FL): Out and About: TV gays
The Orlando Sentinel reports on the increased visibility of LGBT characters on broadcast television, noting specific networks whose shows are inclusive.
The Times of Trenton (NJ) : OP-ED: Pass Marriage Amendment
New Jersey Family Policy Council’s Len Deo claims that “A state constitutional amendment is needed now for New Jerseyans to preserve marriage between one man and one woman, because it appears citizens cannot sit back and trust the fate of marriage to a few state government insiders.”
The Desert Sun CA): Proposition 8 Foes Launch Group
A new Palm Springs, Calif., group called the Coachella Valley Marriage Equality Coalition has formed to advance marriage equality and “serve as the hub that links pro-same-sex marriage groups.”
NBC4.com [Columbus] (OH): Council To Protect Transgender Workers
The city council of Columbus, Ohio, is expanding city employment protections to bar discrimination based on gender identity and expression.
From the Blogs:
- towleroad: First Openly Gay Electors Cast Votes for Obama in Florida
- Queerty: Yes, Virginia, There is a Gay-Friendly Republican
- Joe. My. God. : Right Wing Blogs Blame Marriage Equality Supporters For Fire At Sarah Palin’s Church
Top Stories Today – 12.15.2008
December 15, 2008 by Justin Cole, GLAAD's Director of Digital Media
National News:
Los Angeles Times: Putting the Episcopal Rift in a Historical Context
The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church in the U.S. says the current rift over the ordination of gay clergy mirrors past conflicts that the global church has managed to overcome: “The place of gay and lesbian people in the church is the latest expression of the ancient human struggle over who is ‘the other.’”
Associated Press: Family of Fatally Beaten NY Immigrant Urges Action
A $27,000 reward is being offered for information on the murder of Jose Sucuzhanay, the Ecuadorian immigrant beaten to death in Brooklyn by assailants who shouted anti-gay and anti-Hispanic slurs.
Time Magazine: A Gay-Pride Revolution in Hong Kong
Time reports on Hong Kong’s first official gay pride parade, which took place on Saturday and may become an annual event. The parade “emphasized celebrating diversity and equality, but also aired grievances with the Chinese government.”
Associated Press: Palin’s Church Badly Damaged by Fire
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s home church was badly damaged by arson Saturday. The evangelical church came under scrutiny during the election because of its promotion of a Focus on the Family “Love Won Out” conference for so-called “ex-gays” in Anchorage.
Los Angeles Times: COLUMN: A Life Thrown Into Turmoil by $100 Donation for Prop. 8
Steve Lopez claims that El Coyote manager Margie Christoffersen and others iwho donated to the Prop. 8 campaign are “being targeted for the crime of voting their conscience” by LGBT equality advocates who planned to boycott their businesses.
The New York Times: Nancy Sutley
A profile of Nancy Sutley, the openly lesbian deputy mayor for energy and environment in Los Angeles who President-elect Obama is considering for the position of chairwoman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
Regional News:
The Columbus Dispatch (OH): Gender Identity on City’s Agenda
The city council of Columbus, Ohio, will tonight vote on legislation that would add “gender identity” to the list of classes protected by local anti-discrimination and hate crime ordinances.
The Arizona Republic (AZ): Phoenix Domestic-Partner Registry In the Works
The Phoenix City Council on Wednesday will consider making the city the second in Arizona to offer its residents a domestic partner registry, which would would grant hospital visitation rights to unmarried gay or straight couples who live together.
The Detroit News (MI): COLUMN: Activists Pin Hopes on Obama Banning Transgender Bias
Deb Price discusses the need for federal employment protections for transgender individuals, noting that President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team includes “gender identity” in its non-discrimination policy for appointment-level jobs in the next administration.
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin (NY): City Council to Vote on Human Rights Legislation
Binghamton, N.Y.’s, city council will tonight vote on a comprehensive anti-discrimination law that would protect transgender and other individuals from unequal treatment in housing, employment and public accommodations.
Associated Press (ME): Fight Over Gay Marriage Looms in Maine Legislature
Equality Maine has collected more than 33,000 signatures that it will send to state lawmakers in support of marriage for gay couples. In response to the call for marriage equality in Maine, the newly-formed Maine Marriage Alliance is pushing for an anti-gay marriage amendment.
Des Moines Register (IA): Sioux City Council to Vote on Gay Marriage
Sioux City, Iowa, Councilman Brent Hoffman is urging his colleagues to adopt a resolution stating the city council’s opposition to marriage for gay couples and calling for a statewide vote on marriage equality.
Naples Daily News (FL): Lee County Man Claims He Was Fired for Being Gay
A man in Lee County, Fla., says he was fired from his job at Hess Express because of his sexual orientation. County officials say if the man’s allegations are true, his termination was not illegal because federal, state and county laws do not protect gay people from employment discrimination.
Aurora Sentinel (CO): Council Revisiting Same-Sex Benefits for Spouses
A proposal to grant the domestic partners of gay city employees the same benefits as straight spouses will will undergo another round of discussion by the city council of Aurora, Colo., during its Dec. 15 session.
From the Blogs:
- The Huffington Post: It’s Pay-to-Gay Time
- On Faith (Washington Post): Quranic Values as an Inspiration for Gay Marriage Political Perceptions (The Wall Street Journal): Charlie Crist and the Electoral Benefits of Marriage
- The Bilerico Project: My Letter to President-Elect Obama
- The Huffington Post: Increased Visibility Comes With Increased Defamation
Top Stories Today – 12.10.2008
December 10, 2008 by Justin Cole, GLAAD's Director of Digital Media
National News:
Associated Press: NJ Commission Says State Should Allow Gay Marriage
N.J.’s Civil Union Review Commission concluded in its final report that the state’s two-year-old civil union law is inadequate in providing gay couples the same protections as their straight counterparts, recommending marriage equality as a solution.
The New York Times: Iowa Justices Hear Same-Sex Marriage Case
During opening arguments in Iowa’s marriage equality case yesterday, the state’s Supreme Court justices repeatedly pressed lawyers on both sides with questions on topics such as the history of marriage, religious and government definitions of the institution, and adoption by gay couples.
The New York Times: Gay Marriage Ban Inspires New Wave of Activists
Prop. 8’s passage has motivated a new crop of LGBT advocates using “freshly minted grass-roots groups and embracing not only new technologies but also old-school methods like sit-ins and sickouts” in their work towards equality.
Los Angeles Times: EDITORIAL: Prop. 8 – Boycott, or Blacklist?
The Los Angeles Times editorial board writes, “[B]oycotts against corporations or organizations are a time-honored method of expressing opinions and pushing for social or political change. But in the superheated Proposition 8 debate, this venerable tactic has occasionally been used in ugly ways.”
Associated Press: New York Beating Victim Dies, Police Say
Police opened a homicide investigation Tuesday into the NYC attack on an Ecuadorean immigrant whose assailants beat him while shouting anti-gay and anti-Latino slurs. A law enforcement official said the victim had been taken off life support, but his relatives held a news conference saying he was clinging to life.
Los Angeles Times: L.A. Deputy Mayor Reportedly Sought for Obama Environment Team
President-elect Obama is reportedly preparing to name Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Nancy Sutley – who was a member of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s California Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender steering committee during the 2008 presidential race – as a top member of his environmental protection team.
Regional News:
Chicago Tribune (IL): Illinois Civil-Union Bill Appears To Be Stalled
A proposed bill that would allow civil unions for gay couples in Illinois has been stalled in the state legislature as the lawmakers prepare to address the state’s budget crisis during the final days of the legislative session.
The Charlotte News & Observer (NC): Vote Supports Rights of Same-Sex Couples
The town council of Chapel Hill, N.C., has unanimously voted to endorse a resolution that will be sent to state and federal lawmakers supporting “the rights of same-sex couples to share fully and equally in the rights, responsibilities and commitments of civil marriage.”
The Salt Lake Tribune (UT): ‘Call in Gay’ in Utah? You Could Be Fired
Utah residents who choose to participate in today’s national “Day Without a Gay” protest by “calling in gay” to work could risk losing their jobs, as employees can be fired in the state based solely on their sexual orientation.
The New York Times (NY): Family Keeps Vigil for Beaten Brooklyn Man
The family of an Ecuadorean immigrant who was brutally beaten last weekend (possibly because his attackers thought he was gay) must decide whether to donate his organs after the man was declared brain-dead on Tuesday.
Chicago Tribune (IL): Chicago Settles Suit over Police Treatment of Gay Man
Lawyers for the city of Chicago reached a settlement Tuesday with a man accusing Chicago police of arresting and beating him because he was gay.
The Morning Call (PA): Man Blames Abuse in Assaults
An Allentown, Pa., man told a judge that past abuse led him to hold a knife to the throat of another man after they watched gay pornography together and later assault an officer who arrested him.
Daily News (NY): Police Taunt Subway Accuser, Who Blows Kisses At Them
A Brooklyn man was berated with an anti-gay slur by supporters of his alleged attackers during the arraignment of the three NYPD officers accused of sexually assaulting him.
The Salt Lake Tribune (UT): Queer Lounge Returns to Sundance
Queer Lounge will return to the Sundance Film Festival in Utah this year despite calls for a boycott of the state over Mormon involvement in the Prop. 8 campaign: “For many [LGBT] filmmakers, Sundance is their single most important opportunity to ensure their stories about our community reach a broad audience.”
International News:
Times of India (India): Mayor Lends an Ear to Transgender Woes
Rajlaxmi Bhosale, mayor of the city of Pune in India, promised Tuesday to look into how to better address issues facing the Pune’s community of over 5,000 transgender people.
The Toronto Star (Canada): No Hate Crimes Charges in Lesbian Assault
A man charged with assaulting two lesbians outside an Oshawa, Ontario, school will not be charged with a hate crime, despite urgings from community agencies.
From the Blogs:
- The Huffington Post: Constitutional Relativism and Proposition 8
- The Huffington Post: Newt Makes a New Friend
- Good As You: The Sanctity of Marrying Gay Rights with Osama Bin Laden
- The Huffington Post: In the Wake of Prop 8: No More Us vs. Them
- The Bilerico Project: New International Guidelines Recommend Hormone Blockers For Transgender Youth
Top Stories Today – 12.09.2008
December 9, 2008 by Justin Cole, GLAAD's Director of Digital Media
National News:
Associated Press: Calling in ‘Gay’ to Work Is Latest Form of Protest
Organizers of the national protest event “Day Without a Gay” are urging gay and lesbian Americans to stay home from work, perform volunteer work and refrain from spending money on Dec. 10 to illustrate how much the country relies on gay people.
Los Angeles Times: EDITORIAL: A New California Constitution?
The Los Angeles Times editorial board discusses the risks and merits of Calif. possibly holding a constitutional convention, noting that a convention could produce a constitution that overturns Prop. 8 and other ballot measures.
Associated Press: ‘Milk’ Earns Stanley Kramer Prize From Producers
Milk will be presented with the Producers Guild of America’s Stanley Kramer Award – which honors films that tackle “provocative social issues” – at the guild’s awards show Jan. 24.
Associated Press: NYPD: Anti-Gay, Anti-Hispanic Beating Investigated
NYC police say two Ecuadorian brothers who were beaten and verbally attacked with anti-gay and anti-Hispanic slurs while walking arm-in-arm in Brooklyn may have been targeted because the perpetrators thought they were gay.
Associated Press: Brazil: Possible Serial Killings Target Gays
Brazilian police are investigating whether a possible serial killer is behind the murders of 13 gay men who were killed in a San Paulo park between February 2007 and August 2008.
Associated Press: Gay Group Organizes ‘Pink Christmas’ in Amsterdam
Dutch gay group ProGay has organized a 10-day “Pink Christmas” festival in Amsterdam aimed at the city’s gay and lesbian community. The event will include parties, an open-air market, gay-themed films, an ice skating rink and religious service.
Regional News:
Ventura County Star (CA): Judge Approves Teen’s Trial for Oxnard School Shooting
Brandon McInerney, the Oxnard, Calif., teenager accused in the anti-gay shooting death of classmate Lawrence King, was found competent to stand trial as an adult in Ventura County Superior Court.
Iowa City Press-Citizen (IA): Experts Expect Court to Side with Plaintiffs
Though a decision is not expected in the Iowa Supreme Court marriage equality case for six months to two years, some legal analysts believe that the justices will vote in favor of lifting the marriage ban based on strong arguments in favor of marriage for gay couples and legal precedent in the state.
Des Moines Register (IA): EDITORIAL: Iowa Supreme Court Throws Window Open
The Des Moines Register editorial board writes that in the Iowa Supreme Court case that could result in the state’s marriage ban being lifted, the court “is going to extraordinary lengths to make sure all who are interested can learn about the case and observe the oral argument.”
Associated Press (DC): Va. Must Enforce Gay Visitation Rights
The U.S. Supreme Court decided to uphold a ruling that the state of Virginia must enforce a Vermont court order awarding a lesbian’s former partner visitation with their child.
The Plain Dealer (OH): Cleveland Council Votes to Enact Domestic Partner Registry for Gay, Straight Couples
The Cleveland City Council voted Monday to establish a domestic partner registry for both gay and straight couples. The registry will take effect 120 days after the city’s mayor signs it into law, and couples will not need to reside in Cleveland to register.
The New York Times (NY): New York City Growing More Diverse, Census Finds
New census figures for New York City found that the city is becoming increasingly diverse, including the share of households made up of unmarried gay couples in a portion of Manhattan’s West Side increasing to 3.6 percent from 2.5 percent in 2000.
San Diego Union-Tribune (CA): New Council Pledges Change
Four San Diego City Council members sworn into office yesterday morning vowed to represent change in government, including Todd Gloria, who is openly gay and, according to reports, gave one of the evening’s most poignant speeches.
Daily Breeze (CA): Suspect in Gay Attack to be Tried
A judge in Torrance, Calif., ruled that there was enough evidence to hold a trial for the man accused of felony hate crime assault and a misdemeanor charge for allegedly beating an openly gay man with a “Yes on 8″ sign.
International News:
MWCNews.net (Canada): U.S. Refuses U.N. Gay Rights Declaration
The U.S. government has yet to announce support for a United Nations Declaration calling for the global decriminalization of being gay, set to be put before the U.N. General Assembly Dec. 10 (which is Human Rights Day and the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights).
TamilEelamNews.com (India): Hundreds Belongs [sic] to Transgender Associations in TN Held Famine Protest
Hundreds of members of transgender associations across Tamil Nadu, India, held a famine protest against the genocidal killings of their state’s citizens by the Sri Lankan military.
Top Stories Today – 12.04.2008
December 4, 2008 by Justin Cole, GLAAD's Director of Digital Media
National News:
Associated Press: Conservatives Form Rival Group to Episcopal Church
Socially conservative Episcopalians and Canadian Anglicans upset by rifts within the Anglican Communion over issues such as the ordination of gay clergy voted Wednesday to split from the church and form a rival North American province.
Associated Press: Poll: Calif. Gay Marriage Ban Driven by Religion
The Public Policy Institute of California released a poll Wednesday reporting that economic status and religious affiliation played the strongest roles in determining whether voters supported Prop. 8; age and race were found to be less influential.
ABCNews.com: Can Macho, Non-Metro Actors Play Gay?
Though society has become more accepting of gay characters in TV and movies, “some charge Hollywood has warmed to gay characters but not to gay actors,” and straight actors generally still play the most successful gay lead roles (partially due to a shortage of openly gay “A-list” stars).
Los Angeles Times: OP-ED: Same-Sex Marriage Is Too Limiting
Robert Epstein believes that marriage is inadequate because it ignores many types of “healthy, non-exploitative, romantic partnerships,” and he wonders why gay people want “their own committed relationships to be shoe-horned into an old institution that makes little sense.”
Associated Press: Obama Is Delivering Diversity, but Some Seek More
As President-elect Obama makes diverse Cabinet and White House staff choices, HRC is recommending that he appoint openly lesbian labor leader Mary Beth Baxwell as labor secretary, which could make her the first openly gay Cabinet member.
Associated Press: New Star-Studded Web Video Protests Proposition 8
A humorous musical video against Prop. 8 – which features an all-star cast including Jack Black, Neil Patrick Harris, John C. Reilly, Maya Rudolph, Margaret Cho and others – is making waves around the Web after it was posted to FunnyOrDie.com yesterday.
Regional News:
San Francisco Chronicle (CA): OP-ED: Why the Same-Sex Marriage Ban Passed
The Public Policy Institute of California’s Mark Baldassare analyzes the results of his organization’s opinion polls on Prop. 8, maintaining that socially conservative beliefs, religious views and the socioeconomic divide played larger roles than race and ethnicity in voters’ stances on the amendment.
The Santa Barbara Independent (CA): OP-ED: California’s Prop. 8 Defeat: A Bungled Campaign
Terry Leftgoff, who formerly served as the highest ranking openly gay officer of the California Democratic Party, claims that “the single biggest reason for the Proposition 8 loss was an ineffective and inept campaign strategy by the leadership of the No on 8 campaign.”
The Charlotte News-Observer (NC): Carrboro Board Takes Stand on Same-Sex Marriage
The Board of Aldermen, N.C., passed without opposition a resolution they will send to state and federal lawmakers affirming their support of marriage for gay couples in the wake of nationwide Election Day setbacks for marriage equality.
EmpireStateNews.net: Homeless Gay Youth Center Funding Restored
New York City homeless LGBT youth shelter The Ali Forney Center will receive critical funding through February 2010 from the NYC Ryan White Planning Council, allowing the center – which was in danger of closing due to loss of funding – to remain open.
San Francisco Chronicle (CA): OP-ED: Jerry Brown has a Legal Obligation to Oppose Prop. 8
Derald E. Granberg, a retired lawyer from the Calif. attorney general’s office, says that Calif. Attorney Gen. Jerry Brown was wrong to say he was “obligated to represent in court the political majority that had voted for Prop. 8,” writing that Brown’s and the court’s duty is to protect minorities from discrimination.
The Salt Lake Tribune (UT): Attack on Man Outside Gym-Lounge May Be Hate Crime
Salt Lake City police say an attack on a 50-year-old man outside a lounge and gym that reputedly caters to the gay community may have been a hate crime. The man’s attacker hit him over the head with a bottle after yelling anti-gay slurs.
San Francisco Chronicle (CA): S.F. Archbishop Defends Role in Prop. 8 Passage
S.F. Catholic Archbishop George Niederauer, who helped recruit the Mormon church’s extensive involvement in the Prop. 8 campaign, released a statement defending his role in the passage of the anti-gay amendment.
The Colorado Springs Gazette (CO): Safety Concerns Among Gay, Transgendered Students Sparks UCCS Rally
About 200 students, faculty and community members attended a University of Colorado at Colorado Springs rally to celebrate diversity and inclusiveness and address issues of LGBT students feeling unsafe because of verbal and physical harassment on campus.
International News:
The Independent (United Kingdom): Police Investigate MP’s Anti-Gay Remarks
Officers from the serious crime branch of the Northern Ireland police service are carrying out interviews to investigate whether MP Iris Robinson’s anti-gay comments violated a public order against using words which “have the likelihood to stir up hatred and arouse fear.”
From the Blogs:
- Queerty: Obama Inauguration to Include Pride Parade?
- Pam’s House Blend: GLAAD/Harris Post-Election Survey: Americans Favor Adoption and Partner Rights for Same-Sex Couples
- The Bilerico Project: “Ex-Gay” Raises Money to Target LGBT Youth
- Box Turtle Bulletin: The Psychological Harm of Anti-Gay Ballot Campaigns
- Queerty: Christian Financial Planners Make List of Every Potentially Gay Video Game, Check It Twice
Top Stories Today – 12.02.2008
December 2, 2008 by Justin Cole, GLAAD's Director of Digital Media
National News:
Reuters: Vatican Attacked for Opposing Gay Decriminalization
International LGBT equality groups, human rights organizations and newspapers condemned the Vatican Tuesday for its announcement to a Catholic news agency that it would oppose a proposed U.N. resolution calling on worldwide governments to decriminalize being gay.
Los Angeles Times: COLUMN: An Ugly Attack on Mormons
National Review’s Jonah Goldberg criticizes LGBT advocates protesting the Mormon church over Prop. 8, claiming, “Mormons are the most vulnerable of the culturally conservative religious denominations and therefore the easiest targets for an organized campaign against religious freedom of conscience.”
Regional News:
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin (NY): Advocates Urge Council to Pass Anti-Discrimination Law
At a city council meeting in Binghamton, N.Y., 11 people spoke in favor of a proposed local law that would protect transgender citizens from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations.
Rocky Mountain News (CO): City Monitor Investigating Sex-Bias Case
A man filed a complaint with the Denver police that after he and his friends were targeted with anti-gay slurs at a Madonna concert, they were arrested and jailed on charges of trespassing because of their sexual orientation.
The Philadelphia Inquirer (PA): Day Without Gays Protests California’s Gay Marriage Ban
A grassroots Internet movement is encouraging gay people to stay home from work and instead do volunteer work on Dec. 10 to show both the size and diversity of the LGBT community and its importance to society and the economy.
Palm Beach Post (FL): EDITORIAL: New Blow to Adoption Ban
The Palm Beach Post editorial board writes about various children’s health and research organizations now concurring that children of gay parents are as well adjusted as those of straight parents, applauding a Miami judge’s recent ruling that Fla.’s adoption ban is unconstitutional.
13abc.com [Toledo] (OH): The University of Toledo Is Being Sued
With the backing of the anti-gay Thomas More Law Center, a former high ranking University of Toledo employee filed a lawsuit yesterday against the university for firing her over an anti-gay editorial she wrote for the Toledo Free Press.
Springfield News-Leader (MO): OP-ED: Free Speech Doesn’t Have To Be Polite
Gene Policinski compares college gossip Web site JuicyCampus.com with the Westboro Baptist Church’s extreme anti-gay tactics, saying both “test the limits of free speech [...and] authorities are working at creative ways to try to muffle or prosecute them.”
Des Moines Register (IA): No Book Ban, Ankeny School Superintendent Recommends
Arkeny, Iowa, school board superintendent Matthew Wendt recommended during the board’s regular meeting Monday that members not vote on whether to remove a book on gay penguins from the elementary school library, instead suggesting that a new selection process for library materials be adopted.
The Kalamazoo Gazette (MI): Kalamazoo City Commission Unanimously Approves Gay-Rights Ordinance
The City Commission of Kalamazoo, Mich., voted 7-0 to adopt an expanded anti-discrimination ordinance that makes it a municipal civil infraction to discriminate against LGBT citizens in housing, public accommodations and employment.
International News:
Edmonton Sun (Canada): “Hate Mail”
The Edmonton police hate crimes unit is investigating flyers found in some city residents’ mailboxes that graphically attack gay people and pro-choice advocates.
The Globe and Mail (Canada): Singing Carols in Street Gets Man Punched in Face
Police are investigating whether to charge a Vancouver man with a hate crime after he used anti-gay slurs against another man who was singing Christmas carols with friends and punched him several times in the face.
BBC News (United Kingdom): Q&A: World Aids Day
UK International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander and AIDS expert Dr. Alvaro Bermejo from the International HIV/AIDS Alliance answer questions on AIDS prevention and statistics on World AIDS Day.
From the Blogs:
- The Bilerico Project: The New Politics of Yes: Yes We Can… Overturn Prop 8
- Good As You: Harvey Again Milking Her Extremely Disturbing Views
- Towleroad: New York Marriage Equality Bill a Big Question Mark
- Queerty: New York City Dedicates AIDS Memorial
- Queerty: Gay Pride Parade Hating Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford Arrested
- Gay News Blog – Gay Bible angers Some Christians
- Mombian – BU Law’s LGBT Group Celebrates 30 Years of Service to Students and Society
- Gay News Blog – The (Recently Decided) Closeted Straight Man Running a Gay Magazine
- Jossip – The (Recently Decided) Closeted Straight Man Running a Gay Magazine
- The Bilerico Project – President-Elect Obama Commemorates World AIDS Day
Top Stories Today – 12.01.2008
December 1, 2008 by Justin Cole, GLAAD's Director of Digital Media
National News:
Associated Press: Is Gay the New Black? Marriage Ban Spurs Debate
The passage of anti-gay amendments in several states Nov. 4 has invigorated LGBT advocacy work, and many now see the battle over marriage equality as “the last frontier of equal rights for all.”
Associated Press: Openly Gay Marchers Debut at Haiti AIDS Rally
A day ahead of World AIDS Day, about 500 people marched through the streets of the Haitian city of St. Marc in what organizers are calling the Caribbean nation’s first openly gay march.
The New York Times: EDITORIAL: The Prop 8 Campaign Money
The New York Times editorial board writes that California’s fair elections commission is “right to look into whether the [Mormon] church broke state laws by failing to report campaign-related expenditures.”
The New York Times: OP-ED: Gay Marriage and a Moral Minority
Charles M. Blow theorizes about African American support for marriage, based on a finding by CNN’s exit poll that 75 percent of African American women voters in Calif. backed Prop. 8.
Reuters: Two U.S. States See Boost From Gay Weddings
Following the passage of Prop. 8 in Calif., gay couples are now turning to Massachusetts and Connecticut for their weddings, which economists says could shift millions of tourism dollars to those states.
Associated Press: Gay Icon’s Life Yields Lessons After 30 Years
In the wake of Prop. 8, Gus Van Sant’s new Harvey Milk biopic highlights parallels between the LGBT equality movement of Milk’s time and today.
Regional News:
The Indianapolis Star (IN): State Legislators Unlikely to Tackle Same-Sex Marriage Amendment in 2009
Some social conservatives continue to push for an amendment that would alter Indiana’s constitution to ban marriage for gay couples; however, the odds appear slim that the state’s lawmakers will seriously consider such an amendment in 2009.
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin (NY): City to Discuss Anti-Bias Proposal
A proposed law that would protect transgender citizens of Binghamton, N.Y., from discrimination will be the focus of a public hearing tonight in the town’s city hall.
The Detroit News (MI): COLUMN: Remove State Bans on Gay Adoption
Deb Price discusses the recent Fla. adoption ruling and emphasizes the need for all states with adoption bans to lift them: “Judges need to rule based on the scientific consensus that children raised by gay parents are at least as well adjusted as other kids.”
Foster’s Daily Democrat (ME): N.H. Gay Marriage Bill On the Way
Rep. Jim Splaine, who sponsored the N.H. civil union bill passed in 2007, says he plans to introduce legislation in January that would allow gay couples to marry in his state.
Associated Press (MA): Report: Gay/Bisexual Men Still Bear Brunt of AIDS
A new report by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health found that while the state has had success battling AIDS among injection drug users and straight people, it has had less success among gay and bisexual men.
Waterbury Republican-American (CT): Marriage, Yes; Benefits, No: Ruling to Cost State Workers’ Same-Sex Partners Health Coverage
Unmarried partners of gay Conn. state employees are losing pension and health benefits now that marriage equality has come to the state. Benefits will end on Nov. 30, 2009 unless partners marry or enter a civil union.
The Arizona Republic (AZ): Same-Sex Ban Under Protest During Mormon Festivities
Upset over the Mormon church’s role in the campaigns for anti-gay amendments in Fla., Calif., and Ariz., about 150 marriage equality advocates showed up to protest the Christmas display lighting ceremony at the Mormon temple in Mesa, Ariz.
The New York Times (NY): N.Y. Democrats May Skip Gay Marriage Vote
Despite N.Y. Democratic leaders pledging that their party would bring marriage equality to the state if they won control of the State Senate, party leaders are now sending strong signals that they may not take up the issue during the 2009 legislative session.
International News:
The Australian (Australia): Roxon Dumps ‘Anti-Gay’ Men’s Health Ambassador
Australian Health Minister Nicola Roxon announced the dropping of Warwick Marsh from the list of honorary men’s health ambassadors named on Tuesday after Marsh failed to repudiate anti-gay comments he’d made.
BBC News (United Kingdom): MoD Must Pay Gay Soldier £190,000
The Ministry of Defence in the United Kingdom has been ordered to pay a lesbian soldier who was sexually harassed by a male sergeant £186,895.52: “This is as severe a case of victimization following an allegation of sexual harassment as one could see in an employment tribunal.”
From the Blogs:
- World Views (San Francisco Chronicle): Italy’s Transgender Pol Wins TV Contest – And Sets an Honorable Example
- Towleroad: L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center Prop 8 Town Hall Meeting Playback
- Queerty – Lindsay Lohan Loves Facebook and Samantha Ronson
- Towleroad – Today is World AIDS Day
- 365Gay.com – 9 most important AIDS stories of 2008
- Pam’s House Blend – NYT op-ed on Prop 8, blacks and a ‘moral minority’
- Good As You – Major markets got ‘Milk’; will it play in Red-merica?
- Towleroad – Milk and Moscone Remembered on 30th Anniversary of Assassination
- The Bilerico Project – Rosie vs Ellen: The Battle of the Lesbian Variety Shows
Top Stories Today – 11.25.2008
November 25, 2008 by Justin Cole, GLAAD's Director of Digital Media
National News:
Associated Press: California to Investigate Mormon Aid to Prop. 8
The California Fair Political Practices Commission said Monday that a complaint filed by a group called Californians Against Hate accusing the Mormon church of not accurately reporting the extent of its role in the Prop. 8 campaign merits further investigation.
The New York Times: EDITORIAL: California’s Legal Tangle
The New York Times editorial board says the passage of Prop. 8 was “not just a defeat for fairness,” but that it “raised serious legal questions about the validity of using the Election Day initiative process to obliterate an existing right for a targeted minority.”
The Wall Street Journal: EDITORIAL: Gay Marriage and the California Courts
The Wall Street Journal claims the Calif. Supreme Court will be “usurping the role of the people” if it overturns Prop. 8: “The great achievement of our system was to create a political order where these great moral disputes, as a matter of policy, are left to the people – with allowance for differences according to region and locale.”
The New York Times: Australian Legislators Back Gay Rights
The Australian Senate passed amendments Monday that will alter approximately 100 family, health and taxation laws to give gay couples living in common-law relationships the same protections as their straight counterparts.
Salon.com: Why Churches Fear Gay Marriage
An interview with Catholic, openly gay author Richard Rodriguez, who says “the pro-Proposition 8 movement was really galvanized by an insecurity that churches are feeling now with the rise of women,” particularly brought about by an increase in single mothers.
Regional News:
Associated Press (FL): Judge To Rule On Fla. Gay-Adoption Ban
A Miami judge is expected to rule today in the case of a gay man attempting to adopt his two foster children by challenging Fla.’s ban on adoption by gay parents.
Los Angeles Times (CA): Legal Experts Puzzled Over California Justice’s Seeming Reversal on Prop. 8
Legal experts contemplate the implications of Calif. Justice Joyce L. Kennard – a usually reliable advocate for LGBT equality who voted to lift the state’s marriage ban – being the only justice to vote against hearing legal challenges to Prop. 8.
The Oregonian (OR): Anti-Gay Group No Match for Silverton
In demonstrations outside Marion County, Ore.’s, City Hall, counterprotesters supporting the election of the nation’s first openly transgender mayor, Stu Rasmussen, “significantly outnumbered” protesters from the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church.
Burlington Free Press (VT): EDITORIAL: Legislature Has Time for Only Few Big Issues
The Burlington Free Press writes that though Vt. may be ready for marriage equality, a bill proposed by State Sen. John Campbell to lift the state’s ban on marriage for gay couples would distract legislators from “immediate issues” such as the economy.
South Florida Sun-Sentinel (FL): Partners in Abusive Same-Sex Relationships Less Likely to Reach Out for Help
Gay couples face added societal pressures and anxieties that can make them less likely to reach out as victims of domestic abuse, which contributes to both a lack of resources and accurate statistics on domestic violence in gay relationships.
Rocky Mountain News (CO): Musgrave Mum As She Gets Ready to Leave D.C.
Rep. Marilyn Musgrave of Colo., once considered a “rising star in the social conservative movement” who was known for vocally sponsoring an anti-gay marriage amendment, declined repeated interview requests as she closed out her work on Capitol Hill after an Election Day defeat.
Philadelphia Daily News (PA): Gay-Sex Delco Killer Spared Death Penalty
A jury voted not to impose the death penalty on Bill Smithson, the Pa. man convicted of murdering 23-year-old Jason Shephard after Shephard resisted his advances.
San Francisco Chronicle (CA): Is Harvey Milk Still a Force for Change?
The timing of the release of the film Milk is particularly pivotal in the wake of Prop. 8’s passage and the resulting nationwide backlash from LGBT equality advocates: “It’s more than a biopic of a gay politician – it’s the biopic of a movement coming of age.”
International News:
BBC News (United Kingdom): Rise in UK HIV Numbers Continues
Health protection experts in the U.K. estimate that new diagnoses of HIv in the country rose 6 percent since last year. MSM accounted for 41 percent of new cases, but transmission between straight people is also increasing.
From the Blogs:
- Politico: Gay Rights Advocates Wait for Action
- The Bilerico Project: Fundies Launch “Protect DOMA” Website
- Daily Kos: Anti-Prop 8 Backlash Changes Minds
- The Bilerico Project: Standing Firm, Moving Forward
- The Huffington Post: A Horn Pokes Prop 8 – Theatre Secedes From California
Top Stories Today – 11.24.2008
November 24, 2008 by Justin Cole, GLAAD's Director of Digital Media
National News:
Reuters: Minorities Fear Trend From California Gay Marriage Ban
African American, Latino and Asian American groups said in a brief filed in opposition to Prop. 8: “The entire purpose behind the constitutional principle of equal protection would be subverted if the constitutional protection of unpopular minorities were subject to simple majority rule. This case is not simply about gay and lesbian equality.”
The Washington Post: OP-ED: Mormons’ Uneasy Victory
The Economist’s Stephen Stromberg says that although Mormons “were probably the most organized and consequential force behind [Prop. 8's] passage,” they seem to be “shrinking from responsibility” in the wake of nationwide protests and media scrutiny.
Los Angeles Times: Liberal Hollywood Ponders Next Step in Fight for Same-Sex Marriage
As boycotts of film companies and theaters who financially supported Prop. 8 escalate, Hollywood figures reflect on their industry’s role in the debate surrounding the anti-gay measure and marriage for gay couples.
The New York Times: COLUMN: Marriage on the Rocks
Maureen Dowd writes about Calif. Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s comments on Prop. 8, her role in the new biopic Milk, and the pain of dealing with Harvey Milk’s murder. Feinstein: “It was a terrible, terrible time in the city’s history.”
Los Angeles Times: Both Sides in California’s Prop. 8 Battle Look Ahead to 2010
Both supporters and opponents of Prop. 8 continue to wage fierce public relations campaigns and prepare for a possible ballot initiative to reverse the ban in 2010 as the Calif. Supreme Court prepares to hear legal challenges to the amendment.
The New York Times: Activists Seek to Tie ‘Milk’ to a Campaign for Gay Rights
Some LGBT equality advocates see the post-Prop. 8 release of Milk as an opportunity to bring more visibility to LGBT issues during a pivotal time when gay people’s legal protections are being fought for on such a large scale.
Regional News:
The Detroit News (MI): COLUMN: Despite Challenges, Savor This Year’s Blessings
In honor of Thanksgiving, Deb Price reflects on “the year’s blessings” to LGBT people and allies, including marriage equality coming to Conn. and N.Y. Gov. Paterson’s directive to state agencies recognizing out-of-state gay couples’ marriages.
San Francisco Chronicle (CA): Prop. 8 Backers Splinter As Court Fight Resumes
As the Calif. Supreme Court weighs the legal challenges to Prop. 8, the Prop. 8 campaign is attempting to distance itself from some of the anti-gay groups that loudly backed the amendment, including the Campaign for Children and Families.
The Boston Globe (MA): Gay-Marriage Debate Roils, Unites Mormons
The Mormon church’s extensive support of Prop. 8, and the resulting nationwide backlash against it, have left many Mormons feeling “simultaneously distant from and connected to” their church’s theology and culture.
New York Daily News (NY): Shelter for Youths on the Brink
Due to harsh economic conditions, Carmen’s Place – an Astoria, Queens, shelter for gay and transgender youth – may be forced to close without an immediate infusion of funding.
Associated Press (NY): Insurance Chief Says Legally Married Same-Sex Couples Get Coverage
After an appeals court ruled unanimously that New York state must recognize valid out-of-state marriages of gay couples, State Insurance Superintendent Eric Dinallo tells insurance companies that they must adhere to the decision.
Connecticut Post (CT): Rolling Out the Welcome Mat to Gay Marriage
As gay couples from in and out of state plan their weddings, Connecticut expects a similar economic boost to the ones seen in California and Massachusetts after those states’ marriage bans were lifted.
San Jose Mercury News (CA): Gay Marriage Advocates Rally at Calif. Capitol
An estimated 5,000 people rallied outside the Calif. capitol in Sacramento Saturday to oppose the passage of Prop. 8.
International News:
The Victoria Herald Sun (Australia): Same-Sex Superannuation Discrimination Laws Reformed
The Australian federal parliament approved changes to superannuation laws that allow gay couples to leave entitlements to their partner or children upon death. The Senate also agreed to a bill to extend the meaning of de-facto to include gay relationships.
Agence France-Presse (South Africa): Homosexuality ‘Isn’t a Disease’
Burundi’s main gay equality groups expressed outrage over the country’s decision to criminalize being gay: “We don’t understand how educated people can adopt such a law because homosexuality is neither a disease nor a deviance.”
From the Blogs:
- Queerty: A Decent Proposal for Equality
- The Huffington Post: A Letter to My Brother Newt Gingrich
- Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters: ‘Pro-Family’ Phony Would Consider Banning Native Americans from Adopting Children
- TV Watch (People Magazine): Bisexual Twins to Star in A Double Shot at Love
Top Stories Today – 11.21.2008
November 21, 2008 by Justin Cole, GLAAD's Director of Digital Media
National News:
The New York Times: With Same-Sex Marriage, a Court Takes on the People’s Voice
The Times looks at the core legal questions the California Supreme Court will consider as it prepares to determine the validity of Prop. 8 next year.
USA Today: Gay Activists Focusing on Rights Issues Other Than Marriage
Some LGBT equality organizations are laying out a series of priorities for the near future, shifting their immediate focus to ENDA, education and hate crimes, while increasing public education around marriage.
Associated Press: Anti-Gay Violence Is a Problem in Amsterdam
A University of Amsterdam study commissioned by the city found that 67 anti-gay attacks were reported in Amsterdam in 2007, a number that, according to police, is about average for recent years and “is not decreasing.”
Reuters: Episcopal Church Dissidents Aim For New Church
Socially conservative Episcopalians who left the national church over issues of biblical interpretation and the ordination of gay clergy are trying to form a separate church, which could lead to two branches of Anglicanism in the U.S.
Associated Press: Tennessee: Ex-Officer Is Indicted
A former Memphis police officer faces civil rights charges in the jailhouse beating of Duanna Johnson, the transgender woman who was recently murdered in Tenn.
Regional News:
Miami Herald (FL): Florida Gay Rights Activists Ready to Fight Threat to Benefits
LGBT advocates in Fla. vow to fight attempts to invalidate domestic partnership benefit laws in the wake of Amendment 2. Groups such as the Florida Family Association are already planning attempts at restricting or eliminating local domestic partnership protections.
Hartford Courant (CT): Same-Sex Couples First Must Find A Willing And Able Cleric
Though marriage equality has come to Conn., the state’s clergy have no legal obligation (nor, in some cases, authority from their churches), to perform gay couples’ weddings.
Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA): Watsonville Gathering Celebrates Transgender Lives
Over 100 people gathered at Watsonville, Calif.’s, City Plaza Thursday to remember transgender victims of violence and celebrate the lives of transgender people who choose to live openly in spite of societal challenges.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution (GA): Doraville Won’t Discriminate Against Transgender Employees
Doraville, Ga., has become the third city in the state to enact non-discrimination protections for its transgender employees: “Businesses have understood it for years, but it’s important to see a city make the statement that, as a public entity, they will protect all of their citizens.”
News10Now.com [Ithaca] (NY): Transgender Remembrance Day
A week after a transgender woman was murdered in Syracuse, advocates nationwide observed the Transgender Day of Remembrance yesterday, remembering those who have lost their lives to anti-transgender violence.
Los Angeles Times (CA): The Mayor-Elect’s New Clothes: Silverton, Oregon, Elects a Transgender Leader
Residents of Silverton, Ore., recently elected the nation’s first openly transgender mayor. The mayor still is known as Stu Rasmussen in Silverton, but goes by and writes under the name Carla Fong.
Asssociated Press (VT): Lawmaker Threatened for Same-Sex Marriage Plan
Vt. Senate Majority Leader John Campbell says he received a call from a woman threatening to blow up his house over his plan to introduce a bill in January to legalize marriage for gay couples in the state.
Chicago Tribune (IL): Radical Gay Activist Group Plans More Disruptions
A group called Bash Back!, which held confrontational protests against Prop. 8 at churches in Michigan and Washington this month, says it may plan similar protests in the future.
International News:
ABCNews (Australia): Trickle Feed Same-Sex Welfare Changes: Rights Group
Australian welfare advocates want government moves to end discrimination against gay couples to be integrated into the welfare system gradually to protect gay people. Gay couples must soon declare if they are living in a de facto relationship, which could reduce their welfare payments.
From the Blogs:
- The Bilerico Project: 2008 Amendment Battles LiveBlog with Kate Kendell, Nadine Smith and Barbara McCullough-Jones
- The Bilerico Project: TDOR: Some Personal Thoughts
- Towleroad: Kevin Spacey Speaks Out in Favor of Gay Rights, Marriage Equality
- L.A. Now (Los Angeles Times): Gay Marriage Backers Explain Why They Lost Proposition 8
Top Stories Today – 11.20.2008
November 20, 2008 by Justin Cole, GLAAD's Director of Digital Media
National News:
Los Angeles Times: Prop. 8 Gay Marriage Ban Goes to Supreme Court
The California Supreme Court voted 6-1 to review legal challenges to Prop. 8, but refused to stay the measure’s ban on marriage for gay couples. The lawsuits argue that Prop. 8 is an improper revision of the state constitution and takes away courts’ ability to ensure equal protection for minorities.
Wall Street Journal: EHarmony Settles Dispute Over Gay Matches
Settling a discrimination complaint in New Jersey, dating Web site eHarmony will end its practice of not providing its services to gay people. The change is expected to be implemented by March 31, 2009.
Los Angeles Times: EDITORIAL: The Courts and Prop. 8
“The court already has found that same-sex marriage is a fundamental right; now it has the opportunity to fulfill its constitutional obligations to guard against the tyranny of the majority and to ensure that elections do not become vehicles of repression.”
Associated Press: Gay Advocates Upset at Shelving of Chicago School
Amid the withdrawal of plans for Chicago’s Social Justice High School: Pride Campus this week, advocates are expressing concern that the nation’s third-largest district has yet to implement substantial programs to address the needs of gay students.
Associated Press: Calif. Supreme Court to Take Up Gay Marriage Ban
Oral arguments could be scheduled as early as March 2009 in the lawsuits over Prop. 8. According to Lambda Legal, the California Supreme Court has looked at nine past legislative acts or ballot initiatives as improper revisions, invalidating three of them.
Regional News:
San Francisco Chronicle (CA): State Supreme Court Rejoins Prop. 8 Battle
As the California Supreme Court voted 6-1 to hear legal challenges to Prop. 8, legal experts consider Justice Joyce Kennard’s vote against hearing the cases. Kennard was one of the justices in the majority of the court’s 4-3 marriage decision.
Salt Lake Tribune (UT): Legislative Panel Approves First Gay-Rights Bill
The first piece of Equality Utah’s Common Ground Initiative, a wrongful-death measure that would protect gay couples and other financially dependent non-married people, cleared a legislative committee Wednesday but met harsh opposition from anti-gay activists.
MyFoxMemphis.com [WHBQ-13] (TN): Former Memphis Cop Indicted for Duanna Johnson Beating
Bridges McRaw, whose brutal beating of since-murdered transgender woman Duanna Johnson was caught on videotape, has been indicted for exercising unreasonable force, using a dangerous weapon, and causing bodily injury to Johnson.
Sacramento Bee (CA): Assembly Speaker Bass Assails Anger Directed at Blacks After Prop. 8 Vote
Calif. Assembly Speaker Karen Bass told the Bee that she is appalled by the hostility that has been directed at African Americans in the wake of Prop. 8, saying that black support for the measure was “a generational issue” and that “the first place that the healing needs to happen is in the LBGT community – white and black.”
Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA): Transgender Community Seeks End to Violence, Discrimination
Santa Cruz, Calif., is one of many cities where Transgender Day of Remembrance vigils will be held today. According to the Sentinel, two Californians were murdered this year because of their gender identity: Lawrence King, 15, and Rita Molina, 22.
Hartford Courant (CT): EDITORIAL: Sentiments Shift
The Hartford Courant editorial board says that public sentiment is shifting in favor of LGBT equality, referring to gay visibility in popular culture, companies’ diversity policies, anti-discrimination laws, and recent polling showing support for marriage in Conn. and the repeal of DADT.
From the Blogs:
- Queerty: Blogger Changes Food Chain’s Discrimination Policy, Forces Franchisee to Retract Yes on 8 Donation
- The Bilerico Project: An Open Letter to President-Elect Obama
- On Faith (Washington Post): Pro-Liberty, Not Anti-Mormon
- The Huffington Post: The Shock of the Newt
Top Stories Today – 11.19.2008
November 19, 2008 by Justin Cole, GLAAD's Director of Digital Media
National News:
Associated Press: Vote on Anti-Bullying Chicago High School Delayed
After a plan for an LGBT Chicago high school was altered to focus more heavily on all bullied students, gay or straight, backers of the proposal decided hours before a scheduled vote that they want to spend another year finalizing their plans.
Associated Press: Admirals, Generals: Repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’
Over 100 retired generals and admirals issued a statement Monday calling for a repeal of DADT: “Our service members are professionals who are able to work together effectively despite differences in race, gender, religion, and sexuality.”
The New York Times: Murder of Transgender Woman Revives Scrutiny
Transgender woman Duanna Johnson was beaten by police while in custody last Feb., then fatally shot in Memphis last week, bringing scrutiny to “a culture of violence against transgender people that must be addressed.”
Los Angeles Times: EDITORIAL: Healing the Gay/Black Divide
The Los Angeles Times editorial board discusses a letter written by a coalition of LGBT equality leaders calling for an end to tensions between some members of the LGBT and African American communities over the passage of Prop. 8.
The New York Times: Queen Sofia Unamused by a Book Quoting Her
A new book on Queen Sofia of Spain has given Spaniards “an uncomfortably close look” at the monarch’s socially conservative views on gay people and marriage equality, among other topics. A royal spokesperson said the queen’s comments were reflected inaccurately by the book.
CNN.com: Lawmaker: ‘Don’t Ask-Don’t Tell’ Can Be Repealed in Year
Calif. Rep. Ellen Tauscher, a lead sponsor of the bill that would repeal DADT, said she believes the military ban could possibly be overturned in the first year of Barack Obama’s presidency.
Regional News:
Hartford Courant (CT): EDITORIAL: Sentiments Shift
The Hartford Courant editorial board says that public sentiment is shifting in favor of LGBT equality, referring to gay visibility in popular culture, companies’ diversity policies, anti-discrimination laws, and recent polling showing support for marriage in Conn. and the repeal of DADT.
Los Angeles Times (CA): Recall Specter Hangs Over High Court As It Considers Prop. 8 Challenges
Supporters of Prop. 8 claim they will target any justices who vote to overturn the ban. Legal scholars say Calif.’s Supreme Court has no clear path in how to handle the legal challenges facing the amendment.
The Salt Lake Tribune (UT): Push for Utah Gay-Rights Laws Gets Its First Test Today
The first in a series of six bills proposed by lawmakers and endorsed by LGBT equality groups that would promote LGBT equality in the state of Utah faces the state’s Senate Judiciary Interim Committee today.
Associated Press (VT): Vermont Lawmaker to Introduce Gay Marriage Bill
Vermont state Sen. John Campbell said he plans to introduce a bill in January that would bring marriage equality to his state, though he said the bill “probably wouldn’t go far unless it were supported by Gov. Jim Douglas.”
San Jose Mercury News (CA): Santa Cruz County Joins S.F. Suit Against Gay-Marriage Ban
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to join the San Francisco lawsuit challenging Prop. 8.
Associated Press (NH): Group Wants Gay Marriage To Be Legal
The Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders announced a campaign Tuesday to work towards achieving marriage equality by 2012 in the remaining four New England states where gay couples cannot yet marry.
The New Yorker: Soup With Prince
In an interview with The New Yorker, pop star Prince makes controversial statements about gay people: “God came to earth and saw people sticking it wherever and doing it with whatever, and he just cleared it all out. He was, like, ‘Enough.’”
Detroit Free Press (MI): Radical Church to Protest in Michigan
Fred Phelps’ anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church has expanded its plans to protest this weekend’s Grosse Pointe, Mich., high school production of The Laramie Project. The group now says it will protest Christ Church in Grosse Pointe Farms and both the Canadian and Mexican consulates in Detroit.
Newsday (NY): Islip Task Force Tackles Incidents of Hate
A task force of about 20 community leaders gathered yesterday in Islip, N.Y., to discuss programs to combat bias in light of recent anti-gay and racially motivated hate crimes.
Des Moines Register (IA): Gay Marriage Supporters, Opponents Prep for Case
Opponents and supporters of marriage equality in Iowa are preparing for Varnum V. Brien, a landmark case the state Supreme Court will hear next month that will decide whether Iowa’s gay couples can marry.
Sacramento Bee (CA): EDITORIAL: Court Should Act Soon on Prop. 8
The Sacramento Bee editorial board writes that the Calif. Supreme Court needs to address the lawsuits challenging Prop. 8 quickly because “a delay would leave supporters, opponents and couples in limbo.”
The Tampa Tribune (FL): Swearing In Of Gay Commissioner Draws Crowd In Tampa
Observers at Tuesday’s swearing-in ceremony Kevin Beckner as Hillsborough County, Fla.’s first openly gay county commissioner was historic: “”It’s people opening their minds. They’re welcoming change, so it is Obama-like.”
San Jose Mercury News (CA): Attorney General Urges State Supreme Court to Act Quickly on Prop. 8
Calif. Attorney General Jerry Brown asked the state Supreme Court to quickly rule on the legality of Prop. 8, though he also argued the court should not stay the ban in the meantime. NCLR’s Shannon Minter: “We’re very pleased he’s so strongly urging the court to take the case.”
San Jose Mercury News (CA): Prop. 8 Battle Enters New Stage
In the wake of Saturday’s national protests, “supporters of Proposition 8 are also preparing for more legal and political battles in 2010 and beyond,” including meetings and further ballot initiatives and challenges planned by both supporters and opponents of marriage equality.
Minneapolis Star Tribune (MN): Gay Marriage and Doing ‘Whatever You Want’ Is Wrong, Says Prince
When asked about marriage equality during a New Yorker interview, Prince is quoted as saying, “”God came to earth and saw people sticking it wherever and doing it with whatever, and he just cleared it all out. He was, like, ‘Enough.’ “
The Dallas Morning News (TX): COLUMN: Gays Renew Vow to Fight for Marriage
Jacquielynn Floyd writes about the backlash over Prop. 8. She says that after the election, many gay Americans have been “left with the sense that they’re the last disenfranchised class standing. So buckle up. We could be opening a long, loud, interesting chapter in the evolution of our nation’s civil liberties.”
San Jose Mercury News (CA): COLUMN: Prop. 8 Foes Are Wrong on Boycott
Scott Herhold criticizes boycott threats against Prop. 8 donors as likely to backfire: “It divides people in a needlessly abrasive way. It says that if you oppose us on the issue of gay marriage, we need never talk again.”
Salt Lake Tribune (UT): PFLAG Enters Prop 8 Fallout Fray, Seeks LDS Church Support
Local PFLAG parents held a Salt Lake City news conference to support the Common Ground Initiative, five pro-equality bills that Equality Utah is calling on the Mormon church to back based on leaders’ past comments about supporting issues other than marriage.
Chicago Sun-Times (IL): COLUMN: Anti-Gay Bias Puts Blacks in Bad Company
African American Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell discusses California’s Prop. 8: “We have the right to believe whatever we like. We don’t have the right to stop others from living out their lives on their own terms.”
Top Stories Today – 11.17.2008
November 17, 2008 by Justin Cole, GLAAD's Director of Digital Media
National News:
Los Angeles Times: Mormon Church Feels the Heat Over Proposition 8
The Mormon church, “which for years has striven to be seen as part of the American mainstream,” has come under political scrutiny for its extensive support of the Prop. 8 campaign.
Los Angeles Times: OP-ED: A Federal Bailout for Prop. 8
Brian E. Gray contemplates the possible results of lawsuits over Prop. 8’s passage, citing a 1992 U.S. Supreme Court decision that an amendment repealing laws in Colo. that prohibited discrimination against gay people was constitutionally flawed.
Los Angeles Times: EDITORIAL: Pope’s New Edict on the Priesthood
The Los Angeles Times editorial board says the Vatican’s “statement re-emphasizing that even chaste gay men are to be barred from the priesthood” is “not just cruel; it’s unprofessional.”
Associated Press: Mormon Church Blames Powder Hoax on Gay Activists
In a statement released Friday, the Mormon church blamed Prop. 8 opponents for sending hoax mailings containing white powder to temples, despite no publicly cited evidence that the mailings were linked to the Mormon church’s support of the anti-gay measure.
Associated Press: Comedian Wanda Sykes Says She’s ‘Proud To Be Gay’
Wanda Sykes publicly announced that she is gay, saying the passage of Prop. 8 in Calif. has led her to be more open about her orientation.
The New York Times: Diocese in Texas Leaves Episcopal Church
The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth amended its constitution to break with the national Episcopal Church and shift allegiance to the Anglican Communion, in part over the consecration of an openly gay bishop.
The New York Times: Across U.S., Big Rallies for Same-Sex Marriage
Tens of thousand of marriage equality advocates in cities across the country turned out for a national day of protest Saturday against Calif.’s Prop. 8.
Los Angeles Times: California Supreme Court Ponders Challenges to Gay-Marriage Ban
Six of seven members of the California Supreme Court gathered in Berkeley on Friday for a conference on the role of the court and, among other topics, the lawsuits challenging Prop. 8. The court may act on the challenges as early as next week.
The New York Times: Mormons Tipped Scale in Ban on Gay Marriage
Less than two weeks before the election, Prop. 8 consultant Frank Schubert issued an urgent appeal that more money had to be raised to pass Prop. 8. The Mormon church rallied its followers and played “an extraordinary role” in helping the ban pass.
The Washington Post: For Gays in India, Fear Rules
The lives of India’s LGBT citizens are often difficult and stressful because being gay is illegal in the country. Several human rights groups are mounting a historic challenge to the Indian law that criminalizes being gay.
Los Angeles Times: COLUMN: Both Sides In the Same-Sex Marriage Controversy Need to Cool Down
Tim Rutten writes about the battle over Prop. 8’s passage, saying that “if cooler heads on both sides of the question don’t exert themselves, things may soon get even nastier.”
Time Magazine: What Happens If You’re on the Gay “Enemies List”
Amid nationwide protests and legal challenges to Prop. 8’s passage, a group called Californians Against Hate compiled and published a list of people and companies who contributed more than $5,000 to the campaign supporting the ban.
ABCNews.com: Transgender Couples: Changing the Face of Family
While Thomas Beatie is the first transgender man “to go public with his pregnancy on such a widespread level,” it is uncertain how many other transgender men have been pregnant.
Associated Press: Minority Groups Ask to Annul Gay Marriage Ban
The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Mexican-American Legal Defense Fund, Asian Pacific American Legal Center and two other groups petitioned the California Supreme Court to issue a stay preventing Prop. 8 from taking effect.
Regional News:
Sacramento Bee (CA): Gay Leaders Wary of Boycotting Prop. 8’s Supporters
Leaders in Sacramento’s gay community are urging their allies not to boycott businesses that funded the Prop. 8 campaign, instead advocating spending money with businesses that support LGBT equality.
Detroit Free Press (MI): COLUMN: GOP Needs to Court Gay Votes
Deb Price says that in order for the Republican party to appeal to the younger generation, Republicans “will have to embrace gay people – even if, in the short term, that costs some social conservative votes.”
San Diego Union-Tribune (CA): S.D. March Backing Gay Marriage Draws at Least 20,000
San Diego, Calif., appears to have hosted the nation’s largest rally against Prop. 8 this past weekend. Police estimated the downtown San Diego at 20,000, while organizers put the number at 25,000.
Memphis Commercial Appeal (TN): Transgendered Murder Victim Mourned at Vigil
About 75 people marched in mourning Sunday through the Memphis neighborhood where transgender woman Duanna Johnson was murdered: “In Duanna’s memory, we must pursue justice…We cannot let this go unresolved.”
San Francisco Chronicle (CA): Wealthy Gay Men Backed Anti-Prop. 8 Effort
Some of the nation’s wealthiest gay men donated a combined total of more than $4.5 million to the No on 8 campaign. More than half of the $38 million raised to defeat Prop. 8 was contributed by LGBT people.
Hartford Courant (CT): OP-ED: Why Marriage Matters
Ralph Hexter discusses the election and says that “although the country has taken a clear step forward in one area” by electing Obama, “in at least four states discrimination against gay and lesbian citizens has been aggressively reasserted.”
Hartford Courant (CT): OP-ED: There’s Nothing Democratic About Judges – Not Society – Upending Definition Of Marriage
Peter Wolfgang of the Family Institute of Connecticut claims that marriage for gay couples arrived in Conn. by judges “bypassing the democratic process.”
San Francisco Chronicle (CA): Trends Beyond Black Vote in Play on Prop. 8
Though the fact that a majority of black voters supported Prop. 8 has received much attention, demographers say the most powerful predictors affecting views on marriage equality are religion, age and ideology.
The State Journal-Register (IL): Gay Marriage Foes to Try Again in Illinois
Protect Marriage Illinois fell short of collecting enough signatures for a Nov. 2008 ballot initiative to ban marriage for gay couples, but say they will try again in 2010.
Los Angeles Times (CA): Protests To Be a Key Test for Proposition 8 Opponents
The national day of protest against the passage of Prop. 8 Saturday tested the effectiveness of marriage equality supporters’ grassroots Internet organizing.
The Washington Post (DC): Hate Language Written On 100 Vehicles; Police Charge Four Suspects
Racial, ethnic and anti-gay slurs were written on more than 100 vehicles in a Manassas, Va., neighborhood. Four people have each been charged with seven counts of destruction of property and one count of unlawful entry with intent to commit a hate crime.
San Francisco Chronicle (CA): OP-ED: Now Is the Time for Equality for All Americans
AIDS Memorial Quilt creator Cleve Jones and Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black call on marriage equality advocates to “sustain and intensify the nationwide campaign of mass protests and nonviolent civil disobedience, for seven weeks” starting Nov. 27 and ending Jan. 20.
From the Blogs:
- Queerty: Michaelangelo Signorile vs. Maggie Gallagher or, Logic vs. Yelling Really Loud
- Good As You: A gay-less world: It’s in their nature
- 365Gay.com: Schwarzenegger won’t petition court on Prop 8
- 365Gay.com: Mormons denounce anti-Prop 8 protests
- Towleroad: Paul Rudd Gives SNL Its Gayest Episode of the Season
- Pam’s House Blend: This kind of activism isn’t helping
- PageOneQ: WANDA SYKES AT PROP 8 RALLY: ‘PROUD TO BE GAY’
- The Bilerico Project: Photos from L.A. Rally Against Prop 8
- Andrew Sullivan: Obama And The Marriage Movement
- The Bilerico Project: 3500 Turn Out For Equality in Phoenix
- Andrew Sullivan: Pictures of the marches and rallies against Prop 8 across the country.
