The Latest - Washington Blade

Texas church choir 'uninvited' by Ky. university

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 04:04:00 EST

WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. (AP)
A youth choir from a Texas church the Southern Baptist Convention cut ties with because it didn't adhere to the denomination's stance on homosexuals has been told they aren't welcome to participate in a Kentucky Baptist mission program.

The Broadway Baptist Church Chapel Choir, made up of high-schoolers, was informed Monday that it was "uninvited" to participate in the University of the Cumberlands' Mountain Outreach program, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

The Southern Baptist Convention voted during its national meeting in Louisville last week to sever ties with Broadway Baptist C ...

Sean Kennedy's killer released from prison

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:44:00 EST

From Washington Blade staff reports
Stephen Andrew Moller, who was convicted in June 2008 for the death of Sean Kennedy, was released from prison early after serving one year, according to a press release from the Human Rights Campaign.

Witnesses testified at Moller's trial that he used anti-gay slurs when beating Kennedy outside a Greenville, S.C., bar in May 2007.

“This adds insult to injury. To release a man just one-year after his sentencing in this heinous crime and to inform the victim's mother through an automated recording is despicable,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Sean Kennedy was vio ...

Gay media mogul resigns from Window Media

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:20:00 EST

From Washington Blade staff reports
The CEO of Window Media and Unite Media has resigned from his position after eight years with the company to pursue another position in the finance industry.

David Unger announced his resignation Wednesday to employees. The Window Media portfolio includes the Washington Blade.

In a statement, Unger said he's leaving “for an excellent opportunity in New York” and that his departure “will have no effect” on the Blade or other Window Media publications.

“I will be around to help if needed and I wish everyone the best,” he said.

Unger's resignation leaves Mike Kitchens, chief ...

Gay marriage battle continues in Calif. today

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:31:00 EST

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)

The legal battle over gay marriage continues today in a federal courtroom in San Francisco.

A hearing in U.S. District Court is set for this morning (10:00) seeking to overturn Proposition 8.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Vaughn Walker has indicated he will likely deny a request for preliminary injunction lifting the gay marriage ban, but will probably agree to fast-track the case directly to trial.

Governor Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown are both named as defendants in the lawsuit.

They have argued against lifting the ban, saying that allowing same-sex marri ...

Mennonites protest church exclusion of gays

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:07:00 EST

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)

Growing up in the Mennonite church, Luke Yoder had a dim awareness that gay people weren't welcome - but nobody ever talked about it openly.

28-year-old Yoder, who came out when he was in college, is part of a group of Mennonites who plan a protest in Ohio against the church's tradition of excluding gays and lesbians from worship. About 100 ministers and lay people will gather outside the Mennonite Church USA's biannual meeting in Columbus on Thursday.

Rev. Cindy Lapp, pastor of Hyattsville Mennonite Church in Hyattsville, Md., says her congregation has lost its voting rights within the ...

Indian court decriminalizes consensual gay sex

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:48:00 EST

NEW DELHI (AP)
A court ruled Thursday to decriminalize homosexuality in the Indian capital, a groundbreaking decision that could bring more freedom to gays in this deeply conservative country.

The Delhi High Court ruled that treating consensual gay sex as a crime is a violation of fundamental rights protected by India's constitution. The ruling, the first of its kind in

WASHINGTON (AP)

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday he wants to make the law prohibiting gays from serving openly in the armed forces “more humane” until Congress eventually repeals it.

He said he has lawyers studying ways the law might be selectively enforced.

“One of the things we're looking at is, is there flexibility in how we apply this law?” Gates said.

The defense chief, a holdover from the Republican administration of former President George W. Bush, told reporters traveling with him in Europe that the Clinton-era ban was written without much wiggle room. The Pentagon general counsel is loo ...

Obama White House not appealing transgender ruling

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:11:00 EST

WASHINGTON (AP)

The Obama administration is not going to fight a nearly $500,000 judgment for a Library of Congress hiree who lost the job while undergoing a gender change from a man to a woman.

The Justice Department let the deadline to appeal the decision pass Tuesday, a day after President Barack Obama hosted gay supporters at the White House and promised to be their "champion." Some activists have complained he has not led on their causes, including ending the ban on gays in the military.

Diane Schroer, a retired Army Special Forces commander from Alexandria, Va., had been offered a job at the Library of Congress when h ...

Board: Discharge gay NY National Guard officer

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:59:00 EST

SYRACUSE (AP)
A military administrative board recommended Tuesday that a National Guard officer who publicly announced he's gay should be discharged for violating the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

Lt. Dan Choi would be the first New York National Guard member discharged for violating the policy against homosexual condu ...

New federation to advocate conservative values

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:11:00 EST

By CHRIS JOHNSON, Washington Blade
A new federation of social conservative groups has emerged to advocate on issues important to conservatives, including opposition to same-sex marriage.

Leaders of the new organization, dubbed the Freedom Federation, appeared Tuesday at the National Press Building to introduce the new group and its mission.

A statement from the organization says its goal is to help faith-based organizations “work together on common interests in the Judeo-Christian tradition” to mobilize grassroots work and engage policymaking institutions.

Members of the coalition include the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, L ...

Judge dismisses effort to block D.C. marriage law

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:12:00 EST

By LOU CHIBBARO JR, Washington Blade
A D.C. judge issued a crippling blow Tuesday to supporters of a referendum to overturn the city's same-sex marriage recognition law by denying a request for a court injunction to put the law on hold and allow more time to coordinate the referendum.

Superior Court Judge Judith Retchin, in a 15-page decision, also upheld a ruling by the D.C. Board of Elections & Ethics that determined a referendum aimed at barring the city from recognizing same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions would violate a provision of the city's human rights law that bans discrimination based on sexual orientation.

“At bottom, the har ...

NY police charge 3 in anti-gay attack

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:55:00 EST

MASTIC BEACH, N.Y. (AP)
Police on eastern Long Island say they have arrested three people on aggravated harassment charges after they kicked and hit a victim while uttering anti-gay remarks.

Authorities say 21-year-old Nora Mitzner, 25-year-old Lindsay McBeth and 20-year-old Selwyn Icangelo were awaiting arraignment in First District Court in Central Islip. It was not immediately known if they were represented by attorneys.

Suffolk County Police say they responded to a 911 call of a fight Monday night in Mastic Beach. They say the trio kicked, hit and pushed the unidentified woman while making remarks about her sexual orientation.

A police ...

LGBT leaders cheer Obama during Pride celebration

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:45:00 EST

By CHRIS JOHNSON, Washington Blade
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender leaders enthusiastically cheered President Obama and shouted "I love you!" during a White House celebration this week commemorating Pride and the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots.

Obama returned the love to his audience at Monday's event and recommitted himself to fighting for LGBT rights during his administration.

"Even as we face extraordinary challenges as a nation, we cannot - and will not - put aside issues of basic equality," he said. "We seek an America in which no one feels the pain of discrimination based on who you are or who you love."

The event comes as many activi ...

Gay groups back federal challenge to marriage ban

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:45:00 EST

from staff and wire reports

Two gay rights group and the American Civil Liberties Union are backing a federal lawsuit seeking to restore gay marriage in California.

In legal documents filed late Thursday, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal and the ACLU signaled a significant break with past legal tactics that avoided taking the fight to federal court.

Some gay rights activists have been concerned that a conservative majority of the U.S. Supreme Court could broadly rule against same-sex marriages.

On Thursday, July 2, the federal case, nicknamed for its leaders Ted Olson and David Boies, will go before U.S. District Co ...

Judge could block D.C. marriage law

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:05:00 EST

By LOU CHIBBARO JR, Washington Blade
If a D.C. judge approves a request for a court injunction to postpone the July 6 deadline to complete requirements for a voter referendum, the city's same-sex marriage recognition law would be blocked from taking effect on July 7, according to an election board official.

Kenneth McGhie, general counsel for the D.C. Board of Elections & Ethics, said the injunction requested by Bishop Harry Jackson Jr. would put the marriage law on hold for at least 30 days if Superior Court Judge Judith Retchin overturns the board's decision that the referendum violates the city's Human Rights Act.

The election board decided J ...

Kalamazoo predicted to approve gay rights law

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:02:00 EST

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP)
A Kalamazoo official says the city is on the verge of approving a gay rights bill, while opponents say they're ready to try to overturn the law.

City Commissioner David Anderson says an ordinance prohibiting discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people will be approved Monday night, perhaps unanimously.

American Family Association of Michigan President Gary Glenn tells the Kalamazoo Gazette petitions to put the gay rights law to a referendum will be on the streets Tuesday.

The commission approved a gay rights law Dec. 1, then repealed it Jan. 12 after the American Family Association submitted p ...

Gay marriage stalls as RI lawmakers wrap up

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:48:00 EST

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP)
Rhode Island seems almost certain to remain the only New England state that does not recognize gay marriage after measures legalizing same-sex unions stalled just before the part-time General Assembly ended the bulk of its annual work.

None of the bills legalizing same-sex marriage in Rhode Island advanced to a floor vote this session, continuing a trend begun in 1997.

The lack of Statehouse action on gay unions means that Rhode Island is unlikely to allow gay marriage anytime soon, despite decisions this year by lawmakers in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont joined Connecticut and Massachusett ...

Seven arrested in Texas gay bar 'raid'

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:09:00 EST

By LOU CHIBBARO JR, Washington Blade
Seven customers were arrested for public intoxication at a Fort Worth, Texas, gay bar shortly after midnight Sunday.

Angry gay activists said the incident mimicked the famous police raid on the Stonewall Inn gay bar in New York's Greenwich Village exactly 40 years earlier.

Fort Worth police released a statement saying they conducted a routine “alcohol beverage code inspection,” not a raid, at the Rainbow Lounge, a gay club that opened for business less than a month ago.

But at least three customers present during the appearance by police officers and Texas liquor commission agents told a CB ...

Indian rights march calls to legalize gay sex

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:25:00 EST

NEW DELHI (AP)
Hundreds of gay rights supporters waved flags and danced past traffic during marches through three Indian cities Sunday to celebrate gay pride and call for the decriminalization of homosexuality in this deeply conservative country.

The New Delhi parade passed near the Delhi High Court, which is reviewing a law that prohibits gay s ...

HIV travel ban closer to being lifted

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 06:32:00 EST

By CHRIS JOHNSON, Washington Blade
The Obama administration has taken the first step in lifting the regulatory ban preventing HIV-positive foreign nationals from entering the United States.

The Office of Management & Budget posted a notice on its web site stating the Department of Health & Human Services finished Friday the research that was needed to start the process of lifting the ban.

Steve Ralls, an Immigration Equality spokesperson, said the notice means a regulation leading toward repeal of the ban would be published Monday.

After the regulation is issued, there will be a 45-day period in which the department takes public comment. After another peri ...

Groups back challenge to gay marriage ban

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 06:17:00 EST

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)
Two gay rights group and the American Civil Liberties Union are backing a federal lawsuit seeking to restore gay marriage in California.

In legal documents filed late Thursday, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal and the ACLU said they agree that California's ban on same-sex weddings violates federal anti-discrimination practices.

ACLU attorney Matt Coles said the groups filed their arguments reluctantly because they still believe federal court is the wrong forum for their fight. He said they filed their arguments to help bolster a case that will get litigated whether or not they opposed filing it.

"Just ...

La Toya Jackson scene cut from 'Bruno'

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 05:41:00 EST

LOS ANGELES (AP)
The filmmakers behind "Bruno" have decided to delete a scene involving La Toya Jackson following her brother's death.

Universal Pictures, which is releasing the comedy, said the decision came "out of respect for the Jackson family."

The moment was first cut out of the movie's Los Angeles premiere Thursday night, which took place just hours after the Michael Jackson's death at age 50.

"Bruno," starring British comic Sacha Baron Cohen as a flamboyantly gay Austrian fashion correspondent, is set to come out July 10 and is the follow-up to his 2006 smash "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation o ...

Gay invitees 'eager' for White House reception

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 05:31:00 EST

By CHRIS JOHNSON, Washington Blade
President Obama has invited a several key players in the LGBT community for a White House reception Monday to celebrate Pride month.

Shin Inouye, a White House spokesperson, said in a statement the event "is a chance for the White House to recognize the accomplishments of LGBT Americans."

"Invited guests include families, volunteers and activists, and community leaders," he said. "This event was long planned as a way to applaud these individuals during Pride month."

The event comes as many activists are urging the president to take greater action on LGBT issues including the rep ...

N.Y. Senate chaos sidelines gay marriage

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:50:00 EST

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)
As the New York Senate continues the fight for power, paralyzing the chamber, the movement for same-sex marriage is getting sidelined indefinitely.

New York's warring Senate factions took a few minutes to gavel in and out of the extraordinary session Thursday ordered by Gov. David Paterson. Paterson has called them back for session Friday.

Manhattan Democrats Sen. Thomas Duane and Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell sponsored legislation to legalize gay marriage, but both say the issue is too important to push right now.

The Senate has been paralyzed since a June 8 parliamentary coup. The special sessions are an attempt to force ...

Hate crimes measure to ride on defense bill

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:10:00 EST

By CHRIS JOHNSON, Washington Blade
U.S. Senate leaders intend to pass a hate crimes measure next month as an amendment to the defense authorization bill even as President Obama has threatened to veto the bill based on language in the House version, according to sources.

David Smith, HRC's vice president of programs, said in a Friday statement to the Blade that the Senate would probably pass the bill in this way.

"The DOD authorization bill as well as other vehicles have been under consideration since House passage earlier this year," he said. "Between now and the August recess, DOD appears to be the most likely candidate for hate crimes." ...