The Seattle teacher who called his student 'nigger' to prove a point that use of the word 'gay' is offensive, resigned. According to the Bellingham Herald, first-year teacher Brian Emanuels received a written reprimand from the board of education and gave his resignation on Thursday. Emanuels, a computer programming teacher who is white, scolded a student who used the term 'gay' to refer to an exercise the class was assigned. Emanuels said he resigned because his presence at the school might be distracting to students and staff.
Two Kentucky men who had quadruplets through in-vitro fertilization, are ready to be dads again, reports the Henderson Gleaner. Michael Meehan, a lawyer, and his hair stylist partner Thomas Dysarz said their first four babies, now 10 months old, 'were a breeze.' Meehan was the biological father of the first quadruplets. Brooke Verity, the biological mother of the children, said she consented to another pregnancy because she wanted all the children to be related. Five weeks ago, embryos using Dysarz's sperm were implanted in Verity. The couple says they'll have another child if this pregnancy results in only one baby.
U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., who is seeking the Republican nomination for Senate, is dodging the issue of his sexuality, reports AP. Foley was refuses to answer questions about his sexuality, saying that voters should judge him on his record. He is vying for the Senate seat currently held by Democratic presidential hopeful Bob Graham. The Miami Herald said Foley took the offensive last week: He called the gay innuendo 'revolting and unforgivable,' and blamed it on Democratic activists. 'Elected officials, even those who run for the United States Senate, must have some level of privacy. ... My mother and father raised me and the rest of my family to believe that there are certain things we shouldn't discuss in public. Some of you may believe that it's old-fashioned, but I believe those are good ideals to live by.'
A transgender prostitute was sentenced to 11 years in prison for the beating death of a 78-year-old man, reports The Advocate. Jamie Cid's lawyers argued she beat the man in self-defense after he tried to rape her. Cid took the man's wallet after killing him.
Gay activists in Texas say an alleged beating of a gay student by an assistant coach should give legislators more of a reason to pass the 'Dignity for All Students Act.' The student, who says he was harassed all year by the coach, never expected the situation to turn violent. The Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas says the law is needed to identify that gay students are protected from harassment. KPRC TV reports that the coach has been reassigned to duties not involving children, pending an investigation.
The 215th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) meeting, which starts this weekend, will again address the issue of practicing homosexual clergy, reports AP. The Church's constitution bans clergy who are non-celibate gays, but a faction of the denomination wants that to change. For the third year in a row, the issue will be discussed. Nearly 30 cases are pending against preachers who allegedly have broken church law by having gay sex.
Is Clay gay? We don't know, but The Advocate says the number two Idol is tight lipped about it. The Advocate joined nationwide reporters at the season finale of American Idol and asked the effeminate Clay Aiken what he wanted to say to his gay fans who think he's family. According to The Advocate, Aiken paused and turned to another reporter for another question.
A new study contradicts previous assertions that HIV-positive men are more susceptible to transmission of Hepatitis C virus (HCV), reports The Advocate. The study, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, found that of the nearly 17 percent of HIV-positive men who were co-infected with HCV, a history of sex with other men was not a factor. Injection drug use and failing to take HIV medications were two risk factors. Blacks, Latinos, and those over 50 were also found at higher risk for contracting HCV.
Intermedia Arts hosts its third annual Flaming Film Fest, starting today, in Minneapolis. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the festival organizers gave broad latitude to the definition of 'queer' when deciding which films to include. Anything from flowerpots to a windshield-washing lesbian accosting a female motorist can be seen. Some entries were allowed simply because the filmmaker is GLB or T.
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