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Man confronts Fathers 4 Justice protesters because of "Lesbo Dads" banne...
A man who fathered a child for a lesbian couple angrily confronted a group of Fathers 4 Justice protesters as they demonstrated with a banner against "Lesbo Dads".
The break-away New Fathers 4 Justice group held their first protest march in a quiet residential street in Bristol, outside the constituency office for Health Minister Dawn Primarolo.
Last week F4J was closed down by its founder Matt O'Connor, but days later, the New F4J was set up by Nigel Ace and Mark Harris, who made a rooftop protest on the house of Deputy Labour Leader Harriet Harman in June.
But their first stunt under "new management" has attracted criticism for being homophobic.
Dressed in their usual superhero attire, the members shouted slogans and played a loud siren while carrying a 10 foot banner which read "Kids need real Dads not Dawn's Lesbo Dads".
Unfortunately for the 10-strong group, Mrs Primarolo had left her office in Chessel Street 20 minutes earlier.
They claim Mrs Primarolo's backing for the Human Embryology and IVF bill signalled a dismissal of the need for a male role model in a family by making it easier for single females or lesbian couples to use sperm donors.
The disturbance attracted residents out of their houses, several of which angrily confronted the group. One man, who did not want to be named, questioned the F4J's attitude and revealed he had been a sperm donor for two lesbian friends whose baby was born six months ago.
He said: "I came out to confront them because of what I saw as blatant homophobia. I don't think they have intentionally come out to rile against homosexual rights or feminism but they are not doing themselves any favours. "The core of what they want is equality and that is what feminism and homosexual rights is about." A man who fathered a child for a lesbian couple angrily confronted a group of Fathers 4 Justice protesters as they demonstrated with a... more -
Doctors Can't Deny Lesbians Care on Religious Grounds
Ruling Was Unamimous, Unlike Legalization of Gay Marriage Case
The California Supreme Court today ruled unanimously that doctors cannot cite their religious beliefs as grounds to deny gay and lesbian patients medical care.
Justice Joyce Kennard ruled that two Christian fertility doctors who refused to artificially inseminate a lesbian couple cannot claim a free speech or religious exemption from California's anti-discrimination law.
The ruling extends a state law barring sexual orientation-based discrimination to the medical profession.
The case, which drew 40 "friends of the court" briefs, pitted gay advocacy groups against religious and medical organizations.
Guadalupe Benitez, now 36, had maintained that the California medical clinic that was treating her polycystic ovary syndrome had "dumped" her when she asked for artificial insemination.
In 1999, after a year of surgeries and hormone treatments — all covered by insurance — Benitez was finally ready to get pregnant. But at the crucial moment, her doctor refused to do the procedure for "religious" reasons.
Benitez is a lesbian and sued her doctors under California's civil rights laws, charging that they discriminated against her because of her sexual orientation.
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More at link. Ruling Was Unamimous, Unlike Legalization of Gay Marriage Case ... more -
Conflicting Same-Sex Marriage Laws Cause Headaches for Companies
The start of same-sex marriages in California on June 16 made headlines across the country. But it wasn't such a big deal for many U.S. companies. That's because these businesses already give their gay and lesbian employees many of the same benefits that they provide to their married straight workers, such as health insurance for a spouse or spousal equivalent. Still, there's a limit to what even the most progressive companies can do. Numerous benefits are governed by federal law, which does not recognize same-sex marriages performed anywhere.
The Human Rights Campaign, a Washington, D.C.-based gay rights group, conducts an annual survey of Fortune 500 employers to determine which ones offer domestic partner benefits for their gay and lesbian employees. According to HRC's most recent survey, released last December, DP benefits were provided at 56 percent, or 278 companies.
Experts say that businesses shouldn't just stick to the letter of the law. Many Massachusetts businesses give the same benefits to all employees in a same-sex relationship, whether it's a Massachusetts marriage or an out-of-state domestic partnership. They do so in an effort to retain employees and encourage diversity.
Campos thinks that's a smart policy to adopt. "Employers would be foolish to refrain from extending benefits to the same-sex spouses of their employees," she says. "There is simply no legitimate business reason to differentiate." The start of same-sex marriages in California on June 16 made headlines across the country. But it wasn't such a big deal for man... more -
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 -
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 -
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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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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Lesbian denied access to dying partner sues hospital
On Wednesday, 26th June 2008, Janice Langbehn sued the Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami for denying her the right to have access to her dying partner, Lisa Pond. The two women, who had been together for 18 years and had three children together, were about to embark on a family cruise when Pond collapsed and was rushed to hospital. Except for a 5-minute visit, Langbehn was not able to spend time with her partner as she lay dying, because the hospital did not recognise the two women as a family. In addition, after her partner's death, Langbehn was not allowed to access the death certificate, which in turn made it impossible for her to claim life insurance and Social Security benefits for their children. Langbehn is represented by Lambda Legal, the largest organisation fighting for civil rights of lesbian and gay citizens in the US. On Wednesday, 26th June 2008, Janice Langbehn sued the Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami for denying her the right to have access to ... more
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Lesbians protest in Africa
Lesbians from across Africa have called on African governments to stop treating homosexuals like criminals.
The demand came as about 75 activists gathered at a conference in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique.
Rest of article here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7266646.stm Lesbians from across Africa have called on African governments to stop treating homosexuals like criminals. ... more -
Local Vigils in Memory of Lawrence King
Make sure Lawrence is not forgotten.
Local Vigils in Memory of Lawrence King:
To organize a vigil or to see where other remembrances are being held, go to www.rememberinglawrence.org.
To join others online:
MySpace: www.myspace.com/rememberinglawrence
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8088192263
DAY OF SILENCE - 4.25.08: www.dayofsilence.org Make sure Lawrence is not forgotten. Local Vigils in Memory of Lawrence King: ... more -
Officers Oppose Allowing Gays to Serve Openly
According to a new poll, only 22 percent of U.S. military officers believe that gays and lesbians should be allowed to serve openly as a fix for recent recruiting shortfalls. The poll, conducted by the Center for a New American Security and by the journal Foreign Policy, was administered in December, 2007 and January, 2008 to 3,437 active duty and retired officers at or above the rank of major or lieutenant commander.
According to Dr. Aaron Belkin, director of the Palm Center, "these new data are consistent with other surveys which show that among the officer corps, there is little support for repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell.'" The Palm Center is a research institute at the University of California, Santa Barbara that has conducted extensive studies on gays and lesbians in the military.
The new poll included a question, "Which of the following steps do you support to increase recruiting numbers in the U.S. military (choose all that apply)." Fifty-eight percent said that the military should "allow a larger percentage of those who have GED but not a high school diploma" and 38 percent said that the draft should be reinstated. Only 7 percent said that the "use of criminal, health, and other 'waivers' for service" should be used. Respondants were not given a "don't know," "maybe" or "unsure"
option.
A more complete analysis of recent polling data of military attitudes towards gays and lesbians may be found in the new study "'Don't Ask, Don't Tell': Does the Gay Ban Undermine the Military's Reputation?" which was published in the latest issue of the journal Armed Forces and Society. Click here for the 2008 military reputation study. According to a new poll, only 22 percent of U.S. military officers believe that gays and lesbians should be allowed to serve openly as... more -
Children's Book About Same-Sex Penguin Couple Causes Flap in Virginia
A children's book about two male penguins that hatch a chick together has been pulled from school library shelves in Loudoun County, Virginia.
Parents complained that the book has a gay agenda and have called for its removal. But supporters say the book's removal is censorship. A children's book about two male penguins that hatch a chick together has been pulled from school library shelves in Loudoun Coun... more -
Homphobic "Christian" Attacks Microsoft
Dangerously Homophobic ex-football player Rev. Ken Hutcherson is asking the public to purchase shares of Mircrosoft stock and donate it to his church so that he can force Mircrosoft to remove protections for it's LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgender) employees. Microsoft was one of the first companies in the United States to offer such protections. The Rev., has had a beef with Microsoft since 2005 when they supported a Washington State Bill to protect all LGBTs in the workplace. He mounted enough opposition that Microsoft removed it's support.
On KING 5 news yesterday, Microsoft released a statement saying, "97 % of it's shareholders support Microsoft's progressive policies."
What do you think about using our stock market to advance homophobia?
Rev., Hutcherson is the head of the Antioch Bible Church in Redmond, Washington. His church can be reached at:
Antioch Bible Church
15135 NE 92nd St # 240
Redmond, WA 98052
(425) 556-5905 Dangerously Homophobic ex-football player Rev. Ken Hutcherson is asking the public to purchase shares of Mircrosoft stock and donate i... more -
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" to go bye bye?!
Some Brave Soliders are sticking up for those 65,000+ soliders in the Armed Forces who have to hide who they are to defend their country. Some Brave Soliders are sticking up for those 65,000+ soliders in the Armed Forces who have to hide who they are to defend their count... more
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ACLU, Court TV Join to Raise Awareness of Civil Rights Issues
In an unprecedented programming and public affairs initiative, the American Civil Liberties Union and Court TV are joining together to bring critical civil rights issues to a wider audience with The ACLU Freedom Files, a series of ten 30-minute episodes that strips away the sound bites to reveal how civil liberties affect us all, every day. Created by award-winning filmmaker Robert Greenwald and produced and directed by Jeremy Kagan, The ACLU Freedom Files joins the roster of Court TV issue-related programming under the In Pursuit of Justice umbrella. Combining original on-air specials, public affairs programs, civic partnerships and educational resources, In Pursuit of Justice seeks to engage the public in open discourse on controversial subjects explored by the network.
Focusing on issues including religious freedom, womens rights, gay and lesbian rights and racial profiling, The ACLU Freedom Files features real clients and the attorneys who represent them, along with well-known actors, activists and comedians, including Richard Belzer, Lewis Black, LeVar Burton, Margaret Cho, John Fugelsang, Judy Gold, Warren Hutcherson, Christine Lahti, Wendie Malick, Harry Shearer and Noah Wyle. Utilizing what Greenwald refers to as "moving media," the dynamic series uses interviews, documentary, comedy, drama, music and animation to directly engage and alert viewers to the importance of the issues currently facing the American public.
"Court TV is committed to using its diverse resources to encourage more informed dialogue among those who could change and improve our society," said Henry Schleiff, chairman and CEO of Court TV. "We strive to bring important and cause-related programming to our viewers, and this series is a natural addition to our line-up, as it raises awareness of pressing and controversial issues facing our nation. In Pursuit of Justice is our initiative that nurtures debate on and raises awareness of important judicial and social issues, and The ACLU Freedom Files not only shares that same goal but also brings the issues to life."
The collaboration with Court TV brings The ACLU Freedom Files to an even larger audience nationwide. The ACLU works tirelessly in the courts and in legislatures across America to preserve our civil liberties, but we cannot do it alone, said ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero. With our series now on Court TV, we can engage communities and foster thoughtful debate on some of the most critical civil rights issues of our day.
Greenwald added, Issues like free speech, freedom of religion, and freedom from unreasonable searches are often talked about in abstract terms, but there are very real human faces to these issues and they tend to get lost in the rhetoric. This series is going to tell those stories.
The series premiered on Link TV, the Peabody award-winning satellite television channel dedicated to providing Americans with global perspectives on news, events and culture. The ACLU Freedom Files will also be broadcast on Zilo TV, the college television network that provides programming to more than 5.5 million college students across the country In an unprecedented programming and public affairs initiative, the American Civil Liberties Union and Court TV are joining together to... more
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Gay and Lesbian Rights
