365 Gay

Educational Publisher Mason Crest is releasing a series of books on LGBT topics for middle school students. The 15 book series The Gallup’s Modern Guide to Gay, Lesbian & Transgender Life [1] will debut in the fall exploring different aspects of LGBT life. Topics will range from the importance of positive role models to social and political stigma to bullying. [2] The books are aimed at middle school students of any sexual orientation or gender identity. “Forty years ago, homosexuality was considered a psychological disorder,” said Philip Cohen, CEO of Mason Crest. “Today it’s becoming an accepted part of our society, no longer something hidden and taboo. Homosexuality has come out of the closet and we are proud to be the pioneers of this new series to educate young adults in a positive tone.” The senior consulting editor of the series, James Sears said, “By teaching young people…that gender and sexuality cover a spectrum of expression, we extinguish the notion of difference or ‘queerness’ that fuels bigotry, intolerance, and hatred. Books in this series will allow educators to work with all the kids; onlookers, bullies and victims to create a larger sense of acceptance of sexual orientation.” According to the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN [3]) 2007 National School Climate Survey, only 23 percent of middle school students reported that their school libraries included LGBT-related resources. Just six percent reported that LGBT topics were included in textbooks or required reading. Sears said the books will help students learn from different perspectives which would “allow kids of all sexual and gender orientations to gain a greater acceptance for peer differences.” [1] http://www.lgbt-books.com/index.asp [2] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-gay-books-transgender-gallup-top.jpg [3] http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/home/index.html

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said in an exchange with The Advocate [1] that he didn’t know how Obama viewed the legality of the Defense of Marriage Act. [2] Gibbs said: “I have not heard the president intone what he believes the constitutionality of the law is. I know that he believes the law should be changed. Legal decisions around next steps in that case, I believe, will be made at the Justice Department and I would point you over there to them. Again, the president believes, in this case, and the president believes in the case of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell that those are laws that he has believed for quite some time should be changed.” Last month, a federal judge in Mass. found part of DOMA unconstitutional [3] in two separate cases. The federal government is expected to appeal the Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. Health and Human Services case, even if Obama disagrees with DOMA. [1] http://advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/07/29/Obamas_Views_On_DOMA_A_Mystery/ [2] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-barack-obama-top.jpg [3] http://www.365gay.com/news/explanation-of-the-doma-decision/

(Buenos Aires, Argentina) After a 27-year courtship, two men on Friday became the first gay couple to wed under Argentina's historic same-sex marriage law - the first of its kind for a Latin American nation. Jose Luis Navarro, 54, and Miguel Angel Calefato, 65, tied the knot in provincial Santiago del Estero in an early morning ceremony where a civil registry official used a pen to cross out "man and woman" on the marriage license and wrote in "contracting parties." "Respect has prevailed over prejudice," Navarro, an architect, told the newspaper El Liberal. He said he met his new husband, now a retired office worker, while vacationing at a beach resort nearly three decades ago, and "there was chemistry from the first moment." Argentina became the first country in Latin America to permit gay marriage after President Cristina Fernandez signed the law July 21. The legislation was passed by both houses of Congress despite fierce opposition from the Roman Catholic Church. [1] The law declares that wedded gay and lesbian couples have all the same legal rights and responsibilities as heterosexual marriages, including the right to inheritance and to jointly adopt children. Elsewhere in Latin America, gay marriage is also allowed in Mexico City, while same-sex civil unions granting some rights are legal in Uruguay and in some states in Mexico and Brazil. Colombia's Constitutional Court has granted same-sex couples inheritance rights and allowed them to add their partners to health insurance plans. Nine same-sex couples also married in Argentina before the law passed, having successfully petitioning judges for the right. But some of those weddings had been challenged in courts. Navarro and Calefato's wedding was the first of many expected in coming weeks. Hours later, agent Alejandro Vanelli and actor Ernesto Larrese said "I do" in the capital, Buenos Aires, after 34 years as partners. "What comes now is more love, more freedom, and that can't be anything but positive," Larrese said. At least three more same-sex marriages are scheduled for the weekend. Mexico City tourism officials have offered a free honeymoon as a gift to the first couple to marry in Argentina, but Navarro said he and Calefato were reluctant to accept. "It seems superficial to think of marrying just to win a prize," Navarro said. [1] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-gay-wedding-cake-top.jpg

Lesbian actress Sara Gilbert [1] will co-host a new daytime talk show, featuring a panel of celebrity moms offering first hand accounts of the trials of motherhood. Last week, CBS issued an official press release for the show including bios of co-hosts: Sara Gilbert, Julia Chen, Sharon Osbourne, Holly Robinson Peete, Leah Remini and Marissa Jaret Winokur. While the other women listed their spouses’ names in their CBS bios, Gilbert’s bio did not include her partner, Allison Adler. Simply stating she “lived at home with her family.” [2] Gilbert, who is an out lesbian, credited the decision to exclude her partners name from her bio to her discomfort discussing her private life, AfterEllen.com reported [3]. “This is a talk show, so obviously I’m going to be discussing my life more, and I felt that the first place I wanted to do it wasn’t in a CBS press release,” she said at a Television Critics Association press event on Wednesday. “It just seemed impersonal, and I felt like I’d rather come in person and talk to you about all that stuff here.” Gilbert has been in a relationship with television producer Allison Adler since 2002. Together they have a son, Levi, and daughter, Sawyer. When asked how being out will affect her as a talk show host, Gilbert said: “I don't ever really think of things as out or in. I am who I am. When topics come up that are appropriate, I'll talk about them and share when it seems right. ... I don't analyze these things. I'm just living my life. I put my heart and soul into this show.” The show, entitled “The Talk, is set to air this fall on CBS. [1] http://www.365gay.com/news/thurs-watercooler-beck-is-relying-on-miracles/ [2] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/sara-gilbert-CBS-top.jpg [3] http://www.afterellen.com/blog/trishbendix/tca-liveblog-cbs?page=0%2C0

Q: What do I do if I went to a naked beach and got burned?  Should I be worried about anything? A:  Ouch!  If you missed a few spots and got a little overexposure, then super skin hydration will be more key than ever.   Drink lots of water, take shorter, cooler showers to prevent further drying of the skin on the body, and look for gentle, fragrance-free skin formulas with deeply skin soothing ingredients like Squalane and Shea Butter. [1] Chris Salgardo was appointed president of Kiehl’s USA [2]in 2006. Salgardo, who started his career in the cosmetics division of Chanel, and as sales director for Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, also served as president of shu uemura and Giorgio Armani Beauty. [1] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/man-beach-top.jpg [2] http://www.365gay.comwww.kiehls.com/_us/_en/men/index.aspx

The Daily Show interviewed Pastor Scott Lively, the president of Defend the Family [1] about Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Lively explained that gays and lesbians shouldn’t be allowed to serve in the military because they are particularly vicious. He referenced the “fact” that the Nazis used gay troops because they were particularly “savage.” “The Nazis were not only gay, the Nazis met in a gay bar,” said Lively. Watch as the Daily Show’s Jason Jones discusses the “exceptionally brutal and savage” homosexuals with Lively, and then with former Lieutenant Dan Choi. The Daily Show With Jon Stewart [2] Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c Gay Reichs [3] www.thedailyshow.com [4] Daily Show Full Episodes [5] Political Humor [6] Tea Party [7] Keeping track of all of these savages is hard work for Lively, who said, “I would have loved to just been hanging out on the beach some place but instead I got stuck with dealing with homosexual Nazis.” [1] http://www.defendthefamily.com/ [2] http://www.thedailyshow.com [3] http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-july-28-2010/gay-reichs [4] http://www.thedailyshow.com/ [5] http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/ [6] http://www.indecisionforever.com/ [7] http://www.thedailyshow.com/videos/tag/Tea+Party

The front and center seat in the White House press room is up for grabs. Journalist Helen Thomas has covered the White House since Eisenhower’s last years. She was the first female member and president of the White House Correspondents' Association, and President Obama called her “an institution [1]” in Washington. [2] Thomas, who turns 90 next week, announced her retirement on June 7 after she made remarks [3] calling for Jews to “go home” and “get the hell out of Palestine.” She later apologized for her statements. Thomas’s retirement opened the front and center seat in the press room, and Fox, NPR and Bloomberg News are all vying for the seat. The White House Correspondents’ Association [4] is expected to decide on the matter on August 2 [5]. Representatives from the three networks wrote [6] to the Correspondents’ Association explaining why their stations should get the seat. Fox News Washington Managing Editor Bill Sammon wrote [7], "Now that Helen has retired, I'm hopeful the WHCA will make good on those assurances and approve Fox's long-expected move to that seat. All five TV networks —  ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and FNC — now support this move. Even Helen herself is on record saying the seat should go to Fox." David Sweeney, NPR [8]’s managing editor, emphasized the station’s vast audience and dedicated journalism. “Since the 1970s, NPR has had a full-time White House correspondent… Over the past decade, NPR has traveled with the president on every foreign trip and the great preponderance of domestic trips. Even in these difficult economic times, as many other news organizations are forced to cut back, NPR routinely represents the radio pool on trips other news organizations cannot take.” Bloomberg News’ executive editor Albert Hunt wrote that the decision should not be made based on “seniority, ideology, or tradition [9]” but on merit. He sited Bloomberg News as “the fastest growing news organization in the world” and emphasized the diversity of issues the network has covered. In Hunt’s letter, he directly countered Fox’s claims [10] to the seat. “Among the earlier supporters they claim is Helen Thomas. Yet only a week ago a top Fox News anchorman, in a broadcast interview, declared it would be “poetic justice” to give Helen’s seat to Fox as she was left-leaning, and presumably Fox the opposite.” Many liberals oppose the seat going to Fox, accusing the network of intense bias and racism. The seat, they feel, would legitimize the station. Liberal activist group CREDO Action [11] is calling on members to encourage the White House Correspondents’ Association to keep Fox out of the premiere seat. In a mass email, CREDO wrote, “It's bad enough that we have to fight the constant smear campaigns and appeals to racial paranoia from FOX and the right-wing media. We can't let them have the best seat in the White House press briefing room and the legitimacy that it confers.” The group said that it already has 230,000 signatures against Fox getting the seat. [1] http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/101923-obama-calls-thomas-comments-offensive-but-praises-career [2] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-white-house-helen-thomas_Press_Briefing_Room_top.jpg [3] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQcQdWBqt14 [4] http://www.whca.net/ [5] http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20100719/pl_yblog_upshot/npr-now-vying-for-front-row-white-house-seat [6] http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100616/bs_ynews/ynews_bs2653 [7] http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/0/91/091c5f78b6ead03e21a0a70b524eec66.jpeg [8] http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/c/2c/c2c5dca583680ece5e236fd7caa60305.png [9] http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/f/a4/fa43de4f7af5c0abaf19487e6f1b7126.jpeg [10] http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/d/36/d366a7f04fbefcb3129e2f2b17217d87.jpeg [11] http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/fox_or_npr/?r=5836&id=10287-2470600-zn.Rj1x

“Remind me, dear,” I said to my partner Mark on the way to the airport, “what I am absolutely, positively not doing again next year?” “You are not doing Camp next year,” he dutifully replied. We had repeated this dialogue many times in the weeks leading up to Campus Pride’s annual Leadership Camp, a week of intense workshops and other activities for LGBTQ and allied college students, which was held this year at Vanderbilt University July 20-25. This was my second year volunteering as a faculty member, and oddly enough, my second year making a pact with Mark to bar me from returning. My reluctance stemmed not from any doubts about the program’s value. Quite the contrary, Camp is one of the most worthwhile experiences I have ever had the privilege of joining. However… However, I crave my so-called “free time” in the summer for research and personal projects. It’s the only time when I can have the kind of uninterrupted schedule needed for serious writing. Moreover, I didn’t relish the thought of a week in the Nashville heat in late July, eating college cafeteria food and sleeping on a vinyl mattress in a humid dorm room. Sleeping, that is, in the rare moments when we were actually permitted rest. Our Camp schedule stretched from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day, with sessions on various aspects of LGBTQA leadership and development. At the end of each day we held faculty meetings to “process” what had occurred. Processing has its place, but after a grueling day I’d personally rather chew on tin foil than sit in a circle and share how I’m feeling. (“I’m feeling like someone who’d prefer to be sleeping right now, thanks for asking.”) [1] So what did I learn at Camp this year? I learned that there’s a brilliant group of young leaders poised to do amazing things. Indeed, they are already doing amazing things, making progress on their campuses and in their communities, often against powerful odds. I learned that neat boxes into which we place ourselves and others often do a poor job of capturing reality. I learned about privilege, a subject that I—like most privileged people—tend to avoid. I hope I learned greater sensitivity to those at the margins of our (already marginalized) community: the gender variant, the differently abled, the economically disadvantaged. I learned that there’s a time for action, and then there’s also a time for just being in the moment—to reflect, to “process,” to listen and learn. There’s a time to work within existing structures, and a time for revolution. I learned what the “srat squat” is. And that hardly anybody looks good in bright orange. I learned that insight sometimes happens in the strangest places—as it did for a friend of mine who was almost moved to tears by a drag performance in the talent show on the last night of Camp. “I had forgotten,” he told me, “about the simple value of joy.” I learned—yet again—that despite talk of a “post-gay” generation, young people still struggle to form their identities and to express those identities with confidence and integrity. They need our encouragement and support. And we need theirs, too. Truth be told, one of the things I find unsettling about Camp is that it forces me to confront my own insecurities. As the “Gay Moralist,” speaking and writing and debating about gay issues, I’ve developed a pretty hard shell. One needs it in this line of work. But one also needs to strip that shell off every once in a while and make oneself vulnerable. As we often said at Camp, disequilibrium is the price of growth. I experienced both disequilibrium and growth in my week with the campers. I learned from the speakers—including Robyn Ochs, who taught us about the varieties of sexual orientation and expression; Brian Sims, whose coming-out story as a gay all-American college football player spotlighted the better side of human nature; and transgender activist Mara Keisling, who urged us to put our voices into action and have fun in the process. But mostly I learned from the youth. Their integrity inspires me. I’m not a sentimental person, and I’m certainly not given to hyperbole. But when students describe Camp as “the best five days of my life thus far,” as so many of them did afterward, I get it. And I just might have to return. For more about Campus Pride’s work, visit http://www.campuspride.org [2]. To learn more about Camp and see photos, go to the Campus Pride blog at www.CampusPrideBlog.org [3]. John Corvino, Ph.D. is an author, speaker, and philosophy professor at Wayne State University in Detroit. His column “The Gay Moralist” appears Fridays on 365gay.com. For more about John Corvino, or to see clips from his “What’s Morally Wrong with Homosexuality?” DVD, visit www.johncorvino.com [4]. [1] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/corvino-gay-camp-top.jpg [2] http://www.campuspride.org/ [3] http://www.campusprideblog.org/ [4] http://www.johncorvino.com

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

(New York) Former "Fly Girl" Jennifer Lopez is poised to return to television - this time as a judge on "American Idol." The singer-dancer-actor was close to signing a deal to join Fox TV's hit singing contest, replacing Ellen DeGeneres, a person familiar with the negotiations said late Thursday. The person, who was not authorized to comment publicly, spoke on condition of anonymity. Fox declined comment. Phone and e-mail messages for Lopez's representatives were not immediately returned. The "American Idol" opening for Lopez comes with comedian-talk show host Ellen DeGeneres' departure from the show. Degeneres announced Thursday she was leaving after one year as judge. "A couple months ago, I let Fox and the `American Idol' producers know that this didn't feel like the right fit for me," DeGeneres said in a statement. The comedian-talk show host said she realized that while she "loved discovering, supporting and nurturing young talent, it was hard for me to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings." In May, Simon Cowell exited after nine seasons to start a new talent show for Fox. Those under consideration for his spot, according to reports, are a varied group that includes Steven Tyler and Harry Connick Jr. Lopez' films include "Selena," "The Wedding Planner" and most recently "The Back-Up Plan." She has appeared as a mentor on "American Idol." She was part of the "Fly Girl" house dancers on the comedy show "In Living Color" in 1990 before becoming a backup dancer for Janet Jackson. Lopez's first album, "On the 6," came out in 1999, launching a career in pop, Latin, hip-hop and R&B. "Love?" is the latest CD from the Grammy-winner, who has twins with husband Marc Anthony. Two new judges could help "American Idol" reinvent itself for its January return, when it will try to stem a ratings slide and bring in younger viewers. The show's audience has been gradually aging, and advertisers prefer to pitch to young adults. Judge Kara DioGuardi, who was added to the panel two years ago, is not under contract for next year and Fox has not announced whether she'll return. Original judge Randy Jackson is the fourth panel member. With audition episodes featuring the judges set to begin filming in September, the pressure is on to announce the panel. On Monday, Fox will have a chance to do that when it presents its 2010-11 programs to a meeting of the Television Critics Association. When DeGeneres joined the show as a replacement for Paula Abdul, proclaiming herself a fan of "American Idol" and a pop aficionado, observers noted she didn't bring music industry expertise to her role. Some complained she proved more of a cheerleader than an incisive critic in the mold of Cowell. She had a reported five-year contract. "American Idol" was the nation's favorite program last season, the seventh time it's held that position. But it showed rare vulnerability, beaten in the weekly ratings several times by ABC's "Dancing with the Stars." A total of 24.2 million viewers watched the ninth season's final duel between Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox, compared to the nearly 29 million viewers who saw Kris Allen claim victory over Adam Lambert last year.

A gay couple facing a life-threatening illness will have their wedding wish granted this August by an organization committed to making dreams come true. National non-profit Wish Upon a Wedding [1] (WUW) will host the nuptials of Ed Urbaniak, 45, and Erwin Lobo, 37. Founded in January 2010, WUH provides ceremonies for couples facing life-threatening sickness.  One of the criteria for selection is that one member of the couple be terminally ill with less than three years to live - a prognosis that is confirmed by a doctor. [caption id="attachment_15858" align="aligncenter" width="352" caption="Photo of Ed and Erwin with their sons Leon and Ilo. "] [2][/caption] Through the generosity of donors, the organization finances an all-expense-paid ceremony for the selected pair. “By celebrating the courage & spirit of these couples, we help create lasting memories that will be cherished for years to come,” the group said in a statement on its website. “It is our hope that others facing similar situations will find hope, strength, and the promise of eternal love.” So far, WUW has sponsored four wedding wishes – the next will be its first gay couple Ed and Erwin. “I think this is a great way to say to the gay community that organizations do stand behind you. People are willing to work with you with open arms regardless of your sexuality,” said Pamela Rivers, organizer for WUW event planning committee. “Look at this national organization, we’re behind you.” Ed and Erwin have been together for 10 years.  In 2009, Erwin was diagnosed with lung cancer and given 6 to 12 months to live. Seeking to make the most of their time together; the couple decided it was time to fulfill their long-desired wedding dream. “We want to do as much together as possible since our time together is limited,” said Erwin. “This is something that we planned to do years ago, but with home, work and family, it got pushed to the back burner.” In early 2010, the couple participated in the Crate and Barrel Ultimate Wedding contest. When they were not selected in the sweepstakes, a friend suggested they apply for WUW. “We were surprised that our wish was almost immediately granted,” Erwin added. “After months of dealing with that contest, it was nice to have someone so responsive.” Ed and Erwin’s wedding is set to take place August 14, at the historic Meridian House in Washington DC. They will be wearing white linen. Still, the pair’s ties to the organization do not stop there. According to Shelby Tuck Horton, President of WUW Washington DC chapter, the group seeks to build a relationship with the couples it unites. “Because there’s such a bond between the couple, I’ve been in constant communication with them,” she said. “You get to know them. You get to care about them. There is no letting them go after the wedding.” [1] http://wishuponawedding.org/ [2] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/ed_erwin_lobo_urbaniak-top.jpg

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

Jerusalem-- Thousands of Israelis marched calmly Thursday in Jerusalem's longest gay pride parade despite opposition from anti-gay demonstrators. The subdued Jerusalem march from the center of town to the parliament building contrasted with flamboyant gay pride parades elsewhere in the world. Organizers said they were adjusting to the religious character of the city and using their march to promote their political agenda. [1] Carrying rainbow banners, several thousand demonstrators walked along the 1.5 mile (2.5 kilometer) route. A few dozen black-suited ultra-Orthodox Jewish protesters at the beginning and end of the route held signs denouncing homosexuals, with slogans like "Gay Play in Hell, Not Jerusalem." Many ultra-Orthodox Jews consider homosexuality an abomination. Marchers said such opposition has forced the gay community of Jerusalem underground in most parts of the city. "In a religious society, a lot of people still don't realize we actually exist," said Sarah Weil, 26, who helps run an organization for lesbians who are also Orthodox Jews. The march marked the one-year anniversary of a shooting attack at a Tel Aviv gay youth center that killed two. "This is first of all a march of mourning," said organizer Yonatan Gher, "and at the end we will try to put the mourning behind us and look forward to the coming year, and declare tonight the beginning of gay rights year." Thousands of Israeli police guarded the marchers. The Jerusalem parade has been marred by violence in the past. In 2005, an Orthodox Jewish protester stabbed three marchers. Organizers said the fear of attack still keeps many people at home. But parade participants say there are signs the climate in Jerusalem is changing. "I don't think it's dangerous anymore," said Yair Lieberman, 23. "But even if there's danger, that shouldn't stop us from walking." [1] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-israel-rainbow-flag-top.jpg

Thousands in Jerusalem celebrated Pride [1] on Thursday with a mile and a half march to Knesset. While there were protests by some members of the ultra-orthodox community, the even was peaceful. Haaretz [2] reported that rightists from the United Torah Judaism party were planning a "donkeys' parade" mocking Pride. Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Yitzhak Pindrus helped organize the counter-parade. The city distanced itself from Pindrus’ actions. He originally intended on greeting Pride-goers with real donkeys and a banner saying "the marchers who do what beasts do,” but police officials shot down his proposal. [3] Instead, Pindrus had to compromise with cardboard donkeys [4]. Openly gay Kinesett member Nitan Horowitz condemned Pindrus’ protest: "The words uttered by Pindrus, who gets his salary from the state budget, calling the marchers names such as beasts and donkeys, are incitement which leads to heavy violence. I demand that these types of people show responsibility and understand why such incidents such as the shooting at the Tel Aviv gay youth center occur," he added. The Pride event marked the one year anniversary of the Tel Aviv gay youth center shooting [5] that resulted in three deaths and many more injuries. Israel is more progressive than most nations in terms of gay rights. Same-sex marriages performed in other countries are recognized and employee non-discrimination laws protect workers from discrimination based on their sexual orientations. [1] http://www.365gay.com/news/jerusalem-hosts-subdued-gay-pride-march/ [2] http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/anti-gay-protestors-sick-perverts-get-out-of-jerusalem-1.304824 [3] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-donkey-grazing-animal-top.jpg [4] http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=182932 [5] http://www.365gay.com/blog/two-dead-after-shooting-in-tel-aviv-lgbt-youth-center/

Novelist Anne Rice (Interview with a Vampire, The Feast of All Saints) has reportedly “quit Christianity.” Rice took to her Facebook page [1] Wednesday to denounce her membership in Christianity, rejecting what she believes are “antigay,” “antifeminist,” and “anti-Democrat” sentiments. “It’s simply impossible for me to 'belong' to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group,” she wrote. “For ten years, I’ve tried. I’ve failed. I’m an outsider. My conscience will allow nothing else. In the name of Christ, I quit Christianity and being a Christian.” [2] Rice, whose son Christopher Rice [3] is openly gay, is a vocal supporter of LGBT rights. [1] http://www.facebook.com/annericefanpage [2] http://www.365gay.com../wp-content/uploads/news-Anne-Rice.jpg [3] http://www.365gay.com/topics/ent_sports/wednesday-watercooler-terrance-mcnally-gets-hitched/

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

(Honolulu) Six gay couples in Hawaii are filing a lawsuit Thursday asking for the same rights as married couples, three weeks after Gov. Linda Lingle vetoed a same-sex civil unions measure. The lawsuit doesn't seek the titles of "marriage" or "civil unions" for gay partners. Instead, it requests that the court system extend them the benefits and responsibilities of marriage based on the Hawaii Constitution's prohibition against sex discrimination. "We continue to be discriminated against," said plaintiff Suzanne King, who has been in a relationship with her partner for 29 years. "We're a family unit, and we live our lives just like everyone else, but we aren't treated the same." The legal action in state court comes as a response to the Republican governor's veto July 6, when she said voters should decide whether to reserve marriage for couples of a man and a woman. Five other states and the District of Columbia permit same-sex marriage. Five more states essentially grant the rights of marriage to same-sex couples without authorizing marriage itself. Hawaii passed the nation's first "defense of marriage" constitutional amendment in 1998, giving the state's legislature the power to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples. The amendment is silent on civil unions and rights for same-sex couples. Most Hawaii residents don't want the government to endorse equal rights for gay couples, said Garret Hashimoto, chairman for the Hawaii Christian Coalition. "I feel insulted. They keep bringing up Martin Luther King, black rights and women's sufferage. This is not about that. This is about two males or two females practicing sex," he said. "It's behavior. It's no different from smokers or drinkers." The office of Hawaii Attorney General Mark Bennett declined comment Wednesday because it hadn't yet been served with the lawsuit. The state grants some rights to gay couples through its reciprocal beneficiaries system. But they lack the same legal priviledges and obligations of adoption, child support, alimony and access to family court, said Jennifer Pizer, senior counsel for Lambda Legal, which is bringing the case along with the American Civil Liberties Union. "This case is not about marriage. It's about the right of same-sex couples to at least have a system that is understandable and complete," Pizer said. "The state's equality guarantee at least has to mean same-sex couples should have the same rights and responsibilities, even if it's segmented off into a system that isn't as respected, understood and revered as marriage." The case likely won't be settled until it reaches the Hawaii Supreme Court, or if state lawmakers and the next governor approve a new civil unions bill, Pizer said.

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

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