The Audacity of Nope

Ted Haggard on Oprah

Giuliano Steps Down From GLAAD

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation announced Wednesday that its president, Neil Giuliano, will step down later this year to pursue “personal interests” and complete a book about his personal and professional life.

Giuliano has been president of GLAAD for 3-1/2 years. Prior to his work with GLAAD, Giuliano was mayor of Tempe, Ariz., and was a university administrator and faculty associate at Arizona State University.

"I have informed the national board of directors of my decision to step down as president later this year and look forward to a successful and smooth transition of leadership for GLAAD," Giuliano said in a statement released by the organization. "It's been an honor and privilege to work professionally in the movement for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equality for the last 3-1/2years. The views of the American people on LGBT issues are clearly moving in the right direction, toward supporting full equality, and it has been a great experience to serve on the front lines, leading an amazing organization at such a historical time in the movement."

GLAAD reported in a press release that under Giuliano’s watch, the nonprofit's annual budget increased from $7.5 million to $11 million. Giuliano has been influential in orchestrating projects including outreach to gay youths and faith communities and 2007’s acquisition of the Sundance Film Festival’s Queer Lounge.

Colombia Rules Gay Couples Must Be Granted Same Rights as Straight

In a historic decision handed down Wednesday, Colombia's Constitutional Court ruled same-sex couples must be granted the same rights as heterosexuals in common-law marriages.

The court's decision means Colombia's gay couples will be awarded dozens of rights that straight, unmarried couples have enjoyed for years and follows other recent rulings that have won the nation's same-sex couples inheritance, pension, health, and social security rights.

The Colombian LGBT rights group Colombia Diversa, human rights group Dejusticia, and the Group for Public Interest Rights from the University of the Andes were responsible for the successful suit, filed last April.

Uruguay is the only other Latin American country to recognize same-sex unions.

Christian school can expel lesbian students

A California appeals court has ruled that a Christian high school can expel students because of an alleged lesbian relationship.

The 4th District Court of Appeal in Riverside on Monday upheld California Lutheran High School’s right as a private, religious organization to exclude students based on sexual orientation.

Two girls sued claiming they were discriminated against after they were expelled from the Wildomar school in 2005. A lower court said the school isn’t bound by the same anti-discrimination laws as a business establishment.

John McKay, attorney for California Lutheran, says the school’s goal is to educate based on Christian principles.

"According to the principal, who called each girl out of class separately, both admitted they had hugged and kissed each other and told other students they were lesbians. The girls said they admitted only that they loved each other as friends. The principal 'just looked at me like I was a disease and I was so wrong,' one of the girls later said. They were identified in the legal proceedings only as Jane Doe and Mary Roe. In ruling in favor of the school, the appeals court cited a 1998 California Supreme Court decision that said the Boy Scouts of America was a social organization, not a business establishment, and therefore did not have to comply with the Unruh Civil Rights Act. That case also involved a discrimination complaint based on sexual orientation."

The Appeals court said that the school was not a business and therefore did not need to adhere to state non-discrimination statutes. The girls' attorney plans to call on the California Supreme Court to overturn the case:

"Kirk D. Hanson, who represented the girls, said the 'very troubling' ruling would permit private schools to discriminate against anyone, as long as the schools used their religious beliefs as justification. 'It is almost like it could roll back 20 to 30 years of progress we have made in this area,' said the San Diego attorney. 'Basically, this decision gives private schools the license to discriminate.'"

Haggard wife says she knew about his ’struggles’

Former evangelical pastor Ted Haggard’s wife says she knew about his struggles with same-sex attraction for years and felt he was “winning the battle” before a scandal involving a male prostitute triggered his downfall in late 2006.

Gayle Haggard makes the remarks in an appearance with her husband on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” to air Wednesday. She said she was shocked when Haggard first told her the truth about the allegations against him.

“The first words out of my mouth were, ‘Who are you?’” she said, according to a publicity release issued Tuesday by Harpo Productions.

However, Gayle Haggard also said her husband told her early in their 30-year marriage that he “struggled with some thoughts.”

“I felt it was the thing that could destroy Ted if he gave in to it,” she said. “So I prayed for him and I felt as though he was winning the battle.”


[Ya know, I kind of feel sorry for her. Wait, no I don't.]

Sarah Palin launches PAC

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin launched a political action committee Tuesday to help support candidates for federal and state office.

The committee, SarahPac, is dedicated to supporting “fresh ideas and candidates who share our vision for reform and innovation,” according to its Web site.

Palin catapulted to fame last year as Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s running mate and is widely believed to be eyeing a presidential bid in 2012. Aides said the PAC will help serve as a vehicle for her political activities going forward.

According to the Web site, SarahPac welcomes supporters of any political persuasion and will contribute to candidates of any party who share her ideas and goals. But Palin makes special note of the Republican Party on the site, saying it is at “the threshold of an historic renaissance” that should focus on health care, education and government reform.

Aides said Palin will limit her political activity until the Alaska legislative session ends in April.
But she was expected to address the Conservative Political Action Committee meeting in Washington in February.

Car Companies Take Bailout Money And Sue Government To Prevent Stricter Fuel-Efficiency Standards

It might be hard to find a better example of biting the hand that feeds you. American automakers, the subject of much attention and beneficiaries of a major financial bailout, are suing the federal government:

Late last year, when Congress was debating whether to bail out the American automakers, one question that came up was: should the car companies be able to use money they got from the taxpayers to turn around and fight the taxpayers? By that point, the auto industry had already spent several years in court battling California and other states to prevent them from imposing stricter new fuel efficiency standards.

But the Washington Independent points out that the automakers already pledged to meet the emissions standards:

Business strategies submitted to Congress, as part of a December bailout debate, by Ford and General Motors would, if achieved, make the companies compliant with California's proposed emission reforms -- the same changes the companies have opposed for years -- according to an analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group.

Ford, for example, boasted that it would raise its fuel-economy standards 26 percent above 2005 levels by 2012, and 36 percent above the same baseline by 2015. General Motors, for its part, vowed fleet-wide fuel-efficiencies of 37.3 miles a gallon for cars, and 27.5 mpg for trucks, by 2012. (Chrysler, which did not include fuel-efficiency estimates in its report, was not a subject of the NRDC analysis.)

LGBT Group Lobbies Clinton for Fair Treatment in State Dept.

About 2,200 government employees working in foreign affairs signed a letter supporting the rights of the LGBT employees that was hand-delivered to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's office Monday afternoon.

The letter from Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies congratulated Secretary Clinton on her confirmation and then proceeded to outline a number of inequities faced by same-sex partners of employees at the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, among others.

"We are concerned that access to the federal health care insurance program is denied to same-sex partners of employees serving in Third World countries with substandard medical care," read the letter. "We question the logic of leaving same-sex partners to fend for themselves during an emergency evacuation of a high danger post. We are embarrassed when the Department will reimburse a variety of moving expenses, including the cost of transporting a pet, when an employee is assigned overseas, but will not do the same for a same-sex partner."

The document's delivery came on the heels of Clinton's confirmation testimony earlier this month in which she promised to review the policy regarding same-sex partners of civil and foreign service agents. "This issue was brought to my attention during the transition," Clinton noted. "I've asked to have more briefing on it because I think that we should take a hard look at the existing policy."

Same-sex partners of foreign service personnel are currently deprived of health care benefits and are unable to access other services available to heterosexual spouses, such as subsidized relocation, language training, employment opportunities, on-site medical treatment, and evacuation aid in emergency situations. According to Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies (GLIFAA), an order from Clinton to designate gay partners as eligible family members could remedy a number of these inequalities.

Catholic U. Bars Pro-Life Gay Group

The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., barred a gay rights group from cosponsoring a pro-life conference on campus that took place last weekend.

The Pro-Life Alliance of Gays and Lesbians' support for same-sex marriage and other civil rights were enough to get the group barred from contributing to the annual conference, which the organization supported last year. According to the university newspaper The Tower, PLAGAL members were still allowed to attend the conference.

"Of course I'm frustrated," Cecilia Brown, president of PLAGAL, told The Tower. "I'm tired of being treated like this by Christians ... even when we agree on the issue of protecting the unborn."

Students for Life, the campus group coordinating the conference, was told by school administrators that PLAGAL's mission statement goes against the teachings of the Catholic Church. According to PLAGAL's blog, its mission is to "bring the pro-life message to the GLBT community while at the same time tries to set up working relationships with those within the traditional pro-life community."

Iceland to Usher in Gay Prime Minister?

Iceland’s current minister of for social affairs, Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir, is being named as a likely candidate for the position of prime minister, according to the Iceland Review.

A Social Democrat, Sigurdardóttir was named as a likely replacement for prime minister Geir H. Haarde on Monday. Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, chairwoman of the Social Democrats, made the recommendation.

If named prime minister, Sigurdardóttir would not only be the county’s first female prime minister -- she would be the first gay prime minister in the world ... sort of.

Norway finance minister Per-Kristian Foss, who is gay, was that country’s acting prime minister for a brief period in 2002 while both the prime minister and foreign minister were traveling abroad.
In a 2008 survey conducted by Iceland’s Gallup Poll, Sigurdardóttir was named the country’s most popular politician, with 73% of respondents saying they were satisfied with her work.

The global financial crisis claimed Iceland's government as a victim last week, according to Forbes.com. The coalition government collapsed as financial experts predicted Iceland’s economy would shrink by 10% this year and next.

Haarde resigned the position of prime minister on Monday amid news of the government’s collapse.

Masking pro-Prop 8 names violates disclosure law

California Attorney General Ed Brown says that hiding the names of contributors to the Yes on Proposition 8 campaign would be a violation of freedom of information.

Earlier this month, the Yes on Proposition 8 campaign asked a federal court to conceal the names of donors, saying the reports have led to the harassment of contributors.

The lawsuit cites a series of incidents in which those who gave money to support Proposition 8 received threatening phone calls, e-mails and postcards. One woman claims she was told: “If I had a gun, I would have gunned you down along with each and every other supporter.”

In a legal brief filed with the court, Brown says the court should deny the group’s request.
“Political democracy demands open debate, including prompt disclosure of the identities of campaign donors,” Brown said. “Backers of Proposition 8 should not be allowed to carve out a special privilege of anonymity for themselves alone.”

The brief, filed with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, contends that Proposition 8 supporters do not meet the criteria for the limited exemption to valid campaign disclosure laws - an exemption developed by the Supreme Court to protect the ability of historically persecuted minority parties to engage in political speech.

The brief notes that supporters of Proposition 8 are a well-financed association of individuals who raised nearly $30 million in support of a ballot measure that received 52.3 percent of the vote.

” There is no risk that disclosure of donors will harm their ability to organize or otherwise pursue their political views,” Brown said.

“Additionally, there is no justification to shield donors from post-election reporting requirements. Rather, these requirements help to prevent kickbacks, laundering, and other improper uses of campaign funds.”

Brown said that any instances of violence or harassment against donors “are deeply regrettable,” but California’s civil and criminal justice systems are the appropriate venues to seek relief from potentially illegal conduct.

California campaign finance disclosure laws result in more speech, not less, and the public’s interest is better served in this case by requiring disclosure from those supporters of Proposition 8 who donated $100 or more the brief said.

Gay Contestant Introduces Fiancé on Wheel of Fortune

Anti-gay Marriage Bill Introduced in Wyoming House

An anti-gay bill has been introduced in Wyoming's House.

"The gay marriage bill would let Wyoming voters decide whether to amend the state constitution to deny state recognition of same-sex marriages performed elsewhere...A similar gay-marriage bill has stalled in the Senate Education Committee. Rep. Owen Petersen, R-Lyman, is the main sponsor of the House bill. He declined comment on the bill, saying he will not discuss it until the bill hits the floor."

Colorado's Focus on the Family group has been lobbying Wyoming residents to support the Senate resolution, but one of its co-sponsors says it hasn't been brought to a committee vote yet because there isn't enough support to pass it.

Gay Marriage Isn't a Religious Institution? Tell It to These Churches

Over the weekend, a meeting of 700 Episcopalians at a Reston, Virginia, Hyatt hotel agreed that the diocese needed to take steps toward including gay and lesbian relationships into church doctrine, resolving that relationships ought to be "characterized by fidelity, monogamy, mutual affection and respect, careful, honest communication and the holy love which enables those in such relationships to see in each other the image of God."

Translation: The diocese is considering allowing gay and lesbian marriages.

One of the major arguments of anti-marriage equality folks is that it would force religious institutions to marry gays and lesbians.

Is It Time For A Gay Marriage Ballot Initiative in California?

Political consultant Chad Griffin told attendees at this weekend's Equality Summit in Los Angeles, "There is one thing worse than losing Prop. 8, and that would be losing again." But a growing chorus of California gays and lesbians disagree. Rick Jacobs and the Courage Campaign are leading the way on a 2010 ballot initative that would overturn Prop. 8. Jacobs said, "I don't think anybody knows when is the best time to go back. My philosophy is having it go every time, and eventually we will win." It's the first major decision the LGBT community has had to face in the wake of gay marriage being outlawed in the Golden State and all signs point to it being a divisive flash point.

Ted Haggard is going to be on Oprah!

It's every gay's dream and the biggest fake of us all gets to live it! First the crystal meth and hustlers, and now Oprah!?! This guy has it made!

Oprah's gonna be interviewing Pastor Ted and his wife on her show this week before HBO airs their documentary about him, THE TRIALS OF TED HAGGARD.

Last Great Moments in Presidential Speeches

Ted Haggard Masturbation Witness Speaks

A young man who formerly attended New Life Church says that then-pastor Ted Haggard performed a sex act in front of him in a hotel room in 2006 and sent him explicit text messages.
His hidden relationship with Haggard, the man said, was followed by a period of isolation, struggles with drinking, drugs and suicide attempts.

Those latest allegations against Haggard, once an influential national evangelical leader, were reported Monday night by KRDO-TV in Colorado Springs, which interviewed the man, now 25.
In a statement earlier Monday, Haggard apologized for his "inappropriate relationship" with the former church volunteer, but said it did not involve physical contact.

The newly disclosed relationship added a chapter to Haggard's dramatic fall, which began in November 2006 when a Denver male prostitute alleged a cash-for-sex relationship with Haggard.

Haggard confessed to undisclosed "sexual immorality" and resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals and pastor of New Life Church.

The latest revelations involve Grant Haas, who told the TV station that he met Haggard in 2005 when he was 22. He said he told Haggard that he had been kicked out of a Moody Bible Institute in Chicago for his "struggles with homosexuality."

"It seemed like at that moment his eyes lit up and his whole attitude towards me changed," he told KRDO. Reached by text message Monday, Haas agreed to be identified by The Associated Press. Haggard's statement also identified him.

[a bit of repeat...]

More gay sex accusations against Haggard

Disgraced evangelical leader Ted Haggard’s former church has disclosed that the gay sex scandal that caused his downfall extends to a young male church volunteer who reported having a sexual relationship with Haggard - a revelation that comes as Haggard tries to repair his public image.

Brady Boyd, who succeeded Haggard as senior pastor of the 10,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs, told The Associated Press that the man came forward to church officials in late 2006 shortly after a Denver male prostitute claimed to have had a three-year cash-for-sex relationship with Haggard.

Boyd said an “overwhelming pool of evidence” pointed to an “inappropriate, consensual sexual relationship” that “went on for a long period of time … it wasn’t a one-time act.” Boyd said the man was in his early 20s at the time. He said he was certain the man was of legal age when it began.

Reached Friday night, Haggard declined to comment and said all interviews would have to be arranged through a publicist for HBO, which is airing a documentary about him this month.
Boyd said the church reached a legal settlement to pay the man for counseling and college tuition, with one condition being that none of the parties involved discuss the matter publicly.

Boyd said a Colorado Springs TV station reached him Thursday to say the young man was planning to provide a detailed report of his relationship with Haggard to the station. Boyd said the church preferred to keep the matter private, but it was the man’s decision to go public.
The disclosure comes as Haggard, 52, is about to give a series of high-profile interviews to promote the cable documentary about his time in exile. He is scheduled to appear on CNN’s Larry King Live on Thursday, the date of the documentary’s premiere, and already has taped “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

In early 2007, New Life Church disclosed that an investigation uncovered new evidence that Haggard engaged in “sordid conversation” and “improper relationships” - but didn’t go into detail. Earlier, a church board member had said there was no evidence that Haggard had sexual relations with anyone but Mike Jones, the former male prostitute.

Haggard confessed to undisclosed “sexual immorality” after Jones’ allegations and resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals and from New Life Church, where he faced being fired.
Anticipating criticism of the settlement with the former church volunteer, Boyd said Friday that it was in the best interests of all involved. He would not name the volunteer or the settlement amount.

“It wasn’t at all a settlement to make him be quiet or not tell his story,” Boyd said. “Our desire was to help him. Here was a young man who wanted to get on with his life. We considered it more compassionate assistance - certainly not hush money. I know what’s what everyone will want to say because that’s the most salacious thing to say, but that’s not at all what it was.”
He said that “secondarily, it’s not great for our church either” that the story be told. Boyd said Haggard knew about the settlement two years ago.

In a letter e-mailed Friday to New Life Church members, Boyd said of the settlement and agreement not to talk: “This decision was made not as an attempt to conceal wrongdoings, but to protect him from those who would seek to exploit him. His actions now suggest that he has changed his mind.”

The letter said the church “received reports of a number of incidents of inappropriate behavior” after Haggard’s fall. “In each case, we have tried our very best to do the right thing each time, including disciplinary action when appropriate.”

Boyd said the “inappropriate behavior” referred to the man who was the volunteer involved with Haggard. After Haggard’s fall, another church staff member resigned after admitting to what was described as “sexual misconduct.”

Boyd said the church will not take action against the man if he tells his story in the press.
“We have legal standing to do that, but not the desire to,” he said.

Boyd said he had spoken to the man once and came away with the impression that he was speaking out because of the documentary. “I think what caused this young man to be a bit aggravated was Ted being seen as a victim, when he himself had experienced a great deal of hurt,” Boyd said. “I seriously doubt this man would have come forward if the documentary had not been made.”

A spokeswoman for the documentary, “The Trials of Ted Haggard,” declined to comment Friday.

David Clohessy, national director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests - which has largely focused on the Catholic sexual abuse scandal but also speaks out on cases involving Protestant clergy - said the new disclosures about Haggard are more disturbing because they involves a church volunteer.

“Technically, legally, they were both adults,” Clohessy said. “Psychologically and emotionally, Haggard was dramatically more powerful. … By definition, any sexual contact between a congregant and minister is inherently abusive and manipulative.”

In an AP interview this month before an appearance in front of TV critics in California, Haggard described his sexuality as complex and something that can’t be put into “stereotypical boxes.”

More details emerge about Haggard’s second gay tryst

A young man who formerly attended New Life Church says that then-pastor Ted Haggard performed a sex act in front of him in a hotel room in 2006 and sent him explicit text messages.

His hidden relationship with Haggard, the man said, was followed by a period of isolation, struggles with drinking, drugs and suicide attempts.

Those latest allegations against Haggard, once an influential national evangelical leader, were reported Monday night by KRDO-TV in Colorado Springs, which interviewed the man, now 25.
In a statement earlier Monday, Haggard apologized for his “inappropriate relationship” with the former church volunteer, but said it did not involve physical contact.

The newly disclosed relationship added a chapter to Haggard’s dramatic fall, which began in November 2006 when a Denver male prostitute alleged a cash-for-sex relationship with Haggard.

Haggard confessed to undisclosed “sexual immorality” and resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals and pastor of New Life Church.

The latest revelations involve Grant Haas, who told the TV station that he met Haggard in 2005 when he was 22. He said he told Haggard that he had been kicked out of a Moody Bible Institute in Chicago for his “struggles with homosexuality.”

“It seemed like at that moment his eyes lit up and his whole attitude towards me changed,” he told KRDO. Reached by text message Monday, Haas agreed to be identified by The Associated Press. Haggard’s statement also identified him.

“I’m like, ‘This must be God,’” said Haas, who described wanting to be a pastor himself. “Why would this big guy, this big evangelical leader, be taking such an interest in me?”

Haas told KRDO that one night in Cripple Creek, a casino town west of Colorado Springs, Haggard “asked me if we were going to be godly or bad that night.” He said he told Haggard that he wanted him just to be his friend and pastor - but Haggard masturbated in front of him.
Haas also said Haggard at certain times sent him between 1,000 and 2,000 text message a month, some describing his sexual experiences and drug use from the road.

After the Haggard scandal in November 2006, Haas said he contacted the church immediately.
The church has said it struck a legal settlement with the man - it has not named Haas - in 2007 that paid him for college tuition and counseling as long as he did not speak publicly about the relationship. Brady Boyd, Haggard’s successor as pastor at New Life, called it “compassionate assistance - certainly not hush money.”

According to documents Haas provided KRDO, he is to be paid $179,000 through 2009. Haas claimed the church didn’t follow through on promises to pay for counseling and medical treatment.

“Their main focus was, you know, cover it up, don’t say anything,” he said. “You’ll regret it if you come forward.”

Haggard, in his statement Monday, said he met with Haas two years ago - after the first allegations came to light - and asked him “forgiveness for our inappropriate relationship.” Haggard’s wife and a representative of New Life Church attended the meeting, Haggard said.
Boyd disclosed details of the relationship on Friday. He said then that evidence pointed to a long-running “inappropriate, consensual sexual relationship.” On Monday, Boyd clarified that “sexual” didn’t necessarily mean physical contact.

“Our hearts go out to everyone hurt by the inappropriate actions that took place under former Pastor Ted Haggard,” Boyd said in a statement.

Boyd also suggested that the man would not have come forward if an HBO documentary on Haggard were not airing this week. On Sunday, Boyd told his congregation, “I’m sorry that this wound has been reopened for many of you.”

Alexandra Pelosi, director of the HBO documentary, said Monday she was sorry if that was the case.

“But this is what happens when you don’t handle things properly at the time,” said Pelosi, a daughter of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. “If the church had been 100 percent full disclosure at the time, maybe this wouldn’t be a problem now.”

Haas maintains a Web site on which he acknowledges that many people are visiting the site to learn about his experiences with Haggard. On the site, Haas identifies himself as a recent graduate from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

His resume says he was an intern at New Life Church in 2005 - the church described him as a volunteer - and currently works as an investment company as a retail account manager.
“As far as my personality, I’m a fun outgoing guy with a great sense of humor,” he says on the site. “I don’t take myself too seriously and have learned from my past experiences to laugh and enjoy life.”

Haggard, 52, is married with five children.

Schwarzenegger Asks Obama For More Auto Emissions Rules

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger isn't waiting to press the Obama administration on one of California's top priorities _ regulating greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles.

The Republican governor sent a letter to the new Democratic president on Wednesday, asking him to give California and other states permission to implement tough tailpipe-emission standards.

"Your administration has a unique opportunity to both support the pioneering leadership of these states and move America toward global leadership on addressing climate change," Schwarzenegger wrote.

He wants the Environmental Protection Agency to reverse a 2007 conclusion by the Bush administration that states do not have authority to impose greenhouse gas standards for new cars, pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. The Bush administration argued that such goals can be met only by regulating fuel-efficiency standards, which falls under the authority of the federal government.

Obama has vowed to revisit the decision, a promise echoed last week by his nominee for EPA administrator. Lisa Jackson awaits Senate confirmation.

The EPA referred a call Wednesday to Obama's transition team, which declined comment.
It's unclear how long it might take the new administration to review the matter. In a separate letter to Jackson, California's top air pollution official said the agency could fast-track a public rule-making process that often can take up to a year.

Air Resources Board chairwoman Mary Nichols wrote that the EPA already has an "ample record" to help it reconsider the Bush administration decision.

California is seeking a waiver from the federal Clean Air Act that would allow it to impose stiffer air pollution standards than the federal government. It first asked for a waiver in 2005 to implement a 2002 state law intended to cut vehicles' greenhouse gas emissions.

The law, which was supposed to take effect this year, requires automakers to cut emissions by nearly a third by 2016. Thirteen other states have passed similar laws, while three more are considering California's standards, according to the California air board. Federal law allows states to choose between federal and California clean-air rules.

The Bush administration's ruling marked the first time the EPA fully denied California a waiver under the Clean Air Act since Congress gave the state the right to obtain such waivers in 1967.
Democrats in Congress accused the administration of political meddling after reports indicated staff scientists at the EPA supported giving California a waiver.

The auto regulations are a key part of California's strategy to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions. The state is the world's 12th largest producer of the emissions, which are blamed for contributing to global climate change.

New Ted Haggard Scandal Erupts; Sex with Male Church Volunteer

NEW LIFE CHURCH INVOLVED IN COVER-UP?

New acccusations have surfaced against Pastor Ted Haggard from a New Life Church volunteer who says he had sexual relations with Haggard, some of them non-consensual.

KRDO, which is set to air the interview with the volunteer, played a tape-recorded clip for viewers: "Sometime, somewhere, some reporter will ultimately get to me and they'll say what about BLEEP? And I will say what BLEEP said was true."

The BLEEPs, the station says, were in place to protect the identity of the volunteer.

KRDO reports: "A member of New Life Church tells NEWSCHANNEL 13 that Haggard took advantage of him sexually one night. The man, in his early 20's, claims he was paid a large sum of money by New Life Church to keep the abuse quiet. Under an agreement with the church he was not supposed to speak of the allegations with anyone outside the church. If he did, he would violate the agreement and would forfeit the money and could be sued by the church."

New Life Church's new pastor, Brady Boyd, claims that the settlement was not "hush money" but was intended to assist the volunteer with counseling and college tuition:
"Boyd said the church reached a legal settlement to pay the man for counseling and college tuition, with one condition being that none of the parties involved discuss the matter publicly. Boyd said a Colorado Springs TV station reached him Thursday to say the young man was planning to provide a detailed report of his relationship with Haggard to the station. Boyd said the church preferred to keep the matter private, but it was the man's decision to go public. Anticipating criticism of the settlement with the former church volunteer, Boyd said Friday that it was in the best interests of all involved. He would not name the volunteer or the settlement amount. 'It wasn't at all a settlement to make him be quiet or not tell his story,' Boyd said. 'Our desire was to help him. Here was a young man who wanted to get on with his life. We considered it more compassionate assistance — certainly not hush money. I know what's what everyone will want to say because that's the most salacious thing to say, but that's not at all what it was.' He said that 'secondarily, it's not great for our church either' that the story be told. Boyd said Haggard knew about the settlement two years ago.

Boyd emailed a letter Friday to New Life Church members, saying: "This decision was made not as an attempt to conceal wrongdoings, but to protect him from those who would seek to exploit him. His actions now suggest that he has changed his mind. [The church] received reports of a number of incidents of inappropriate behavior [after Haggard's fall]. In each case, we have tried our very best to do the right thing each time, including disciplinary action when appropriate."
Boyd said he thought the reason the volunteer was coming forward was that because of the documentary Haggard was being seen as a victim, and that the church has no plans to take legal action against the young man.

Haggard is set to appear on Larry King Live on Thursday.

Conservatives turn to gay adoption

Civilian soldiers expect the fight over gay adoption in Florida to continue another three years, while a legal fight over adoption rights in Arkansas is just getting under way.

Meanwhile, activists are watching legislative calendars in the event battles over gays adopting children ignites in other states this year.

They wonder: Will a recent victory for gays seeking to adopt in Florida deter an escalation of the fight on the part of conservatives? Or will a recent victory for conservatives seeking to prevent gays from adopting inspire more skirmishes?

“It’s really hard to tell; it’s so early,” said Paul Cates, director of public education for the American Civil Liberties Union’s LGBT Project. “Most state legislatures are just going back into session.”

“Oftentimes,” said Jennifer Chrisler, executive director of the Family Equality Council headquartered in Boston, “politicians propose these anti-family pieces of legislation just before the filing deadlines to avoid public scrutiny — a classic example of playing politics with people’s lives.”

Based on her best “educated guess,” Chrisler suggested watching Midwestern and Southern states, especially South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee.

AIDS Hero Martin Delaney Dies in California

Martin Delaney, the founder and longtime director of the HIV advocacy and education organization Project Inform, and long-time contributor to The Advocate, died Friday of liver cancer at his home in San Rafael, Calif. He was 63.

In 1985, Delaney founded Project Inform, a national HIV treatment and public policy information and advocacy organization based in San Francisco, serving as its director until 2008. Delaney was involved in the development of today's widely used Accelerated Approval regulations and the Parallel Track system for providing experimental drugs to seriously ill people prior to formal Food and Drug Administration approval.

Delaney recently received the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director's Special Recognition Award for his achievements in the field of AIDS. Upon receiving the award, NIAID director Anthony S. Fauci, MD, released the following statement: “Millions of people are now receiving life-saving antiretroviral medications from a treatment pipeline that Marty Delaney played a key role in opening and expanding. Without his tireless work and vision, many more people would have perished from HIV/AIDS. He is a formidable activist and a dear friend. It is without hyperbole that I call Marty Delaney a public health hero.”

In a statement, Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese said, “Martin Delaney was one of the pioneers of AIDS activism. While not HIV-positive himself, Delaney dedicated much of his life to shaping our nation’s public policy on HIV/AIDS legislation and worked on the local level to promote education and a greater understanding of HIV/AIDS issues. He worked with the drive and hope to one day find a cure for HIV/AIDS, and while it did not happen in his lifetime, we’ll continue the important work of lobbying Congress for additional HIV/AIDS funding to find a cure.”

Risks weighed in taking Prop 8 to 2010 vote

Gay rights activists are weighing the wisdom of rushing in front of voters a repeal of the state ballot measure that banned gay marriage.

While two initiatives seeking to undo Proposition 8 - the voter-approved measure - already have been submitted to the Secretary of State, pro-gay marriage leaders say 2010 may be too soon to bring the issue back before voters.

“There is one thing worse than losing Prop. 8, and that would be losing again,” said Chad Griffin, a Los Angeles political consultant who organized Hollywood’s opposition to the ban. He was speaking to about 400 activists who gathered for a statewide planning summit on Saturday.

Although several legal challenges are pending before the California Supreme Court, the option of another ballot fight has been discussed as a backup strategy since Proposition 8 passed with 52 percent of the vote on Nov. 4. The court could render a decision as early as June.

If the Supreme Court upholds the measure, that would leave same-sex marriage supporters with a viable, but very tight window in which to prepare and pull off a November 2010 rematch, said John Henning, executive director of the gay marriage group Love Honor Cherish.

“The deadline for us to be gathering signatures for a November ballot initiative would actually be this fall,” Henning said. “We have to raise money, we have to train people how to gather these signatures and we have to get 10,000 people out doing something they may not be comfortable doing.”

One of the initiatives submitted to the state for approval this month, launched by a gay rights group in Davis, would repeal Proposition 8 outright. The second, initiated by two Los Angeles residents, would eliminate marriage as a state-sanctioned institution and replace it with domestic partnerships for couples gay and straight.

Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said she understands the urgency gay marriage supporters feel. But ultimately, a decision on timing would have to be based on “what makes the most strategic and political sense” and “a full appreciation of the enormity of such an undertaking,” she said.

Apart from the practical mechanics, another factor to consider is whether it would be possible to raise enough money for a serious campaign in a poor economy, Kendell said. Spending for and against Proposition 8 exceeded $75 million, making it the most expensive ballot fight on a social issue in the nation’s history.

David Binder, a San Francisco pollster who conducted a postelection analysis of why voters supported Proposition 8, said aiming for November 2010 has several advantages for same-sex marriage supporters.

For one, the disappointing outcome of the Proposition 8 fight has energized a lot of gay marriage supporters and the momentum could be lost by waiting two more years, Binder said. Also, California voters will be going to the polls next year to elect a new governor to replace Arnold Schwarzenegger, so turnout is likely to be high.

On the downside, passage of the measure, which marked the first time that voters were asked to take away marriage from gay couples who could legally wed, indicates that large numbers of voters remain firmly opposed to same-sex marriage. There may not be time to move enough of them to change their minds in 21 months, Binder said.

“There is significant groundwork that needs to be done, and I don’t know if it can be done that quickly,” he said. “You want to strike while the iron is hot, but moving too quickly and then losing would have an extremely damaging effect.”

Despite the message of caution, several groups already have started raising money and organizing supporters with an eye toward next year. The Courage Campaign, an online political advocacy group, held a training camp for gay marriage activists on Sunday modeled after the grass roots organizing method President Barack Obama used early in his campaign for the White House.

“I don’t think anybody knows when is the best time to go back,” Courage Campaign chairman Rick Jacobs said. “My philosophy is having it go every time, and eventually we will win.”

"Snow" in Los Angeles

We woke up to a little bit of the white stuff in Los Angeles this morning.

Yes, that is a grapefruit on the grass in the snow.

The tomato plants we bought last weekend. And, below, the sweet onions I planted in the garden on Saturday morning.

Okay, so it is actually "hail" and not "snow." But in Los Angeles - close enough. It got cold last night, but will be in the high-70's in a couple of days.

Milk Gets 8 Oscar Nominations

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences drinks your Milkshake all up as it announced eight nominations today for the Harvey Milk biopic, making it a heavyweight contender to actually win an award, which we'll find out next month.

And the categories are (insert drum roll here)
Best Motion Picture of the Year
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role – Sean Penn
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role – Josh Brolin
Achievement in Directing – Gus Van Sant
Best Original Screenplay – Dustin Lance Black
Achievement in Costume Design– Danny Glicker
Achievement in Film Editing – Elliot Graham
Best Orignal Score – Danny Elfman

With Brolin getting a nomination, you have to wonder if Tom Cruise is kicking himself for turning down the role of homophobic City Supervisor Dan White.

Director Gus Van Sant's original plan was for Cruise to play the role:
"I thought if I connected those two guys (Cruise and Penn) at the time I could go into the studio and say, "Look, I have these two guys' and they would do it. There was always the problem with the gay community aspect of the film so they needed a reason to overcome that fear that they had of making a film that wasn't going to have a very big return money wise, so that was my plan."

Sweden Closes in on Same-Sex Marriage

Sweden's parliament is considering a proposal stating that “a person’s gender will no longer have any bearing on whether they can marry.” The proposal would render current marriage and partnership laws gender-neutral, allowing gays the option to wed in the Lutheran Church. The proposal also states that pastors who do not want to perform a same-sex wedding have the right to refuse.

Currently, same-sex couples are allowed to register only their “partnerships” in a civil ceremony, a union that gives gays and lesbians the same status as married couples, an option granted in Sweden in 1995.

The highly favored proposal is expected to pass, though no official date has been set for a vote.

Sweden was also the first country to allow same-sex couples the right to adopt children, in 1995.

Happy Lunar New Year

Pot growers thrive in Northern California

Cash crop now accounts for two-thirds of Mendocino County economy

Two hours from San Francisco, Northern California’s Mendocino County is a world away from the urban bustle. At first glance, it’s a picture postcard of the far West. But beneath its beauty lies a controversial, profitable and increasingly violent criminal enterprise.

The marijuana trade is an exploding underground industry. Marijuana is being grown in homes, backyards, even in our national parks.

Since the 1960s, the so-called Emerald Triangle — Northern California's Mendocino, Humboldt and Trinity counties — has increasingly become the haven for people looking to make a living growing marijuana.

“This is ground zero for marijuana. Nobody produces any better marijuana than we do right here,” said Dan Offield, a helicopter pilot and agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, as he examines the area from a bird’s-eye view.

Perhaps no one knows that better than Ukiah Morrison, a Mendocino pot grower. In most places, he would be considered an outlaw, but not in this neck of the woods.

“This is as natural as growing corn to me,” he said. “This is the lifeblood of the county. And it has been for more than 30 years.”

Morrison walks a fine line. He grows as much marijuana as he can without triggering a legal crackdown. He can do that because authorities here are overwhelmed by the sheer number of growers. They’re also hampered by conflicting state, federal and county laws governing marijuana.

Marijuana is the major cash crop here. A county-commissioned study reports pot accounts for up to two-thirds of the local economy.

“I don’t think there’s anything more important in this economy. To take this out would be a major blow,” said Morrison.

Though reliable numbers are hard to come by, marijuana growers in Mendocino County generate an estimated $1 billion a year. That makes the area home to a sizable chunk of a national market for marijuana believed to be in the tens of billions of dollars.

Mendocino local Eric Sligh took CNBC on a tour of one backyard garden.

“These marijuana plants in Mendocino County can sometimes reach 14, 15, 20 feet,” he said. A plant that yields about two pounds would be worth about $5,000, said Sligh; his crop of 20 plants is potentially worth $100,000.

Sligh’s expertise in marijuana led him to publish Grow, a magazine that represents just how far the marijuana business has come. His magazine displays photos that provide an extraordinary glimpse into a drug-based economy.

In L.A., A Weekend of Dueling Marriage Equality Meetings

While neither group is framing it as a competition, two different marriage equality meetings in Los Angeles this weekend are a study in contrasts. On Saturday, at the L.A. Convention Center, the Equality Summit sponsored by Equality California, will host a broad range of talks and plenary sessions with gay and lesbian leaders from both mainstream and grassroots groups. On Sunday, Rick Jacobs and the Courage Campaign (which has been critical of Equality California's Geoff Kors) will hold the first southland version of its "Camp Courage", designed to train marriage equality advocates with the tools of grassroots organizing. Cleve Jones will be in attendance.

At Long Last, We Know Who Was on the No on 8 Executive Committee

You'd think that in their bid to remain viable members of the next generation of California marriage quality advocates, the members of the Executive Committee for the failed No on 8 campaign would demonstrate some transparency, but it took a public records request filing with California Secretary of State Debra Bowen by SF-activist Michael Petrelis to get the names of the committee finally released. Bowen walked Petrelis through "maze of filings" to finally shed some light on just who was behind No on 8.

Here's the full list of principal officers:
Geoff Kors, executive director, Equality California;
Lorri Jean, chief executive officer, Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center;
Kate Kendell, executive director, National Center for Lesbian Rights;
Michael Fleming, executive director, David Bohnett Foundation;
Marty Rouse, national field director, Human Rights Campaign;
Heather Carrigan, ACLU of Southern California;
Oscar De La O, Beinestar Human Services in Los Angeles;
Sue Dunlop, Los Angeles;
Maya Harris, ACLU of Northern California;
Don Howes, Los Angeles;
Dennis Herrera, City Attorney of San Francisco;
Dr. Delores Jacobs, chief executive officer, San Diego LGBT Community Center;
Joyce Newstadt, San Francisco;
Tawal Panyacosit, director, Asian and Pacific Islander Equality in San Francisco;
Rashid Robinson, Los Angeles;
Kevin Tilden, communications/political consultant, San Diego;
and "No on 8" treasurer, Steve Mele, founder of ML Associates in West Hollywood.

It is beyond comprehension why these names were not disclosed by the No on 8 campaign earlier and we can't help but thinking that if the Executive Committee is unwilling to share even the most basic facts about their campaign, they will never fully account for or agree to an independent analysis of why the campaign failed.

This weekend, Equality California will host an Equality Summit in Los Angeles, which is open to all marriage equality advocates both old and new who registered. After much wrangling, Queerty and other members of the press have ensured that the event will be fully open to the press.

Equality Matters: The First Online March for Equality

Get To Know Us First

Supreme Court Strikes Down Internet Porn Law

The U.S. Supreme Court has let stand a decision that a federal law created to keep children away from Internet pornography violates free speech rights.

The Supreme Court rejected an appeal from the Justice Department, handing the victory over to those who argued that Congress’s efforts to regulate cyberspace violated free speech rights.

The law required that website operators use credit card numbers and access codes to keep children away from seeing adult content. Violators faced up to six months in prison and fines up to $50,000 per day.

The law was adopted in 1998 when the Supreme Court struck down another law called the Communications Decency Act. It has never been enforced because lower courts have repeatedly ruled it unconstitutional.

The Justice Department appealed to the Supreme Court after a U.S. appeals court in Philadelphia declared the law unconstitutional for being overly broad and too vague.

In enforced, the law would have punished as many as 700 million websites. The law was challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union and a number of gay adult booksellers and online properties, including A Different Light Bookstores and PlanetOut Corp.

Focus on the Family in Anti-Gay Attack on Wyoming Constitution

James Dobson's Colorado Springs-based group has begun a telephone lobbying campaign in support of Senate Joint Resolution 2, which would allow Wyoming voters to decide whether the state should recognize same-sex marriages from out of state:

"Wyoming already has a law in place that says only marriages between a man and a woman may be conducted in the state. However, the state is bound to recognize marriages performed in other states, some of which allow same-sex marriages and civil unions. 'Those phone calls are part of an effort to encourage and enable Wyomingites who care deeply about protecting marriage to contact their legislators,' said Sonja Swiatkiewicz, director of issues response for Focus on the Family Action. Swiatkiewicz said the calls began on Friday. She declined to disclose the cost of the effort or how many calls the group were being made. She said her group has worked for the past several years to pass amendments in other states defining marriage as existing only between men and women...The group's calls have been targeting voters in districts represented by some members of the Senate Education Committee. The resolution has been assigned to the committee but has yet to come up for a vote. Sen. Curt Meier, R-LaGrange, is one of the sponsors of the resolution. He said Tuesday that it hasn't been scheduled for a committee vote because there isn't enough support there to pass it."

Said Equality Wyoming spokesman Bob Spencer: "I really don't like to see an out-of-state group getting involved. I just don't think it's necessary. I feel like the Focus on the Family has just moved into the state and wants to see this happen, and I hate to see us go in that direction. I think that equality is important for all people."

Equality Matters: The First Online March for Equality

California: No Exceptions to Equality

Amicus Brief Opposes Writing Discrimination Into California Constitution

Equality is a basic value underlying human rights standards and cannot be retracted at the whim of a simple majority, Human Rights Watch said in an amicus brief submitted to the California Supreme Court. Human Rights Watch called on the court to overturn Proposition 8, a referendum narrowly passed last November that withdrew the right to marry from lesbian and gay couples.

“The principle of equality is a bedrock foundation of respect for basic human rights,” said Scott Long, director of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights program at Human Rights Watch. “California should respect the values enshrined in its constitution and in international human rights law and continue to ensure that all Californians are entitled to equal protection of the laws.”

The amicus brief was filed by Human Rights Watch and its California North and California South Committees – networks of volunteer human rights advocates who support and further the organization’s work in California.

In May 2008, California’s Supreme Court ruled that the state’s constitution did not permit discrimination in the enjoyment of the right to marry. “Our state now recognizes that an individual’s capacity to establish a loving and long-term committed relationship with another person and responsibly to care for and raise children does not depend upon the individual’s sexual orientation,” Chief Justice Ronald M. George wrote for the majority. “An individual’s sexual orientation – like a person's race or gender – does not constitute a legitimate basis upon which to deny or withhold legal rights.”

More than 18,000 lesbian and gay couples married in California in the following months. However, opponents began a hard-fought campaign to overturn the decision at the ballot box. Proposition 8 passed by a narrow margin in November 2008. It ended equal access to marriage for same-sex couples. The proposition also puts those thousands of existing marriages at risk, and its supporters have petitioned the Supreme Court to declare them invalid.

California’s constitution requires that any measure attempting to revise the underlying principles of the constitution, rather than simply amend it, must first be approved by a two-thirds vote of the legislature before being submitted to the voters. The case now before the Supreme Court argues that Proposition 8 would change basic principles of equality, and is a revision rather than a simple amendment.

The Human Rights Watch brief, filed on January 15, cites the overriding importance of equal protection and nondiscrimination in international human rights law. It points to the example of seven countries that have understood the principle of equality to require equal access to marriage for same-sex couples. Those countries are the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Nepal, and Norway.

“What happens in California will have resonance far beyond the state’s borders,” said Sid Sheinberg, co-chair of Human Rights Watch’s California Committee South and vice-chair of the organization’s international board of directors. “It is important for the court to look to international examples, and for California to continue to show leadership in protecting all people’s rights to equal dignity and respect.”

“When I go home tonight and I look into the mirror, I'm not going to regret what I see.”

GEORGE W. BUSH, speaking to a crowd of supporters in Midland, Texas, following President Obama's Inauguration

[Is he the only one that doesn’t get it?]

Los Angeles ABC Station Banned Gay Family Ads During Obama Inauguration

In every California country where Prop 8 passed by more than 50 percent, residents might be seeing one of five different ads GetToKnowUsFirst.org is running. Part of a campaign to tell everyone, "Hey, gays are normal!," the ads intend "to capture the hearts and minds of people who do not understand why marriage is so important to us"; they show gay couples and their kids acting, well, like regular families, which they are. But locals who decided to watch Barack Obama's inauguration yesterday on the television network KABC — an owned-and-operated Disney-run ABC station, and not a regular affiliate — wouldn't have seen any of those ads, because the network refused them. "Too controversial," they insisted.

SoCal Home Prices Drop Nearly 35 Percent

The median home price in Southern California dropped nearly 35 percent in December from a year ago, according to a recently published report.

The San Diego real estate tracking firm MDA DataQuick said the median home price in a six-county region of Southern California was $278,000 last month, compared to $425,000 in December 2007. The median price for the area peaked at $505,000 in mid-2007.

As a tarnished silver lining, home sales rose steadily as buyers snapped up low-cost foreclosures, causing the bottom dwelling dealmakers to account for 55.7 percent of December's sales in Southern California.

The firm also reported new home sales plummeted and were the lowest on record for the month of December since 1988. A total of 1,813 new homes were sold last month, well below the December average of 4,926.

Changefest '09 - Obama's Inauguration

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Changefest '09 - Obama's Inauguration

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Bishop Gene Robinson
With Barack Obama's inauguration, Gene Robinson has hope that a gay person can become president in the future.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Bishop Gene Robinson

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Equality Matters: The First Online March for Equality

Major Trials Begin on 'HIV Pill'

PreP, a new drug which temporarily boosts immunity to people who've been exposed to the HIV retrovirus is beginning a massive human clinical trial on three separate continents, but also causing medical professionals to question whether such a pill could actually cause more HIV infections if found effective. Doctors are concerned that users of the pill may stop using condoms and other protective measures if the pill was made available on a mass scale.

It's Okay to Discriminate Against LGBT Citizens Again in Kalamazoo

An anti-discrimination law passed late last year has been rescinded by a City Commission in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

"The commission voted Dec. 1 to make it a civil offense in the city of 7,200 [note: pop. a typo - it's around 77,000] to discriminate in housing, public accommodations or employment based on sexual orientation or being transgender. The American Family Association of Michigan submitted petitions with about 1,600 signatures seeking the law's repeal. If officials found at least 1,273 signatures valid, the commission would have had to rescind the law or put it on the ballot. The commission voted 7-0 Monday night to rescind it."

WHITE HOUSE SITE UPDATED WITH LENGTHY LIST OF COMMITMENTS TO LGBT RIGHTS

Within seconds of President Obama's swearing in, the official home page of the White House was updated with a lengthy list of commitments to further LGBT rights.
Support for the LGBT Community

"While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect."
-- Barack Obama, June 1, 2007

Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: In 2004, crimes against LGBT Americans constituted the third-highest category of hate crime reported and made up more than 15 percent of such crimes. President Obama cosponsored legislation that would expand federal jurisdiction to include violent hate crimes perpetrated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical disability. As a state senator, President Obama passed tough legislation that made hate crimes and conspiracy to commit them against the law.
Fight Workplace Discrimination: President Obama supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and believes that our anti-discrimination employment laws should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. While an increasing number of employers have extended benefits to their employees' domestic partners, discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace occurs with no federal legal remedy. The President also sponsored legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples: President Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples. Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions. These rights and benefits include the right to assist a loved one in times of emergency, the right to equal health insurance and other employment benefits, and property rights. [We still have to work a little bit on him with this one.]
Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage: President Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006 which would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman and prevented judicial extension of marriage-like rights to same-sex or other unmarried couples.
Repeal Don't Ask-Don't Tell: President Obama agrees with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili and other military experts that we need to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The key test for military service should be patriotism, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve. Discrimination should be prohibited. The U.S. government has spent millions of dollars replacing troops kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation. Additionally, more than 300 language experts have been fired under this policy, including more than 50 who are fluent in Arabic. The President will work with military leaders to repeal the current policy and ensure it helps accomplish our national defense goals.
Expand Adoption Rights: President Obama believes that we must ensure adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation. He thinks that a child will benefit from a healthy and loving home, whether the parents are gay or not.
Promote AIDS Prevention: In the first year of his presidency, President Obama will develop and begin to implement a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strategy that includes all federal agencies. The strategy will be designed to reduce HIV infections, increase access to care and reduce HIV-related health disparities. The President will support common sense approaches including age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception, combating infection within our prison population through education and contraception, and distributing contraceptives through our public health system. The President also supports lifting the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users. President Obama has also been willing to confront the stigma -- too often tied to homophobia -- that continues to surround HIV/AIDS.
Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS: In the United States, the percentage of women diagnosed with AIDS has quadrupled over the last 20 years. Today, women account for more than one quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. President Obama introduced the Microbicide Development Act, which will accelerate the development of products that empower women in the battle against AIDS. Microbicides are a class of products currently under development that women apply topically to prevent transmission of HIV and other infections.