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National roundup: Fla. adoption; Ky. ruling; GOP guv goes to gay wedding
Special to the online edition of Windy City Times
by Andrew Davis, Windy City Times
2015-04-22

This article shared 3395 times since Wed Apr 22, 2015
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Florida's Republican-controlled legislature has ended the state's 38-year-old ban on gay adoption, according to WFTV.com . The Florida Senate voted 27-11 for an adoption bill ( HB 7013 ) that repeals the law first passed in 1977; it now heads to Gov. Rick Scott. "While it has been legal for gays and lesbians to adopt in Florida for several years, this symbolic action would finally move our state past its Anita Bryant era of discrimination and intolerance," said Equality Florida chief executive Nadine Smith in a statement.

Ruling in favor of two same-sex couples seeking marriage licenses in Kentucky, a Franklin Circuit Court judge found that Kentucky law banning same-sex marriages violates rights the Constitution guarantees, according to The Courier-Journal. However, Judge Thomas Wingate stayed the effect of his order pending the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on the same issues, which will apply to all states. The high court is scheduled to hear arguments on the same sex marriage issue later this month and issue a ruling in June.

When asked if he would attend a same-sex wedding, Ohio Gov. John Kasich—a Republican who's opposed to gay and lesbian nuptials—he said his friend just invited him to one, and he and his wife are planning to go, CNN reported. Kasich, a possible presidential candidate, said, "My friend knows how I feel about the issue, but I'm not here to have a war with him. I care about my friend, and so it's pretty simple for me." Team Kasich is focusing its early efforts on New Hampshire and South Carolina to determine whether the little-known governor could become a viable alternative to the likes of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker or Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.

In Louisiana, trans man Tristan Brussard says he was fired from his job at a New Orleans financial firm because he refused to obey his employers' rule that he wear dresses and identify as female, Raw Story reported. The Southern Poverty Law Center, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Altshuler Berzon LLP, and Delaney and Robb filed suit against the loan company, alleging that Brussard's civil rights were violated when his supervisor called him into a back office at the firm and ordered him to sign a document saying that his "preference to act and dress as male" was not "in compliance with Tower Loan's personnel policies."

Hillary Clinton's top potential challenger for the Democratic presidential nomination has taken his most direct policy shots at the former secretary of state since her campaign for the White House began, calling out Clinton by name for what he all but called a flip-flop on marriage equality and immigration reform, The Guardian noted. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, at his first public event following Clinton's campaign announcement, also endorsed a national $15 minimum wage—the only major potential candidate for U.S. president to do so.

A gay man from San Francisco has launched the "Bottom for Hillary" campaign, which he describes as a fun way for LGBTI people to show their support for the presidential candidate, Gay Star News noted. Ryan, 23, said the campaign started as a tipsy conversation between friends—all gay men who support Clinton—that quickly escalated into an Instagram account and T-shirts emblazoned with "I'd Bottom For Hillary."

A bill that sets up a regulatory framework in Oklahoma for ridesharing programs such as Uber and Lyft passed the state Senate—but not before a provision protecting LGBT passengers from discrimination was removed, according to The Chicago Tribune. The House-passed version of the bill included language that prohibited the companies from discriminating against customers based on sexual orientation or gender identity. But Republican Sen. Jason Smalley said he rewrote the bill to eliminate that language and allow private businesses to establish their own policies regarding discrimination. Uber and Lyft, among the most popular ridesharing programs, already have policies in place that prohibit discrimination against customers based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Eight organizations came together under Unite for Marriage, a partnership working together to show support for marriage for same-sex couples as the question stands before the U.S. Supreme Court, a press release stated. Participating organizations include the Campaign for Southern Equality, Family Equality Council, Freedom to Marry, GetEQUAL, GLAAD, Human Rights Campaign, Marriage Equality USA and the National LGBTQ Task Force. Unite for Marriage will work to elevate visibility of committed couples and their families in the media and to amplify the bipartisan support for marriage.

Pro-gay organization Truth Wins Out ( TWO ) expressed deep concern about Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's ties to what it calls "a radical Miami megachurch cleric who endorses exorcisms, while preaching anti-gay and creationist views," according to a press release. Rubio usually attends a Catholic Church; however, he also goes to services at an ultraconservative Southern Baptist megachurch, Christ Fellowship, where he listens to sermons by Pastor Rick Blackwood. Explaining his group's concerns, TWO Executive Director Wayne Besen said, "Rubio has made his religious beliefs central to his campaign, so it is fair game to explore how they might influence his decisions as president."

In Maine, a Republican state senator is withdrawing his so-called religious-freedom bill—a proposal similar to legislation that has sparked controversy, protests and threats of boycotts in Indiana and other states, the Portland Press Herald reported. Sen. David Burns, R-Whiting, announced he was abandoning the proposal, saying in a news release that the anticipated backlash and protests would prevent the bill from getting a fair hearing in Augusta.

Public support for same-sex marriage has increased in all 50 states since 2004, especially in states that have legalized same-sex marriage, according to a report from researchers at the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law and Drexel University. The report—titled "Trends in Public Support for Marriage for Same-sex Couples by State"—shows that permitting same-sex couples to marry leads to more social acceptance of same-sex marriage, not backlash against it. The report is at williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/research/marriage-and-couples-rights/trends-in-public-support-for-marriage-for-same-sex-couples-by-state-2004-2014/ .

U.S. Congresswoman Jackie Speier ( CA-14th ) introduced the "Stop Harming Our Kids" ( SHOK ) Resolution of 2015, calling on states to pass laws protecting LGBT youth from conversion therapy, according to a National Center for Lesbian Rights ( NCLR ) press release. Her move came one week after the White House, the U.S. surgeon general and other national leaders joined the call to support LGBT youth by ending these practices for good. NCLR's Youth Project "prioritizes full integration and affirmation of transgender youth, fair and equal treatment of LGBT youth in out-of-home care, and ending conversion therapy through NCLR's #BornPerfect campaign."

Sidney Abbott, 77, a longtime New York City-based lesbian-feminist activist, died April 15 in a house fire in Southold, Suffolk County, New York. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. She co-authored a ground-breaking book with Barbara Love in 1971, Sappho Was a Right-on Woman: A Liberated View of Lesbianism. Abbott joined the National Organization for Women ( NOW ) in 1969 and was one of the first people to speak out about the rights of lesbians to other NOW members.

The Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) sent a new case study to 12 state lawmakers across the country urging them to reject anti-LGBT bills like the religious refusal bill in Indiana that would put LGBT people at risk for discrimination, according to a press release. The case study comes after the Indianapolis Star reported that the state "plans to spend millions to repair [its] image after RFRA." The document was slated to be sent to leaders in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas. The case study is at http://hrc-assets.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com//files/assets/resources/IndianaCaseStudy_Document.pdf.

After leading the business community's outspoken opposition to Indiana's recently passed Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the CEO of consumer review website Angie's List is resigning—and turning to politics to help repair Indiana's reputation in the wake of the controversial law, Advocate.com noted. Former CEO Bill Oesterle—who called the so-called "fix" signed by Gov. Mike Pence in the wake of national outcry "insufficient"—said the state's public image "took a shellacking" and was "under significant duress and went through a heartbreaking situation." Oesterle is standing by his decision to cancel a planned expansion of his company's Indianapolis headquarters unless or until Indiana law protects LGBT Hoosiers.

In Iowa, Don Bosco High School wrestler Cole Fox was awarded the 2015 Iowa Gold Matthew Shepard Scholarship—an award of up to $40,000 over four years, according to WHOTV.com . The scholarship is given to LGBTQ students who demonstrate academic aptitude and community leadership. Fox told OutSports that he would confirm rumors about him being gay, when asked, but it was not until last month when he decided to come out to his assistant wrestling coach—who is also his father. His dad ( who had always made anti-gay comments ) sent a text to his son that read, "You are still a great son and I am proud of you."

Decrying Atlanta pastor Charles Stanley's "sordid history of virulent homophobic statements and actions," a gay Jewish group is protesting the Jewish National Fund ( JNF ) for plans to bestow a high honor on Stanley, senior pastor of First Baptist Atlanta and a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, according to The Huffington Post. Stanley, who rose to national prominence in the 1980s with his In Touch television series and books that sold millions of copies, "has publicly called AIDS God's punishment for America's acceptance of homosexuality and called homosexuality 'destructive behavior,'" reads a letter to JNF Southeast region leaders from the Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender and Sexual Diversity ( SOJOURN ). The award to be given to Stanley at an April 23 breakfast in Atlanta is coming from the group's Atlanta office, not the JNF's national headquarters in New York.

The Transportation Security Administration has fired two screeners for conspiring to fondle male passengers as they came through a security checkpoint at Denver International Airport, The Denver Post reported. One of the screeners, a man, signaled to a female colleague when a man he found attractive was coming through the scanning machine. The woman then pressed a touch-screen button indicating that the man being screened was actually a woman. Lynn Kimbrough, spokeswoman for the Denver district attorney, said the office decided not to file charges of unlawful sexual contact in April because the office and investigators couldn't identify a victim.

Philadelphia Black Pride has incorporated some changes, according to Philadelphia Gay News. Besides dropping the "Gay" from its name, organizers have expanded the event to encompass a wide range of content uniquely tailored to the Black queer community. This year's theme, #phillyblackpride2015, encourages attendees to share their experience with others on social media. The 16th annual event takes place April 22-26.

In an open letter published April 16, more than 100 prominent Roman Catholic donors and church members called on San Francisco's anti-gay Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone to be replaced, Gay Star News reported. The letter to Pope Francis accuses Cordileone of having "a single issue agenda against gay marriage" and for setting a "pastoral tone that is closer to persecution than evangelization." Most recently, Cordileone instituted morality clauses for Catholic school teachers and staff members that threaten teachers with firing if they give any statements contradicting church doctrine. That includes having a position that differs from homosexuality being "gravely evil."

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said he vetoed a bill that would have freed county attorneys from a legal mandate to help with adoptions because he wants to see more adoptions, regardless of who the parents are, Arizona Central reported. he law was seen by some as a way for county attorneys to avoid helping gay couples with adoptions. Asked if it matters that the parents are gay or straight, Ducey said what's most important is that that children in foster care get real families.

Police in Georgia have identified the woman murdered in a crime spree that put another woman in a hospital and terrorized a third, Advocate.com reported. Catherine Han Montoya—who had described herself as a "queer Chicana Korean feminist—was killed inside her East Atlanta home, in which she resided with wife Meredith. Donte Lamar Wyatt has been arrested in connection with the spree that began when he allegedly stabbed his estranged wife.

The owner of an engine-repair shop in Grandville, Michigan, has stated on Facebook that he's refusing to serve gay people, according to Advocate.com . "I am a Christian," Dieseltec owner Brian Klawiter posted. "Homosexuality is wrong, period. If you want to argue this fact with me then I will put your vehicle together with all bolts and no nuts and you can see how that works." Klawiter's refusal of service to gays is perfectly legal in Michigan, which has no law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Gov. Terry Branstad said he believes gay people in Iowa should be treated with respect and dignity, but he would oppose changing state law to require Catholic schools to hire an openly gay teacher, The Des Moines Register reported. Branstad—whose three children all attended Dowling Catholic High School—responded to a question regarding the case of Tyler McCubbin, 26, a substitute teacher at Dowling who was turned down for a full-time teaching job after social media revealed he was in a same-sex relationship. Bishop Richard Pates of the Des Moines Catholic Diocese has said that McCubbin wasn't denied the job because he's gay, but due to the openness of his sexual orientation.

In North Carolina, Kenneth Morgan Stancil III—the man who police say confessed to killing a Wayne Community College employee—said he feels no remorse and that he fatally shot Ron Lane because he allegedly made sexual advances toward Stancil's 16-year-old brother through messages on Facebook, CBS News reported. "He didn't touch him," said Stancil, 20, who said that Lane also made passes at him. "But he was in the proposal to try to, and I wasn't going to let that happen. I took it in my hands to take care of the business that needed to be took care of." Lane was a 44-year-old openly gay man who ran the college print shop where Stancil previously served as a work-study student.

Freedom Indiana—the statewide grassroots organization that successfully fought a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and the Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act—announced it will focus its efforts for the rest of this year on helping cities and towns craft local nondiscrimination policies that protect LGBT Hoosiers, according to a press release. The group plans to push for a statewide nondiscrimination law during the 2016 legislative session. Freedom Indiana campaign manager Katie Blair said, "This needless chapter of Indiana political history has severely damaged the reputation of our warm, welcoming state. It will take more than basic nondiscrimination protections to undo the damage. We have an opportunity to make those changes, and we won't rest until we've accomplished that goal."

An adult-film performer was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound just hours after firing rounds at the restaurant where he worked, NewNowNext.com reported. Eighteen-year-old ‹Christopher Luke McAteer—who performed under the name "Clay"—had been fired from Ninki's Japanese restaurant in Owensboro, Kentucky, earlier in the day. Scenes featuring McAteer have been removed from the website for film studio Corbin Fisher, where he had appeared in at least three movies this year.

Apple CEO Tim Cook, actress Laverne Cox and film/TV producer Lee Daniels ( TV's Empire; Lee Daniels' The Butler ) are on the Time 100 list this year. Five other individuals—Kanye West, Misty Copeland, Bradley Cooper, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Jorge Ramos—are on separate covers of the issue of the issue. The Time 100 are the people the publication deems the most influential in the world; a few of the others on the list are Kim Kardashian, Hillary Clinton, Pope Francis and Disney head Bob Iger.

Also, Out has unveiled its ninth annual Power List. Tim Cook tops the list, with Ellen DeGeneres, Rachel Maddow, Tammy Baldwin and Anderson Cooper completing the top five. Some others in the top 50 are Robin Roberts, David Geffen, Michael Sam, Neil Patrick Harris, Jane Lynch and Ellen Page.

A petition to keep Skutt Catholic ( Neb. ) High School teacher Matthew Eledge has garnered more than 30,000 signatures, according to KETV.com . The Change.org petition alleges that Eledge's contract will not be renewed because he recently announced his engagement to another man. Deacon Tim McNeil, with the Archdiocese of Omaha, said Eledge's contract was not renewed because he was in breach of the code of conduct and morality clause.

Truth Wins Out ( TWO ) condemned conversion therapist Benjamin Kaufman after he was sued for allegedly confining a Sacramento, California, client behind "locked doors" and under watch of a "large dog," a press release stated. Kaufman is the co-founder of the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality ( NARTH ). "This lawsuit is the latest sordid chapter for an abusive practice with no scientific validity," said TWO Executive Director Wayne Besen. "Conversion therapy is a dangerous form of consumer fraud and should be banned from being practiced on minors in all 50 states."

GLAAD has named Nick Adams director of its transgender media programs, according to a press release. Adams will helm GLAAD's longstanding work to increase the quantity and quality of transgender representation in news, entertainment and digital media. Adams, who previously served as GLAAD's director of communications and special projects, has been an integral member of the GLAAD staff since 1998 and will be based in Los Angeles.

Instagram is cracking down on nudity, NewNowNext.com noted. In a statement, the social-media app specificied what constitutes acceptable nudity: "This includes photos, videos, and some digitally-created content that show sexual intercourse, genitals, and close-ups of fully-nude buttocks. It also includes some photos of female nipples, but photos of post-mastectomy scarring and women actively breastfeeding are allowed. Nudity in photos of paintings and sculptures is OK, too."


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