tagged w/ Lesbians
-
-
Los Angeles Times...
.
Barbara Grier dies at 78; co-founder of lesbian publishing house
Grier, who wanted to provide lesbian readers with stories that could help them lead happier lives, and her longtime partner launched Naiad Press in 1973 and built it into a $1-million business.
Barbara Grier | 1933-2011
.
Photo's Caption: Barbara Grier challenged mainstream prejudices to make literature by and about lesbians widely available in the U.S. and abroad. Her publishing house's top-selling book was the nonfiction “Lesbian Nuns: Breaking Silence” (1985) by Rosemary Curb and Nancy Manahan, which presented the accounts of 51 women, most of whom had been Roman Catholic nuns. (Urscia Mahring / November 12, 2011)
By Elaine Woo, Los Angeles Times
November 13, 2011
.
Barbara Grier, a pathbreaking publisher who challenged mainstream prejudices to make literature by and about lesbians widely available in the United States and abroad, has died. She was 78.
Grier, a founder of Naiad Press, died of lung cancer Thursday in Tallahassee, Fla., said her longtime partner, Donna McBride.
Grier and McBride launched Naiad Press in 1973 with a $2,000 loan and built it into a $1-million business. By the time it folded in 2003, it had published more than 500 titles by authors such as Rita Mae Brown, Katherine V. Forrest, Jane Rule and Sheila Ortiz Taylor.
"She created Naiad Press because the mainstream would not publish any of our books," Forrest, whose career was launched by Naiad in 1983 with the publication of her novel "Curious Wine," told The Times on Friday. "Her accomplishments are just monumental, given the obstacles she faced. There was such virulent homophobia. Barbara was nothing if not fearless."
Before she and McBride, a former librarian, started Naiad, lesbian literature consisted primarily of pulp fiction written by men whose protagonists generally ended up one of three ways: They married a man, went crazy or killed themselves.
Grier wanted to provide lesbian readers with stories that could help them lead happier lives.
"I have always believed that the best thing I might leave behind is a world in which any woman, anywhere, might say to herself 'I am a lesbian' and be able to go to a nearby store or library and find a book that will say to her, 'Yes, you are a lesbian, and you are wonderful,' " she told gay historian Jim Kepner some years ago.
Naiad published primarily romances and mysteries, but its top-selling book was the nonfiction "Lesbian Nuns: Breaking Silence" (1985) by Rosemary Curb and Nancy Manahan, which presented the accounts of 51 women, most of whom had been Roman Catholic nuns. It sold 500,000 copies and gave Naiad Press a national profile.
Born in Cincinnati on Nov. 4, 1933, and reared in Detroit, Grier was aware of her sexual orientation as a girl. When she was 12, she told her mother she was a homosexual — a word she learned from her physician-father's medical books.
Her mother, who came from a theatrical family, took an enlightened view of her daughter's declaration.
"Because Mother and I were always open with each other, I told her immediately," Grier said in the book "Before Stonewall: Activists for Gay and Lesbian Rights in Historical Context" by Vern L. Bullough. "Mother said since I was a woman, I wasn't a homosexual, I was a lesbian. She also said that since I was 12 I was a little young to make this decision and we should wait six months to tell the newspapers."
When Grier was 18, she entered a long-term relationship with a woman 20 years her senior. They moved to Denver and later to Kansas City, Kan., where they both worked for the public library.
In 1957, Grier began writing a column for the pioneering lesbian magazine The Ladder. She became its editor in 1968 and publisher in 1970. When she tried to give the magazine a more feminist orientation, its benefactor withdrew funding and the publication closed in 1972.
She met McBride in 1971 and soon after ended her relationship with the older woman. They launched Naiad Press two years later with financing from a retired attorney, Anyda Marchant, and Marchant's partner, Muriel Crawford. The first book they published was a romance novel Marchant wrote under the pseudonym Sarah Aldridge called "Latecomer."
Forrest, who worked as Naiad's supervising editor from 1984 to 1994, said Grier and McBride overcame many obstacles, including homophobic printers and cover artists who refused to work for a lesbian press. But it gradually established itself as a major force, creating a market for lesbian writing, including Rule's classic "Outlander," a collection of stories and essays about the lives of lesbians.
Other specialized presses and bookstores emerged in the wake of Naiad's success, including Bella Books, the Tallahassee press that took over Naiad's inventory and authors when Grier and McBride retired eight years ago.
In addition to McBride, Grier is survived by two sisters, Diane Grier of Willard, Mo., and Penni Martin of Denton, Texas.
.Los Angeles Times...
.
Barbara Grier dies at 78; co-founder of lesbian... more
-
-
Conan officiates the wedding of costume designer Scott Cronick & his partner David Gorshein in NYC. News stations everywhere put their own unique spin on Conan's same-sex wedding news. Congratulations Scott & David! You are awesome Mr. Conan O'Brien!Conan officiates the wedding of costume designer Scott Cronick & his partner David... more
-
-
This is an interview of a "Moderate" Muslim in Washington, D.C. during a Muslim function called "Muslim Day" where Muslims are allowed to pray on the White House lawns.
Many gay and lesbian activists are not aware that under Islamic Sharia Law Muslims are OK with killing or imprison homosexuals. Murdering homosexuals is done by several Muslim countries. The more Muslim the country is, the more likely that the death penalty for a homosexual is a reality. So many stars like Elton John, Ellen DeGeneres, Adam Lambert, Suze Orman, Rosie O'Donnell, Johnny Mathis, K.D. Lang, Boy George, George Michael, Ricky Martin, David Geffen, including the millions of homosexuals around the world would be imprisoned or facing murder. It would not be considered a hate crime in the Middle East to kill a gay person.
Many people in the west do not know the true nature of Islam and believe Sharia Law is not vile. Some Liberal and Leftists stick up for Islam without knowing anything about it, which includes murdering and harassing gays and lesbians.
Religion of "peace" my ass...This is an interview of a "Moderate" Muslim in Washington, D.C. during a... more
-
-
On Tuesday, the long standing military policy of don’t ask, don’t tell was repealed. For conservatives this action is a blow to their steadfast belief that the military should be 100% heterosexual. And to the LGBT community this policy change means that one can serve openly in the military without fear of reprisals.On Tuesday, the long standing military policy of don’t ask, don’t tell was... more
-
-
Lesbians of Long Island is a short documentary by yours truly Beryl Fine. The film centers around my aunt Lisa, her partner Lois, as well as their sidekick pooches Paddy and Abby (do you see how we love poetry?).
My exploration of my aunts began in August of 2010 when I moved from San Francisco to New York in hopes of expanding proverbial horizons (artistically and metaphorically my). My aunt Lisa opened her home to me as I transitioned to a New York state of mind, (I grew up on the left coast in Santa Cruz, California). My family is not a traditional one bound by deep seeded ties. Growing up we rarely visited, moving in with Lisa was an introduction, but also developed into my first real experience getting to know her as a relative and friend. Soon I began to realize that Lisa and her partner Lois where quite the dynamic duo of smart ass antics and abrasive crass humor. They are two peas in a pod that complimented one another in perfect symmetry. I was living under my aunt’s roof for two short months before realizing I should begin to record my time spent in Long Island. What began to manifest was that these lovely ladies where not only totally normal (I use that phrase loosely) but also companions who are in love.
There is a prescribed notion in the media that love is bound by some kind of struggle and a battle which must be fought. What I want to communicate with Lesbians of Long Island is that love is not an intangible beast that must be conquered. Instead I pose the idea that it is normal and so essential that it fits seamlessly and effortlessly into the lives of Lisa and Lois.
These lovely ladies don’t fit cultural personification of “gay”, actually that’s the furthest adjective anyone could use to describe their lives. My aunts are typical Jews living in Long Island. They posses no flamboyant qualities. They shop at Sam’s club and they watch CSI and King of Queens EVERY NIGHT and on the weekends they go to Carvel for chocolate soft serve ice cream. Paddy (a pit-bull mix) and Abby (a king Charles Cavalier Spaniel) act as their partners in crime following them at their heels and completing the equation of their amore.
I’m a believer that talk is cheap and that seeing is in fact believing. I have launched a fundraiser for my project on Kickstarter. I’m asking the world at large for help with the financing of this short. The money will be used to spread the love and joy that is Lesbians of Long Island. It will help pay for international and domestic film festival admission fees, it will also help with production costs, distribution and other miscellaneous fees that generally get racked up when producing a film. I’m asking the world to help me raise $3,500, a small feat which I know I can accomplish with your help. I've attached a link for your viewing pleasure of the trailer Lesbians of Long Island:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/berylfine/lesbians-of-long-island.
I hope you enjoy and may the force be strong with y’all!!!!!!
Beryl FineLesbians of Long Island is a short documentary by yours truly Beryl Fine. The film... more
-
-
ibfine
-
added this
-
9 months ago
- |
-
Lea Michele was “outed” on Twitter today after an actor posted a playful Tweet suggesting the Glee star was a lezzie. It was a response to a Glee fan's post that Lea's current boyfriend, Theo Stockman (emo cute) is not as attractive as her former beau Landon Beard (really hot).
Landon ReTweeted the message, then the actor responded with the this: "you should probably let that girl know there were plenty of males and females in between you and Theo."
http://www.tabloidprodigy.com/2011/07/19/lea-michele-outed-on-twitter-with-girl-on-girl-kiss-photo/Lea Michele was “outed” on Twitter today after an actor posted a playful... more
-
-
Radio broadcaster, DJ Mona-Lisa informs parents and guardians of lesbianism in high schools and how it may affect their children. The topic is of utmost importance as so many teenagers have committed suicide base on the outcome of this type of relationship. On the other hand, some students drop out of school due to peer pressures and lesbian relationships gone bad. Parents need to be informed about this subject in order to create safe environments for their teens-thus helping to ensure their mental health and well-being which is of significant importance to truly embark on the journey of life successfully: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=633_EHksqhMRadio broadcaster, DJ Mona-Lisa informs parents and guardians of lesbianism in high... more
-
-
Alleged rape, killing of gay rights campaigner sparks call for action
By Faith Karimi, CNN
May 5, 2011 7:36 a.m. EDT
The term "corrective rape" started following the rape and murder of Eudy Simelane, a well-know lesbian soccer player.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
She is attacked after dropping off her girlfriend in a township near Johannesburg
She is raped, stabbed with broken glass several times and hit with rocks, group says
South Africa sets up a task force to address hate crimes
(CNN) -- A 24-year-old who was stabbed to death in South Africa is the victim of "corrective rape," gay rights activists said Thursday, a crime where men attack lesbians in an attempt to reverse their sexual orientation.
Noxolo Nogwaza was attacked late last month after dropping off her girlfriend in Kwa-Thema township near Johannesburg.
She was raped, stabbed with broken glass several times and her face pummelled with rocks, Human Rights Watch said.
"A beer bottle, a large rock and used condoms were found on and near her body," the rights group said.
Earlier this week, the nation's Justice Ministry set up a task force to address hate crimes against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender South Africans.
The task team was set up after activists worldwide signed an online petition demanding the South African government act to halt the attacks. The call to petition intensified after Nogwaza's killing.
Police in Gauteng province, where the township is located, said they have not found any evidence of a hate crime and an investigation is under way.
But some gay rights activists disagree.
"Her attack is a case of corrective rape," said gay rights activist Lydia Kunu. "Neighbors said they heard her attackers telling her, 'We will take the lesbian out of you. ' They were mocking her and asking her why she acts like a man."
Kunu is a community networking organizer for Ekurhuleni Pride Organizing Committee, where Nogwaza worked as well.
The death has sparked renewed calls for action as rights groups warn of escalated homophobic attacks.
"In these cases, killing is the end of the spectrum," said Siphokazi Mthathi, the South Africa director for Human Rights Watch. "It follows a trail of other problems -- rape, violence, problem accessing health care and violation by police."
Mthathi said it is hard to get an overall number of the people subjected to violence because attacks go unreported over the distrust for the judicial system.
"There's a great deal of under-representation because they are going to face secondary victimization," she said. "We've heard of cases where when they report a rape, the police tell them, 'aren't you happy that you got a real man for a change.'"
The use of the term "corrective rape" started three years ago after the rape and murder of Eudy Simelane, a well-known soccer player who lived openly as a lesbian.
Nogwaza's attack is similar to the soccer player's in some ways: police say they were both raped and stabbed to death. And just like Nogwaza, Simelane's body was dumped in a public place in the same township .
Two men were found guilty in the soccer star's death and sentenced to prison terms, but the judges quashed any motions linking her attack to her sexual orientation.
"Nogwaza's death is the latest in a long series of sadistic crimes against lesbians, gay men, and transgender people in South Africa," said Dipika Nath, researcher in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights program at Human Rights Watch.
"Police and other South African officials fail to acknowledge that members of the LGBT community are raped, beaten and killed simply because of how they look or identify, and they are attacked by men who then walk freely, boasting of their exploits," said Nath.
A police spokesman slammed the accusations, and said authorities are working to ensure safety for all.
"It is our responsibility to provide safety, and we take that job seriously," said Col. Tshisikhawe Ndou, the provincial spokesman for Gauteng.
The spokesman said there have been no arrests in Nogwaza's killing, but investigations are under way.
"We're following some leads, and in this specific case, we'd like to ask anyone with information to contact the police," he said. "They can even do so anonymously if they are scared."
Outspoken gay rights activists have faced harassment and attacks in the nation, Human Rights Watch said.
Homosexuality is illegal in most African countries, based on rules left over from the British colonial era when sodomy laws were introduced.
However, the post-apartheid constitution bans prejudice against gays in South Africa, the first African nation to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Despite the law, attacks based on sexual orientation are still going on, rights groups said.
The new task force is scheduled to start working in July. It will address issues such as whether police and social workers should undergo sensitivity training, and whether rapists who target sexual minorities should get harsher sentences.
Mthathi said having the anti-prejudicial constitution in place is an indicator that the task force alone won't resolve underlying problems.
"South Africa is a very misogynist and homophobic society," she said. "We welcome the task team, but it won't solve social problems. We need to address the culture of accountability in judicial and social institutions, we need to address the attitudes ... disrupt the culture of impunity."Alleged rape, killing of gay rights campaigner sparks call for action
By Faith... more
-
-
If you saw the 2010 drama 'The Kids Are All Right,' in which two teens raised by a lesbian couple decide to make contact with their biological father, you might be wondering: Might such an experience leave psychological scars?
http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/reuters/Health/77479If you saw the 2010 drama 'The Kids Are All Right,' in which two teens... more
-
-
“Lesbians should be allowed to serve [because it] would get the distaff part of our homosexual population off our collective ‘Broke Back,’ thus giving straight male GIs a fair shot at converting lesbians and bringing them into the mainstream."
Full Story: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/11/judge-lesbians-military-turn-straight/“Lesbians should be allowed to serve [because it] would get the distaff part of... more
-
-
Gay and lesbian teens in the United States are about 40 percent more likely than their straight peers to be punished by schools, police and the courts, according to a study published Monday, which finds that girls are especially at risk for unequal treatment.
The research, described as the first national look at sexual orientation and teen punishment, comes as a spate of high-profile bullying and suicide cases across the country have focused attention on the sometimes hidden cruelties of teen life.
The study, from Yale University, adds another layer, finding substantial disparities between gay and straight teens in school expulsions, arrests, convictions and police stops. The harsher approach is not explained by differences in misconduct, the study says.
"The most striking difference was for lesbian and bisexual girls, and they were two to three times as likely as girls with similar behavior to be punished," said Kathryn Himmelstein, lead author of the study, published in the journal Pediatrics.
Why the punishment gap exists is less clear.
It could be that lesbian, gay and bisexual teens who got in trouble didn't get the same breaks as other teens - say, for youthful age or self-defense, Himmelstein said. Or it could be that girls in particular were punished more often because of discomfort with or bias toward some who don't fit stereotypes of femininity.
"It's definitely troubling to see such a disparity," Himmelstein said.
"It may very well be not intentional," she said. "I think most people who work with youth want to do the best they can for young people and treat them fairly, but our findings show that's not happening."
The punishments can be damaging, she said. Teens expelled from school have higher dropout rates, and involvement in the criminal justice system can affect a range of opportunities, including housing eligibility and college financial aid.
"I find it tragic," said Clara McCreery, 18, co-president of the Gay-Straight Alliance at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda. "I wonder if some people misinterpret the way some gay girls choose to dress as a sign of aggression."
Stacey Horn, an associate professor of educational psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, called the study important and compared the findings to racial disparities in criminal sentencing. "To me, it is saying there is some kind of internal bias that adults are not aware of that is impacting the punishment of this group," she said.
The study brings punishment differences for gay teens into focus at a time when public concern about torment and bullying is heightened. In September, an 18-year-old Rutgers University student jumped off a bridge to his death after his gay sexual encounter was allegedly filmed by a roommate on a webcam and announced on Twitter.
Probing the consequences of teen misconduct, the new study examines behaviors that include lying to parents, drinking, shoplifting and vandalizing, as well as more serious offenses such as burglary, drug sales and physical violence.
Using data from more than 15,000 middle school and high school students who were followed into early adulthood as part of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, researchers compared categories of misconduct against six punishments. The interviews used for the study started in 1994-95 and continued until 2001-02, but researchers said they expect the findings would be similar today because the institutions involved have not dramatically changed.
Nearly 1,500 of the participants in the study identified themselves as lesbian, gay or bisexual, but more than 2,300 reported having felt a same-sex attraction at some point in their lives. More than 800 were in a same-sex relationship.
The results showed that, for similar misconduct, gay adolescents were roughly 1.25 to 3 times more likely to be sanctioned than their straight peers.
The sexual-orientation disparity was greatest for girls. Girls who identified themselves as lesbian or bisexual experienced 50 percent more police stops and reported more than twice as many juvenile arrests and convictions as other teen girls in similar trouble, the study said.
Andrew Barnett, executive director of the Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League, which serves 300 teens a year in Washington, said he was not surprised by the findings.
"This is a symptom of school administrators, teachers, court officials, police officers - anyone who works with youth - not necessarily being equipped to handle the challenges" faced by the teens in their care, he said. "It's much easier to punish the youth than to work with them and figure out why they may keep getting in fights and what is leading to this behavior."
Hien Le, 17, president of the Gay-Straight Alliance at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, said she sees no tendency to punish gay students in her school. But she and other teens said parents often become more punitive when they disapprove of a son or daughter's sexual orientation.
"Your parents are the ones who are supposed to be supportive, but it isn't always that way," she said.
"I think it happens more than people think," said Caroline Callahan, 16, president of the Gay-Straight Alliance at Langley High School in McLean.
The study's data set was not large enough to allow for an additional analysis by race, but Himmelstein and others said that was an important area for further study.
Jody Marksamer, a staff attorney and youth project director at the National Center for Lesbian Rights in San Francisco, said the study brings data to what advocates have seen for years: that biases, overt and subtle, often play out in courts, in schools and with police.
Gay youths are often grappling with family tensions and harassment by peers and sometimes with depression or homelessness, he said. Harsher punishments can make for "a cascade of effects" that can "move them from the schools to the criminal justice system."
Joseph Kosciw, senior director of research and strategic initiatives of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, said that more needs to be done in schools. "I think it really calls for professional development about how to address" issues related to sexual orientation, he said, "and how to address bullying and harassment when they happen."Gay and lesbian teens in the United States are about 40 percent more likely than their... more
-
-
Two female high school students in Oklahoma are firing back at their school for refusing to let them graduate after discovering the two are a couple.
According to KWTV News, 18-year-old Melissa McKenzie said she was kicked out of Del City High School in Del City, Okla., at the beginning of the semester when the principal found out she was living with her girlfriend instead of her family. The principal then told her if she returned to her family's home, she would be welcomed back to school.
Kelsey Hicks (pictured), McKenzie's girlfriend, dropped out of school but wanted to finish her education so she could become a firefighter. Upon asking school leaders if she could return, she said they instead encouraged her to drop out.
"The principal will say 'Well, you're gay. You're not going to do anything with your life. You might as well just drop out now,'" Hicks said. "It's stuff to put you down that makes you want to drop out."
http://advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/11/15/Lesbian_Students_Stopped_from_Graduating/Two female high school students in Oklahoma are firing back at their school for... more
-
-
A lesbian and a gay man are fighting a custody battle over their two children who were conceived by artificial insemination. The case is a legal first and will be heard by the highest civil judge in the country.The lesbian mother had the two children, now aged seven and nine, after replying to an ad the man placed in Gay Times in 1999 which read: "Gay guy wants to be a Dad. White, handsome, solvent 30s, professional, in happy relationship, non-scene, has everything but kids. Looking for a similar female couple who wants to have kids. I require little involvement. I have a lot to offer." The mother and her civil partner, who have been together for more than 20 years, have been the children’s primary carers since birth. This year, a Brighton judge awarded the father a shared residency order and directed that the children should spend almost half of the year with him but that ruling will now be challenged in the Court of Appeal. The mother is arguing that the father is trying to “marginalise” her civil partner and “overpower” the children with his forceful personality.The lesbian couple’s lawyer, June Venters QC, said that the children do have a meaningful relationship with their father but that the couple should be granted day-to-day custody of them.Ms Venters said that the currently arrangements were “enormously complex” and did not make clear the contribution of the mother’s partner to the children’s lives.The appeal court hearing continues.
A lesbian and a gay man are fighting a custody battle over their two children who... more
-
-
-
Gili Shem Tov (left) and her dancing partner Dorit Milman
Israel has become the first country in the world to feature a same-sex dancing couple to perform on the now global television dance phenomenon. Gili Shem Tov, an openly-gay sports presenter on one of Israel's main TV channels, made a female dance partner a condition of competing in the show."I live with a woman, we are raising my son together and it felt natural to dance with a woman," she said.The TV presenter has teamed up with heterosexual professional dancer Dorit Milman, and the pair says they will take it in turn to adopt the male role in their dancing but will be wearing identical costumes while they perform.Milman who wholeheartedly supports Shem Tov’s decision, hopes that their performance will change peoples’ minds about gay relationships:"Us going on the stage in prime time showing the world that everybody can love everybody, every thing is okay, it's legitimate. Everybody wants to dance… enjoy yourself, enjoy your life,” she said. The dancer did confess that the pair has had to "change the rules" to make their dance routine work."In a 'normal' couple, the man must show his masculinity and the female is very sensual." The two women would focus on their "mutualism", she said, while "still showing the emotions of love and hate, seduction and rejection in the language of movement".But mastering their steps is not the only challenge the couple face, Shem Tov said that although most people have welcomed the idea some are heavily criticising it: "I heard people say they won't let their children watch the show because it's a same-sex couple and they don't like it."It makes me feel I want to do it more. And if only a few people will become more tolerant and open-minded, my work is done here," she said.Milman, her partner in dance agrees and hopes that other countries, including Britain, should learn from their example. “If Israel can do this, then in the next series of Strictly, so should Britain,” she said. The Israeli producers consulted the BBC, owners of the show’s format, on whether there had been a same-sex couple competing in any of the 36 countries where versions of the show have been broadcast."They said we would be the first," said the executive producer, Assaf Gil.There were no ideological objections to a same-sex couple, he said. "We came to the conclusion it would be fascinating and interesting."Israel has a thriving gay scene, based mostly in the liberal, secular and cosmopolitan city of Tel Aviv, whereas Jerusalem and other cities where religious Jews are prevalent are less tolerant of displays of homosexuality.
Gili Shem Tov (left) and her dancing partner Dorit Milman
Israel has become the... more
-
-
Lesbian couple file to adopt in Florida, where ban was overturned
From John Couwels, CNN
October 14, 2010 2:34 a.m. EDT
Photo: Jennifer Haseman, left, and Hillary Jovi, have applied to adopt a child in Florida.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* Couple file to adopt in Florida, hours after a state announcement on the issue
* An appeals court recently overturned state's ban on such adoptions
* The state said Tuesday it would not appeal the ruling
(CNN) -- A lesbian couple have applied to adopt a child after Florida's child advocacy agency announced it won't fight a court ruling that found the state's ban on such adoptions unconstitutional.
Jennifer Haseman and Hillary Jovi, who were unaware of Tuesday's announcement by the state, called Family Services of Metro Orlando, central Florida's child protective contractor, to begin the process of adoption.
The couple believed they could make their dream a reality after a September decision by the Third District Court of Appeal that lifted Florida's three-decade ban on gay adoption.
"We've wanted to adopt ever since we discussed wanting a family," said Jovi, who said she has had a 12-year relationship with Haseman. "We always wanted to have our own children and adopt."
The couple, formerly from New York, had considered moving back there just for the opportunity to adopt a child. Both women have battled infertility.
The Florida Department of Children and Families said any appeal by the state agency was likely to be unsuccessful following opinions from the appeal court and a circuit court judge in Miami, Florida. Gov. Charlie Crist ordered the department to stop enforcing the ban after the circuit court ruling.
"I don't think for us it is about sexual orientation so much as it is about a kid that deserves a second chance with a good parent or parents," said DCF spokeswoman Carrie Hoeppner.
The ACLU of Florida represented licensed foster parent Frank Martin Gill, who wanted to adopt two boys who had been placed in his care after the Department of Children and Families removed them from their home for neglect.
He sued to have the adoption ban overturned.
"We are happy to hear that DCF wants to bring this case to an end and allow the Gill family to get on with their lives," said Howard Simon, ACLU of Florida executive director.
But, the director says, the case is not yet final.
"What is needed now is a similar statement from Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum that will formally end this case and allow judges to decide -- on a case-by-case basis -- what is in the best interests of children."
Ryan Wiggins, spokeswoman for McCollum, said, "We appreciate the announcement, and look forward to a conversation with DCF about what the next actions will be."
The attorney general office has until October 22 to file an appeal.
Florida was the only remaining state to prohibit gay adoption. The state agency said Wednesday it has removed from adoption forms the question about an applicant's sexual orientation.
Jovi, an event planner and Haseman, a restaurant manager, said Monday they plan to attend an orientation class as the first step to become approved for adoption.
Haseman said, "I think it's going to be a really, really, great thing to just be able to help a child that needs a place, a home and needs love."Lesbian couple file to adopt in Florida, where ban was overturned
From John Couwels,... more
-
-
National Coming Out Day is being celebrated today. This day is celebrated on October 11th and the annual event is held to be observed by the lesbian, gay,National Coming Out Day is being celebrated today. This day is celebrated on October... more
-
-
New York gubernatorial candidate slams gays
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/10/10/new.york.paladino.gays/index.html?hpt=T1
New York gubernatorial candidate criticizes gays
From Cheryl Robinson, CNN
October 10, 2010 11:44 p.m. EDT
Paladino: Homosexuality not valid
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* Republican Carl Paladino says homosexuality isn't "equally valid" with heterosexuality
* "There is nothing to be proud of in being a dysfunctional homosexual," his prepared remarks say
* A spokesman for Paladino's opponent says comments reveal "stunning homophobia"
* Remarks come as New York police respond to anti-gay hate crimes against 4 men
.
New York (CNN) -- New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino criticized gays Sunday, saying he didn't want children "to be brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid or successful option," compared to heterosexuality.
"It isn't," Paladino said at a stop in Brooklyn, New York.
A prepared version of his remarks obtained by CNN from New York affiliate NY1 said that "There is nothing to be proud of in being a dysfunctional homosexual," though Paladino did not wind up delivering that line.
"That's not how (God) created us," the prepared remarks continued, though Paladino did not say those words.
Paladino distributed copies of his prepared remarks to reporters at the event, an address to a group of Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood.
The candidate's remarks came a day after New York police announced the arrest of an eighth suspect in a series of brutal, anti-gay hate crimes against four men.
The incident last weekend involved three victims being held against their will by as many as nine assailants who beat them in a vacant apartment and sodomized two of them, police said. A fourth victim was beaten and robbed in connection with the attacks.
"Don't misquote me as wanting to hurt homosexual people in any way," Paladino said Sunday. "That would be a dastardly lie -- my approach is live and let live."
"I just think my children and your children would be much better off and much more successful getting married and raising a family," he said.
Paladino also slammed his Democratic opponent, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, for marching in New York's gay pride parade in June.
"That's not the example that we should be showing the children and certainly not in our schools," he said.
Cuomo spokesman Josh Vlasto responded to Paladino's comments Sunday.
"Mr. Paladino's statement displays a stunning homophobia and a glaring disregard for basic equality," Vlasto said in a statement. "These comments along with other views he has espoused make it clear that he is way out of the mainstream and is unfit to represent New York."
Paladino's remarks also drew fire from gay rights groups.
"Carl Paladino's comments would matter if they were coming from a serious political figure, however they are not," said Christopher Barron, chairman of the gay conservative group GOProud, in an email to CNN. "They are instead coming from the imploding campaign of a man with the personal baggage of John Edwards and all the electability of Alan Keyes."
But Paladino's campaign manager, Michael Caputo, stood by the gubernatorial candidate's comments on homosexuality.
"Carl Paladino's position on this is exactly equivalent to the Catholic Church," Caputo told CNN. "And if Andrew Cuomo has a problem with the Catholic Church's position on abortion and homosexuality, he needs to take it up with his parish priest."
CNN's Mark Preston contributed to this report.New York gubernatorial candidate slams gays... more
-
-
Se burlo en Facebook
The president of the Big Sky Tea Party Association has been removed from his position and booted from the party after coming under fire for a post he made on his Facebook profile that implied he condones violence against homosexuals.
http://helenair.com/news/article_e0299ac8-ba42-11df-a560-001cc4c03286.htmlSe burlo en Facebook
The president of the Big Sky Tea Party Association has been... more
-
