A jury recently found a gay former Navy negotiator guilty of the aggravated manslaughter of his wife, Queerty.com reported. During the trial, David Henry's secret gay life was revealed. His wife was found dead in 2005. A New York woman has filed a lawsuit against a restaurant for allegedly being kicked out of the women's restroom after a male bouncer received complaints from patrons that they thought a male was in the bathroom, reported Wcbstv.com . She is charging gender discrimination for allegedly being kicked out the night of the Pride Parade.
Alabama elected its first openly gay male official, Gay.com reported. Howard Bayless will sit on the Birmingham Board of Education.
A Minnesota gay-welcoming church was found with the phrase 'Slay the priest' and a pentagram spray painted on it, reported Queerty.com . Local authorities are investigating the incident as a 'bias crime,' meaning they feel it was committed by someone who was a bias against the church.
A new book based on research called UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity reveals that youth view modern-day Christianity as anti-gay, according to USA Today. The study says that a majority of people ages 16-29 have a negative image of Christianity. The book also reveals that most non-Christians surveyed ( 91 percent ) thought Christianity had an anti-gay image. Most also felt the faith was judgemental and hypocritical, as well. Even 80 percent of churchgoers felt the faith is anti-gay.
Philadelphia swore in its first openly gay judge, Common Pleas Court Judge Daniel Anders, reported the Philadelphia Inquirer. Anders took the oath on National Coming Out Day.
Following the recently legal opinion that nothing can stop same-sex couples from adopting in Tennessee by the state's Attorney General, several anti-gay groups have launched a new push to ban same-sex adoption in the southern state, says 365gay.com . In 2005, legislation that would ban gay couples from adopting failed.
Dear Abby has come out as a vocal supporter of same-sex marriage, says the Associated Press. Dear Abby, author Jeane Phillips ( aka Abigail Van Buren ) , has publicly declared that she is an ally. She recently received PFLAG's first 'Straight for Equality' award for supporting LGBT folks in her column over the years.
Anthony Fortunato's tactic of telling Brooklyn, N.Y., jurors he shouldn't be convicted of a hate crime because he is gay didn't pan out. He was convicted of manslaughter as a hate crime, and faces five to 25 years in prison, according to the Associated Press. Procecutors say four men, including Fortunato, lured a gay Brooklyn man from online to a meeting place and then chased him to his death.
PFLAG will launch a straight ally project called 'Straight for Equality,' endorsed by Cyndi Lauper. According to a PFLAG press release, the project is 'a multiyear initiative designed to tap into the vast audience of fair-minded Americans who want to more actively support equality in their daily lives but have yet to have the simple tools to effectively do so.'
A new study reveals that college students victimized because of their sexual orientation are more likely to show suicidal behavior, according to Science Daily. The study also revealed findings from a group not yet studied—students who identify as straight, but report same-sex attraction and behavior—and found that they are six times more likely to attempt suicide in one year than heterosexuals. LGBT students were found to be twice as likely to have attempted suicide than heterosexuals in the same time period.
