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National: Blood-donation ban; Jeb Bush; Arkansas city's pro-LGBT move
Special to the online edition of Windy City Times
by Andrew Davis, Windy City Times
2015-05-19

This article shared 3144 times since Tue May 19, 2015
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The Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) responded to the release of draft guidance from the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) on a long-awaited change to the current scientifically unwarranted blood donation ban on gay and bisexual men, according to a press release. The draft guidance ( announced last December ) outlines the implementation of a deferral-based policy utilizing a one-year period of abstinence from same-sex sexual activity for men. "While the new policy is a step in the right direction toward an ideal policy that reflects the best scientific research, it still falls far short of a fully acceptable solution because it continues to stigmatize gay and bisexual men," said HRC Government Affairs Director David Stacy. "This policy prevents men from donating life-saving blood based solely on their sexual orientation rather than actual risk to the blood supply."

Probable Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush told the Christian Broadcasting Network that Christian business owners should not have to provide services for gay weddings if it goes against their religious beliefs, The Huffington Post noted. The former Florida governor justified his position by claiming that not providing a service does not count as discrimination if business owners feel that it violates their religious rights. Bush also reiterated his opposition to marriage equality, saying that same-sex marriage is not a constitutional right.

In Eureka Springs, Arkansas, ratification for Ordinance 2223 was 579, more than double the 231 votes to repeal, The Eureka Springs Independent reported. The ordinance prohibits discrimination against anyone based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and provides anti-discrimination protection in employment, housing and public accommodations. The Arkansas legislature passed a state law that would prevent cities from protecting its citizens with nondiscrimination ordinances, and goes into effect in July.

A lesbian activist and student was murdered April 17 in her off-campus home near the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia, according to The Washington Blade. Grace Rebecca Mann, 20, was found strangled shortly after she participated in Day of Silence, an annual international event on campus GLSEN created more than a decade ago. Fredericksburg police have charged one of Mann's three housemates, Steven Vander Briel, 30, with first-degree murder and abduction in connection with her death.

Missouri authorities claim that a champion college wrestler recklessly infected gay sex partners with HIV for months after he was diagnosed, The New York Daily News reported. Michael Johnson, 23, allegedly continued to hook up with multiple men in his Lindenwood University dorm room—even lying to them when asked if he had the virus. Johnson, who won the 2012 National Junior College championship before transferring to Lindenwood, infected two men and endangered four others before his October 2013 arrest, according to the felony charges.

In Wyoming, the Laramie City Council approved a local anti-discrimination ordinance—17 years after gay student Matthew Shepard's death took place in the same town, The Chicago Tribune noted. The council voted seven to two in favor of the measure that bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in housing, employment and access to public facilities such as restaurants. Wyoming Equality Executive Director Jeran Artery said, "What a day for Wyoming—and what a day for the city that became synonymous with Matthew Shepard's murder—to now step up and do this right thing." Shepard's death was considered a watershed in the gay-rights movement, resulting in a national hate-crimes measure.

GlaxoSmithKline and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are teaming up to form a company which will look for a cure for AIDS, according to an LGBTQ Nation item. Local media outlets report the two partners will form Qura Therapeutics, a Chapel Hill research company. The partnership also creates an HIV Cure center bringing together academic and pharmaceutical research scientists.

In Texas, time expired on a bill that would prohibit government employees from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, thwarting state Republicans' plans to defy the U.S. Supreme Court if same-sex marriage is legalized, the Associated Press reported. Republicans had until midnight on May 15 to pass the measure in the Texas House, which they control. However, the bill never even reached a vote, as Democrats used stall tactics to keep the bill at the back of the line.

The Nevada Legislature has passed an omnibus anti-bullying measure that Gov. Brian Sandoval supported despite some Republican concerns that it was rushed, according to Fox5Vegas.com . Assembly members voted 36-6 on Wednesday to approve SB 504. The measure now heads to Sandoval's desk for final approval. The bill revises the definition of bullying and creates a separate anti-bullying office within the Nevada Department of Education. It will also strengthens reporting requirements for bullying incidents, and create a 24-hour hotline and a website for submitting complaints.

Sam Ciccone, the co-founder of the oldest LGBTI police association in the United States, has passed away in his home at 71 of heart disease on May 10, according to Gay Star News. Ciccone became a police officer in New Jersey in 1964 at 20, and rose to become a detective sergeant over the next 15 years, keeping his sexuality a secret at work. He then quit that force in 1979 and moved to New York City after then-Mayor Ed Koch banned discrimination of sexual orientation in all city agencies. In 1932, Ciccone and Charles H. Cochrane Jr. founded the Gay Officers Action League ( GOAL ), now recognized as the oldest LGBTI police association in the country.

An Oklahoma man is suing the state after his request for a personalized license plate to support the LGBT community was rejected, LGBTQ Nation reported. John Keefe, a married father of three and a vocal supporter of the LGBT community, filed the suit after the state tax commission denied his request in March for a personalized plate that read "LGBTALY," saying the license plate was sexual in nature. The rejection prompted Keefe to file an open records request asking for a list of all the personalized plates that were accepted and denied, but the state has reportedly ignored his request for at least two months.

Anne Susan DiPrizio—a 44-year-old minister who tried to perform a same-sex wedding in an Alabama courthouse—has pled guilty to disorderly conduct, the Associated Press noted. A judge ordered her to pay a $250 fine and suspended her 30-day jail sentence. Authorities arrested the Unitarian minister in February in Prattville while some counties were issuing same-sex wedding licenses in Alabama.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham has said that he will probably run for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, saying he believes he'd be the best choice amid continued Middle East unrest, LGBTQ Nation reported. A critic of President Obama's troop reductions in the Middle East, Graham said he believes "more American soldiers will die in Iraq and eventually in Syria to protect our homeland." On the Issues noted that, in the past, Graham has supported the constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and has voted "no" on reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act.

The engineer involved in the May 12 Amtrak train crash in Pennsylvania has been identified as gay activist Brandon Bostian, Gay Star News noted. His lawyer and officials at Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, where he received treatment, confirmed the identity of the 32-year-old resident of Queens, New York. Bostian "likes" several LGBTI pages on Facebook and was interviewed at a marriage-equality protest in 2012. Bostian's attorney, Robert Goggin, has said that Bostian suffered a concussion in the accident and cannot remember what happened when the train jumped the tracks, killing seven people and injuring more than 200.

Two Nevada teens—one gay and one straight—have become Internet sensations in the wake of their viral promposal, but a new wrinkle has surfaced, The Huffington Post reported. Jennifer Sandoval, the aunt of one of the teens, told a Fox affiliate that employees at a Las Vegas Walmart refused to include the word "gay" on a surprise cake she bought for the duo. Sandoval's nephew is Anthony Martinez, who attended the Desert Oasis High School junior prom with his straight best friend, Jacob Lescenski, on May 2. When the news station contacted the Walmart, a spokesperson said store policy doesn't prohibit the word "gay," and management wasn't alerted when Sandoval made the request.

The first federally approved monument honoring LGBT veterans will be dedicated Monday, May 25—Memorial Day—at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, Illinois, one hour south of Chicago. The monument, which was spearheaded by Stanley J. Jenczyk, junior board member of the Chicago chapter of the American Veteran's for Equal Rights ( AVER ), was approved late last year by Robert E. Walters, the Department of Veterans Affairs acting undersecretary of Memorial Affairs. The ceremony will take place along and within the Memorial Walkway, and will feature music by the Windy City Gay Chorus; blessings from Rabbi Cindy Enger, Fr. Chris Myers and Rev. Wayne Bradley; remarks from elected officials including U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly ( whose district includes the cemetery ); and a Flag Line led by members of Organized Chaos Chicago ( OCC ), some of whom are active duty or veterans of the military.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of USAF Technical Sgt. Leonard Matlovich coming out in Time Magazine to challenge the ban against LGBT service in the United States military, according to a GoFundMe page aimed at purchasing a wreath to honor Matlovich on Memorial Day. The page ( www.gofundme.com/unb4s5d ) has already surpassed the $300 needed for the wreath. Matlovich—a Vietnam veteran and recipient of the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart—died in 1988 at age 44 of complications from HIV/AIDS.

An analysis conducted by the Center for American Progress has found that LGBT immigrants are consistently detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ), even when ICE's own system recommends release, a press release stated. The study concluded that 70 percent of all LGBT persons processed through ICE's RCA ( risk classification assessment ) system were given an option or recommendation of release—yet 68 percent of them were instead detained and more than half were detained without bond. The paper is at www.americanprogress.org/issues/lgbt/news/2015/05/14/111832/no-way-out-congress-bed-quota-traps-lgbt-immigrants-in-detention/ .

In New Jersey, a Catholic priest has claimed he was fired as director of Seton Hall University's campus ministry after publicly supporting the "NOH8 Campaign" in a Facebook post, LGBTQ Nation reported. Rev. Warren Hall took to Twitter Friday saying: "I've been fired from SHU for posting a pic on FB supporting LGBT 'NO H8.' I'm sorry it was met with this response. I'll miss my work here." ( He has since removed the tweet and the Facebook post. ) Jim Goodness, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Neward, declined to comment on the specifics of why Hall was removed from the campus ministry position; however, he did confirm that Hall's "term as director of campus ministry is ending."

Northwestern University Professor Emeritus Laurence Davis—a professional pianist-accompanist, longtime Bienen School of Music educator and former associate conductor/principal coach-accompanist for Lyric Opera of Chicago—died April 23 in Evanston, Illinois, following a brief illness. He was 86. He is survived by one brother, Winston Davis, of Melbourne, Australia; by his Thai companion and friend, Anan Pomthong; and by many of his devoted students, colleagues and friends. Davis' friends in Thailand are planning a memorial service in mid-June in Pattaya.

The Arcus Foundation—a global foundation promoting respect for diversity among peoples and in nature—announced the selection of 13 executive directors to participate in the Arcus Leadership Fellowship, according to a press release. Formerly known as the Arcus LGBT Leadership Initiative ( ALLI ), the fellowship is designed to support early-stage executive directors of LGBT and allied nonprofit organizations based in the United States. Among those named were Charlene Carruthers ( director, Black Youth Project 100 ), Janson Wu ( executive director, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders ) and Hudson Taylor ( executive director, Athlete Ally ).

The grassroots organization Women on 20s released the results of its 10-week-long online survey to determine the woman who—it hopes—will be the new face on the $20 bill, Bloomberg reported. More than 600,000 votes were tallied, and a victor declared: Harriet Tubman. The other three finalists were Rosa Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt and Wilma Mankiller, the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation.

In Wisconsin, Lambda Legal filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of married lesbian couple Chelsea and Jessamy Torres ( who married in New York in 2012 ), who are seeking a birth certificate listing both mothers as parents of their son who was born in March, according to a press release. Chelsea received a form from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services asking for confirmation of the information that was provided to generate a birth certificate. The form did not contain any reference to Jessamy, effectively eliminating her from the family in the eyes of the state.

In Jackson, Mississippi, Tiffany Franklin and girlfriend Jazmine Lewis claim they were asked to leave the Metro 24 Bowling Center after they kissed, The Clarion-Ledger reported. Franklin said the owner asked them not to kiss in his business and would ask them to leave if it happened again. An attorney for the alley's owner said the women were not kicked out of the business; however, his client said there were families with children at the bowling alley and they didn't want to expose their children to two women kissing.

Christopher Bridgeman—a gay man who claims homophobic United Airlines workers took a dildo from his bag and taped it to the outside—testified the incident turned him into a shut-in who installed 16 security cameras at his house and fears his new neighbors are working for the airline, Courthouse News Service reported. Returning from a vacation to Costa Rica, Bridgeman and Martin Borger discovered the prank upon arriving in Norfolk, Virginia. Frontiers L.A. noted, however, that U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt—who dismissed the case in 2012—again rejected the couple's case. Hoyt said the case remains a "whodunit" because the plaintiffs could not prove that it was the airline, and not the Transportation Safety Administration ( TSA ), that had tampered with the bag.

A gay-porn actor has claimed that, although it required STD testing for every straight-sex scene it filmed, Kink.com's lax precautions for gay actors contributed to the spread of HIV, according to Courthouse News Service. Identifying himself only as John Doe, the plaintiff says he notified Kink.com immediately when he tested HIV-positive in May 2013, but that studio bosses kept his status quiet until shooting wrapped, leaving regulators in the dark and causing a delay that likely resulted in HIV exposure for two performers.

More than 30,000 walkers filled Central Park and took part in the 30th annual AIDS Walk New York, raising $4.88 million, according to a press release. The 10-kilometer walk benefits Gay Men's Health Crisis ( GMHC ) and 40 other vital AIDS service organizations throughout the tri-state area. Notable opening-ceremony participants included Tyne Daly, Scandal actress Bellamy Young, Nick Wechsler ( the TV show Revenge ) and David Hyde Pierce.

In Efland, North Carolina, some parents of students at Efland-Cheeks Elementary School were upset after a third-grade teacher read the book King & King, which is about a prince marrying another prince, WNCN.com reported. Teacher Omar Currie—who did not notify parents, as the Orange County Schools controversial-topics policy requires—read the book in order to address the bullying of a boy in his class.

A University of California at San Diego professor is requiring his students to take their final exam for a visual arts class completely in the nude, WCPO.com reported. Associate Professor Ricardo Dominguez has been teaching Visual Arts 104A: Performing the Self for 11 years. Dominguez said 20 students strip down, and he does as well. He calls it a performance of self, in a dark room lit only by candlelight. "It's a standard canvas for performance art and body art," Dominguez said. "It is very all controlled."


This article shared 3144 times since Tue May 19, 2015
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