BY ANDREW DAVIS
Tammy Faye Messner, who was best known as the mascara-loving former wife of televangelist Jim Bakker, passed away July 20 of cancer at the age of 65, according to the Associated Press. Messner, who initially fought colon cancer a decade ago, suffered as the disease spread to her lungs. A family service was held July 21 in a private cemetery, where her ashes were interred.
A federal appeals court has thrown out a lawsuit challenging the issuance of a trademark to San Francisco's Dykes on Bikes. 365Gay.com reported that Michael McDermott claimed, among other things, that the phrase Dykes on Bikes was 'disparaging to men and is scandalous and immoral,' but the panel ruled that the plaintiff had no legal standing.
Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri has vetoed a measure that would make health insurers cover infertility treatments for unmarried couples, according to the Associated Press. Carcieri, who is Republican, felt that getting rid of the marriage restriction would dramatically increase health care expenses. Democratic Rep. Edith Ajello, who supports same-sex marriage, sponsored the measure.
The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and the National Black Justice Coalition are supporting Black gay Democrat Fred Mason III's bid for a seat on Baltimore's city council, according to the Washington Blade. Both Mason and Dana Owens are bidding to become the first gay individual to sit on the council. A primary for the 11th District Council seat—which is an open slot—is scheduled to take place Sept. 11.
In Florida, a man who claimed that he was sexually abused by the same priest who allegedly molested former Republican Congressman Mark Foley has settled a lawsuit with the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Miami, according to the Associated Press. The man, who was not named in the suit, claimed that the Rev. Anthony Mercieca abused him when he was an altar boy at St. James Church in North Miami.
The city council of Redmond, Wash., may offer family benefits to its workers who have same-sex domestic partners, 365Gay.com reported. Redmond's city council has approved putting together a plan that would be voted on Aug. 21.
Gay-rights activists in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., have taken out full-page advertisements calling for Mayor Jim Naugle's resignation. Among other things, Naugle has talked about his belief that gays have rampant sex in public restrooms. Waymon Hudson of a new coalition called Unite Fort Lauderdale said, 'Mayor Naugle's bigoted views send a message to the community that the mayor no longer represents this city and should resign.'
In Massachusetts, Rhiannon O'Donnabhain, a male-to-female transsexual, is suing the Internal Revenue Service because the agency would not allow her to claim the sex-change operation as a medical expense, according to the Associated Press. Trans rights advocates hope that the IRS will view the surgeries as medical necessities, much like heart bypasses and appendectomies.
In Oregon, County Circuit Court Judge Eric Bloch has held that two state statutes discriminate against families headed by same-sex couples, 365Gay.com reported. Bloch found that allowing married couples certain benefits and privileges while denying those to same-sex families was biased.
Joe Simon-Whelan, the owner of a silk-screen self-portrait of Andy Warhol, has filed a federal lawsuit against Warhol's estate, alleging fraud and manipulation, the Associated Press reported. Simon-Whelan claims that the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts Inc. and the Andy Warhol Art Authentication Board have conspired to unfairly control the market of the late artist's work.
In Texas, Terry Mark Mangum has admitted to killing gay flight attendant Kenneth Cummings, Jr., saying he was doing God's work, according to a Dallas Voice item. Magnum told a newspaper that he stabbed Cummings 'in the head with a knife' after having a few drinks with him at a bar, and added that his murder was 'righteous' because 'sexual perversion [ is the ] worst sin.'
Gay-porn star Ken North has died of a drug overdose at the age of 35, according to the Bay Area Reporter. The incident occurred in London on Independence Day. North, whose real name was Ben Grey, performed in 14 videos for Hot House Entertainment. Recently, he co-hosted the 2007 Grabby gay adult video awards in Chicago.
In North Carolina, civilian and military authorities have charged HIV-positive soldier Johnny Lamar Dalton, 25, with assault with a deadly weapon, misdemeanor assault and committing a crime against nature for not telling an 18-year-old male sexual partner about his HIV status, the Associated Press reported. Maj. Tom Earnhardt, of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, said that military prosecutors are focusing on the alleged offender's act, not his sexual orientation.
At a gathering in South Carolina, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney criticized Democratic hopeful Sen. Barack Obama for advocating age-appropriate sex education for young children, the Associated Press reported. 'Sen. Obama is wrong if he thinks science-based sex education has any place in kindergarten,' Romney said. 'We should be working to clean up the filthy waters our kids are swimming in.' South Carolina will hold its primary Feb. 2.
In Dorchester, Mass., Black AIDS Institute Executive Director Phill Wilson urged attendees at a rally to help curtail the epidemic in the African-American community within the next five years, according to Bay Windows. Wilson listed several things people can do, including 'increas [ ing ] the percentage of folks who know their HIV status in our communities.'
In California, a judge has ruled that a man has to continue paying alimony to his ex-wife, despite the fact that she's is in a registered domestic partnership with another woman, the Associated Press reported. The judge decided that a partnership—even a registered one—constitutes cohabitation, not marriage; therefore, Ron Garber has to keep paying Melinda Kirkwood $1,250 per month.
PlanetOut, Inc., plans to cut back its workforce by 15 percent, according to Yahoo! News. The San Francisco-based company will close its international offices in Buenos Aires and London in an effort to reduce costs.