Leaders at the National Transgender Advocacy Coalition (NTAC) are concerned over a recent Department of Homeland Security (DHS) alert that cautions security officials to scrutinize traveling men dressed as women. The DHS alert says Al-Qaeda '[m]ale bombers may dress as females in order to discourage scrutiny.'
At press time, one of the two people convicted in the San Francisco dog-mauling case was expected to be paroled this weekend, reports KPIX. Robert Noel, 62, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the 2001 death of Diane Whipple. Noel served about half of his four-year sentence. Corrections officials delayed his expected Friday departure and said he would likely be released over the weekend.
Ivy League Brown University was home to what some student leaders are calling a hate crime, reports the Brown Daily Herald. The college junior was knocked unconscious after she was called homophobic names at a party. She was treated for eye and head injuries at a local hospital. Several student groups rallied for acceptance.
Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley of Boston Archdiocese will again come out against gay marriages next month as he gives the opening address to a group of religious leaders intent on stopping issuance of same-sex marriage licenses, reports the Boston Globe. O'Malley was installed as Archbishop July 31 and made news for the $85 million settlement with the victims of priestly sexual abuse.
Orlando Magic guard Tracy McGrady says about five percent of the men in the National Basketball Association (NBA) are gay, reports the Kansas City Star. McGrady was interviewed by Stuff Magazine and said he estimates homosexuality at the five percent mark and that he's seen players engage in gay activities. The full article appears in the November issue of Stuff.
Massachusetts state senate leader Robert Travaglini says his religious beliefs prevent him from supporting gay marriage but says gays and lesbians should be granted the same civil protections as heterosexuals, reports the Boston Globe. The Massachusetts senate is considering a move similar to Vermont's civil unions in the face of the state's supreme judicial court potentially ruling in favor of full gay marriage.
The Human Rights Campaign expressed its extreme disappointment at a statement from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, supporting the Federal Marriage Amendment against gay marriage.
A San Francisco doctor won his first round against the Air Force, reports AP. John Hensala, 38, received his medical education from the Air Force at a cost to the service of more than $70,000. When he was required to report for duty in 1995 he informed his superiors that he would be living with his boyfriend on base. He was discharged and ordered to repay the money the government spent on his education. Judge Sidney Thomas and Judge Richard Paez of the 9th Circuit ruled it was discriminatory to require repayment when a person is separated from the military against his or her will.
At the conclusion of a hearing last week in Augusta, a Georgia state judged granted a Richmond County transgendered woman's request to legally change her name to reflect her gender. 'This is a happy ending to a common barrier that many transgendered people experience,' said Greg Nevins, a Senior Staff Attorney for Lambda Legal Defense, which represents Vickee Gatliff.
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