The U.S. Air Force received an IG Nobel Prize award this year for its proposal to develop a 'gay bomb,' Associated Press reported. The Ig Nobel Prize is a spoof of the Nobel Prizes, and pokes fun of ridiculous scientific achievements. Apparently, the prize remains unclaimed.
The young man on trial for luring a gay Brooklyn man with two other men and causing his death continues to say that he is gay, too. The defense says that since their client is gay, he shouldn't be charged with a hate crime. Associated Press reported that Anthony Fortunato testified that he has been living a double life, and revealed numerous sexual encounters with men he met online. Three men have testified that they had sex with Fortunato.
An Indiana man about to complete his 14-year sentence for the 1983 slaying of a gay man has recently been linked to another murder. DNA evidence from cigarette butts has linked the man to the 1981 murder of another gay man, Queerty.com reported.
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force announced the launch of a campaign called United ENDA, following the unprecedented response of numerous national and state organizations who want the original trans-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act passed. Over 150 organizations have joined the campaign so far.
GLAAD recently condemned News Corporation for use of the slur 'she-male' when referring to a transgender woman when writing about an upcoming dating reality show in the New York Post. The show is called There's Something about Miriam. According to GLAAD, the editor of the section in which the slur appeared responded to GLAAD's e-mail with, 'You're kidding me, aren't you? I would have used 'chick with a dick' but we're a [ sic ] family newspaper.'
Top Design host Todd Oldham has designed floral arrangements to benefit GLSEN for National Coming Out Day. Ten percent of sales between Oct. 4-11 will benefit the national organization. See www.ftd.com/glsen.
In a victory for California gays and lesbians, a Court of Appeals ruled that domestic partners in California will be protected from increased property taxes if one of the partners die. The law, called the Board of Equalization Rule, applied to only heterosexual spouses until now.
A judge in Orange County, Cal., ruled against a lesbian high school student who was punished for kissing her girlfriend in school, saying her rights weren't violated when the school's principal outed her to her mother in order to explain the reason for her punishment, according to the Los Angeles Times. Charlene Nguon claimed that the former principal singled her out because of her sexual orientation. The judged ruled that the principal had to reveal the situation to the parent in order to explain why she was being punished.
Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson has been defending his stand on gay marriage in meetings with numerous conservatives who don't feel he is conservative enough. Associated Press reports that Thompson supports a constitutional amendment that would bar judges from legalizing same-sex marriage, but favors leaving it up to stage legislatures to decide what to do. 'I'll stop the process in its tracks because it's all judge-made,' Thompson said, according to the article. 'No state legislature accompanied by a governor's signature has gone down that road.'
According to the Baltimore Sun, a military judge ruled that gay porn found on a Navy doctor's computer can be used as evidence during a trial. The doctor is on trial for allegedly secretly videotaping Naval Academy midshipmen's sexual endeavors in his home. He could lose his job under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' even if he is found innocent of the charges because of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.'
Georgetown University admitted that it made mistakes following an alleged hate crime, according to Queerty.com . Phillip Anderton Cooney, the son of a Bush family friend, allegedly attacked a man Sept. 9 while saying anti-gay slurs. During a protest, administrators admitted its faults, such as not reporting the hate crime sooner, to the university's gay organization. According to the article, the university will form a group in order to change the school's LGBT policies.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle's anti-gay comments and actions are creating a wedge in the Black community, the Miami Herald reported. The local NAACP has taken a public stance against Naugles, while some Black ministers have been voicing support for the mayor.
South Florida is about to get more trans-friendly, according to the Sun-Sentinel. Palm Beach and Broward counties might soon join the list of South Florida communities, such as Lake Worth, that have passed anti-trans discrimination laws.
Prosecutors will seek the death penalty for the gay porn stars accused of murdering a Cobra Video porn producer Bryan Kocis over a contract dispute, reports CourtTV.com . Hawlow Cuadra and Joseph Kerekes are on trial for allegedly robbing and killing the producer before setting his house on fire.
The airport bathroom stall where Sen. Larry Craig was busted has been fitted with a long divider to make it more difficult for sexual escapades, reported the Star Tribune. Other stalls in the airport have been given the same treatment.
The organization Campus Pride announced that it has launched an online resource that measures the progress of LGBT-friendly colleges and universities. The site, www.campusclimateindex.org, also serves as a resource for prospective students and their families to learn more about gay-inclusive campuses. So far, 100 colleges and universities are listed, and even more are signed up to be assessed.
Denver's first out judge at the district court level was recently appointed, according to Rocky Mountain News. David Brett Woods is the state's second openly gay judge.
