LDS top leaders negotiated behind the scenes with LGBT organizations in Salt Lake City, before making the pronouncement.  In the mean time, pro-gay Mormons provided the back drop of repeated public protests over church meddling in legislation and harmful anti-gay teachings.

Straight allies from the Foundation for Reconciliation accessed GLAAD media assistance and garnered media coverage of their meeting with the governor of Utah and their symbolic five mile trek with a pioneer handcart carrying more than 2,000 petition signatures, letters from religious leaders, and memorials for gay LDS suicide victims.

Affirmation Mormons also used GLAAD’s media assistance to garner local Fox News coverage of the high rate of homelessness among Mormon gay youth and launched “Keep them and Love Them,” a web site to help Mormon families with LGBT members.

This week, in response to the LDS support of housing and employment protection, Affirmation’s Executive Director David Melson said,

“Discrimination based on a person’s identity, including race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability, has always been wrong. It is commendable that the LDS Church is taking a step toward living up to its own teachings of valuing of all humanity. It is a vital first step…we await the second.”

Tuesday night, Michael Otterson, LDS director of public affairs, told the Salt Lake City Council “In essence, the Church agrees with the approach which Mayor Becker is taking on this matter. In drafting these ordinances, the city has granted common sense rights that should be available to everyone, while safeguarding the crucial rights of religious organizations, for example, in their hiring of people whose lives are in harmony with their tenets, or when providing housing for their university students and others that preserve religious requirements.”

According to The New York Times, the ordinance most likely already had the support of the seven-member Salt Lake city council as it passed unanimously. However, the Church statement is viewed by many as a breakthrough. While the Church issued a statement in 2008 saying that it did not condone abuse toward gay people, this is the first time it backed an actual ordinance to protect gay rights. Will Carson, manager of public policy for Equality Utah, told the NY Times,

“It’s the most progressive and inclusive statement that the church has made on these issues.”

Important gains include:

• Charles Pugh of Detroit, Michigan became the first openly gay city councilor on the Detroit City Council.

• Steve Kornell of St. Petersburg, Florida became the first openly gay councilmember on the St. Petersburg City Council.

• Mark Kleinschmidt, two-term councilman, death penalty defense lawyer and gay rights activist, who is openly gay himself, was elected mayor of Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

• Annise Parker, Houston City Controller, finished first in the race for Mayor of Houston, Texas. Parker will face former city attorney Gene Locke, who finished second, in a December run-off election. If Parker is elected, she will become the first openly gay mayor of a major American city.

GLAAD immediately contacted Hall to discuss these issues. While, she acknowledged she made an error in going against the guidelines of her newspaper, she said she could not make a retraction and repost the story. However, she suggested that GLAAD write a letter to the editor, which GLAAD did. GLAAD also reached out directly to the newspaper’s editor-in-chief. The Dallas Morning News immediately corrected the online version of the story.

The paper also ran the letter to the editor written by GLAAD about the problematic language in Hall’s profile story.  Furthermore, The Dallas Morning News placed a editor’s note in the paper’s library archives stating that the story did not meet the paper’s standards in the event anyone researching the original story will know to refer to the corrected version instead of the original.

The story also expanded its former blanket statement that the gay community is a “largely, affluent, well-educated minority group,” to include advertising and consumer purchasing statistics about the gay community. However, this affluence stereotype still remains problematic and GLAAD is continuing conversations with the editors about to how fairly report about the economic realities of many people in the gay community and to make sure their overall reporting on LGBT issues is fair and accurate.

Be the one who catches the worm and take advantage of The Trevor Project’s Early Bird Ticket Specials before November 1^st!

All proceeds will go towards benefiting The Trevor Project, the only 24/7 crisis hotline for LGBT and questioning youth.

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Here is a brief summary:

Maine: Marriage

With Nov. 3 elections approaching soon, LGBT advocates and their allies are hoping that Maine voters vote “No” on Question 1 to ensure that marriage for gay and lesbian couples remains legal throughout the state.  On Oct. 28, an hour-long televised debate took place at the University of Southern Maine.

The Associated Press wrote:

Brian Souchet of Stand for Marriage Maine and Mary Bonauto from Protect Maine Equality engaged in a wide-ranging hourlong debate at the University of Southern Maine in Portland on Wednesday.

Bonauto says the referendum is about fairness and allowing gay couples to join the institution of marriage. Souchet says it proposes a “radical redefinition” of marriage that could even lead to gay marriage being taught in schools.

LGBT proponents and allies have received serious support from statewide media. On Oct. 18, the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram urged its readers to vote for marriage equality. They shined a light on the “scare tactics” the opposition has used: 

The ‘Stand for Marriage: Yes on 1′ campaign has struggled to come up with ways in which allowing this law to take effect would hurt traditional families. Too often they have resorted to inventing scenarios to scare voters.

The most prominent has been the charge that children would be forced to learn about same-sex marriage in school. All it takes is a quick reading of the law to see, however, that there is no mention of education in it. Curriculum in Maine is approved by local school boards, and those elected officials would be under no obligation to add lessons on marriage law to their areas of study.

But that’s not to say that children would be kept in the dark. They are smart, and they should be expected to notice that some of their classmates have two moms or two dads instead of one of each. This is not a function of the law, however, it is a reflection of reality. A ‘yes’ vote won’t make those couples go away. It would only make their lives more difficult.

For more information about protecting marriage equality in Maine, please visit the ‘NO on 1/ Protect Maine Equality’ website here‘.

District of Columbia: Marriage

Earlier this month, Councilperson David A. Catania introduced a bill that would allow gay and lesbian couples to legally marry in the District of Columbia. On Oct. 26, Washington D.C.’s council committee had an open forum to discuss the bill with its residents. Officials estimated that hundreds from both sides of the debate signed up to testify ―making this hearing the largest the council had ever moderated.

The Associated Press wrote that the language of the bill and other potential changes to the bill were discussed:

Take the terms “bride” and “groom” off D.C. marriage licenses and replace them with the word “spouse.”

That’s one change being suggested as supporters and opponents of a proposed bill to allow same-sex marriage in Washington take a hard look at the bill’s language. The bill was introduced earlier this month and had its first hearing in a city council committee Monday. Part of the reason for the hearing is to rigorously examine the bill’s language and propose changes.

Witnesses from a range of groups testified they have concerns about some of the wording. The bill, which is expected to be voted on as early as December, would let same-sex couples from both inside and outside the district marry in the city.

The Washington Post reported the hearings were emotional, especially for members of the LGBT community and straight allies who shared their personal stories and emphasized the need for this legislation to get passed.

More than 100 people showed up Monday night for a legislative hearing on the bill, which was co-sponsored by 10 of council’s 13 members.

Several same-sex couples broke into tears as they talked about the prospect of being allowed to get married. Marisa Levy went to the hearing to support her gay brother.

“Pass this bill and finally make my brother’s partner of 15 years my brother-in-law,” Levy said.

A second hearing took place on Monday before the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics. This hearing discussed whether or not they should be able to try to put a measure on the city ballot that would give voters the option of banning same-sex unions.

The Wall Street Journal wrote:

The Board of Elections began meeting Monday to hear testimony on an initiative that would go on the 2010 ballot. It would ask voters to decide whether they want “only marriage between a man and woman” to be valid in the city.

The two-member board won’t vote Monday on whether the measure meets requirements to go on the ballot. At Monday’s hearing, the board members seemed particularly concerned that the initiative may violate the city’s Human Rights Act, which among other things prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation. According to D.C. elections law, a referendum cannot appear on the ballot if it violates the city’s human rights laws.

Earlier this year after Washington officials passed a law to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere, the board rejected an effort to hold a referendum on the new law, citing the Human Rights Act.

It is believed the D.C. council will pass the bill before Christmas of this year, but if a proposed ban gets on the ballot and receives a majority of the vote, it would overturn any law supporting the right for gay and lesbian couples to be legally married.

Iowa: Marriage

Six months ago, the Iowa Supreme Court unanimously decided to extend marriage equality to committed gay and lesbian couples. Although this is a definite cause for celebration, these newly awarded rights are tenuous, as evidenced by the struggle in California. As the legislative session is gearing up to begin in January, anti-gay candidates are setting their sights on ending this freedom for devoted couples to marry. That’s why it is important to start garnering support now in order to continue the vital conversations regarding marriage equality.

One Iowa, the leading LGBT rights group in Iowa, is hosting public forum panel discussions around the state in order to represent and share the experiences of community members, giving the cause a local perspective with the aim of maintaining respectful dialogue around an issue that affects all of us. The first of the series of sixteen scheduled conversations will be held on Nov. 5 in Washington, Iowa.

Michigan: Nondiscrimination Ordinance

The Kalamazoo Gazette, Kalamazoo, Michigan’s largest newspaper, encouraged its readers to “stand for equality” and vote “yes” in its official endorsement of the City of Kalamazoo Ordinance No. 1856, a November ballot initiative that would make it illegal for employers, housing authorities as well as public accommodations to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. Kalamazoo Mayor Bobby Hopewell, the YWCA, NAACP and the League of Women Voters are all supporting the ordinance.

Read more here.

Washington State: Domestic Partnerships

Ref. 71 will be decided by the residents of Washington State. Ref. 71―the referendum that will decide whether domestic partnership will remain legal―has been supported by numerous Washington-based newspapers, celebs and organizations throughout the state. All ballots are due by November 3^rd.

Read more about Ref. 71 and the Approve 71 campaign here.

***

GLAAD will continue keeping up with the latest developments on legislative LGBT issues around the country.

The Kalamazoo Gazette

The paper’s editorial board wrote :

Either we are all equal, or we are not. Is it right, then, that a person in Kalamazoo can be fired or denied employment or housing simply for being gay? Voters in the city have the opportunity on Nov. 3 to remove that inequity and deliver a strong message about the type of community we want to have.

The paper continued saying:

We do not believe this is a morality issue, except to the extent that discrimination and inequality are immoral—and illegal.

Earlier this year, the Kalamazoo City Council passed the anti-discrimination ordinance for the city’s LGBT  population , but anti-gay opposition gathered enough signatures to challenge the ordinance.

Narda Beauchamp, a retired school teacher whose daughters are gay, moved out of Kalamazoo fearing they would be discriminated against because of their orientation. 

In an interview with the Michigan Messenger, she said, “After college our two daughters planned to stay in Kalamazoo. They grew up here and started their careers here,” she said. “But after a lot of heartfelt conversations with the family, they told my husband and I that they need to move to another state and another city that already provided protections for housing, employment and public accommodations,” Beauchamp said, listing the kinds of discrimination Ordinance 1856 would outlaw if passed by voters.

Kalamazoo Mayor Bobby Hopewell also came out in support of the ordinance saying:

The Kalamazoo Promise being here at this moment at this time. We are a different place. We are a welcoming place. We need to be able to understand that everyone deserves a job, everyone deserves a house, everyone deserves accommodations. We need to affirm this on Nov. 3.

The endorsement is the latest boost for proponents of the nondiscrimination ordinance.  The YWCA, NAACP, the League of Women Voters.  A ministerial alliance was also formed among faith leaders supporting the ordinance.

Western Michigan University ‘s school newspaper,  the Western Herald, also encouraged fellow students to support the ordinance  saying:

Kalamazoo’s gay and transgender community deserves the same opportunity to succeed as anyone else. While it is sad that such protection has to be explicitly legislated, it is up to individual municipalities to provide it.

If voters on Nov. 3 uphold the ordinance, Kalamazoo will become the 15^th city in Michigan to have nondiscrimination protections.

Bea Arthur and Carl Siciliano, Executive Director of the Ali Forney Center

Bea Arthur, perhaps best known for her role as Dorothy Zbornak on the popular television series Golden Girls, was also a staunch advocate for LGBT youth. During her life, she participated in many fundraisers for the Ali Forney Center, a New York City-based organization that provides emergency and transitional housing for LGBT youth as well as health and educational services.  Arthur even had her own official Ali Forney Center email address.

Now, after her death, Arthur is still giving to AFC in the form of  $300, 000, which she bequeathed to the center in her will. AFC will be putting the money towards a new transitional residence that will house twelve LGBT youth and be named in Arthur’s honor.

Executive Director Carl Siciliano spoke on behalf of the organization:

“We are overwhelmed with gratitude that Bea saw that LGBT youth deserve as much love and support as any other young person, and that she placed so much value in the work we do to protect them, and to help them rebuild their lives.”

She wrote in the story:

“Gay.com will culturally and technically mesh with its new sister companies: HereTV, an online, cable and satellite service that reaches 54 million households, and Out and The Advocate, two alternative lifestyle magazines”

“They are building a gay-targeted multimedia mini-empire because they understand this largely affluent, well-educated minority group, believe advertisers want to tap into it and think other media companies don’t want to touch it.”

“Since 1995, Regent has produced or released 150 movies, a third of which were aimed at an alternative lifestyle audience.”

Out is a “lifestyle” magazine, as are other lifestyle magazines like GQ or Marie Clare that mix news, features, fashion and celebrities. The Advocate on the other hand is a news magazine. This mislabeling goes far beyond the magazines’ descriptions.  The term “alternative lifestyle” is one that is typically used to denigrate gay people, who are as diverse in their lives as anyone.  There is no single lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender lifestyle. The phrase “alternative lifestyle” is used to disparage the gay community suggesting that their sexual orientation is a choice and therefore can be “cured.” The Dallas Morning News and the Associated Press have marked this term as inappropriate and against their style guidelines.

In terms of Hall’s comments that gay people are a “largely affluent, well-educated minority group,” the data shows otherwise.  A 2009 study reviewing Census data on poverty revealed that, far from being “largely affluent,” gay men for example experience poverty at rates that are as high as or higher than rates for straight adults.* While, GLAAD encourages Hall’s focus on Jarchow’s investment in reaching gay audiences, her reporting lacks a true understanding of the diversity and economic struggles that many in the LGBT community face.

GLAAD contacted Hall on Monday October 26, to discuss these issues. While, she acknowledged that she made an error in going against the guidelines of her newspaper, she said she could not make a retraction and repost the story. However, she suggested that GLAAD write a letter to the editor, which GLAAD has done.

GLAAD is not alone in finding Hall’s language problematic. John Wright from The Dallas Voice, a Texas-based LGBT media source wrote the following:

The Dallas Morning News ran an interesting piece in this Sunday’s Business section on Stephen Jarchow, a straight Dallas resident who’s chairman of Here Media Inc., which owns Here TV, Out, The Advocate and Gay.com. But as Rafael McDonnell at Resource Center Dallas pointed out to me this morning, someone at The DMN needs to check their Associated Press Handbook. That’s because the AP Stylebook, which is essentially a bible in this industry, specifically says to avoid the term “alternative lifestyle” when you mean “gay,” and yet the DMN uses “alternative lifestyle” not once but twice in the story about Jarchow. As McDonnell put it, “I know The DMN’s laid off some editors, but what is this, 1970?” Indeed, while I generally try to avoid coming across as the politically correct LGBT police, there’s really no excuse. “Lifestyle” implies choice, and being gay or lesbian is no more a lifestyle than being straight. If someone at The DMN needs additional reference material, they should turn to style guides published by the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

GLAAD is asking The Dallas Morning News to issue a retraction both in print and online and re-post the story on its website.

*Revisiting the Income Penalty for Behaviorally Gay Men: Evidence from NHANES III by Christopher S. Carpenter, The Paul Merage School of Business, University of California at Irvine.

“It’s just wrong,” Clunie says about the attempt to take away the protections that Washington’s domestic partnership law provides to lesbian and gay couples.Watch Actress/Activist Michelle Clunie on Approve 71 here.

Washington voters have until Tuesday to mark their ballots, “Approved,” stamp and sign the envelope and mail them.  Washington voters should not delay and mail  their ballots today to help ensure Referendum 71 is approved.

Michelle Clunie

When Clunie called the Referendum 71 campaign last week and asked, “What can I do to help?” GLAAD’s Senior Media Strategist Adam Bass began working with her to develop a video message to voters in Washington encouraging them to get involved in the campaign and cast their ballots.  Her video today is the results of that work between Clunie, GLAAD and the Referendum 71 campaign.

GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios calls voters for Approve 71

The campaign released a tracking poll on Monday, showing that the hard work of Washington Families Standing Together (WAFST) is beginning to pay off.  Although the polling shows a lead for the “approve” vote – this lead could easily be lost if lesbian and gay couples stop sharing their stories or if they fail to vote. This is why the last week of the campaign is so important.

GLAAD has been on the ground in Seattle assisting the WAFST coalition since August. We continue to be committed to helping Washington voters understand the real life struggles and successes of lesbian and gay couples and understanding the harms that would result if voters take away domestic partnership protections.

Newspapers throughout Washington have endorsed Approve 71

The coalition to Approve Referendum 71 is growing stronger. In addition to major contributions from large employers like Microsoft, Starbucks, Puget Sound Energy, Boeing, and Nike, numerous editorial boards are also endorsing Approve Referendum 71. As the Nov. 3 election date nears, influential media like the Seattle Times, the Olympian, and the Oregonian editorial boards are casting their votes to keep the domestic partnership law. Here is what they have to say:

The Union Bulletin Editorial Board calls domestic partnership protections “sound public policy” and the Federal Way Mirror “recommends approving Referendum 71” because “this legislation helps maximize personal freedom and independence for a small slice of the population.”

The Oregonian Editorial Board states that the Approval of Referendum 71 “would be a big, and important, lurch forward” while students at Western Washington University are using their independent newspaper, The Western Front, to endorse Referendum 71: “Should the families of dedicated public servants be denied basic rights simply because their family breaks the traditional mold?”

The Olympian makes sure to note in its endorsement that Referendum 71 is about protecting families, creating legal protections for domestic partners and “ensuring that the 12,000 registered domestic partners in committed relationships in Washington State enjoy the same rights, responsibilities and benefits as married couples.”

The Seattle Times Editorial Board has been even more vocal about Referendum 71: penning multiple endorsement articles that urge the public to remember that these adjustments are vitally important, but “hardly radical” and that “nothing is taken away from one person, one couple or one family and given to another. This is about equal treatment for all Washington residents going about their private lives.”

Despite strong support from Microsoft, Nike, and others, The Seattle Times Editorial Board warns that these endorsements are only part of the equation and that they are “no substitute for a strong turnout during an off-year election. An array of endorsements reinforces the importance of this thoughtful extension of the state’s domestic-partnership law. Adoption of R-71 is still grounded in casting votes to approve its passage.”

Above all, it states, “The law at the heart of R-71 is about fundamental fairness for Washington families. Of course it should be approved.”

Endorsements have flooded in from the editorial boards of The Spokesman Review (“many people changed their minds because the basic unfairness violated their traditional values”), the Chinook Observer (“Discrimination based on who someone falls in love with just isn’t right”), the Daily Herald (“these protections are necessary precisely because gays and lesbians cannot legally marry,”) and the Wenatchee World.

Community groups, professional organizations, civic associations, and many of the region’s largest employers support the Referendum because it is about protecting committed couples, and they believe it’s wrong to take away the protections the domestic partnership law provides these couples.

Other endorsements have come from such groups as The Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, Washington State Bar Association and the Washington Association of Churches.

By endorsing Referendum 71, each of these groups displays a commitment to basic fairness  for all Washington families.

With ballots due on Referendum 71 in only two weeks, it’s important to energize voters to head to the polls, mail in their ballots and volunteer to help others do the same.

GLAAD teamed up with several local activists led by Shad Reinstein and Jody Laine to produce trailers for the Approve 71 campaign to run before all film festival movies.  There are three trailers running throughout the festival. At the film festival’s opening night film, “An Englishman in New York,” the Approve 71 trailer was met by widespread applause.

In today’s world of digital media, everyone has the ability to communicate to a broad audience.  Shad and Jody are examples of community members who had something to contribute. Their idea to create these trailers could potentially generate hundreds or thousands of votes for the Approve 71 campaign.  Mail-in ballots have already been distributed in Washington and people must postmark their ballots by November 3^rd for them to be counted.  We hope these movie trailers will help encourage people to get involved and remember to vote.

At GLAAD we always encourage people to stand up and tell their stories – whether through a blog, a letter to the editor or making a video like Shad and Jody did. 

Additionally, GLAAD partnered with the film festival for a special screening of “Training Rules,” on Saturday, October 24^th.  GLAAD President Jarrett  Barrios will be in Seattle for the screening and a special panel on “Homophobia in Sports” will follow.  Please join us at the event!

For those in Washington or interested in the campaign, visit the Approve 71 website today to see how you can get more involved.

According to the Gothamist blog, Civil Court Judge Manuel J. Mendez denied Winn-Ritzenberg’s request last February based on the absence of documentation confirming the need for a name change from a physician, psychologist, or social worker.

The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund helped connect Winn-Ritzenberg with a lawyer to handle the legalities of the request through its Name Change Project. Upon receiving Mendez’ ruling, TLDEF filed an appeal on Winn-Ritzenberg’s behalf.  TLDEF executive director Michael Silverman argued in the appeal that “while most name change petitions sail through the court system, Olin’s was denied because he is transgender.”

The New York Times’ CityRoom blog, one of the few mainstream blogs to cover the case, reported that about 10 other Manhattan residents have previously approached TLDEF after having their name-change petitions denied for the same reason.

In TLDEF’s press release in May, Winn-Ritzenberg voiced a sentiment that many transgender petitioners identify with in these cases:

“My gender transition has been a very personal journey, and no one is in a better position to decide that I need to change my name than I am.  It’s also important to me to protect my privacy.  I don’t want my medical records in a public court file.”

Wednesday’s brief but powerful Appeals Court ruling insisted upon equal treatment of transgender petitioners, stating:

“There is no sound basis in law or policy to engraft upon the statutory provisions an additional requirement that a transgendered-petitioner present medical substantiation for the desired name change.” 

In its most recent press release, TLDEF lauds Winn-Ritzenberg for choosing to fight this legal battle rather than complying with the court order, thereby “ending the practice of subjecting transgender name change applicants to this burdensome and demeaning doctor’s note requirement.”

This ruling will not necessarily bear weight in cases of filing for a legal gender change, but will ensure that transgender people in New York have equal access to legal name changes in the future.

The Advocate quotes Winn-Ritzenberg as saying, “This ruling means that I can finally change my name and move forward with my life.”

GLAAD will continue to keep you updated with the latest media coverage of these and other exciting victories for the LGBT community.

GLAAD is exclusively focusing on the communications efforts of the campaign and is assisting the campaign’s communications team with coordinating dozens of tasks on a daily basis.  Recently, GLAAD took the lead on a statewide push to help secure editorial page conversations about the need to Approve Referendum 71.

GLAAD authored a series of key talking points for letters to the editor along with an e-mail blast to the WAFST constituency that encouraged people concerned about Referendum 71 to write letters through WAFST’s on-line letter writing tool.

The campaign issued the call for letters mid-day Wednesday, and in less than 24 hours over 150 letters had been generated to papers large and small in every corner of the state.  People told their personal stories to their neighbors, through letters to the editor, about why it’s vital Washington voters Approve Referendum 71 on ballots that arrived last week.

One submitted letter, in particular caught our attention, and we wanted to share it here:
Approve Ref. 71

I’m a retired fire captain and a lesbian. For 33 years, I fought fires and responded to medical emergencies. I have earned a good pension.

My domestic partner stood by me as other firefighters’ spouses stood by them, sleeping alone while I worked my 24-hour shifts, not seeing me for several days when I worked overtime, caring for me when I was injured, and knowing that I could face a life-or-death situation every time I went to work.

The married firefighters I worked alongside had the security of knowing that their families would be taken care of if they were injured or killed in the line of duty. Once they retired, they knew their spouse would receive a pension benefit after their death.

Lesbian and gay firefighters are treated differently. Under Washington law, my domestic partner would receive no compensation if I were injured or killed, and she is not entitled to any of my pension when I die.

When you call 911, we come to your aid regardless of your sexual orientation. Referendum 71 is your chance to do the same for us. Please vote to approve my domestic partner benefits. Approve Referendum 71.

Michele Kämmerer
Bellingham, WA

When people like Michele Kammerer, and her partner Janis, tell their story, people’s hearts and minds change on these important issues.  At GLAAD, we’re grateful for the incredible response that people like Michele and the other 150-plus letter writers have shown to this call to action.  We encourage lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender people and our allies to keep telling their stories as we work together to help get Referendum 71 Approved.

In an editorial, the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, encouraged its readers to vote “no” on Question 1. It specifically called out the “scare tactics” being used:

“The ‘Stand for Marriage: Yes on 1′ campaign has struggled to come up with ways in which allowing this law to take effect would hurt traditional families. Too often they have resorted to inventing scenarios to scare voters.

The most prominent has been the charge that children would be forced to learn about same-sex marriage in school. All it takes is a quick reading of the law to see, however, that there is no mention of education in it. Curriculum in Maine is approved by local school boards, and those elected officials would be under no obligation to add lessons on marriage law to their areas of study.

But that’s not to say that children would be kept in the dark. They are smart, and they should be expected to notice that some of their classmates have two moms or two dads instead of one of each. This is not a function of the law, however, it is a reflection of reality. A ‘yes’ vote won’t make those couples go away. It would only make their lives more difficult.”

The Bangor Daily News also supported the pro-LGBT ‘No on 1/Protect Maine Equality’ campaign. In an editorial published on Saturday, the newspaper emphasized Maine’s longstanding “commitment to equality”:

“It is hard to see how allowing more people to marry will weaken marriage. Instead, it seems the strong desire of gay and lesbian couples to be married, rather than declared domestic partners, shows the value and importance of marriage.

Voting no on Question 1 will reiterate Maine’s commitment to equality and acceptance of families of all types while respecting religious traditions and beliefs.”

Similarly, a new poll published in Central Maine’s Morning Sentinel reported that support for marriage equality is edging out the opposition with 51.8 percent of Mainers reporting they are in favor of marriage protections for same-sex couples. Just 42.9 percent reported they are opposed to the legislation.

The poll, conducted by the Pan Atlantic SMS Group of Portland, also revealed that 61.6 percent of Mainers are not buying into the opposition’s claim that marriage for same-sex couples will be taught in public schools.

Maine Attorney General Janet Mills agreed that the marriage equality law would have no bearing on what would be taught in public schools. In a statement released on Thursday:

“I have scoured Maine laws relating to the education of its children for any references to marriage in the public school curricula,” Mills wrote. “I have found none… The state’s definition of marriage has no bearing on curricula of public schools.”

Finances also seem to be favoring equality in the Pine Tree State. The Associated Press reported on Wednesday that the pro-LGBT ‘NO on 1/ Protect Maine Equality’ campaign has collected $2.7 million in donations, while the opposition has only garnered $1.1 million and has reported more than $419,000 in debt.

Maine Governor John Baldacci signed legislation extending marriage protections to the state’s same-sex couples last May, but opponents launched a veto campaign and collected enough signatures to require a public vote on the issue.

For more information about protecting marriage equality in Maine, please visit the ‘NO on 1/ Protect Maine Equality’ website here.

GLAAD will continue to monitor the media’s coverage of marriage equality in Maine. Updates can be found on GLAADblog.org

There are over 12,000 registered domestic partnerships in the state of Washington and a vote to approve Referendum 71 will ensure that important protections for these families are protected. Voting to approve Referendum 71 will guarantee all families the same protections under the law, including the right to take medical leave to care for an ailing family member, collect worker’s compensation and pensions, and have insurance coverage.  The referendum ensures that important protections will not be taken away from committed couples and that they will continue to be able to take care of each other, especially in times of crisis. The domestic partnership legislation was signed into law in May of this year but before it could take effect in July, the opposition presented the Secretary of State’s office with barely enough valid signatures opposing the law to force a referendum vote.

This is an important issue for GLAAD and the LGBT community as a whole.  GLAAD was the first national organization on the ground in Washington beginning in mid-September. GLAAD has assisted the campaign with  fielding reporter inquiries, pitching stories, promoting letters to the editors, developing positive messages, and spreading the word about this important law. This week  the campaign released it’s first television advertisement, “Together,”  that will begin playing in Washington immediately.

Major contributors to Approve Referendum 71 include companies vital to Washington’s economy, including:  Microsoft, Puget Sound Energy, Boeing, Nike, RealNetworks and Vulcan Development. High profile endorsements have also flooded in from the Seattle Times, the Olympian, The Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, Washington State Bar Association, the Children’s Alliance, and the Washington Association of Churches, just to name a few.

The Washington Families Standing Together coalition and their supporters encourages Washington voters to mail in their ballots early and to vote to APPROVE Referendum 71.

The ballot will read as follows:

REFERENDUM 71 Ballot Title Statement of Subject:

The legislature passed Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5688 concerning rights and responsibilities of state-registered domestic partners [and voters have filed a sufficient referendum petition on this bill].

Concise Description: This bill would expand the rights, responsibilities, and obligations accorded state-registered same-sex and senior domestic partners to be equivalent to those of married spouses, except that a domestic partnership is not a marriage.

Should this bill be:
Approved ___ Rejected __

The Associated Press reported on Monday that the special day of recognition “will not be a formal state holiday,” but instead, is meant to inspire educators “to conduct exercises recalling Milk’s life and contributions to the state.”

Milk was elected to San Francisco’s Board of City Supervisors in 1977 and played a prominent role in the early LGBT rights movement. San Francisco Mayor George Mascone and Milk were assassinated in November 1978 by former supervisor, Dan White.

Gov. Schwarzenegger also signed a bill on Sunday that will “ensure that couples who wed before the passage of Proposition 8 in November retain their status as ‘married’,” according to the San Francisco Gate. Moreover, same-sex couples who married outside of California after November 4, 2008 will be granted “all rights of marriage save the name” in the Golden state. As the San Francisco Gate clarified in an article on Tuesday, “that means married couples who move to California will not have to register as domestic partners to have their relationship recognized by the state.”

But as blogger Pam Spaulding of PamsHouseBlend.com noted, Sunday was not a complete win for the LGBT community. The governor also vetoed two pieces of legislation considered key items to LGBT Californians. The first bill, AB 1185, would have eased the process by which transgender Californians change their gender on birth certificates. And the second, AB 382 , would have established protections for LGBT inmates. Gov. Schwarzenegger cited legal precedents as rendering those bills unnecessary.

Equality California, an organization devoted to achieving equality and securing legal protections for LGBT Californians, celebrated Sunday’s landmark legislation but expressed disappointment at the vetoes:

“We are grateful to the Governor for signing these critical and groundbreaking measures into law and rising above partisan politics to improve the lives of LGBT Californians,” said EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors.

[Of the vetoed bills] “While we believe it is important to have these protections in statute rather than just as policy or court precedent and are disappointed by the vetoes, the Governor’s reaffirmation of these policies will hopefully help ensure they are enforced.”

GLAAD will continue to monitor the media’s coverage of California legislation meant to protect LGBT people. Updates can be found on GLAADblog.org

The event began with GLAAD’s own Senior Media Strategist Andy Marra and the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund’s executive director Michael Silverman relating the complications and they faced during their recent work in Syracuse, N.Y. during the July trial held for Lateisha Green’s murder.  First, they encountered the unfortunately common problem of law enforcement officials and reporters relaying incorrect information about the victim’s identity and dress; next came the prolonged effort to ensure that the crime was investigated as a hate crime and given the priority investigation status it merited; and finally, the complex issue of educating the media about Lateisha Green’s transgender identity while fighting in court, out of necessity, for a conviction under the category of a hate-crime committed on the basis of sexual orientation.

As explained in the Appendix of TLDEF’s Violence Against Transgender People Resource Kit, while New York State law classifies it as a hate crime for an individual to target and attack a victim because of the victim’s actual or perceived sexual orientation, it does not explicitly make it a hate crime for an individual to attack another because of the victim’s gender identity or expression.  The Boy in Bushwick blog quoted Michael Silverman describing how lawyers had to construct a “narrative that Teish was gay or lesbian to achieve a conviction.”

Federal law currently offers no recourse in that area either, though that seems about to change within just a few weeks when the Senate is expected to pass the new Defense Authorization bill with the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act attached – which will expand the existing federal hate crime law to include crimes motivated by gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.

The discussion then quickly moved to the first-hand experiences of Lateisha’s mother Roxanne Green, brother Mark Cannon (also shot by Lateisha’s killer that night), and friends, who all conveyed their great love for and pride in Lateisha.  Mrs. Green spoke very movingly about her constant concern for her daughter as she grew up, as well as her constant support for her, [advising] parents to always support their children no matter who they are “because once they’re gone, Lord knows there’s no turning back.”

Another client of TLDEF’s, Carmella Etienne, shared her more recent trauma of being attacked with rocks and beer bottles as she walked home from her neighborhood grocery store in Queens this July.  She recalled feeling most scarred not by the physical objects or the transphobic slurs being hurled at her, but rather by the lack of aid from onlookers and the 20 minutes she spent waiting for police assistance.

One of the major take-aways from the conversation was that there is no one single reason for the perpetration and general tolerance of crimes motivated by anti-transgender bias.  It is not simply transphobia, or sexism alone at work, but rather the way that those issues are intertwined with issues of classism and racism that have allow crimes such as these to continue in our communities.  But speaking out about these experiences and intersections will go a long way toward solving these problems.

The panel was moderated by Ejay Carter, the Empire State Pride Agenda’s Transgender Rights Program Organizer.  The event was organized by Laura Vogel, a Legal Fellow at TLDEF and third year law student at Brooklyn Law School and cosponsored by Brooklyn Law School, Empire State Pride Agenda, GLAAD, Queens Pride House, Anti-Violence Project, and the New York Association for Gender Rights Advocacy (NYAGRA).

Topics to be addressed at the press conference include an update on the currently developing Brooklyn Community Pride Center (BCPC) in addition to what programs and services will be offered to the LGBT community at BCPC. Please visit BCPC’s Facebook page and website for more information on the center and ways to get involved.

According to BCPC’s Facebook page, Markowitz has said:

“Brooklyn has one of the biggest and most diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities in the United States, including New York City’s largest lesbian population. It’s only fitting that we have our own Center that addresses the needs of our growing LGBT population and builds on the great work already being done by Brooklyn-based LGBT service organizations. I have always been a proud—emphasis on proud —supporter of the Brooklyn Community Pride Center, and I say bravo to the City Council for sharing my belief that this Center will not only provide vital outreach and services for our LGBT community, but will go a long way in ensuring that Brooklyn truly is a proud home to everyone from everywhere.”

BCPC was founded in September 2008 and currently has an office at Brooklyn Borough Hall (209 Joralemon St, Suite 310, Brooklyn, NY) and is looking for volunteers. Please email volunteers@lgbtbrooklyn.org if you are interested.

GLAAD is pleased to participate in this evening’s community conversation about the violence that is perpetrated against people because of their gender identity or expression, and strategies to prevent and respond to it.

Our Senior Media Strategist Andy Marra will join Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund executive director Michael Silverman and Empire State Pride Agenda transgender rights program organizer Ejay Carter in discussing this hate-motivated violence and the status of gender identity and expression in federal and state hate crime laws.  The family of Lateisha Green, the 22-year-old transgender woman whose death led to New York State’s first hate crime trial and conviction will be present along with two of TLDEF’s current clients, Leslie Mora and Carmella Etienne (who were each victims of separate hate crimes in Queens) to speak about their experience with such violence.

In July, GLAAD helped spotlight the guilty verdict announced in the trial held for Lateisha Green’s shooting.  Andy Marra was on the ground in Syracuse, NY working closely with family, media outlets, TLDEF and Empire State Pride Agenda to ensure fair, accurate, and inclusive media coverage of the case.

TLDEF’s media advisory for the event cites statistics from the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs that show murders of LGBT people in 2008 increased 28% from the previous year and that on average, a transgender person is murdered once a month in the United States.

We hope to see you at tonight’s event and will continue to update you regarding media coverage of crimes motivated by anti-LGBT bias.

Amy Andre photo by Marlo Gayle

On Tuesday, the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee announced that longtime bisexual and LGBT activist Amy Andre would become the organization’s next executive director, overseeing the production of its annual San Francisco Pride Celebration & Parade.

Andre, who was recently interviewed on GLAADblog during Celebrate Bisexuality Day, brings to her new position over a decade of experience working with LGBT nonprofit organizations as well as an MBA in nonprofit management and a master’s degree in sexuality studies.

SF Pride Board President Mikayla Connell stated in BiNet USA’s press release:

We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Amy Andre to the Pride team with her wealth of talent, experience, and history of activism as we continue planning and preparing for the fortieth anniversary San Francisco Pride Celebration and Parade in June of 2010.

The Committee’s decision to select an openly bisexual leader represents an important step toward the slow reversal of the type of biphobia and invisibility Andre has discussed in her written work, and most recently in her September GLAADblog contribution:

When it comes to sexual identity, self-identified bisexuals make up fifty percent of the LGB population. And yet, we bisexuals (and our allies) remain in so many ways invisible and marginalized and not quite aware of the extent to which bisexuals are part of the larger LGBT community.

Andre is also the co-author of Bisexual Health: An Introduction and Model Practices for HIV/STI Prevention, a book published by the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, BiNet USA and the Fenway Institute, as well as the director of On My Skin/En Mi Piel, the internationally-screened documentary about a mixed-race transgender man and his family.

Commenting on her selection, which concluded a national search process that began in March, Andre said:

I’m honored and delighted by this opportunity to be a part of Pride. Celebrating ourselves is one of the most important, courageous, affirming, and, yes, even political, things we as an LGBT community can do. This year’s theme is Forty and Fabulous. But, of course, Pride has always been fabulous, and we’ve got even more wonderful things in store!

We at GLAAD congratulate SF Pride on their selection of such an inspiring leader, and look forward to tracking Amy Andre’s success in her new position.

Memphis Flyer reported on Monday

The marine featured on the billboard is Tim Smith, a Memphis local. Smith served from 2001-2004 and was discharged under the discriminatory Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy just 20 days before he was set to deploy to Iraq.

“We choose not to be stopped by fear. Instead, our community unites in solidarity and with the belief that we too deserve equality,” said MGLCC director Will Batts in a statement released on Saturday. “Although we are saddened by yesterday’s hateful expression of intolerance, we are proud of the local Memphian that chose to be the face on the billboard.”

Four other billboards, also sponsored by MGLCC, are still intact across the Memphis area.

Memphis Commercial Appeal reported on Monday that MGLCC has spoken with Clear Channel, which owns the billboard, and plans have been made to have the billboard restored.

GLAAD will continue to update readers on the media’s coverage of this incident and updates can be found on GLAADblog.org.

In a television advertisement that began airing this week, ‘Stand for Marriage’ alleges that extending marriage protections to Maine’s same-sex couples “has everything to do with schools.” The ad features a Massachusetts couple who tells the story of how their 7 year-old son’s teacher read a book to the class about one prince marrying another prince.

Maine’s Department of Education spokesperson David Connerty-Marin, however, disputes the claim that providing marriage protections for same-sex couples would make any difference to the state’s education policies:

Seeing as there is nothing in Maine education law or rule that even mentions marriage, I think it’s quite unlikely that changing the rules about marriage would encourage anyone to change what they are teaching in the classroom.

Connerty-Marin goes on to point out that there is nothing that prohibits Maine’s teachers from addressing the issue of same-sex couples in the classroom today:

There is nothing that would prohibit a teacher – two years ago, 10 years ago or a year from now – from reading a book to your child that you don’t like. Your recourse would be to talk to your child’s teacher, principal, superintendent or school board and ultimately work to change policies or change the people who sit on that school board if you don’t agree with those.

Jesse Connolly, campaign manager for the No on 1/ Protect Marriage Equality campaign also weighed in on the issue in the Sun Journal article:

To say that gay marriage is going to be taught in school is totally, 100 percent false in  my opinion. There are gay and lesbian families in Maine that have kids in public schools, so if you’re asking if those families are already acknowledged in the classroom by teachers, then I would say yes. But that has nothing to do with this campaign or bill.

AMERICAblog author John Aravosis notes that the ad’s scare tactic is not only similar to the fear based approach used in California’s Proposition 8 battle, it is exactly the same. Aravosis points out that the ad reuses the exact footage of the Massachusetts couple featured in the anti-LGBT ‘Yes on 8’ campaign last fall.

‘Protect Maine Equality’ released an official statement on Wednesday responding to the ad. Here are a few excepts:

These are extreme views in any context and we believe that Maine voters will see through this cast of characters and focus on the real issue of treating all Maine families with dignity and respect… The fact that the ‘Yes on 1’ campaign would literally repackage the same ad their California consultants used in California is a testament to the national outsiders pushing their agenda on the voters of Maine. This is nothing more than a tired national playbook concocted by California political consultants and the national groups that pay their way.

GLAAD will continue to monitor the media’s coverage of Maine’s fight for marriage equality. Updates can be found on glaadBLOG.org

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in a Sept. 14 article that “during the raid, 62 patrons were ordered facedown on the bar’s floor, some for more than an hour.” The Journal-Constitution went on to note that “nine undercover officers and a dozen uniformed officers participated in the raid.” Eight bar employees were arrested.

Garrett McLendon, 43, told the Journal-Constitution that patrons were illegally searched and that after McLendon found himself laying facedown in a pile of glass, he asked officers if he could move and was answered with an expletive from police. At least 10 patrons have filed complaints with the Atlanta Police Department, some of whom allege that anti-gay epithets were used.

Police Chief Richard Pennington claimed during a press conference Monday that the raid was a result of an undercover operation investigating claims about sexual activity taking place at the bar. No arrests were made on the basis of sexual activity, however.

Chief Pennington also expressed regret that the APD’s LGBT Community liaison, Danni Lynn Harris, had not been notified about the raid and was not present during the incident.

Executive Director of Georgia Equality, Jeff Graham is calling on Atlanta’s Mayor and Police Chief to justify the raid.

We call on the Mayor to come forward and explain how this raid makes the city any safer, and whether this was really a wise use of the city’s scarce resources during an economic downturn… Civil rights and common decency should not be thrown out the window over… alleged non-violent conduct…

Georgia Equality also noted in its statement that the organization is concerned that initial complaints about activities at the Atlanta bar were funneled through the Mayor’s office.

Georgia Equality also questioned what specific evidence led to the initiation of the raid and what documentation exists detailing that evidence.

Police Chief Pennington assured those concerned on Monday that complaints will be thoroughly investigated and if any officer is found to have acted improperly, “we will take appropriate action.”

We’ll continue to keep you updated on this story and monitor the media’s coverage of developments around the Atlanta Eagle bar raid. Updates can be found on GLAADblog.org

In a statement released by The Center, the leaders of the hiring search said:

We found a dynamic leader who we believe will be at the forefront of the next generation of advocacy and services for the LGBT community.  Glennda inspired all of us and we cannot wait to begin the next chapter of the Center’s history under her leadership.

Throughout her career, Testone has been a leader in the field of social justice for women and LGBT people.  In an interview with EDGE, Testone said “she hopes to bring her experience as both a feminist and an LGBT activist into her new role.”

Testone said of her new appointment:

At a time when the opportunities and challenges faced by our community are limitless, the Center is a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of LGBT people. I am honored and excited to lead the Center in providing the kind of thriving, nurturing community that we all want to come home to.  It is an ambitious goal, but my commitment to serving the LGBT community, the passion of the people involved and the possibilities for this institution are also limitless.

Testone previously served as the Vice President for the Women’s Media Center for three years after leading the Program Division at GLAAD as our Senior Director of Media Programs for six years.  Testone pioneered several changes in LGBT media activism, most notably leading the team that persuaded The New York Times to change its longstanding policy and include same sex couples on its wedding pages beginning in 2003.

The Center, which celebrated its 25^th anniversary in 2008, has grown to become the largest LGBT multi-service organization on the East Coast and second largest LGBT community center in the world.  The Center’s board president Bruce Anderson, who served as interim executive director for the past eight months reflected:

As a board president and an interim executive director, I have seen the work of the Center firsthand.  And I have seen the staff in action.   It has been a privilege and has also offered me a unique perspective on the kind of leader the Center will need to propel its work forward,” says Anderson.  “This organization needs and deserves a leader with a contemporary perspective, an inspirational vision and the management expertise necessary to bring that vision to life.  We have found that in Glennda.

“The concept of working with an organization that leads people to better lives: I can’t think of anything more important,” Testone concluded in her interview with EDGE.

We at GLAAD send our heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to you at your new post, Glennda!  Thank you for your past and future service to the LGBT community!

Over 40 exhibitors from companies such as CBS, Johnson & Johnson, HBO, Prudential, Scholastic, and many others will attend Thursday’s fair that is expected to draw 3,000 attendees.

Registration is free and all those who register are automatically entered to win an all-inclusive trip to Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City or a 3 month gym membership courtesy of Equinox gym.

To register, visit the “Out to Work” website at www.outtowork.org. Or visit the “Out to Work” Facebook page for more information!

The LA Times reported that in January three football players posted a video on Facebook, in which they voiced anti-gay slurs and suggested sexually assaulting and killing their female classmate, Hail Ketchum, who was playing the role of Mimi in the high school’s version of the musical ‘Rent.’  600 students viewed the video before it was removed.

An LA Times Blog article published the day that the ACLU filed its suit reported that administrators did little to punish the boys or protect Ketchum, who had to rearrange her class schedule to avoid the boys, one of whom threatened her in person.

According to the Orange County Register, the ACLU stated in March that Corona del Mar High School administrators were “permitting and sanctioning an atmosphere that is hostile to female, lesbian, bisexual, gay, and transgender students in general, and has led to despicable threats of violence against one student in particular.”

While school district officials still admit to no wrongdoing, they did agree to settle the case outside of court.  According to the blog GregInHollywood, the terms of the settlement require that the district provide:

 mandatory training sessions for administrators, teachers and students that will focus on the harmful impact of sexual discrimination and harassment, as well as on federal law and district complaint protocols to be followed whenever anyone experiences discrimination or harassment based on sex, sexual orientation and gender identity.

The district will also provide a written apology to Ketchum, who is now a freshman at Loyola Marymount University, and agreed to publicly identify herself for the first time on Wednesday.

The LA Times quoted a statement read by her parents at a news conference Wednesday morning, in which Ketchum said:

No one else will have to go through what I went through… I hope the students of Corona del Mar High School will learn from my experience that it’s possible to stand up for what is right and prevail.

GregInHollywood reported Ketchum as saying:

[Those attacks] were disgusting and very disturbing to me personally… But what was really disheartening is that when I complained about them, the administrators did little to deal with them. I’m happy that the settlement provides the school with a road map of how to address situations like this more appropriately.

Schools around the country are struggling to deal with this type of discrimination and harassment every day.  Our sister organization, the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), has been working since 1995 to make schools safer for all students.  We recommend several resources they have to offer for school officials, parents, and students alike at http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/antibullying/index.html

We at GLAAD will continue to monitor media reports of homophobia and sexism in schools and keep you informed.

CityHallNews.com reports that the ad, which Lander has publicly denounced and maintains he did not authorize, praises him as a candidate who “strongly opposes various types of abominations and immoral laws that are major issues in the current elections.” According to the Brooklyn Downtown Star, a professional translator confirmed that the Yiddish word toyvos ‘abominations’ is commonly understood to refer to homosexuality.  The Der Blatt ad went on to criticize Lander’s fellow Jewish progressive candidates saying “it would be a desecration in the name of God to support the other candidates who support laws permitting abominations…even if such candidates happen to be Jewish themselves.”

This publication set off a series of reactions from other candidates running for that Council seat as well as LGBT advocates and organizations who were understandably concerned and outraged by the anti-gay content they believed Lander had endorsed.  However, Mr. Lander has issued a public statement and confirmed in a letter to the Campaign Finance Board and in several interviews that his campaign team “did not request, see, authorize, approve, or pay for this advertisement.”

Lander told YourNabe.com:

“We had nothing to do with it.  It would have been a preposterous thing to do. People in Borough Park know of my support of marriage equality and no one would believe that we would have placed this ad. It could only serve to do me harm.”

Lander’s LGBT support base seems to be standing behind him, despite the allegations, though former-Chairman of the Democratic National Committee Howard Dean did tell The Power, an online organizing network, that he would pull his endorsement of Lander if he fails to condemn the language of the ad.  The New York Daily News reported that New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Executive Director of the Empire State Pride Agenda Alan Van Capelle issued a joint statement Monday morning calling all attacks against Lander unfair, while denouncing the content of the ad itself.

“I know Brad Lander and am confident that he had absolutely nothing to do with the ad,” Quinn said. “I was pleased that he took immediate action to denounce it.  Any attempt to use this ad against Brad is just plain wrong.”

Media and blog reports suggest that Der Blatt has a history of using defamatory language to promote certain candidates without approval.  Chris Bragg of CityHallNews.com reported that in this case Rabbi Yitzchok Fleisher asked Der Blatt to publish an ad on behalf of Lander, and that the paper responded, “We’ll know what to write.”  When Fleisher saw the result of his request, he was “very upset.”  Bragg’s article is the only one to point out the striking similarity of the August 27^th ad to one which Der Blatt published on June 20^th in support of another Council candidate, John Heyer, which also contained unapproved anti-gay language.

Lander, who has been active in the Brooklyn community for many years, has shown a commitment to marriage equality while also building allies in the orthodox Jewish community – a must for any 39^th District hopeful, as the area encompasses both progressive Park Slope and the largely Hasidic Borough Park.  In an article published before the present controversy, The Jewish Daily Forward reported that Rabbi Ellen Lippman, a “prominent local voice for marriage equality” and leader of Lander’s progressive congregation Kolot Chayeinu/Voices of Out Lives, fully supported his candidacy.

Still, many feel that Lander has not done enough to correct the newspaper’s misuse of his name to promote homophobia.

Der Blatt is expected to print a retraction, and GLAAD will keep you informed of any further reports regarding the publication of defamatory language in relation to the Brooklyn City Council race.

According to One Iowa’s website, the organization has collected 1,200 signatures so far.  In addition, they state that the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board issued a letter to NOM warning the group about their campaign practices:

In a August 27 letter, the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board, warns the National Organization for Marriage about their campaign activities in Iowa. Here are the key points of the warning:

• only an “insignificant and insubstantial amount” of NOM’s income is permitted to come from business organizations
• if advocacy activities in Iowa exceed $750,  NOM must form a PAC and disclose contributors.

• “To continue to file an independent expenditure statement for future elections in Iowa would mean that your organization is not raising more than $750 from outside sources for such purposes”

On August 28, The Iowa Independent reported that One Iowa isn’t alone in fighting NOM.  Fairness Fund Pac, an Iowa-based political action committee, has stepped up to the plate as well.

An Iowa-based political action committee that supports marriage rights for same-sex couples is working to raise $10,000 by midnight Friday in the hopes of countering the huge investment made by an anti-gay marriage organization in the special election in House District 90.

Fairness Fund PAC, which is associated with the state’s largest gay-rights advocacy group, One Iowa, is hoping a last-minute surge of money can help bring Democrat Curt Hanson to victory. The National Organization for Marriage (NOM), a New Jersey-based group that opposes same-sex marriage, spent nearly $90,000 on a television ad campaign for Republican candidate Steve Burgmeier.

“If Stephen Burgmeier wins this election, it will be spun as a victory for anti-gay marriage opponents in Iowa and across the country,” said Carolyn Jenison, executive director of One Iowa, in a post on the PAC’s blog. “We can’t let this happen.”

If their anti-gay efforts succeed, opponents of marriage equality won’t just negatively affect Iowa residents, but many other  same-sex couples in neighboring states. On August 30, The Associated Press in the Kansas City Star reported that almost half of  gay and lesbian couples who have been married in Iowa, are from out of town.

Between April 27 and July 27 there were 5,214 marriage certificates issued statewide. Of those, 676 were for same-sex couples. Gender was concealed on 339 marriage certificates.

Of the 676 same-sex couples, 312 couples weren’t from Iowa. They were from neighboring states.

Data show 57 couples were from Illinois, 38 were from Nebraska, 37 were from Missouri and 36 were from Minnesota.

GLAAD will continue keeping up with the latest developments around this issue.

Officers found 21 year old Tyli A Nana Boo Mack and her friend in front of an apartment building after the stabbing. Mack died after being rushed to the hospital, and her friend, whose identity is being withheld by police, is still in critical condition.

The attacker has not been caught, but witnesses say that they saw a man in his 30s fleeing the scene. The Washington Post reports that police are investigating the attack as a possible hate crime based on information that they received from the victim when they arrived at the scene. The attack occurred two blocks away from the offices of Transgender Health Empowerment (THE), an organization that, according its website, hopes to “enhance the quality of life of the diverse transgender populations we serve”. THE released a statement condemning the stabbing:

As our organization strives to enhance the quality of life of the diverse transgender populations throughout the Metro Washington, D.C. area we are too often reminded that even our basic right to life without hate and the threat of violence and even death is in constant jeopardy.

The D.C. Transgender Coalition, an organization dedicated to fighting for human rights and equal access for the transgender community, also issued a statement which said:

The incident took place close to the offices of Transgender Health Empowerment, Inc (THE) and reminds us that the lives, health and safety of transgender, transsexual and gender non-conforming people are under siege by hate and ignorance.  Attacks such as this one threaten our entire community.

In the statement, the Coalition urged police and media to be respectful of transgender people in the process:

Too many times, police and media correspondents have failed to accurately identify and respect the gender identities of trans people, in spite of the commonly accepted Associated Press guidelines that clearly state that reporters should use pronouns and names in accordance with the individuals identity. This disrespect only perpetuates the ignorance that so often fuels verbal harassment and physical violence.

Beverlyn Mack, Tyli A Nana Boo’s mother, spoke out about the violence, remaining supportive of her daughter. She said, “I don’t like it ’cause my child was born the same way as everyone else– through a mother’s womb, and I don’t think it’s fair for people to take other people’s lives.”

As MyFoxDC reported in a follow up story, the D.C. police have offered a reward of $25,000 for help in tracking down the person who committed the crimes.

The D.C. Transgender Coalition is holding a vigil at the scene of the crime at 6:30 on Friday.

GLAAD will continue to monitor all further media coverage of developments surrounding this story.