GOP Attacks the Smithsonian

Posted on Advocate.com November 30, 2010
GOP Attacks the Smithsonian
By Advocate.com Editors


It’s 1989 all over again in Washington, D.C., as House speaker designate John Boehner of Ohio and incoming House majority leader Eric Cantor of Virginia have called for the dismantling of a Smithsonian exhibit focused on same-sex attraction.

The congressmen’s efforts are already paying off, as officials at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, where the exhibit—“Hide/Seek”—is being shown, have agreed to remove one controversial piece, a video by David Wojnarowicz, The Washington Post reports. The gallery was exhibiting a four-minute video by Wojnarowicz, a gay artist who died from AIDS in 1992, that includes 11 seconds of a crucifix with ants crawling on it. (Watch an excerpt of Wojnarowicz's piece here.)

Boehner spokesman Kevin Smith told the conservative website CNSNews.com that “Smithsonian officials should either acknowledge the mistake and correct it, or be prepared to face tough scrutiny beginning in January when the new majority in the House moves [in].” Smith later added that his boss wants the exhibit “canceled.”

Cantor said he wants the exhibit “pulled” and that it’s “an outrageous use of taxpayer money.”

Boehner's and Cantor's censorship calls are similar to a controversy that kicked off in 1989, when then-Senator Al D'Amato of New York ripped up a catalog containing Andre Serrano's "Piss Christ" on the Senate floor. The ensuing political and legal wrangling resulted in the National Endowment for the Arts cutting off funding for individual artists.

In addition to Wojnarowicz’s video, "Hide/Seek" includes works by Thomas Eakins, John Singer Sargent, George Belows, Walker Evans, Marcel Duchamp, Berenice Abbot, Grant Wood, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Georgia O’Keeffe, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Ellsworth Kelly, David Hockney, Agnes Martin, Andy Warhol, Nan Goldin, among others.

In a commentary posted Tuesday night on WashingtonPost.com, Blake Gopnik explains: “This fuss is about the larger topic of the show: Gay love, and images of it. The headline that ran on [the Post's] coverage of the matter on the right-wing Web site CNSnews.com mentioned the crucifix—but as only one item in a list of the exhibition’s ‘shockers’ that included ‘naked brothers kissing, genitalia and Ellen DeGeneres grabbing her breast.’ (Through a bra, one might note, in an image that’s less shocking than many moves by Lady Gaga.)”

Gopnik wrote a compelling review of "Hide/Seek" when it opened in early November, and The Washington Post included a photo gallery of several of the pieces along with his review.

In response to Boehner's and Cantor's demands, a spokesperson for the Smithsonian explained that no federal funding is used to pay for exhibits—only infrastructure, curating of works, and staff, The Hill reports.

Savage Takes On-Air Swipe at CNN

Posted on Advocate.com November 24, 2010
Savage Takes On-Air Swipe at CNN
By Julie Bolcer


KyraPhillip DanSavage

Advocate.com

Dan Savage, columnist and founder of the It Gets Better project, appeared on CNN to discuss recent hate crime news Tuesday afternoon, and he took the opportunity to challenge CNN and other networks for giving antigay voices a platform.

According to Media Matters, which provided the transcript below, Savage spoke with Kyra Phillips of CNN Newsroom about new reports including one that shows LGBT people are far more likely to be victimized by hate crimes. Savage called out the media for giving voice to antigay leaders like Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, which the Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled as a hate group.

PHILLIPS: You know, it's difficult to say what would be a solution [to anti-gay hate crimes]. But, could we start with more hate crimes legislation where bullies are prosecuted more severely?

SAVAGE: We can start with that, we can also start with… really, we need a cultural reckoning around gay and lesbian issues. There was once two sides to the race debate. There was once a side, you could go on television and argue for segregation, you could argue against interracial marriage, against the Civil Rights Act, against extending voting rights to African Americans and that used to be treated as one side, you know, one legitimate side of a pressing national debate and it isn't anymore. And we really need to reach that point with gay and lesbian issues. There are no ‘two sides’ to the issues about gay and lesbian rights.

And right now one side is really using dehumanizing rhetoric. The Southern Poverty Law Center labels these groups as hate groups and yet the leaders of these groups, people like Tony Perkins, are welcomed onto networks like CNN to espouse hate directed at gays and lesbians. And similarly hateful people who are targeting Jews or people of color or anyone else would not be welcome to spew their bile on networks like CNN and then that really -- we really have to start there. We have to start with that type of cultural reckoning.

Parents Want Anti-Bullying Film Removed From Curriculum

Posted on Advocate.com November 23, 2010
Parents Want Anti-Bullying Film Removed From Curriculum
By Advocate.com Editors


Backlash from parents threatens the future of a film with a clear anti-bullying message in Vallejo, CA 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 ACLU 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 up 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 lesbian 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 anti-gay bias."

UN deletes gay reference from anti-execution measures

UN deletes gay reference from anti-execution measures
by Jessica Geen
18 November 2010, 4:54pm
The resolution condemns unjustified executions (Photo: Bryan Davidson)The resolution condemns unjustified executions (Photo: Bryan Davidson)


A United Nations panel has deleted a reference to gays and lesbians in a resolution condemning unjustified executions.

The motion was introduced by Morocco and Mali and the vast majority of countries in support were African or Arabic.

Many of the supporting countries criminalise homosexuality and five treat it as a capital offence.

The amendment called for the words “sexual orientation” to be replaced with “discriminatory reasons on any basis”. The resolution makes explicit reference to a large number of groups, including human rights defenders, religious and ethnic minorities and street children.

It narrowly passed 79-70 and was then approved by the UN General Assembly committee with 165 in favour and ten abstentions.

The amendment, which condemns extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions and other killings, is voted on by the UN General Assembly every two years.

It has contained a reference to sexual orientation for the last ten years.

Cary Alan Johnson, executive director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, said: “This vote is a dangerous and disturbing development.

“It essentially removes the important recognition of the particular vulnerability faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people – a recognition that is crucial at a time when 76 countries around the world criminalise homosexuality, five consider it a capital crime, and countries like Uganda are considering adding the death penalty to their laws criminalising homosexuality.”

Apple approves ‘anti-gay’ iPhone app

Apple approves ‘anti-gay’ iPhone app
by Jessica Geen
23 November 2010, 5:54pm
A screenshot of the Manhattan Declaration appA screenshot of the Manhattan Declaration app


Apple has approved an iPhone app which calls on users to sign up to a declaration against LGBT rights and gay marriage.

The app is based on the Manhattan Declaration, a manifesto released in 2009 by Christian and Catholic leaders which rails against the “erosion” of marriage.

Apple has given the app a 4+ rating, meaning that it contains “no objectionable content”.

The app asks users whether they agree with four statements on abortion and same-sex marriage and those who answer that they are pro-choice and pro-gay marriage are told that they are incorrect.

It also has links to read and sign up to the full declaration, which says that gay relationships are “immoral” and that same-sex marriages are equivalent to sanctioning incest.

The declaration says that signatories act out of “love and “concern for the comment good” rather than prejudice.

One US gay rights group is calling for people to sign a petition to ask Apple to remove the app.

Change.org said: “Apple, for their part, has given the app a rating of 4+. What does that means? According to their rating system, it means that the app contains ‘no objectionable material’. Say what?

“Because it sure seems like if you’re going to call same-sex relationships ‘immoral sexual partnerships’, or if you’re going to accuse gay people of ‘eroding marriage’,or if you say that gay people don’t deserve basic civil rights, that should at least fall into the category of ‘objectionable’.”

Apple could not be reached for comment and a return email said the company’s offices were closed for Thanksgiving.

Islamic schools ‘teaching pupils that gays should be executed’

Islamic schools ‘teaching pupils that gays should be executed’
by PinkNews.co.uk Staff Writer
22 November 2010, 10:23am
There are said to be 5,000 pupils in the schoolsThere are said to be 5,000 pupils in the schools


Around 5,000 children at Islamic weekend schools are being taught homophobic and anti-semitic views, it has been claimed.

According to a BBC Panorama investigation to be screened tonight, the Sharia law classes use textbooks which tell children that the penalty for gay sex is execution, that “Zionists” are plotting to take over the world for the Jews and the correct way to cut off the hands and feet of convicted thieves.

One book for six-year-olds asks children what happens to someone who does not believe in Islam. The answer, according to the programme, is “hellfire”.

There are said to be around 40 weekend schools, which are run under the banner of Saudi Students Clubs and Schools in the UK and Ireland. They teach the Saudi national curriculum and, as they are weekend schools, are not inspected by Ofsted.

According to the Daily Mail, one textbook for 15-year-olds identified by the programme says: “For thieves their hands will be cut off for a first offence, and their foot for a subsequent offence.”

Diagrams showing where cuts should be made accompany the text, which says: : “The specified punishment of the thief is cutting off his right hand at the wrist. Then it is cauterised to prevent him from bleeding to death.”

Gay sex is punished by execution, the schools allegedly teach. However, children are told that clerics are said to differ in whether the guilty person should be stoned, thrown off a cliff or burnt.

Other textbooks are said to ask students to list the “reprehensible” qualities of Jews and claim that Jews are transformed into pigs and monkeys.

Michael Gove, the education secretary, told Panorama: “Saudi Arabia is a sovereign country. I have no desire or wish to intervene in the decisions that the Saudi government makes in its own education system. But I’m clear that we cannot have antisemitic material of any kind being used in English schools.”

The Saudi ambassador to the UK said it had nothing to do with the schools and condemned the “dangerously deceptive and misleading” use of historical texts on Jews.

The Saudi embassy told Panorama: “Any tutoring activities that may have taken place among any other group of Muslims in the United Kingdom are absolutely individual to that group and not affiliated to or endorsed by the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia.”

Gay Saudi diplomat says he’ll be killed if sent home

Gay Saudi diplomat says he’ll be killed if sent home
by Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk
14 September 2010, 3:39pm
Saudi Arabia criminalises homosexualitySaudi Arabia criminalises homosexuality


A gay Saudi Arabian diplomat is seeking asylum in the US because he says he will be killed if returned to his home country.

The man, who has been named as Ali Ahmad Asseri, says his homosexuality and his friendship with a Jewish woman will lead to his death.

Mr Asseri, who was the first secretary of the Saudi consulate in Los Angeles, said he lost his job when Saudi officials refused to renew his passport after they discovered his sexual orientation and friendship with the woman.

He told NBC News: “My life is in a great danger here and if I go back to Saudi Arabia, they will kill me openly in broad daylight.”

According to the station, Mr Asseri criticised his home country for being “backward” on a Saudi website and attacked “militant imams” who have “defaced the tolerance of Islam”.

He has also reportedly threatened to publicise embarrassing information about Saudi royal family members living in the US.

Homosexuality is illegal in Saudi Arabia and can be punished with the death penalty.

It is believed that no executions for homosexuality have been carried out in the country since 2002, although there have been reports of prison sentences and flogging for men arrested at gay parties or for “behaving like women”.

Pentagon: No Gays Were Discharged In Past Month

Pentagon: No gays were discharged in past month

By LISA LEFF
The Associated Press
Monday, November 22, 2010; 8:46 PM


SAN FRANCISCO -- No U.S. service members have been discharged for being openly gay in the month since the Defense Department adopted new rules surrounding the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, a Pentagon spokeswoman said Monday.

Under new rules adopted Oct. 21, Defense Secretary Robert Gates put authority for signing off on dismissals in the hands of the three service secretaries.

Before then, any commanding officer at a rank equivalent to a one-star general could discharge gay enlisted personnel under the 1993 law that prohibits gays from serving openly in uniform.

Pentagon spokeswoman Cynthia Smith told The Associated Press that no discharges have been approved since Oct. 21.

Smith did not know if the absence of recent discharges was related to the new separation procedures. The Pentagon has not compiled monthly discharge figures for any other months this year, she said.

Based on historical trends, however, it appears the change, as well as moves by Gates and President Barack Obama to get Congress to repeal "don't ask, don't tell," has caused discharge rates to fall dramatically, said Aaron Belkin, executive director of the Palm Center, a pro-repeal think tank based at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

"Statistically, it would be extremely unlikely if we had a month in which there were no gay discharges," Belkin said, noting that 428 gay and lesbian service members were honorably discharged under the ban in 2009. "When you require a service secretary to sign off on a discharge, you are basically saying, 'We don't want any people in this category discharged unless there is an exceptional situation.'"

A month without "don't ask, don't tell" discharges was welcome news, said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. Still, the organization continues to hear daily from military personnel who are under investigation for being gay and face the possibility of being fired.

"We have clients who are still under investigation, who are still having to respond, and in fact we have a client under investigation right now under suicide watch," Sarvis said. "So 'don't ask, don't tell' has not gone away."

Gates announced the change requiring the top civilian officials with the armed forces to personally approve "don't ask, don't tell" discharges after a federal judge in California ordered the military to immediately stop enforcing its ban on openly gay troops, declaring the 17-year-old policy unconstitutional.

An appeals court subsequently froze the judge's order until it could consider the broader constitutional issues in the case.

Putting responsibility for firing gay personnel in the hands of the three service secretaries was not designed to slow the rate of discharges, Gates said at the time. Rather, concentrating that authority was meant to ensure uniformity and care in enforcement at a time of legal uncertainty, he said in a memo outlining the new rules.

Gates since has urged the Senate to repeal "don't ask, don't tell" before a new Congress takes office in January. He said this week he plans to release a monthslong study on how lifting the gay service ban would affect the armed forces and could be carried out on Nov. 30.

Carrey Slams Letterman

Posted on Advocate.com November 22, 2010
Carrey Slams Letterman
By Advocate.com Editors
JIM CARREY ON LETTERMAN ADVOCATE.COM

While appearing on The Late Show with David Letterman to promote his new gay prison comedy I Love You Phillip Morris, Jim Carrey took the late night talk show host to task for his dated line of questioning with regard to straight guys playing gay on film.

“We haven’t grown at all, have we?”, the actor asked Letterman after being asked if he worried about his image as a heterosexual leading man after playing gay.

Watch the exchange here.

Posted on Advocate.com November 21, 2010

Mullen Talks DADT With Amanpour

By Advocate.com Editors

Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, repeated to Christiane Amanpour his personal belief that the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy should be repealed, but he declined to discuss specifics until the Pentagon study due by December 1 is completed.
Mullen, the highest ranking member of the military, told the host of This Week on ABC News that the policy “belies” the military by forcing its members to lie about who they are. He also discussed his concern that Gen. James Amos, the Marine Corps commandant, recently criticized repeal prospects in public while the study was unfinished. Adm. Mullen said he believes that repeal is best accomplished through the legislature and not the courts.
The transcript of their conversation about "don't ask, don't tell" follows. Watch the video beginning around the 4:40 mark.
AMANPOUR: "Don't ask/don't tell," something that's hugely important right now. A draft report has come to you; some 70 percent of the military say that it will either have a beneficial or nonexistent effect. Do you think it needs to be voted on in this lame-duck session?
MULLEN: Well, I won't speak to what the draft report says. We'll have this report done here...
AMANPOUR: Do you think...
MULLEN: ... and to Secretary Gates in the next couple of weeks, by December 1st, and I won't make any comments on where I think we need to go until that report is done.
AMANPOUR: You support it, though, repealing "don't ask/don't tell"?
MULLEN: From my personal perspective, absolutely.
AMANPOUR: Because?
MULLEN: Because I think it -- it belies us as an institution. We value integrity as an institution.
AMANPOUR: You mean forcing them to lie about what they are?
MULLEN: And then -- and then asking individuals to come in and lie about who they are every day goes counter to who we are as an institution.
AMANPOUR: Apart from the integrity issue, many of your allies -- whether it be England or Canada or France or Australia, the Israeli army -- they have openly gay servicemembers in their military with no adverse effects.
MULLEN: Certainly. I've seen that, and that is very much a part of this review, and we'll incorporate that into the review and recommendations which go up the chain.
AMANPOUR: So were you angry with the new Marine commandant when he cast his own doubts over this and criticized it?
MULLEN: He had made his position very clear in testimony. What concerned me about his most recent comments, it came at a time where we actually had the draft report in hand, and we had all agreed that we would speak to this privately until we completed the report and made our recommendations up the chain.
AMANPOUR: And if it does not get voted on in the lame-duck session, is there any chance that it will come up in any reasonable time period afterwards?
MULLEN: Well, I mean, it's very hard to predict what's going to happen. Obviously, from a legislative...
AMANPOUR: But would you think it will put it down the road?
MULLEN: ... from a legislative perspective. The other piece that is out there that's very real is the courts are very active on this. And my concern is that at some point in time the courts could change this law and in that not give us the right amount of time to implement it. I think it's much better done -- if it's going to get done, it's much better done through legislature than it is out of the courts.

Posted on Advocate.com November 21, 2010

Charges Dropped in Fort Worth Bar Raid

Officials in Fort Worth, Texas have dropped charges against four bar patrons involved in the raid last year of the Rainbow Lounge gay bar.
According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, “The dismissals came 2 1/2 weeks before Chad Gibson, who suffered a head injury in the June 28, 2009, incident, and George Armstrong had been set to go on trial on public intoxication charges. They had both pleaded not guilty, and Gibson had also pleaded not guilty to assaulting an agent with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.”
Two other patrons, Dylan Brown and Jose Macias, also had public intoxication charges against them dropped. The cases against two other patrons, Joshua Taylor and Rene Crosby, already had been resolved.
Protesters against the raid demanded an investigation, but Fort Worth police and the alcohol commission concluded that no excessive force was used. Two alcohol commission agents and their supervisor were fired, and three police officers received short-term suspensions.

Posted on Advocate.com November 19, 2010

Pundit: Gays Deserve Equality With Inmates

By Advocate.com Editors

If prison inmates can get married, same-sex couples should be able to as well, says Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn.
In a blog post published Thursday, Zorn, a longtime supporter of gay rights, reports that an Illinois man convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend in 1998 was released from prison this week and headed for Hawaii to join the woman he married while serving his sentence. In 1987, Zorn notes, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld prisoners’ right to marry.
With the Illinois legislature considering a bill to establish marriage-like civil unions for gay couples, Zorn writes, “The petty reason some cite in opposition to such unions — they cannot naturally produce offspring! — is piddling compared with the limitations of the prison-based unions that we’ve recognized as a beneficial and ‘fundamental right’ for 23 years.”
The legislature is likely to vote on the bill next week, and “approving it will be the fair and smart thing to do,” Zorn says.
In a follow-up post Friday, Zorn disagrees with Web commenters who say gays should not accept civil unions instead of marriage equality. “Creating civil unions will likely hasten rather than forestall the day when Illinois recognizes gay marriage and is therefore a good intermediate step,” he writes. Read more here and here.

Posted on Advocate.com November 19, 2010

Military Families Show Support for Repeal

By Advocate.com Editors

An online petition from the Courage Campaign, a California-based gay rights organization, has gathered over 12,000 signatures from veterans and families of service members supporting repeal of "don't ask, don't tell."
The petition was created in conjunction with Rep. Patrick Murphy of Pennsylvania, who introduced the DADT repeal bill in the House. Murphy plans on presenting the signatures to senators Harry Reid, Carl Levin, Mitch McConnell, and John McCain during the lame-duck session "to show the American public, including veterans and military families, stand firmly behind repeal of 'Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.'"
The petition has been signed by a total of almost 68,000 Americans and can be accessed here.

Posted on Advocate.com November 20, 2010

Pope: Condoms OK For Male Prostitutes

By Julie Bolcer

In surprising comments in a new book, Pope Benedict XVI departs from the Catholic Church’s zero-tolerance policy toward condoms and suggests that they may be justified in some instances, such as for male prostitutes to prevent the spread of HIV, where contraception is not a concern.
The Associated Press reported on the groundbreaking remarks made to a German journalist in a book-length interview, "Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times," to be released Tuesday. The Vatican newspaper ran excerpts Saturday.
“Benedict called it ‘a first step in a movement toward a different way, a more human way of living sexuality.’
“He used as an example male prostitutes, for whom contraception is not an issue, as opposed to married couples where one spouse is infected. The Vatican has come under pressure from even some church officials in Africa to condone condom use for monogamous married couples to protect the uninfected spouse from getting infected.”
Previously, Benedict has been criticized for suggesting that condoms contribute to the increase in HIV infections. Journalist Peter Seewald asked him about that position in the interview.
"There may be a basis in the case of some individuals, as perhaps when a male prostitute uses a condom, where this can be a first step in the direction of a moralization, a first assumption of responsibility," said Benedict, the AP reported.
However, the Pope emphasized his view that abstinence is the surest way to prevent HIV. Vatican observers said it would be wrong to interpret his comments as a change in church teaching.
However, gay conservative blogger Andrew Sullivan suggested that the remarks from the Pope open a "Pandora's box" for Church teaching about homosexuality.
"And so Pandora's box opens," wrote Sullivan. "If it represents a 'moralization' when a male prostitute wears a condom, would it be another step in his moralization to give up prostitution for a non-mercenary sexual and emotional relationship? In such a relationship, would it be more moral for such a man to disclose his HIV status or not? If he does, would it not be more moral for him to wear a condom in sex than not?"

Michigan students criticised for burning gay Pride flag

Michigan students criticised for burning gay Pride flag

By Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk • November 11, 2010 - 13:39

The rainbow flag is a symbol of the gay rights movement

A private college in Michigan, US, says it has taken “appropriate action” after two students burned a gay Pride flag on campus.
Albion College president Donna Randall said the incident took place last month when a small group of students found the flag in a bin and set fire to it.
Following a complaint, three students were identified.
One, Salaina Catalano, went to the local media to say that she had only witnessed the flag burning and did not take part.
She apologised to gay and lesbian students and told mlive.com that the students she was with were “very intimidating and manipulative people.”
Ms Randall said: “Appropriate action has been taken to address the conduct of the students involved.”
She would not give any further details, citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which she said prevented her from revealing what action was taken.
The college president added: “I want to make it very clear that the college condemns harassment of any member of our college community. I personally find such behavior reprehensible and offensive.”
Some students, angered at a perceived lack of punishment for the students, set up a website to persuade alumni not to donate to the college.
According to the Michigan Messenger, Albion College is a private university associated with the Methodist Church, meaning it is not subject to the free speech protections of the First Amendment.
In a public university, the students would have their right to free speech protected.
An amendment has been proposed to the US Constitution to make “flag desecration” of the stars and stripes illegal.
The most recent attempt to ban the form of protest failed by one vote in 2006.

Two soldiers held over shooting at Rio de Janeiro Pride

Two soldiers held over shooting at Rio de Janeiro Pride

By Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk • November 19, 2010 - 16:30

The teenager was shot at Pride

Two soldiers are being held by the Brazilian army after a teenager was shot at Sunday’s Rio de Janeiro Pride.
Nineteen-year-old student Douglas Igor Marques Luiz was shot once in the stomach during the gay festival.
He was treated in hospital and has now been released.
According to Associated Press, the army initially denied being involved in the incident.
It has now confirmed that two sergeants were arrested yesterday and will be questioned by police.
One is said to have admitted shooting the teenager.
Mr Luiz told police that he was verbally abused before being shot.

Countries vote to accept execution of gays

The United Nations has removed a plea for lesbians, gays and bisexuals not to be executed in a narrow vote.

Tris Reid-Smith

news.PinkPaper.com

Friday, 19 November 2010

18 November 2010

The United Nations has removed a plea for lesbians, gays and bisexuals not to be executed in a narrow vote.

For the last 10 years sexual orientation has been included in a list of discriminatory grounds for executions – gay rights activists say the vote to remove that listing is “dangerous and disturbing.”

The UN resolution urges countries to protect the right to life of all people, calling on them to investigate killings based on discriminatory grounds. Sexual orientation was previously listed as one of these forms of discrimination, alongside ethnicity, religious belief and linguistic minorities.

Others protected by the resolution were human rights defenders (like journalists, lawyers and demonstrators), street children and members of indigenous communities.

But now sexual orientation has been taken out of the list. The amendment was supported by Benin in Africa on behalf of the African Group in the UN General Assembly. It passed on a narrow vote of 79 for, 70 against , 17 abstentions and 26 absent.

Some of those voting to remove sexual orientation were countries where gays are known to be or thought to be executed or summarily killed including Iran, Nigeria, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Iraq.

The UK, US, Australia, New Zealand and many European countries voted in favour of gays.

Cary Alan Johnson, Executive Director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, said: “This vote is a dangerous and disturbing development. It essentially removes the important recognition of the particular vulnerability faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people – a recognition that is crucial at a time when 76 countries around the world criminalise homosexuality, five consider it a capital crime and countries like Uganda are considering adding the death penalty to their laws criminalising homosexuality.”

Same-Sex Behavior Found in Nearly All Animals

By LiveScience Staff
posted: 16 June 2009 12:02 pm ET

This photo shows a female-female pair of Laysan Albatross. Females cooperatively build nests and rear young when males are scarce. Scientists said nearly all animal species exhibit same-sex behavior. Credit: Eric VanderWerf

Examples of same-sex behavior can be found in almost all species in the animal kingdom — from worms to frogs to birds — making the practice nearly universal among animals, according to a new review of research on the topic.
"It's clear that same-sex sexual behavior extends far beyond the well-known examples that dominate both the scientific and popular literature: for example, bonobos, dolphins, penguins and fruit flies," said Nathan Bailey, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Riverside.
Same-sex behaviors in different species are not all equivalent, the review finds. For instance, male fruit flies sometimes court other male flies, but this behavior is due to a missing gene that gives the flies the ability to distinguish between sexes, said Bailey, a co-author of the review. "That is very different from male bottlenose dolphins, who engage in same-sex interactions to facilitate group bonding, or female Laysan Albatross that can remain pair-bonded for life," he added.
The review also found a gap in the literature: While many studies have tried to understand why same-sex coupling exists and why it might make sense in terms of evolution, few have looked at what the evolutionary consequences of this behavior might be.

"Like any other behavior that doesn't lead directly to reproduction — such as aggression or altruism — same-sex behavior can have evolutionary consequences that are just now beginning to be considered," Bailey said. "For example, male-male copulations in locusts can be costly for the mounted male" and this cost may put evolutionary pressure on the locusts, he said. As a result, a larger number of males may secrete a particular chemical that discourages the mounting behavior, he added.
In their future research, Bailey and Marlene Zuk, a biology professor at UCR, plan to try and address questions about the evolutionary outcomes of same-sex couplings, focusing on the Laysan Albatrosses.
The review article was published in the June 16 issue of the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution, and the study was funded by the UCR Academia Senate.

Storm Chaser Matt Hughes Dies

Storm Chaser Matt Hughes Dies

Matt Hughes, 30 years old, has died from injuries sustained at home. He had been in the hospital with his family and friends at his side in Kansas a week or so after the event that caused his injury.
I have read many blogs tonight after we watched the latest episode of the TV show he appeared in – “Storm Chasers”.

 The following paragraphs are a copy of a comment I posted on one of the blogs about the possible cause of his death:

“Sean Casey may be the most disgusting person I’ve ever seen on TV. I believe his decision to bring on a new team member had a role in the events that led to Matt’s death. During the memorial episode devoted to Matt I noticed the expression on Matt’s face went from one of happiness to one of withdrawal the moment the new member walked into the room.

Sean is a terrible manager. He demoted the TIV driver a couple of episodes ago and that person quit the team (I’ve already forgotten the poor guys name). In my opinion, Matt saw the writing on the wall regarding the new buxom beauty Meteorologist who has a PhD. He knew what a slimy snake Sean is and that his own position within the team was precarious because Sean never acknowledged his contributions or worth. It is obvious to me that Sean Casey felt threatened by the young man with stars in his eyes and more enthusiasm and courage than the middle-aged has-been who couldn’t find a tornado if it were heading directly for him.

Matt was a piece of eye candy and I loved to watch his every move and listen to his every word. I looked forward to the few moments of air time that he was given in each episode. I believe his future was so bright and that was what Sean could see as well. Matt was on track to become a household name while Sean was on track to oblivion.

I realize Matt had other issues to deal with in his personal life. I believe I know what might cause him to feel so hopeless. So many self-inflicted deaths of young men recently that were brought about by bullies such as Sean Casey. The recent incident involving that school board member in Arkansas who wrote on Facebook that all “members of a certain hated minority” should commit suicide (his statement was not so diplomatic) sheds light on the reason many beautiful young men take their own lives. The fear of being disowned by loved ones or discriminated against by society in general and by governmental and religious persecution has been the catalyst for so much sadness.

The pain and sorrow Matt’s family must feel is shared by so many who came to know Matt through his role on Storm Chasers. It is my hope they will eventually discuss openly the reasons they believe brought on this tragedy. I will be eagerly waiting their thoughts. We loved Matt, too.”

Court Allows DADT Pending Appeal

Taken From Advocate com

By Andrew Harmon

The military may continue to enforce “don’t ask, don’t tell” while the government appeals a recent federal court decision striking down the policy as unconstitutional, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.

In a split decision, a three-judge panel of the U.S. court of appeals for the ninth circuit ruled that the "the lack of an orderly transition in policy" could produce "immediate harm" and "precipitous injury" — echoing arguments made by the Obama administration’s Justice Department for allowing the policy to remain in place.
"We also conclude that the public interest in ensuring orderly change of this magnitude in the military — if that is what is to happen — strongly militates in favor of a stay," ninth circuit judges Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain and Stephen S. Trott wrote.
In a dissenting opinion, Judge William A. Fletcher wrote that he would have favored a stay of the district court's order in Log Cabin Republicans v. United States of America if the Defense Department were barred from any further discharges of gay service members under DADT.
Dan Woods, lead attorney for the Log Cabin Republicans, which filed the suit in 2004, told The Advocate Monday afternoon that he was reviewing the court's ruling and that he will discuss with his client whether or not to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. "I imagine it will be a long shot," Woods said.
However, Woods said he may file a separate motion seeking expedited arguments in the case. The ninth circuit allowed an expedited schedule in California's Proposition 8 case, with oral arguments scheduled for December 6.
Log Cabin Republicans executive director R. Clarke Cooper said in a statement that as a result of the ruling, DADT "will continue to burden our armed forces, undermine national security, and limit the freedom of our men and women in uniform.”

Uncertainty over the enforcement of "don't ask, don't tell"  has now played out for several weeks since U.S. district judge Virginia A. Phillips issued an injunction against the policy October 12. Phillips, who ruled in September that DADT failed to further military readiness or unit cohesion while violating the constitutional rights of gay service members, denied a Justice Department request for a short stay of her order, but the ninth circuit had allowed for DADT to remain in place at least temporarily while it reviewed attorneys' arguments.
Attorneys for the Log Cabin Republicans had vigorously argued against a continuance of "don't ask, don't tell" pending the government's appeal. “It remains sad and disappointing that the government seeks to continue to enforce 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' by its motion for a stay pending appeal, even as the President has repeatedly said that the policy 'weakens' our national security and recently said in a 'tweet' that he basically agrees with Judge Phillips's decision," Woods said in a statement last week.
President Barack Obama has repeatedly called for congressional repeal of the 1993 law but has sidestepped questions on whether he personally believes DADT is unconstitutional. During an interview with progressive bloggers last week that included AmericaBlog's Joe Sudbay, the president declined to opine on the law's constitutionality.
"It’s not a simple yes or no question, because I’m not sitting on the Supreme Court," Obama said. "And I’ve got to be careful, as president of the United States, to make sure that when I’m making pronouncements about laws that Congress passed I don’t do so just off the top of my head."

Animals Are Not 'Straight'

 All Animals Are Not Straight
Taken From LiveScience com

Homosexuality in the Animal Kingdom is well documented and proves that homosexuality is the norm and not a choice made by humans. Here is a short list of 10 such species:

Number 10

Guianan Cock

Males of this stunning perching bird delight in homosexuality. Almost 40 percent of the male population engages in a form of homosexual activity and a small percentage don't ever copulate with females.



Number 9

Gray Whales

Splashing around in the water is brought to a completely new level in gray whales, where homosexual interactions are quite common. In slip-and-slide orgies, as many as five males roll around, splashing water, and rubbing their bellies against each other so that their genitals are touching.



Number 8

Walruses

Male walruses don't reach sexual maturity until they are four years old. During that time, they are most likely exclusively involved in same-sex relationships. The older males are typically bi-sexual, mating with females during breeding season and copulating with other males the rest of the year. Males rub their bodies together, embrace each other and even sleep together in water.



Number 7

Swans

Homosexual couples account for up to 20 percent of all pairings annually. Almost a quarter of all families are parented by homosexual couples that remain together for years. At times, male couples use the services of a female by mating with her. Once she lays a clutch of eggs, the wanna-be fathers chase her away and hatch the eggs. Other times, they just drive away heterosexual couples from their nests and adopt their eggs.



Number 6

Antelopes

On average, females mount with other females a couple of times an hour during the mating season. Homosexual mounting encompasses almost 9 percent of all sexual activities within these hoofed mammals in the wild. While courting, the pursuer sidles up behind a pal and raises her foreleg, touching the other female between her legs. This leggy foreplay ultimately leads to mounting.



Number 5

Giraffes

Male courtships are frequent amongst these long-necked mammals. Often a male will start necking with another before proceeding to mount him. This affectionate play can take up to an hour. According to one study, one in every 20 male giraffes will be found necking with another male at any instant. In many cases, homosexual activity is said to be more common than heterosexual.



Number 4

Bottlenose Dophins

Homosexual activity occurs with about the same frequency as heterosexual play amongst these marine mammals. Male bottlenose dolphins are generally bisexual, but they go through periods of being exclusively homosexual. The homosexual activities of these mammals include oral sex during which time one dolphin stimulates the other with its snout. Males also rub their erect penises against the body of their partner.



Number 3

Bison

Homosexual mounting between males tends to be more common than heterosexual female-male copulation among American bison, especially because females only mate with the bulls about once a year. During mating season, males engage in same-sex activities several times a day. More than 55 percent of mounting in young males is with the same gender.



Number 2

Macaques

Female macaques form intense bonds with each other and are serially monogamous, meaning they only have one sexual partner at a time. However, they have several of these relationships during each breeding season. Female macaques engage in sexual activities such as genital stimulation and vocalize their delight in forms of cackling sounds. Males also take to homosexual play but tend to leave their partner soon after, making it what we call in the human world a one night stand.

There is ample evidence in the Animal Kingdom that homosexual behavior is the norm and not restricted to relationships. Here is a list of 10 animals known for their documented homosexual behavior:

Number 1

Bonobos

Homosexuality has been documented in almost 500 species of animals, signaling that sexual preference is predetermined. Considered the closest living relative to humans, bonobos are not shy about seeking sexual pleasure. Nearly all of these peace-loving apes are bisexual and often resolve conflict by the "make love, not war" principle. They copulate frequently, scream out in delight while doing so, and often engage in homosexual activities. About two thirds of the homosexual activities are amongst females.