''Mr. Griffin states that when he went to confront Mr. Belton about the two sexual assaults, he felt that Mr. Belton was not in any way forgiving and that he did not show or express any type of feeling that what had taken place was a mistake.'' Taken from court documents in the case of Michael Griffin, a 25-year-old ex-marine, ... [Read]
December 2009 Archives
[Defenders of Proposition 8] do object, citing that the exposure will subject witnesses and litigants to the "potential for intimidation" and that perhaps the "right to a fair trial will be undermined.".... Indeed, some potential witnesses have indicated that they will not be willing to testify at all if the trial is broadcast or webcast beyond the courthouse," Cooper wrote. ... [Read]
''Karl Rove and his wife, Darby, were granted a divorce last week.... There will be no further comment, and the family requests that its privacy be respected.'' Dana Perino, "family" spokeswoman for Karl Rove and his ex-wife Darby Rove. Mr. Rove is the infamous political force that was behind much of former President George Bush's success at the ballot box. ... [Read]
''Homesexuality is illegal in Malawi such that the two if convicted will spend a maximum of 14 years in prison with hard labour.'' Davie Chingwalu, a spokesperson for police in the Southern Region of the African nation, Malawi, where two gay men have been arrested for participating in a same-sex wedding ceremony. (African Press Agency) ''I went there to see ... [Read]
''It is the pinnacle of my career to be able to take many years of law enforcement experience and take it to the federal level.... By being your own person you have so much more energy to give to your job, to your personal life, that you're not suppressing who you are. So for me it's been a positive thing.'' ... [Read]
''As a couple, we have been dreaming with getting married for a long time.... We were aware [that Governor Fabiana Ríos is strongly in favor of gay marriage], she had even signed a project and had made her stance a public one.'' Alex Freyre of Argentina, who married his gay male partner, José María di Bello, in a ceremony that ... [Read]
''We posted the draft letter in the spirit of organizational transparency, to raise public awareness about the ads and to encourage community feedback on the matter. We regret not clarifying that the letter was a draft and that our intention was to gather community input before deciding how to move forward.... Our intent was not to contest Stand for Marrige ... [Read]
''You have all the built-up family expectations and the mythology of the holidays, you have the regular family drama, plus this.... There's this added tension relating to a family member's identity, there's anxiety over secret-keeping.... The holidays are a lot about fantasy.... For some, there can be a deep grief and sense of loss over the shattering of that fantasy. ... [Read]
''The 1964 Rankin-Bass animated classic Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer has been my favorite Christmas special ever since I was a boy, sitting on our yellow shag carpet in my PJs, watching it on an old black-and-white TV. Seeing it again recently, though, I noticed something I hadn't before: The whole special is kind of like a gay coming-out story.... Donner ... [Read]
Photo by David Uy / MetroWeekly.com "Let the People Vote on Marriage." Content of an advertisement currently appearing on the side of DC's WMATA buses. The ad carries the website of StandForMarriageDC, a religiously motivated, anti-gay group that seeks to roll back the District's gay marriage law by forcing a voter referendum on the issue. The group's leaders have been ... [Read]
''He was such a homebody. This was only the second time this year he went to a bar and this happened to him. He never started any trouble. He died trying to keep someone else from being hurt.... It was so very senseless. There's no reason my brother was taken away from me for something as insignificant as a bump.'' ... [Read]
''The last two to three payrolls, we've been having issues from a cash-flow standpoint.... This is a rough week because it's Christmas too. There's the grand irony of it all because I was trying not to lay anyone off before Christmas, obviously those employees didn't feel the same way.'' David Costanzo, publisher of Chicago Free Press, talking with the Chicago ... [Read]
''What could be more wholesome than Mickey Mouse, the big-eared emblem of the Disney empire? Yet a Mickey Mouse comic strip from January 22, 1931 shows the little rodent meeting a big cat who displays all the markers stereotypically given to gay characters during that period: a lisp, a limp handshake, and a general effeminacy of manner (in this ... [Read]
''For centuries, unjust laws prohibited marriage between whites and blacks or Europeans and (indigenous) Indians. Today all those barriers have come down.'' Victor Romo of the PRD party which is reported to have fully backed legislation to legalize same-sex marriage in Mexico City, Mexico. The city has a population of more than 8 million and the legislature is said to ... [Read]
''We're humbled and honored to have been deemed 'good thing'-y enough to grace this mass market mag's pages. It's one time you won't hear us complain about our love being turned into an issue.'' Jeremy Hooper from his blog GoodAsYou who has been featured in Martha Stewart's Weddings magazine under a featured called "Real Weddings." According to his website, he ... [Read]
''People have lost their grip on the true reasons for marrying, so they are unwilling to make all the sacrifices real marriage requires.... If I, despite being a married man, had this female friend of mine and I said, 'Well, gosh, why don't we do some bodily sharing,' and we had straightforward sexual intercourse, well, that wouldn't be friendship or ... [Read]
H.R. 2517 would make same-sex domestic partners of certain federal employees (both current and retired) eligible to receive the same employment benefits as married spouses of federal employees. Those benefits include health insurance, survivor annuities, compensation for work-related injuries and travel and relocation benefits that affect the federal budget, as well as other benefits that do not have an impact ... [Read]
"Once rights are established, governments should be expected to resist the temptation to restrict freedom of expression when criticism arises, and to be vigilant in preventing law from becoming an instrument of oppression as bills like the one under consideration in Uganda would do to criminalize homosexuality.... Over this past year, we have elevated into our human rights dialogs and ... [Read]
''I don't have any special power to influence these people. They asked for my opinion, and I gave it. It's pretty racist to suggest that the Africans have no will of their own to produce public policy to suit their own values and that three little-known and not very influential figures from America could come in and basically dominate this ... [Read]
''It occurred to me to wonder what Jesus would say about the redefining of Marriage that is happening in this country of the last number of years? Many today insist that Jesus never said anything about homosexuality or so-called Gay Marriage.... I am using here the Catholic NAB translation: '[Jesus said] whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is ... [Read]
"It is the toughest, most macho of male sports, and with that comes an image. In many ways, it is barbaric, and I could never have come out without first establishing myself and earning respect as a player. Rugby was my passion, my whole life, and I wasn't prepared to risk losing everything I loved.... I don't want to ... [Read]
''Should homosexuals face execution?Yes, we accept it is a stark and disturbing question. But this is the reality behind an anti-homosexuality bill being debated on Friday by the Ugandan parliament which would see some homosexual offences punishable by death.'' Title and opening paragraph of a question posted to a BBC News site for a radio program called, ''Africa Have ... [Read]
''We will fight you in the courts, we will fight you in the Congress. We will not let you win.'' Anthony Evans, preacher of the Mount Zion Baptist Church in the Brightwood neighborhood of Washington, DC, speaking with cameras after yesterday's historic second and final vote to pass same-sex marriage equality in the District of Columbia. (AP via YouTube) ''Politicians ... [Read]
"We was(sic) trying to pull whatever he had in his mouth back out of his mouth.... Obviously, he was resisting and trying to prevent us from doing that, trying to steer away, and at that time he was tased.'' Police Sergeant Billy Byrd of Panama City, FL explaining to fellow officers on camera what happened with Andrew Grande when they ... [Read]
''We might not be an official group, but we're winning. We have our own community.... It's empowering.'' Robby Diesu, a senior at Catholic University, speaking with the Washington Post about a gay student organization that meets on campus. The article covers the students' efforts as they work toward greater visibility and acceptance despite official restrictions and a somewhat unfriendly atmosphere. ... [Read]
''I was terrified with this. I was stepping out on a limb and exposing myself in a way I've never done before. But all along, I knew it would be the ultimate test of my theory, and that is, if you do anything - and do it honestly and truthfully - people will feel it and react.... I responded ... [Read]
''This election has changed the world for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community. Just as it is about transforming the lives of all Houstonians for the better, and that's what my administration will be about.'' Annise Parker, 53, an out gay woman who just became the Mayor of Houston, Texas after a run-off election. She won with 53% of ... [Read]
Below is a peek at this week's sickening blanket of socially conservative, anti-gay rhetoric aimed at the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network and the head of President Obama's Safe Schools Initiative, Kevin Jennings who founded GLSEN. They're trying to get Jennings fired and GLSEN thrown out of the school system by focusing in on a sexual education workshop held in ... [Read]
''Let me be clear that God's Word states that all sex outside of marriage is not what God intends. Jesus reaffirmed what Moses wrote that marriage is intended to be between one man and one woman committed to each other for life....First, the potential law is unjust, extreme and un-Christian toward homosexuals, requiring the death penalty in some cases. If ... [Read]
Dr. Rachel Maddow questioning the ex-gay promoter Richard Cohen on his ties to the upcoming bill in Uganda which in part calls for the imprisonment and/or execution of gay people. Cohen and his ridiculous "International Healing Foundation" have had close relations with the top proponents of the "kill the gays" bill, as have other ex-gay proponents, and many other ... [Read]
''I'm doing this because the city council and the mayor have given me no choice.... Marion Barry and Yvette Alexander. We have a number of longstanding civic associations, clergy and individuals, who are demanding the right to vote as 31 other states have done.'' Bob King, a Ward 5 ANC Commissioner, expressing the twisted logic of why he has faxed ... [Read]
On a narrow, 7 to 6 vote, a New Jersey state Senate committee opted to move ''The Freedom of Religion and Equality of Civil Marriage Act'' toward a full vote in that state's senate. It's reported that over 150 people signed up to testify for and against the bill yesterday. (Star-Ledger) ... [Read]
''It's extremely common... The standard narrative that folks are used to hearing -- if you have same-sex attraction, you got it when you were 9 and either acted on it or repressed it -- is an oversimplification... Some women will say, 'I had attractions to friends over the years,' but not necessarily interpret that as homosexuality.... Later-life transitions are often ... [Read]
The "Amazing" Gays: Brothers Sam and Dan McMillen almost win the $1 million reality TV prize [video]
''It means a lot for us to be here and represent the gay community. And say to people, 'We are all the same, we're all different.' Some of us are this, some of us are that. Some of us get Second Place on 'The Amazing Race.' Some of us are brothers, some of us are father and son -- you ... [Read]
''I think that you have to be married to know how different it is than just being together with someone.... It feels like a very relaxing, calming thing.... Because of that commitment, I just feel like we're more of a team. More kind of working for the common goal of us.... No of course the word [marriage] is not ... [Read]
''It's turned into a tremendous plus. I was able to share my message. I used it as a platform. It turned into a tremendously positive experience. People know that I stay true to myself.... It is important for us as Christians to stand up for what we believe is right, such as traditional marriage'' ''I haven't seen the movie. From ... [Read]
''I believe the people of the diocese, by the grace and power and influence of the Holy Spirit, went beneath skin deep, went beneath the superficial characteristics and boxes into which we put people to really look at individual people.'' Mary D. Glasspool, 55, who has just been elected by the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. She is the first ... [Read]
''I am incredibly disappointed. This is a sad day in New York state.'' Diane Savino, New York State Senator for North Shore/Brooklyn, speaking Tuesday after her fellow senators defeated a bill that would have legalized marriage equality for lesbians and gay men. (Staten Island Live) ''Well, as impressive as people may have found my floor comments, they were not persuasive. ... [Read]
''Homosexuality will not be promoted, encouraged or supported in Uganda.... It is never, ever, a standard practice in the civilised world for a diplomat to address the press of a country in which he or she is serving on how the host country is handling affairs of its land.... It is clear to government and whoever cares to understand ... [Read]
''They (gay men) refused to show up at the opening for fear of media exposure and potential discrimination.'' Zhang Jianbo, founder of a city-sponsored gay bar in the Dali, China, which was supposed to be a meeting place for gay men, and once inside, they would receive access to HIV/AIDS education and outreach. Quite literally, they were trying to get ... [Read]
''Yes, sadly friends, ABC has cancelled my appearances on Kimmel and NYE. :( don't blame them. It's the FCC heat.'' Twitter post from Adam Lambert, apparently telling fans that he was dropped as a performer from two late-night TV appearances on the ABC TV network -- "Jimmy Kimmel Live" talk show, and the "New Year's Eve" special. It's not clear ... [Read]
''The sins that keep you out of heaven are not the just those sins of being gay, those are sins of lying, murdering, unforgiving, all kinds of sins. When you look at anyone you believe is not living a life along the principles of Christianity, you pray for them that they will one day see the error in their ... [Read]
''I'll tell you what I was hoping. I was watching it, and I think he's got a fantastic voice. I was hoping he would stand there and sing some fantastic song and blow the roof off the place. I think, running around and doing all that -- I think he missed a great opportunity.... He can do whatever he wants ... [Read]
"Ayes 24, Nays 38. The bill is lost." Final announcement from the New York Senate after debating and voting on a bill to legalize same-sex marriage. Many Senators stood and testified in favor of the bill, but in the end it was defeated. (New York Senate) ''People stand up there in front of God and man, even in front of ... [Read]
''I got involved with someone I never expected to get involved with, and it was that kind of awakening. I never fought it because it was like, oh, I understand why I had the issues I had early in life. I had a great deal of difficulty connecting with men in relationships.... It never occurred to me to think, ... [Read]
''I'm passionate and energetic about all things I do. This is not work for me. This is something I enjoy.'' Evan Low, 26, the new mayor of suburban city of Campbell, California. He was voted in by the Campbell's City Council. Now the youngest gay and youngest Asian mayor in America, he is slated to be serve as the mayor ... [Read]
"We have to stand against any efforts to marginalize and criminalize and penalize members of the LGBT community worldwide." Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, speaking at the White House World AIDS Day press event in reference to U.S. funding of HIV/AIDS programs in Africa and the controversy surrounding a proposed "Anti-Homosexual Bill" introduced in Uganda's Parliament that would criminalize homosexuality ... [Read]
''The fundamental dignity of every person, our right to be free, and the freedom to make moral choices are gifts endowed by God, our creator. However, it is not my personal calling as a pastor in America to comment or interfere in the political process of other nations.'' Saddleback Church leader Rick Warren responding to a request from Newsweek ... [Read]
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