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Tim Cook at Pride Parade; LGBT groups won't back ENDA
National roundup: Special to the online edition of Windy City Times
by Andrew Davis, Windy City Times
2014-07-08

This article shared 5172 times since Tue Jul 8, 2014
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Days after being a CNBC anchor brought up his sexuality, Apple CEO Tim Cook expressed his support for his company's employees at San Francisco's annual Gay Pride Parade, IBTimes.com reported. The CEO did not march in the parade, but Cook tweeted a photo of approximately 5,000 Apple employees marching with the company's logo. On the CNBC show Squawk on the Street, anchor Simon Hobbs asked, "I think Tim Cook is fairly open about the fact that he's gay at the head of Apple, isn't he?" Greeted with silence, Hobbs then asked, "Oh dear, was that an error?"

In an Advocate op-ed, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force ( NGLTF ) Action Fund Executive Director Rea Carey said the organization has pulled its support of the current version of ENDA. In part, Carey wrote, "As one of the lead advocates on this bill for 20 years, we do not take this move lightly but we do take it unequivocally—we now oppose this version of ENDA because of its too-broad religious exemption." Later on July 8, the American Civil Liberties Union, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, Lambda Legal, the National Center for Lesbian Rights and Transgender Law Center jointly signed a statement detailing their withdrawal of support from ENDA as well.

Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is not stating a position regarding marriage equality; however, his son Alex made his stance clear by recently acting as the state-required witness to a same-sex marriage in Waukesha County, according to JSOnline.com . Records show Shelli Marquardt and Cathy Priem married at the Waukesha County Courthouse June 9; Alex Walker, 19, scribbled his signature on the marriage certificate as one of two adult witnesses to the wedding. Because of the current legal situation involving marriage equality in Wisconsin, it's not clear whether the same-sex marriages performed last month will hold up in court.

In celebration of San Francisco's LGBT pride and to commemorate the anniversary of marriage equality returning to California, eight couples—gay and straight—said "I do" in a ceremony on Saturday sponsored by Uber, the transportation network company based in San Francisco, according to LGBTQ Nation. Among the officiants was Campbell, California's, Evan Low—who, in 2009, became the youngest openly gay, Asian-American mayor in the nation.

Foes of Houston's new LGBT-inclusive equal rights ordinance delivered what they say are thousands of voters' signatures requesting that it be repealed, according to LGBTQ Nation. The group, consisting of pastors and faith-based organizations, said they had collected more than 50,000 signatures calling for a ballot referendum aimed at repealing the measure; 17,269 valid signatures are required to place the issue on the November ballot. The Houston City Council voted 11-6 in favor of the ordinance on May 28.

In Idaho, the National Center for Lesbian Rights ( NCLR ) and Boise attorneys Deborah A. Ferguson and Craig Durham filed a lawsuit on behalf of Madelynn Lee Taylor, a 74-year-old military veteran challenging state laws prohibiting her from being buried in the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery with her late wife, Jean Mixner, according to a press release. Taylor served in the Navy from 1958 to 1964; in 2013, she tried to make advance arrangements to have her ashes interred along with those of her wife in a granite columbarium at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery. Although Mixner and Taylor were married in California in 2008, cemetery employees refused her request because Idaho law does not recognize their marriage.

In Minnesota, the Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis has confirmed that it is conducting an independent investigation into allegations against Archbishop John Nienstedt of inappropriate sexual conduct with seminarians, priests and other men, On Top Magazine noted. Nienstedt played a key role in Minnesota's marriage-equality debate, calling such unions a force that "threaten[s] the stability of our civilization." The archdiocese has hired an outside law firm to investigate "multiple allegations"; Jennifer Haselberger, the archbishop's former top canon lawyer, quit in protest last year.

In Indiana, Judge Valeri Haughton granted the state's first same-sex divorce, according to USA Today. The ruling—which actually came during a three-day window when same-sex marriage was legal in Indiana—brought an official end to the broken personal and legal relationship of former Indianapolis residents Melanie Davis and Angela Summers. The couple's split involved a long, tangled journey through the Indiana court system; in fact, legal experts say it may be years before another same-sex couple is able to secure a divorce in the state.

Chicago Ald. Deb Mell—who has passionately fought for marriage equality as a state representative and activist—posted on social media that her marriage to Christin Mell is ending. Christin Baker, who took Mell's name in the marriage, is founder of Tellofilms.com, a lesbian film website. The couple had been married in Iowa in 2011, followed by a ceremony on Chicago's North Side.

A hearing for a high-profile lawsuit that challenges Florida's constitutional ban on marriage equality took place in Miami, CBS Miami reported. Like others filed across the country, the lawsuit contends the gay-marriage ban added by voters to the state constitution is discriminatory and violates equal protection guarantees. Currently, 19 states have allowed same-sex marriage.

Police are investigating the attack on two women at San Francisco's Gay Pride celebration as a hate crime, according to Raw Story. The lesbian couple told a local TV outlet that a group of men approached them, with one, Jennifer, saying the men "used an anti-gay slur." Jennifer added, "I got kicked at least 10 times that I could count. Then I held my head and crawled up into a little ball and tried to protect my face." Jennifer suffered a concussion during the attack; Jakki, who rushed to protect her partner, had her wrist fractured in the attack.

And it turns out there was a second possible hate crime committed at the same event, the Associated Press reported. Police spokesman Albie Esparza says a member of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and her husband were attacked by a group of four people who yelled anti-gay slurs. The assailants then fled on foot. Both victims were treated at the scene. Esparza said the city experienced 20 bias crimes last year, with sexual orientation accounting for at least eight of them.

In Chicago, Ald. Tom Tunney told WBBM-Radio that "he is not afraid" to consider a change of venue for that city's Pride Parade. "We hear from our residents that they don't feel safe in their neighborhood," said Tunney on the June 30 broadcast. He added, "If there is an option to go downtown, will that make the conduct of the fans more reasonable? I'm not afraid to look at it." More than 1 million people took part in the celebration this year. Organizers said there were no major incidents and Chicago Police said there were relatively few arrests. But concerns that the parade might have outgrown Lakeview, as well as the neighborhood's safety issues, have led to the suggestions that the parade might be more appropriately carried out downtown.

In Atlanta, gay-rights street performer "Baton Bob" claims police unconstitutionally arrested him and made him post a phony statement on Facebook absolving them of it, Courthouse News Service reported. The performer ( real name: Bob Jamerson ) sued Atlanta, Police Chief George Turner, Police Commander Wyne Whitmire and three officers in federal court. Jamerson seeks punitive damages for 20 claims, including constitutional violations, false imprisonment, battery, assault, invasion of privacy, infliction of emotional distress and defamation.

A man suspected of the murder of a transgender woman turned himself in to Cincinnati, Ohio, police, according to LGBTQ Nation. Quamar Edwards was arrested and charged with murder in the shooting death of 28-year-old Tiffany Edwards ( no relation ), whose body was discovered by a sanitation worker on a Cincinnati street. Tiffany Edwards' death is the fourth murder of a transgender woman in Ohio in the past 18 months, and the third murder of a young transgender woman of color.

Leading bisexual health researchers and community activists from across the country agreed to form the Bisexual Research Collaborative on Health ( BiRCH ) at a meeting hosted by The Fenway Institute in Boston on June 26. BiRCH will continue high-level discussions of bisexual health research, plan a national conference, and look for ways to raise public awareness of bi health issues. Attendees discussed how bisexuality was defined in their own work and identified numerous areas in need of more research. These included the unique risk factors and stressors that influence bisexual health; the general health of bisexual men; and how geographic and cultural contexts affect bisexual identities.

Cleveland, Ohio—site of this year's Gay Games ( along with Akron )—will host the 2016 Republican National Convention after beating out Dallas for the final nod, Politico reported. Republican officials wanted an earlier convention in 2016, to allow the nominee to pivot more quickly to the general election. Some Republican donors privately said Texas—where the Republican party recently made strong stands in its platform against gay rights—would send the wrong message at a time when the GOP needs to expand its base.

The New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled that the ex-partner of a 12-year-old's girl's mother can be considered a parent under the law, the AP reported. The unanimous ruling makes New Hampshire the fourth state in the country to extend similar parental protections to same-sex parents, including a parent with no biological tie to the child. In so ruling, the court decided that the Uniform Parentage Act "is based on a person's conduct, not a biological connection."

A new study published from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) reveals that bisexual men experience higher rates of HIV than straight men and may be at greater risk for other sexually transmitted infections than either straight or gay men—in large part, due to societal biphobia, Advocate.com noted. The study concluded that these men are disproportionally affected by HIV, although that does not mean bisexual men constitute a "bridge" in HIV transmission to heterosexual women. "Societal biphobia—negative attitudes and behaviors toward bisexual individuals—is more prevalent than anti-gay sentiment," said study author William Jeffries.

ACLU of Northern California and Transgender Law Center, along with 22 other organizations ( including the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and Out4Immigration, among others ), submitted a letter to Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) officials seeking an end to what they call the "degrading" treatment of immigrants, according to a post on the ACLU's website. The letter calls for "safety, freedom from excessive shackling, adequate food and water, access to restrooms, and a reasonable amount of sleep for immigrants being transported to San Francisco."

The attorney who led San Francisco deputy city attorneys in intervening in the federal challenge of Proposition 8 was nominated to California's First District Court of Appeal, according to SheWired.com . Gov. Jerry Brown announced that he would appoint Theresa M. Stewart to the post, making her California's first lesbian-identified appellate court justice. Stewart has worked at the city attorney's office since 2002.

A gay Louisiana man who wears women's clothes and makeup said he was discriminated against after employees at a local gym allegedly revoked his membership because he is not "manly" enough, according to Edge Boston. Keegan Burnett, from Slidell, siad he was harassed when he tried to use the men's locker room at Slidell Athletic Gym. The athletic club's general manager, Tina St. Clair, said the gym does not "tolerate discrimination of any kind," but also claimed that Burnett wanted to use the women's locker room, which Burnett denies.

Burger King has announced it will sell "the Proud Whopper"—a regular Whopper in a rainbow wrapper and an inscription that reads "We are all the same inside," according to NewNowNext.com . "It showcases who we are as a brand," Fernando Machado, the fast-foot chain's senior vice president of global brand management, told USA Today. The sandwich will only be on sale in one BK location—on San Francisco's Market Street. All Proud Whopper sales will be donated to the Burger King McLamore Foundation, for scholarships benefiting LGBT college-bound, high school seniors graduating in spring 2015. According to the Human Rights Campaign's 2014 Corporate Equality Index, Burger King scored a 55 out of 100.

A former Iowa State University scientist pled not guilty to charges alleging that he falsified research for an HIV vaccine to secure millions of dollars in federal funding, according to the Associated Press. Dong-Pyou Han, 57, entered his not-guilty pleas to four counts of making false statements. Each count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Han was released on bond and his trial was scheduled for Sept. 2.

A man wanted on charges of killing two men he met partying at a Seattle gay club has been spotted in his home state of New Jersey, allegedly committing an armed robbery, The New York Daily News reported. The Point Pleasant Beach, N.J., police have released surveillance footage of a man who appears to be Ali Muhammed Brown, 30, at a convenience store after he allegedly brandished a handgun and robbed a customer sitting outside Green Planet Coffee. Brown faces two counts of aggravated first-degree murder for allegedly killing Ahmed Said, 27, and Dwone Anderson-Young, 23, on June 1 after meeting the pair at a Seattle nightclub, RPlace.

Openly gay Democratic legislator Brian Sims ( from Pennsylvania ) is raising funds to take part in a special mountain climb with the Military Assistance Project, according to PhillyMag.com . Sims is collecting donations to join a climbing team that will attempt to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. The group will consist of civilians and veterans, along with medical staff who will assist several wounded vets in the climb. The Military Assistance Project was founded in 2011 to provide financial assistance to U.S. servicemen, servicewomen, reservists and veterans.

In Philadelphia, Giovanni's Room owner Ed Hermance has said that plans are still pending on the sale of the oldest LGBT bookstore in the country, according to EPGN.com . Hermance announced his plans to sell the business and also the buildings it inhabits late last year. However, the store closed May 17 after negotiations with a potential buyer fell through. Hermance added that an LGBT-affiliated organization was considering purchasing the bookstore, but he would not disclose the name of the group.

In Texas, vandals in Dallas painted "666" in red on various buildings, including a church that gay and lesbian individuals patronize, according to Breitbart.com . Specifically, the vandals tagged the Legacy of Life Monument, which honors individuals who died from AIDS; the Cathedral of Hope, which is known to be attended by Dallas' gay population; an overpass at the Dallas North Tollway; and the buildings of the Dallas Observer and Dallas Morning News papers. Because two of the vandalized sites are related to the gay community, Dallas police are treating the incident as a hate crime.

Joe Rehyansky, a part-time magistrate and Vietnam veteran, wrote on conservative news site The Daily Caller that lesbians should be allowed to serve in the military because straight male soldiers could "convert" them, according to Pink News. The Daily Caller swiftly removed some of his remarks—but not before they were picked up by other websites. Rehyansky, of Tennessee, also claimed that the "promiscuity" of gay men, coupled with HIV, would have "the potential for disastrous health consequences" if gay men were allowed to serve openly in the military.


This article shared 5172 times since Tue Jul 8, 2014
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