 Washington Times | LDS-gay dialogue Salt Lake Tribune ... "It just proves again that in the long run public relations rules the church" ("Pro-gay statutes win city, LDS nod," Tribune , Nov. 11). ... Mormon Support of Gay Rights Statute Draws Praise The Mormon Church Supports Gay Rights ... Wait, What? Gay-rights advocates get good news from unusual sources: Salt Lake City and ... |
 Washington City Paper | A poll on the Catholic opposition to gayness ScienceBlogs (blog) The DC Council is considering a law forbidding discrimination against those in gay marriages. The law would apply to all groups that have contracts with the ... Catholic officials shouldn't forsake dc's poor in gay marriage fight Charity And Justice In Washington DC Showdown over gay marriage looms in DC |
 Hillsboro Argus - OregonLive.com | States should get out of the marriage business Hillsboro Argus - OregonLive.com By Guest Columnist By David Sumner I was pleased to read the paper recently and see the church of my boyhood on the right side of gay rights. ... Mormons prove their tolerance for intolerant left Film documents Mormon role in gay marriage debate Log Cabin touts GOP backers for 2 gay-rights bills |
Del. moves slowly toward equality on LGBT issues The News Journal (A more complete LGBT history in Delaware is on the "Timeline" page of my Web site at www.towardequality.org .) So Delaware's history in this regard, ... |
 Q-Notes | Equality Conference in Greensboro Raises Awareness for LGBT Issues My Fox 8 GREENSBORO, NC - Almost 400 activists and advocates for the LGBT -- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender -- community came out to UNCG for the third ... Hundreds gather in Greensboro for statewide conference Wrong side of a vote, but on 'right side of history' Fearless Leader |
 Examiner.com | Thank God for the Westboro Baptist Church Examiner.com This past week Jews once again joined members of the LGBT community in being at the forefront of those unfortunate enough to be publicly hated by God. ... Separating religion from extremism |
 Baltimore Sun | PFLAG Meeting Visalia Times-Delta PFLAG Of Tulare and Kings Counties is a volunteer group of parents, family and friends of people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT). ... 15 years heading PFLAG |
Memoir Author Urges Bishops to Consider GLBT Testimony in Marriage Pastoral Letter Earthtimes (press release) And it might speak to those, like the bishops, who continue to classify the rights and relationships of GLBT persons as something 'troubling' or 'harmful to ... |
 Seattle Post Intelligencer | Gay marriage, GLBT rights fall victim to the voters South Florida Blade Other GLBT-related races saw setback across the country. In the race for Virginia's governor, Republican candidate Bob McDonnell beat his Democratic rival, ... Who's to Blame for Maine? Withers: Why no race blame game after the Maine loss? Tony Perkins and Evan Wolfson Debate Maine Marriage Vote |
From yesterday's Washington Post [free subscription required]:
The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington said Wednesday that it will be unable to continue the social service programs it runs for the District if the city doesn't change a proposed same-sex marriage law, a threat that could affect tens of thousands of people the church helps with adoption, homelessness and health care.
Under the bill, headed for a D.C. Council vote next month, religious organizations would not be required to perform or make space available for same-sex weddings. But they would have to obey city laws prohibiting discrimination against gay men and lesbians.
Fearful that they could be forced, among other things, to extend employee benefits to same-sex married couples, church officials said they would have no choice but to abandon their contracts with the city.
"If the city requires this, we can't do it," Susan Gibbs, spokeswoman for the archdiocese, said Wednesday. "The city is saying in order to provide social services, you need to be secular. For us, that's really a problem."
Several D.C. Council members said the Catholic Church is trying to erode the city's long-standing laws protecting gay men and lesbians from discrimination.
Catholic Charities, the church's social services arm, is one of dozens of nonprofit organizations that partner with the District. It serves 68,000 people in the city, including the one-third of Washington's homeless people who go to city-owned shelters managed by the church. City leaders said the church is not the dominant provider of any particular social service, but the church pointed out that it supplements funding for city programs with $10 million from its own coffers.
"All of those services will be adversely impacted if the exemption language remains so narrow," Jane G. Belford, chancellor of the Washington Archdiocese, wrote to the council this week.
The church's influence seems limited. In separate interviews Wednesday, council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) referred to the church as "somewhat childish." Another council member, David A. Catania (I-At Large), said he would rather end the city's relationship with the church than give in to its demands.
"They don't represent, in my mind, an indispensable component of our social services infrastructure," said Catania, the sponsor of the same-sex marriage bill and the chairman of the Health Committee.
Catania, tania, who said he has been the biggest supporter of Catholic Charities on the council, said he is baffled by the church's stance. From 2006 through 2008, Catania said, Catholic Charities received about $8.2 million in city contracts, as well as several hundred thousand dollars' worth this year through his committee.
"If they find living under our laws so oppressive that they can no longer take city resources, the city will have to find an alternative partner to step in to fill the shoes," Catania said. He also said Catholic Charities was involved in only six of the 102 city-sponsored adoptions last year.
Terry Lynch, head of the Downtown Cluster of Congregations, said he did not know of any other group in the city that was making such a threat.
"I've not seen any spillover into programming. That doesn't mean it couldn't happen if [the bill] passes," he said.
To read the full article, click here.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington said Wednesday that it will be unable to continue the social service programs it runs for the District if the city doesn't change a proposed same-sex marriage law, a threat that could affect tens of thousands of people the church helps with adoption, homelessness and health care.
Under the bill, headed for a D.C. Council vote next month, religious organizations would not be required to perform or make space available for same-sex weddings. But they would have to obey city laws prohibiting discrimination against gay men and lesbians.
Fearful that they could be forced, among other things, to extend employee benefits to same-sex married couples, church officials said they would have no choice but to abandon their contracts with the city.
"If the city requires this, we can't do it," Susan Gibbs, spokeswoman for the archdiocese, said Wednesday. "The city is saying in order to provide social services, you need to be secular. For us, that's really a problem."
Several D.C. Council members said the Catholic Church is trying to erode the city's long-standing laws protecting gay men and lesbians from discrimination.
Catholic Charities, the church's social services arm, is one of dozens of nonprofit organizations that partner with the District. It serves 68,000 people in the city, including the one-third of Washington's homeless people who go to city-owned shelters managed by the church. City leaders said the church is not the dominant provider of any particular social service, but the church pointed out that it supplements funding for city programs with $10 million from its own coffers.
"All of those services will be adversely impacted if the exemption language remains so narrow," Jane G. Belford, chancellor of the Washington Archdiocese, wrote to the council this week.
The church's influence seems limited. In separate interviews Wednesday, council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) referred to the church as "somewhat childish." Another council member, David A. Catania (I-At Large), said he would rather end the city's relationship with the church than give in to its demands.
"They don't represent, in my mind, an indispensable component of our social services infrastructure," said Catania, the sponsor of the same-sex marriage bill and the chairman of the Health Committee.
Catania, tania, who said he has been the biggest supporter of Catholic Charities on the council, said he is baffled by the church's stance. From 2006 through 2008, Catania said, Catholic Charities received about $8.2 million in city contracts, as well as several hundred thousand dollars' worth this year through his committee.
"If they find living under our laws so oppressive that they can no longer take city resources, the city will have to find an alternative partner to step in to fill the shoes," Catania said. He also said Catholic Charities was involved in only six of the 102 city-sponsored adoptions last year.
Terry Lynch, head of the Downtown Cluster of Congregations, said he did not know of any other group in the city that was making such a threat.
"I've not seen any spillover into programming. That doesn't mean it couldn't happen if [the bill] passes," he said.
To read the full article, click here.
A few months ago we blogged about the vandalism to a Memphis billboard featuring a gay marine. It looks like the Memphis GLBT community has been the victim of another act of hatred.
According to this article Memphis Police arrested 23-year-old Ross Burton early Wednesday morning after he attempted to burn the gay pride flag at the Memphis Gay & Lesbian Community Center (MGLCC).
Plainclothes officers observed Burton and another man â€" who fled the scene and remains at large â€" attempting to set fire to the rope that runs up the flag pole in front of the MGLCC. When police officers approached the men, an altercation ensued, and one suspect attempted to disarm an officer. Additional police were dispatched and some reportedly received lacerations and abrasions from the struggle. The suspects fled, but Burton was located and arrested.
Burton is being charged with aggravated assault and vandalism under $500.
This event marks the second act of vandalism against the MGLCC in two months. In September, an MGLCC National Coming Out Day billboard at Poplar and High was destroyed. No word on whether the two crimes were related.
Said MGLCC director Will Batts: "Public incidents such as this shed light on the larger issue of intolerance and hatred that our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens face every day. Once again, attempts to silence or frighten our community will not succeed, but will make us more determined to fight for equality. We appreciate the support of the community in this struggle."
According to this article Memphis Police arrested 23-year-old Ross Burton early Wednesday morning after he attempted to burn the gay pride flag at the Memphis Gay & Lesbian Community Center (MGLCC).
Plainclothes officers observed Burton and another man â€" who fled the scene and remains at large â€" attempting to set fire to the rope that runs up the flag pole in front of the MGLCC. When police officers approached the men, an altercation ensued, and one suspect attempted to disarm an officer. Additional police were dispatched and some reportedly received lacerations and abrasions from the struggle. The suspects fled, but Burton was located and arrested.
Burton is being charged with aggravated assault and vandalism under $500.
This event marks the second act of vandalism against the MGLCC in two months. In September, an MGLCC National Coming Out Day billboard at Poplar and High was destroyed. No word on whether the two crimes were related.
Said MGLCC director Will Batts: "Public incidents such as this shed light on the larger issue of intolerance and hatred that our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens face every day. Once again, attempts to silence or frighten our community will not succeed, but will make us more determined to fight for equality. We appreciate the support of the community in this struggle."
The American Medical Association went on record as opposing "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" and agrees that gay marriage bans contribute to health disparities.The AMA on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at its annual meeting in Houston, TX, approved a resolution proposed by Dr. Paul A .Wertsch, family physician and PFLAG dad from Madison, Wisconsin, requesting a repeal of the military’s "Don’t ask, don’t tell" law. Dr. Wertsch’s resolution pointed out that a law that makes people lie to their physicians is a bad law.
The AMA also accepted a well researched report that points out that health disparities exist for unmarried couples and their children. Gay couples are not able to get health insurance through a spouse. Married people live longer than unmarried people. Children of LGBT parents benefit when their parents are in a legal, respected relationship. Much of the report was researched and written by the Gay and Lesbian Medical Society.
The AMA’s positions will help the lobbying efforts of gay-rights advocates.
--Kay Heggestad, PFLAG Regional Director
Learn more: AMA votes to seek repeal of 'don't ask,don't tell'
- Sponsors -
Subscribe to Reader feed
Subscribe to daily Email
No comments:
Post a Comment