Answering Ariz. Gov. Jan Brewer's attempt to end same-sex partnership benefits, Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton has said he backs domestic-partner benefits in his city, according to Advocate.com . In a statement, he said, "At the City of Phoenix, we recognize diversity as a strength, and we embrace it. Here it doesn't matter if you're gay or straight; as long as you get the job done, you'll get the same benefits." Brewer recently asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that provided domestic-partner benefits to same-sex spouses of state employees.
In New York City, gay Jewish blogger Chaim Levin has stirred the local Orthodox community with his allegations of sexual abuse, according to Advocate.com . Levin—who runs the site Gotta Give 'Em Hope (named after a Harvey Milk quote)—is suing cousin Sholom Eichler for allegedly abusing him from 1996 through 1999, starting when Levin was 6. Eichler works at a prominent, family-run store that sells Jewish items.
The Rev. Marcel Guarnizo, the Roman Catholic priest who denied communion to lesbian Barbara Johnson at her mother's funeral in February, is no longer at the church where the incident occurred, according to Advocate.com . At the service, Guarnizo—then-vicar of St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Gaithersburg, Md.—told Johnson, "I cannot give you communion because you live with a woman and that is a sin according to the church." However, it is unclear if Guarnizo's departure is related to the incident.
Armando Montano, who worked this summer as a news intern for the Associated Press in Mexico City, was found dead June 30 in the elevator shaft of an apartment building, according to the Washington Post; he was 22. Authorities are investigating his death. Montano, a native of Colorado, belonged to the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) and the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Assocation (NLGJA).
The boards of directors of the pro-LGBT organizations Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and OutServe announced the intent to combine the two organizations into a single organization by October, according to a press release. There will be a new name and a newly configured board of directors led by a representative from each existing organization. OutServe rose to prominence after it began as an underground network of LGBT service members connected via Facebook that now has more than 5,500 members worldwide.
Think Progress says that Democratic Sens. Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, John Kerry of Massachusetts and Patty Murray of Washington as well as Texas Rep. Barbara Lee are the most LGBT-supportive members of Congress, according to Advocate.com . Lee led the pack by sponsoring or cosponsoring 23 out of 27 pro-LGBT bills. Think Progress also identified the seven most anti-gay representatives on Capitol Hill, including Rep. Tim Huelskamp, a Kansas Republican who authored multiple antigay amendments and bills.
Judge Vanessa Bryant of the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut has denied a request from the House GOP-controlled Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG) to halt proceedings in a challenge against the Defense of Marriage Act, according to Advocate.com . Bryant issued her order in the case Pedersen v. Office of Personnel Management. BLAG had filed a motion to stay, arguing that the same issues were under consideration in Windsor v. United States, a federal case now on appeal.
The Coalition For Queer Youth and National Youth Pride Services marked the 3rd Annual Celebration of National Safe Spaces For Black Gay Youth Month by conducting the national search for this country's best Black gay youth programs, according to a press release. After youths were asked to submit essays, the top chosen programs are United Black Ellument (Dallas), the Ruth Ellis Center (Detroit), PowerHouse Project (Charlotte, N.C.), Us Helping Us (Washington, D.C.) and Ujima Empowerment House (Akron, Ohio).
In Virginia, Carilion's Roanoke Athletic Club (RAC) has changed its definition of what qualifies for a "household" membership after a gay couple filed a lawsuit against it and more than 150,000 signed a Change.org petition, according to WSLS.com and Change.org . The lawsuit claimed the club would not allow two men and their child to use the outdoor pool, despite having previously approved for a "household" membership, after finding out they were a same-sex couple. RAC's Bud Grey issued an expanded definition of "household" that includes "a primary member and up to one additional household member that permanently lives in the household."
In Florida, the Flagler County school district has formally settled a complaint alleging that staff allowed gay former student Luke Herbert, 17, to be bullied, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal. To resolve a complaint Herbert and his mother lodged with the U.S. Office of Civil Rights, school officials recently agreed to provide yearly training for instructional staff and employees who investigate complaints of sex discrimination and harassment. Also, the school board has adjusted its anti-bullying policies to include sexual orientation and gender identity.
Keelin Godsey fell short in his attempt to become the first openly transgender athlete to represent the United States at the Olympics, according to the New York Times. Godsey, 28—who was named Kelly at birth but has publicly identified as a male since 2005—finished fifth in the trials for the women's hammer throw; only the top three qualified for the U.S. team.
In a rare move, the LGBT publication The Advocate has endorsed President Obama for re-election. In part, Editor-in-Chief Matthew Breen wrote, "The Advocate's last endorsement was decades ago, but the president's statement of May 9, unequivocally in favor of marriage equality, along with his record on LGBT rights, has distinguished him for the ages and has made it clear that he is a transformational leader and our best choice for president. ... By virtue of his unique position, his endorsement of marriage equality is not merely rhetoric. His words constitute action."
In Washington, D.C., a coalition of transgender-rights groups has launched a survey to find out the needs of local trans residents, the Washington Blade reported. The D.C. Trans Coalition, Transgender Health Empowerment, Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive and American University are among the organizations participating in the survey that went live slightly more than a month ago. The poll touches on a variety of topics, including housing, health care, criminal justice and education, among others.
Twenty-one of the nation's leading Hispanic organizations have endorsed a first-of-its kind, comprehensive public-education campaign called Familia es Familia ("Family Is Family"), according to a press release. The program is aimed at strengthening Latino voices to build support within the Latino community for acceptance of LGBT family members. Among the groups in the coalition are the Cuban American National Council, the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic National Bar Association; GLAAD, Capital Wire PR and impreMedia are media partners.
National Council of La Raza, which recently endorsed marriage equality, recently introduced a new LGBT-workshop track at its 2012 annual conference, held July 7-10 in Las Vegas, according to a press release. There was also the organization's third annual LGBT and allies reception, "¡Viva el Orgullo!," at the conference; at the event, President/CEO Janet Murguia and Deputy Vice President of Resource Development Ruben Gonzales honored out actor/activist Wilson Cruz. The Gill Foundation and American Airlines sponsored the reception.
In Pittsburgh, Penn., the 220th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) discussed two different ways to expand the 2-million-member denomination's understanding of marriage to include committed same-sex couples, according to a press release. The methods discussed involved the Civil Union and Marriage Committee's recommendation to amend the characterization of marriage from a "man and a woman" to "two persons." Neither option ultimately collected the majority of votes needed to begin the ratification process.
In New York, a unanimous panel of the state's appellate division rejected a challenge to New York's marriage-equality law, according to Gay City News. The July 6 ruling, from the Rochester-based 4th Department, came in response to a suit bought by New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms (NYCF), a group whose website describes its mission as influencing "legislation and legislators for the Lord Jesus Christ." Among other things, NYCF alleged that the closed-door meetings involving the measure violated the state's open meetings law.
U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., married Jim Ready July 7 in Newton, Mass., according to the New York Times. Frank, 72, met Ready, 42, at a political fundraiser in 2005. Guests at the wedding included U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the House minority leader, as well as U.S. Sen. John Kerry and Reps. Dennis J. Kucinich and Steny H. Hoyer. Massachusetts Gov. Deval L. Patrick officiated.
Episcopal bishops have approved a prayer service for blessing same-sex couples that also paved the way for transgender ordination, according to the Huffington Post. At the Episcopal General Convention in Indianapolis, the House of Bishops voted 111-41, with three abstaning, to authorize a rite for same-sex unions for the next three years. In addition, the full convention approved new anti-bias language for transgender church members and clergy candidates.
In Los Angeles, a homeless man was severely beaten in Hancock Park after he told his attacker he was gay and had HIV/AIDS, according to an Advocate.com item. After the victim told the assailant he was "gay, homeless and had AIDS," the attacker uttered gay slurs and struck the victim, punching and kicking him. The victim, in his early 30s, was hospitalized in critical condition.
In California, an Oakland woman has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), arguing that its guidelines regarding sperm donations are unconstitutional, according to the Huffington Post. "Jane Doe," who is in a relationship with another woman, filed the suit after FDA regulations stopped her from attempting to become pregnant via artificial insemination without an intermediary such as a sperm bank. Instead, she wanted to use the sperm of a friend and involve him in her child's life.
In New York City, the Ali Forney Center—which provides housing for gay homeless youths—announced that the City Council and the Manhattan borough president designated $3.3 million to help renovate a city-owned building and transform it into a new 18-bed shelter. The space will be named for the late actress Bea Arthur, who starred in shows such as The Golden Girls and Maude. Arthur, who passed away in 2009, left the center $300,000 in her will.
In Texas, gay couple Mark "Major" Jiminez and Beau Chandler of Dallas was arrested for protesting the state's ban on marriage equality, according to On Top Magazine. They refused to leave the Dallas County Clerk's office after they were denied a marriage license. After they were refused a license, the couple handcuffed themselves to each other, clasped hands, shared a kiss and sat down on the floor at the head of the line. The couple plans to have a symbolic wedding ceremony in September to coincide with Dallas Gay Pride.
The Administration on Aging (AoA) announced it would release important new guidance that empowers AoA-funded aging providers to consider LGBT older adults as a population of "greatest social need," according to a joint press release from Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders. HRC President Chad Griffin said, "AoA's actions are a crucial step toward ensuring that this generation has equal access to the services and resources that they deserve."
Rev. Irene Monroe—nationally renowned African-American lesbian activist, scholar and public theologian—will receive this year's Spirit of Justice Award from Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), according to a media release. "Reverend Irene Monroe was enthusiastically selected by board and staff for her contributions to the advancement of equality for LGBT people," said Dianne Phillips, GLAD's board president. The award will be presented at the 13th annual Spirit of Justice Award Dinner on Friday, Oct. 26, at the Boston Marriott Copley Hotel.
In Florida, Shirley Gibson—the Democratic mayor of Miami Gardens—said she will "review" pro-LGBT ordinances after the anti-gay Christian Family Coalition endorsed her, according to the New Civil Rights Movement. Gibson is running for the even more powerful position of Miami-Dade County Commissioner, and hopes to unseat Commissioner Barbara Jordan.
In Minnesota, about 30 people rallied at the St. Louis County Courthouse, asking that a young gay man charged with assault was really the victim of a hate crime, according to the Duluth News Tribune. Max Pelofske and friend Kelly Johnson (facing disorderly-conduct charges), both 21, attended a graduation party where a fight broke out. At the rally, Pelofske asked, "Look at me, I'm five-foot-six. Why would I instigate [a fight with] 13 people I've never met in my whole life?"
On July 10, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler and 130 other U.S. House members filed an amicus brief in the case of Karen Golinski v. Office of Personnel Management, according to a press release. This case has reached the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals following a federal district court ruling that Section 3 of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional. The brief argues that Section 3 undermines Congress' legitimate interests.
The LGBT group Log Cabin Republicans has named Don R. Bramer, a businessman and former appointee of President George H.W. Bush, interim deputy executive director, according to Advocate.com . Bramer will lead "Get Out the Vote" efforts for the organization, which has so far endorsed two campaigns in Massachusetts; U.S. Sen. Scott Brown is running for re-election and Richard Tisei seeks to be the first out Republican in Congress.
