THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

In the wake of the latest development regarding "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," Army Lt. Dan Choi—who was forced from the military because of DADT—has said that he will not vote for President Obama in the next election, Advocate.com reported. On CNN, Choi said, "I have a message for Valerie Jarrett and all those politicians in the White House. You have lost my trust, and I am not going to vote for Barack Obama after what he did yesterday." Jarrett had appeared on the news channel to ask the LGBT community to understand the president's position on the issue of openly gay and lesbian people serving in the military.

The American Foundation of Equal Rights will hold a major benefit art auction Oct. 28 at the Gladstone Gallery in New York to build support for its mission to achieve full federal marriage equality, according to a press release. ( The foundation is the sole sponsor of the Perry v. Schwarzenegger federal case that declared California's Prop 8 unconstitutional. ) Mogul David Geffen and actress Hilary Swank are among those co-hosting the event, which will feature live and silent auctions of artwork from international artists.

The Human Rights Campaign has released its Congressional Scorecard for the 111th Congress, according to a press release. The average score was 50.8 percent for House members and 57.3 percent for senators. Actions that scored including the co-sponsoring of the Uniting American Families Act, the vote on the DADT-repeal amendment and the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The full scorecard can be seen at www.hrc.org .

There has been another gay teen suicide—this time in Michigan; however, officials say that there was no evidence of anti-gay bullying, according to EDGE Boston. Oakland University student Corey Jackson, 19, apparently hanged himself Oct. 19; he was discovered in a wooded area on the school's campus. The school's campus-security chief, Sam Lucido, said, "We have no indication that bullying-type activity was occurring. We have talked with two people—one who was a student—who were close to Corey Jackson and they have said that was not an issue."

On the Oct. 17 airing of the show Meet the Press, Ken Buck, the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate from Colorado, compared being gay to alcoholism, according to Talking Points Memo. During a debate between Buck and Democratic candidate Michael Bennet, moderator David Gregory asked Buck if he thought homosexuality is a choice. He responded that he thought it was an option, and added, " [ B ] irth has an influence over it, like alcoholism and some other things." Among the other topics were the Tea Party movement—which is credited with helping Buck defeat Republican Jane Norton in the primary—and the budget.

The National AIDS Fund ( NAF ) has earned the coveted four-star rating from Charity Navigator, America's leading charity evaluator, according to a press release. This is NAF's fourth consecutive four-star rating, the highest score possible. "Only nine percent of the charities we rate have received at least 4 consecutive 4-Star evaluations," said Charity Navigator President/CEO Ken Berger in his letter to National AIDS Fund. "This exceptional designation demonstrates that National AIDS Fund consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way, and outperforms most other charities in America."

In Mississippi, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the Forrest County Sheriff's Department and several officers on behalf of Andre Cooley, a corrections officer for juvenile detainees who was allegedly fired when his supervisors discovered he was gay, according to a press release. The lawsuit claims that the department violated Cooley's constitutional rights. On June 14, while at home and off-duty, Cooley called 911 after his boyfriend became physically violent. Among the officers responding to the call was Chief of Corrections Charles Bolton, one of Cooley's supervisors, who learned of Cooley's sexual orientation. Staff Sergeant of Jail Operations Donnell Brannon told Cooley the next day that he was fired.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation ( GLAAD ) joined millions of community members and allies to support LGBT youth by participating in Spirit Day, which was Oct. 20, according to a press release. In addition to wearing the color purple that day, GLAAD asked people to turn their Facebook and Twitter photos purple until that date and to share messages of support for LGBT youth. Purple symbolizes "spirit" on the rainbow flag, a symbol for LGBT pride that was created by Gilbert Baker in 1978.

Also in New York, the trial of accused killer John Katehis, 18, has started, Advocate.com reported. Katehis allegedly killed openly gay radio journalist Goerge Weber in the victim's Brooklyn home last year. Defense attorneys are painting the defendant as the victim of a 47-year-old sexual predator; prosecutors are saying that Katehis was a cold and calculating individual who made an oral sex-for-cash arrangement with the victim and then fatally stabbed him.

In Oregon, Seth Stambaugh—the gay student teacher who lost his job after revealing his sexual orientation to an elementary-school student—will be reinstated, according to Advocate.com . Stambaugh will return to his post in the Beaverton School District under an agreement reached with Lewis & Clark College, where he attends. Approximately two dozen parents at Sexton Mountain Elementary School rallied to support Stambaugh.

Steven Slater—the openly gay former JetBlue flight attendant who became something of a folk hero this past summer after famously walking off his job—pled guilty to one count of misdemeanor attempted criminal mischief and one count of felony criminal mischief, according to AOL News. Slater avoided jail time, but will have to complete a year-long mental-health program as well as attend substance-abuse counseling.

Apparently, more young men are getting throat cancer—because of oral sex, Newser.com reported. One doctor has said, This kind of cancer traditionally affects males who have been smoking and drinking all their life," but now " [ we are seeing ] HPV cancer in younger patients who have never smoked." Boys are being urged to get the controversial HPV vaccine. Women are more likely to develop cervical cancer from HPV, and make up just 15 percent of throat-cancer patients.

In Texas, leader Jon Langbert said that he was ousted from the Boy Scouts because of his sexual orientation, according to a Pink News item. Langbert, the father of a 9-year-old, received a "leader" T-shirt last year, but other fathers have since complained about him being gay and Langbert said he was asked to stop wearing the shirt and relinquish his leadership role. The Scout Circle Ten Council have responded that Langbert was never designated as a leader, and that there would have been no issue if he had kept his sexuality hidden.

In Rhode Island, U.S. District Judge Mary Lisi has ruled that the anti-gay National Organization for Marriage can run political ads in that state's gubernatorial race—but must report how much it is spending, according to a Boston.com article. The group wants to run radio and TV ads against political candidates who support marriage equality.

In California, the California Court of Appeal for the Fourth Appellate District ruled in favor of four San Diego firefighters in a case involving that city's 2007 Gay Pride Parade, according to the New American. The firefighters said that they were forced to participate in the parade, where they were subjected to sexually offensive gestures and catcalls; they then sued the city, and won the lower-court case, which the city appealed.

The Virginia Historical Society is collaborating with the Gay Community Center of Richmond to promote academic studies on LGBT issues, Bay Windows reported. The center is funding the Guy Kinman Research Award, named after a retired Army chaplain who has been a leader in Richmond's LGBT community. The historical society said that the award will help it expand its collection of gay-related material.

In Utah, Cedar City may ban anti-gay discrimination, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. The city's council is scheduled to vote Oct. 27 on such a measure. If it's approved, Cedar City would become the eighth county or city in the state, and the first in southern Utah, to prohibit such discrimination. A poll has found that almost seven out of 10 Utah residents support banning sexual-orientation and gender-identity discrimination regarding housing and employment.

In Ohio, North High School principal Jennifer Chauby has met with students and admonished them after approximately 300 students used an anti-gay slur against a rival team at a football game, according to LlancasterEagleGazette.com . However, Chauby added that so many students chanted the slur that she will not suspend anyone. The executive director of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Greater Cleveland said the fans were being bullies.

At the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, students and staff held a rally aftre a student wearing a "Legalize Gay" T-shirt was punched in the face, according to JSOnline.com . The school has also posted a video to YouTube as part of Dan Savage's "It Gets Better" online campaign. ( American Apparel has shipped 500 of the T-shirts to the school in response to the attack, according to Advocate.com . ) Other schools throughout the state—including UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee and Carthage College—have either held vigils or are planning to hold them.

President Obama dropped by an Oct. 26 meeting at the White House that focused on moving the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" to the end of this year, according to Advocate.com . A leaked e-mail from Brian Bond, deputy director of the Office of Public Engagement, about the closed-door meeting read, "We are expecting the content of the conversation today to be off the record and to help us figure out how to move forward with the lame duck session. There can be no discussion of current court cases or legal strategy or Counsel's Office will end the meeting." Among those who attended the meeting were Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director R. Clarke Cooper and Servicemembers United Executive Director Alex Nicholson.

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum will not appeal the recent state appellate court ruling striking down a state law that barred same-sex adoption, according to an ACLU press release. Gov. Charlie Crist and the Florida Department of Children and Families had already said that they would not appeal the decision. McCollum's announcement puts a final end to the 33-year-old law. Leslie Cooper, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU LGBT Project, said, "This law, by baselessly branding gay people unfit parents, was one of the most notorious anti-gay laws in the country, and we are delighted that it has been ended once and for all."

Fable III is like most role-playing video games—except that characters can marry others of the same gender and start families, according to a Huffington Post item. ( In the game, the old king, the hero of Fable II, has died and left the Kingdom of Albion to the corrupt, tyrannical Logan. Logan's sibling, the playable "hero," is forced into a quest to become a revolutionary leader and, eventually, the new king. ) Microsoft Game Studios Europe's Peter Molyneux said that "You can be gay. You can be bisexual. You can get married as many times as you like. It's up to you. My fascination is with what that means to people."

In Vibe magazine, Aliya King has written an article entitled "The Mean Girls of Morehouse," which profiles four students who attend the country's only all-male historically Black institution—but who identify themselves as androgynous and dress in women's clothing, according to NPR.com . The article provoked controversy, causing outrage on campus and leading the college's president to write a letter to alumni that criticized the magazine. Regarding the title of the piece, it is a nod to the Plastics clique in the 2004 Lindsay Lohan movie Mean Girls, and some of the Morehouse men who were interviewed referred to themselves as the Plastics.

Some Gold's Gym franchises have been facing backlash from customers and distancing themselves from parent company TRT Holdings since it's been discovered that billionaire Robert Rowling, TRT's CEO, has given more than $2 million to American Crossroads, a tax-exempt organization founded by Karl Rove that works to elect anti-gay politicians, according to HuffingtonPost.com . Among those American Crossroads is backing are Nevada GOP Senate candidate Sharron Angle and Missouri Rep. Roy Blunt, who received a 0 percent rating from the Human Rights Campaign. Change.org is urging people to sign a petition to urge Gold's Gym to stop supporting anti-gay politicians and candidates.

San Francisco Gay Pride Executive Director Amy Andre and Board President Mikayla Connell have resigned due to a financial situation, according to Advocate.com . It turns out that 20 nonprofit organizations hired to operate beverage booths during the 2010 event are still owed $46,000. City and county supervisors Bevan Dufty and David Campos have stepped in to help the organization.

In New Jersey, Marquise Foster—suspected of killing transgender woman Victoria Carmen White—has turned himself in to authorities, according to an Advocate.com item. White was found Sept. 12 in her apartment after she brought Foster, Alrashim Chambers and two others she met in a nightclub back to her place. Chambers remains at large. Police said that the men linked to White's death may also be responsible for the death of a gay man.

Three of the 11 people arrested in recent anti-gay attacks in New York city have been released because of insufficient evidence, according to CNN.com . Brian Cepeda, Steven Carabello and Bryan Almonte, all 17, have been allowed to walk. ( A grand jury has indicted another suspect, Luis Garcia, 26. ) The case involves three victims who were beaten; two of them were sodomized. Pending charges against the others include sodomy, robbery, assault, unlawful imprisonment, abduction and menacing—all as hate crimes.

The White House invited Lambda Legal client Dr. Robert Franke—who was evicted from a Little Rock, Ark., assisted living facility because he is HIV-positive—to participate in a conference on HIV and aging, according to a Lambda Legal press release. The meeting took place at the White House Oct. 27, and is part of an ongoing series of discussions on HIV organized by the White House Office of National AIDS Policy. Lambda Legal represented Franke and his daughter, Sara Bowling, in a lawsuit against the Fox Ridge assisted living facility; the lawsuit was settled last month.

Even though same-sex marriage is legal in New Hampshire, the state's largest newspaper, the New Hampshire Union Leader, will not run gay and lesbian couples' wedding announcements, according to the Metro Weekly. A gay couple, Greg Gould and Aurelio Tine, tried to have their wedding published in the newspaper. However, Union Leader publisher Joe McQuaid said that the paper opposes same-sex marriage, although he claimed that the publication is not anti-gay. Advocate.com reported that Democratic Senate candidate Paul Hodes has asked the paper to change its policy.

In Mississippi, the Itawamba County School District has been ordered to pay student Constance McMillen $81,000 in legal fees, according to Advocate.com . The school district cancelled McMillen's high school prom because she wanted to bring her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo to the event. However, the prom was reinstated—but most of the students' parents organized a separate gathering, with McMillen and her date going to the fake prom.

Noted members of the revolutionary Violet Quill Club—Edmund White, Felice Picano and Andrew Holleran—will reunite for a literary event at the Manhattan bookstore/space 192 Books Nov. 2, according to a press release. The Violet Quill began in New York City with seven gay male writers who regularly met in the early 1980s to discuss and encourage each other's works. Writers from around the world are expected at the event.

In New York, Joseph Jefferson, a 26-year-old gay activist and HIV peer educator, committed suicide, according to Advocate.com . On Oct. 23, Jefferson posted on his Facebook page that "I could not bear the burden of living as a gay man of color in a world grown cold and hateful towards those of us who live and love differently than the so-called 'social mainstream.'" Jefferson had worked with such organizations as Gay Men of African Descent and the now-defunct People of Color in Crisis.

Clint McCance, a school board member in western Arkansas, has said on his Facebook page that all gays should commit suicide, according to Advocate.com . Responding to a request to wear purple on Oct. 20 ( Spirit Day ) to support LGBT youth, McCance posted, "Seriously they want me to wear purple because five queers killed themselves. The only way im wearin it for them is if they all commit suicide. I cant believe the people of this world have gotten this stupid. We are honoring the fact that they sinned and killed thereselves [ sic ] because of their sin. REALLY PEOPLE." Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese said, "Clint McCance has put a face on the hate that devastates our young people. McCance shouldn't be allowed near children, let alone managing their education. We call for his immediate resignation from the school board."