In response to the development regarding the DADT repeal, President Obama issued a statement saying, in part, "I am extremely disappointed that yet another filibuster has prevented the Senate from moving forward with the National Defense Authorization Act. ... A minority of Senators were willing to block this important legislation largely because they oppose the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' As Commander in Chief, I have pledged to repeal this discriminatory law."
For men who have sex with men, circumcision does not seem to be an effective tool in reducing the risk of contracting HIV, according to HIVPlusMag.com . A new study that examined 1,800 U.S. and Peruvian men—who were at high risk of becoming infected with HIV because they already had herpes simplex type 2—showed that the risk was not significantly different between circumcised and uncircumcised gay and bisexual men. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that circumcision in newborns is not necessary because there isn't much evidence supporting its health benefits.
Transgender basketball player Kye Allums returned to the George Washington University women's basketball team Dec. 5, helping his team beat George Mason 67-58 as he scored 10 points, according to Outsports. Allums had missed three games with a concussion. Allums made news in November by issuing a statement that he wanted to be identified as a male, saying, "it bothered me to hide who I am, and I am trying to help myself and others to be who they are."
Elizabeth Edwards—an author and attorney who became known in her later years for being estranged from her husband, one-time politician John Edwards—died of cancer Dec. 7 in North Carolina at age 61, according to the Washington Post. Elizabeth found out she had breast cancer on Election Day 2004, when her husband was the vice-presidential candidate on the ticket with Sen. John Kerry, and it resurfaced when John launched a presidential bid four years later. Elizabeth was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2007. In 2008, John publicly admitted to having lied about having an extramarital affair with Rielle Hunter.
In California, the Berkeley City Council is considering a resolution that would honor Private First Class Bradley Manning, 22, the gay soldier who allegedly leaked U.S. military information and diplomatic communications to Wikileaks, according to Advocate.com . The resolution would honor Manning "for his courage in bringing the truth to the American people and the people of the world." Manning, currently in jail in Virginia, could receive more than 50 years in prison if he is convicted.
Adult-film performer Derrick Burts (professional name: Derrick Chambers) has called for mandatory condom use in movie production, better STD tests and follow-up care for actors, according to Advocate.com . Burts—who has been in gay- and straight-porn films—tested positive for HIV in October, and believes he may have contracted the virus while shooting a gay-porn film in Florida; actors in that movie did not use condoms during oral-sex scenes.
In New York City, police officer Ekeythia Dunston, who's accused of shooting her girlfriend in a dispute in August, said in court Dec. 8 that the two fought and struggled over Dunston's gun, Advocate.com reported. The incident started after Dunston received a text message from another woman at three in the morning. Prosecutors say that the girlfriend, Erica LeGall, then hit Dunston with an iron just before the shooting.
Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black and the San Francisco, Calif., chapter of Log Cabin Republicans are upset that the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) will move into the store Castro Camera, which was where the late gay-rights activist Harvey Milk set up shop, according to Advocate.com . Black, who won the award for writing the screenplay for Milk, said, "Harvey Milk spent the last years of his life fighting not only for rights for gays and lesbians across the nation, but also against the idea that the only way to achieve those rights is to lobby the government and financially support so-called straight allies." HRC President Joe Solmonese said that Milk's work inspired his group.
In California, high school wrestler Preston Hill, 17, has been expelled from school and charged with sexual battery for using a controversial move called a "butt drag," according to Advocate.com . In a "butt drag," a wrestler grabs his opponents butt cheeks and puts his finger in the opponent's anus for leverage—and the move has been considered legal for decades. Hill's father said that he had taught his son the move years ago; however, police said Hill went too far and inserted his fingers deeply into a freshman teammate during practice. The alleged victim's father said that Hill did the move because the freshman stood up to him for bullying.
In his newly updated, award-winning book Double Play: The Hidden Passions Behind the Double Assassination of George Moscone and Harvey Milk, reporter and author Mike Weiss provides a history and analysis of the controversial trial that changed the California legal system, according to a press release. Weiss' true-crime thriller explains why White killed the two politicians and how he got away with murder, receiving only a mild sentence for manslaughter. This new edition reveals how, following his release from prison, White confessed his true murderous intent and his plan to kill two more politicians.
In California, transgender woman Amber Yust has filed a complaint against the state's department of motor vehicles after a DMV worker reportedly found Yust's private information and sent her a letter criticizing her gender identity, according to Advocate.com . Yust said she received the letter shortley after going to the DMV to change her license. Yust is claiming that the department invaded her privacy and violated her civil rights.
In Georgia, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has apologized for how patrons of the Atlanta Eagle bar were treated last year during a raid, Advocate.com reported. Reed said, "I believe that what occurred that evening should not have happened and should not happen again." Several police officers raided the bar Sept. 10, 2009, posing as customers; later that night, SWAT-like officers entered the bar (without a warrant). Officers made anti-gay comments, and at least one person was injured.
In Chicago, Ill., the Howard Brown Health Center announced that its board of directors will make changes in the near future to address concerns about oversight of the non-profit health center—and said changes will include an entirely new board in place by the middle of 2011. The center's board of directors announced a "Responsible Transition" component of its plan, and also renewed its prior call for interested members of the community to apply to join its board.
In Tennessee, former Belmont University women's soccer coach Lisa Howe has praised the school president, Dr. Bob Fisher, for saying the school welcomes everyone, according to Greenwich Times. Howe left the school Dec. 2; her players have said she was fired for disclosing that she is expecting a child with her lesbian partner. The school said that the departure of Howe, who had coached at the university for six seasons, was a "mutual decision."
Michael Portantino, longtime publisher of San Diego's Gay and Lesbian Times, was found dead Dec. 8 after apparently jumping from a seven-story hotel, according to the L.A. Times. Portantino was reportedly depressed because his newspaper had to close due to financial problems. Nicole Murray-Ramirez, a columnist for the Times, said, "He was tenacious, a fighter, but it just got to be too much for him." Portantino is survived by a daughter.
In Pennsylvania, Democratic Hatboro Mayor Norman Hawkes has vetoed an LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination measure, according to the Philadelphia Gay News. The ordinance had passed 4-3 during the Hatboro Council last month, and the council could override the veto with a 5-2 vote—meaning that one of the three Republicans who voted against the measure would have to change his vote.
Elizabeth E. Tocci, a Chicago Gay & Lesbian Hall of Fame inductee who owned and ran Calumet City's The Patch—which became one of the oldest lesbian-owned establishments in the country—passed away Dec. 5 in her sleep. Tocci was born on the South Side of Chicago and raised in the Pullman and Roseland areas of the city, according to the hall's website. She opened her first gay bar, the 307 Club, in 1963. She then opened The Patch in 1971.
In California, gay activist Richard Noble walked onto the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms Dec. 6, ending a 56-mile journey across the desert to call attention to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT)," according to MyDesert.com . He began his hike Nov. 30, the day the Pentagon released its year-long study on repealing DADT. He expected the hike down Highway 62 to take about a week, but averaged 10 miles a day, sleeping on others' couches and camping on the side of the road.
Lesbian tennis icon Martina Navratilova has been hospitalized in Kenya because there was fluid accumulation in her lungs after she attempted to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, according to CBS Sportsline. Navratilova, 54, was diagnosed with high-altitude pulmonary edema. She was trying to climb the 19,340-foot mountain to raise money and awareness for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation as part of a 27-person team. Navratilova had reached nearly 14,800 feet when she was forced to stop. She said in a statement, "It was something that I have wanted to do for so long, but it was not to be."
In New York City, Queens resident Daniel Aleman, 27, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for viciously attacking 50-year-old Jack Price, a gay man, last year, the New York Daily News reported. In front of Queens Supreme Court Justice Barry Kron, Aleman apologized: "I'm very sorry for what I did. I was drunk and I was under the influence. I made a very big mistake." Aleman and Daniel Rodriguez—a friend who is awaiting sentencing—attacked Price so ferociously that he spent three weeks in a hospital with a broken jaw and a lacerated spleen, among other injuries.
In California, Adele Starr, who founded the Los Angeles chapter of PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), passed away Dec. 10 at the age of 90, according to the L.A. Times. Initially upset when her second son, Philip, told her he was gay in 1974, she launched the chapter two years later. (Philip has been with his husband, Michael Simengal, since 1974; they have a 19-year-old son.) PFLAG National Executive Director Jody Huckaby said in a statement, "It is because of [Adele's] commitment to organizing the many people who were working for the common goal of equality for all into the organization that we now know as PFLAG that we have gained the strength, prominence, and ability to become the voice of parents and allies united for equality."
Fabulis, a socical network for gay men, has re-branded to Fab.com, according to a press release. The website now has more than 110,000 members, with approximately 5,000 new users joining weekly. Among other features, Fab.com offers a full-featured iPhone app that allows users to check in and identify their current locations.
In California, openly gay state Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, has introduced a measure that would require public school items to include the contributions gay people have made throughout history, according to the Sacramento Bee. The bill is similar to a measure the legislature passed four years ago; however, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed it. Leno said, "Our collective silence on this issue perpetuates negative stereotypes of LGBT people and leads to increased bullying of young people."
In Texas, authorities in Houston are looking for a suspect in the murder of Aaron Scheerhoorn, who was stabbed several times Dec. 10 outside Club Blur in the gay neighborhood known as Montrose, according to Advocate.com . Police have determined that the killing was not a hate crime. Scheerhorn reportedly suffered cuts to the hand, left side, chest, forearm and abdomen.
