An elderly gay couple was found murdered in their Indianapolis home, according to The Advocate. According to friends, Milton Lindgren, 70, and Eric Hendricks, 73, were recently targeted and harassed for being gay, and had anti-gay statements left on their door. According to reports, local police are unsure if the slaying was a hate crime.
New York Gov. David Paterson repeated his pledge to sign a marriage bill during the annual Empire State Pride Agenda fundraiser. During the fall fundraiser, Paterson said that fighting for LGBT rights was 'as American as signing the Constitution.' Earlier this year, Paterson signed a memorandum declaring that New York would recognize same-sex marriages performed outside of the state.
A member of an Oregon Native American tribe is challenging the tribe council's approval of same-sex marriage. The Coquille tribal council recently approved to allow same-sex marriage and recognize same-sex marriages and civil unions performed elsewhere. They are the first Native American tribe to do so. However, one tribe member, Brady Metcalk, disapproves because he feels all tribal adults should have voted on the issue, not just the tribal council.
Anti-gay Bush appointee Scott Bloch announced that he is resigning from his position as U.S. Special Counsel at the end of January, a year before he legally has to leave. Bloch is currently under investigation for refusing to protect LGBT workers. The Office of Personnel Management also investigated Bloch for how he allegedly handled whistleblower cases. Bloch allegedly closed such cases without investigating them and intimidated whistleblowers.
Judy Shepard is among those to be honored with a 2008 Walter Cronkite Faith and Freedom Award, Interfaith Alliance recently announced. This year's other honorees are Asra Nomani and Rabbi Irwin Kula. Shepard is an international spokesperson for hate crime legislation and is the executive director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Her son, Matthew, was the victim of a brutal anti-gay hate crime in 1998.
A major U.S. health care company became the first to link its online provider director to the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association's ( GLMA ) online provider database. Aetna linked its DocFind database to the LGBT medical directory, and also awarded the association a $50,000 grant during its recent annual conference. GLMA hopes that other major insurance companies will provide their directories.
An October poll by the Public Policy Institute of California shows that the gap between those who favor Proposition 8 and those who oppose it has narrowed. The Public Policy Institute has been tracking California voters every month. Proposition 8, if passed, would ban same-sex marriage in California. Although the recent survey found that more voters oppose the ban, when the margin of error is taken into consideration, voters are divided on the issue.
Straight billionaire Ron Burkle invited Hollywood's elite to his Beverly Hills estate on Tuesday, Oct. 21, for a No on Proposition 8 fundraiser. Proposition 8 is a ballot measure that aims to ban same-sex marriage in California. The event, which was sold out, raised $3.9 million. In attendance were Barbra Streisand, Melissa Etheridge, Steven Spielberg, Jared Leto, Hairspray director Adam Shankman and many more.
Perezhilton.com reports that actress Lindsay Lohan has been let go from her deal with hit TV show Ugly Betty for supposedly 'not going along with the creative process.' Lohan, who recently made her lesbian relationship public, was supposed to guest star in six episodes of Ugly Betty this season. However, sources close to the show say she's been let go and that she is even being cut out of completed episodes. Lohan was a regular guest star last season in her role as Betty's arch-nemesis, Kimmie.
Britney Spears' Web site just got a facelift, and will supposedly allow fans of the pop diva to learn more about her than ever before. The new BritneySpears.com will allow Spears to better connect with her fans. In a video featuring Spears on the Web site's home page, the singer promises her fans that she will take them 'where no paparazzi lens ever could.' She added that the Web site will constantly be updated with new videos, photos and more.
