Thio Li-ann, a law professor from Singapore and a foe of gay rights, has canceled plans to teach at the New York University School of Law this fall, Chronicle.com reported. Students and graduates apparently protested Thio's appointment after finding out that she had condemned homosexuality and had opposed the repeal of a law that made same-sex activities a crime. She was scheduled to teach a course on human rights in Asia and a seminar on Asian constitutional law.
In Miami, Fla., Charles Perez, a gay TV anchor, has been demoted after he allegedly said unflattering things about his co-anchor, Laurie Jennings, during a dispute with his partner, according to Sun-Sentinel.com . Perezwho, as an aside, was on the first Real Worldhas been taken from weekday anchor duty and reassigned to weekend anchor/reporter.
Lesbian parents have received more rights thanks to a Washington, D.C., law, according to PinkNews.co.uk. The measure allows lesbians to become the legal parents of a partner's artificially inseminated child without having to adopt. Nancy Polikoff, a law professor at the American University and one of the drafters the bill, said: "A mother should not have to adopt her own child."
In California, the LGBT community honored the life of murdered sailor August Provost July 10 at Camp Pendleton, according to Gay & Lesbian Times. On June 30, Provost was found dead at the camp's Assault Craft Unit Five compound; he was the victim of several gunshot wounds. Several gay-rights groups, including the National Center for Lesbian Rights, have called the killing of the out serviceman a hate crime and want an investigation.
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist recently flip-flopped on the issue of gay adoption, Advocate.com reported. On July 22, Crist said in Tallahassee that he'd "have to think about it" when reporters asked him if he would support a law that would repeal the state's gay-adoption ban. However, three hours later, Crist said in Jacksonville that the ban is "right."
In Texas, the El Paso City Council unanimously approved a resolution that supports an ordinance that bans sexual-orientation discrimination in places of public accommodation, according to KVIA.com . The development occurred weeks after a group of men claimed they were the victims of such discrimination at Chico's Tacos, a restaurant in El Paso.
Speaking of Chico's Tacos, police officers have released the 911 tapes of the night security guards allegedly threw five gay men out of the restaurant because two of them kissed, the El Paso Times reported. During one call, guard Marco Nava reportedly said in Spanish, "There are two men eating here, and they're kissing. They are homosexuals. I approached them and told them that they couldn't be kissing here because there are children here. They were kissing on the lips." One of the five men, Carlos Diaz de Leon, made two calls to complain about the alleged discrimination.
T-shirts that promote the legalization of same-sex marriage motivated vandalism and violent threats at two American Apparel stores in the Washington, D.C., area, according to WashingtonExaminer.com . In Silver Spring, Md., a manager found a shattered window in front of a "Legalize Gay" T-shirt. Other stores have received angry calls and threats. Police officers are investigating the matter.