Gay LA Pages

Dot Gay May be on the Horizon

2011-02-08T11:07:00.000-08:00

Move over .com and make way for .gay!

...or .love, .eco, .car, .health, .radio, .ski, etc. In fact, there's a large list of all the possibilities various groups already want to see when the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) completes its tasks to implement the new Top level Domains over on the .NXT Conference site. The custom domain will also mean cities and states can have their own top level domain like .nyc or .florida. We may also see brand ones like .coke (.canon and .unicef are already listed).

What's the catch, you may ask? Having your own top level domain like this will be coming with a hefty price tag. $185,000 plus a $25,000 annual fee according to the Washington Post. Pretty big catch! Luckily, the dotGAYalliance and dotGAY will be pushing to have the .gay extension included so we may see eventually sites like hotel.gay, sports.gay, or health.gay popping up.

Unfortunately, as has happened in the past with the Bush Administration stopping the .xxx extension, the Obama administration is quietly pushing to allow countries, including the US, to veto top level domains. That then leads to the trouble that having a central domain such as .gay (or any number of potentially controversial extensions like .abortion, .aids, etc) would allow countries who aren't friendly towards a particular subject to block any domain with that extension if it was approved by the ICANN.

Confused About "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"? You're Not Alone...

2010-11-17T15:30:00.000-08:00

As one of my followers on Twitter mentioned recently, the news about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" has been less than clear. He is, of course, absolutely right as it seems things are constantly going back and forth about whether it will be repealed or not (and even if it will be included in the Defense Authorization Act this year). I've been reading the stories as they appear on various news sites and have seen everything from the White House not approving any defense bill without the repeal of DADT to the lame duck congress won't be able to pass the defense bill with or without it due to the small time span.

While I won't be able to make anything clearer about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" myself as I'm not a member of congress, at least I can do some of the legwork by giving you a list of the most informative articles I've read lately to do with DADT.

While Wikipedia has its flaws in the communal editing and potential of false information being edited in by those who aren't up on their facts or are trolling, generally, it is always a good place to look for quickly updated information and source linkes. Don't Ask, Don't Tell article on Wikipedia

Advocate.com is also another source and is where most of the articles I've been reading has stemmed from. The latest one posted as of November 16, 2010 is A Midwestern DADT Repeal Effort.

Others Articles Posted Recently

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/11/yes_dadt_repeal_could_still_pa.html

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/11/mccain_is_still_on_the_wrong_s.html

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/11/the_morning_plum_131.html

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/11/on_dadt_its_imperial_presidenc.html

http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2010/11/gates-launches-investigation-of-dont-ask-dont-tell-review-leak.html

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=131223266

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sc-dc-1114-court-gays-military-20101112,0,6155475.story

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/cindy-mccain-opposes-john-mccain-dont/story?id=12131423

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20022790-503544.html

http://www.washingtonblade.com/2010/11/17/obama-restates-commitment-on-keeping-dont-ask-in-defense-bill/

Overall, we're going to have to wait and see what comes out of the lame-duck congressional session. Taking a look through some of those links will help to piece together a semblance of where things are currently standing. If it's anything like a couple recent days though, tomorrow it may very well be a different story.

Denny's Server Stabbed for Being Gay

2010-09-20T18:29:00.000-07:00

Curtis Martin, 24, had ate at Denny's prior in the night. He came back and knocked on the window of the Denny's restaurant in Santa Maria, California.

An employee opened the door and asked to use the restroom.

Martin saw a table of employees and walked over asked if his server was gay. The server said the he was and Martin allegedly stabbed him and fled back to his car

Martin (pictured) was booked with a charge of attempted murder with a hate crime attachment.

The server suffered neck and throat wounds and is expected to survive.

Lady Gaga on Ellen after the VMA's

2010-09-13T18:02:00.000-07:00

Lady Gaga stopped by the Ellen Degeneres show after MTV's VMA's. She explained why she had US Military men with her on the red carpet. Gaga also talked about why she wore a piece of meat as one of her costume changes.

Britney Spears to Appear on GLEE

2010-08-30T11:30:00.000-07:00

Britney Spears will appear on an upcoming episode of Glee. Glee creator Ryan Murphy said, "Britney, I think 100 percent, is going to be on the episode" for a "couple of scenes," on Ryan Seacrest radio show.
Murphy teased that "the fun Britney stuff happens" when members of the show's glee club go under anesthesia at the dentist (played by John Stamos) and hallucinate about the Circus singer, 28. "They have fantasies of how they can be like her," he explained.

"The Britney episode, I'm here to say, is so reverential about her," Murphy insisted. "It's about her music and it's not about her personal life."

"Britney Spears is pop culture, and I think she' s been through a lot," he said of the divorced mom of two. "I want to do something that just sort of says, you know what, 'thank you for what you have done. And we're encouraging you to continue to be doing as fantastic as you are.'... We're handling Britney with kid gloves."

"I really admire what she's done with her life and how she's turned herself around," added Murphy, who also directed Julia Roberts' new flick Eat, Pray, Love.

Presbyterian minister who performed gay weddings church trial to begin

2010-08-23T20:40:00.000-07:00

A retired Presbyterian minister is facing a church trial for performing weddings of gay couples during the brief period when same-sex marriage was legal in California.

The Rev. Jane Spahr has been accused of publicly, intentionally and repeatedly violating church doctrine when she presided at the weddings of 16 couples between June and November of 2008.

Eleven of the couples are expected to testify as witnesses at the trial scheduled to start Tuesday at the Presbytery of the Redwoods in Napa.

It's the second time the 67-year-old Spahr has faced sanctions from the Presbyterian Church.

Kathy Griffin on the Larry King

2010-08-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

Kath
Kathy Griffin was on the Larry King show supporting Prop 8. Kathy's "My Life on the D List" has been nominated for an Emmy. The show that was nominated was when she visited a LGBT center for Teens.

Neil Patrick Harris is Expecting Twins

2010-08-16T16:28:00.000-07:00

Neil Patrick Harris announced via Twitter that he and his partner David Burtka are expecting twins later this year.

"So, get this: David and I are expecting twins this fall," Neil Tweeted. "We're super excited/nervous/thrilled. Hoping the press can respect our privacy..."

David helped a previous boyfriend raise twins, he wasn’t considered a primary parent to them.

Neil is having a big year as he is up for three Emmy’s this month - one for Best Supporting Actor Comedy for his work on "HIMYM," a second for Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for "Glee" and a third for hosting last year's Tony Awards.

BREAKING NEWS: Gay Marriage Ban Overturned in California

2010-08-04T14:19:00.000-07:00

The California Supreme Court struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriage Thursday with a 4-3 ruling. Beginning as early as June 2011 gay men and women may be able to get married in the state of California.

"I can finally say I will be able to marry John, the man that I love," said Stuart Gaffney, one of the plaintiffs in the case, referring to his partner of 21 years, John Lewis. "Today is the happiest and most romantic day of our lives."

About 100 people were outside the court to purchase copies of the decision for ten dollars each. Some people bought as many as ten to fifteen copies and plan to give them as gifts this Christmas.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who previously vetoed two bills in favor of gay marriage, issued a statement saying he "respects" the decision and "will not support an amendment to the constitution that would overturn" it.

6 gay Hawaiian Couples Sue For Same Rights as Marriage

2010-08-02T16:07:00.000-07:00

Thursday, six gay couples in Hawaii filed a lawsuit fighting for the same rights as married couples. Governor Linda Lingle vetoed a same-sex civil union three weeks ago.

The lawsuit is seeking the same benefits and responsibilities of marriage based on the Hawaii Constitution’s prohibition against sex discrimination. The lawsuit doesn’t seek for like titles of “civil unions” or “marriage”. "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."

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.

"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.

Lawyers file injunction to end military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy

2010-07-26T19:33:00.000-07:00

Attorneys for a Republican gay rights organization asked a federal judge to issue an injunction ending the military's ban on openly gay service members.

Government lawyers countered by warning U.S. District Judge Virginia A. Phillips not to overstep her bounds while ruling on the lawsuit by the Log Cabin Republicans.

This came about as both sides made closing arguments in the case at the end of a two-week trial.

It is unclear when Phillips would make a ruling on the policy that forbids openly gay personnel in the military. Legal experts say she may hold off to see if Congress is going to repeal the policy.

Attorney Dan Woods, who represents the 19,000-member Republican group, argued the policy violates the constitutional rights of gay military members to free speech, due process and open association.

The case is unique in that it is not based on an individual's complaint but rather is a sweeping attack on the policy. It is the biggest legal test of the law in recent years.

Plaintiffs presented seven expert witnesses and six military officers who have been discharged under the policy. Lawyers also submitted remarks by Obama stating "don't ask, don't tell" weakens national security.

"Even if 'don't ask, don't tell' once did further an important government interest, it no longer does so," Woods told the judge.

Kathy Griffin's Hilarious Video - Levi Johnston is Engaged!

2010-07-19T16:26:00.000-07:00

California, other states observe first Harvey Milk Day to honor gay rights icon

2010-05-24T16:02:00.001-07:00

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Events were taking place in California and across the country Saturday in observance of Harvey Milk, marking the first day of "special significance" in the West Coast state to honor the slain gay rights leader.

Along with concerts, political fundraisers and rallies in California, commemorative Harvey Milk Day events were planned in 20 other states on what would have been his 80th birthday.

In San Francisco, a dedication of a Milk plaque was set for Saturday afternoon at the site of his camera store. A free showing of the movie "Milk" was also planned in a local theatre.

In Southern California, a rally was taking place in East Los Angeles and a Harvey Milk Day of Community Service was scheduled to take place at West Hollywood Park.

Saturday's observance comes after attempts were eventually succesful in persuading California Gov. Arnold Schwarzeneggerto sign a bill establishing May 22 as Harvey Milk Day. Though it took two legislative tries, a Presidential Medal of Freedom and the 2008 movie "Milk."

Now, as the state honors the slain gay rights leader, the occasion is shaping up to be more far-reaching than its supporters anticipated.

"The creation of the first official day of recognition for any openly gay person in the history of this country has really touched people, many of whom have been closeted in life or faced rejection or government discrimination which continues to this day," said Geoffrey Kors, executive director of the gay rights group Equality California.

Milk was the first openly gay man to win elected office in a major U.S. city. He was a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1978 when he and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated at City Hall by former supervisor Dan White.

He is credited with helping defeat a ballot initiative that would have prevented gay teachers from working in public schools.

The range of activities planned in his memory — concerts, voter canvassing to repeal California's gay marriage ban, and students at some schools handing out malted milk balls and Milk Duds — speaks to Milk's singularly iconic place in gay rights history and the public's continued polarization on gay rights issues.

Demonstrations in St. Louis, Savannah, Ga., Fulton, Miss., and other cities are aimed at putting pressure on Congress to repeal the ban on gays serving openly in the military and to pass a law protecting gays and transgender people from job discrimination.

In Milk's adopted home state, however, few public schools marked the occasion, despite language in the California bill that created it specifically encouraging schools to conduct educational activities around it.

Having May 22 fall on a Saturday this year may have muted the celebrations. But a conservative group's call for parents to pull their children out of class probably had an effect as well, said Carolyn Laub, executive director of the Gay-Straight Alliance Network, a San Francisco group that trains students to be gay rights advocates.

At San Juan Hills High School in Orange County, Calif., where scheduled state achievement tests prevented classroom activities, 15-year-old Benji Delgadillo and other members of the school's Gay-Straight Alliance Club sold Harvey milkshakes and handed out fliers after school explaining who Milk was.

"Harvey Milk is a civil rights icon who sparked a movement that today is really helping to address the issues of harassment that lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer or gender non-conforming students face in our school and our community," Delgadillo said.

Events planned for Saturday include the premiere of a musical based on Milk's life written by Dustin Lance Black, the screenwriter who won an Oscar for "Milk" the movie, and performed by the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles. The chorus plans to take the piece into high schools next year as part of project to prevent anti-gay bullying.

Stuart Milk, Harvey Milk's 49-year-old nephew and one of the guardians of his legacy, thinks his uncle would be thrilled by the various tributes, but he also wants his day to be more about uniting all marginalized minorities than merely about gay rights or the accomplishments of one man.

"It's still a hard concept for people to get," Stuart Milk said. "This isn't about having a Harvey Milk curriculum in every school. It's an opportunity to talk about what discrimination means and why it's important for everyone to feel included."

Gay rights group, 'Glee' creator demand apology from Newsweek for story on gay actors

2010-05-17T16:23:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A gay rights group is demanding an apology from Newsweek magazine for a recent story that the group says suggested gay actors can't play straight characters.

"An actor's personal life should not be a factor in their believability in a role," said Jarrett Barrios, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. "That would be tantamount to audiences not buying Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl as lovers in their upcoming film 'Killers' because the two are happily married to different people in real life."

GLAAD spokesman Rich Ferraro said the magazine has not offered the apology sought by the group, but that the topic was discussed with Barrios and Dustin Lance Black, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of "Milk," during a Q&A with Newsweek on Wednesday. He said he believed that discussion would be published in the next issue.

Some Hollywood stars blasted the magazine and writer Ramin Setoodeh for an April 26 story that said it was OK for straight actors to play gay roles, but "it's rare for someone to pull off the trick in reverse."

In the story, Setoodeh criticized Sean Hayes' latest leading-man performance on Broadway, writing that the openly gay actor "comes off as wooden and insincere, like he's trying to hide something, which of course he is."

Ryan Murphy, creator of the hit Fox series "Glee," called for a boycott of the magazine until it apologizes to its gay readers, Hayes and "and other brave out actors who were cruelly singled out in this damaging, needlessly cruel and mind-blowingly bigoted piece."

Kristin Chenoweth, who stars opposite Hayes in "Promises, Promises" on Broadway, defended her co-star and denounced the Newsweek article in a letter to the editor.

"No one needs to see a bigoted, factually inaccurate article that tells people who deviate from heterosexual norms that they can't be open about who they are and still achieve their dreams," she wrote.

Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, however, defended the magazine and its writer in an essay published Wednesday by The Huffington Post website.

Sorkin blamed the tabloid-fueled drive to know every detail about performers' personal lives and the institutionalized homophobia found in the American military, and national marriage and adoption laws.

Newsweek did not respond to a call and e-mail seeking comment Wednesday.

Episcopal church in Los Angeles ordains 2 women, including the church's 2nd openly gay bishop

2010-05-17T16:18:00.001-07:00

LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — The Episcopal Church has consecrated a woman as its second openly gay bishop, seven years after stirring lingering controversy by ordaining a man to a similar post.

The Rev. Canon Mary Glasspool, of Baltimore, was ordained and consecrated on Saturday. It also makes her one of the first two female bishops in the Diocese of Los Angeles' 114-year history.

She was installed at Long Beach Arena before 3,000 people, who burst into applause at the end, church spokesman Bob Williams said.

Just before the ceremony began, a man stood, shouted about the need to repent and held up a sign that read "Do not be deceived, homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God."

After he was escorted out, a young boy in the same section rose holding a Bible and shouted similar slogans. Security guards also led him out.

The Rev. Canon Diane M. Jardine Bruce, of San Clemente, Calif., was also ordained Saturday.

The two women were elected last December to serve as assistant bishops in the diocese's six-county territory but conservative Episcopalians had urged the church not to ordain Glasspool. The decision to do so highlights a continued Episcopal commitment to accepting same-sex relationships despite enormous pressure from other Anglicans.

Bishop Jon Bruno, who gave a sermon at the ceremony, said he once opposed ordaining women, but now would be happily serving alongside two.

Bruno defended the church's inclusive policies.

"The world's transformed only if we turn to each and every one of our brothers and sisters and see the face of Christ superimposed on them," he told the audience. "The ones we disagree with most are the ones we're obligated to share our lives and teach the most."

The Episcopal Church, which is the Anglican body in the United States, caused turmoil in the church in 2003 by consecrating the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.

Breakaway Episcopal conservatives have formed a rival church, the Anglican Church in North America.

Several overseas Anglicans have been pressuring Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, spiritual leader of the world's 77 million Anglicans, to officially recognize the new conservative entity.

In 2004, Anglican leaders asked the Episcopal Church for a moratorium on electing another gay bishop while they tried to prevent a permanent break in the fellowship.

Since the request was made, some Episcopal gay priests have been nominated for bishop, but none was elected before Glasspool. In July 2009, the Episcopal General Convention, the U.S. church's top policy making body, affirmed that gay and lesbian priests were eligible to become bishops.

Glasspool and Bruce, who leaves her post as pastor of St. Clement's Episcopal Church in San Clemente, will also be the 16th and 17th women to be elected bishops since the first, Barbara Harris, was selected for such a post in Massachusetts in 1988.

Harris was one of seven bishops who helped consecrate Glasspool at Saturday's ceremony.

Glasspool, 56, an adviser, or canon, for eight years to the Diocese of Maryland's bishop, said in an essay on the Los Angeles diocese Web site that she had an "intense struggle" while in college with her sexuality and the call to become a priest.

She did not speak Saturday, but told a gathering of media Friday that the church's willingness to ordain women and gays shows a commitment that goes beyond mere inclusive language.

"We are being the church we say we are," Glasspool said. "We're not just saying it, we're doing it and there's something very powerful about that."

Betty White on Saturday Night Live NPR Segment

2010-05-10T20:15:00.000-07:00

Gates warns against quick repeal of ‘don’t ask’

2010-05-03T17:18:00.001-07:00

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told Congress Friday that he strongly opposes any immediate legislative attempts to repeal or alter the ban on gays serving openly in the military.

Gates supports the eventual repeal of the ban. But in a letter to the House Armed Services Committee, Gates said that before Congress acts, he wanted the Pentagon to first finish its review of the impact of any potential changes and develop an implementation plan.

Changing the law before the assessment is complete, Gates wrote, "would send a very damaging message to our men and women in uniform that in essence their views, concerns, and perspectives do not matter on an issue with such a direct impact and consequence for them and their families."

While Gates previously has cautioned against a repealing the law before the assessment is complete, he used his strongest language yet in the letter to the House committee.

President Obama, in his State of the Union address, said he would work with Congress and the military to repeal the law "this year."

Gates has set a December timetable for completing a review of the impacts of changing the 1993 "don't ask, don't tell" law, which bars gays and lesbians from serving openly.

Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said that the review committee has only begun its work, and the Defense Departmentwill not be able to provide input on how the law should be changed until they better understand the impact it will have on the force.

"This process is still in its early stages, particularly in regards to getting input from our troopers," Morrell said. "That effort is only a couple weeks old."

Some House and Senate Democrats have pushed to try and repeal the law or put in place a temporary moratorium on discharges as part of this year's Defense authorization act.

Rep. Ike Skelton (D.-Mo.), the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, asked Gates to for his views on whether Congress should adjust the law this year.

In his letter, Gates said it was critical that military members be allowed to express their opinions before any legal changes were made.

"Our military must be afforded the opportunity to inform us of their concerns, insights, and suggestions if we are to carry out this change successfully," Gates wrote.

Pushing back any change until after the review has been completed would ensure that the debate would take place after the mid-term elections, potentially making the politics slightly less contentious.

Defense officials brush aside talk of political motives, however. They argue the Pentagon is moving aggressively, but must sort through many issues, such as recruitment, health care, housing and family support.

"This issue touches all that we do and all that we are, and therefore it needs to be thoroughly studied," Morrell said. "But this is not an indefinite study. The secretary has set a hard deadline on this."

Some Pentagon officials also argue that the assessment period will give military officials time to adjust to a change in the policy. Military leaders say they need time to make sure non-commissioned officers tell their troops that discrimination or hazing against openly gay service members will not be tolerated.

Gates has emphasized that pushing social changes through the military must be done carefully.

"Secretary Gates has said time and time again that he has done change smart and he has done change stupid and he is determined to not let this be done stupidly," Morrell said.

Lesbian case in Miami highlighted denial of hospital visitation rights

2010-04-19T15:44:00.001-07:00

The Miami case of a lesbian who was denied access to her stricken partner at Jackson Memorial Hospital is a leading example of why President Obama has ordered a change in visitation rights.

The president on Thursday ordered new rules requiring hospitals that receive U.S. funds to provide visitation rights, including access for gay and lesbian partners.

The action was inspired by pleas for fairness from the gay community and lawsuits including one filed in 2008 by a lesbian couple in Miami.

Janice Langbehn and Lisa Marie Pond were headed on a cruise from Miami in February 2007 to celebrate their 18 years together when Pond suffered a massive stroke on board the ship before it left port. She was rushed to Jackson, where administrators refused to let Langbehn into Pond's room.

A social worker told them they were in an "anti-gay city and state."

Langbehn filed a federal lawsuit charging Jackson with negligence and "anti-gay animus."

Pond, 39, was pronounced dead of a brain aneurysm about 18 hours after being admitted. Langbehn said she was allowed in to see her partner only for about five minutes as a priest gave Pond the last rites.

"I never thought almost 20 years of love and family could be disregarded in an instant," Langbehn, a social worker from Lacey, Wash., said at the time.

At a Miami news conference, Langbehn, broke down when she recalled the eight hours she and her three adopted children sat in a waiting room.

"As I sat there wracking my brain, I would go outside and scream into the Miami night," she said. "I felt like a failure for not being there holding her hand."

Sun Sentinel

Calif. legislative panel advances bill that would end state research into homosexuality cure

2010-04-12T13:10:00.000-07:00

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers narrowly advanced a bill Tuesday that would repeal a state law designed to find the causes and cures of homosexuality.

The law, written in 1950, classifies homosexuals as "sexual deviants" and requires the state Department of Mental Health to conduct research on "deviations conducive to sex crimes against children." The research would be used to help identify potential sex offenders.

The bill moved out of the Assembly Committee on Public Safety on a 4-0 vote, with one Democrat and two Republican members abstaining from voting. They said the law's reference to homosexuality should be removed but that they want the state to continue researching sex crimes.

California put the law on the books as a response to public outcry after a series of sex crimes in Los Angeles, which included the rape and murder of a 6-year-old girl. The murderer, who openly confessed his crime, was not gay.

"Even then, there was no legal justification to say that gay people needed to be understood and cured in the exact same way as sexual predators who rape and kill children," said Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, who sponsored the bill.

"For us to leave it there would be wrong," she said.

Lowenthal said California has not conducted research into homosexuality for decades, but did release several reports that examined hormone levels, physical characteristics and parental relationships of its subjects.

The American Psychiatric Association listed homosexuality as a mental disorder until 1973.

"This code simply mischaracterizes and institutes bigotry against the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community," said Mario Guerrero, a director of Equality California, a gay-rights group.

Guerrero stressed that his organization supports child safety and credible research, but not the research that was brought about by the law.

The legislators who withheld support Tuesday said they preferred to strip the language about homosexual behavior from the law and leave in the provisions requiring the state to conduct research into the causes of sex crimes.

"This is probably one of my saddest moments as a legislator, because you know where my heart is on what you're trying to do," said Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-Pasadena, who abstained from voting. "It's offensive that somebody 60 years ago would try to include that as a disorder when we know it's not."

Assemblymen Curt Hagman, R-Diamond Bar, and Danny Gilmore, R-Hanford, abstained from voting for similar reasons.

Lowenthal said that the research would be better left to universities than the state.

"At this time, we certainly don't need to be spending the money," she said.

Aside from the lawmakers who abstained, no one voiced opposition to the bill. But a group called Parents and Friends of ExGays and Gays, also known as PFOX, sent a letter to Lowenthal stating that research into the causes of homosexuality is a legitimate form of science that benefits both ex-gay and gay communities.

The national organization advocates for the ex-gay community, stating that no one is born homosexual. They distribute religious and scientific information on the topic.

"Being able to research the cure for those types of emotions is the way we have hope," said Jeralee Smith, the PFOX California Educational Director, in a phone interview.

Smith, 61, believes research into the causes and cures of homosexuality should be continued, and called the move to end funding offensive.

Smith said she was molested by a woman when she was 16. She added that she spent most of her life in same-sex relationships, found it very painful, and later reoriented her thought patterns to what she called healthier ways.

Smith said she doesn't think sex offenders are predominantly homosexuals, but that she doesn't think they should excluded from research on the topic.

"I just don't think any door should be closed when we're trying to stop attacks on children," Smith said.
Orlando Sentinel

Making Sense of the Cenus:

2010-03-29T18:10:00.000-07:00

In Mexico, gay couples celebrate historic weddings

2010-03-15T18:18:00.000-07:00

MEXICO CITY —

Two glowing brides in matching white gowns and four other same-sex couples made history in Mexico City on Thursday as they wed under Latin America's first law that explicitly approves gay marriage.

Mayor Marcelo Ebrard was a guest of honor at the weddings of Judith Vazquez and Lol Kin Castaneda and the other couples who tied the knot in a city building, despite harsh criticism from the Roman Catholic Church and a campaign against the measure by President Felipe Calderon's conservative National Action Party.

Vazquez, a 45-year-old small-business owner, and Castaneda, a 33-year-old psychologist, signed and put their thumb print on the official documents. Then they sealed their union with a kiss amid cheers from family and friends gathered in the colonial-era building's courtyard, decorated with calla lilies, banners with the colors of Mexico's flag and a sign that read "Tolerance, Liberty, Equality, Solidarity."

"This is the mark of freedom," said Vazquez, raising her thumb.

Vazquez said she and Castaneda have considered themselves married ever since they moved in together six years ago.

"The difference today is that the state will recognize it," she said while getting her hair done at home before the wedding. "This is a victory for all. ... For us this is a day of celebration."

Mexico City's legislature passed the first law explicitly giving gay marriages the same status as heterosexual ones in December. The legislation also allows same-sex couples to adopt children.

For now the law applies only to residents of Mexico City, though a marriage performed in one state must be recognized in the rest of the country.

"Today is a historic day in Mexico City," said Judge Hegel Cortes, who officiated the weddings. "With the signing of these marriage certificates, we leave behind the traditional idea of a family and we allow for two people, regardless of sexual orientation, to get married."

Thursday's weddings are not the first of their kind in Latin America, although they are the first approved under legislative authority.

In December, two Argentine men were wed in a civil ceremony by a sympathetic governor and with court approval. But interpretations vary on whether Argentine law allows same-sex unions, and the question is now before that country's Supreme Court.

Argentina's constitution is silent on whether marriage must be between a man and a woman, effectively leaving the matter to provincial officials. A law specifically legalizing gay marriage has stalled in Congress since October.

The new law in Mexico's capital district, which is home to roughly 8 million people, has been closely watched in the United States, where same-sex marriage is legal in the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Iowa, Vermont, Connecticut and New Hampshire.

In New York, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force spokesman Pedro Julio Serrano cheered the milestone.

"People in the United States can look up to Mexico City and see a courageous legislature taking a stand," he said. "It's a model to follow."

Federal prosecutors are attempting to overturn the law, which Mexico City lawmakers argue simply gives same-sex couples the rights that heterosexual couples have regarding social security and other benefits.

The Catholic Church has hotly criticized the law, especially its provision letting same-sex couples adopt children - something several couples said they are considering.

On Thursday, the Archdiocese of Mexico accused the city government of approving a "perverse and immoral law."

"It may be legal, but it will never be moral," spokesman Hugo Valdemar Romero said in a statement.

Outside the city building, about two dozen protesters held banners that read "one man plus one woman equals marriage."

"A family is formed by a father and a mother," said Teresa Vazquez, a 51-year-old homemaker and member of a group opposed to same-sex marriage. "And I don't agree with their idea that a couple of two men is a family, because it's not and it's a bad example for children.

Seattle Times

Senators: Lift lifetime ban on gay men donating blood

2010-03-08T17:52:00.001-08:00

WASHINGTON (AP) — The time has come to change a policy that imposes a lifetime ban on donating blood for any man who has had gay sex since 1977, 18 senators said Thursday.

"Not a single piece of scientific evidence supports the ban," said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., who joined 16 other Democrats and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont in writing Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg.

The lawmakers stressed that the science has changed dramatically since the ban was established in 1983 at the advent of the HIV-AIDS crisis. Today donated blood must undergo two different, highly accurate tests that make the risk of tainted blood entering the blood supply virtually zero, they said.

The senators said that while hospitals and emergency rooms are in urgent need of blood products, "healthy blood donors are turned away every day due to an antiquated policy and our blood supply is not necessarily any safer for it."

Brian Moulton, chief legislative counsel for the Human Rights Campaign,the nation's largest gay rights group, said they are hopeful that the policy, last reviewed in 2006, will change under President Barack Obama, "who is interested in looking at all the policies that have a discriminatory effect." The goal, he said, is "to have policies in place that are based on the science" rather than "any discriminatory idea about our community."

The senators' letter noted that in March 2006, the American Red Cross, America's Blood Centers and the American Association of Blood Banks reported to an FDA-sponsored workshop that the ban "is medically and scientifically unwarranted."

The FDA, in a statement, said that "while FDA appreciates concerns about perceived discrimination, our decision to maintain the deferral policy is based on current science and data and does not give weight to a donor's sexual orientation."

It said that while some groups favor relaxing restrictions, others, "such as those representing the hemophilia community, support continuation of the current policy."

People with hemophilia, a bleeding disorder, require periodic transfusions and in the past, before screening techniques were improved to ensure blood was HIV-free, were among those most at risk of contracting the virus.

Kerry compared the effort to lift the blood donation ban to legislation he backed in 2008 to end the law banning people with HIV from traveling and immigrating to the United States. That ban was lifted last year.

Also signing the letter were Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Dick Durbin and Roland Burris of Illinois, Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, Mark Udall and Michael Bennet of Colorado, Al Franken of Minnesota, Maria Cantwell of Washington, Carl Levin of Michigan, Tom Harkin of Iowa, and Mark Begich of Alaska.
Orlando Sentinel

Real Housewives' Kim Zolciak Steps Out With Girlfriend

2010-03-01T18:14:00.001-08:00

Forget Big Papa.

Real Housewives of Atlanta's Kim Zolciak has a new girlfriend, UsMagazine.com can exclusively reveal.

PDA! See pics of stars who can't keep their hands off each other

Zolciak, 31, stepped out with her love of three months, DJ Tracy Young, at the Blacks' Annual Gala in Miami Beach on Saturday.

Young, who made a remix of Zolciak's song "Tardy for the Party," was overheard saying, "We're really happy!"

VIDEO: See the latest Housewives drama

A source tells Us, "Tracy broke up with her longtime girlfriend to be with Kim. Since they've been together, Tracy lost a lot of weight and got really skinny for Kim. They seem to be beyond happy with each other."

Last week, Real Housewives of New York star Simon van Kempen (who is married to Alex McCord) hinted to Us that Zolciak's sexuality would be a storyline on the Bravo reality series.

"The rumor is that Kim Zolciak will come out this season," he told Us at the Season 3 screening party at Tenjune in NYC.

See reality TV's biggest catfights

A rep for Bravo had no comment.

US Magazine

Top Marine opposes gays in military

2010-03-01T17:47:00.000-08:00

The commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps said Thursday that gays should not be allowed to serve openly in the military, becoming the most senior commander to break from President Obama's goal of lifting a 17-year-old ban.

Gen. James T. Conway, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the policy known as "don't ask, don't tell," should be left alone.

"I think the current policy works," said Conway, a who led the Marines during the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. "My best military advice to this committee, to the secretary, to the president would be to keep the law such as it is."

Conway's stance is considered critical, because it shows there are sharp disagreements among top officers and within the Joint Chiefs of Staff about whether to allow gays and lesbians to serve. Opposition from military leaders helped derail earlier efforts to lift the ban, most notably former President Bill Clinton's push in 1993 to overturn the ban.

Unlike previous attempts to ease rules, however, top Pentagon officials have come out in favor of a change. Adm. Michael G. Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said earlier this month that he wants a new policy and said allowing gays to serve was a matter of "integrity." Republicans opposed to changing the policy have complained that Mullen's views do not represent those of other senior military leaders.

The chiefs of the various military services have been testifying before the House and Senate this week, and lawmakers have questioned them about the Obama administration's plans to try and overturn the 1993 law that bars gays and lesbians from serving openly. Since the law was passed, about 14,000 service members have been removed from the military because of their sexual orientation.

During their testimony, none of the chiefs backed Mullen's position by calling for an end to the ban. But all of the chiefs, including Conway, have supported Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' plan to study the effect of changing of the law.

Conway has taken positions at odds with top Pentagon officials in the past but has not publicly addressed the issue of gays in the military. He testified before House members a day earlier, but did not offer a personal opinion on gays. Conway is due to step down and retire this summer when his term as commandant is up.

He told lawmakers that any policy change should not be judged by its fairness to gays, but by its impact on the military.

"My personal opinion is that unless we can strip away the emotion, agenda and politics and ask [whether] we somehow enhance the war-fighting of the United States Marine Corps by allowing homosexuals to openly serve, then we haven't addressed it from the correct perspective," Conway said.
Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary, said that Conway was fulfilling his "statutory responsibility" to the Senate to provide his best military advice when asked. But Morrell emphasized that Conway and the other service chiefs each supported Gates' proposal on how to address the issue.

"Before we do anything, before Congress takes any action on this, we need the rest of this year, or thereabouts, to review the potential impact of a change in this law on the force," Morrell said.

Many defense officials who support changing the law favor a gradual shift. They believe that unlike 1993, when the military helped scuttle Clinton's attempt to change the policy, many senior officers will fall in line with Obama.

Conway was challenged, gently, by Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), who supports changing the law, and has said he plans to introduce legislation to allow gays to serve openly.

"I hope we conclude that repealing ‘don't ask don't tell' will enhance military readiness," Lieberman said.

Some advocacy groups were more direct. Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Fund, said any law that pushes out qualified troops during wartime undermines military readiness and effectiveness.

"General Conway was the only chief to say to Congress this week that the law is ‘working,'" Sarvis said. "It is not working."
Orlando Sentinel

"Bring It! I Love It!" CPAC Speaker Gets Booed For Condemning CPAC For Inviting Gay Organization

2010-02-22T20:32:00.000-08:00

Gay Dutch Speed Skater Ireen Wüst Isn't Happy Her Sexuality Became an Olympic Story

2010-02-15T16:47:00.001-08:00

"Athletes who are gay have nothing material to gain by coming out publicly," says former collegiate cross-country skier Ryan Quinn, a gay National Guard member who competed in the 2006 Winter Olympics. The quote appears in an article on the gay sports website Outsports, whose editor Jim Buzinski notes, "There are no publicly gay athletes at the Winter Olympics that we know of." That's not true. Dutch speed skater Ireen Wüst, who is competing in Vancouver and took home gold for the 3000m race at the 2006 Games, is openly gay. But after all the attention on her sexuality, she might agree with Mr. Quinn about the pitfalls of being an out athlete.

Wüst (pictured, left) came out publicly in the most normal of ways: in print. (Isn't that how you did it?) "In a Dutch magazine, published in October 2009, the skater casually mentioned she had been in a relationship with her girlfriend since May of that year," relays Eurout. "That girlfriend turned out to be short track speed skater Sanne van Kerkhof [pictured, right]."

An Olympic competitor dating another Olympic competitor? Quelle horreur!

Except it makes a great story whether the Olympic athlete is gay or not. But Wüst (pronounced VOOST) doesn't see it that way.

“I want to talk about ice skating”, Wüst said in a recent interview. “You are not asking Sven Kramer (Dutch, European and World All-round Champion, Ed.) about how his relationship is going. So why would you ask me? If I would’ve had a relationship with a guy, you wouldn’t have asked me either.”

Perhaps not. Unless that guy was also an Olympic athlete. (Van Kerkhof competed in the 3000m relay.) Or maybe we're giving the media too much credit. Where heterosexuality is the norm, any story outside that realm becomes juicy. Unless you're of the Michael Phelps star caliber, where anyone you hug becomes a story worth reporting.

But maybe the media's interest will die out as quickly as it arose: Wüst placed seventh in yesterday's 3000m race.

Queerty