|
|
  Lt Dan Choi In an ironic bit of news today MTV reports that A Pentagon memo leaked today, appropriately Veterans Day supports the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.
Washington Post, quoting two people familiar with a draft of the report, said that it will say that the military’s lifting of the ban would result in “minimal and isolated incidents of risk to the current war efforts.”
According to the Post, more than 70 percent of respondents to a survey sent to active-duty and reserve troops this summer said the effects of a repeal would be “positive, mixed or nonexistent.” Those results reportedly led the survey’s authors to conclude that objections to gay troops would drop once they were able to live and serve openly with their peers.
In some other gay and vet’s day news, a service was held for gay vets:
Continue reading »
  Charles Kane now with his fiance I may be part of the sensationalizing media for even mentioning the story of the man who had sex reassignment surgery once to become a woman and then again to regain his manhood, but I can’t help but comment on his assertion that they should be banned because those who want a sex change are “completely deluded.” Unfortunately, I think it is Mr. Kane (formerly Ms. Kane and Mr. Hashimi) who is misguided.
In the 1980s a one Sam Hashimi, a powerful investment fund type, had a sex-change procedure to become “glamorous interior designer Samantha Kane,” a woman so convincing he says he had no problem attracting men.
Continue reading »
  Joanne Pedersen, left, and Ann Meitzen are planning to sue because federal law does not recognize their Connecticut marriage. Photo by Christopher Capozziello for The New York Times State and Federal laws often come into conflict, and gay marriage is a prime example of how confusing that confluence can be. Couples that are married in states where it is/was legal (5 states plus DC) may get all the state benefits to which they are entitled, but many benefits are given at the Federal level…which is where things get sticky…but not in a good way.
One big example of this is health insurance, which is a tough subject to tackle in itself. The New York Times reports on two cases where plaintiffs are suing the government in an effort to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a 1996 law that prohibits the federal government from recognizing marriages of same-sex couples.
Continue reading »
  Former Providence mayor and RI Congressman-elect David Cicilline. Why are gay polticians always hotter than straight ones? Although Nationally the Senate managed to keep Democratic control and locally Kitzhaber narrowly beat out Dudley, it was a pretty bleak election for queers and liberal allies. Three Iowa Judges were voted off the bench when opponents of same-sex marriage targeted them in an intense campaign to boot them off the state Supreme Court because of a unanimous ruling last year that legalized same-sex unions. But there were a few meager bright spots for queers.
Only recently have gay mayors of major cities started to become common….well at least not unheard of since the election of our own Mayor Sam Adams and Houston Mayor Annise Parker. Now, one has emerged in the South as Lexington, Kentucky elected its first openly gay mayor. Vice-Mayor Jim Gray was victorious Tuesday night in his second campaign for the city’s top job, beating incumbent Mayor Jim Newberry.
Continue reading »
  Rev. Mark Kiyimba at the 2009 UUA General Assembly Uganda has been in the LGBT news a lot lately for its upcoming bill that proposes executions for gays. Introduced in Uganda’s parliament last year, the bill would give the death penalty to any homosexual person who tests positive for HIV, and up to three years in jail for anyone who knows a gay person and does not report them. The proposal emerged after ex-Oregon Citizens Alliance communications director Scott Lively spoke to Uganda’s parliament.
It it likely to pass but there are still Ugandans working for justice in their country. One of them, Rev. Mark Kiyimba, will be in Portland this weekend.
Kiyimba, one of a small number of straight supporters of gay rights in Uganda, has risked his life by holding an LGBT conference last February in Kampala, attended by 200 people. His church runs a school for 150 orphans who lost their parents to HIV and AIDS, as well as an orphanage for 22 children infected with the virus.
Continue reading »
  Oh my, this already feels icky. The Oregonian is reporting today that a transgender motorist is suing the Portland police for more than $200,000 for alleged groping during traffic stop. The plaintiff, Chloe Lucero, claims that the officer, unfortunately named Kevin Macho, grabbed her breasts and genitalia during a search instead of waiting for a female cop.
Macho claims that, although the alleged victim’s driver’s license states she is female that she appeared outwardly male in appearance.
Continue reading »
  Stambaugh speaking at the Q Center. KATU photo Folks were shocked to hear that earlier this month a Lewis and Clark student teacher, Seth Stambaugh was let go from the Beaverton school district for revealing that he would marry a man if it were legal. There has been much discussion and outrage in the last few weeks and last Thursday the Beaverton School District voted unanimously to reinstate Stambaugh, while also issuing an apology. From Superintendent Jerry Colonna:
Continue reading »
 Law Professor John Culhane Professor of Law, Widener University 365gay.com contributor John Culhane updates us on where, exactly, things stand in the DADT mess. It is, of course, subject to change at any moment…
How long must I continue writing about “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”?
Don’t ask.
It’s hard to see this drama ending any time soon, and much of what one can write about it, from the legal perspective, is speculative and ever-changing. But this isn’t a subject I can ignore for this week’s column – there have been too many important policy and legal developments.
So let’s try to walk through what’s going on, and what might be expected. Much of what follows is necessarily speculative.
Continue reading »
  Wondering what all the royal and lavendar tones are on your Facebook today? It’s in support of LGBTQ youth in the wake of recent suicides.
It’s been decided. On October 20th, 2010, we will wear purple in honor of the 6 gay boys who committed suicide in recent weeks/months due to homophobic abuse in their homes and at their schools. Purple represents Spirit on the LGBTQ flag and that’s exactly what we’d like all of you to have with you: spirit. Please know that times will get better and that you will meet people who will love you and respect you for who you are, no matter your sexuality. Please wear purple on October 20th. Tell your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors and schools. RIP Tyler Clementi, Asher Brown, Seth Walsh, Justin Aaberg, Raymond Chase and Billy Lucas. You are loved.
Continue reading »
  To make matters even more confusing than they already were after a Federal Judge halted enforcement of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and then the government appealed this decision, military recruiters were given the go ahead today to accept openly gay recruits.
The Pentagon has advised recruiting commands that they can accept openly gay and lesbian recruit candidates, given the recent federal court decision that bars the military from expelling openly gay service members, according to a Pentagon spokeswoman.
The guidance from the Personnel and Readiness office was sent to recruiting commands on Friday, according to spokeswoman Cynthia Smith.
Continue reading »
|
|
