In Massachusetts, U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf dismissed a lawsuit by two parents over the use of King and King, a gay-themed book, at a Lexington public school. ( The book tells the story of Prince Bertie, who searches for love with princesses before falling for Prince Lee. ) Parents David and Tonia Parker and Joseph and Robin Wirthlin feared that the school was teaching about an 'immoral lifestyle.'
In Iowa, Gov. Chet Culver said that he will sign anti-bullying legislation that specifically protects gay and lesbian students, according to 365Gay.com . The bill passed the State House on Feb. 22 by a 53-42 vote; it passed the Senate earlier in February.
Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch has said that his opinion that his state should recognize same-sex marriages performed in Massachusetts is not connected to his sister's recent wedding to her partner, 365Gay.com reported. The opinion answered an educational board's inquiry about gay employees changing their files to reflect their marriages in Massachusetts.
A recent Gallup survey found that 55 percent of Americans would vote for a gay presidential candidate if he or she were qualified, Advocate.com reported. The same poll also found that 94 percent would vote for an African American and that 88 percent would vote for a woman.
In Michigan, Andrew Anthos, a gay senior citizen who took pride in his patriotism, died as a result of a brutal attack that is alleged to be a hate crime, Advocate.com reported. Anthos was riding a bus when another male passenger approached him and asked if he was gay; the man later followed Anthos and hit him with a metal pipe. Anthos is known throughout the state for his campaign to have the state capitol lit in red, white and blue once each year. The Human Rights Campaign and The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force will pay for Anthos' funeral expenses.
Former NBA player Tim Hardaway, who recently declared his dislike of gay people, is suffering more backlash as a Florida car wash has removed his name from it, Miami.com reported. In response to a threatened boycott by a local gay-rights organization, Hardaway's U.S.-1 Finest Hand Car Wash has been changed to Grand Luxe Auto Bathe.
In Massachusetts, the Prescription Access Litigation Project ( PAL ) and PAL member AFSCME District Council 37 Health and Security Plan have announced a $24 million settlement in a nationwide class-action lawsuit brought brought against EMD Serono, Inc., for unnecessarily having physicians provide the AIDS drug Serostim to patients who did not need it, according to PharmaLive.com . Serostim is a hormone made by Serono to treat wasting, which involves profound involuntary weight loss in AIDS patients.
In Wyoming, House Speaker Roy Cohee, R-Casper, was the deciding vote as the chamber killed a measure that would have prohibited the state from recognizing same-sex marriages from other states, The Caspar Star-Tribune reported. The House Rules Committee was evenly split on the bill when Cohee voted. The bill had already been approved by the Senate.
In West Virginia, former heavyweight boxing champion Tommy Morrison—in his first match since testing positive for HIV in 1996— knocked out John Castle in the second round, KOTV.com reported. Morrison passed several tests and was cleared to fight. He has always maintained that his HIV test result was a false positive.
In Utah, the state legislature approved a measure mandating many rules for governing student clubs at public schools—including writing up a charter and bylaws; getting authorities' approval; and submitting a budget. According to WashBlade.com, the measure does not ban LGBT clubs, but authorities can turn down organizations that are connected to human sexuality or that pose a threat to 'moral well-being.'
In Oklahoma, Mack Martin—the lawyer for former anti-gay Baptist church leader Rev. Lonnie Latham—said that the minister had a right to solicit sex from another man, 365Gay.com reported. Martin filed a motion that said, in part, that the Supreme Court ruled in Lawrence v. Texas that two consenting adults can engage in private homosexual acts. Latham was arrested on Jan. 3, 2006 outside the Habana Inn in Oklahoma City for alleging asking an undercover policeman to come up to his hotel for oral sex.
In Portland, Ore., City Commissioner Sam Adams and his former partner, Greg Eddie, have filed a civil rights lawsuit alleging discrimination by the Public Employee Retirement System because it will not allow them to split Adams' account, according to 365Gay.com . The system is contending that Eddie and Adams' break-up was not a legal divorce; therefore, they cannot split the fund. Adams and Eddie were together for 11 years.
On Feb. 28, U.S. Congressman Marty Meehan, D-Mass., will re-introduce The Military Readiness Enhancement Act, a bill that, if passed, would repeal the military's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' ban on LGBT military personnel, according to a press release from the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. Meehan's bill has received support from more than 120 legislators since being introduced in the 109th Congress. Since 1993, the Department of Defense has fired more than 11,000 service members under the policy.
Al Franken has formally announced that he will run for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota in 2008, according to Advocate.com . He said he would seek the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican incumbent Norm Coleman. Franken's announcement came on the final day of his show on the liberal radio network Air America.