In a related matter, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley praised the Illinois vote, but added that things need to go a step further so that there is marriage equality. He said, "Finally, they realized they should have the same rights under state law. But eventually, [ gay ] marriage will take place. It has to. ... We have to move faster." Daley, who is not running for re-election, has urged Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn to sign the civil-unions bill as soon as he can.
The U.S. soldier in the middle of the most recent WikiLeaks scandal involving thousands of the military's classified documents is 23 years old—and gay. Private First Class Bradley Manning lip-synced Lady Gaga songs while downloading thousands of classified documents from military computers, BBC News reported. He was an intelligence analyst, and had access to a lot of sensitive data. According to friends, Manning was frustrated because of a career that he perceived was in a rut as well as with his personal life. Manning—who grew up in Oklahoma and then moved to Wales as a teen—reportedly was teased for being a geek and was bullied because of his sexuality.
The Pentagon has released a report stating that repealing "Don't, Ask, Don't Tell" would present little risk to the military's efficiency. The findings provided support to President Obama and those in Congress trying to repeal the policy before the end of the year—and weakened the contentions of conservatives who feel the repeal would hurt the military. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said, "This can be done, and should be done, without posing a serious risk to military readiness."
A college-admission application form employed by more than 400 of the country's 3,000 colleges may have questions regarding sexuality and gender identity added to it, according to a Chicago Sun-Times item. The 35-year-old nonprofit known as the Common Application provides an application ( online and in print ) that students may submit to the 415 members. The University of Pennsylvania and Dartmouth College both asked the sexuality question, while Connecticut College and Tufts University have inquired about clarification of gender expression. A decision should be made during January.
Officials at one of the Common Application members, Tennessee's Belmont University, have blocked the pro-LGBT Christian organization Bridge Builders from being recognized, according to Out & About. The group has repeatedly made requests, only to be turned down each time. Robbie Maris, president of the group, said, "As a gay Christian, I feel a need to stand in this gap that's created at Belmont and in the church." Belmont University, located in Nashville, is a Christian institution with approximately 5,900 students.
The Washington, D.C. marriage bureau has declared the union of two Texas men who were wedded via Skype invalid, according to Advocate.com . Mark Reed and Dante of Dallas, Texas, got married via Skype with a minister in D.C. However, the bureau sent the couple a letter invalidating the marriage because all of the parties were not in the district, where same-sex marriage is allowed. The couple is looking into legal remedies.
Sarah Palin was apparently oblivious to the severity of daughter Willow's recent use of the word "faggot" against a boy who criticized Sarah's reality-TV show, according to Advocate.com . In an interview with Fox New's Sean Hannity, Sarah Palin said at one point, "Willow, ... my 16-year-old, she had had it up to here with somebody saying very, very hateful things about the family and saying mean things about her little brother Trig, and Willow finally responded and she used a bad word when she responded in defense of her family. And her response became national news. ... I had to explain to her, 'Willow, there is no justice here but you have to just zip your lip and let's move forward.'"
At the University of Colorado, a group of employees has formed to oppose the rehiring of Bill McCartney as the school's football coach, saying that he is misogynistic and homophobic, according to DailyCamera.com . In 1992, McCartney called homosexuality "an abomination against almighty God"; in addition, a 1989 Sports Illustrated piece showed that, in 1986-89, two dozen football players were arrested on charges including sexual assault. McCartney, 70, who initially retired in the mid-1990s, is the founder of the Promise Keepers men's ministry.
Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes and his partner, Freedom to Marry Political Director Sean Eldridge, have pledged to match donations made to Equality Maryland; Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders ( GLAD ) ; Empire State Pride Agenda; and Freedom to Marry for the remainder of 2010, according to an Advocate.com item. They will match up to $100,000 for Freedom to Marry, $50.000 for ESPA, $50,000 for GLAD and $25,000 for Equality Maryland. Hughes and Eldridge have been together for five years.
The creators of the anti-gay iPhone app the Manhattan Declaration want to know why the app was recently pulled from iTunes, according to Advocate.com . The app urges people to stand against same-sex marriage, and had been downloadable on iPads and iPhones. Apple executives said, "We removed the Manhattan Declaration app from the App Store because it violates our developer guidelines by being offensive to large groups of people." However, the app's makers say that they are "perplexed" by the development.
Mark Foley—the former U.S. congressman who fell from grace after it was discovered he sent lurid messages to male staff members—is thinking about running for mayor of West Palm Beach, Fla., according to Advocate.com . Foley, a Republican, said that he would probably wait until Dec. 27, the filing deadline, to announce if he will campaign for the position. Foley was forced out of office three years ago after it was revealed that he had sent sexually explicit messages to congressional pages.
Also in Florida, Mike Verdugo—the policeman who lost his job after he did not disclose his gay-porn background—has lost his court appeal to get his old job back, according to the Miami Herald. On his Facebook page, Verdugo posted, "The courts did not rule in my favor today, but after 2 1/2 years of fighting I am not giving up." In August, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement ruled that Verdugo could retain his police certification.
Former entertainment mogul Barry Diller has stepped down as CEO of his New York-based IAC/InterActiveCorp conglomerate, according to CNET.com . Moreover, one of its largest shareholders, cable corporation Liberty Media, has bought out of IAC for $220 million and an IAC subsidiary. Liberty Media Chairman John Malone said, "Our 17-year relationship with Barry has been very beneficial in creating value for our shareholders, and this transaction represents an efficient exit for Liberty from our IAC stake." According to Gawker.com and other sites, Diller—who is married to fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg—is widely known to be gay.
The initiative known as Hairdressers Against AIDS launched on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, according to Business Week. The project has hair-care titan L'Oreal joining forces with nonprofit organizations such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO ) . The goal is to get the United States' 500,000-plus hair stylists to educate others about HIV/AIDS. A press conference in New York City drew celebrities such as TV personality Carson Kressley, entertainer Sheryl Lee Ralph and City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn. See www.hairdressersagainstaids.com for more info.
OutServe, an underground network of gays and lesbians who are active in the military, has announced the global locations and contact information for each of its 27 chapters, according to a press release. The locations include a chapter for servicemembers based in Afghanistan and Iraq. "Making OutServe chapters available in these hopefully last critical weeks of the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' debate will allow the media access to speak confidentially with gay and lesbian service members and regional OutServe leadership, who will be able to talk about their hopes and plans for a post-DADT military, one where they can serve openly and with integrity," said JD Smith, co-director of OutServe, which has more than 1,200 members.
In Florida, HIV-positive couple Timothy Robertson, 29, and Steven Ray "Forrest" Chaplin, 36, is suing their ex-employer for reportedly firing them because of their HIV status, according to HIVPlusMag.com . Robertson and Chaplin both worked for Ridgeway Bar & Grill in Naples—and even received raves for their work. Robertson revealed to the restaurant's vice president in April that he is positive; shortly after, Robertson and Chaplin received letters for poor performance, and were then fired. The health of both Robertson and Chaplin is deteriorating.
In New York City, two of the teenagers who were initially arrested in the Bronx attack case have now been called victims, according to 365Gay.com . In October, it was reported that several members of the Latin King Goonies street gang beat, sodomized and tortured three people after being told one of the recruits was gay. Five of the remaining seven defendants have 75 charges against them in total, including sexual abuse and robbery, with some of the offenses being considered hate crimes.
The ACLU of Florida has filed a complaint, accusing the city of Miami Beach and two police officers of wrongly arresting a gay man, Harold Strickland, the Miami Herald reported. Attorney Ray Taseff is alleging that officers Elliot Hazzi and Frankly Forte arrested Strickland after he saw them reportedly beat a man in Flamingo Park. The ACLU is also alleging that the city has failed to adequately punish the officers. Strickland wants more than $15,000 in damages.
In Ohio, the Akron chapter of PFLAG ( Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays ) has given $30,000 for a scholarship for students enrolled in Kent State University's LGBT studies minor, according to On Top Magazine. The program was the first-ever in the state when it was created in 2001. PFLAG President-elect Rabbi David Horowitz said, "We are impressed with Kent State's outreach to the LGBT community, particularly the LGBTQ Student Center. Kent State is friendly and embracing of the LGBT community."
Players in the Ladies Professional Golf Association ( LPGA ) have voted to accept transgender athletes, according to the New York Times. The requirement that players have to be "female at birth" will be eliminated. The development happened fewer than two months after transgender woman Lana Lawless sued the tour in federal court, contending that the birth rule violated civil-rights law in California.
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.
