Gays and Guns: Pink Pistols
Read the article: http://www.sovo.com/2008/12-19/news/localnews/9577.cfm
Homeowners group allows only married couples to rent
A Central Florida homeowners association covenant prohibits owners from leasing their homes to couples who aren’t married, raising the ire of gay rights advocates and homeowners who can’t locate tenants, reports Local 6 News in Orlando
The development is near the University of Central Florida. The rules were created, in part, to prevent the homes from becoming similar to nearby college apartments.
But abandoned homes are forcing current residents to maintain the properties.
A man who owns a home in the development had to move to Texas for employment reasons is trying renting the house for $1,600 a month, including HOA fees.
“It’s ridiculous,” says Eric Marberg. “I might have to quit my job here and move down to Florida and try to get something going.”
“Whether intended or not, this HOA law discriminates against many types of people,” said Tom Dyer, publisher of The Watermark, an Orlando gay and lesbian magazine. “And what’s most offensive is they’re saying the only kinds of people who can form a cohesive responsible household unit are married heterosexuals. And that discriminates against lots and lots of people.”
Fair or not?
You decide.
In a first, gay rights are pressed at the UN
UNITED NATIONS: An unprecedented declaration seeking to decriminalize homosexuality won the support of 66 countries in the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, but opponents criticized it as an attempt to legitimize pedophilia and other “deplorable acts.”
The United States refused to support the nonbinding measure, as did Russia, China, the Roman Catholic Church and members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. The Holy See’s observer mission issued a statement saying that the declaration “challenges existing human rights norms.”
The declaration, sponsored by France with broad support in Europe and Latin America, condemned human rights violations based on homophobia, saying such measures run counter to the universal declaration of human rights.
“How can we tolerate the fact that people are stoned, hanged, decapitated and tortured only because of their sexual orientation?” said Rama Yade, the French state secretary for human rights, noting that homosexuality is banned in nearly 80 countries and subject to the death penalty in at least six.
France decided to use the format of a declaration because it did not have the support for an official resolution. Read out by Ambassador Jorge Argüello of Argentina, the declaration was the first on gay rights read in the 192-member General Assembly itself.
Although laws against homosexuality are concentrated in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, more than one speaker addressing a separate conference on the declaration noted that the laws stemmed as much from the British colonial past as from religion or tradition.
Navanethem Pillay, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, speaking by video telephone, said that just like apartheid laws that criminalized sexual relations between different races, laws against homosexuality “are increasingly becoming recognized as anachronistic and as inconsistent both with international law and with traditional values of dignity, inclusion and respect for all.”
The opposing statement read in the General Assembly, supported by nearly 60 nations, rejected the idea that sexual orientation was a matter of genetic coding. The statement, led by the Organization of the Islamic Conference, said the effort threatened to undermine the international framework of human rights by trying to normalize pedophilia, among other acts.
The Organization of the Islamic Conference also failed in a last-minute attempt to alter a formal resolution that Sweden sponsored condemning summary executions. It sought to have the words “sexual orientation” deleted as one of the central reasons for such killings.
Yade and the Dutch foreign minister, Maxime Verhagen, said at a news conference that they were “disappointed” that the United States failed to support the declaration. Human rights activists went further. “The Bush administration is trying to come up with Christmas presents for the religious right so it will be remembered,” said Scott Long, a director at Human Rights Watch.
The official American position was based on highly technical legal grounds. The text, by using terminology like “without distinction of any kind,” was too broad because it might be interpreted as an attempt by the federal government to override states’ rights on issues like gay marriage, American diplomats and legal experts said.
“We are opposed to any discrimination, legally or politically, but the nature of our federal system prevents us from undertaking commitments and engagements where federal authorities don’t have jurisdiction,” said Alejandro Wolff, the deputy permanent representative.
Gay-rights advocates brought to the conference from around the world by France said just having the taboo broken on discussing the topic at the United Nations would aid their battles at home. “People in Africa can have hope that someone is speaking for them,” said the Rev. Jide Macaulay of Nigeria.
Contact President Elect Obama
Voice your opinion of his choice to lead the Inauguration prayer, Rick Warren: http://change.gov/page/content/contact/
Rick Warren is the hate-mongor from Saddleback Church which twists the Bible to fit his format. He uses faith to drive fear and is openly hostile to the GLBT community.
Boost for same-sex military couples from the Australian Defense Force
SAME-SEX relationships in the Australian Defence Force have moved a step closer to formal recognition following the introduction of commonwealth laws ensuring equal treatment of financial benefits and superannuation payments to personnel regardless of sexual preference.
The laws, to be introduced on January 1, mark a significant step forward in the recognition of same-sex relationships for ADF members, Defence Science and Personnel Minister Warren Snowdon said yesterday.
The Same-Sex Relationships (Equal Treatment in Commonwealth Laws — Superannuation) Act 2008 ensures same-sex couples are treated the same as heterosexual couples for the purposes of the Defence Forces Retirement Benefits Act 1948 and the Defence Force Retirement and Deaths Benefits Act 1973.
“Same-sex partners of ADF members will no longer be denied the payment of death benefits from superannuation schemes,” Mr Snowdon said.
“What these laws do, is they’re a continuation of our election commitment to remove same-sex discrimination from a broad range of commonwealth laws. Defence is encouraging a fair, safe and very inclusive workplace where we respect all persons regardless of their sexual inclination.”
ADF service members in same-sex relationships would now receive exactly the same conditions of service as those in married or de facto relationships, he added.
The tax concessions on death benefits, which are currently available only to heterosexual couples, will from January 1 be available to same-sex couples.
“These changes further reinforce the ADF’s commitment to recognition of same-sex relationships, seen in areas such as the Defence Home Owners Scheme and access to Royal Australian Air Force veterans’ residences,” Mr Snowdon said.
In 1992, under pressure from the Keating Labor government, the ADF lifted its ban on openly gay and lesbian soldiers.
At the time, the change in policy met strong resistance from service chiefs and defence service organisations, but the issue has since faded from the public stage, after it failed to fulfil warnings it would damage defence recruitment and combat-effectiveness.
Experts say evidence of the lifting of the gay ban on ADF members is scarce, but indicates there has been no decline in operational effectiveness.
The latest changes come in the wake of significant and continuing reforms to the national military justice system.
Gay father begs for help to find the son he had with a lesbian
A GAY father today pleaded for help in an international search for his son after the boy vanished with his lesbian mother following a custody battle.
Michael Turberville, 41, has not seen seven-year-old Ashley Skinner since the boy’s mother, Joanne Skinner, disappeared with him more than a year ago.
The IT consultant has launched a public appeal to find him with the backing of Britain’s top family court judge.
There is evidence that Ms Skinner, 35, fled abroad. Mr Turberville believes she may be living with Ashley in Australia.
The president of the High Court family division, Sir Mark Potter, has also lifted reporting restrictions which apply to disputes over children in the hope that publicity will help trace Ashley.
“It is gut-wrenching not to be able to see my son,” Mr Turberville said. “I love him so much. This has ripped my life apart. He was like a little me. I miss him every day.” Mr Turberville, of Reading, fathered the boy with Ms Skinner after advertising in a newspaper for a “like-minded” lesbian. He and Ms Skinner were both in same-sex relationships.
He travelled to her Islington home so she could inseminate herself. Ashley was born in 2001. Until just after his third birthday, she allowed Mr Turberville to see the boy. She then changed her mind and he began court proceedings.
Later, she made criminal allegations against Mr Turberville – unconnected with Ashley – of which he was acquitted by a jury and exonerated by the family court in September last year. Trade union worker Ms Skinner and her son then disappeared. Court orders aimed at tracing them have been unsuccessful.
In April, Ms Skinner’s mother received a letter from her sent from the US, but Mr Turberville believes it was written in Australia and passed on for someone in America to send.
In it she claimed Ashley had started school, and that she was not officially registered at her address. Mr Turberville is originally from Alabama but was born to a British mother and has dual citizenship. He has reported his son missing to Thames Valley Police. He said: “I’m pleading who might know where Ashley is to alert the authorities.”
Sir Mark Potter said: “This mother’s behaviour is to be deplored. She has gone to extreme lengths to cover her trail.” Ashley was being “deprived of a relationship with his father” because of her actions, he added.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Tipstaff to the Royal Courts of Justice in London on 020 7947 6200.
–Jack Lefley
Gay man backed as Navy secretary
Some top retired military leaders and some Democrats in Congress are backing William White, chief operating officer of the Intrepid Museum Foundation, to be the next secretary of the Navy – a move that would put the first openly gay person at the top of one of the services.
The secretary’s job is a civilian position, so it would not run afoul of the ban on gays serving in the military, but it would renew focus on the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy as President-elect Barack Obama prepares to take office.
“He would be phenomenal,” said retired Gen. Hugh Shelton, who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1997 to 2001, pointing to Mr. White’s extensive background as a fundraiser for veterans’ and military causes.
Retired members of the Joint Chiefs have contacted Mr. Obama’s transition team to urge them to pick Mr. White, and members of Congress said he would be a good choice for a service secretary.
“He’s very capable,” said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, New York Democrat, whose district includes the Intrepid Museum, a retired aircraft carrier berthed on the Hudson River in New York City.
Mr. Nadler said Mr. White has become a friend of the military, and particularly the service members and their families, both through the Intrepid and through Fisher Houses, which offer a place to stay so families can be close to military members who are receiving medical care.
A spokeswoman for the Obama campaign said they won’t comment on personnel decisions.
Others are in consideration, such as Juan Garcia, a former naval aviator who was defeated for re-election to his seat in the Texas House. Mr. Garcia is friends with Mr. Obama from their Harvard Law School days and was chairman of Mr. Obama’s Texas campaign.
Democratic members of Congress from Texas sent a letter to Mr. Obama earlier this month supporting Mr. Garcia for the position.
A spokesman said Mr. White would not comment.
If Mr. White were nominated, he likely would face questions during a Senate confirmation hearing over how his nomination would square with the military’s policies on gays.
In 1993, President Clinton signed into law a ban, and White House and congressional leaders settled on a new policy known as “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Under it, gay service members must keep their sexuality private or face expulsion. About 12,500 people have been discharged under the policy.
Supporters of the ban said nominating Mr. White would send the wrong signal.
“It’s a matter of judgment, and I think that would be very poor judgment on the part of the commander in chief,” said Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness, which opposes gays serving in the military. “It would be very demoralizing to the troops.”
But Mr. Nadler said the military policy that says gays are a threat to unit cohesion is “nonsense,” and it shouldn’t apply to Mr. White anyway because as secretary “he’s not in the foxhole, he’s not on the ship.”
Gen. Shelton called Mr. White’s work at both the Intrepid Museum and the Fisher House Foundation “legendary.”
“He has always been a staunch advocate of our men and women in uniform,” Gen. Shelton said.
–Stephen Dinan
Obama Infuriates Gays: Chooses extremely anti-gay preacher Rick Warren for inauguration prayer
Read the article and watch the video: http://www.metroweekly.com/gauge/last_word/2008/12/obama-angers-gays-with-choice.html
WAINWRIGHT PLAYS DOWN ‘ANTI-GAY MARRIAGE’ COMMENTS
Gay singer RUFUS WAINWRIGHT has denied he refuses to campaign for same-sex marriage – insisting his comments published in a recent interview were “taken out of context”.
Wainwright came under fire from gay rights advocates for quotes in a New York publication in which the star stated he was “not a huge supporter of gay marriage”.
The singer has reportedly refused to become involved with marching and protesting against the recent passing of Proposition 8 in California – which reversed a previous law permitting same-sex unions.
But Wainwright states he didn’t mean to make a stand against gay marriage insisting he meant he wouldn’t want to take legally binding vows himself.
He says, “Recently, a quote from an interview was taken out of context and as these things go, it has appeared on many internet sites. So, to set the record straight (or shall we say gay?), I am not nor have I ever been opposed to anyone’s right to marry – straight or gay.
“I have voiced my strong opposition to Prop 8 on many occasions and will continue to do so until that referendum is reversed.
“I myself just don’t want to (marry) at the moment and feel a strong tie to the traditional bohemian concept of being a homosexual, ie: the last thing we want is to be like everybody else. But who knows, a girl likes options. Maybe someday I will want to marry!” And the star slams the U.S. political system for their treatment of homosexual partnerships – urging the country to follow in the footsteps of Europe and Canada.
He adds, “Plus, in terms of practical issues such as citizenship, taxes, inheritance, etc… it is appauling (sic) that LGBT couples don’t have the same rights and options that other people have and compared with Europe and Canada, the U.S. should be ashamed of how they treat love.”
Kicking A Lion 
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