The Human Rights Campaign issued its second annual Corporate Equality Index. Twenty-one major U.S. companies scored a perfect 100 on the equality index—up from just 11 last year. Companies with a major presence in Chicago include Aetna Inc., American Airlines, Bank One Corp., IBM Corp., Lucent Technologies Inc. and MetLife Inc. Scoring at the bottom with a 14 percent rating were Aramark Corp., Domino's Inc., ExxonMobil Corp., Meijer Inc., and National Gypsum.
Dr. Laura has reportedly dumped her devout beliefs in Judaism, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Earlier this month she told her radio audience that her hard-core faith and spiritual journey in Judaism is no more. She said she's still a Jew, but said she envies Christians—who are more supportive than Jews. Worldnet Daily quoted her as saying 'from my own religion, I have either gotten nothing ... or two of the nastiest letters I have gotten.'
Four anti-gay Christians were removed from Philadelphia's Veteran's Stadium Aug. 12, according to Concerned Women for America. The Phillies pro baseball team hosted their first 'Gay Community Day' at the park. Michael Marcavage, a preacher for RepentAmerica, and three of his colleagues were reportedly ejected from the park after they tried to hold up an anti-gay banner and pass out similar literature.
Those flying on American Airlines (AA) through Dallas airport earlier this week were treated to 'Faces of AIDS—a Photo Documentary from the Heartland.' The AA terminal is the third stop on the four-city tour for the exhibit depicting people living with HIV/AIDS. The City of Chicago and Illinois Department of Public Health produced the exhibit that runs at DFW until today.
One of the men eliminated from Bravo's Boy Meets Boy was discharged from the Navy shortly after it was revealed he was gay, reports the Washington Blade. Michael Jason Tiner was eliminated from the program (and revealed as a gay man) on July 29. His discharge from the military was effective Aug. 19. Tiner said he admitted his homosexuality to superior officers. He was a teacher at the Navy's Submarine Learning Center.
Cobb County, Ga., made a worldwide mark for itself as an anti-gay Mecca 10 years ago this month. That's when the county pronounced, immediately before the summer Olympics in the area, that gay lifestyles were incompatible with the county's values, reports the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Olympic events planned for the county were pulled. But today, according to AJC, times have changed—a little. The county now has a small group of openly gay politicians, a few large corporations offering domestic-partner benefits, and a gay bar. But Bill Byrne, the chairman of the commission that drafted the resolution, says he's not regretful. In fact, he says he was 10 years ahead of his time.
Men and women are far less attractive to each other than in days past, according to Rabbi Shmuley Boteach in JewsWeek. This waning attraction, combined with the idea that two people of the same sex are naturally more compatible with one another, he says, makes homosexuality an attractive lifestyle today. 'I would not be surprised,' he writes, 'if experimental homosexuality became a fad over the next decade.'
Nashua, New Hampshire, Ald. Tim Nickerson criticized a fellow alderman for using an anti-gay slur last month, reports the Telegraph. Openly gay Nickerson had a disagreement with fellow alderman Kevin McAfee last month during a finance committee meeting. McAfee said he made the remark about gay oral sex only after Nickerson used several other expletives.
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