The Bilerico Project

Sacred Heart Still Says No Graduation Speech for Gay Alumni

Waymon Hudson — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 10:00:00 -0500

Principal Denny Starnes from Mount Pleasant, Michigan's Sacred Heart Academy spoke Friday in front of the student body about the controversial decision to uninvite Dominic Sheahan-Stahl as graduation speaker because he is gay. Sheahan-Stahl, a Sacred Heart alumni and older brother of a current graduate, was asked in the fall to give the keynote address at the May 20th graduation, but was then told he was "no longer welcome" to speak when the school and Bishop Joseph R. Cistone of the Diocese of Saginaw learned he was gay after reading on Facebook about his engagement to his partner, Nathan.

Starnes confirmed that the school and diocese were standing by their decision to bar Sheahan-Stahl from giving the keynote "Putting Faith Over Fear" at his younger brother's graduation.

During the emotional announcement, Starnes expressed personal conflict over the decision to bar Sheahan-Stahl from speaking at graduation, saying, "This is hard for me. Denny Starnes is not the diocese, not the Catholic Church. I'm torn. My family expects me to do the right thing - God bless this school for having students and parents for standing up and getting behind what they believe. It's not the same as the diocese, which I respect. They don't share the same view on outcome."

Starnes made it clear that while he did not agree with the decision of the Saginaw Diocese, his feelings were trumped by the church's teachings and the decision of Bishop Cistone, telling attendees to expect a separate announcement from the bishop's office. Along with his emotional speech, Starnes fueled speculation that he had either been fired or would quit over the issue when he told underclassman he would not be there for them in the future, saying, "Remember this message, I will not be here to remind you. If you're willing to cast first stone, think first."

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Campaign 2012: The GOP 'Moderate' Myth

Waymon Hudson — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 10:00:00 -0500

As the Republican presidential primary mud fight continues, one of the main attacks being bandied about between the remaining candidates is that their GOP opponents are 'moderate.' That's right - moderate, defined as 'keeping within reasonable limits,' is an evil word in Republican circles and a favorite attack on one's opponent. It is the main attack against Romney, who was the governor of conservative's favorite punching bag state - Massachusetts. It has also been thrown at Gingrich for (gasp!) sitting on a couch with Nancy Pelosi in a commercial to talk about global warming. Even extremist Rick Santorum was called a 'war-mongering moderate' by Rand Paul, son of candidate Ron Paul.

Moderate is the scarlet letter of the Right. Yet moderate or reasonable views are a complete myth among the remaining crop of GOP presidential candidates.

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Low Voter Turnout & LGBT Rights

Waymon Hudson — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 17:00:00 -0500

There certainly is a definable lack of enthusiasm in voters as the GOP presidential primary fight marches through the states. In the Illinois Tuesday primary vote, for example, only 308,063 of 1,288,293 registered voters bothered to hit the polls in Chicago (breaking down as 47,233 Republican, 260,684 Democratic, 111 Green Party, and 35 nonpartisan voters). Voter turnout was in the low 20%, making it the lowest turnout for a presidential primary in over 70 years- a phenomena echoed in many of the previous primary states. While the voter apathy could be chalked up to Obama's uncontested Democratic presidential primary and the lackluster Republican primary clown car candidates, low voter turnout has real consequences in every race up and down the ticket.

If the trend holds, low voter turnout and lack of enthusiasm could have a larger impact in the November elections, especially when it comes to LGBT rights.

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The Danger of a Malleable Mitt Romney

Waymon Hudson — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 09:30:00 -0500

There is no doubt that the Republican presidential primary has been a slow implosion of the political right. Beltway common wisdom is that social conservatives hate Mitt Romney because of his seemingly inauthentic core values and repeated flip-flopping on virtually every issue, especially the all important "culture wars." This weakness has led to the parade of not-ready-for-primetime fringe characters who have risen and just as quickly fallen, like Michelle Bachmann, Herman Cain, Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich, and now Rick Santorum. All have challenged Mitt Romney from the far right, leading to the myth of a "moderate Mitt."

Yet these weaknesses in Romney that have made him an easy target for challengers, his flip-flopping and malleability, are exactly what make him the most dangerous possible president in the race.

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Illinois Looking Toward Marriage Equality

Waymon Hudson — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:00:00 -0500

A group of Illinois legislators and civil rights organizations have started holding meetings to strategize on moving from civil unions to full marriage equality for LGBT couples. Illinois state representatives Greg Harris, Deb Mell, Ann Williams, Kelly Cassidy, Sara Feigenholtz, and State Senator Heather Steans, as well as groups like Equality Illinois, Log Cabin Republicans, the ACLU, Lambda Legal, The Civil Rights Agenda, and the Human Rights Campaign are looking at how to move forward legislatively on marriage rights for same-sex couples.

Representative Greg Harris told The Windy City Times that the legislation wouldn't be introduced until 2013 at the earliest, as well as gave some insight on how difficult it could be:

I do not delude myself into thinking this will be an easy process. But we need to take the first step. We have to be ready to stand up and defend the gains that we've made and to look toward the next steps."

The road ahead for marriage equality in the state does indeed look difficult, but not impossible.

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Springfield, IL Reinstates Civil Union Benefits After Public Outcry

Waymon Hudson — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:00:00 -0500

After raising a firestorm of anger and disbelief, the Springfield, Illinois Joint Labor/Management Insurance Committee voted to unanimously reinstate health benefits for the civil union-ed partners of city employees. This was a complete reversal from the December decision that shocked and angered LGBT activists and civil rights organizations. The committee had voted to keep its current eligibility standards for insurance for the next fiscal year and not extend benefits to same-sex spouses, despite the new civil union law which extended the same legal rights as marriage to same-sex partners. The move left partners of city employees in civil unions out in the cold for benefits.

The committee said their decision was purely fiscal, initially claiming costs for the benefits would be nearly $750,000. Committee co-chair Melina Tomaras-Collins, who is also the city's director of human resources, called the move strictly a "cost saving measure" and went on to explain equality vs fiscal concerns:

"It's not an issue of what's right or wrong. It becomes a matter of what you can do with resources you have."

Yet a revised estimate for the six affected couples was only $66,000. More importantly than that, saying that civil rights can be trampled on and disregarded to save a few bucks is a ridiculous and dangerous argument to make in the first place.

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Catholic Charities Ends Illinois Anti-Gay Adoption Lawsuit

Waymon Hudson — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 11:00:00 -0500

The legal battle between Catholic Charities and the state of Illinois over the organization's state-funded adoption and foster care contracts, and their refusal to grant those services to same-sex couples in civil unions, is finally over. The dioceses of Joliet, Springfield, and Belleville released a statement saying they were withdrawing their lawsuit with "reluctance."

Illinois ended the over $30 million dollars in annual contracts with Catholic Charities after the organization said they would refuse to offer its tax-payer funded services to same-sex couples in civil unions. Roughly 25% of adoption services paid for by the state and by tax dollars were provided by Catholic Charities. Those services are now available to the over 1,600 couples in civil unions in Illinois, which means more potential homes for kids in need of a loving family that will be judged by what is best for the child and not by religious belief or dogma.

The legal battle had not been going well for Catholic Charities. Circuit Judge John Schmidt had ruled earlier that the state does not have to renew its foster and adoption contracts with Catholic Charities, denied the group's emergency request for a stay of his decision, and refused to reconsider his ruling. The state has already been transitioning the group's 2,000 foster care and adoption cases to other agencies that comply with the newly enacted Illinois Religious Freedom and Civil Union Act.

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Marriage Equality comes to Archie Comics' Riverdale

Waymon Hudson — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 12:00:00 -0500

In a move that only proves the growing acceptance and inevitability of full marriage rights for gay people, Archie Comics is getting ready to ring some gay wedding bells in Riverdale. Kevin Keller, the first openly gay character in Archie Comics that was introduced about a year ago, is getting married.

In the year since he was introduced in the April issue of the comic "Veronica", Kevin Keller has become one of the most popular characters Archie Comics has had in years. The character, who has also served in the military in the comics, had a limited series this summer and there is a planned regular ongoing comic starting in February of next year. The character's nuptials will be taking place in January, says Archie Comics:

The amazingly popular Kevin Keller is featured in the twenty-something world of 'Life With Archie.' Kevin followed in his father's foot steps and is returning to Riverdale as a war hero, but that's not all - It's Kevin's wedding day! The whole gang turns out for Kevin Keller's wedding as we discover how Kevin met "Mr. Right." It's not all hearts and flowers, however. Unfortunately, this all occurs during the separation of Archie and Veronica. Archie Comics presents the wedding event of the year ... again!

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9-11 Remembered: A Flight Attendant's Tale

Waymon Hudson — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 10:00:00 -0500

Author's Note: I was asked to repost my first hand recollection of September 11th again this year. I think it's important that we remember what happened and how we reacted as individuals and as a nation, especially in light of the recent abhorrent and repugnant bigotry, divisions, and fear that many have stoked in the name of scoring political points.

It's hard to believe it has been ten years. Looking back at the terrorist attacks of September 11th, it's easy to see it as the event that has shaped politics and the direction of our country, for good and bad, for an entire generation. For me, however, it is a highly personal experience and one that is not easily boiled down into a bumper-sticker or a stump speech talking point. Back in my pre-political life, I was a flight attendant and was in the air on September 11th, 2011 working a flight from New York City to Florida.

I worked for an airline that has live TV's in every seat, so we were some of the few people in the air that actually watched the horrors of that day unfold live. It all started normally enough. The crew of 6 met for the early morning flight, expecting a short trip to Tampa and back. The plane was full of people and we had a quiet, low-key service, chatting with the few passengers who were awake.

Then it happened.

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Judge: Illinois Can Drop Catholic Charities Over Discrimination

Waymon Hudson — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 16:00:00 -0500

A judge in Sangamon County, Illinois has ruled that the state does not have to renew its foster and adoption contracts with Catholic Charities. Illinois ended the over $30 million dollars in annual contracts last month after Catholic Charities said it would refuse to follow the newly passed civil unions law and offer its tax-payer funded services to same-sex couples for "religious reasons." Circuit judge John Schmidt ruled against the dioceses of Joliet, Peoria, and Springfield, saying that ending the contracts did not violate the property rights of Catholic Charities:

"The fact that the Plaintiffs have contracted with the State to provide foster care and adoption services for over forty years does not vest the Plaintiffs with a protected property interest. The State may refuse to renew the Plaintfiffs' contracts.

No citizen has a recognized legal right to a contract with the government."

The judge stopped short, however, of addressing the core issue of whether a state contractor (which Catholic Charities is since they receive millions in tax dollars) has the right to refuse service to gays and lesbians under the state's new civil unions law. He also side-stepped any religious freedom questions and based his ruling solely on property and contractual rights.

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IL Hate Group Campaigns for Hateful Gay Blood Ban

Waymon Hudson — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 19:00:00 -0500

Sigh... I would like to say I'm surprised by the latest media-grabbing "campaign" from the bigoted hate group Americans For Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH), but all I can really muster is an exasperated sigh and maybe an eye-roll.

After all, the Naperville, Illinois based organization is officially designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center for "spreading discredited or slanderous propaganda about a group of people."

And their latest offensive and hate-filled campaign certainly falls squarely into that description.

The Peter LaBarbera led group has launched the "Keep the Gay Blood Ban" or "KGB²" (seriously??...) campaign to uphold the federal ban against gay blood donors. The much criticized ban was enacted in 1983 and prohibits blood donations from "men who have had sex with men since 1977, as well as women who have had sex with men who have had sex with men."

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Catholic 'Moral Authority' in IL: Abuse Victim Gets $6.3 million

Waymon Hudson — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 17:00:00 -0500

The Catholic Church in Illinois just can't keep out of the news lately... And none of it is good.

The Diocese of Belleville has finally paid the jury-awarded judgement to a man who was sexually abused as a child by a priest for over five years at St. Theresa's Parish in Salem, Illinois. The payment comes more than three years after the man won five million dollars from the court's verdict (the extra $1.3 million is for interest accrued in the three years). The jury's decision for damages was based not only on the repeated sexual abuse, but on the diocese's decision to hide the priest's actions and move him around parishes when complaints arose.

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IL: Judge Halts State from Ending Catholic Charities Adoption Contracts

Waymon Hudson — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 12:00:00 -0500

Illinois has decided to end its involvement and financial contracts for Catholic Charities' adoption and foster services in the wake of the religious organization's refusal to follow the state's new civil unions law and existing anti-discrimination policies. A judge has, however, temporarily reinstated contracts between the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and Catholic Charities until after a hearing set for August 17.

At issue, the Illinois DCFS said the state could not accept the Catholic Charities contracts because the "agency has made it clear that it does not intend to comply with the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act," which requires prospective foster and adoptive parents in civil unions to be treated the same as married couples.

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Southwest Pilot Apologizes for Anti-Gay Rant... Sort of

Waymon Hudson — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:00:00 -0500

James Fritzen Taylor, the Southwest Airlines pilot who made news for the homophobic cockpit screed that was caught on tape, has issued an general mea culpa for his 'offensive' and 'derogatory' remarks. Well, to be clear, he is sorry for being 'insensitive' and wants to move past things. His blanket apology, however, didn't specifically mention the Chicago-based crew who was the focus of his rage, but is a general statement to all employees:

To All Southwest Airlines Flight Attendants and all Employees:

Because of the impact of my comments, I wanted to communicate with you directly. Please accept my most sincere apology for the inappropriate and disrespectful remarks I made in March with an open microphone. I deeply regret the derogatory remarks I made and the hurt I have caused - I take full responsibility for those comments. It was truly insensitive of me and I would like all of you to know that from now on, I will show nothing but the utmost respect during my interactions with all employees. In addition, I would like to extend a special apology to all Flight Attendants, and especially those of Houston. I hope you will allow me to maintain a working relationship with all of you that will provide me the opportunity to extend an individual, personal apology to each one of you whenever we fly together. Please know that this event has forever changed me and I hope that others can learn from my mistake. I have learned a much-needed lesson to be more sensitive of others and I hope you will see me as a more tolerant and considerate person. I am proud to be employed by Southwest Airlines and I am committed to representing our Company, and its employees in the most professional way possible."

A Southwest spokeswoman said the pilot was punished with a suspension and she wasn't aware of the airline considering any additional reprimand. In addition, the Southwest flight attendants' union dropped plans to file a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after Taylor apologized.

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IL: Troubling Tax Loophole with Civil Unions

Waymon Hudson — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:30:00 -0500

Opponents of full marriage equality for same-sex couples often ask why the LGBT community can't simply be happy with separate institutions and groupings of rights like civil unions and domestic partnerships. Illinois recently became one such state to move to offer statewide protections supposedly equal, but separate, to marriage with the passage of the 'Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act.' The act reads broadly about what it provides for same-sex couples, stating:

"This Act shall be liberally construed and applied to promote its underlying purposes, which are to provide adequate procedures for the certification and registration of a civil union and provide persons entering into a civil union with the obligations, responsibilities, protections, and benefits afforded or recognized by the law of Illinois to spouses." (750 ILCS 75/5)

It seems pretty straightforward. Anyone in a civil union gets the same state benefits as someone who is married. The act even puts in purposefully broad language about being 'liberally construed' to implement the purpose and spirit of the law. It seems, however, that everyone in the state government, specifically the Illinois Department of Revenue, didn't get that impression from the law.

The Dept. of Revenue posted the rather surprising reading of the civil union act on its webpage, saying that couples in civil unions "may not file joint Illinois returns" and the new law "did not change the Illinois income tax laws." Their reasoning? The federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

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