Emails that Forbes obtained showed that the cheating website Ashley Madison's parent company, Avid Life Media, was considering acquiring Grindr, the location-based dating app for gay, bisexual and bi-curious men, earlier this year, according to a Business Insider item. The relationship between now-former Ashley Madison CEO Noel Biderman and Grindr founder Joel Simkhai stretches back to 2012, when the two had several conversations about advertising each others services. Biderman resigned after hackers exposed the company's database, generating an adulterous worldwide fervor.
Jeffrey Hurant, CEO of the gay male escort site RentBoy.com, and six of his employees were arrested during a sting operation in Manhattan, Queerty reported. The raid—conducted by homeland security and the NYPD— happened at the company's headquarters on West 14th Street. The company's bank accounts, containing millions of dollars, have been frozen. Boxes of files and computers were also seized during the raid. Several LGBTA organizations condemned the raid, with Transgender Law Center saying, "With this raid, the U.S. federal government is not only jeopardizing countless people's lives and only source of livelihood, but sending a clear and troubling message that the country is less invested in addressing systemic issues of racial, economic and anti-LGBT injustice than in further criminalizing the individuals most marginalized by those systems."
Facebook has apologized to the fashion line Suddenly Fem ( CrossDresser.com ), which caters to the transgender community, according to PR Newswire. When the online and catalog based company tried to advertise through Facebook this summer, in order to reach transgender customers, the social-media giant rejected the store's ads and content, as they were considered "adult." A member of the Facebook ad team said, "It appears your ads were mistakenly disapproved, and we've re-reviewed and approved them. I'm sorry for any inconvenience this caused."
The editorial board of The Indianapolis Star published a call to capitol politicians to enact statewide protections for LGBT people, Advocate.com reported. In an editorial displayed prominently on the front page of the Gannett-owned newspaper, the editors told their readers this campaign is "aimed at convincing state political leaders to adopt a law modeled after Indianapolis' 10-year-old human rights ordinance. Indy's law provides strong legal protections for LGBT citizens, but has not placed undue burdens on businesses or religious organizations." The editorial is at www.indystar.com/story/opinion/2015/08/28/editorial-rights-time-indiana-act/71293646/ .
A member of Denver's city council has received threatening mail after he voted to postpone the approval of a new Chick-fil-A restaurant at the Denver International Airport, according to an LGBTQ Nation item. Councilman Paul D. LÃ"pez is one of several lawmakers who cited opposition to the chicken chain's previous charitable contributions to anti-gay groups. However, he clarified that his main motivation for delaying the contract is because Chick-fil-A, which is run by militant Christians, isn't open on Sundays, which could pose problems for an airport location.
The victim in a shooting in the Chicago suburb of Aurora in March has been identified as a transgender woman, bringing the total number of trans women reported killed in the United States this year to 19, Advocate.com reported. On March 7, Keyshia Blige, a 33-year-old transgender woman, was driving a friend in her car through Aurora when gunshots were fired. One shot hit Blige in the shoulder; although she attempted to drive herself to the hospital, she eventually lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a Jeep.
Four lesbian couples are asking a federal judge to immediately stop Mississippi from enforcing a law that bans same-sex couples from adopting or taking children into foster care, the Associated Press reported. The couples and two gay-rights groups filed suit Aug. 12 to challenge the 2000 adoption ban. It was not immediately clear how soon U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan will consider the request.
The Pennsylvania Fairness Act has been introduced in the state's General Assembly, according to a Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) release. Introduced by state Reps. Dan Frankel ( D-23 ) and Thomas H. Killion ( R-168 ) in the House of Representatives as well as state Sens. Lawrence M. Farnese, Jr. ( D-1 ) and Patrick M. Browne ( R-16 ) in the Senate, this legislation would update the state's non-discrimination law to explicitly include protections for LGBT people from discrimination at work, in housing, and in public places. HRC is a coalition member of Pennsylvania Competes, the bipartisan campaign working to pass the Pennsylvania Fairness Act.
A campaign disclosure report shows that the president of a hedge fund contributed $1.25 million to the National Organization for Marriage's efforts to defeat Maine's marriage-equality law in 2009, providing more than half of national anti-gay marriage group's donations during the campaign, ABC News reported. The group went to court three different times to shield its list of donors who contributed more than $2 million combined, all of which was funneled to Stand for Marriage Maine. The report showed the biggest single contributor was Sean Fieler, a New Jersey man who is president of hedge fund Equinox Partners and the Kuroto Fund. The other largest donors—at $300,000 apiece—were San Diego businessman Terry Caster and retired Pennsylvania physician Jack Templeton, who died of brain cancer in May.
Rafael Cruz—a Christian conservative celebrity and the father of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a candidate for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination—claims marriage equality will lead to lawsuits against Christians, according to On Top Magazine. Rafael criticized the Supreme Court's June ruling striking down marriage-equality bans in all 50 states, saying that "the Devil overplayed his hand. You've got to realize that that decision was not about homosexual marriage; that decision was a decision against religious liberty."
In Oregon, a Portland Catholic school has changed its hiring policies after withdrawing a counseling job offer it had given to a lesbian candidate, KGW.com reported. St. Mary's Academy President Christina Friedhoff said in a statement, "St. Mary's is a diverse community that welcomes and includes gay and lesbian students, faculty, alumnae, parents and friends, including those that are married." In a separate statement, New Ways Ministry Executive Director Francis DeBernardo congratulated the school.
After a same-sex couple attempted to enroll their child in a Catholic school in Springfield, Illinois, the city's bishop is requiring all parents to sign an agreement that critics say is designed to drive away the children of same-sex couples and divorced parents, BuzzFeed reported. The agreement requires parents to "agree that our child( ren ) will be taught the teachings of the Catholic Church in their fullness even if we are living a way of life that is contrary to those teachings." The policy was officially implemented by Springfield Bishop John Paprocki on July 15; LGBT Catholic advocates who spoke to BuzzFeed News call the policy "unprecedented."
GLSEN ( Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network ) is giving away 2,000 Safe Space Kits to K-12 educators across the country to create a positive learning environment for every student, according to a press release. This kit includes 10 Safe Space stickers to help students identify safe and welcoming areas in their schools, a Safe Space poster, and a guidebook giving concrete strategies for supporting LGBT students. Educators can fill out a form at action.glsen.org/page/s/ssk-giveaway to receive the complimentary kit.
In Oregon, prosecutors said they expect to dismiss child sex-abuse charges against prominent gay-rights activist Terry Bean because the alleged victim is unlikely to show up for trial, the Associated Press reported. The trial, slated to start Sept. 1, was delayed for three weeks so authorities could attempt to get in touch with the 17-year-old victim, who went into hiding to avoid being subpoenaed. Authorities allege the 66-year-old Bean and his ex-boyfriend, 25-year-old Kiah Lawson, had sex with the teen in a Eugene hotel room in 2013, when the boy was 15. Bean and Lawson have both pled not guilty.
In Virginia, the Norfolk Police Department has announced an LGBTQ community liaison, 13NewsNow.com reported. Sgt. Craig Lovelace was named as the liaison to enhance police services and support specific to the needs of gays, lesbians and allied communities. In addition to providing enhanced police support, Lovelace will work in partnership with various police divisions to conduct community outreach, education, recruitment, and involvement in other LGBTQ related issues.
A Canadian man is set to face an unprecedented fourth trial in the 1988 murder of a lesbian couple in Nashua, New Hampshire, according to Patch.com . Anthony Barnaby, 48, and fellow Canadian David Caplin, 53, were indicted in Hillsborough County. They are accused of killing Charlene Ranstrom, 48, and Brenda Warner, 32, at the women's Nashua apartment. Police said the women were bound, beaten and stabbed to death.
In Texas, a same-sex couple says their wedding plans are on hold after a hotel chef allegedly refused to cater their reception, Eater.com reported. After 24 years together, Daren Merchant and Rick O'Connor planned to marry at the Hilton Garden Inn in Richardson, Texas on Jan. 1 where Merchant's daughter is an employee. However, while at work Merchant's daughter claims she overheard the hotel chef complaining about serving a gay couple. Merchant says the chef stated that gay marriage was bringing about the apocalypse and compared the couple to Caitlyn Jenner.
PayPal has joined the growing list of companies backing the Equality Act, a federal bill that seeks to ban anti-LGBT discrimination in all areas of civil rights, On Top Magazine noted. PayPal joins Intel, Symantec, IBM, Orbitz, American Airlines, Amazon, General Electric, HP, Microsoft, General Mills, Google, Facebook, Nike, Apple, The Dow Chemical Company and Levi Strauss, & Co. in supporting the bill.
A CNN segment that Anderson Cooper hosted took a turn as New York Times columnist Charles Blow and ex-NYPD cop Harry Houck got into a heated exchange where racism was charged, TheWrap reported. While discussing the #BlackLivesMatter movement, Houck said it's crazy to suggest all of white America is against Black America. "That is a racist statement in itself, Harry," Blow said. Houck then interrupted Blow, which set off Blow: "I let you speak and you're going to let me speak, Harry."
The head men's basketball coach at Minnesota's Winona State University has resigned after being accused by a player of making an unwanted advance, Outsports reported, citing the Winona Daily News. Mike Leaf resigned June 26, five days after the incident. The player, who is not named in the story and did not go to the police, said that Leaf reeked of alcohol and appeared to be very drunk. Leaf, 54, was the winningest coach in Winona State history and led the Warriors to two national titles in his 17 seasons.
In North Carolina, some Duke University students have declined to read Alison Bechdel's 2006 graphic novel Fun Home because of its sexual themes and use of nudity, CNN reported. "I feel as if I would have to compromise my personal Christian moral beliefs to read it," incoming freshman Brian Grasso wrote on Facebook. The novel—an autobiographical work about Bechdel coming to terms with her homosexuality as her funeral-director father remains closeted—was selected as a summer reading book for the Duke class of 2019.
A gay-friendly North Carolina church has painted their front doors with rainbow colors after somebody vandalized the property with anti-gay slurs, MyFox8.com reported. Congregants of Charlotte's Wedgewood Church cleaned up after being targeted by vandals, spraying black paint over an "LGBT Equality" sign. An anti-gay slur was also spray-painted on the front doors of the church; members painted a rainbow over it.
A polygamous family says the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage shows that laws restricting consensual adult relationships are outdated, CBS News reported. Kody Brown and his four wives argue in court documents that their reality-TV show Sister Wives shows polygamous marriages can be as healthy as monogamous ones. The Browns—who have filed suit in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals—are defending a legal victory they won in 2013, when a federal judge struck down key parts of Utah's law banning polygamy.
In Florida, longtime LGBTQ community advocate Dave Cook has been named executive director for the 8th Annual Miami Beach Gay Pride parade and festival, CommunityNewspapers.com noted. Miami Beach Gay Pride will take place April 8-10, 2016. Actor/TV host Mario Lopez was the grand marshal of this year's parade.
Dr. Ken Schneck—the producer/host of the long-running radio show/podcast This Show is So Gay and featured columnist in The Huffington Post—has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for a Web series entitled "The Bully Pulpit," a press release stated. "The Bully Pulpit" ( six 10-to-12-minute webisodes ) offers a spin by giving individuals and their bullies an opportunity to sit down over a cup of tea to talk about their shared recollection. This fundraising campaign ends Sept. 30. See https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thebullypulpit/the-bully-pulpit-a-webseries-about-sharing-perspec.
A new study from the University of Houston College of Education compared the attitudes of white heterosexual men to those of white sexual-minority men—and shows the latter may be more empathic toward other minority groups, compared to their heterosexual white peers, a press release stated. The research paper, "Translating Oppression: Understanding How Sexual Minority Status is Associated with White Men's Racial Attitudes," was published in the journal "Psychology of Men and Masculinity," a publication of the American Psychological Association. Sexual minority defines diverse sexual orientations, such as gay, bisexual, questioning or queer.
