Trans woman runs for mayor in Texas

by Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk
1 March 2011, 3:36pm

 

Sandra Dunn is running for mayor of Amarillo, Texas

 

A transgender woman is challenging an anti-gay pastor in the mayoral race in Amarillo, Texas.

Sandra Dunn, 53, said her friends encouraged her to go for the job after pastor David Grisham announced his candidacy last week.
Mr Grisham is director of Repent Amarillo, a religious, fundamentalist group. He has said that Houston should be boycotted because its mayor, Annise Parker, is a lesbian.
Ms Dunn, who previously served in the Army, is studying for a master’s degree.
She supports better sex education in schools and is against a smoking ban.
This week, she acknowledged that her trans status could overshadow her campaign.
“That was a concern when we thought about running,” she said. “We may gain national attention.”
Speaking to the Amarillo Globe-News, Mr Grisham said of his rival: “I’m not sure that’s who you want as mayor. If they’re indecisive about who they are, are they indecisive about other issues?”

Justin Bieber: being gay is a decision and abortion is wrong

by Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk
17 February 2011, 1:34pm

 
Justin Bieber won best break through act at the Brit awards

Fresh from winning a Brit award, teenage pop sensation Justin Bieber has suggested that homosexuality is a choice and that abortion is wrong even when pregnancy is caused by rape.

In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, he appeared to label homosexuality as a choice rather than something that is uncontrollable.He also spoke out against abortion even when pregnancy is caused by rape, saying “everything happens for a reason.”The interview for next month’s Rolling Stone magazine has been distributed via blogs.When asked what his views on homosexuality are, Bieber responded: “It’s everyone’s own decision to do that. It doesn’t affect me and shouldn’t affect anyone else.”

It is not clear whether he intended to label homosexuality as a lifestyle choice.
Bieber’s position stands in contrast with that of Lady Gaga who last year said: “there are some people in this world that believe being gay is a choice. It’s not a choice, we’re born this way.” Her single ‘Born This Way’ has been described as the new gay anthem by Sir Elton John.
In his interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Bieber went on to say “I think you should just wait for the person you’re … in love with,” when asked about abstinence.
Despite his strong Christian background he did not argue against pre-martial sex.
“I really don’t believe in abortion,” he told the magazine “I think [an embryo] is a human. It’s like killing a baby.”
He added that while it is “really sad” for a woman to become pregnant after being raped, he claimed that “everything happens for a reason.”
“I don’t know how that would be a reason,” he added. “I guess I haven’t been in that position, so I wouldn’t be able to judge that.”

Posted on Advocate.com February 16, 2011

Santorum's Gay Sex Problem

Antigay former U.S. senator Rick Santorum, a potential 2012 Republican presidential candidate, has found the use of his name in connection with anal sex is a hyperlink that’s hard to break... thanks to Dan Savage.

By Advocate.com Editors

- (from left) Rick Santorum and Dan Savage

Antigay former U.S. senator Rick Santorum, a potential 2012 Republican presidential candidate, has found that the use of his name in connection with anal sex is a hyperlink that’s hard to break, Roll Call reports.
In 2003 sex-advice columnist Dan Savage was seeking to mock Santorum for his homophobic statements, such as remarks he made in an interview that year to the effect that legalization of gay sex could lead to recognition of “man on child” and “man on dog” relationships. Savage held a competition asking his readers to come up with a new definition for “Santorum,” and the winning entry referred to a by-product of anal intercourse. Now a Google search for “Santorum” will frequently turn up that meaning of the word.
Roll Call consulted technology experts, who said there was little Santorum could do to prevent Web searches from finding sites with that definition. The politician himself “sounded slightly defeated” when asked about his “Google problem” recently, the publication reported. “It’s one guy,” Santorum told Roll Call. “You know who it is. The Internet allows for this type of vulgarity to circulate. It’s unfortunate that we have someone who obviously has some issues. But he has an opportunity to speak.”
Santorum added, however, that the phenomenon is an indication of “incivility” in politics. “You want to talk about incivility,” he said. “I don’t know of anybody on the left who came to my defense for the incivility with respect to those things.”
In response to Santorum’s statements, Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund spokesman Dennis Dison told Roll Call, “I think that civility in politics is a fantastic goal. ... Speaking from the LGBT community, we wish he would practice it.”

Posted on Advocate.com February 09, 2011

Navy: DADT Training Done by June

By Michelle Garcia

Sailors aboard the USS Truman

The Navy announced Tuesday it will finish training all of its members on the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" by June 30.

Leaders from each of the military branches submitted their training plans to the Pentagon Friday, but the Navy made its plans public,  The Washington Post reports.

Each branch is required to train their personnel in three top-down intervals: first military chaplains, lawyers, and civilian public affairs officers, then commanding officers, and finally rank and file troops. April 30 is the goal date to finish commander training, and then rank-and-file sailors should be done with their training by June 30.
Because President Barack Obama, Defense secretary Robert M. Gates, and Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Adm. Mike Mullen must certify that all members of the members of the military have been sufficiently trained before the ban is officially lifted, the earliest that full implementation could happen would be September, said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.

Posted on Advocate.com January 21, 2011

Scalia, Thomas Accused of Conflict of Interest

By Advocate.com Editors

Two of the most conservative judges on the Supreme Court, Antonin Scalia (left) and Clarence Thomas, are being accused of a conflict of interest regarding their decision in the controversial Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case.
A government watchdog group wants the Justice Department to investigate whether Scalia and Thomas acted improperly by not recusing themselves in the Citizens United case — the high court ruling allowed huge corporate payments to be directed toward political campaigns. In the wake of the decision, businesses poured money into campaigns, including Target donating money to an antigay Republican candidate in Minnesota.
The watchdog group said Scalia and Thomas attended meetings sponsored by Charles and David Koch, conservative billionaires who often donate to political causes. A Supreme Court spokeswoman said the justices attended Koch-related events but not private strategy meetings.

Schwarzenegger's Mom Thought He Was Gay

Taken From Towleroad
01/19/2011 Schwarzenegger's Mom Took Him to the Doctor Because She Thought He Was Gay

Arnold Schwarzenegger tells the Austrian newspaper Krone that he had so many posters of oiled bodybuilders on his walls as a kid that his mom took him to the family doctor because she thought he was gay. The doctor tried to calm her down by reassuring her that at least he didn't drink and smoke.
Here's  the Google translation.
And a better translation by our commenter Chris (thanks!):
"(One) of of my favorite stories from when I was young. As a young boy my room was plastered with photos of bodybuilders. Naked, oiled male bodies. That got my mother so concerned, she asked our family doctor one day to take a look at that. 'Other boys put images of women on their walls, and mine does this!' She actually believed I was gay. Well, that's nothing wrong, but for her it was unimagineable back then. However, the doctor, a wise man, calmed her down. Everyone had idols, he said, others would hang up pictures of the Beatles, even though they were men as well. "Look at it like this, Mrs. Schwarzenegger: as an athlete he surely won't start to smoke or drink!" That assured her. Her worry lines stayed though."

Posted on Advocate.com January 13, 2011

Judge: Cop Doesn't Have to Out Officers

A county judge decided that a police sergeant in Roseville, Calif., will not have to out other gay and lesbian officers in a discrimination lawsuit three officers filed against the city last year.
The city of Roseville asked that Sgt. Darin DeFreece, one of the plaintiffs, release names to help it coordinate its defense. Judge Margaret Wells said disclosing such information would be in violation of those officers' right to privacy under the Fourteenth Amendment ro the U.S. Constitution, according to the Roseville Press Tribune.
"The court is hard-pressed to imagine any private information more sensitive than one’s sexual orientation." Wells wrote in her ruling Tuesday. "On the other hand, this is not a mere fishing expedition by defendants."

A trial in the case could begin in late April.

Johnny Weir Confirms He Is Gay In Memoir

Johnny Weir Confirms He is Gay in Memoir

Taken From Yahoo News
Updated: Thursday, 06 Jan 2011, 6:59 PM EST
Published : Thursday, 06 Jan 2011, 6:59 PM EST

(NewsCore) - After repeatedly dodging the issue of his sexual identity, US men's figure skater Johnny Weir confirms he is gay in his upcoming memoir, the website AfterElton reported Thursday.

In "Welcome to My World," Weir openly identifies himself as gay after previously dodging the issue, telling fans on his website in 2006 "I don't feel the need to express my sexual being...I can sleep with whomever I choose and it doesn't affect what I'm doing on the ice."

While Weir said he is "sexually gay" he does not completely rule out a relationship with a woman.

"In a sexual way, I'm gay," the 26-year-old "Skating with the Stars" judge wrote in his book.

"But I would marry a woman tomorrow if it struck me. I don't think sex and relationships necessarily have to go together," he added.

Known for his extravagant costumes and dramatic skating style, Weir is a three time United States Figure Skating champion.

it gets better-----a music video by rebecca drysdale

James Franco Says "Maybe I'm Just Gay"

Posted on Advocate.com January 05, 2011
Franco: "Maybe I'm Just Gay"
By Advocate.com Editors

JAMES FRANCO

James Franco has played a good number of gay roles, most recently in the movies Milk and Howl—where he portrayed Harvey Milk’s longtime boyfriend Scott Smith and poet Allen Ginsberg, respectively. As a result, he’s faced a lot of questions about his own sexual orientation.

The actor, who told The Advocate last summer that he is straight, is now raising eyebrows by suggesting otherwise in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

“There are lots of other reasons to be interested in gay characters than wanting myself to go out and have sex with guys,” Franco tells EW. “And there are also lots of other aspects about these characters that I’m interested in, in addition to their sexuality. So, in some ways it’s coincidental, in other ways it’s not. I mean, I’ve played a gay man who’s living in the ‘60s and ‘70s, a gay man who we depicted in the ‘50s, and one being in the ‘20s. And those were all periods when to be gay, at least being gay in public, was much more difficult. Part of what I’m interested in is how these people who were living anti-normative lifestyles contended with opposition. Or, you know what, maybe I’m just gay.”

The 'Bishop Eddie Long' Gift Keeps On Giving

Monday, January 3, 2011
The 'Bishop Eddie Long' Gift Keeps On Giving
Posted by Timothy Beauchamp at 1/03/2011 03:00:00 PM

One of the things our community must do is to use every opportunity to point out how hypocritical the other side is when it comes to their endless false assertion that their relationships are somehow superior to ours.

One way to do this is to not allow the mainstream media to sweep big stories, like the Bishop Eddie Long fiasco, under the rug.

With little fanfare or news coverage, the four sexual coercion lawsuits confronting Bishop Eddie Long had the first hearing recently, with both sides opting for mediation to avoid a trial.

Why no major news outlet or editorial columnist has discussed the implications of such a move is nothing less than egregious in nature. Despite the initial media crush and coverage and the incessant analysis of Bishop Long's statement on his website and "sermon," there's been nary a peep in response to the quest for mediation.

Where is the mainstream media on Bishop Eddie Long's end-run? If a charismatic fundamentalist church leader publicly presents their marriage as superior and then resorts to mediation to settle gay sex allegations by young members of his flock then that is news. BIG NEWS.

Bishop Eddie Long agreeing to mediation of sexual coercion charges is an end-run around the universally accepted moral and ethical responsibilities of any ecumenical leader. Mediation of sexual allegation grievances is tantamount to an admission of "some" guilt, "some" form of ministerial misconduct. Innocent folk don't make deals if the claims against them are baseless and untrue. Mediation for the accused is a forfeiture of the right to ever claim innocence, and readers should be absolutely clear on this point.

It is important to use every gift of cognitive dissonance given us by the other side to prove they have no corner on human morality, and we deserve every single right they enjoy that they would gladly deny us while reminding all voters those rights are enshrined in our constitution.

Prop. 8-Loving Pastor Accused of Child Molestation

Posted on Advocate.com January 03, 2011
Prop. 8-Loving Pastor Accused of Child Molestation
By Advocate.com Editors

Tom Gene Daniels

The board of a church in Sacramento County, Calif., has issued a statement in support of a pastor arrested on suspicion of child molestation.

According to The Sacramento Bee, the board of Rio Linda Baptist Church expressed its support for pastor Tom Gene Daniels, who is charged with suspicion of a lewd or lascivious act with a child under 14 and engaging in three or more acts of sexual conduct with a child. Daniels was one of the most vocal supporters of California's Prop. 8.

"Until such time as the courts prove Pastor Tom Daniels guilty, we have an obligation to support him and his family," said the statement. The Bee reported that “the statement also said that accusations such as those facing Daniels need to be tried in the court and not the media.”

Daniels, 48, was arrested in December and is being held at the Sacramento County jail with bail set at $6 million. He has been employed as a foster parent and day care provider, according to the Bee.

Gay Newspaper Boxes Vandalized in Vancouver

Posted on Advocate.com January 02, 2011
Gay Newspaper Boxes Vandalized in Vancouver
By Advocate.com Editors

VANCOUVER

Police in Vancouver, Canada, are investigating the possibility of hate-motivated vandalism following damage to distribution boxes for the gay Canadian newspaper Xtra.

According to The Globe and Mail, no other publication boxes were vandalized, and a police spokeswoman said the damage against Xtra looks “targeted.”

“She said police are hoping surveillance video will provide some clues,” reported The Globe and Mail. “The newspaper boxes were primarily damaged in the city’s downtown core between Dec. 25 and Dec. 29. In most of the cases, the glass door was smashed.”

A senior manager for the newspaper said the vandalism would cost the free publication about $3,000. Xtra boxes were targeted in Ottawa in 2006 at a cost of more than $10,000.