It's not okay to burn a gay pride flag in Columbus, Ohio—at least not without a permit. The Plain Dealer reports that two street preachers who burned a gay pride flag in September 2001, pleaded no contest the charges. On the day of the parade, a police officer warned the two that they needed a permit before burning anything. Opposition to the anti-gay Federal Marriage Amendment, which is pending in the House and the Senate, is growing among conservative thinkers, according to a story on the Gannett News Wire. Conservative pundits including Chuck Muth, George Will, David Brooks, Ward Connerly, Jonah Goldberg and Ann Coulter are all opposed to amending the U.S. Constitution according to the story. See www.lawfullywedded.com .
Vice President Al Gore's endorsement of Howard Dean, which came just after former U.S. Sen. Paul Simon backed dean (just days before Simon died during surgery), came as Dean also was endorsed by New York-based Gay and Lesbian Independent Democrats, Planet Out reports. 'Gov. Dean won GLID's endorsement because he clearly has the strongest record on GLBT issues,' said Brad Hoylman, GLID president. 'Also, his campaign ... has shown that he has the best chance of taking back the White House.' The San Diego Democratic Club, a chapter of the National Stonewall Democrats, endorsed Dean Dec. 5. Stonewall Democrats of New York also backed Dean.
The Massachusetts Senate was expected last week to send a civil union bill to the state Supreme Judicial Court and ask if the legislation conforms with the court's gay marriage decision, reports the Boston Globe. the Joint Committee on the Judiciary is scheduled to produce a sweeping civil unions bill that would stop short of the 'marriage' word.
The Wyoming school that had police remove two girls who escorted each other to a dance, has reportedly agreed to strip the ban on same-sex couples at future dances. Big Piney High School student Amanda Blair said the decision to allow same-sex couples was the right thing to do. Amanda, a self-identified heterosexual, tried to attend this year's homecoming dance with another girl to make a statement that it's okay. The two were removed by local police before they entered the dance.
Stratford, Conn., Town Council members back pedaled on their previous declaration of equality, reports the New Haven Register. Brian Thomas, president of the Stratford Federation of Municipal Employees, said he does not understand why the town council decided to abandon a mutually agreed upon contract because of proposed domestic-partner benefits. Town and union negotiators reached a contract agreement that included the benefits, but the Town Council would not agree to the benefits.
The Roman Catholic diocese in Altoona-Johnstown, Penn., ordered a priest to stop distributing an anti-gay pamphlet, reports AP. The Rev. John Nesbella was distributing a seven-page brochure produced by Paul Cameron of the anti-gay Family Research Institute. A spokesperson for the Diocese said the brochure "borders on the pornographic" and could do more harm than help. The brochure is intended to show the physical consequences of gay sex.
AIDS patients in Pennsylvania receiving public welfare support received a promising ruling last week, reports AP. HIV-positive William Jean Gough was accepted as a strong candidate for a liver transplant this fall because his liver is deteriorating from hepatitis C. The state Department of Public Welfare declined to pay for the procedure saying that Gough had a terminal illness, AIDS. A judge dismissed the state's argument saying AIDS patients can live long lives. The state said they will not appeal the judge's ruling.
The Lafayette School Board in Louisiana says they have nothing to apologize in the case of the seven-year-old boy they disciplined after he revealed his mother is gay, reports AP. The American Civil Liberties Union said the school violated the child's free speech. The school says the child was disciplined for behavior problems, not speech.
A bisexual man near Atlanta lost custody of his children, in part because he lied about his sexuality, reports the Southern Voice. Jeff Weeks received sole custody of his two children after his wife and her new husband took the children to the Cayman Islands, avoiding regularly scheduled visitation by Weeks. Fulton County Superior Court Judge John Goger removed custody of the two children, telling Weeks it was because of his lies about his sexuality and his refusal to take his children to court-ordered psychology appraisals.
V. Gene Robinson, the newly appointed openly gay bishop in New Hampshire, says he wants to marry his partner of 14 years, reports 365gay.com . Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Anglican Church, said he would be married to his partner Mark Andrews today if it was possible in New Hampshire. Robinson said he supports any form of legal union as long as heterosexuals and homosexuals have the same rights.
Three anti-gay residents of Montverde, Fla., won't have their day in court yet, reports the Daily Commercial. The three residents want the town charter invalidated because, among other things, it includes a provision to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and a line-veto clause. Judge Don F. Briggs gave the city 10 days to file a response to the lawsuit. The suit was originally filed in federal court but was pushed back down to state court.
The LGBT Studies Program office at University of Maryland at College Park has been vandalized for the third time this semester, reports The Diamondback. The message written on the office door this time was 'kill them all.' The director of the school's LGBT Equity office said almost half of all hate or bias crimes reported on campus last year were based on sexual orientation.
Bob Ross, 69, publisher of the weekly Bay Area Reporter in San Francisco, died Dec. 10 of complications from diabetes. A pioneering gay journalist as well as an influential activist, Ross' support for accurately and powerfully covering the San Francisco LGBT community was often reflected in the paper. Of particular note, only five years ago, was the Aug. 13, 1998, issue in which the Bay Area Reporter had no AIDS-related obituaries to print for the first time since the start of the epidemic in the city. The banner front page headline that week read, simply: No obits.
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