International Olympic Committee Pressured to Take a Stand Against Countries Which Oppress Gays

The International Olympic Committee is responding tepidly to growing calls for action against anti-gay nations applying to compete in the Olympic Games as London 2012 approaches.

In late May British human rights lawyer Mark Stephens wrote an article in the UK Guardian calling on the IOC to penalize countries that criminalize homosexuality:

[Stephens] called on the IOC to ban the roughly 75 countries - mostly from Africa, the Caribbean and the Islamic world - that outlaw homosexual activity. That demand has been embraced by Peter Tatchell, a leading British gay-rights campaigner, and has prompted several human rights organizations to say the IOC should at least speak out, even if a ban at this stage is unrealistic.

Carrie Underwood Supports Same-Sex Marriage

Over the weekend, Carrie Underwood has become one of the highest-profile country stars to show her support for marriage equality.

Said Underwood, if you missed it: "As a married person myself, I don't know what it's like to be told I can't marry somebody I love, and want to marry. I can't imagine how that must feel. I definitely think we should all have the right to love, and love publicly, the people that we want to love."

Kyle Proposes to Tommy at the Dear Abbeys Concert

Kyle proposes to Tommy, in front of 700 people at his former college a cappella group's spring concert that marked the 20th anniversary of the group (The Boston University Dear Abbeys).

‘I Wish You A Happy Pride’

We Desperately Need ‘All Sort Of Forms’

Jeb Bush, George W’s brother, the other son of former President George H.W. Bush, the one who was “supposed to be” president, said in a recent interview that while traditional marriage should be sanctioned by the state, America desperately needs all forms of families and parenting examples as long as they can be held up as role models. Bush also made headlines this morning, slamming the Republican Party, saying today’s GOP would not welcome his father, or Ronald Reagan.

The former Florida Governor told PBS’s Charlie Rose that “traditional marriage is what should be sanctioned,” but “not at the expense of discriminating other forms of family structure.”

The Miami Herald notes that Bush added:
“I don’t think people need to be discriminated against because they don’t share my belief on this, and if people love their children with all their heart and soul and that’s what they do and that’s how they organize their life that should be held up as examples for others to follow because we need it. We desperately need it and that can take all sorts of forms, it doesn’t have to take the one that I think should be sanctioned under the law.”

Certainly not an embrace of same-sex marriage, but not as radical or as much an assault as his brother’s failed attempt to ban same-sex marriage in the Constitution.

Buzzfeed reports on Bush’s slam of the GOP this morning:

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush said today that both Ronald Reagan and his father George H. W. Bush would have had a difficult time getting nominated by today’s ultra-conservative Republican Party.

“Ronald Reagan would have, based on his record of finding accommodation, finding some degree of common ground, as would my dad — they would have a hard time if you define the Republican party — and I don’t — as having an orthodoxy that doesn’t allow for disagreement, doesn’t allow for finding some common ground,” Bush said, adding that he views the hyper-partisan moment as “temporary.”

“Back to my dad’s time and Ronald Reagan’s time – they got a lot of stuff done with a lot of bipartisan suport [sic] ,” he said. Reagan “would be criticized for doing the things that he did.”

Bush cited, in particular, “the budget deal my dad did, with bipartisan support — at least for a while — that created the spending restraint of the ‘90s,” a reference to a move widely viewed now as a political disaster for Bush, breaking a pledge against tax increases and infuriating conservatives. It was, Bush said, “helpful in creating a climate of more sustainted economic growth.”

El Paso gay teen, bullied for 2 years, commits suicide

Another bullied gay youth lost to suicide.  El Paso teen Brandon Elizares, 16, took his own life on June 2, according to family and friends.

Brandon’s mother, Zachalyn Elizares, told KFOX-TV on Friday that her son was bullied at school for two years because he did not want to hide the fact that he was gay.

“He got bullied simply for being gay,” Elizares said. “He’s been threatened to be stabbed. He’s been threatened to be set on fire.”

Elizares said the El Paso Independent school district did everything it could to help solve the problem.

“They’ve reprimanded several kids and they did everything that they could,” Elizares said.
Elizares said that Brandon’s friends told her that there was an incident on Friday at school where someone insulted her son and planned to fight him the next week.

Brandon was a student at Andres High School in El Paso.

“My son had every right to live his live the way that he wanted to, without having to fear that people would call him names or threaten to beat him up,” Elizares said.

Minnesota Governor's Sons Announce Matching Donation to Fight Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment

 

The two sons of Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton want to help defeat the anti-gay amendment on the Minnesota ballot this November, and are putting up money to do so, the MinnPost reports:

The governor and his sons — Eric and Andrew, who own the Bachelor Farmer restaurant in downtown Minnesota — are working for the effort to get voters to vote no on the amendment, scheduled to be on the November ballot. The proposal, if passed, would define marriage as being between one man and one woman.

Minnesotans United for All Families, a group urging a no vote on the amendment, says that through June 12, the two Dayton brothers will match donations to the group's campaign, up to $200,000.

In an email, the brothers wrote: "It's simple: Committed, same-sex couples should have the freedom to marry. Together, we can contribute $400,000 toward Minnesotans United's efforts to protect that freedom."

Eagle Scout Zach Wahls takes on BSA

Giant Survey Finds Unhappiness Pervasive Among Gay Youth

An extensive survey of 10,000 kids finds that LGBT youth are much less happy than their straight classmates.

Some 67% of straight kids described themselves as happy, but only 37% of LGBT kids could say the same, found the report from the Human Rights Campaign. They do seem to believe that "It Gets Better," as the viral video campaign targeting them has promised. The survey found that 83% of LGBT youth believe they will one day be happy.

For many, the road to happiness leads out of town. The survey found that only 49% said they could be happy wherever they live now. And that could have a lot to do with how they describe their current circumstances.

Although 56% said they are out to their families, a third of respondents said their family is not accepting of them. More than half of LGBT youth said they'd been verbally harassed, and 47% said they don't "fit in." By comparison, just 25% of straight student said they'd been called names and 16% of straight youth said they didn't fit in.

When the HRC asked LGBT youth to name the top concerns in their lives right now, the list was vastly different from straight youth — who named things you might expect like grades and college worries. The number one concern for LGBT youth was non-accepting families. Number two was school bullying, and number three was a fear of being out.

HRC surveyed more than 10,000 LGBT-identified youth ages 13-17, and the group believes it's the largest survey of its kind. The report is incoming HRC President Chad Griffin's first move in his new job after leaving the American Foundation for Equal Rights.

“No one would say that growing up LGBT is easy, but this survey is a stark wake-up call to the daily toll that discrimination takes on vulnerable young people,” Griffin said in a statement. “We have a responsibility to change that, because we know all too well that there are real life consequences to inaction.”

Former Assistant Claims John Travolta Had Long-Term Boyfriend

For those of you following the John Travolta sex scandal — you know, how he allegedly groped male massuers — here is a bit more information on the famed actor's supposed private life, via his former assistant.

"I did everything for him, including taking care of his personal and professional schedules," Joan Edwards said. "Of course I knew he was gay. It never bothered me."
Edwards, who claims to have worked for Travolta from 1978 to 1994, says Travolta had a six-year-long relationship with a male pilot named Doug Gotterba in the 1980s…
The Enquirer could not confirm the relationship, the publication notes, but did confirm Gotterba did work for the Pulp Fiction star.
Gotterba's post-Travolta boyfriend, Robert Britz tells the Enquirer Gotterba told him in detail about the relationship, and how it began to sour as Travolta gained weight.
"After a few years Doug grew apart from John sexually, and John's advances eventually started to repulse him," Britz claims.

14-Year-Old Radio Host Condemns 'Sickening, Homosexual 'Perversion', Says Obama is Making Kids Gay

Caiden Cowger, a teen talk show host in West Virginia who has obviously paid a lot of attention to Bryan Fischer is getting attention for a new video in which he rants against the "perversion" of homosexuality and says that Obama is encouraging kids to decide to be gay.

Poll Shows Power of Coming Out

A poll released Wednesday shows that a majority of Americans say they have a close family member or friend who is gay, a shift from the 1990s that analysts say helps explain the rapidly changing attitudes toward marriage equality.

According to the CNN/ORC International survey, the number of Americans who say someone close to them is gay stands at 60% today, compared to 49% in 2010, the first time in CNN polling that a majority of Americans have expressed that. Most Americans in the 1990s said that they did not have a close relationship with a gay person.

The poll also found that 54% of Americans say that same-sex marriages should be recognized by the law, with 42% opposed. Those numbers track other recent national polls, and likewise show that support breaks down sharply by political affiliation and age.

Majorities of Democrats and independents strongly favor marriage equality, while almost three quarters of Republicans oppose it. Nearly two-thirds of those under 50 are in support, compared with 55% of those over 50 opposed.

Four years ago, the poll found that support for marriage equality stood at 44% in favor, with 53% opposed.

Top Ten Questions about God, Jesus, the Bible and Gay Pride

In preparation for our L.A. Pride Festival this weekend, the team putting together the materials for our Diocese of Los Angeles booth at the festival came up with the following ten "frequently asked questions about God, Jesus, the Bible and gay people" -- and asked me to give them my best shot. And so I did.

Have I mentioned lately that I love my job?

1. Is being gay a sin?
No. Sins are acts that separate us from God and keep us from loving our neighbors as ourselves. Being gay is not a sin. Bullying is a sin. Being hateful to other people is a sin. Putting yourself in the place of God to judge others is a sin. Being gay is not.

2. What did Jesus say about gay people?
Jesus said the same thing about gay people as he said about all people: God loves you beyond your wildest imagining and calls you to walk in love with God and with each other. He also said a whole lot about loving your neighbor, welcoming the stranger, embracing the outcast and ministering to the marginalized.

3. Does the Bible really condemn homosexuality?
The short answer is no; no it does not. The handful of passages in the Old and New Testaments that talk about God condemning specific sexual acts have nothing whatsoever to do with sexual orientation and everything to do with contexts such as cultic prostitution or gang rape. To put it another way, using the Bible as a handbook on human sexuality makes as much sense as using it as a handbook on astronomy. Just as those who wrote the Biblical texts had no concept of the science that would prove the earth actually revolves around the sun, so they had no concept of homosexuality (which wasn't defined until the 19th century.)

4. How do I respond when people say "God hates "f--s"?
First of all, God's nature is to love, not to hate. We believe that what God cares about is not our sexual orientation but our theological orientation -- and that the question that matters is not "who do you love?" but "do you love?" Recognizing that homophobia causes some folks to project onto God their own fears, prejudices and biases against LGBT people, sometimes the best response is simply no response. It can be a challenge, but getting triggered by hate-mongers prevents us from being the change we want to see.

5. I thought gay men and women weren't allowed to be priests?
The Episcopal Church has been ordaining women to the priesthood since 1974 and we have women deacons, priests and bishops throughout the church -- including two women bishops here in the Diocese of Los Angeles. When it comes to gay men in the priesthood, the issue is not homosexuality -- it is honesty. The church has ordained gay men for centuries but finally the Episcopal Church added "sexual orientation" in the non-discrimination list in 1994 -- ending our version of "don't ask/don't tell." Because the Episcopal Church allows for diversity of practice, the leadership of "out" LGBT and women clergy is more prevalent in some places than others. But the Diocese of Los Angeles is proud to have been in the forefront of inclusion.

6. Can I still receive Communion in your church if I am gay?
Of course you can. In many of our churches you will hear a variation on the invitation "whoever you are and wherever you find yourself on the journey of faith there is a place for you here." God's love is radically inclusive and so is the Episcopal Church.

7. Despite what is happening legislatively, can my partner and I be married in the Episcopal Church yet?
The only accurate answer to this question is "that depends." It depends on which diocese you're in and whether you're in a state that has civil marriage equality. For example, New York State is a marriage equality state. In four of the six dioceses clergy can both solemnize and bless a civil marriage and in one of them clergy can bless but not solemnize (a judge or justice of the peace has to do the civil marriage part). Here in Los Angeles clergy both blessed and solemnized same-sex marriages in 2008 when it was legal and our bishops have been in the forefront of working to overturn Prop 8 and get marriage equality back. As Facebook might put it: "it's complicated."

8. What do I tell people when they say being gay is a sin and a choice?
Tell them that Jesus said absolutely nothing about being gay but he said a lot of things about judging other people. Then tell them that while there is no consensus among scientists about the exact reasons that an individual develops a heterosexual, bisexual, gay, or lesbian orientation there IS consensus that sexuality is a continuum. So the "choice" is not to be gay, straight or somewhere in between -- the "choice" is to build our own healthy relationships ... and give other people the grace to build theirs.

9. Should I try to "pray away the gay?"
No. If you need to pray away something, pray away homophobia. Homosexuality doesn't need healing. Homophobia does.

10. How do I respond when politicians condemn my sexuality, citing their belief in the Bible?
Remind them that the First Amendment protects them in believing whatever they want to about what God does or does not bless but it also prohibits them from using those beliefs to decide who the Constitution protects or doesn't protect. Tell them to stop confusing their theology with our democracy. And then campaign for and donate to their opponent in the next election cycle.

 Follow Rev. Susan Russell on Twitter: www.twitter.com/revsusanrussell

Christian School Hires, Then Fires Teacher Within Hours — For Being Gay

A Cincinnati Christian academy hired a music teacher, then called him back in, asked him if he is gay, then fired him, all with hours. This entire episode is truly shocking, but what’s sickening are two important points: one, that the school is tax exempt and actually receives tax dollars. The other: the reason the school, Cincinnati Hills, gave the teacher, Jonathan Zeng.

Andy Towle at Towleroad reports that Zeng “describes what happened after he accepted the job in a letter to the school board’s trustees”:

Shortly after the conclusion of this meeting, Mr. Thompson called and asked me to return to complete some necessary business they had forgotten. He explained that there was an issue weighing on his mind because of my application answers regarding my belief in Christ’s unconditional love and that we as Christ’s followers are to show that love to all without judgment. These responses prompted him to ask if I was a homosexual. I was completely taken aback by this and asked why that was important. He explained that it was school policy not to employ teachers who are homosexual. When I asked why, he said that it was because I would work with children and because of the sanctity of marriage. I can’t begin to say how offensive and painful his comments were. I had no idea the school held such a viewpoint. Mr. Thompson was kind enough to offer me a ride, which I refused.

North Carolina Sea Level Rise Findings Can Simply Be Made Illegal

North Carolina legislators' suggestion to ignore rising sea levels, "If your science gives you a result you don't like, pass a law saying the result is illegal. Problem solved."

Despite the N.C. Coastal Resources Commission's prediction of a one-meter sea level rise by 2100, the News & Observer reported last week that state lawmakers aimed to limit plans to address this (literally) rising challenge.

An Extraordinary Start to AIDS/LifeCycle 11

Court Won't Rehear Prop. 8 Case

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today that it won't rehear a case in which Proposition 8 had been ruled unconstitutional, setting up a possible fight before the U.S. Supreme Court.

After a three-judge panel in February agreed with Judge Vaughn Walker's 2010 decision in Perry v. Brown that Proposition 8 violated the U.S. Constitution's equal protection clause and the due process clause, proponents of the law sought an "en banc review." Such a review would have required judicial evaluation by the full Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and could have included 11 appellate judges, but a majority of justices voted to deny the rehearing.

Now Prop. 8 backers have 90 days to decide whether to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, setting the stage for a national case on marriage equality. If they don't decide to appeal, then same-sex couples would again begin marrying.

Prop * Case: Here’s An Easy Way To Understand What’s Going On

300+ Straight Mormons March in Gay Pride Parade in Salt Lake City

A group of LDS Church members called 'Mormons Building Bridges' marched in yesterday's Utah Gay Pride Parade in Salt Lake City as an act of reconciliation with the LGBT community, and made quite an impression, the Salt Lake Tribune reports:

Mormons Building Bridges followed right behind [Grand Marshal Dustin Lance] Black in the parade. The men in beige suits and ties and the little girls in white dresses were a sharp contrast to the pounding music and dancers behind them, but the crowd clapped and shouted their approval for the folks in their Sunday best. Erika Munson, a mom of five from Sandy, started the group a few weeks ago to show her support for the LGBT community and to encourage members of her religion to do the same in a public way.

Holly Nelson, a 38-year-old lesbian who lives in Murray, had tears in their eyes as the Mormons walked past.

"I think it’s amazing," she said. "It’s been so hard to be in Utah knowing the Mormon church is against the gay community."

Olivia Culpo's announcement receives applause.

We've come a long way from Carrie Prejean — Miss Rhode Island Olivia Culpo was crowned Miss USA on Sunday after voicing support for transgender beauty contestants.

Culpo was asked if transgender women should be allowed to enter beauty contests. Culpo responded, "I do think it would be fair ... " because "there are so many people who have a need to change for a happier life. I do accept that because I believe it's a free country." Culpo was soon named the winner of this year's pageant.

After Jenna Talackova, a transgender woman, was allowed in April to compete in Miss Canada, the Miss Universe organization changed its rules to allow transgender women to compete (with a little urging from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation).

While Culpo's support of transgender contestants received applause, it was only three years ago that then-Miss California Carrie Prejean famously declared that same-sex marriage should be illegal.

‘For Going Against God’s Will’ Catholic Hospital Denies Gay Man HIV Meds

A Catholic hospital in New Jersey is accused of denying a gay and HIV-positive man his HIV medications, as one doctor on staff reportedly stated, “for going against God’s will.”

“Joao Simoes sued Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Union County Superior Court,” the Courthouse News Service reports. “He says that the hospital admitted him in August 2011, but that requests for his lifesaving medication were not honored, and his sister was denied visitation rights.”

Big Announcement Coming on Marriage Equality

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will decide on Tuesday whether to grant an en banc review to antigay groups seeking to keep Proposition 8 alive in California, the American Foundation for Equal Rights reports.

The nation's most populous state narrowly passed Prop. 8, a California constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, in 2008. A federal challenge to the ban, led by AFER, has been very successful, with wins in federal district court and in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

After a three-judge panel in February agreed with Judge Vaughn Walker's 2010 decision that ruled Prop. 8 unconstitutional because it violated the equal protection clause and the due process clause of the U.S. Constitution, the proponents of Prop. 8 sought an en banc review. Such a review would require judicial evaluation by the full Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and would likely include approximately a dozen appellate judges.

Should the Ninth Circuit deny en banc review, Prop. 8 backers could appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, setting the stage for a national case on marriage equality. It's not clear if marriage would be allowed in California if an en banc review is denied — if that's the case, 23% of Americans would live in a state where marriage equality is once again guaranteed by law.

Anti-Gay Pastor Worley Won't Talk To Media, But His Supporters Will

Kansas Pastor Says Govt. Should Kill Gays - Again

California Church Buys Billboard For Amendment One Apology In NC

North Carolina voters earlier this month passed Amendment One, a piece of legislation banning civil unions and same-sex marriage. Horrified by the move and hoping to express their solidarity with equality-minded North Carolinians, an inclusive California church spent $3,000 to offer an apology for anti-gay actions taken in the name of Christianity.

"Missiongathering Christian Church is sorry for the narrow-minded, judgmental, deceptive, manipulative actions of those who DENIED rights and equality TO so many in the Name of God," says the billboard, which is placed strategically on a highway named after anti-gay crusader Billy Graham.