John McCain Says That DADT "Is Working"

Just days before the Pentagon releases its survey on "don't ask, don't tell," John McCain took to CNN's "State of the Union" with Candy Crowly today to once again speak in favor of the policy.

CNN's Political Tracker blog reports on his appearance on the show: "The military is at its highest point in recruitment, in retention, in professionalism, in capability so to somehow allege that this policy has been damaging the military is simply false."

"Instead, McCain called the attempt at repeal 'a political promise made by an inexperienced president or candidate for president of the United States. I want to know the effect on battle effectiveness and morale, not on how best to implement the change in policy. I don't think that's a lot to ask when we have our young men and women out there serving and fighting and tragically some of them dying.'"

He defended the policy further: "It’s called ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ Okay? If you don’t ask somebody and they don’t tell and it’s an all volunteer force. [...] The fact is, this was a political promise made by an inexperienced President or candidate for Presidency of the United States...The fact is, that this system is working and I believe we need to assess the effect on the morale and battle effectiveness of those people, those young Marines and Army people I met.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham also defended DADT today while speaking to Chris Wallace on FOX News. He spit out the same exact talking points as McCain: "This is a political promise made by Senator Obama when he was running for president. There is no groundswell of opposition to Don't Ask, Don't Tell coming from our military. This is all politics. I don't believe there is anywhere near the votes to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell. On the Republican side, I think we will be united in the lame duck [session] and the study I would be looking for is asking military members: Should it be repealed, not how to implement it once you as a politician decide to repeal it. So I think in a lame duck setting Don't Ask, Don't Tell is not going anywhere."

Michigan Newspaper Runs Anti-Gay Ad

You may remember that, several months ago, Family Research Council and Request Foods took out a full-page ad in Michigan's Holland Sentinel. The ad was a list of lies about gays and lesbians. Looks like another homophobic ad has made its way onto the pages of the newspaper.

The half-page ad features a picture of two men in a casual embrace along with anti-gay biblical quotes and the phrase “How sad when God’s original design is twisted.” It was put together and paid for by a Pastor named Earl Shetler, who also runs a tree removal service in Saugatuck, Michigan, a popular gay and lesbain resort town.

Anglican conservatives reject global unity plan

Leaders of conservative Anglicans on Wednesday rejected a proposed covenant to hold their global communion together just as the Church of England gave preliminary approval to the plan.

The covenant, backed by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, is intended to contain deep splits within the Anglican Communion over sexuality, the role of women and the authority of the Bible. The communion represents churches affiliated with the Church of England in more than 160 countries.

The Church of England’s governing General Synod voted Wednesday to approve draft legislation that could lead to a final vote in 2012. The covenant will now be referred to dioceses for consideration.

The traditionalists dismissed the covenant as “fatally flawed,” but the plan also has been attacked by liberals within the church.

“While we acknowledge that the efforts to heal our brokenness through the introduction of an Anglican Covenant were well intentioned, we have come to the conclusion the current text is fatally flawed and so support for this initiative is no longer appropriate,” said the statement from leaders of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans and the GAFCON movement.

The statement was endorsed by archbishops from West Africa, Rwanda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Australia and Anglican Church of North America, a breakaway group from the Episcopal Church.

The Episcopal Church caused a major rift by elevating a gay man, V. Gene Robinson, to be bishop of New Hampshire state in 2003. It has since consecrated a lesbian, Mary Glasspool, as assistant bishop of Los Angeles, defying Williams’ call for both sides to refrain from provocative moves.

The draft covenant, more than 5,000 words long and seven years in the making, would commit national churches “to act with diligence, care and caution in respect of any action which may provoke controversy.”

Disagreements would be referred to a panel of Anglican leaders, which could declare a proposed action to be incompatible with the covenant. National churches would be free to withdraw from the covenant at any time.

The covenant does not take a position on gay clergy or any other of the current issues dividing the communion except, perhaps, the case of traditionalist bishops exercising authority outside their territory, such as the African bishops who are supervising U.S. congregations.

Covenant signers would pledge to “respect the constitutional autonomy of all of the churches of the Anglican Communion.”

In the Church of England’s debate, Bishop John Saxbee of Lincoln said he feared the covenant would single out some Anglicans to “stand in the corner until they have seen the error of their ways and return to the ranks of the pure and spotless.”

Bishop Michael Perham of Gloucester also had reservations, but said he was voting in favor partly out of loyalty to Williams.

Speaking Tuesday at the opening of the Church of England General Synod, Williams said the covenant “offers the possibility of a voluntary promise to consult.” He said it recognizes that disagreement may continue and cause ruptures in the communion.

“Now the risk and reality of such rupture is already there, make no mistake. The question is whether we are able to make an intelligent decision about how we deal with it,” Williams said.

Liberals in the Church of England fear the covenant would restrict the freedom of the national church. “It would … make the Church of England subject to an outside power for the first time since Henry VIII,” said a statement by one liberal group, Inclusive Church.

The Church of England itself is divided by the issues that trouble the communion. Moves to allow women to serve as bishops, and continuing pressure to accept openly gay bishops, have already caused some bishops to declare that they will leave to join the new “ordinariate” created by Pope Benedict XVI to accommodate Anglicans within the Roman Catholic Church.

Kenya Prime Minister: Arrest All Gays

Prime Minister Raila Odinga of Kenya called for gay men and lesbians to be arrested in a speech on Sunday.

According to the BBC, the comments were believed to be the first such threat from Odinga. Gay rights activist David Kuria called the remarks surprising given that Odinga is popular and, unlike leaders in neighboring Uganda, had no obvious reason to use gay people for political leverage.

Odinga made the comments in a speech to his constituency in the Nairobi slum of Kibera, the BBC reports.

“We will not tolerate such behaviours in the country,” he said. “The constitution is very clear on this issue and men or women found engaging in homosexuality will not be spared.”

Odinga denied reports that the new Kenya constitution allows same-sex marriages.

Earlier this year, five people were arrested in Mombasa following reports that they tried to organize a wedding for a same-sex couple.

Sarah Palin on Willow’s Antigay Rant

Sarah Palin suggests to Sean Hannity that she thinks it was no big deal her daughter Willow called a young man a "fa**ot" during a recent Facebook exchange.

Appearing on Sean Hannity's show (on the network where Palin is a paid contributor), the ex-governor and reality television star lays out the defense of her daughter: she is the real bullying victim!

"People probably think that my greatest frustration is the lies that are told in the tabloids and on hateful blogs full of anonymous sources about my family," says Palin, "and there are constant everyday lies that we have to read that are out there in the public. But my family and I…thick skin…we can take it, you know…we can take what the haters say despite the fact that there’s injustice in the situation. I mean, look at the other day. Willow, finally, my 16 year old, she had had it up to here with somebody saying very, very hateful things about the family and saying mean things about her little brother Trig, and Willow finally responded and she used a bad word when she responded in defense of her family. And her response became national news, even hard news copy it turned into, so that’s ridiculous and I had to explain to her, 'Willow, there is no justice here but you have to just zip your lip and let’s move forward.'"

Missing from that parental lesson: There is no excuse for calling people homophobic slurs. But this is a woman who campaigned on the idea that gay Americans are less than, so that was to be expected.

Also expected: Palin completely misrepresenting the facts. As Mediaite notes, "The exchange to which she refers contains nary a mention of Trig Palin, and was touched off by a single negative comment about Palin’s reality show, Sarah Palin’s Alaska. Palin would have been perfectly justified had she chosen not to get into the details of the story, but since she did, she ought to have described them accurately."

9th Circuit names three judges who will hear Prop 8 case

Samuel Chu of California Faith for Equality broke the news this morning that the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals named the three judges who will hear the Prop 8 appeals case, starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, December 6.

The three-judge panel was randomly selected from the pool of 23 judges who serve on the 9th Circuit. Two of the judges were appointed by Democratic presidents and one by a Republican president.

More details, as picked up from California Faith for Equality by SDGLN:

– Judge Stephen Roy Reinhardt. He was confirmed in 1980 after being nominated by President Jimmy Carter. He served in the Air Force. On Nov. 18, 2009, the judge ruled in favor of a gay couple who were having their spousal health care benefits denied – Brad Levenson and Tony Sears were married during the period gay marriage was legal in California during 2008, and was seeking benefits for his partner while working as a public defender for the federal government. Judge Reinhardt also wrote an opinion relating to “standing” in a 1997 case relating to Arizona voters amending the state Constitution to make English the state’s official language. In that opinion written by Judge Reinhardt, the court held that the sponsors of the ballot initiative could intervene. But later that year, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously thought the Ninth Circuit had “lost sight” of the limitations of federal courts to decide definitively on the meaning of state legislation.

– Judge Michael Daly Hawkins. He joined the court in 1994 after being nominated by President Bill Clinton. He was U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona from 1977 to 1980 and then as Special Prosecutor for the Najavo Nation from 1985 to 1989.

– Judge Norman Randy Smith. He was confirmed in 2007 after being nominated by President George W. Bush. Born in Logan, Utah, Smith graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in 1974, and received his J.D. from Brigham Young University’s J. Reuben Clark School of Law in 1977.

“I am hopeful that the 9th circuit court panel will affirm equality and fairness,” said Samuel Chu, executive director of California Faith for Equality, which filed an amicus brief to the court supported by 700 clergy and congregations urging the panel to affirm Judge Walker’s ruling.

“Marriage is a right that every Californian deserve and this is another critical moment for the justice system to add momentum to winning full equality. Our state and our government should never be in the business of discrimination.”

Parents Want Antibullying Film Removed From Curriculum

Backlash from parents threatens the future of a film with a clear antibullying message in Vallejo, Calif., schools, according to the Contra Costa Times.

That’s a Family, which is screened regularly in the district as part of a settlement with the American Civil Liberties Union over the unfair treatment of an out lesbian student, depicts a handful of atypical family configurations, including a family with biracial parents, a family headed by grandparents, and families with gay and lesbian parents.

Disgruntled parents say that the film focuses disproportionately on the bullying of the child with gay parents, but the filmmaker defended her choices regarding the allocation of screen time.

"The whole film is 35 minutes, and I believe the section on lesbians and gays is something between seven or eight minutes. The rest of the film is featuring heterosexual guardians and parents," Academy Award-winning director Debra Chasnoff said. "We have seen this kind of reaction in other communities at different times, and I think it's because it is relatively new that schools would take the initiative to proactively prevent antigay bias."

Fox News Rejects Ad On Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal

Fox News has rejected an advocacy group's ad on repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT), in which generals from around the world say that allowing gay men and women to serve openly is no big deal.

"I am surprised that Fox News would reject an ad featuring allied Generals, given that both host Bill O'Reilly and guest contributor Liz Cheney have expressed support for open gay service," said Palm Center director Aaron Belkin in a statement. "This is an important time for input from all sides on this issue, and I hope Fox will reconsider."

The ad features commanders from Canada and Australia, countries which have successfully integrated their forces, talking about how the change has had no effect on the capability or morale of their military.

"There is no negative impact of having men and women of any sexual orientation fighting together, be it in Afghanistan, be it in Iraq," states Major General Walter Semianiw, chief of military personnel in the Canadian forces.

The Palm Center's communications consultant Cathy Renna said that the organization approached Fox News because it wanted to get its message across to "diverse audiences."

Glee Sneak Peek- Special Education The Garblers

Drug Seen to Drastically Cut HIV Transmission in Gay Men Hailed as 'Major Advance'

Truvada, a retroviral drug combination in use for two years to treat people already infected with HIV, has been revealed to cut transmission of new infections in HIV-negative men by 44 percent, according to a new study:

"Daily doses of Truvada cut the risk of infection by 44 percent when given with condoms, counseling and other prevention services. Men who took their pills most faithfully had even more protection, up to 73 percent. Researchers had feared the pills might give a false sense of security and make men less likely to use condoms or to limit their partners, but the opposite happened — risky sex declined. The results are "a major advance" that can help curb the epidemic in gay men, said Dr. Kevin Fenton, AIDS prevention chief at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But he warned they may not apply to people exposed to HIV through male-female sex, drug use or other ways. Studies in those groups are under way now. 'This is a great day in the fight against AIDS ... a major milestone,' said a statment from Mitchell Warren, head of the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, a nonprofit group that works on HIV prevention. Because Truvada is already on the market, the CDC is rushing to develop guidelines for doctors using it for HIV prevention, and urged people to wait until those are ready."

amfAR welcomed the results:

“Today marks a major step forward in our quest to combat HIV among MSM and other populations,” said amfAR CEO Kevin Robert Frost. “These results suggest that PrEP could be a very important prevention tool for gay men and MSM when used in combination with other prevention interventions including condoms. The findings underscore the tremendous return on investments in AIDS research, and the need for additional research to learn more about safety issues, whether PrEP could be protective in other populations, and the potential for intermittent use of PrEP.”

In Letter, John McCain Begged Defense Sec'y Gates to Hold Troop Referendum on Letting Gays Serve Openly

A letter written in September 2010 to Defense Secretary Gates by Senator John McCain reveals that McCain urged Gates to modify the Pentagon troop survey so that it would ask the troops whether the ban on gays serving openly should be lifted and not on how to implement a repeal, the Wonk Room reports:

Begged McCain:

"I urge you and Admiral Mullen to modify the review and the survey instrument, or to conduct supplemental surveys, aimed at ensuring that the question of whether the DADT policy should be changed is answered."

Gates responded to McCain that it would be unwise to put such issues to a popular vote.

Wrote Gates: "I do not believe that military policy decisions — on this or any other subject — should be made through a referendum of Servicemembers."

Added Gates: "The Chairman and I fully support the approach and the efforts of the working group, as do the Service Chiefs. We are confident that the working group’s report will provide us with the information we need to appropriately advise the President, and, if requested to do so, to provide our fully informed views to Congress as it considers legislative action."

U.N. Strikes GLBT Protections

The U.N. has amended a resolution by removing language that would have offered protections to GLBT people worldwide. The change was in response to Asian and African nations pushing to delete those protections, which had been part of a similar resolution in 2008. GLBT equality advocates now worry that nations with anti-gay governments will see the deletion as carte blanche to step up persecution against sexual minorities.

Daily pill can cut AIDS risk for gay men, study finds

Researchers call Truvada 'a major advance' in stopping epidemic

Scientists have an exciting breakthrough in the fight against AIDS. A pill already used to treat HIV infection turns out to be a powerful weapon in protecting healthy gay men from catching the virus, a global study found.
Daily doses of Truvada cut the risk of infection by 44 percent when given with condoms, counseling and other prevention services. Men who took their pills most faithfully had even more protection, up to 73 percent.

Researchers had feared the pills might give a false sense of security and make men less likely to use condoms or to limit their partners, but the opposite happened — risky sex declined.

The results are "a major advance" that can help curb the epidemic in gay men, said Dr. Kevin Fenton, AIDS prevention chief at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But he warned they may not apply to people exposed to HIV through male-female sex, drug use or other ways. Studies in those groups are under way now.

"This is a great day in the fight against AIDS ... a major milestone," said a statment from Mitchell Warren, head of the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, a nonprofit group that works on HIV prevention.

Condoms still 'first line of defense'

Because Truvada is already on the market, the CDC is rushing to develop guidelines for doctors using it for HIV prevention, and urged people to wait until those are ready.

"It's not time for gay and bisexual men to throw out their condoms," Fenton said. The pill "should never be seen as a first line of defense against HIV."

AIDS epidemic starting to turn, infections dropping

An estimated 33.3 million people worldwide have the HIV virus that causes AIDS, but the global health community is starting to slow down and even turn the epidemic around, a United Nations report said on Tuesday.
The total number of HIV-infected people in 2009 was down slightly from the previous year's 33.4 million and at least 56 countries have either stabilized or achieved significant declines in rates of new HIV infections.

Parents fight school’s anti-bullying curriculum because it teaches LGBT tolerance

Angry parents in the Vallejo Unified School District, located in San Francisco’s East Bay, packed a school district board meeting last week to protest the district’s proposed curriculum plan that includes lessons on gay rights.

The controversy over the curriculum involves three movies that are scheduled discuss same-sex relationships, teaching tolerance to elementary children from kindergarten through the fifth grade.

The School District’s Acting Superintendent, Dr. Floyd Gonella, told parents in attendance that they do not have the right to opt out of a lesson plan designed to promote tolerance.

“We do not feel that this is an area that students can opt out and we feel this is an area we don’t have to give prior notification,” said Gonella, speaking with reporters after the meeting.

At issue is the district not allowing parents to opt out from having their children watch the videos. Parents say they have the right to control what their children learn.

The district was ordered by a court in May 2009 to get ready to discuss the sensitive issues in particular those issues that involve LGBTQ persons.

Democratic Senators Hold Press DADT Conference: We WILL Get This Done!

Fox News Commentators Caught On Camera Mocking Sarah Palin's Show

The Fox News channel has been something of a safe haven for Sarah Palin, the type of outlet that provided the former Alaska Governor not only with a friendly audience but similarly kind questions.

So it was more than a bit surprising when off-air video leaked on Thursday of a Fox panel mocking Palin's new reality television show. The two reporters who are caught on camera -- Judith Miller and Liz Trotta -- didn't do much more than giggle in agreement with the New York Times and Washington Post television critics, both of whom slammed "Sarah Palin's Alaska" as, basically, folksy political propaganda.

Texas Teen Claims Sexual Advances Caused Him to Beat Fellow Male Student to Death and Burn the Body

"Authorities now say that Joshua Wilkerson, 18 (above left), was beaten with a large wooden rod and that his body was burned. Hermilio Moralez, 19 (right), is charged with murder in Wilkerson's death. According to court documents, Wilkerson gave Moralez a ride home from school Tuesday and Moralez stated that Wilkerson began to make sexual advances towards him. Moralez said they got out of the truck and began to fight when Wilkerson grabbed a large wooden rod and tried to hit him. Moralez said he took the piece of wood from Wilkerson and began to hit him with it. He said Wilkerson was not moving afterwards."

Joe Biden Has a Laugh Over Sarah Palin's Presidential Chances

Lieberman on DADT: We Have 60

Sen. Joe Lieberman said Thursday that repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell” as part of the National Defense Authorization Act is no longer a question of votes, it’s a question of process.

“I am confident that we have more than 60 votes prepared to take up the defense authorization with the repeal of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ if only there will be a guarantee of a fair and open amendment process, in other words, whether we’ll take enough time to do it,” Lieberman told reporters at a press conference, naming GOP senators Susan Collins and Richard Lugar as yes votes. “Time is an inexcusable reason not to get this done.”

Lieberman, an independent, was flanked by 12 of his Democratic colleagues — a core group that seemed intent on urging the Democratic leadership to allow enough room in the Senate schedule for a debate that would be acceptable to Republicans. The senators talked about working over the weekends, and Sen. Mark Udall offered to go straight through until Christmas Eve.

Lieberman noted that two items could be negotiated by Senate majority leader Harry Reid and minority leader Mitch McConnell — the number of amendments to be considered and the amount of time for debate on those amendments.

Full and open debate on the bill could take as long as two weeks, but an agreement between Reid and McConnell could shave that down to just one week. Regardless, given that other bills will eat up some of the remaining days, providing some sort of open amendment process will likely require that senators stay past the targeted adjournment date of December 10 until at least December 17.



Two GOP Senators for DADT RepealSen. Lisa Murkowski Republican senators Lisa Murkowski and John Ensign have announced their support for repealing the military's ban on openly gay and lesbian service members.

KTV's Matt Felling told CNN he's noticing a "different" Murkowski since she won the election in Alaska with a write-in vote as the moderate candidate versus Tea Party candidate Joe Miller.

When he asked her what she would do to represent the middle-of-the-road voters of Alaska, Felling reports that she said she would support a repeal of "don't ask, don't tell."

Felling reports, "She said, 'Listen, there have been leaks out of this poll inside the Pentagon, saying the troops are fine with it being repealed, and you know, we are a different sort of warfare; there aren’t trenches, there aren’t foxholes anymore. I would not vote against a bill that had that repeal in it.' And that’s honestly the first time she came swinging on that topic too."

Members of Nevada's Stonewall Democrats chapter met with an aide to Ensign, who said he will support the National Defense Authorization Act, which includes language to repeal "don't ask, don't tell." Ensign's regional representative Margot Allen said that any reports of the senator wanting to keep the policy intact were false.

AIDS is the ’forgotten epidemic’

Calling it the "forgotten epidemic," former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop urged Americans to end complacency about AIDS and put the deadly disease back on the radar screen.

Koop, the bearded physician who sounded the alarm against AIDS nearly three decades ago, joined other doctors Wednesday at a panel discussion on the epidemic, as scientists and medical professionals prepared to open a national summit on the disease.

While the number of new HIV infections has remained relatively stable, Koop says it is still far too high. An estimated 56,300 Americans become infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, each year.

"This is not the time to declare victory," said Koop, who’s 94. "The war against HIV/AIDS is far from over."

The growing sense of complacency, Koop said, is "as dangerous as the irrational fear in the early days of the AIDS controversy."

Stewart Takes On The Palin Family Media Circus

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Reid Commits to DADT Vote

Representatives for Democratic majority leader Harry Reid and top White House officials committed to bringing “don’t ask, don’t tell” repeal to a vote as part of the National Defense Authorization Act before the end of the year at a meeting Wednesday evening with stakeholder groups.

“The officials told the groups that Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Obama are committed to moving forward on repeal by bringing the National Defense Authorization Act — the bill to which 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell' repeal is attached — to the floor in the lame-duck session after the Thanksgiving recess,” read a joint statement from the Human Rights Campaign, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, and the Center for American Progress, which all had a presence at the meeting.

The White House aides present at the negotiations included deputy chief of staff Jim Messina and director of legislative affairs Phil Schiliro as well as Chris Kang, special assistant to the president for legislative affairs, and Brian Bond, deputy director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. Majority leader Reid was represented by his chief of staff, David Krone, and his senior counsel, Serena Hoy.

Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he had asked the majority leader to take up the bill after the Pentagon issues its report and following hearings he plans to hold on the matter, “which should take place during the first few days of December.”

"I will work hard to overcome the filibuster so that 'don’t ask, don’t tell' is repealed and the NDAA --- which is critical to our national security and the well-being of our troops --- is adopted," he said.

When Republicans mounted their successful filibuster against debating the NDAA in September, Sen. Reid planned to include a vote on attaching the DREAM Act, a measure that would provide undocumented students brought to the United States as minors with a path to citizenship through higher education or military service.

But this time around, Reid plans to offer the DREAM Act as a stand-alone bill rather than as an amendment to the defense bill.

“Last time we sought to bring up [the DREAM Act], all Republicans blocked our effort, even though many have been supporters of the DREAM Act in the past," Reid said in a statement. "I hope that our Republican colleagues will join me, Sen. Durbin and Democrats in passing this important piece of legislation, now that we have a stand-alone version and that the political season is over.”

Republicans had also objected to the amendment structure Reid set up for the September vote on the NDAA, complaining that they would not be given a fair shake at adding their own amendments once it reached the Senate floor for debate.

Some Democratic senators are now urging a more open amendment process for this vote.

“If the sticking point is that the Republicans want an opportunity to offer amendments and they feel like they weren’t given that opportunity before the election, I have no problem with a more open amendment process,” Colorado senator Mark Udall, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told The Advocate earlier this week.


Pentagon Strikes New Tone on 'DADT', Now 'Pushing for' Legislative Repeal in Senate

Two Men Marry Aboard Virgin America Flight

Passengers on a red-eye woke up to an announcement more interesting than the typical "fasten your seatbelts" as they approached New York early Thursday: Two men had gotten married on board overnight when the captain briefly flew over Canada, where gay marriage is legal.

"The head flight attendant made the annoucement on the P.A. 'While you were sleeping, we had a little wedding in the galley. The captain diverted us over Canadian airspace so he could marry two gentlemen,'" said passenger Ryan McManus, who was returning home to New York.

The captain of Virgin America Flight 28, which originated in San Francisco, officiated the wedding, McManus quoted the flight attendant as saying. "We'd like to wish them the best and offer them a round of applause," he quoted the attendant as saying, noting that the passengers applauded on cue.

Sarah Palin Tells Barbara Walters She's Considering Presidential Run and Believes She Can Beat Obama

Sarah Palin tells Barbara Walters in a Nightline interview (airing December 9 — they're already teasing it) that she's considering a Presidential run.

Says Palin: ""I'm looking at the lay of the land now, and ... trying to figure that out, if it's a good thing for the country, for the discourse, for my family, if it's a good thing."

Asked if she could beat Obama: "I believe so."

Joel Osteen on Homosexuality - The View

Rev. Joel Osteen is one of those "smiling bigots" who gets to defend his homophobia with the Bible. Returning to The View after last year's argument that gays are not "God's best" creation, the Houston-based pastor at Lakewood Church repeats he doesn't "know" whether gay clergy (like Pastor Jim Swilley) and the Catholic Church are compatible. Then he goes on to compare gays to the drug and alcohol addicted, and it's like.

LA County Passes Biggest Plastic Bag Ban in US

It's likely to be the largest plastic bag ban to hit the US yet -- enacted in parts of the sprawling LA county, disposable, single-use bags will now be off limits to 1.1 million people. In addition, paper bags will now cost 10 cents a pop for shoppers -- providing yet another incentive for southern Californians to start adopting reusable bags.

Man Arrested for Shooting TV Over Bristol Palin Dance Routine

A 15-hour police stand-off in Wisconsin over Bristol Palin's dance routing on Dancing with the Stars.

Only in America:
Dane County prosecutors have charged Steven N. Cowan with second-degree reckless endangerment in the incident that made his wife worry that he would shoot her, according to a criminal complaint.

Cowan, 67, and his wife were in the living room Monday night, watching the dance competition program that has featured the daughter of former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin this season as one of the competitors.

As Bristol Palin danced on the screen, Cowan raged.

"The (expletive) politics," he yelled, according to the complaint. Cowan was upset that a political figure's daughter was on the show when he didn't consider her a good dancer, his wife told authorities.

Cowan went to his bedroom and came back about 20 minutes later, demanding that his wife find his pistols. Cowan's daughter had taken two handguns away for safety reasons, according to the complaint.

Cowan had tracked down a single-shot shotgun in the house, he "slapped" bullets down onto a TV tray, loaded a round and took out the TV, the complaint says.

New Hospital Visitation Rule Issued

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued the new hospital visitation rule Wednesday that allows patients to designate their own visitors during a hospital visit, including their same-sex partners.

The new rule, which will apply to any hospital that participates in Medicare or Medicaid, will go into effect approximately 60 days from tomorrow, when the rule is likely to be posted in the Federal Register.

“Basic human rights—such as your ability to choose your own support system in a time of need—must not be checked at the door of America’s hospitals,” said the Department of Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “Today’s rules help give ‘full and equal’ rights to all of us to choose whom we want by our bedside when we are sick, and override any objection by a hospital or staffer who may disagree with us for any non-clinical reason.”

The rule change is the result of a directive that President Barack Obama gave to the Health Department in April after hearing stories of same-sex partners who were denied access to their loved ones during the critical and, in some cases, final hours of their lives.

Willow Palin (Daughter of Sarah Palin) Exclaims FAGGOT!

16-year-old Willow Palin unleashed on Facebook after a boy in their town criticized the family's reality show, saying "Sarah Palin's Alaska, is failing so hard right now," TMZ reports:

The comment sparked an intense response from Willow -- who replied on the boy's wall, "Haha your so gay. I have no idea who you are, But what I've seen pictures of, your disgusting ... My sister had a kid and is still hot."

Willow followed up that comment with another that read, "Tre stfu. Your such a f**got."

Gay Teen Graeme Taylor Speaks Out For Suspended Mich. Teacher

In honor of Anti-Bullying Day, Howell High School teacher Jay McDowell donned a purple shirt to show his solidarity with struggling gay teens after a spade of recent suicides nationwide.

According to a WJBK report, an inquisitive student asked McDowell why he had asked a fellow student to remove their Confederate flag belt buckle. The question prompted a discussion -- over the difference between Confederate symbols and gay rights symbols -- which ended in McDowell suspending two students who said they refused to accept their homosexual peers.

McDowell was reprimanded by school officials and suspended for a day without pay, according to the AP.

Fourteen-year-old Graeme Taylor, an openly gay student, came to McDowell's defense at a recent school board meeting.

The video of Taylor's speech went viral this week, posted on popular blogs and spread through social media websites. The "It Gets Better Project," an effort to offer support to bullied gay teens, also posted the footage of Taylor's defense on their website.

Mormon church issues new handbook, but policies on homosexuality as bigoted as ever

The Mormon church handed out their new 2010 version of the handbook used by leaders in their church over the weekend. Some are saying their positions on homosexuality have lightened, but have they really?

While it’s true that the Mormons have eliminated some of the more offensive terms, the policies remain unchanged and as bigoted as ever.

By the Mormon church claiming that they have “progressed” in their thinking by making changes, we’re seeing a replay of their support of Salt Lake City’s non-discrimination policies — it costs them nothing to make these small changes but they want the world to praise them for doing it. Sorry, but preaching hate in a nicer way doesn’t change what it is.

On the subject of missions: If someone has participated in homosexual activity during the last 3 teenage years, they can only go on a mission if there is strong evidence of “genuine reformation.” There is a 1 to 3 year waiting period if the person was the “aggressor,” and a person must get a professional evaluation and an HIV test from LDS Family Services (page 29).

Children are still forced to come out to their parents before they may be ready to (page 57).

Homosexuality is still compared to: Attempted Murder, Forcible Rape and Spouse Abuse (page 57).

Homosexual behavior is permanently noted in your church records, meaning no matter where you go the church classifies you as a homo who has committed “sexual sin.” However, heterosexual people who commit “sexual sin” outside of marriage receive no such permanent annotations (page 71).

Bristol Palin and The Situation's Safe Sex PSA

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GOP Congressman :: Where's my health care?

A conservative Maryland physician elected to Congress on an anti-Obamacare platform surprised fellow freshmen at a Monday orientation session by demanding to know why his government-subsidized health care plan takes a month to kick in.

Court Sets Schedule for Prop. 8 Oral Arguments

The U.S. court of appeals for the ninth circuit announced Monday that oral arguments set for December 6 in the Proposition 8 lawsuit will begin with the question of whether supporters of the antigay California ballot measure have standing to appeal the case.

The court will divide oral arguments into two hour-long sessions.

The first hour will center on the issue of standing: Antigay groups who defended Prop. 8 in court will be asked to argue why they have the right to appeal, as will representatives from Imperial County, which has attempted to intervene in the suit.

The second hour will be devoted to arguments on the constitutionality of Prop. 8, which was passed by voters in 2008 and struck down by U.S. district judge Vaughn Walker in August.

Anti-gay group boasts $13 million budget

The National Organization for Marriage has risen to become one of the country's most active and well-funded anti-gay organizations, according to this profile of its co-founder, Brian Brown. NOM's budget has increased from $500,000 in 2007 to more than $13 million three years later, enabling it to spend heavily to reverse marriage equality or keep bans in place that prevent same-sex couples from marrying. The group has refused to disclose its donors.

Cindy McCain's Flip Flop On DADT

Tina Fey's Sarah Palin Joke Cut From Mark Twain Prize Speech

Watch the full episode. See more Mark Twain Prize.

Tina Fey was awarded the coveted Mark Twain Prize for Humor last week. PBS actually cut a controversial bit Fey did about Palin and the success of conservative women when the award ceremony was broadcast.

The joke in question entertains the idea that Palin's success would be a good thing for womankind, but then interjects jabs at conservative views on sexuality, health care, and creationism:

"And, you know, politics aside, the success of Sarah Palin and women like her is good for all women - except, of course --those who will end up, you know, like, paying for their own rape 'kit 'n' stuff, But for everybody else, it's a win-win. Unless you're a gay woman who wants to marry your partner of 20 years - whatever. But for most women, the success of conservative women is good for all of us. Unless you believe in evolution. You know - actually, I take it back. The whole thing's a disaster."

Watch Fey receive her award below, and hear her remarks about Palin around the 12:30 mark.

It Gets Better!

Focus on the Family Targets Day of Silence

Focus on the Family education analyst Candi Cushman Focus on the Family has kicked off an initiative in opposition to the national Day of Silence, which is a day to protest the harassment and discrimination that LGBT young people face at school.

The Colorado Springs, Colo., organization launched DayofDialogue.com Thursday to "offer students the facts [about homosexuality] to engage a dialogue in schools" in preparation for the Day of Dialogue, to be held in April, Focus on the Family spokesman Gary Schneeberger told The Gazetteof Colorado Springs.

Focus education analyst Candi Cushman (pictured) said her organization took on the program because "more than one side needs to be heard on the issue of homosexuality, and we’re helping to ensure that Christian students have the chance to express their viewpoint."

The Day of Dialogue, formerly known as the Day of Truth, is a day for antigay students to counter the Day of Silence, during which gay students and their allies remain silent for a day to recognize that bullying silences gay teens. The launch of the site comes after a two-month period in which instances of antigay bullying in schools and teen suicides have made headlines across the country. In the wake of the reports, "ex-gay" organization Exodus International announced it would no longer sponsor the Day of Truth, leading Focus to take over the observance.

Cindy McCain: DADT Enables Bullies

While Sen. John McCain insists that he will filibuster any attempt to repeal the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, his wife Cindy denounces the ban in a new ad for the NOH8 campaign, where she connects antigay laws to the culture of bullying that drives vulnerable LGBT youths to suicide.

Cindy and Meghan have expressed their strong support for gay rights in the past, putting them at odds with their husband and father. However, Cindy’s appearance in the new ad marks the widest rift yet in her public stance versus the senator, who has vowed to stop any effort to repeal the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in the lameduck session.

“Our political and religious leaders tell LGBT youth that they have no future,” says McCain in the celebrity-studded ad. “They can’t serve our country openly.”

She even links the toxic messages sent by lawmakers to bullies who then mistreat LGBT youths.

“Our government treats the LGBT community like second-class citizens,” she says. Why shouldn’t they?”

Judge Judy Tells Larry King Why He Doesn't Understand Marriage Discrimination

Episcopal bishop observes new LGBT openness in the church

Utah’s presiding bishop Rev. Scott Hayashi said that the number of Episcopalians leaving the church because of its open policy on same-sex unions and gay clergy is decreasing, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.

Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori agreed, telling the Tribune she also noticed fewer departures since last year. She believes the change has occurred for the same reason she thinks the church will continue to grow: because the church is working on social justice and diversity issues and is focused on attracting people who are in transitional stages of their lives.

Chicago Students Wear "Straight Pride" T-Shirts

"In response to a gay-straight alliance week designed to fight bullying, some high school students in Chicago wore t-shirts for "straight pride" that included a Bibical passage advocating death for gay people.

The Chicago Tribune reports on the controversy at St. Charles North High School, which this week held an Ally Week to combat bullying. Three students wore the straight pride t-shirts on Monday, and some other students complained.

According to the Tribune, “Deans met with the students, and after establishing that there was no threat of physical harm to others, asked the students to cross out a portion of the Biblical passage with permanent marker."

Study finds repealing gay ban won't hurt war effort

Lifting the ban on openly gay and lesbian troops entails little risk of damaging ongoing U.S. military operations, according to sources familiar with the results of a massive Pentagon survey about the issue. Almost three-quarters of those surveyed -- including hundreds of thousands of active-duty and reserve troops -- said repealing "Don't ask, don't tell" would have positive, mixed or no effects on the military. A draft report about the results, said to be about 370 pages in length, is circulating among top Pentagon officials.

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Ohio school asks judge to dismiss bullying lawsuit

An Ohio school district being sued by two families who claim their children’s deaths were caused by bullying has asked a federal judge to dismiss one of the lawsuits.

The Mentor Public School District said in a court filing last week that 16-year-old Sladjana Vidovic was not a student at Mentor High School when she committed suicide in October 2008. Vidovic’s parents sued the school district, superintendent and principal in August, claiming their daughter was severely bullied.

Gay Pride flag burned on Michigan College campus

Albion College said “appropriate action” has been taken against the students who burned a gay Pride flag on the campus of Albion College in Michigan last month

Montana Attorney General seeks to dismiss gay rights lawsuit

Montana’s Attorney General has filed a motion seeking to dismiss a lawsuit aimed at granting same-sex couples the same legal rights as married couples.

Spousal benefits are limited by definition to married couples, and the Montana Constitution defines marriage as being between a man and a woman, said Attorney General Steve Bullock.

The court does not have the authority to require the state to extend spousal benefits beyond that definition, Bullock said in his motion to dismiss.

The suit, Donaldson and Guggenheim v. State of Montana, claims same sex couples are being denied their rights of privacy, dignity and the pursuit of life’s basic necessities as provided for in the Montana Constitution.

Because there is a constitutional amendment in Montana barring same-sex marriage, the couples in the lawsuit are seeking the protection of state-recognized domestic partnerships, similar to those in place in several other states.

DOMA Lawsuits Filed By Gay Civil Rights Groups

Gay civil rights groups trying to build momentum for a possible Supreme Court showdown filed two lawsuits Tuesday that seek to strike down portions of a 1996 law that denies married same-sex couples federal benefits.

The lawsuits were filed in federal courts in Connecticut and New York and come just months after a federal judge in Boston struck down a key component of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

The legal actions seek judicial declarations that the law enacted by Congress in 1996, when it appeared Hawaii would soon legalize same-sex marriage, was unconstitutional because it prevents the federal government from affording pension and other benefits to same-sex couples. Since 2004, five states – Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts – and the District of Columbia have legalized gay marriage.

In Hartford, Conn., the Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders sued the federal government on behalf of a Connecticut widower and married couples from Connecticut, Vermont and New Hampshire. The other lawsuit was filed on behalf of a New York woman, Edith Schlain Windsor, who met her late spouse, Thea Clara Spyer, nearly a half century ago at a restaurant.

"No one should have to fight with the government after losing the person she's loved for more than four decades," said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union. "Edie and Thea made the same lifelong commitment that other married couples make, and their marriage deserves the same dignity, respect and protection afforded other families."

CNN Looks at Minnesota Archbishop Nienstedt's Obscene 'Traditional Marriage' DVD Campaign

In early October Andrew posted about Minnesota Archbishop Nienstedt's "traditional marriage" DVD campaign, in which 400,000 discs containing an "urgent message" were sent to Minnesota Catholics. CNN talks to some of the campaign's supporters, and its opponents, in a recent segment.

Mexico House of Reps Backs Benefits for Gay Couples

The Mexican house of representatives voted Tuesday to amend rules governing social security benefits for gay and lesbian couples, the Associated Press reports.

In a 232 to 58 vote, the house endorsed a rule change for the Social Security Institute, which provides benefits to both private and government employees. The senate has yet to vote on the measure.

In August the Mexico supreme court upheld a law granting marriage equality in Mexico City. Unions performed in the Mexican capital must also be recognized in all 31 Mexican states, the court ruled, though no state is required to sanction gay marriages performed outside Mexico City.

Mich. asst. AG accused of harassing student fired

An assistant state attorney general accused of harassing the gay student assembly president at the University of Michigan was fired Monday.

Andrew Shirvell, 30, went on leave about a month ago after national criticism erupted over a blog he wrote characterizing student leader Chris Armstrong as a "racist" and a "liar" who promoted a "radical homosexual agenda."

Shirvell's attorney has said his actions were constitutionally protected as free speech. Shirvell had attended the first day of a disciplinary hearing Friday and expected that hearing to continue later this week, but then was called in and fired.

Cox said the firing came after a state investigation revealed that Shirvell "repeatedly violated office policies, engaged in borderline stalking behavior and inappropriately used state resources."

"To be clear, I refuse to fire anyone for exercising their First Amendment rights, regardless of how popular or unpopular their positions might be," Cox said in a statement.

But he said Shirvell's conduct went beyond free speech when he showed up three separate times outside Armstrong's Ann Arbor home, including once at 1:30 a.m.

"That incident is especially telling because it clearly was about harassing Mr. Armstrong, not engaging in free speech," Cox said.

Armstrong, 21, has accused Shirvell of videotaping a late-night party at his off-campus house, showing up at campus appearances with a sign that read "racist" and "liar," and lambasting him on his blog. Armstrong had filed for a personal protection order against Shirvell but withdrew that request late last month.

His lawyer applauded the decision and said the state should go further and revoke Shirvell's law license.

Joy Behar: Gay Georgia Mega Church Pastor Comes Out To Battle Gay Teen Suicides

Pastor Jim Swilley, twice married, father of four, as we reported two weeks ago, came out as gay to his congregation in the hope of stemming the tide of the gay teen suicides.

Moms of 'Daphne' and 'Princess Boy' Speak Out

The mothers of 'Daphne' and 'Princess Boy' sat down with Meredith Vieira today to talk about their children, and accepting them for who they are.

Brandon Bitner: Anti-gay bullying leads to another tragic teen suicide

Anti-gay bullying has reportedly claimed another teen life.

Brandon Bitner, 14, of Mount Pleasant Mills, Penn., walked 13 miles from his home early Friday morning to a busy intersection and threw himself in front of an oncoming tractor-trailer after leaving a suicide note at his home, according to The Daily Item.

There seems to be little doubt in the students’ minds why Bitner did what he did.

“It was because of bullying,” friend Takara Jo Folk wrote in a letter to The Daily Item.

“It was not about race, or gender, but they bullied him for his sexual preferences and the way he dressed. Which,” she said, “they wrongly accused him of.”

Brandon’s suicide note reportedly explained that he was constantly bullied at Midd-West High School in Middleburg, where he was a freshman.

Bullies allegedly called Brandon gay, girly, fag, and geek. He stated in the note that a humiliating event in school this past week was the “straw that broke the camel’s back.”

Brandon was an accomplished violinist, having been a member of the Susquehanna Youth Orchestra in 2009.

His death came just days after an anti-bullying assembly at the high school, which, according to district Superintendent Wesley Knapp, was not held in response to any specific problems at the school, but because it is an issue Principal Cynthia Hutchinson has always felt strongly about.

After the assembly, according to student Briana Boyer in another letter to The Daily Item, “No one took it seriously, and joked around about it.”

Alameda County voters elect country's first transgender judge

Transgender judicial candidate Victoria Kolakowski made history Tuesday night, becoming the country's first out transgender judge.

Televangelist Oral Roberts' gay grandson says "it gets better"

Hawaii positioned to pass same-sex civil unions

Hawaii voters opened the way for same-sex civil unions to become state law next year, with an election that gave victory to a pro-gay rights gubernatorial candidate and rejected many church-backed candidates.

The state House and Senate retained the Democratic majorities that approved a civil unions bill this year before it was vetoed, and Democratic Gov.-elect Neil Abercrombie has said he will sign a similar law if passed by the Legislature.

The move would make Hawaii, long a battleground in the gay rights movement, the sixth state to grant essentially the same rights of marriage to same-sex couples without authorizing marriage itself.

“I’m hopeful, but I would never want to call any shots until the final vote is taken,” said Majority Leader Blake Oshiro, who is gay. “While I remain optimistic, there’s still a lot of work to be done.”

Pentecostal minister calls on christian faithful to use the word ‘fag’

James Manning, a New York City-based Pentecostal minister has recently released a video in which he states that use of the homophobic epithet, “Fag” is biblically acceptable and needs to be employed frequently when referring to any LGBT person.

[YouTube removed the video due to its policy on hate speech]

Manning also stated that equality rights for LGBT Americans who practice the “biblical abomination” of homosexuality will lead to the legalization of bestiality, citing an example of the potential for the video’s viewership to possibly have a loved one desire to marry a dog or a goat.

Manning is no stranger to controversial declarations. Not long after the current President of the United States, Barack Obama, was elected, he called Obama’s mother “white trash” for becoming pregnant by a black man out of wedlock.

Pope Rails Against Same-Sex Marriage In Spain

Pope Benedict XVI strongly defended traditional families and the rights of the unborn Sunday, directly attacking Spanish laws that allow gay marriage, fast-track divorce and easier access to abortions as he dedicated Barcelona's iconic basilica, the Sagrada Familia.

It was the second time in as many days that Benedict had criticized the policies of Spain's Socialist government and called for Europe as a whole to rediscover Christian teachings and apply them to everyday life.

As he headed to the basilica, about 200 gays and lesbians staged a 'kiss-in' to protest his visit and church policies that consider homosexual acts "intrinsically disordered." Later, a few hundred women marched to protest their second-class status in the church and the Vatican's opposition to birth control.

Pink Celebrates Marriage Equality in New Video

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Pink celebrates marriage equality in the video for her new song, "Raise Your Glass."

Christine O'Donnell Ambushed by Canadian Comic — 'You're So Dense That Light Bends Around You'

Christine O'Donnell (who lost) was ambushed by Canadian comic Mary Walsh yesterday at a polling station.

Said Walsh: "I just wanted to say good luck from Canada, and to suggest perhaps you need your own constitution with a first amendment that guarantees the separation between your thought and speech." Adding, "Miss O'Donnell, the Canadian press is saying you're so dense that light bends around you. Do you have any reaction to that?"

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand Cites LGBT Rights in Victory Speech

New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand won election to the U.S. Senate last night, promising again to continue her work for LGBT Americans.

Said Gillibrand: "We must protect civil rights for all Americans. That means full marriage equality, and men and women can serve in our military and not be dismissed for who they love."

3 Iowa justices removed after gay marriage ruling

Iowa voters have voted to remove three state Supreme Court justices, siding with conservatives angered by a ruling that allowed gay marriage.

The vote Tuesday was the first time Iowa voters have removed a Supreme Court justice since the current system began in 1962.

The three who weren’t retained were Chief Justice Marsha Ternus and justices David Baker and Michael Streit. They were the only justices up for retention this year.

They were on the court of seven justices who unanimously decided last year that an Iowa law restricting marriage to one man and one woman violated the state’s constitution.

Gay marriage opponents spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the campaign. A group of former governors, lawyers and judges said the justices’ removal would threaten Iowa’s independent judiciary.

Same-sex couple on Israel’s `Dancing With Stars’

Israel is the first country to feature a same-sex duo on its version of the popular television competition “Dancing with the Stars,” and the two women have already resolved the toughest question they face: Who will lead?

One, a gay television presenter, and the other, a straight professional dancer, are going to take turns.

“The leader and the follower – we change all the time,” said Dorit Milman, the professional dance partner of TV sportscaster Gili Shem-Tov. “One time I lead her and one time she leads me. But we continue to court.”

The dance partners, who appear on the sixth season of the popular Israeli version of the dancing competition, bring attention to the surprising tolerance of gays in an otherwise homophobic region. Although activists cite dozens of laws that discriminate against them, gays serve openly in Israel’s military and the buzzing seaside metropolis Tel Aviv is one of the gay-friendliest cities in the world.

Shem-Tov said she requested a female dance partner when she was invited onto the show, saying it felt more natural for her as a lesbian.

“I live with my girlfriend and we are raising my 1-year-old son together. It felt natural for me to dance with a woman. That’s my way of life,” Shem-Tov told reporters Tuesday, the day she made her televised dancing debut.

Program producers said they were initially startled by the request, but then embraced it. It’s the first time that a same-sex couple appears on any of the local franchises of the dancing competition, said Cristina Dunn of BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the British broadcaster, which distributes the program.

Milman said a same-sex coupling was very different from the strict gender division of roles for men and women in dance. Still she said the nature of the moves wouldn’t change.