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McCain LOVES Gays
McCain says he hopes, "gay and lesbian Americans will give full consideration to supporting me.”
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Gay Republicans
In this Election pod, VC2 Producer Nerina Penzhorn, examines the phenomenon of gay republican activists, who work for both progressive social policies at the same time they advocate conservative positions on both economic and security issues. She follows around two young, prominent members of the Log Cabin Republicans, a candidate for state senator and up-an-coming lobbyist to understand why it is easier for them to tell their "republican friends they're gay, than gay friends that they're republican." In this Election pod, VC2 Producer Nerina Penzhorn, examines the phenomenon of gay republican activists, who work for both progressive... more
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Gay club bans drag queens
Crews Inn, a gay bar in Dallas, instituted a policy on July 15 prohibiting drag queens and transgender women from admittance on Tuesday nights.
“Drag queens act like they are divas and think they can do no wrong,” said bar co-owner David Moore to the Dallas Voice. “They have stolen money straight off the bar, hassled costumers for drinks, and locked themselves in the bathroom with a bunch of guys. And with Tuesday being our busiest night, there is just no way for me to keep the drag queens under control then. I don’t want drag queens in here that are going to misbehave.”
“It’s kind of like I’m a positive role model in the community,” said local drag performer Ivana Tramp to the Voice. “It wasn’t like I was there hammered or begging people to buy me a drink. I felt like it was very embarrassing and degrading.”
Tramp and other performers are consulting attorneys about the legality of the ban and plan to take legal action.
“I’m not sure if it is legal or not, but if they are acting stupid, I have that right under TABC [Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission],” Moore told the Voice. “As a bar owner, we have the right to refuse service to anyone.”
Moore also believes it is legally permissible to bar drag queens because a costumer’s appearance must match his or her picture ID.
Tramp plans to picket Crews Inn on Tuesday night, July 22. The group is expecting 50 to 100 performers and fans to show up.
(The Advocate) Crews Inn, a gay bar in Dallas, instituted a policy on July 15 prohibiting drag queens and transgender women from admittance on Tuesda... more -
Right to work: Transgender woman sues employer for wrongful termination
A former state employee claimed Tuesday in a federal lawsuit that top Georgia legislative officials fired her because she said she would come to work dressed as a female as she prepared for a sex-change procedure to transform from man to woman.
Vandy Beth Glenn said Tuesday she was illegally fired from her job as a legislative editor for the Georgia general assembly after she told her boss she was going to live as a woman full-time. She said legislative counsel Sewell Brumby fired her because the gender transition would make her colleagues feel uncomfortable and would be seen as ''immoral'' by Georgia legislators. The lawsuit also claims house speaker Glenn Richardson, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, and senate president pro-tem Eric Johnson were in on the act.
She was hired in 2005 as a legislative editor, charged with proofreading the hundreds of measures and proposals filed each year for grammar and spelling errors. That same year she was diagnosed with gender identity disorder, a condition defined by strong feelings of discomfort with a person's sex at birth and identification with the opposite gender.
For about a year, she continued to come to work as a man by day and dressed as a woman at home at night. But in October 2006 Glenn told her supervisor she planned to undergo a gender transition to become a female. Physicians had advised her to start dressing as a female throughout the transition to help her adapt.
She decided on Halloween to dress as a woman for the first time at work, but it didn't go over very well. She said in the lawsuit she was sent home immediately when she showed up at the capitol wearing a skirt, tights, and black boots. Two other employees, both dressed in costumes, were not sent home, according to the filing.
Glenn, though, still seemed determined to undergo the change. In June 2007 she told her office she was continuing with the gender change, and gave her supervisors pamphlets on how to handle the transition and a photo album with several pictures of Glenn dressed as a woman.
Her supervisors confronted her a few months later. Brumby called her into a meeting in October 2007 and asked whether she was undergoing the transition, according to the filings. When she confirmed, she said Brumby told her it would be viewed as immoral and said it couldn't ''happen appropriately'' in the workplace. She was fired and given 10 minutes to clean out her desk.
The lawsuit, filed by gay and transgender civil rights group Lambda Legal, claims that the firing violated the Constitution's equal protection clause. It seeks legal fees and asks that Glenn's job be reinstated. Glenn said she is now undergoing the sex change, but would not say if she's had surgery.
''Public employees cannot be terminated merely because her employers don't approve of who she is,'' said Cole Thaler, Glenn's attorney.
(Excerpts / Advocate) A former state employee claimed Tuesday in a federal lawsuit that top Georgia legislative officials fired her because she said she wou... more -
Hate speech in the bible? Man sues publishers
Some editions of the Bible from the 1980s published by Zondervan Publishing and Thomas Nelson Publishing assert that homosexuality is a sin, causing one gay man to sue the publishing houses for emotional damage.
The allegations against the publishers, brought by Bradley LaShawn Fowler of Canton, Mich., could result in $70 million in damages if Fowler wins his case. Fowler is representing himself in federal court against both publishers after a U.S. district judge refused to appoint him an attorney in his case against Thomas Nelson. The judge explained, “The court has some very genuine concerns about the nature and efficacy of these claims.”
According to the Chicago Tribune, the suit against Zondervan claims 1982 and 1987 editions of the publisher’s Bible explicitly declare homosexuality to be wrong in 1 Corinthians 6:9: "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders."
Fowler claims that the word "homosexual" was edited out of the 1989 and 1994 editions but that consumers were not informed, and that because his family pastor uses the older versions, he's been shunned by his family as a result.
Fowler levels similar claims against Thomas Nelson regarding its earlier versions of the New King James Bible, saying he has suffered extreme emotional and sometimes physical discomfort as a result of the antigay passages in the Bible. He wrote that it was the intention of the publishers to cause “me or anyone who is a homosexual to endure verbal abuse, discrimination, episodes of hate, and physical violence...including murder.” Some editions of the Bible from the 1980s published by Zondervan Publishing and Thomas Nelson Publishing assert that homosexuality is ... more -
Boris abolishes gay advisory panel - OutRage! are not outraged
The radical gay rights group OutRage! has backed the Conservative Mayor of London's decision to scrap a short-lived Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Advisory Panel, reports Pink News.
The panel (formed by Ken Livingstone) only held one meeting before the hand-over to prize buffoon Boris Johnson took place in May, and OutRage! have welcomed its abolition:
"It was elitist, unelected, unaccountable and anti-democratic," says Brett Lock.
But will Conservative Boris - who has a history of making homophobic comments - replace the body with some other kind of group to represent the rights and points of views of LGBT Londoners? Or will LGBT issues be swept under the carpet completely? What would you tell buffoon Boris about LGBT life if you had the chance? The radical gay rights group OutRage! has backed the Conservative Mayor of London's decision to scrap a short-lived Lesbian, Gay ... more -
Top ineffective ways to "convert" gay Christians
More than a dozen examples given in this article of highly ineffective ways that Christians and Ex-gay proponents attempt to "convert" convince, coerce, cajole or otherwise change gay Christians. (Excellent comic created by slapupsidethehead.com) More than a dozen examples given in this article of highly ineffective ways that Christians and Ex-gay proponents attempt to "con... more
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Homophobia in schools "must be tackled"
Schools should do more to tackle homophobic bullying and discrimination against gay pupils, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg says.
Two thirds of young gay people reported homophobic bullying at school and one-third said that an adult in the school community was to blame. Half of gay and lesbian students feel unable to be themselves at school and seven out of ten who have experienced homophobic bullying say it impacts directly on their school work. Worryingly, a survey has shown that half of lesbian, gay and bisexual adults who were bullied at school contemplated self-harm or suicide and four in ten had attempted it at least once.
Recognising these figures, Clegg states that schools' performance in recognising and tackling homophobia should be one of the factors assessed in official inspections. "I want better monitoring of homophobic incidents in schools. The government should be made to face up to the true extent of homophobia in schools.
According to Clegg, teachers should receive specialised training to spot and combat homophobia. "If we can ensure that the teaching environment meets homophobic bullying with teachers are confident to give proper recognition and support to gay people, we can reshape our schools into more accepting, open and supportive environments", he said. Schools should do more to tackle homophobic bullying and discrimination against gay pupils, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg says. ... more -
Could CA. gay marriage bring aftershocks for Measure 36?
Some in Oregon have watched the unfolding CA. gay marriage victory with a sense of detachment, maybe even skepticism. But, with the new victory for gay marriage in California comes an undercurrent, or maybe aftershocks. Some are starting to wonder what this could mean for OR. "for all those imagining Measure 36 has silenced discussion in Oregon... Some in Oregon have watched the unfolding CA. gay marriage victory with a sense of detachment, maybe even skepticism. But, with the ne... more
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Li-Lo's a laidback ladygardener
Female First (everyone's favourite top quality purveyor of insightful news for women) reports that Lindsay Lohan is adopting the 'passive wife' role in her rumoured lesbian relationship with DJ Samantha Ronson.
Good to see gender stereotypes are alive and well! And great to see the alleged lesbian relationship of two Hollywood stars reduced to 'playing house'! Happy (or maybe even, um, gay) days!
Are you a top or a bottom? Do you wear the skirt or the trousers? Or are you simply a human being who's active sometimes, passive at others, and generally far too good for any of this sterotyping nonsense anyway? Female First (everyone's favourite top quality purveyor of insightful news for women) reports that Lindsay Lohan is adopting the ... more -
Oregon Equality News
Last week BRO reported that the OR Supreme Court issued their decision regarding 2 of the 3 IP ballot titles: 'In the decisions, the Court agreed with some of the issues raised in the briefs on IPs 144 & 145 and returned both titles...' Next week, U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments in Lemons v. Bradbury. This may be the last... Last week BRO reported that the OR Supreme Court issued their decision regarding 2 of the 3 IP ballot titles: 'In the decisions, ... more
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Conservative gay weddings? Same-sex couples opt for traditional wedding customs
Who would have thought same-sex weddings could be this conservative? According to the Advocate, the majority of same-sex couples decide to have more or less traditional wedding ceremonies.
Given that there are no long-established homosexual wedding rituals, this might come as a surprise to those who expected gay and lesbian couples to be somewhat more innovative and daring. However, Los-Angeles-based wedding planner Wendy Rhodes, argues that her homosexual customers' wishes are quite traditional and conventional, including common features such as wedding invitations, festive music, formal attire, white wedding cake, champagne and flowers. According to Rhodes, same-sex couples "want everything they can possibly have in their wedding. People all dream of the same things when they think of a wedding.''
If this points to the fact that wedding trends have a universal quality and transgress borders of sexual orientation, a certain degree of flexibility and openness is inevitable when it comes to planning same-sex weddings. Who pays? Who walks down the aisle? Who gets the first dance? These are just some of the questions gay and lesbian couples have to deal with when planning their big day! According to Kathryn Hamm, president of GayWeddings.com, it is just a matter of time before these questions are answered and homosexual weddings become institutionalised: "The more mainstream same-sex weddings become, the more routine they'll become when it's not this interesting, sensational new thing''.
Hamm also raises the interesting point of the effect same-sex marriage will have on the way heterosexual couples deal with wedding traditions: ''The thing I'm curious about is what happens to all wedding ceremonies once there's marriage equality. How will same-sex marriages change the landscape for heterosexual couples?''
What do you think? Who would have thought same-sex weddings could be this conservative? According to the Advocate, the majority of same-sex couples decid... more -
Is there really a “homosexual agenda”?
I have heard mentioned the concept of a 'homosexual agenda,' but scoffed at it thinking it was a joke. Among people I know of who are gay, I don't ever hear about or see any evidence of a 'homosexual agenda.' So, my question: is there really a 'homosexual agenda'? I read some things on a site that were very disturbing to me. Things like... I have heard mentioned the concept of a 'homosexual agenda,' but scoffed at it thinking it was a joke. Among people I know o... more
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Gay and Christian: contradiction?
This generated church sign was inspired by a post from yesterday...
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Number of Domestic Partnerships in Oregon
I have been wondering how many domestic partnerships have been registered here in Oregon since the Oregon Family Fairness Act went into effect. I had not seen any numbers in any BRO updates lately, but I did see a little snippet tucked into an article in the Oregonian recently... I have been wondering how many domestic partnerships have been registered here in Oregon since the Oregon Family Fairness Act went int... more
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What do Mormons and gays have in common?
I would have surmised "very little." However, Republican Senator Gordon Smith of Oregon appears (in the video below at the first article link) to be likening discrimination against gays (and their desire to have equal marriage rights) to the persecution faced by his Mormon ancestors for their views on marriage. I would have surmised "very little." However, Republican Senator Gordon Smith of Oregon appears (in the video below at the f... more
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Celebrating PRIDE weekend!
It was a beautiful and wonderful weekend in Portland Oregon for "Pride Northwest"! The weather could not have been more perfect! Here are some of our pics. from the festivities! It was a beautiful and wonderful weekend in Portland Oregon for "Pride Northwest"! The weather could not have been more perf... more
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OR Equality Law opponents throw in towel on Repeal Initiatives!
Reported by Just Out: "In a stunning turn of events, David Crowe’s Concerned Oregonians group has admitted defeat and abandoned their efforts in collecting signatures for three initiative petitions designed to repeal Oregon’s two landmark civil rights laws from 2007, the Oregon Family Fairness Act and the Oregon Equality Act..." Reported by Just Out: "In a stunning turn of events, David Crowe’s Concerned Oregonians group has admitted defeat and abandoned t... more
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At the heart of a lesbian...
She was evidently a heterosexual, and stated that she did not find any humor in my personal musings contrasting my former life with my much preferred current pairing with a woman. She concluded in her post that I was merely "man bashing." Well, my disclaimers may not have done enough to communicate that my purpose was not man bashing, but no matter what I may have written to counter that assumption, I have a feeling that her response may have been the same.
What is it about the fact that (in many cases) when a person finds out that a woman is a lesbian they assume she is a... She was evidently a heterosexual, and stated that she did not find any humor in my personal musings contrasting my former life with my... more -
Saint Jude
Mary "creates art no matter what's going on". She shares some of her most despairing times and the art that accompanied it, though never without a sense of humor. Mary "creates art no matter what's going on". She shares some of her most despairing times and the art that accompanie... more
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Gay and lesbian
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Gay and lesbian
